Morganville Vampires

This blog was going to be about classic literature, but I found that I'm not that much of a masochist. I couldn't face weeks of classic literature, so I'll be just talking about what I'm currently reading or watching on tv or dvd. Today it's the Morganville Vampire series that I'm reading.

If you're a vampire fan and haven't started this series yet, you're missing out. This series by Rachel Caine takes place in a small town in Texas. There's a college campus and some other small businesses, but not much else in the town. Well, except for the vampires. The main character Claire is a young freshman at the college and discovers the vampire fairly early in the first book. She's a likable character that grows and develops throughout the series, gaining both the vampires' attention and a boyfriend.

The series is categorized as young adult and there is a bit of romance, so if that puts you off avoid the series. The vampires are wonderful in this series. They established this town years ago and run it much like the mob. They own many of the businesses and almost all the families that know about vampires are under the protection of a vampire. Anyone not under protection is fair game to the vampires, and you can never leave the town if you know about the vampires.

The books follow Claire, Shane, Eve, and Michael as they try to survive the town. They go through many changes and difficulties, but manage to stay together throughout the series. The close friendship between the four keep them going through some pretty horrific times. The bonds between the characters really keeps the reader hooked and anxious for more.

The latest book in the series is Ghost Town. In this book Claire is helping the scientist vampire Myrnin restore the town's computer system. This system is what keeps people in Morganville and erases their memories if they try to leave. It's very important to get this working again, because news of the vampires' presence can't be leaked out of the town. That would mean exposure for the vampires and death for the humans talking about the vampires.

The series walks a fine line with the vampires. On one hand they are the blood-drinking fiends from legend; on the other they are delightfully human too. Most of the vampires are much more then mindless violent beasts. They have human emotions and plots and plans. They are just as intriguing as the main foursome, and are at times villains or heroes.

The Morganville Vampire series begins with Glass House, where the reader is first introduced to the characters and town through the eyes of Claire. There are nine books in the series so far and more yet to come. You can find more information about this series at this website http://www.rachelcaine.com/Rachel_Caine_-_writer/Morganville.html . Check it out.