The Sonja Blue Novels Books 1–4: Sunglasses After Dark, In the Blood, Paint It Black, and A Dozen Black Roses

Sonja Blue #1-4

by Nancy A. Collins

Four novels of the punk vampire hunter from the Bram Stoker Award–winning author and “most original voice in the world of vampire fiction since Anne Rice” (Film Threat).   Saved by modern medicine before she could die, Sonja Blue is a living vampire who still possesses a soul and is determined to hunt down creatures that prey on the innocent, while searching for the vampire lord who created her.  Sunglasses After As Sonja investigates a sleazy televangelist named Catherine Wheele, she finds herself up against a powerful inhuman adversary. Her greatest foe remains the Other, the demonic personality with whom she is locked in a constant battle for control of their shared body. Can Sonja overcome her inner demon in time to rescue an innocent man from Catherine Wheele’s unholy clutches?  In the As Sonja continues to take out her rage on demonic blood-drinkers, her hunt is attracting Morgan, the vampire lord who remade her twenty years ago, wants to bring his beloved daughter to heel. At the same time, Sonja has found her existence entwined with that of a mortal—a psychic detective. Is love possible for someone like her?  Paint It Following a self-destructive affair in New Orleans, the Other, Sonja’s demonic alter ego, is stronger than ever. And when Sonja learns that Morgan may be behind a string of murders in New York City, she heads straight for a face-to-face showdown.  A Dozen Black A city within a city where the undead roam free, Deadtown is dangerous for humans and vampires alike. As a gang war rages between the old guard and the new, Deadtown’s innocents are caught in the crossfire. Only Sonja Blue can save them. To see justice done, she will play both ends against the middle to save Deadtown—or else burn it to the ground.   Award-winning author Nancy A. Collins’s punk vampire series helped give rise to the urban fantasy genre and her “bone-colored, blood-smeared star—for she is certainly a star—stands bright and hot at the pinnacle of the horror heap” (Joe R. Lansdale).

Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Vampires, Urban Fantasy

1150 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2017

About the author

Nancy A. Collins (born 10 September 1959) is a United States horror fiction writer best known for her series of vampire novels featuring her character Sonja Blue. Collins has also written for comic books, including the Swamp Thing series, Jason Vs. Leatherface, Predator: Hell Come A Walkin and her own one-shot Dhampire: Stillborn.

Collins was born in McGehee, Arkansas, United States. She lived in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1980s; after time in New York City and Atlanta, Georgia she settled in Wilmington, North Carolina in the late 2000s.

Collins has written twenty novels since 1989, many of which refer to and directly include races of creatures the author calls Pretenders, monsters from myth and legend passing as human to better hunt their prey.

Collins has also written a number of highly acclaimed Southern Gothic short stories and novellas, most of which are set in Seven Devils, Arkansas, a highly fictionalized version of her hometown.

Most recently, she has focused her attention onto the Golgotham urban fantasy series,published by Penguin. Golgotham is the 'supernatural' ghetto of New York City, where creatures from myth and folklore--including witches,shapeshifters,leprechauns and centaurs--live and work in uneasy alliance with mankind.

Reviews

[T00zday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of books.
I’ve been reading and rereading the Sonia blue series since they first came out.
Dark world building. The author has sworn never to write another Sonja Blue book again.

When you’re feeling pissed off and restless - this series is for you! Sonja is a badass punk chick vampire with an attitude.

This is not a romance in any way.

Absolutely recommended.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonja Blue is a fantastic Gothic Punk series about half-vampire monster hunter Sonja Blue. Sonja hunts her fellow vampires and tries to get revenge on her murderous sire, Morgan. This is a dark series with sexual assault, torture, and other incredibly dark themes. This is definitely not a bunch of sparkly vampires and closer to Poppy Z. Brite and other 90s horror fiction. Its perhaps too dark for your average romantic fantasy or urban fantasy reader but definitely up my alley. The fourth book used to be a tie-in to the World of Darkness but the two worlds don't really line up. It's since been rewritten to remove all the WOD references and works better for it now. I will say the Kindle format is a bit off on the fourth book with some minor errors. Nothing too big to worry about, though.

[Ramona Lazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, it was gruesome and gritty and oh, the horrors, but I kinda liked it. it was...different.

[Angela]

6 March 2020: $2.99 on Kindle

[Nathan Klayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay - going to do this as spoiler free as possible: This is a superlative set of novels by an excellent writer. In addition to being a catalyst in shaping urban fantasy, these are, simply put, some really fun reads. However - while I certainly get the preferred text for Paint It Black, and can laud the updates made transform A Dozen Black Roses away from being the prior White Wolf/World of Darkness tie-in, I will confess to some confusion over the need to update and edit parts of In The Blood and Sunglasses After Dark. (I own the print versions from earlier release and the changes seem strangely apropos)
My main gripe isn’t the content, or even the edits (Nancy is free to change her works as she wishes and my admiration remains undimmed) themselves as much as the terrible editing of the ebooks. There are errors in grammar/spelling/format that point to a lazy ish job in putting in electronic format. I place all blame there on the epublishers.

That all said? Want some awesome vampire fiction with a truly great protagonist? If so, read on - Sonja Blue is all that and then some.

[Shane C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally enjoyed the books and loved the heroine Sonja Blue. Had a problem with poor copy editing though as my digital version was rife with missed words, truncated sentences, malapropisms and the like. Was somewhat annoying and definitely detracted from the enjoyment of a fun read.

[Christopher Bosch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illiterate but interesting

Ms.Collins has an imagination, but a faltering grasp of English grammar. Her florid gothic stories really need a copy editor. If you can stand the constant flow of solecisms, her stories are entertaining in a crude way.

[Keith Sprague · Rating 4 out of 5]

On to the continued adventures of Sonja...
Will probably re-read series again...