Product Description

Magiere, half-human child of a vampire, and Leesil her half-elf partner are investigating the sinister murder of a Councilman's daughter in a nearby town. Only her damaged town's desperate need for money could have pressured Magiere to return to the twilight world of crime that she used to inhabit. But this murder is not all it seems, and has all the hallmarks of something much darker, more complicated, more calculating. It seems that someone was trying to send a message, but was it a vampire or an even more dread force? Only Leesil can persuade Magiere to follow her destiny and the call of her blood, before more are claimed by darkness ...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #91564 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Review
'Readers will turn the pages of this satisfying medieval thriller with gusto.' - Kristine Huntley, Booklist, review journal of the American Library Association 'pressure is brought to bear on Magiere... Maybe she doesn't have it any easier than BUFFY at that.' - Earnest Liley, SFRevu

EARNEST LILEY, SFRevu
pressure is brought to bear on Magiere... Maybe she doesn't have it any easier than BUFFY at that.

ALISA MCCUNE, Sime~Gen, Inc.
A vampire story set in a high fantasy world - sound interesting? ...will keep you guessing until the end.

Customer Reviews

A dhampir's job is never done
Any list of the best writers of vampire novels working today must include the dynamic duo of Barb & J. C. Hendee. Their first collaborative effort gave the world Dhampir, a truly engaging vampire tale set in a rich atmosphere suggestive of mediaeval times. It was there that we first met Magiere, the acclaimed vampire hunter; her half-human, half-elf partner Leesil; and Leesil's extraordinary dog Chap. Magiere and Leesil used to be con artists, staging vampire kills to rob superstitious villagers of their collective wealth, but Magiere grew tired of the game and the guilt that came with it, choosing to settle down in the town of Miiska and run a tavern. As luck would have it, though, Miiska was the home of three very real vampires. The game had become real, and Magiere, Leesil, and Chap endured great pains as they sought to rid the city of its undead killers. Magiere struggled most of all with the newly-acquired knowledge that she was a dhampir who could, she feared, kill Leesil unintentionally when she needed blood to survive a life-threatening injury.

Thief of Lives begins right where Dhampir left off. The vampire threat in Miiska has been dealt with, although one of the vampires is unaccounted for. Magiere's hope that her vampire-hunting days are over is soon dashed when a letter arrives from Bela - it seems the metropolis is dealing with a vampire menace of its own, and a councilman's daughter is the latest victim of a truly vicious attacker. A certain little matter of a burned warehouse in Miiska and the economic impact it has wrought on the town leaves Magiere little choice but to reluctantly head to Bela. By the time she arrives, she has already had to survive one attack on her life. Awaiting her and Leesil is a blast from the past - good old Ratboy. Now freed from the grip of his creator, Ratboy has cleaned himself up pretty impressively and taken on the airs of a nobleman of sorts, creating his own special minions to protect him and, in the case of the tempestuous Sapphire, arouse his ardor. I had my doubts that the Ratboy we met in Dhampir would prove a worthy opponent for Magiere and Leesil in this novel, but the Handees did a great job redefining him.

The vampire hunting action is just as exciting as it was in Dhampir, but Thief of Lives adds a new mixture of potentially noxious potions to the pot. Magiere and Leesil are forced to come to grips with their emotionally troubling pasts, and questions are answered that neither partner ever dared ask before. New foes - and one all too familiar one - stand in opposition to them, posing altogether new types of threats to those who would take their heads. A startling revelation about the duo's uncommonly intelligent dog Chap is revealed, forcing Magiere and Leesil to reevaluate their own history together. As coincidences begin to add up, it eventually becomes clear to our heroes that something fishy is going on in Bela; it's as if someone is playing with them, manipulating their every encounter with their foes. Running around in the shadows is Welstiel Massing, Magiere's mysterious "benefactor" from the earlier novel. You had to wonder what this guy was really up to; Thief of Lives begins to give the reader some answers. Did I also mention that an elfin assassin has come to Bela to deal with Leesil as a traitor to his people?

With so much going on, Thief of Lives gives the reader an even more immersive story than that of Dhampir. You get plenty of plot and subplot for your money, and the increasingly complex characters are explored much more deeply, as we see them forced to deal with the discomfort of painful memories. By the time all is said and done, Magiere and Leesil have begun to forge an entirely new type of relationship.

Readers will be thrilled to know that the story of Magiere and Leesil does not end here. A new and unexpected quest is revealed at novel's end, and some intriguing questions - such as the actual fate of Leesil's elfin mother - jump to the forefront. Clearly, there is fertile ground in which to plant the seeds of a third exciting novel in this uncommonly compelling series, and I will be one of many readers anxiously awaiting its publication.

A bit better than the first book
This is the second book in the series. The first one is called "Dhampir", and the action in this book picks up right after the first finishes. This means that the book is full of references to events in the first book and it might be a bit difficult to follow everything.

The book itself has several good points that lifts it a little bit above most books of this kind. Most specifically it has a couple of main characters as well as villains which actually have a bit of character to them. That is to say that they are very different from each other, and it is not difficult to keep them apart from the first time you are introduced to them.

Generally I would say that this book is as good as, if not a little bit better than, the first book and I will definitely be looking for the next book too.

Excellent sequel
This was a rocking good read. The world of Magiere and Leesil is imaginative, interesting and action-packed. The heroes are human (well, nearly) and wrestle interestingly with their consciences and feelings of inadequacy as well as outside influences. Couldn't put it down til I'd finished it. I look forward to reading more in this series and finding out what happens to these two. Thoroughly enjoyable read.