Nicole's Reviews > Blood Price

** spoiler alert ** A friend mentioned this series in the late ‘90s when she recommended Huff’s Keeper’s Chronicles; but back then, I didn't want to read about vampires. I’ve always found the concept of vampirism unpleasant. I finally caved in and read Stoker’s Dracula and became able to deal with vampire stories if the gore factor is relatively low and if the vampires aren’t depicted as the height of perfection and sexiness.
If I'd read this book when it was first published, I would've liked it more. That was before I’d maxed-out on Law & Order, before The X-Files, Profiler, and CSI existed. Huff has a degree in Radio and Television Arts, and it shows in the novel’s structure. There are also too many of point of view switches. POV switches are a major pet peeve of mine.
Vicki Nelson is an ex-cop turned private investigator with an interesting problem that makes her by turns intriguingly vulnerable and outrageously reckless. Until about halfway through the book, I thought she might be a little too much the typical female cop type; but by the end, I rather liked her and thought she had potential to be much more of a character. I didn’t care for Vicki’s so-called relationship with her ex-(cop)partner, Mike, though. He’s very much a cardboard cop, and their interactions consist mainly of discussions about crimes, tepid bickering, and (discreet) sex. They were boring together. I usually don't root for the vampire, but I found myself doing so in this case, because Vicki had more chemistry and better discussions with Henry. I also sort of wish there hadn’t been a couple of damsel-in-distress scenes, but they did create dramatic tension.
The vampire, Henry Fitzroy, illegitimate son of King Henry VIII, is an interesting character. I like that he’s living in Toronto in the 1990s and he has an actual (quite amusing) career. He has the classic aversion to sunlight and some of the classic vampire strengths, but he has some religious faith. While he’s a bit of a man-slut at times, he doesn’t force himself on anyone. (Apparently, the easiest way to feed is during sex; and vampires are such good lovers, the blood donor may not even notice what the bites are for.) He doesn’t stalk the streets looking for people to drain. He has a chivalrous side and a thoughtful side, but he isn’t a bloodsucking Superman. His 450 years of existence make for some interesting memories/backstory.
Overall, despite the flaws, the story is quite entertaining; it’s definitely a page-turner. I don't like either character as much as I like Dean of the Keeper's Chronicles, but I’m intrigued enough that I intend to pick up the second book.