Friday , March 29 2024
A whimsical voice weaves a great vampire story.

Sony Reader Adventure: Tall, Dark, and Fangsome by Michelle Rowan

The holidays have a way of spinning away from us at an amazing pace and finding time to read can be difficult at best, but if you're able to steal even a few moments, a good book can be as relaxing as a mini-vacation.

In my two previous reviews in this series, for Born of Fire and Holiday With a Vampire, I've outlined some of the ways the Sony Reader (I've been test-driving the pocket reader) makes it easier to indulge. Small and lightweight, easy to read with adjustable text size, and a large inventory of books that are quickly and easily downloaded from the Sony Reader Store are all checks in the plus column for this product. For someone on the go — and frankly who doesn't have a hectic lifestyle — every moment saved is a precious one. For a bookworm, that saved time can become turning pages and the Sony Reader and Reader Store succeed in putting a large variety of books at your fingertips.

If you've been following my contributions to this series, you've also learned that I'm a fan of fantasy and paranormal romance with an emphasis on vampires. I tend to lean toward books with darker tones, but enjoy a wide array as long as the main characters are anything but normal and/or human. Without realizing it was the fifth (and final) book in the Immortality Bites series, I downloaded Tall, Dark and Fangsome by Michelle Rowan, taking a chance on the cleverness of the title and the intriguing cover art.

I was only a page or two in before I realized it was a later book in a series, but Rowan already had me drawn into the roller coaster ride of a story with her quick-witted style and voice. It's not the dark and dreary I usually radiate toward (it's reminiscent of Mary Janice Davidson in her Undead series, except Sarah has more of a moral compass than Betsy), but I was unable to stop turning the virtual pages.

The heroine, Sarah, is a newly turned and recently cursed vampire (in a previous book a witch's spell has made her a nightwalker, an especially nasty kind of vamp), whose life seems to go from bad to worse at every turn. Even though she's destined to survive on blood (B+ cocktails are her favorite), Sarah's got a huge heart and a great big knack for falling into a deeper hole when she's only trying to help another.

Even though I've finished the book that is the end to the series, I found the writing engaging enough and Rowan's ability to spin a tale charming enough that I will be going back to the beginning and read the previous four Immortality Bites books.

There are only a few days left until Christmas — and if you're still looking for the perfect gift for the avid reader in your life, I can whole-heartedly recommend the Sony Reader, even if the bookworm in question is technologically challenged, he or she won't have any trouble putting books on the Reader or using the product itself. If you are the avid booklover on your list, don't feel guilty about giving in to impulses and wrapping up one of these Readers for yourself.

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