Two more of Oni’s clever March Madness PR event with two more new books announced:
• Lion of Rora is a graphic novel by Christos Gage (Netflix’s Daredevil, Avengers Academy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine), Ruth Fletcher Gage (Netflix’s Daredevil, Law and Order: SVU), and Jackie Lewis comes out on August 5th. It’s based on the true story of 17th century Italian Joshua Javanel who leads a persecuted Christian sect known as the Waldensians against the oppression of a tyrannical duke.
“The Waldensians are Ruth’s ancestors, so the story of Joshua Janavel is a personal and important one to us,” said Christos Gage in a statement. “But it’s also a universal tale of the struggle for freedom, family and a safe place to call home. Jackie Lewis has done an incredible job capturing both the epic scope of the battles and the small moments that convey Janavel’s struggle between the simple man of peace he wanted to be and the brilliant general he became. We couldn’t ask for a better presentation than what Oni has given Lion of Rora. ”
We’re guessing you had not been familiar with the story of the Waldensians before, but after reading this, you’ll know all about their story.
• Oni’s main man Cullen Bunn is back with collaborators Drew Moss (Terrible Lizard), and Nick Filardi (Helheim, Brides of Helheim) with October’s Blood Feud a “Southern tale of vampires, necromancers, horrific spiders and family feuds that survive beyond the grave.” So add this one to the shelf of “southern gothic comics” along with Southern Bastards.
“Subtitled ‘A Vampire Yarn… With Spiders,’ Blood Feud is a book that means a lot to me on a lot of different levels,” says Bunn. “It’s a story that’s been with me for years, and the characters are, in one way or another, people who were important in my life, especially while I was growing up in rural North Carolina and Missouri. Spider Creek, the town in which this horrific little tale takes place, may be fictional, but it’s also very real. It draws bits and pieces from towns like Newton Grove and Dudley and Koshkonong and Thayer to form a place that might very well be the location for an invasion of blood-sucking demonic beasties. Blood Feud is also my chance to re-team with Drew Moss and Nick Filardi. This is a story of humor and horror in the vein of movies like Fright Night and Phantasm and Evil Dead 2, and I couldn’t think of two co-conspirators to bring this story to life!”
So there you go more good stuff coming from Oni and we haven’t filled out the brackets yet.
Publisher: Bloomsbury US (June 22, 2010)
Hardcover: 272 Pages
Book from Publisher
The action and romance continue as the Drakes face a new vampire with a 200-year-old grudge. It’s been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she’s made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That’s if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.
The clans are gathering for Helena’s royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha’s reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy. (Source)
Review
BLOOD FEUD, Alyxandra Harvey, is the second installment in The Drake Chronicles. This book alternates the POV of Logan Drake and Isabeau St. Croix. I got really attached to Lucy and Solange narrating in the first book so I was a bit hesitant for different POV's but I immediately fell in love with these two.
Logan and Isabeau have much in common in terms of taste. Logan's style and actions reflected the era that Isabeau grew up in when she was human. They are one of my top favorite YA couples at the moment. That alone should make you want to read this book.
Another aspect that set this book apart in this series was the introduction of a different type of vampire clan, the Hounds. These vampires were very unique in how they were very cultured and connected well with nature and dogs. They were very spiritual and I really enjoyed reading the customs that were performed. It was great reading from Logan's POV during that specific part because he was new to it as well and Harvey pulled me along for the ride with him. Also, the flashes to Isabeau's past life before becoming a vampire kept my heart pounding with anticipation.
I am not fond of the cover choice. Harvey described Isabeau with tattoos and scaring on her body and this model did not follow suit. I don't tend to like books that tell me how the character is supposed to look, I like to visualize it for myself.
Overall, if you liked
My Love Lies Bleeding (AKA
Hearts At Stake: my
Review) I think you will really enjoy this one.
For more info, check out Alyxandra Harvey's
website
