I'm With the Banned (Afterlife, #2)

Now that Tansy is the vampire queen, she has to step up and fill the massive shoes the job requires. But with a full out war between werewolves and vampires, that's easier said than done. Not to mention her boyfriend is avoiding her. After she bumps into him by chance, Tansy learns that Vaughn is also going through something big-adjusting to werewolf life.

When werewolves start turning up dead, someone is trying to blame it on the vampires, but Tansy thinks there's something bigger at play. Being queen should earn Tansy some respect, but instead most rebel her command, not believing how young she is. To assert herself, she needs to draw from her inner badass supply, which she seems to do pretty well. Tansy will do anything for her friends and adorable boyfriend and applies this same dedication to protecting her vampire subjects.

The relationship between Tansy and Vaughn is sweet, but I like how it isn't as major in this one. Instead, the feud between werewolves and vampires takes the spotlight. Watching Tansy adjust to her new life is entertaining, especially when it's full of sarcasm and fire. Rose and Thorn also play a larger role which I love since they're two of my favorite characters. Vaughn is as perfect as always, even when he's being elusive.


Final Verdict: I'M WITH THE BAND is a paranormal romance full of humor and friendship. Tansy's wit and fierceness will keep you cheering for her success every step of the way. I enjoyed this one as much as the first one and would recommend it to fans of werewolves and vampires.

What worked: Reluctant vamp queen meets Veronica Mars in this fast-paced, engaging new paranormal series from author Marlene Perez.

In this story, Tansy has to come to terms with being the new California vamp queen. Her boyfriend Vaughn has been ghosting her and suddenly shows up at a country-western bar with new friends and a secret. Add to all of this there is a string of werewolf killings in which their hearts are ripped out. Perez once again brings the snark and sass to life in this fun series filled with witches, vamps, werewolves, and even hellcats.

Tansy is a reluctant heroine as she didn't ask for her new calling. I liked how she balances her role as a vamp queen with school and a boyfriend. Their relationship has its own ups and downs. I also loved Granny and her book club!

There's also issues that deal with trust. Should Tansy trust her mother who just suddenly shows up in town? Then there's the issue with Vaughn not being upfront with what really happened in Texas. And of course, there's her BFF Skylar and her on-again-off-again boyfriend Conner. All of this drama mixed with Tansy trying to figure out how to deal with her new calling as vamp queen.

Totally recommend this book to paranormal fans who love protagonists with sass, a good adventure, and sprinkled with humor. A great follow-up to the first book in an engaging series.

I'M WITH THE BANNED is an intriguing continuation in a fun vampire series, full of sarcasm, surprises, and plenty of unsavory undead. Tansy is now a striga vie, a vampire-witch hybrid, and queen of the vampires. She really just wants everything to get back to normal, with her newly instated rules in place for vampire-kind. However, it seems like life has other plans. Her boyfriend seems to be avoiding her, her BFF's ex is back in town, and the obnoxious vampire band has come back as a country-western group with a whole new vocabulary.

As Tansy tries to figure out what strange things are afoot, she begins to navigate paranormal being politics, solve werewolf murders, and maintain her relationship with her boyfriend. Easy-peasy, right?

I really enjoy the sarcastic voice that is used throughout the book, as well as the sweet romance. Even though it takes a backseat to all the other major events, she and Vaughn are so great together, and it was lovely to see them navigate new challenges. The mystery of the book, while parts were unpredictable, I found some of it a little too easy to predict. That being said, the journey was still pretty fun, though the sarcasm is pretty heavy at times. I did appreciate some of the unexpected twists that came later about Tansy's family.

A major theme of this book was around trust and communication, as Tansy tries to figure things out and maintain her relationships with her grandmother, boyfriend, and BFF. This added an intriguing layer to the plot, which manages to be mostly a humorous, paranormal mystery/suspense. I absolutely adored the subplots of the hellcats, complete with pies. They might be my new favorite characters.

The book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger, and while we get some answers, the big resolutions are yet to come. This is definitely a series I am curious to continue.

Overall, I'M WITH THE BANNED is an intriguing sequel to a sarcastic and entertaining YA fantasy suspense. Recommend for people who like their vampires evil (and not so handsome).