Celadore

Legendary vampire hunter Celadore's luck finally runs out when she runs afoul of a powerful vampire in Grall's entertaining if overstuffed debut, originally a Web comic. When Christian, the vampire leader, gets the Day Candle, allowing vampires to roam freely in the sun, Celadore is outnumbered. Instead of killing her, Christian transfers her soul into the comatose body of 11-year-old Evelyn Massey, to the dismay of Evelyn, whose own soul accompanies her Celadore-inhabited body as she breaks out of the hospital. Hot on their heels is Sam St. George, Evelyn's neighbor and ninja-obsessed friend. He turns out to be a worthy sidekick when Celadore realizes that he's been sneaking onto her property and eating her magical berries for years, giving him amazing healing properties. Along with Jams, a Frankenstein monster, and Ness, the randomly psychic tooth fairy, Celadore tracks down Christian to destroy the Day Candle and retrieve Celadore's original body so her soul can be returned to its rightful home. Celadore is a hard-hitting heroine, but the almost endless plot overpowers her, and all of Grall's intriguing characters are lost in the shuffle. (Oct.)