Review: A GraveTells Review: A Short, Fun Novella!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 8, 2012
Sydney Kildare lives a pretty exciting life- being a messenger for vampires is never boring. In the town of Anchorage, there are vamps everywhere. Unfortunately, their strange energy fields have a way of destroying technology, which means they depend on couriers to communicate. This is where Sydney comes in; when vamps need to get business done, they come to her. Sydney is unique- she has the ability to resist the vamps' compulsion, which makes her an ideal (and reliable) messenger. Just because she's immune to their glamor doesn't mean she's protected, though. Vampires are still hostile, bloodthirsty creatures, so Syd's job is extremely dangerous. She longs for the day she can retire and escape from Alaska, and live a vampire-free life.When Sydney accepts a new assignment, it turns out to be much more hazardous than she could've ever imagined. There's a vampire turf war going on, and Syd suddenly ends up right in the middle of it. No place is safe anymore, and Syd doesn't know who to trust. Malcolm Kelly, a new, intriguing stranger, has a habit of showing up whenever Syd needs help, and soon enough Syd finds herself falling for him. Yet Syd can't help but wonder...whose side is Malcolm really on?Don't Bite the Messenger was a pretty quick read. For a short novella, it had a good amount of action, which ensured the story was fast-paced. Syd was an interesting heroine, not to mention intelligent. She knows how to handle vamps and she's extremely vigilant when it comes to her safety. This also means she doesn't really trust anyone, but when a few tidbits about her past are revealed, it makes sense, although her lack of faith in certain people was frustrating at times. Sydney is sort of damaged, but I like that about her and I think that makes her a realistic character. She has a great sense of humor, too, which made me like her even more.The relationship between Syd and Malcolm wasn't as compelling as I'd hoped it would be, though. I felt like there weren't really sparks between them, and I don't think they had a lot of chemistry together. Fortunately, things got a little better and heated up as the two learned more about each other and spent time together. There were times when the romance fell a bit flat for me, but there were still plenty of sweet (and hot!) moments featuring them.Aside from that, I enjoyed reading this novella. The concept and plot were original, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to get to know Sydney.Favorite Quote:"He offered me the choice of service." Malcolm said."Oh my God. How long is this period of service? Do you have to, like, pick up his dry cleaning and laugh when he makes bad jokes?"Don't Bite the Messenger was a well-written novella with a spunky heroine and an entertaining storyline. This one is definitely worth a look!Rating: 3.5 StarsOriginal review written for and posted on GraveTells.com