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Vampires are real. They
have their own society; they have a ruling council, laws and police. But they still need
humans for blood and fear in Susan Sizemore’s Companions: Laws of the Blood.
Every once in a while a vampire will choose a human and keep them as a companion for
years until the companion also becomes a vampire.
Companions
focuses on a police detective, Selena Crawford and the head of the vampire police,
Istvan. Istvan hates vampires, despite being one himself, and did not willingly take
Selena as a companion as he does not want to create another vampire. Selena hates the
fact that vampires treat their companions as property and she hates the bond that she has
with Istvan both magical and physical. Their relationship is fraught with problems, but
they are together because the two of them are soul mates. When they met, they were
unable to resist the attraction that they felt for each other; they shared blood, and
became companions for the rest of Selena’s life.
When someone starts
killing vampires, Istvan and Selena both want to find the murderer. They eventually come
to the same conclusion: a rogue companion is doing the slaying. Unfortunately, the
companion is killing vampires because one of the baddest, oldest vampires around drove
her crazy, for fun. Circumstances align Istvan and Selena against this vampire and they
have to take him down, while staying within the laws.
Sizemore has a great
imagination, building a society of vampires with laws, traditions and myths. The book
isn’t going to make you think, but for the most part it is a fun escape. Selena is the
kind of heroine that you might model yourself after. She is strong, intelligent and
resourceful, until she gets around Istvan. Her dependence on him (which she
unsuccessfully fights against) is pathetic, and the ending is a disappointing all male
fight-fest. The book is entertaining, but I prefer a heroine that can save herself every
once in a while.
