Hee! They're Tanya Huff's "Blood" series and "Smoke and --" series. I read the Smoke books first (they were written quite a while after the Blood books) and really enjoyed them. But the Blood books, as you can tell...disappointed. So, um...in my very not humble, I totally recommend the Smoke books. Um. See, I feel bad not reccing the others, but I just- I can't. Oh, but I totally loved a stand-alone of hers, "Fire's Stone". It's wonderful, and also - like, totally gay. *g*