Reviews

The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires by Katie MacAlister

blueskyvibes1point0's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Physicist Portia Harding's rational world is turned upside down when she unwittingly gains the power to control the weather during a trip to England. Alongside this newfound ability comes the unexpected attention of Theondre North, a nephilim in need of her help to alter his fate. However, Portia's pragmatic nature clashes with beings from celestial and infernal realms, resulting in Theo's transformation into a vampire. Despite this, he finds comfort in Portia's presence, as they navigate the complexities of their relationship while confronting supernatural challenges together.

1. Plot and Storytelling: 5/5 - The plot was captivating and unique, with a good twist at the end.
2. Characterization: 4/5 - The characters were well-developed, although the main male character lacked noticeable growth. However, the female lead was exceptional.
3. Writing Style: 5/5 - Katie’s writing style is immensely enjoyable, making the books a delightful read.
4. Originality: 5/5 - This book stands out from others in the series with its unique plot and fresh take on familiar themes.
5. Emotional Impact and Resolution: 5/5 - The story delivers an emotional roller coaster while remaining highly entertaining. The resolution ties everything up neatly, with a satisfying happily ever after.
6. Smut: 3/5 - The romantic scenes were enjoyable but not particularly groundbreaking. They were a pleasant aspect of the book without being the main focus.
7. Narrator Emotions and Tone: 4/5 - The narrator conveyed the story well, without their personal voice distracting from the narrative.
8. Narrator Character Distinction: 3/5 - While the characters’ voices were distinguishable, the narrator didn’t go above and beyond in creating distinct characterizations.
9. Narrator Pacing: 4/5 - The pacing of the narration was well-done, maintaining a good speed throughout.
10. Audio Quality: 5/5 - The audio quality was excellent, with no background noise and clear narration.

Overall score: 4.4/5

If you enjoyed "The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires" by Katie MacAlister, you might also like "A Quick Bite" by Lynsay Sands. This book is the first in the Argeneau vampire series and offers a mix of humor, romance, and supernatural elements similar to those found in MacAlister's work. It follows the story of a modern-day vampire who finds unexpected love and adventure in the human world.

tilbard's review against another edition

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1.0

stupid

chanelmiranda's review against another edition

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1.0

this is the worst book i’ve ever read. “sweatling” absolutely not. don’t get me started in the plot and how annoying portia is.

dynila's review against another edition

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I remember this as being better than the cheesy title and cover art implied it would be, but not good enough to pursue the remainder of the series.

bikes_books_yarn's review against another edition

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4.0

I have not been reading these books in order which really makes me crazy. But I like the MacAlister books so much I have been reading anything I can get my hands on regardless of order. Yikes - It was hard to say that out loud. You know how it is though - you go through a dry spell and then you find an author you like so you start to grab at all their books and read them kind of frantically to chase away the "I am bored with all books" feelings.

I like the Dark one's series and wish I had read it in order. I am tempted to go back and rebuy all the books so I can read them as they were written - but then I look over at my "to be read" pile and change my mind.

Good books with humor and sex and a story that keeps you happy.

bookstats's review against another edition

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4.0

Another great book by this author. While true that the "Dark One" doesn't appear until about halfway through there is a story behind that and it's well explained. Great book!

claire_loves_books's review against another edition

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1.0

I'm a sciencey person and Portia just really frustrated me, she was written as what the author obviously considers the typical 'scientist/physicist' and I actually found her view of scientists insulting to be honest. Portia is so close-minded it's ridiculous- she seems to make up random theories of how to explain whats going on and then stick to those theories no matter how much the situation changes, that's not what scientists do! We look at whats happened, investigate and then think how it could be explained considering different theories.

Portia also goes on about proving things- anybody whose does any science knows that you can't actually prove anything you can only disprove (technically gravity is an unproven theory- but I'd happily get on a plane that relys on that theory) you develop a theory and then gather evidence to support your theory. Then other scientists will test your theory and try to disprove it or gather more evidence and the theory will adapt. Nobody with Portia's close mindedness and inflexibly to consider any other explanations could ever make it in the scientific community.

What frustrated me the most was not that Portia wouldn't consider the supernatural an explanation but that she didn't even consider more than one scientific explanation for what was going on- she saw something she didn't like and explained it away she should have been interested and excited with this new phenomenon and tried to find out more about it rather than dismissing it! Seriously if I had my own personal rain cloud I would be fascinated about what could have caused it but portia just decides to ignore anything that doesn't fit with her world view regardless of the evidence.

Sorry rant over.

git_r_read's review against another edition

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4.0

Whooeeee!!!! What a RIDE!

sunnydee's review against another edition

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5.0

Kurz-Meinung:
Ich finde ja die Dark One Reihe gut, wenn auch nicht überragend, aber dieses Buch hat mir wirklich sehr, sehr gut gefallen. Endlich gab es mal einen Charakter, der nicht so der typische Dunkle war. Erst war ich sogar überrascht, dass wir es hier mit einem Nephilim und nicht mit einem Dunklen zu tun haben. Das klärt sich dann später. Mir haben beide Hauptcharakter sehr gut gefallen. Portia ist Physikerin und erklärt viele Dinge in ihrem Leben auf eine recht wissenschaftliche Art. Das fand ich witzig. Überhaupt war sie wieder einer dieser witzigen, tollpatschigen Charaktere für die MacAlister so bekannt ist und sympathisch war sie mir auch noch total. Theo war ebenfalls wieder ein toller Held - nicht zu dominant aber sehr männlich.
Ich fand dieses Mal auch die Handlung sehr spannend. Theo möchte gern das Portia (eigentlich menschlich aber auf bestimmte Weise nun fast eine Tugentkraft, die das Wetter beeinflussen kann) etwas für ihn tut, aber dazu muss sie einige Prüfungen bestehen. Als wenn das nicht schon genug wäre, wird ihr auch noch ein Mord untergeschoben und sie muss nun ihre Unschuld beweisen. Das ganze fand ich spannend und trotzdem witzig geschrieben. Ganz mein Geschmack also.
Auch die Nebencharakter fand ich super. Bei vielen wusste man nicht auf wessen Seite sie standen und jeder einzelne war sehr einzigartig. Auch Portias beste Freundin Sarah war mir sehr sympathisch.
Alles in allem ist die für mich eines der besten Bücher der Reihe gewesen.

Meine Wertung:
5 von 5 Sternen

coala's review against another edition

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2.0

In diesem Band 5. der Reihe begleiten wir die Physikerin Portia bei ihrer Reise durch England. Sie ist Skeptikerin durch und durch und glaubt nicht an den ganzen Hokus Pokus bezüglich Hexen und co. Als sie einen Hexenring beschwört und die Fähigkeit der Wetterbeschwörung erbt, bleibt sie weiterhin skeptisch, ergibt sich jedoch notgedrungen der Situation. Bis dahin was alles etwas holprig, aber noch ok.

Jedoch ist Portia von Anfang an kein sympathischer Charakter. Man findet kaum Zugang zur Person, die im weiteren Verlauf durch eine spontane Wendung ihrer Überzeugungen verwirrt und das letzte bisschen an Glaubwürdigkeit einbüßt. Der Held Theo auf der andere Seit kann ebenso wenig überzeugen. Ein gefallener Engel, der auf die Rettung seiner Seele hofft. Dabei bleibt er leider blass und ebenso unnahbar wie Portia. Dadurch, dass die Handlung komplett losgelöst von den anderen Bücher spielt, findet man kaum Zugang. Denn es geht doch vorwiegend um Hexen und Engel und einen verrückten Hexenkult.

Eine leider sehr schwacher Band der Reihe, der kaum überzeugen kann. Blasse Figuren, eine konfuse Geschichte und null Emotionalität. Dieser Band war leider nix!