Book Description

The alien Reapers have ruled Earth for forty-five years. David Valentine is a member of the human resistance, who is now being trained as a Cat-an elite stealth warrior. His first mission is to investigate the threat of the Twisted Cross, a mysterious new force under Reaper control. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Avid Reader & Reviewer
In 2022, the world as we know it comes to an end. With the introduction of the Kurians and their deadly Reapers, mankind reverts to its roots. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and no one is safe from the Reapers. Each Kurian lord controls a group of Reapers, a vampire-like being that kills by absorbing a person's life force or aura. The Kurians use the auras that the Reapers steal as a means to achieve immortality. Humankind is now a farm animal for the Kurians. Hope is not lost. Lifewavers, enemies of the Kurians, have come to Earth to recruit humanity to fight their war with the Kurians. The Lifeweavers have a process of enhancement for humans referred to as "turning up the volume." These enhancements give humanity the ability to fight back and reclaim Earth.

Choice of the Cat is E.E. Knight's second book in the Vampire Earth series. The book opens with Lt. David Valentine commanding a group of Wolves, a military designation for his unit, on a reconnaissance mission. Valentine has gained a great deal of maturity since Way of the Wolf. The young man, part Sioux, with a chip on his shoulder struggles to make a difference. Valentine has become a true officer who puts his men first. No one, not even the commanding officer, is going to use Valentine's men as cannon fodder. Of course, this attitude is not conducive to advancement with Southern Command or with his commanding officer.

With the help of Alessa Duvalier, a Cat or spy, Valentine embarks on a new journey. From the Ozarks to Denver with a final showdown in Omaha, a city devastated by nuclear war, Valentine and Duvalier set out to find the Twisted Cross. Valentine will need all his skills as a warrior and his innate ability to sense Reapers to survive.

Choice of the Cat is not burdened with the creation of the Vampire Earth world introduced in Way of the Wolf. Action starts immediately and does not stop until the last line of the book. In Way of the Wolf, Valentine started on a journey originated by his father. The young man comes into his own in Choice of the Cat. Valentine is a killing machine with a conscience and a moral identity. He will not leave anyone behind, no matter what the cost to himself. Through all the betrayals of his fellow man, David Valentine is able to be a true hero. I found myself rooting for him on page one.

The episodic nature of this series reminds me of anime. Each twist in the plot deepens our understanding of Valentine and his world. This world created by E.E. Knight will be the source for many more adventures to come and many hours of enjoyable reading.

Can't Wait For The Next One
What can I say about this book that hasn't been said yet?

E.E. Knight fleshes out a hero that you aren't forced to like, but are helpless not to.

David Valentine is human, he's got his faults and he has his doubts. He questions himself constantly. The thing is...he has this unending resolve to do the 'right thing' that keep him going and keep us flipping the pages to see how he acts.

I actually kind of prefer the transformation to the Cat better than the Wolf myself, it allows for a lot more options and solo missions. Hopefully we'll be treated to more of his part of David's "evolution". (I think of the Cats more as Ninjas or Samurais as the Wolf class would be closer to the Native American warriors from the Frontier Days. I'm interested to see if the Bear class will be compared to.)

I picked the first book up because the cover looked cool (seriously!) but I can honestly say that if the books stay at this quality of writing, I will stick with it to the end.

Can't wait for the next one.

Vampire Earth developing into a good series
Choice of the Cat, the second book by EE Knight in the Vampire Earth series continues the development of David Valentine as he continues his crusade against the ruling Kurians and the Twisted Cross.

I enjoyed the book as the writing and dialogue moved well and the battle scenes are descriptive and flowing. Certain plot points resolve too quickly and neat, but on the whole the story does well in keeping the reader involved and interested.

I was really intrigued by the change and gain of almost superhero powers that Valentine undergoes to become a "Cat".

Knight does not pull any punches and his world is grim and savage where strength and brutality rule the day. Characters bleed, die, and are beset by doubts.

It's been an interesting series so far and I would recommend this book. The best compliment I can give is that I wish it had been 100 pages longer.

It's going to be interesting how and when Knight makes Valentine into a Bear. I hope not soon as I can see more books in this series.

Second Effort Keeps Cookin'
Just enough rehash to leave a pleasant aftertaste. Add a liberal amount of Western to the plethora of genres he's already expertly encompassed. Stir it up with a sassy Cat and a golden Grog. Boil it over gun-totin' Reapers led by a Nazi-esque General and you won't be able to stop eating it up.

E.E. Knight's second in the saga of David Valentine keeps up the pace of heart-pounding action, charismatic characterization and perspicacious plotting so prevalent in his first book. I could elaborate on the storyline, but I won't deprive you of the pleasure of reading it yourself.

Once again, E.E. Knight has shone like a new blade with his inimitable style.

Way of the Wolf was great; Choice of the Cat is even better
Way of the Wolf was a bold, exciting beginning to what is definitely shaping up to be an innovative, compelling dark fantasy series from the pen of E.E. Knight. Choice of the Cat takes the heroic journey of protagonist David Valentine in an entirely new direction, one conducive to even more suspenseful action than before. Many a young writer finds it difficult to recreate the magic of a successful first novel, but E.E. Knight has come through with an impressive follow-up sure to delight all fans of dark fantasy and hair-raising heroic adventure.

The setting for The Vampire Earth series is a post-apocalyptic earth of the mid- to late-twenty-first century. Back in 2022, up to 90% of the human population perished as a result of the terrible Ravies plague, but this was just the beginning of Earth's struggle. The Kur, an alien civilization made up of vampiric creatures who feed on the life aura of others, quickly subjugated large portions of the earth. The Kur's most deadly weapons are the Reapers, terrifying, alien beasts through whom the Kur absorb the auras of their victims. Three types of human beings emerged from the apocalypse: those who betray their species and assist the Kur, those who are outwardly ambivalent to the Kur and just try to stay out of trouble, and those willing to fight and die for humanity. David Valentine is one of the latter. After the massacre of his family, the young boy went on to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a Wolf, a member of the military first line of defense of the Ozark Free Zone. As this novel opens, Valentine is assigned to a new unit of soldiers and forced to hold off an enemy attack on orders of his superior officer; when that officer is injured, command falls to Valentine, who oversees a retreat by his outnumbered men based on his own informed decision and the intelligence he receives from a Cat (a warrior spy). Much to Valentine's (and my own) surprise, he soon finds himself facing a court-martial for disobeying orders. A tough choice between leaving the Wolves and staying to fight the military justice system is made a good bit easier when the Cat he met in battle offers him a chance to become a Cat himself.

Soon, Valentine is off to partake of some incredibly demanding training with his mentor Alessa Duvalier (code name: Smoke) as well as an intense initiation into the order; this induction into the Cats increases his senses and abilities many times over. For some time, Valentine has been deeply interested in a mysterious group of enemies identified by a Twisted Cross, but his reports and inquiries have not seemed to generate much attention in Southern Command. His first mission as a Cat, working alongside his new mentor and friend, involves going into the Kurian zone and gathering intelligence on this seemingly specialized group of enemies. Before he's done, he gets an up-close and personal look at the whole nefarious organization.

There is a great deal of action in this novel. Whereas Wolves act in concert with one another, Cats basically work alone (unless they are training a new recruit such as Valentine). Valentine has always been a fighter, and there is still a good bit of Wolf left in this young Cat; even though his mission is to listen and learn, he cannot abandon innocents when he thinks he can save them. There are lots of skirmishes and one humdinger of a fight before the novel draws to a close, and the addition of the most unlikely of allies further energizes this gripping story about two-thirds of the way through. This novel does end, but I feel as if the writer has just taken a moment to catch his breath, and I eagerly await the chance to sink my teeth into Book 3 of The Vampire Earth series when it is published.

Don't let the word Vampire in the book series name throw you; this is in no way a "vampire novel," for the Kur are unlike any vampires you have ever encountered. Knight is adept at creating living, breathing characters that will captivate your spirit and engulf you in their dangerous and heroic feats. This is a unique and wonderfully entertaining novel that truly delivers while promising even greater things to come. ... Read more

Book Description

Hare today, Gone Tomorrow

Bunnicula is missing! Chester is convinced all the world's vegetables are in danger of being drained of their life juices and turned into zombies. Soon he has Harold and Howie running around sticking toothpicks through hearts of lettuce and any other veggie in sight. Of course, Chester has been known to be wrong before...but you can never be too careful when there's a vampire bunny at large! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A mysterious good book
The title of my book is The celery stalks at midnight.The book is about
three pets named Howie,Chester,and Harold.They are finding a rabbit
named Bunnicula.He is a rabbit that is a vampire and sucks the juices
out of living things.One night bunnicula escaped from his cage and went
out to suck juices out of vegetables.All three of them went to find him.They keep looking and looking.Finally they found him and took him
home to his family.The three of them went home and relaxed.I think the

book is great. Other people should like it too.It's a great book.

Bunnicula the vampire bunny is on the loose.
Bunnicula is a vampire bunny and he is on the loose. The Monroes, the family who owns Bunnicula, really don't have a clue about his escape. Bunnicula's pals Harold, Chester, and Howie are there to track him down in order to stop disaster. Chester has a theory that if Bunnicula bites the vegetables in everyone's garden they will turn into vampire vegetables and then attack the town. The message to the readers relays that ones mind can jump to many conclusions from the simple to the bazaar. Chester's idea of what may happen is defiantly leaning towards the bazaar. I like Celery Stalks at Midnight because the author told the story using animals which creates a hilarious picture in my mind.I recommend this book to all ages because of the animals and the mysterious happenings.

Buy it because of Bunnicula, keep it because of Garber
Bunnicula is one of those great series of books that treats kids intelligently and therefore is fun for kids-at-heart adults too.

I love Victor Garber's interpretation of each character's voice. Quite versatile at changing up intonations and pitch, he seemlessly moves between teenage boys, goofy Howie and the more prim and proper Chester. I cracked up everytime Garber said 'Uncle HAHrold' in Howie's voice. VG also delivers the straight narrative parts in a nice rhythm that reflects the author's amusing sequences of puns with colorful imagery.

Great Book!
I loved the book and if your thinking about buying it go for it.However if you haven't read Bunnicula and Howliday Inn your really missing out on some great books and you should get those too!

The Best Bunnicula Book!
This is the best Bunnicula book written. I have read the whole series and this is the best! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good for the unexciting drive to work
I am currently listening to The Vampire Cat as I drive back and forth to work and can hardly wait to get back in my car! I read the Hank books as a child growing up in West Texas and now love to imagine the Caprock and dusty plains as I grumble through the fresh hell of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex morning rush. I got a little sad when Mary Dee Cat lamented leaving her home (where she was "marooned for two long years") and the glorious sunsets and night skies. Hank in all his bravado cracks me up, as do the rest of the characters in this book and the other books (the buzzard father and son team, coyotes Rip & Snort, the fabulous weenie Drover, monosyllabic Slim, and prissy Pete the Barn Cat not to mention crazy Mary Dee). They're old friends I'm glad to read about and listen to again.

This book really made me hungry for cheese....

The Case of the Vampire Cat
I'm reading a book named The Case of the Vampire cat.Its a really good book ,beacause it is a mystery.Because it has mystery in it you are wondering what is going to happen next,and when hank gets lost you are wondering if he get out.It is really a good book so I think you should read it.

Good for a chuckle!
Hank is humorous and entertaining. Sometimes, hilarious. You just might have to stop reading for a minute to have yourself a good laugh. This book is good reading for boys, ages 8 and up. Girls will like it, too.

HANK AND DROVER MET UP WITH A CAT THAT HAS A SHORT TEMPER
IS MARY D CAT A REAL LIVE VAMPIRE? THIS BOOK HELPED MY MIND EXPAND ON THE FICTION WORLD.JOHN ERICKSON REALLY HAS A REAL GOOD WAY OF ELABORATING. SLIM TOOK HANK&DROVER TO A CAKE HOUSE(A HOUSE WHERE COW FEED IS KEPT.)THERE DROVER AND HANK MET A CAT NAMED MISS MARY D.CAT. THAT CAT ALWAYS HAD A SHORT TEMPER.DROVER AND HANK KEPT PESTERING THE CAT. THEN THEY LEFT TO GO FEED THE COWS ON TOP OF A VERY STEEP HILL.HANK WAS MAKING FUN OF A COUPLE OF COYOTE BROTHERS AND THEN SLIM TURNED A HARD LEFT AND HANK FLEW RIGHT OUT OF THE CAR. HE WAS A REALLY IN TROUBLE.THIS WAS A REAL GOOD FOR ALL AGES. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hank Audio Pack #4
In this two-book audio pack, you can listen to two more adventures from Hank, that hilarious cowdog. In the first story, Hank book #5: Faded Love, Hank goes to visit his One True Love, Beulah the collie.In the second,book #6: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, Hank must find out who's been murderingchickens before he gets blamed.I wouldn;t miss them! ... Read more

Book Description

One dark and stormy night, the Monroes bring home a new pet: a little black-and-white rabbit. Because the Monroes found him at a Dracula movie, they name the rabbit Bunnicula. Harold the dog thinks Bunnicula is just a cute little bunny. But Chester the cat is worried.

Bunnicula sleeps all day and wakes up at night. And Bunnicula doesn't have little bunny teeth -- he has fangs.Is Bunnicula really just a harmless little bunny? Or is he something much, much more scary? ... Read more

Book Description

"Let's just say the matter is under control," Chester slyly tells his pals Harold and Howie. But what on earth does he mean?

It seems that Bunnicula, the vampire rabbit, is back to his old ways -- or so Chester thinks, having found pale vegetables drained of their juices scattered about the Monroe family kitchen. And now, once and for all, Chester is determined to save the world from this threat.

But why has Bunnicula -- so frisky just a short time ago -- been so listless and tired of late? Is this part of Chester's scheme? Can Harold let Chester get away with hurting an innocent bunny, no matter what his harebrained suspicions are?

It is not long before the Monroes notice Bunnicula's condition and rush him to the vet, and then the chase is on, ending up with a dramatic confrontation in a most unusual (and dangerous!) location. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Bunnicula Strikes Again
Do you like adventure books? Do you like animals? I know I do and I know that's why I loved the book "Bunnicula Strikes Again", and I bet you will too! This book is about a cat named Chester and two dogs named Harold and Howie on a mission to find Bunnicula's (the so called vampire rabbit's) mom. They think he's a vampire because Chester says that he sucks the juice out of vegetables. Will they find Bunnicula's mother? Will they stop all vampire rabbits? You just have to read the book and find out!

You *have* to like this book
Oh come on. It's BUNNICULA! I don't care what anyone else says - these books are great, including this one. Know what? Even though it's been a long time since I was a kid, I still love these books, including this one. As a matter of fact, I think anyone who loves vampires and vampire fiction should read this book and the others - because these are all good, quick, and alltogether very FUN reads that you don't have to take seriously. And sometimes, a good quick fun read just hits the spot.

And it has to be said - Bunnicula is the most loveable vampire ever. Lestat and Dracula WISH they were this cuddly!

i luv bunnicula
i have nearly read all the bunnicula books (except the 'the house of bunnicula' ones. I liked this one because it had a happy ending. i like bunnicula books because they are those kind of books that you can't put down. you wonder what would happen next. i can not wait until more books come!!!

Joe (Class SS)
This book was about Chester trying to destroy Bunnicula, a rabbit. The dogs in the story are Howie and Howard. Chester thinks Bunnicula is a vampire because of his fangs, and because he extracts juice out of vegetables. Chester drinks Bunnicula's carrot juice to starve Bunnicula. Howie and Howard go to find Bunnicula. Bunnicula is gone without a trace. Howard spots a newspaper that says Dracula is playing at the movie theatre. This is the same theatre where Bunnicula was found by The Monroe family. Little did Bunnicula know, the newspaper was a few days old. Today the movie theatre is getting torn down. Howard and Howie try to find Bunnicula, but they find Chester. Chester saves Bunnicula from the demolition. Still Chester thinks Bunnicula is a vampire. The End

Bunnicula Brings back the old-style stories again!
I was rather pleased with this publication because the story line appealed more to the older Bunnicula stories. The spine tingling events surrounding Bunnicula's mother and *gasp* a trip to the vet all add up to a worth-while read. You'll enjoy some of the old friends that Harold , Howie, and Chester run into along the way. I did buy this book at a higher price at a book store and thought it was well worth it.... If you liked the other stories, you will love the conclusion to the Bunnicula series *as it seems to hint that it is* ... Read more

Book Description

When Zenta and Matsuzo visit an old friend, they discover that his village is being tormented by an unknown force.A killer known as the Cat is on the loose, and Zenta and Matsuzo must confront the terror. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Major storytelling here!!
I had this book for a long time and have read it at least five times.This book basically puts you into it and you can almost feel the cold environment as well as feel the chills and suspense that laces the book throughout.I found that it also captures Japan in a rare and realistic way. A must buy....when and if you can find a copy.

great book
This is truly a great book.It may not be great as in deep and spiritual, but great as in really, really fun to read.It is too bad that this book is out of print.It deserves to be a bestseller. ... Read more

Book Description

Hank encounters the weirdest cat he's ever seen when he, Slim, Drover, and Little Alfred head over to the Hodge's place to feed the cattle.Hank gets bumped out of the back of the Cammo-Stealth army truck and Mary D. Cat is the only one around to help keep Rip and Snort at bay.Will Slim realize that Hank is missing in action?Is Mary D. Cat really a vampire?Or could it be--gulp--that she's a good cat after all?

Songs are: "Ode to a Mother Skunk" and "The Cannibal Way." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great book for learning about japanese culture
I started this book because of school, usualy i dont like required reading but this time we got to pickany historical non-fiction. I really would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery books with a good plot. It really represents the old type of japanese culture that many people misjudge. Over all, i give it 5 stars

Great book for learning about japanese culture
I started this book because of school, usualy i dont like required reading but this time we got to pickany historical non-fiction. I really would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery books with a good plot. It really represents the old type of japanese culture that many people misjudge. Over all, i give it 5 stars ... Read more

Amazon.com

Imagine a city--cold, hard, concrete jungle on the surface, but, down that dark alley or disused cemetery, magic has begun to unravel the gray fabric of realism. Charles de Lint succumbs to his fascination with the outsider in all of us, and writes of lonesome goth kids, newbie lesbians, strippers, Gypsies, angels of death and mercy, and even vampires and ghosts in a style that is remarkably refreshing after so much sword-and-bodice formula fantasy. Moonlight and Vines is a medley of fairy tales for the alternative crowd, with most of his city grrrls and boys sporting combat boots and wounded souls. De Lint crafts his stories with soft edges but indelible images:

I can feel a foreign vibe in my apartment, a quivering in the air from Teresa having been there.... My furniture, the posters and prints on my walls, my knickknacks, all seemed subtly changed, a little stiff from the awareness of her looking at them. It takes a while for the room to settle down into its familiar habits. The fridge muttering to itself in the kitchen. The pictures in their frames letting out their stomachs and hanging slightly askew once more.

Reviews (22)

Magic is alive, and that is not always pretty
Charles de Lint has an amazing way of writing; I can only compare his style to Guy Gavriel Key, which makes me think that there is something truly magical in the waters up in Canada.When de Lint writes, you feel a strong tug at your deepest core; you know he is writing about a truth, even if you have yourself never seen balloon people -- they are true on a level beyond something seen on the news.

Many writers currently seem determined to make faeries and other magical creatures very nice, very sweet, and altogether sappy.In these short stories we find nice creatures.We also find not quite so nice ones.We also find quite horrid ones, ones that would make our nightmares sit up and take notice.We find here the wellspring for artistic inspiration and the black void that leads to drug overdoses, the spirit of freedom and the freedom that goes too far and leads to madness.Here is hope, despair, and every other emotion, sometimes whispering, sometimes crying defiantly, but always with a sense that there is a truth here, no matter how much it may seem like a "mere fairy tale".

This is an important point -- de Lint is writing about reality, about real lives, about real feelings, about real emotions.There is a touch of magic to this, from the woman who doesn't want to admit that she sees things others do not, to the man who falls too in love with a photograph.What de Lint is writing about is what makes us ourselves, whether that is very good or very not good; he writes about fears, lusts, emotional expression, distrust, scams, and dozens of other human activities with a passion and an honesty that few can match or manage.In the end these works may be seen as parables, as internal explanations, or almost anything else, but ultimately they are beautiful works, very poignant, and full of sadnss, beauty, joy, and fear.They are raw expressions of all that happens in our world, coloured slightly by a dusting of the fey and the careful tread of a coyote in his moccasins.

Read, love, cry, and feel.

Newford; A more somber collection
I was glad to find a third collection of Newford tales, but still a bit dissapointed.The stories hit some deep emotional tones, and I even found tears streaming down my face at more than one part of this book.However, this didn't have the light-hearted flow of his previous Newford collections of short stories.It seems almost like DeLint set out to come up with a moral tone and it wasn't as enjoyable as the lighter, beat-of-the-town which I was expecting.

Some of the ideas were a bit far-fetched as well.Even though I didn't care as much for it as the two previous Newford Collections, it's still good.His prose is well writen in a realistic, conversational way.His charachters put me back in a time of my wild, young, living-on-the edge days and remind me of people I used to know.I've moved to a more stable(ok, I'll admit, boring and full of responsibilities) lifestyle now and it's nice to remember my young, living on ramen noodles lifestyle with a romantic and magical edge that DeLint can infuse into his stories and charachters.

The search for magic continues
_Moonlight and Vines_ is a well-written collection of stories, set in a modern city, intended to give the reader a sense of wonder, and make us believe that there is magic afoot, even in our most run-down urban slums.

Charles de Lint is wonderful at treading that line between fantasy and realism, where we wonder right along with the characters, "what is real?"That is his biggest talent; his biggest flaw is trying too hard to insert a moral into each of these stories.They all seem to be making a point.Sometimes this is annoying; sometimes the story is so good I don't mind at all.Still, I would have given the book three stars, since the moralizing tends to place an artificial distance between the reader and the story.

Then I read "Birds".My favorite story in the anthology, it deals with two young women's search for peace of mind, and the rituals they use to find it.De Lint has captured the very essence of magic and of personal ritual.I'm a pagan/witchy type, and I've read so many formulaic lists of "spell ingredients" I could puke; de Lint's description of the women's search for certain objects of personal value is right on the money.I want to copy the whole darn story into my BOS.

I love this book
This is the most heart touching book those odd people out there.

I read a LOT and this is the best book I've read in years.
The young girl in "Pain Management" by Andrew Vachss is very involved with books by Charles de Lint.Vachss is a wonderful writer in many ways - one of which is that his characters listen to REAL music and REAL books.I followed Vachss's lead and bought (and fell in love with) Judy Henske, so I continued on, and bought a few de Lint books.

I don't have the words to tell you how wonderful "Moonlight and Vines" is.That would be like my telling you that a baby's first steps are "wonderful."

This is a collection of short stories whose characters continue to weave a delicate connection of lace from story to story. The city is the same throughout.It's a hard city filled with gentle souls.From "I envy the music that lovers hear," the first line of the first story, I was HOOKED.

When I have time, I read a book a day.Please, look at the other books I've reviewed.I've read enough books to be able to base an opinion on what is good and what is bad.This, my friends, is the best book I have read in a long time.Best.Superlative.In our current scary times, it's wonderful to be able to escape to a place where everything sure isn't perfect, but where there are good people. ... Read more