“Insatiable” (William Morrow, $22.99), by Meg Cabot: Trouble is
brewing in the Big Apple, and Meena Harper is at the heart of it.
Barely making ends meet as a writer for a soap opera called
“Insatiable,” Meena is told that her show is going in a new
direction. To satisfy pop culture demands and compete with a rival
soap, she is forced to create a story line where vampires reign in
“the cult of monster misogyny.”
Meena is no stranger to the paranormal. She has the gift of
precognition and can sense when and how someone will die. Although
it has saved her loved ones on more than one occasion, it is an
ability that has cursed her throughout her life.
When women start showing up dead and drained of blood in New
York, the mysterious Romanian Prince Lucien Antonescu arrives to
investigate the killings. Lucien must find the killer before the
humans discover that real vampires are walking among them. After
saving Meena from a swarm of bats, Lucien is intrigued that he
can’t easily read this mortal’s mind. And when their paths cross
again, he decides to make Meena his minion.
In true Von Helsing style, Alaric Wulf, a sword-wielding warrior
with the Vatican’s Palatine Guard, is determined to destroy all
vampires, especially the dark prince. And when Alaric holds Meena
captive to prevent Lucien from turning her, he becomes attracted to
her.
Meg Cabot, author of the popular young adult series “Princess
Diaries,” renders an alluring adult novel with a love triangle that
will entice fans of the vampire-romance genre.
Cabot also provides a colorful array of characters, including
Jonathan Harper, Meena’s mooch brother who dreams of becoming a
member of the Palatine Guard; her eccentric neighbor Mary Lou —
she’s a vampire, too — and Meena’s Pomeranian-chow mix named Jack
Bauer, who can scent vampires.
Bram Stoker fans will notice few similarities from the classic
tale, but in this modern urban version, Cabot recasts the vampire
prince as a flawed romantic hero while leaving the villainous role
to another.
Although no sequel to “Insatiable” is currently planned, Cabot
leaves some doors — and windows — open for future visits from the
dark prince.
