Stein, Jeanne C.: Blood Drive
Blood Drive (2006)
Writer: Jeanne C. Stein
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 297
Series: Book Two (ongoing)
I had a problem with the first book, The Becoming. A rather large one that soured my interest in this series even though I really, really liked the voice and appreciated the character. However, curiosity finally got the best of me, as did the title of the second book, so I decided to give Stein one more shot, under the silent condition that if this book left me feeling as slimy as the first, that was it.
The premise: book two has Anna struggling with what it means to be a vampire while still living a human life, and if that's not bad enough, she learns that her long-dead brother may have had a daughter, and this daughter is now missing and in serious trouble. Anna will do whatever it takes to find the girl, and her search teaches her there's more to the world of the supernatural than she ever imagined...
Spoilers ahead.
So, no slimy. And I'll explain why because there are similarities between this book and the previous.
1) In the first book, it's beat over your head that vampires = great sex. In this book, I'm starting to get the impression that the sex drive and blood drive are one in the same passion, especially at the end when Frey offers himself to her. The idea that simply feeding from someone isn't enough without the sex coupled with it, and vise-versa, is kind of an interesting one rather than slimy.
2) Sex crime was a major plot point of the first book. Anna is raped and turned into a vampire at the same time, and Stein's handling of that had me grinding my teeth together in a rather unhealthy way. In this book, there's still sex crime, but in this case, there's a child porn ring that Trish, Anna's suspected niece, has been forced into. Add to that the character of Darryl Goodman, and you've got some seriously uncomfortable sliminess. However, in this book, Stein doesn't reward the slimy behavior: Trish is obviously traumatized by what her mother forced her into (the porn ring) and her experiences don't turn her into something supernatural, and the character of Darryl is seen for what he is, a slimy asshole, instead of a smooth, suave gentleman. That, and none of the sex crimes are turned on Anna. That helps, a lot. Anna's reactions to what's happening become our reactions, which makes it easier to sympathize.
Like the first book, the voice is immediate and enjoyable and worth the cash. I even forgot that Stein writes in first person present until I was almost done with the book, and that's a testament to how naturally she writes this POV. Her plotting, like the last one, is a bit weak in terms of my being able to guess what's going on: I figured one or both of the FBI agents were involved in the porn ring, and I knew there was more to Darryl than met the eye, especially since he was having sex with Carolyn. So my being right about these characters didn't surprise me. There was also predicting how certain actions of Anna would lead to trouble, like her making the cop leave them at the breakfast joint. I knew that would end badly, no doubt.
I had a hard time with Daniel Frey's character, and I blame the last name. The last name has been so slandered thanks to James Fray, and then there was the fact that 1) Daniel and Anna really had no chemistry and 2) his character was rather inconsistent. Even though I understood why he was acting the way he was, especially after Anna, I could never really connect with him. Maybe it's because the first time we heard of him, he's being accused of sleeping with students, a charge that is obviously false, but becomes a loose string: where did these rumors come from? If Carolyn had made them up, there'd be no trouble, but Anna's mom had heard them around the school too, so what was the source?
Anna's mom bugged me a bit too. I know the poor woman's in the dark about what Anna really is and all that, but her expectations of Anna seemed unreasonable, especially regarding Trish's case. At the end, when Mrs. Strong does nothing but coldly and silently acknowledge Anna for doing her job, I was like, "Wow, that's cold." Granted, it all fits into Anna pulling away from her mortal life and giving her parents something to hold on to, but still, I would've liked to connect more to the situation.
It was also a curious choice to make Trish NOT Steve's daughter. Forget the idea that love is the real bond, not blood, I don't understand the point of doing this other than to give Anna something else she has to lie about, and that lie, well, it's not one that would grate on my conscious in the slightest, not after what Trish has been through.
I was sorry we didn't see more David, and annoyed by Gloria, who I'd happily forgotten from the first book. Talk about strands of mortal life to leave behind. I don't mind David being around, but Gloria? Watch her end up a supernatural creature, just watch. Anna will have to deal with that bitch for eternity.
I'm rather ambivalent about the whole Max thing. Obviously, his story is far from over, both personally and professionally. I figure that some day, Anna's going to have to come clean with him about what she is. I also think that some day, he's going to be made into a supernatural creature. That'll be interesting, because by then, I figure Anna's going to have more than one guy to choose from, which is typical for this genre.
My Rating
Worth the Cash: Blood Drive is a solid, fast read and enjoyable, if a little predictable in its plot. If you're tired of the vampire stereotype, this series isn't for you, because it plays them up, especially the vampires = great sex element, although in this book it's done much, much better. It didn't squick me out like the last one did, nor did it piss off my inner feminist like the last one did, so I'll be happy to give book three a shot.
Next up:
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
AND
Thirteen by Richard K. Morgan