Project 26: 1) V is for vendetta...

Vampz: Vendetta is the first anthology to be released as part of JEA's massive P26 launch set to feature 26 different books, each with a different horror inspired theme based on the letters f the alphabet.

Of course it would be too easy to just go A-Z, so instead JEA have decided to mix things up instead and release each letter randomly and just for fun so readers are left never quite knowing what next to expect.

Vampz: Vendetta features a collection of vampire stories all written by various different authors and thus offering all different perspectives on the Vampire myth.

The only thing all these stories share, other than the theme and the quality of the writing, is you can practically guarantee none of the vampires feature here are ever likely to sparkle.

Stand out mentions must go out to veteran JEA authors, Sharon.L.Higa and Roma Gray whose stories feature here, along with other great names such as Toneye Black and Essel Pratt, Justin Hunter and Ash Hartwell, not to mention Roy.C.Booth, William Tucker, Dona Fox, Dani Brown and Sebastian Crow.

All their stories offer something uniquely different to the point where it is impossible to name my favourite 

There are even a couple of pieces of poetry here, though not being a big fan of poetry it is difficult for me to know quite how best to describe how I feel about them.

Whatever your taste, there is something here for everyone except maybe fans of Twilight-style sparkly vampire fiction, and this promises a good start to what looks to be the most exciting and thrilling  journey through the alphabet you're ever likely to have.

Well done John Ledger for starting this off with a bang, and congratulations on picking some excellent stories to begin with....

Cool waters...

 Cool Green Waters is the third book in the Shades of Midnight series, written by Amanda.M.Lyons - an author who has made something of a name for herself in recent years with her original and often thought-provoking short fiction.

I came into this series blind, having not read the previous instalments, but found a lot here to like and will definitely be picking up the earlier volumes to catch up on what I've missed!

Miss Lyons' take on the vampire mythos is an interesting one that comes across a bit like the illegitimate child of Ann Rice and Nancy.A.Collins. All of the vampires depicted here, although granted the gift of eternal life, still seem to be carrying their own personal issues and burdens - indicating that perhaps, just maybe, being a vampire might not be quite as glamorous as other writers make out - and this only serves to make the whole story even more realistic and believable. 

Amanda's characterisation is stronger than ever, and each of the main protagonists she introduces to us here has his or her own personality, their own problems to deal with, only some of which are resolved in this latest chapter.

The book ends on the twist of a knife, leaving the reader hanging and waiting for more.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and found it every bit as impressive as all the rest of her writing that I have read so far. 

Why only the three stars then? 

Well, quite simply, it is because I can't give this 3 1/2 stats on Amazon, and because if you haven't read the books that come before this one, you might find yourself feeling a little bit lost at times.

Even so, I fully recommend picking this up - just remember, it's the third book in a series, not the first, and you'll be fine!