The Path of Razors by Chris Marie Green

The Path of Razors: Vampire Babylon by Chris Marie Green

(Fantasy)

In this, the fifth Vampire Babylon book from Chris Marie Green, Dawn Madison is back, and the battle of good versus evil continues. However, now more than ever the line between the two is fogged.

Hoping to discover London's hidden Underground, a massive vampire lair, Dawn and her unlikely team are on a hunt to scourge and take down the master vampire. It won't be an easy task, but lives and souls are at stake. To take down the master would be to take down the Underground, and to take down the Underground... Well, that would be the ultimate victory.

Yet when the group discovers their closest link to the Underground isn't a vicious looking vampire but instead a bunch of uniformed school girls, they are left to wonder "What are we missing?!" It's no secret that vamps can come in any number of shapes or sizes, still a class of girls from the local private school is a rather unlikely candidate. And then it begins...

Inside the school girl ranks there's a power struggle taking place and one day, perhaps sooner rather than later, the tiered social structure is going to buckle. Only one girl can be top dog, but when two straddle the line and act first, thinking later, the damages are done. Dawn's peculiar gang has no choice but to probe into their secretive lives in order to gain some direction as to where they come from and why. Is it possible this is the link the team has been searching for?

I've read 3 of the preceeding 4 books in this series, and of all of them I found Dawn's story in this installment to be one of the weaker ones. For me there was more gusto and appeal in the school girls' story. Infact, if it wasn't for their story I might not have been as likely to stick it out with this book to the end. That said though, there is a certain strength to be found as we see the two distinctly separate yet conjoined stories being told. While Dawn's story is dependent on that of the school girls and their ties to the Underground, it's their story that really brings the backbone to the book.

I'm sorry this review isn't better written, but I've tried for several days and just keep coming up blank. As a whole I did enjoy the book, but it was not a favorite of mine by this author or in general. I know there was a sixth installment due out as well, and it's pretty certain I'll be checking it out at some point. I don't see myself rushing to grab a copy though as The Path of Razors really didn't leave me with that urge of wanting more.

~Bookish Mom, aka Rebekah C.