Spoilers for Book 1 (Glass Houses), Book 2 (Dead Girl's Dance) and Book 3 (Midnight Alley). I should also mention that Books 3 and 4 give really good accountings of what happened in previous volumes. Obviously not all the nuances, but you get the general idea so that you're not flying blind.

Oh Book 4. Usually, by now, I am a little sick of a book series (or heck even a tv series that's reached season 4). Creators will introduce new characters, kill off old characters, put the main character in so much of the same old situations that its like 'X did this just like Y did! Yet the MC fell for it again!' and repetition is not the better part of valor in books. Caine however seems to have found a niche to work well for her. By not having the books cover a large amount of time, and having each subsequent book pick up as if its just the next page in the same story, it feels less like I'm reading Book 4 and more like I'm reading chapter whatever of Book 1.

Mr. Bishop, introduced at the end of Book 3 when Claire's parents made an unfortunately timed move to Morganville (its implied heavily that Amelie had a hand in that, which has disasterous ramifications for her timing abilities if you ask me). I want to feel bad for her parents, but honestly I don't. Up until closer to the end they are really just extreme stereotypes of the overprotective parent. I'll admit they at least admitted the truth quicker then Claire did.

Mrynin continues to delight. I like him so much more then any of the other 'older' vampires. Half-crazy or not he's a wonderfully fun guy to read about. Amelie's shell cracks even further with Bishop's arrival and the implications of that (patricide is never a good idea kids). Oliver isn't actually that bad honestly, but he's still such an oily weasel I have trouble picturing him as helpful.

Romance wise Shane and Claire are dealt a low blow--one of the vamps Bishop brought with him, Yasdere (I think that's how you spell it, my sister has my copy at the moment), has an instant attraction to Shane. She makes it clear that she wants him, he'd better get used to it or she'd make everyone he knows pay for his refusal. Claire is, irrational as it is, jealous of the fact that the vamp chick can mystically FORCE Shane to want her. Eve and Michael are also dealt a blow, but its less of a blow and more of a misunderstanding.

Let me put it this way, the title can be taken one of two ways I think. Once the true purpose of the Feast that Amelie gives for Bishop is known it makes those participating (vampire and human alike) seem like 'fools' because everyone underestimates everyone else and their motivations. If you take it from a historical perspective, the Feast of Fools was a religious holiday celebrated in Medieval times "in which power, dignity or impunity is conferred for a few hours upon those ordinarily in a subordinate position" (source: Catholic Enclyclopedia). Ignoring the religious aspects of it (it has been deemed blasphemous), basically it was a celebration that gave leave to subordinates to act how they pleased towards their superiors without reprecussions. Take that as you will after reading the book. ( )

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.

This book has to be the most edge-of-your-seat, nail biting, suspenseful books of them yet. Even when everything was as a supposed calm, you just knew that crazy stuff was right around the corner.

I love Claire. She never does anything I expect her too. She's this small, helpless, but smart teenage girl, but she has more guts then almost every other character in the book. At the same time she is caring and compassionate. Even after someone tries to kill her she still tries to help them, or stand up for them. She is a far better woman than me, thats for sure.

As for Shane, ah Shane. I love how quick he is to come to the girl's defense, and even Micheal's, when he isn't be a complete jerk him being a vampire. However, he is so immature and hot-headed. It's just not my type at all, but still I love him.

Eve is the character I relate to the most in this book. She's sassy, she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her, and she will tell you EXACTLY what she thinks of you, your action or your plans. But she has got a kind heart and will defend her friends to the end.

Micheal is amazing. I get why Eve is into him. Outside of the musician thing. He does what he has too, even if he REALLY doesn't want to. Expecially in defense of his friends. His maturity is a HUGE upside for me too.

Just wanted to mention a few things on some other characters too. Amelie makes hate her so very much and yet still I can't help but like her. Oliver, what is his deal. He's always jumping around and saving everyone he's clearly a bad guy. Why do people keep trusting Jason? He's obviously not at all trustworthy. And finally Myrnin. He's completely insane and highly dangerous, but he might be my favorite character in this whole series so far.

This series was made for TV. I looked into it and apparently they tried but it didn't really take off. I'm thinking they must have messed it up on the TV end because this series is straight up gold. Its full of lovely drama that always ends on a cliffhanger promising bigger and better next book. I'm honestly not sure my heart can take a full 15 books of this, but I'm more than willing to risk it for this series.

One more thing to note. I don't think Claires parents are very good parents. I don't care how mature and smart your daughter is. Why would you send her so far away at 16? As a mother of a daughter, this blows my mind. Then they find out that she is living with three adults, two of them men, and while they do at least say something, its nothing compared to what I would expect from a 16 year old girls parents. My final point might be a bit of a spoiler so I'm going to hide it in spoiler brackets so read at your own risk. When Claire told her parents to leave, while a highly dangerous fight was happening, they left. Really? My daughter can tell me to leave all she wants to, but I would drag her out by her hair, before leaving her in such and obviously dangerous situation. Just saying.

This series definitely gets me all riled up, which to me is the mark of a good book. I'm always excited to read the next book and I find that I can't put one down once I started it. 5 stars to both the book and the series.

How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. Had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't really like it. Didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other then for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread again ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this again, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this books content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!! ( )

Enjoyable book, and I like the way the storyline is progressing. My biggest complaint (with the entire series) is that each book seems more like a serial than a stand-alone novel. ( )

It seems the action never stops in Morganville. And what's more, it never stops getting more intense either.

Claire thought that the cold ice queen Amelie was the scariest vampire in town. But now her father, Bishop, and his two servants have arrived, and Claire is forced to seriously rethink that notion.

Bishop plays by no rules, and holds not even the tiniest shred of humanity or fair play in his nature. He has come to Morganville to stir things up...and he will succeed. Because the town is holding a ceremonial feast to welcome him, where vampires are required to bring human dates. But behind the ceremony lurks deadly intent...and Claire and the others have to find out what it is before it's too late.

In this riveting and suspenseful continuation of this great vampire series, the delicate chess game between human and vampire in Morganville is about to be overturned. And the most shocking thing about Bishop's frightening arrival may be that it places the town's living and the undead on the same side.

Just like the others, this book had almost nonstop action, but that didn't stop it from being great character-wise as well. Everyone else gets a bit more developed, and it's easy to like almost everyone, from Claire's fiercely loyal Glass House friends to the always ambiguous but oddly endearing vampires like Myrnin, Amelie, Oliver, and Sam. And from the continuing cliffhanger ending, it's easy to see this is just the beginning of something much bigger. ( )

Il quarto capitolo della saga dei Vampiri di Morganville riprende esattamente dalla chiusura del precedente libro: Bishop, il padre della temuta e rispettata Amelie, fondatrice della città, si presenta a casa Glass con i genitori di Claire causando quasi un infarto alla ragazza e ai suoi tre amici.

I poveri ed ignari genitori si ritrovano, letteralmente, a fare colazione con tre vampiri centenari e spietati che non avrebbero nessun problema ad usare loro come colazione, mentre Claire, Eve, Michael e Shane cercano in tutti i modi di servire gli sgraditi ospiti senza scatenarne la furia omicida.

Scenetta istericamente esilarante se non fosse per la povera Claire che finiamo per immaginarcela piccola, sconvolta e letteralmente costernata mentre cerca di tenere buoni i suoi amici – che non sanno neanche un terzo dei segreti di Morganville -, contatta Amelie, tiene a bada i genitori – che non sanno nemmeno IL segreto di Morganville – e, dulcis fundo, cerca di tenere sottocontrollo le sue povere coronarie che minacciano di esplodere mandandola all’altro mondo. Dopotutto essere la prediletta della Fondatrice non le garantisce affatto di vivere una vita tranquilla, semmai, la vita, gliela complica. Terribilmente.

Come è ovvio, la fragile pace, instaurata in sala da pranzo da Michael mentre gli altri tre preparano la colazione, viene infranta da uno degli accompagnatori di Bishop che vuole banchettare con la madre di Claire, dunque il giovane vampiro ingaggia una battaglia impossibile nel tentativo di salvare la donna… Finché non arriva Oliver (ricordiamo: colui che ha fatto la pelle al povero Michael legandolo alla Casa come entità intermedia fra umano e vampiro prima che Amelie desse al ragazzo una scelta e questo diventasse vampiro), precedentemente chiamato dai tre ragazzi, che riporta la calma. Il nemico del mio nemico è mio amico, mai verità fu più vera.

Oliver e Amelie arrivano, come grandi amiconi, e si portano via Bishop, spediscono i genitori di Claire a casa con un bel lavaggio del cervello e rimettono a posto i cuccioli. Non sono affari vostri, non immischiatevi.

Non immischiatevi. A Claire? Con genitori usati come pedine del gioco di potere di Bishop e Amelie e i suoi amici in pericolo di vita? Non era più facile invitarla a buttarsi in quel casino armata di un coltellino svizzero?

In poche parole, l’arrivo di Bishop in città creerà il fermento più assoluto, meglio detto come “caos”. Una festa in maschera verrà indetta per “accogliere” il ritrovato padre della Fondatrice in città, occasione succulenta per far accadere “qualcosa”. Scopriamo immediatamente che qualcosa accadrà, qualcosa di poco carino per gli umani della città e, anche questa volta, i vampiri (Michael incluso) cercheranno di tenere fuori Claire e Eve. Shane non avrà tale fortuna visto che si ritroverà nelle mire di Ysandre, vampira psyco perversa e membro del trio Bishop, e quindi non avrà scelta se non accompagnare la “dama” al ballo.

Eve, lasciata da parte da Michael per chissà quale motivo e non invitata al ballo (solo a noi viene in mente che, forse, la soluzione sia “per tenerti al sicuro” e che Michael sia incredibilmente idiota a non parlare francamente con Eve? O.o,) non si farà scrupolo a rimediare un altro “accompagnatore” e infiltrarsi alla festa. E Claire… Lasciata sola, la sera della festa, a casa. A nessuno dei presenti è ovviamente venuto in mente che la piccola Claire non avrebbe avuto nemmeno il tempo di pronunciare “Bye” prima di trovarsi irrimediabilmente dei guai… L’avevamo capito tutti, solo che a nessuno sarebbe mai venuto in mente di immaginare in che razza di guaio si sarebbe cacciata!

Fra alti e bassi, avremo modo di seguire più da vicino la crescita della relazione fra Eve e Michael e fra Claire e Shane (che continuano ad ammorbarci con la fatidica storia dei “17 anni” e dell’impossibilità di un diciassettenne di amare un diciottenne. Un po’ sì, ma dopo un po’ diventate pesanti! E fai meno il rigido benedetto ragazzo!). Amelie si riconfermerà come vampira più fredda e frigida dell’intero romanzo, nonché come incredibile calcolatrice e perfetta politicante. Oliver ci presenterà qualche sorpresa e il sentore di “non detto”, nei suoi confronti, si farà sempre più acuto. La nostra cara e vecchia Monica non mancherà di complicare la vita alla povera Claire ammanettandola in bagno e facendole perdere alcune lezioni importanti e… Possiamo dire che, a volte, non riusciamo a comprendere come, incredibilmente, Claire riesca a mantenere la calma senza finire per affettare tutti con un macete.

Personaggio che finisce per trovare un ampio spazio e una larga rivalutazione (che potrebbe sfociare in odio o rispetto, a seconda del lettore) è proprio Myrnin. Enigmatico, scaltro, pazzo, aggressivo ma anche sbarazzino e affascinante nelle sue vesti di pragmatico e lucido professore e collaboratore (o meglio “padrone”) di Claire.

Come sempre Rachel Caine finisce per presentarci un romanzo incredibilmente avvincente e decisamente intrigante per giovani e adulti amanti del fantasy young adult. Uno stile veloce, dinamico, fresco e di impatto con scene veloci, truci e sanguinarie ma anche romantiche e coraggiose.

Ogni libro di questa serie ci presenta un piccolo valore aggiunto rispetto ai precedenti e per questo non possiamo non amare i nostri giovani protagonisti alla prese con la problematica Morganville. ( )