Zen and the Art of Vampires (Dark Ones, Book 6)
by Katie MacAlister
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Book Summary Information
Author: Katie MacAlisterEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-12-02
ISBN: 0451225600
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Signet
Book Reviews of Zen and the Art of Vampires (Dark Ones, Book 6)
Book Review: Hard to rate, but worth the read if you know what to expect
Summary: 4 Stars
First, I'm not going to rehash the plot. I mean, not only has that been done in every review, but I refuse to do as each and every reviewer (save one) has done, and reveal the ending. I will say that this is NOT a standalone book, and as evidenced by the other reviews, THAT is its single biggest flaw. It is the beginning of another series, although I don't know the extent of that series (the next book: "Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang" comes out in May, 2009).
Things I disliked:
I, too, was not aware that this would be a series, and was expecting a stand-alone story. I was dissappointed at the ending because of this. But after some contemplation I felt that it was reasonable to have a continued story (as with many of her books) and recognized that disparaging the entirety of the story because of my disappointment with that aspect wasn't fair. So while I disliked it, for the sake of rating I am ignoring it. It's not as if there won't EVENTUALLY be a happy ending.
Again as other reviewers mentioned, Pia was whiny and waaay too obsessed with ther weight and flaws. Tandem to that, neither of the male leads were able to connect with her for any significant period of time to address that concern. She did some TSTL things, but unlike with other authors, you *kind of* understand that she was baffled and confused, acting on instinct, not knowledge, and that made her more susceptible to stupid actions.
I generally don't care for books that have unnecessary secondary character sex scenes, and I didn't really care for it in this, either. I'm probably using poor phrasing on that, but what I mean is that I don't like the main characters having sex scenes with anyone else within the book. In this case, I cut a little slack, because I see how it was SOMEWHAT necessary for the story. And to further address the erroneous claim that Pia "cheated" on either lead character, she did not. To begin with, there was no actual sex between her and Alec (barely foreplay, people!), and nothing beyond that initial event (oh, wait, they kissed -- sorry, that's not cheating. ESPECIALLY after a one-night-stand). They had a fling as far as she was concerned. Pia appeared to feel guilt about it because of the lack of closure on the evening with Alec, her confusion because of Alec's professions of deep feelings (without understanding about Dark Ones), and because of her behavior with Kristoff (you know, the whole "sleeping with his best friend" thing).
There were little things that gave me some pangs of upset. I, too, was upset when not all of the ghosts made it to Ostri, but once I knew that it wasn't a stand-alone book, I wasn't upset anymore. Just mildly annoyed I suppose. I didn't like the whole "Alec disappears for x amount of time, thinking that leaving a note is okay, and then shows up again as if everything is hunky-dory".
Sounds like a lot of negatives, huh? There are a few reasons for my rating, other than the "likes" that I'm going to list next. Primarily, though, that it was just plain a fun book. I actually laughed out loud at parts (I can't tell you how long it's been!). The sex was, as always, very hot (even the somewhat disjointed foreplay scene). Katie MacAlister is one of the best with sex scenes, although they tend to be a bit formulaic. When they're hot enough, though, I don't really mind. The secondary characters are, as always, great buffers and comic relief.
Okay, things I did like:
So, this falls under a like AND a dislike, I suppose. Kristoff really was pretty obnoxious to Pia. Well, very obnoxious. BUT, since I NOW know that it's a series book, I can accept it better. I actually really liked the whole "she's my Beloved but I didn't know she was going to be" plot-line, since other than in the first Dark One book, they all pretty much know right away when they find their Beloveds. After I got over my initial annoyance at Kristoff, I started seeing something to this. MY interpretation is that he didn't WANT to like his friend's girl. He didn't WANT to get caught up in the swirling emotions of it, and despite being practically unable to control himself, he didn't want to betray Alec. While they had, as they'd said, been with the same women before, he knew Alec saw Pia differently. Also, and this is *just* a supposition, his response was always that he wasn't "expecting" a Beloved. Pia is the one who said that he was hung-up on his ex, he only said he wanted revenge for her. MY interpretation was that there was something, probably related to his work on the council, that either made him in danger, or made it so that it was terrible timing for him to have a Beloved. Even the excerpt from the next book made me think that he was... distracted by something and wasn't able to "talk".
I liked that Alec really thought she was his Beloved. But I suspect there's a deeper storyline with that based on some things said at the end. Again, I don't want to give away any spoilers. Alec was a nice enough guy, but seemed to be the opposite of Kristoff in his rampant desire for a Beloved. I am curious to find out whether the next book goes into more background so that we better understand his motivations.
As usual, I loved the ghosts. I liked the interraction. I am looking forward to seeing the remaining ghost in the next book.
I liked the reference to one of Ms. MacAlister's regency romances. The book in the beginning, described as a regency romance with a dancing couple on the cover, struck me as a reference to "Noble Destiny" (which I disliked, actually). It was clever, although I don't think most people will get the reference.
I really appreciate the fact that Ms. MacAlister is a very good author. I have come across such awful books lately. I was thrilled to have a new book by someone I knew wrote well and that included enough comedy that I would laugh, even if it was just to myself.
Overall I would rate this 3 1/2 stars, but if I'm going to be fair to her, 4 was more accurate than 3. It is SOOOO much better than the vast majority of what is out there. I will reserve full judgement until I read the sequel. For what it's worth, she's still an auto-buy author for me.
To sum up: THIS IS NOT A STAND ALONE BOOK. I think knowing this will save many people disappointment, and allow them to enjoy it more. SEX SCENES ROCKED. Even the one with Alec, which is usually something I don't like i books, was hot and fun. WHILE NOT HER BEST, SO MUCH BETTER THAN OTHER BOOKS OUT THERE THAT IT DOESN'T DESERVE A POOR RATING. I seem, however, to be in the minority in these assessments. *shrug*
Summary of Zen and the Art of Vampires (Dark Ones, Book 6)
Is it possible to love two vampires at the same time?
View our feature on Katie MacAlister?s Zen and the Art of Vampires.
Pushing forty and alone, Pia Thomason heads to Europe on a singles tour, hoping to find romance. What she finds are two very handsome, very mysterious, and very undead men. And she learns that where vampires are concerned, love isn?t the only thing at stake.Literature & Fiction Books
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