Although not all my reviews are spoilery, which I do not consider this one to be, here is a little warning just in case.
However, this review assumes the reader has read MV12.
All page numbers are taken from the UK Edition, this cover. 

Review Written: 19 November 2012

Bitter Blood by Rachel Caine

I have that feeling of dread. Every MV book I finish, the nearer I am to the end of the series. I'm not emotionally ready even though I have a year to prepare.

Enough of my emotions and on to the review. Morganville has changed - the vampires are becoming more 'vamp' like, and town leader Amelie is making more than a few changes as far as the human/vampire dynamic is concerned.

This book has plenty of drama - Eve and Michael's marriage has put a few noses out of joint; the vampires and the humans are angry and will do everything in their power to try and break it off. A group of ghost busters are in town which of course, spells bad news. After having saved Claire previously, young, troubled Miranda is now the token house ghost and seeing her deal with this new life is upsetting.

And angst, lots of teenage angst. The delicious chemistry between Claire and Myrnin continues. Don't get me wrong, I love Claire and Shane and want them to be together forever and ever and ever (which I rarely wish in teenage books), but Myrnin's admiration for Claire is a beautiful thing. Their friendship in general is a beautiful thing. Back to Shane and Claire, I just squeal everytime they have a 'moment' together - there is also none of this weaker girlfriend business either. Shane knows his girlfriend can kick butt, the reader does too, and I really like strong female characters. I've said it before, and I shall say it again - Caine really can write a strong females well, making the emotional side of them simply part of their character and not a sign of weakness.

Can we now confirm that Oliver is Oliver Cromwell? He was called a 'Roundhead' and was a man who turned his country against their King. I know no other Olivers in history who managed to achieve this! Also, we FINALLY got a TINY peak at a vampire back story - Myrnin's actually and it really doesn't sound like a happy one. However, even though it was a minor glimpse, I really enjoyed it. I liked Myrnin before but this book made me love him. [Perhaps picturing him as Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock also doesn't help!!]

We have shocks a plenty - this is a spoiler free review but pages 173 and 460 are certainly two examples which made my eyes widen and mouth drop.

I can't say much about the ending, again spoilers, but it closes the book nicely rather than leaving us on a cliffhanger. There is an underlying problem however (started in the previous book) - Claire and MIT. Will she or won't she go? What will this mean for the famous foursome? All I can say now, is bring on book fourteen!!

NEXT REVIEW: SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

All page numbers are taken from this UK edition

THIS REVIEW HAS MAJOR SPOILERS - I suggest you read the book before the review because I do not want to ruin anything. Don't say I didn't warn you.

There are a number of things in life I look forward to: 

1. When someone buys cake. I really, really, really like cake.
2.  When the new series of my favourite television show begins.
3.  The new Morganville Vampire book.

If you came here to read about my love of cake or the fact I am eagerly awaiting the return of Doctor Who and Sherlock, then I am afraid you are going to be very disappointed. If you came here to read my review of Black Dawn, then you are in the right place.

Black Dawn picks up where Last Breath finished. (For those who have not read Last Breath,  the draug, whom are the baddies, sort of move into Morganville and eventually end up biting the town’s head honcho Amelie – award for the quickest synopsis ever). In a world without Claire, Michael, Eve and Shane, you’d be pretty screwed, but this is Morganville and the four once again have to save the day. The draug travel via the water, so the first logical step to take is cutting off the water supply.  

Then something happens to Shane making me really, really sad. He is my favourite character, arguably in any current book series, and I really want one for myself. Alas, he is fictional. Fortunately he is rescued but not after experiencing a dream state where he has a perfect life with Claire. The whole time I’m sitting there like a pile of goo because it’s so darn CUTE and adorable and I want it to be real for him SO badly as I feel after everything he’s been through in life, he deserves it. When he returns, he needs convincing Claire is real. He keeps asking what their dream baby was called and when Claire tells him what she would name their daughter (pg. 403), I am literally dead from fangirling. 

Zoom forward a bit and we have a character death. I won’t reveal who but I felt it was rather undeserving for the person because they weren’t too bad a character considering their circumstance in Morganville. In fact, we have two character deaths. Both unfortunate.

Funniest character perspective is either Shane or Eve, Shane because he is well, Shane and Eve because, in the words of my American friend, is so sassy even though she is hurt from the events of the last book when Michael went all vampire on her. I don’t even have to check whose perspective the chapter will be in; as soon as I start reading, I just know. This is either because Caine has captured each voice differently or I am completely fan girl for these books.

Here is the section where I explain my love for Myrnin. He is funny, especially the line he gives about Bob the Spider (pg. 409) and he is kick butt because he is a vampire. Also, the unspoken chemistry between him and Claire is rather delicious. Don’t get me wrong, I ship Claire and Shane harder than I’ve shipped anyone in my life, but I never once question the mutual respect between him and Claire even though he makes a few misjudgements in the book.

My mother likes to read the books too and every time she finishes, she says to me ‘I wish I knew more about the vampire’s past lives’. We have come to some sort of conclusion that Oliver is Oliver Cromwell even though the warts have never been mention. Page 422 and he is described as being ‘the warrior of God’. Also, page 434, ‘I had brought down kings, laid low monarchs.’ So now I’m just like, who is this man who shares the name with the historical figure who was a Puritan and brought down Charles I?

The ending is a bit of a shocker. It is a sort-of happy one. Morganville is changing that much is sure and I’m not sure what place or what role the four of them will now have. So here I am, having finished book twelve, not quite sure what I’m going to do with my life until the thirteenth is out. 

(I am hopefully meeting Rachel Caine on the 21st May - I'm rather excited!)

NEXT REVIEW: ELIZABETH CHANDLER'S EVERLASTING