KILLER
by Mari Miniatt
Animated Liar Media
(September 2010, $13, 184 pages)


Zombies will always be my favorite undead people; however, author Mari Miniatt has managed to create a new vampire series that does not have the silliness of the Twilight Saga.  I reviewed her first book Fledgling, for THIS Literary Magazine and am excited to review her latest, Killer: Coiree Guardians- Book Two. After reading this fabulous follow-up, Miniatt’s vamps will definitely coexist with the zombies in my personal library.

In the first of the series, Fledgling we met Beka, now known by her full name, Rebecka.  Rebecka was turned into a vampire and then realized that another world existed right beneath her nose. Her brother John, a willing donor, worked for a vampire named Vincent. The bouncer is a beserker - a shape-shifter who switches between man and bear - and one of her friends is a werewolf. Rebecka, her sire Steopa, another vampire named Odgen, and Vincent all become guardians of an unusual relic called the Coiree.

Fledgling focused on Rebecka’s personal evolution, and while Killer continues along the same timeline, it is from Vincent’s perspective. We learn more about how Vincent became a vampire, his unusual circle of friends and his unique abilities. He’s not nearly as slick as he appeared in Fledgling; in fact, he makes mistakes that nearly cost him the life of a dear friend.

In addition to Vincent’s story, we learn more about the werewolves who inhabit the city of the vamps. They play a critical part in fighting Nathan, the new vampire in town. Nathan is an author who writes vampire romance novels, the kind that attract a lot of women who then act like idiots in public (you know the ones).  Nathan has absolutely no respect for the boundaries and territories of his fellow vampires, forcing the Guardians into major damage control. During a conflict between Nathan and Vincent, Miniatt gives us a glimpse of the other vampires in the city, vampires who are not part of Vincent’s and Rebecka’s circle of friends.

Where Fledgling was more of a mystery thriller, Killer is more brutal and action-packed. I was expecting the series to center around Rebecka, but I love the way Miniatt continued the story of the Coiree through the eyes of another character. I have it on good authority that the next installment will feature the mysterious Steopa.  Miniatt has definitely made her mark among the horror community.


Find out more about the author here.


Ursula K. Raphael is a graduate of the University of South Dakota with a B.A. in English & Sociology, and lives in Grand Rapids, MI, with her husband and son. She is currently writing short stories for horror anthologies, and mostly reviews science fiction, fantasy and horror books. You can contact her at Twitter or Facebook.