Cabot injects humor into vampire genre with ‘Insatiable’

With 50 books, be them children's, young adult or adult romances, to her credit, popular author Meg Cabot, who is known for her “The Princess Diaries” series, delves into the pop culture phenomenon of vampires with her new book, “Insatiable.”

Meena Harper is the head writer for a popular daytime soap opera, and it’s a job she’s good at and likes … most of the time. But when the producers want her to come up with a storyline involving vampires just because the competing soap is doing it, well, Meena gets a bit frustrated. But never fear, inspiration might be lurking around the next corner … literally.

In addition to being a great writer, Meena also has a special gift that she doesn’t share with many people — she has the psychic ability to know when someone is going to die just by touching their hands. So when she meets a handsome stranger on the street who saves her from an attack by a flock of bats, Meena is confused as to why she can see nothing about this man from his touch — nothing at all. When she is introduced to Lucien Antonescu at a party, Meena is quite shocked to find out he is the stranger from the night before, and he’s a prince on top of that.

Lucien Antonescu is equally shocked but intrigued to meet the lovely Meena again. He is in town on princely business — but he’s no ordinary royal — he is known as the Prince of Darkness and is head honcho of the vampire world. And his business in town is to stop a full-blown vampire war, a war which Meena suddenly finds herself right in the middle. Lucien is torn between his duties and the emotions that the beautiful human has caused him to feel, something that hasn’t happened in centuries. But will this desire he feels for her weaken him in a crucial time of battle?

With her delightful manner of writing, Cabot gives the whole vampire story a unique twist that is lightly romantic, funny as hell at times, and has just the right amount of shiver factor to satisfy any vamp fan. In addition to intriguing main characters, Cabot livens the story up with a hilarious cast of secondary folks, including a count and countess whose antics reminded me of Ricky and Lucy — they were a hoot!

The first of what is promised to be a series, “Insatiable” gives the vampire world the injection of fun that it needs.