Book Review of Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Title: Afterlight

Author: Elle Jasper

Release Date: November 2, 2010

The Dupres have been Savannah’s guardians, appointed by a band of root doctors and hoodooists, for nearly two hundred years. They’ve all grown…complacent. Now, the Arcos brothers, who’ve long been entombed at Bonaventure, have been inadvertently freed by a group of teenagers horsing around in the cemetery. Determined to take revenge on the city who entombed them, the Arcos’ gather strength in the city’s youth. Within the moon’s full cycle, the gang’s quickening will be complete–they’ll become vampires. Newlings, out of control and craving human blood will ravage the city. The one thing the Arcos’ didn’t count on was the powerful love of a sister. Riley Poe will stop at nothing to get her brother back. The one thing Riley didn’t count on was the powerful love of a vampire. Eli Dupre will do anything to get her. Follow Riley, Eli, and the vampires of the Dupre House into the shadowy, underside of Savannah

Summary from Goodreads.com

My Review: Do you ever see a book and just from looking at it, you know you are going to love it?  This is one of those books from me.  I remember seeing the cover for the first time and I thought, “woah, that is sweet!”  I read the summary and knew I had to have this book.  Luckily I did not have to wait long for it and I devoured it in one sitting.  I could not stop reading, I was addicted!

Riley is ridiculously cool and she is one kick as$ chick.  She has this wicked dragon tattoo that starts on her lower back, goes up her spine, then goes down her arms and end at her fingers.  C’mon that sounds cool, right?  I only wish I could meet her in real life so I could see what all her tattoos and crazy outfits really look like.  Plus seeing Eli, would not be bad either….mmm…Eli….*slaps self out of day dream* What?  Oh, sorry….he is just so hot, you are going to have to read the book to find out what I mean   Trust me though, definitely worth your time.  I only wish I knew what was going on in his brain half the time because I bet it would be really interesting.

The book is told through Riley’s eyes and it is definitely a fun place to be.  The way she thinks and speaks puts a fun, unique spin on life.  Because of this it the story reads much differently then other books out there right now, which I loved about it.  Riley is in no way a damsel in distress, she can definitely take care of herself, well against mortals that is.  The vamps pose a little bit of a problem, being superhuman and all.  Doesn’t mean she does not going to give it her best shot though.  Watching her give some of the Dupres a run for their money while training it hysterical.  I love that she does not just sit back and watch life happen, she is out there trying to fight for what she wants and she is doing it while wearing six inch heels.

The book does center around the world of vamps, but the mythology is not like anything I have read before and I was grateful to hear new stories and think about vampires or “creatures of the afterlight” in a new light.  It was refreshing.  The story itself moves very quickly, you are sucked into the action right away  and don’t really stop until the last page.  Even then, you are left with questions still swimming in your head and aching to know what is going to happen next.  Luckily, this book is part of a trilogy so we will get to see more of Riley and Eli come summer 2011.  Yay!  I don’t think, no, I know I would not be happy with just the one book so thank you to Elle for writing more   I literally don’t think I can say enough good things about this books, I could keep gushing, but instead of reading my review, go out and get the book and read that!  Go on…stop reading my review, go!