Life of Death (Blood of My World Novella Three): A Paranormal Romance [Paperback]

I loved all three books about this unlikely vampire and his girlfriend. If you like light reading and quick stories, these books are for you. I got one free and then bought the two to finish the story. I love how Amazon makes these available, introduces to a new author, and then the reader can decide to continue by buying the next in the series or not. These were very entertaining and I continue to review the lists of free or discounted priced books on the list.

Discovery of Death (Blood of my World Novella One): A Paranormal Romance
Memories of Death (Blood of my World Novella Two): A Paranormal Romance
Life of Death (Blood of my World Novella Three): A Paranormal Romance

BLOOD OF MY WORLD TRILOGY

I enjoyed the pace of this trilogy of 3 novellas. One of the things I especially liked was the opening of each novella, which features cool, lyrical poetry that sets the tone for each installment!

The content focuses on the love story between the characters (which isn't necessarily the same as trashy romance and/or romantic fluff, that's often heavily influenced by the aspect of lust and "how hot/desirable" the two guys involved in the formulaic love triangle are). I GREATLY appreciated that the vampires here did not sparkle, and were not "emo caricatures." The POV (point of view) is third-person, allowing us to view the characters' thoughts and motivations in an unbiased manner.

The balanced combination of contemporary romance with a more traditional take (depiction of the vampires, the hint of old-school dramatic romantic elements) is maintained throughout all 3 novellas. The end was beautifully written (emotive without being sappy). It's vampires in the "paranormal romance" genre done right.

BLOOD OF MY WORLD TRILOGY
By A.P. Fuchs

I'm not the biggest fan of paranormal romance, especially with the release of books such as THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and the TWILIGHT series (which I do not consider horror). However I was intrigued by a YA novella trilogy by A.P. Fuchs who is perhaps best known for writing about zombies.
BLOOD OF MY WORLD consists of three novellas--DISCOVERY OF DEATH, MEMORIES OF DEATH, and LIFE OF DEATH--that tell the story of high school sweethearts Zach and Rose. Zach has unexpectedly disappeared, leaving Rose in a state of confusion and worry. Zach has become a vampire and has no memory of his former life, including Rose. One fateful night Zach is taken out to feed by his vampire mother Mira and kills Rose's mother. Experiencing his victim's memories, Zach is confused by the people he sees and what his connection to them may be. In the meantime, in the wake of her mother's death, Rose discovers that she comes from a long line of vampire slayers.
While dealing with the funeral and her training Rose sees Zach and knows what he has become. Rose's father Marcus also knows what Zach has become and instructs his daughter to stay away from the cemetery. Marcus explains that vampires have no feelings or emotions for anyone in their former lives, which is what makes them such effective killers. Zach tries to understand what is happening to him and what Rose meant to him. Zach's vampire family seems ready to accept Rose, even though she's a human. Ultimately Zach will be forced to choose between his vampire family and Rose, and truths will come out that help Zach determine where his loyalties lie.
Fuchs has written a very good story in BLOOD OF MY WORLD. The characters are well-developed and his vampires' characteristics are quite interesting. I enjoyed the Shakespeare-esque story of the young lovers from different and clashing worlds--vampire and slayer. What I also liked about this trilogy is that it doesn't have the creepiness that most other vampire romances targeting young girls have. Zach is only a vampire for a few weeks when he and Rose meet again, he's not a hundred-plus year old vampire "in love" with a teen girl. In other words, Zach isn't a dirty old man, he's still just a kid. The horror elements are really good, too. The vampires have ulterior motives that ultimately drive the story--they aren't an afterthought. The romance aspect is a bit intense at times, so if paranormal romance isn't your thing, then this is not the trilogy for you. Overall BLOOD OF MY WORLD is a really good read for its target audience.
Colleen Wanglund