BOOK REVIEW: 4.75 Stars - BALTHAZAR by CLAUDIA GRAY

Title:        BALTHAZAR
Author:    CLAUDIA GRAY
Publisher: HARPER COLLINS
Pages:      374 - paperback
Acquired: 
Received copy from HarperCollins Australia and a copy from Dymocks Bookstore Garden City



RATING:  4.75 "IT'S ALL ABOUT BALTHY" STARS !!!

Publisher Description:

When Balthazar emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, he has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye′s newfound psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Balthazar will do whatever it takes to stop Redgrave, and exact his long-awaited revenge against his killer. But just as Balthazar grows closer to Skye, Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all...by taking Skye for his own.

REVIEW:

Did I love it?........HELL YEAH!!!  Do I want More?.......ABSOLUTELY!!  Will we get more of Mr More?....only time will tell!!! (please please please Claudia!!)

Though Balthazar is a book about our dear Balthy.....it is still a great "spin-off" of sorts from the other Evernight series books.  We were left at the end of Afterlife with a fantastic twist between Lucas and Bianca...but also the hint of something more to come with Balthazar and Skye.  I would love to think that this is the first book in a new direction for the Evernight series!!  Not the end, or even just a one off!

Personally......you need to read all the Evernight books before you delve into Balthazar's world.  There are characters in Balthazar that were introduced in book 1 (Evernight) and continued to some extent through all the other books.   You NEED to read them all to really appreciate Skye, Balthazar and Charity..even Constantia and Redgrave.  They don't just spring up out of nowhere people!!! There are snippets and tidbits in the other books.

So the big "thing" in the book is yes.....Balthy gets a little on the naked side - ahem, yup, OMG, wowser, crikey..... well that's all you need to know. Good Night!!!

Just joking!!!  

With Skye's new found ability to feel the brutal deaths of long lost souls in the places they died, attention was bound to come her way. Unfortunately it came in the form of Redgrave - the evil sire of Balthazar. With Redgrave comes his band of vicious vampires which include his vamp toy Charity - Balthazar's sister.  We all know Charity has a seriously psychotic and nasty twisted side to her - which threatens to unravel on a new level throughout Balthazar. 

Claudia gives us flashback chapters set in times gone by throughout Balthazar's existence. We learn so much more about him from these chapters - I think I loved him even more!!

Naturally the passion between Balthy and Skye does not take the easy road to success - some would think human girl might wig out a little....but it's the other way around. Poor Balthy has such passion and love growing for Skye even though he is determined to keep his self-promise of "not a human" - not since Jane.  

Skye is one tough cookie. She's been possessed in Afterlife to save Bianca, inherited her new death soul skill from the possession, left Evernight Academy and went home to scramble together some form of normal life with parents that barely exist since the death of her brother Dakota.   Add to her eclectic mix a team of hungry vampires looking for her spesh blood and to top it all off......the one and only Balthazar More protecting her - yep..the Evernight Academy crush she had a year ago is now her protector....but Skye can certainly pull out the punches and turn the tables when it comes to herself and the safety of Balthy! 


Balthazar has to grapple with many of his own personal and inner demons along the way.  With the appearance of Lorenzo one day in the woods, Balthy knew the proximity of Redgrave was close too! And that could only be bad news.  Dredging up the bitter and twisted anger that Redgrave caused, Balthazar must learn to move past the horrid events his sire caused on the day he and his family died.....or he must kill Redgrave.  The only thing forever standing in the way of the demise of Redgrave has been his sister Charity.  Oh so sweet and evil Charity!  Will the opportunity to rid the world of Redgrave present itself again? Or will something or someone get in his way yet again?

Balthazar has it all......action, suspense, kidnapping, vampires, psycho Charity, lust enraged Constantia and fought against passion!!  And in true Claudia Gray style, we are left with an ending that leaves us wondering and wanting for more!


I truly urge you all to read the Evernight Series from beginning to end.  Claudia has given us a fantastical yet believable world of vampires, humans and wraiths.  A world to totally lose yourself in and enjoy every page in front of you!

ENJOY!

MARISSA

Oh......nearly forgot!!  In Michelle's review the other day she hinted that I had some pretty awesome news relating to Balthazar and Claudia Gray!!  Well........during Claudia's visit to Australia she will be in my home town of Perth, Western Australia.......AND......the lovely people at Dymocks Garden City have asked me to host the Q&A session at her event being held at the AH Bracks Library, Melville.  WOOOT HOOO!! I am one excited little chicken!! And so totally honored to be asked.  The crew at Dymocks Garden City are fantastic and a special thanks goes out to Jeremy and Ann.

So to all our followers in Western Australia  - I'd love to see you all at the AH Bracks Library in Melville on Thursday 22nd March 2012 (1 week away!) at 6pm to meet the wonderful Claudia Gray.  Dymocks will have books for sale on the night.

I have a few special items that I will be having signed by Claudia on the night and I will incorporate these into a super Claudia post and giveaway.  And yes....there will be some international items!!


So that's it from me now!!

Cheers

Marissa