The Vault: Morituri te Salutant -- Those about to die, we twihard Part 4: Memento Mori Part 1 (Chapters 1-9)

Weee! So last week we finished up with the first book in the Morituri te Salutant series. Now we have book two:

banner from Mibba

cover

So Memento Mori takes part (obvi) after AM. How long after AM, I'm not sure as I was an idiot and didn't. Use. TIMELINES! 'Several months' (vague as fuck)

I totally regret that decision. (*headdesk*) At some point, I'll bring back a Writer Help Wednesday (maybe on an optional Friday or something?) and discuss maybe in more detail why timelines are freaking important!

Anyway, so we'll be covering the first nine chapters if you want to follow along, we're starting on chapter 17. (read along)

Chapter One: So I'm vague as fuck in the intro (okay maybe not that vague) and they've actually been jumping around/finally landing in Ecuador. So this chapter we've got a new vampire! A 'seer' whatever the hell that is... We'll find out more soon.

Chapter Two: Filler. Luca's a type of vampire that's freaking powerful/secretive and Solomon is all nerdily interested about his abilities. 'Nuff said.

Chapter Three: Oh snap! Christopher kissed Blythe. In the first chapter, Luca asked if they were mated, Allegra made a big deal about it then nonchalantly brushed it off (not cool Legs). Now, if I want to be PC about this (which I tots will), he should have gained consent before kissing her. I've fallen into the YA/NA/Adult thing where the love interest just takes something romantic. Or maybe I'm just... I dunno. But this isn't as creepy as the love interest in a Girl Named Helen (may do in October?)... Blythe has a vision about the random vamp from the first book. Shit son.

Chapter Four: Filler. They all plan on leaving to help out this random vampire. In Russia.

Chapter Five: Filler. Aurora being a secretive drama queen. Crew lands in St. Petersburg and it's discovered that 'the Feral One' has a heartbeat.

'Cept make it white...

Chapter Six: So they head out to some random town in the middle of BFN Russia in a 'stalker van.' I gotta say something: Russia is a place I'd like to visit someday. I've had this drive to visit since I did a report on the Romanovs in middle school. (My dream Honeymoon is to backpack across Europe.) I'm a little annoyed with myself that didn't actually try to find a name other than St. Petersburg or Moscow (Hell, Lydia (my Clan character) was from Novorossiysk and I made sure to mention it by name.... ugh). This is more or less my irritation with how vague this whole novel/sequel is proving to be so far... I think I was trying to get over my obsession with purple prose.

Anyway, we learn that the Feral One has a name, Russell, and we meet a new vampire, Kassandra.

Chapter Seven: So this is just filler. The coven heads out to hunt with Russell in tow. Spoiler: technically Russell and Blythe are love interests but the introduction to that in this chapter is so awkward. Ugh. I really hope my romance plots have gotten better than this.

Chapter Eight: Filler... I'm starting to feel like this book I just wanted to finish. There is little to no action... Except for this chapter. Aurora gets burned from the sun. So there's something fishy going on here... I'll avoid spoilers from here on out since it's less of a series-wide plot. So this chapter is technically supposed to plant the seed that something isn't right with this 'coven.' Which there is something 'wrong.' You'll likely find out in the next part.

Chapter Nine: Short ass chapter. I seriously hate that I'm ending on a short one. I also hate the secrecy within this book. No wonder why this series never really made it as big as I was hoping for on Mibba. On the secrecy within this novel and especially within this chapter: the first thing that pops in my head with Allegra wanting to be 'alone' is about her drive to feed off of Katrina.

 (Edit 9/26): I posted the wrong chapter so this is actually chapter 10. This chapter makes more sense than the original chapter ten I had strike-through. It's longer, we learn from a vision that Katrina will become a vampire and she's likely Christopher's singer wheew. So we'll end here for now.

We'll continue next Thursday!

Always,
Ali