This book was me trying to push back the problems I was having to see if the payout I was hoping to see that would save the series would happen. It didn't. This was the last in the series for me. ( )

Celia survived a bombing, but isn't healing right afterwards. As she works to solve the puzzle her two love interests are back in the picture. Very engaging, did not want to put it down.
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I jumped into the middle of this series, but was able to--for the most part--follow along easily to the story and plot without any previous character knowledge. This was a decent read for me--for a novel whose main premise involves school children and zombies I found it quite light on the horror, but the plot was enough to keep my interest and attention and I enjoyed the characters, especially the female protagonist. Siren and vampire isn't exactly a common pairing, but it seems to work pretty well here. I will certainly read the next in this series, and may even backtrack a few books. ( )

Actually I would rate this 4 1/2 Stars.

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THE ISIS COLLAR was a fast-paced, multi-layered urban fantasy novel. It is the fourth book in the Blood Song series. Celia is a former bodyguard who is adjusting to life after surviving a vampire bite and becoming one herself and discovering that she is also part siren. In this episode, she has to deal with a magical plague that has been set off in schools and is killing the teachers and children who were there. She also has to deal with a witch who has stolen a very powerful artifact and who wants Celia dead.

Celia also has a variety of relationship issues. Her mother has escaped from the island of the sirens and returned home where she is resuming her life as an alcoholic. Her sister Ivy who died at eight and has been a ghost haunting Celia and her mother has learned to possess bodies and has taken over the body of a young friend of Celia's. Celia is also torn between her old love Bruno who betrayed her with another woman and her new love John Creede. Both men are powerful mages what want to have a relationship with her.

The story is packed with perilous situations. The action never stops. I really enjoyed this story which is told from Celia's point of view. Watching Celia struggle with both the large problems and the smaller personal problems was very engaging. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. ( )