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raven168's review against another edition
3.0
For as much as I really liked the last two books, this one wasn't nearly as good to me. And I think the problem was the couple. I just didn't get into Jenner and Bria's relationship. Hell, I don't even know if I liked them by themselves. Bria was annoying a lot of the time. Okay, yes, she was practically kept prisoner her whole life and simply ended up trading one guard for another. I understand she'd want her freedom. But she was just so freakin' stupid about it. She has no outside world experience and she's being hunted by a necromancer. And she thinks being a vampire now will be enough to protect herself? Then after a couple weeks of combat training with Jenner she thinks she can take the necromancer on? Get real. I accept her need for freedom, but I think she could have gone about it in a different and smarter way. As for Jenner, well, he just didn't do anything to endear himself to me. He was a brute and violent at times (which okay, can certainly be a turn on in certain situations) and I hated how he speaks of loyalty and such but refuses to listen to his king and calm the fuck down. Yeah, your tethered now and it's driving you nuts. Okay, you're a volatile vampire that has a harsh past. But you've proven that you have greater control than you think you do, so stop making excuses and being a dick.
Thank gawd that Mikhail, Claire, Ronan, and Naya where in this book as much as they were. They saved it for me I think. Mikhail is definitely having a tough time of things. Between trying to restart his race, find his enemies, and deal with other dhampirs, Claire could have their baby at any time. Claire is still her happy self and seems to be dealing with her new life quite well. Ronan is still funny as ever and him and Naya end up playing a big role in truly freeing Bria.
As I mentioned, Bria has spent her whole life almost like a prisoner at her uncles's compound. A great evil hunts her, but she doesn't know the specifics. Eventually we find out, and it's interesting to be sure. Once a month (at least I think that's what it was) Bria sneaks out to go geocaching. Then one night she returns home to find the compound under attack. And she jumps right into the fight. Only to end up bleeding out and dying. In a desperate attempt to save her life, her uncle takes her to Mikhail and will swear his fealty to him if he saves her. A dubious vow to be sure with this guy.
When Bria wakes up a vampire, she feels her freedom is finally within her grasp. And it's only days later when Jenner shows up and quite nearly attacks her in his desperate need to have her after she returns his soul to him. From there it's a lot of them doing a lot of nothing but fighting really. Jenner doesn't trust himself with her so he pushes her away despite what it does to him. Bria hates that Jenner seems to only see her a glass doll that he needs to keep protected and refuses to see her as an equal. Though, personally, I don't see how she did anything that would make him see her as one. Despite this constant back and forth between the two of them, somehow they end up falling in love with the other. I don't know how that happened either. Jenner always goes on about all the things he sees in Bria that makes him love her more, but I have no idea what he's talking about because I don't see it. As for Bria's part, I couldn't help but feel that it was all the tether pulling her to him and not really love. But whatever.
After yet another one of Bria's stupid decisions where she acts like a petulant child, she finds herself smack dab in the position that Jenner was trying to keep her away from. Oh, but she manages to prove she's capable of protecting herself. Yeah right. Thankfully she's found in time by Jenner, Ronan and Naya. And finally she can truly be free.
Behind the scenes Gregor is still plotting and the wolf is still following Siobhan (whom I so still don't trust with that box). But perhaps worst of all is that Ronan's sister, driven by loneliness, does something that could very well become a disaster in the future if certain people find out.
On the plus side, we finally find out what makes Vanessa so special. At least what could be part of it anyway. And we end with Claire having her baby. I wonder what he'll be like having such powerful parents....
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
Thank gawd that Mikhail, Claire, Ronan, and Naya where in this book as much as they were. They saved it for me I think. Mikhail is definitely having a tough time of things. Between trying to restart his race, find his enemies, and deal with other dhampirs, Claire could have their baby at any time. Claire is still her happy self and seems to be dealing with her new life quite well. Ronan is still funny as ever and him and Naya end up playing a big role in truly freeing Bria.
As I mentioned, Bria has spent her whole life almost like a prisoner at her uncles's compound. A great evil hunts her, but she doesn't know the specifics. Eventually we find out, and it's interesting to be sure. Once a month (at least I think that's what it was) Bria sneaks out to go geocaching. Then one night she returns home to find the compound under attack. And she jumps right into the fight. Only to end up bleeding out and dying. In a desperate attempt to save her life, her uncle takes her to Mikhail and will swear his fealty to him if he saves her. A dubious vow to be sure with this guy.
When Bria wakes up a vampire, she feels her freedom is finally within her grasp. And it's only days later when Jenner shows up and quite nearly attacks her in his desperate need to have her after she returns his soul to him. From there it's a lot of them doing a lot of nothing but fighting really. Jenner doesn't trust himself with her so he pushes her away despite what it does to him. Bria hates that Jenner seems to only see her a glass doll that he needs to keep protected and refuses to see her as an equal. Though, personally, I don't see how she did anything that would make him see her as one. Despite this constant back and forth between the two of them, somehow they end up falling in love with the other. I don't know how that happened either. Jenner always goes on about all the things he sees in Bria that makes him love her more, but I have no idea what he's talking about because I don't see it. As for Bria's part, I couldn't help but feel that it was all the tether pulling her to him and not really love. But whatever.
After yet another one of Bria's stupid decisions where she acts like a petulant child, she finds herself smack dab in the position that Jenner was trying to keep her away from. Oh, but she manages to prove she's capable of protecting herself. Yeah right. Thankfully she's found in time by Jenner, Ronan and Naya. And finally she can truly be free.
Behind the scenes Gregor is still plotting and the wolf is still following Siobhan (whom I so still don't trust with that box). But perhaps worst of all is that Ronan's sister, driven by loneliness, does something that could very well become a disaster in the future if certain people find out.
On the plus side, we finally find out what makes Vanessa so special. At least what could be part of it anyway. And we end with Claire having her baby. I wonder what he'll be like having such powerful parents....
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
wilovebooks's review against another edition
4.0
If you like the Black Dagger Brotherhood, you'll like this series. I usually like stories about vampires and magic and I have enjoyed each book in this series. Each book is about a different couple, but a larger story runs through all of the books so it makes sense to start with book one, The Last True Vampire. In this book we have Jenner who is a recently turned vampire and he is pretty much out of control. Bria has been sheltered and she is tired of it. She is staying at Mikhail's when Jenner finds her and is tethered. He holds himself back from her because he doesn't feel worthy of her which frustrates her. They have to find a way to make it work. I love characters and hope the books keep coming.
noveladdiction's review against another edition
4.0
3.5. This is a very interesting series. I don't think Jenner is my favorite of the ones we have met thus far, but I felt like this story was a little more action packed than the others, considering everything Jenner and Bria are facing throughout the book.
There is going to be a fourth one (yay!), so I can't wait to see who is featured in that one.
There is going to be a fourth one (yay!), so I can't wait to see who is featured in that one.
bookwifereviews's review against another edition
2.0
I would have enjoyed this book but... Bria the female MC was TSTL. She annoyed me so many times.
Bria is a dhampir who has been extremely sheltered by her Uncle because a crazy witch named Astrid wants to kill her. So for good reasons right? He has hidden her away and kept her safe for centuries. But Bria isn't cool with that and she sneaks out all the time. Stupid. One night she comes back and her coven is under attack and a slayer slits her throat. Her uncle taker her to the king and the king turns her into a vampire. In walks Jenner and their souls tether. Sigh. There is a whole bunch of drama about Jenner not wanting to hurt her so he stays away from her. She gets all pissy because again she isn't allowed to leave the king's house. So what does she do? She sneaks out and goes to a club to dance, duh! Jenner was there and was shot while he was chasing after her.
Things change after that. Jenner decides that he can fuck her and he does, ALOT and it is hot. I won't lie, I liked the sex scenes. But after that they move to Jenner's apartment and the first night he wants to go out and find this witch and kill her so that Bria doesn't have to stay in the house. Awesome male right? I thought that was pretty cool of him. But Bria was pissed because she wasn't allowed to fight with him. She has had like idk less than 2 weeks of training, she has been a vampire for what 4 weeks? Idk the exact time line but I know that she thinks she's more awesome than she is. Anyways Bria has a brilliant idea, she leaves the apartment and checks into a hotel. If that's not stupid enough, she decides that she is bored and goes out for a stroll... Sigh What do you think happened?
Really the only thing I liked about this book was Jenner. He was pretty sexy, all dark and tortured. Yum. But to be honest I had to force myself to finish the book because of Bria. She was just an idiot. Im all for women being warriors, but that comes with training and time. Neither of which Bria had. She had no right to claim she could fight or that she could take care of herself. She was in trouble within the first couple hours of her being by herself. So just no. A bad character completely ruins a book. I really would have liked the story if it weren't for her.
Bria is a dhampir who has been extremely sheltered by her Uncle because a crazy witch named Astrid wants to kill her. So for good reasons right? He has hidden her away and kept her safe for centuries. But Bria isn't cool with that and she sneaks out all the time. Stupid. One night she comes back and her coven is under attack and a slayer slits her throat. Her uncle taker her to the king and the king turns her into a vampire. In walks Jenner and their souls tether. Sigh. There is a whole bunch of drama about Jenner not wanting to hurt her so he stays away from her. She gets all pissy because again she isn't allowed to leave the king's house. So what does she do? She sneaks out and goes to a club to dance, duh! Jenner was there and was shot while he was chasing after her.
Things change after that. Jenner decides that he can fuck her and he does, ALOT and it is hot. I won't lie, I liked the sex scenes. But after that they move to Jenner's apartment and the first night he wants to go out and find this witch and kill her so that Bria doesn't have to stay in the house. Awesome male right? I thought that was pretty cool of him. But Bria was pissed because she wasn't allowed to fight with him. She has had like idk less than 2 weeks of training, she has been a vampire for what 4 weeks? Idk the exact time line but I know that she thinks she's more awesome than she is. Anyways Bria has a brilliant idea, she leaves the apartment and checks into a hotel. If that's not stupid enough, she decides that she is bored and goes out for a stroll... Sigh What do you think happened?
Really the only thing I liked about this book was Jenner. He was pretty sexy, all dark and tortured. Yum. But to be honest I had to force myself to finish the book because of Bria. She was just an idiot. Im all for women being warriors, but that comes with training and time. Neither of which Bria had. She had no right to claim she could fight or that she could take care of herself. She was in trouble within the first couple hours of her being by herself. So just no. A bad character completely ruins a book. I really would have liked the story if it weren't for her.
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
The Dark Vampire is the third book in Kate Baxter's The Last True Vampire series and features newly turned Jenner as the hero of the story. We've seen in the past couple of books that while Jenner is very capable enforcer and a good choice for Mikhail to turn, but he's been struggling with his appetites, if you will. Basically his want of blood and sex is non-stop and due to some events in his past he fears it will one day lead to his complete loss of control and force Mikhail to put him down for good. Part of Jenner believes this may be for the best.
On the other hand we have Bria, whose uncle has been protecting her from the vengeance of a dark witch for centuries. Although she knows her uncle means well, the protection is starting to feel a lot like imprisonment within the coven. But when the coven is attacked by the slayers that have been plaguing the dhampires for months now, Bria's uncle turns to Mikhail for help, and once he offers his allegiance to the vampire king, Mikhail turns Bria. And shortly after her turn, Jenner and Bria become tethered. But they'll soon learn that Jenner's need to protect his mate clashes with Bria's newfound sense of freedom in becoming a vampire.
I really liked the "marriage of convenience" type of set-up to Jenner's story. You don't get to choose to whom you are tethered as a vampire (if you ever get tethered) but sometimes you at least know the person that you become tethered to. Such is not the case with Jenner and Bria. They're strangers upon discovering their tether. So not only do they have to contend with Bria being newly turned, but they have to actually get to know one another. A tether doesn't necessarily mean love at first sight and I liked the way Kate Baxter brings that aspect to the foreground while Bria and Jenner are navigating around one another.
I was really interested in the dark witch that had been hunting Bria for centuries, but I was disappointed that there wasn't more done with this storyline. It plays out and is resolved, but it felt more like an afterthought than the true drive of the story. Jenner and Bria's developing relationship is the focus of the story, and honestly, I think Kate Baxter really nailed the heat between them. With Jenner's insatiable need for sex, I don't think things could have been written any other way, and those particular scenes definitely deliver.
There was a lot going on with the secondary characters. In the first two books it was common for side and secondary characters to get a few moments here and there aside from the main hero and heroine of the story. While Kate Baxter has built up some really interesting secondary characters, here I felt like that time detracted from possibly fleshing out Bria's conflict with the witch a little bit more.
In the end, there's a lot left open for future stories in the series. Mikhail, Ronan, and Jenner were the first three vampires and we've gotten their stories. I'm interested to see who Kate Baxter tags as the next hero and / or heroine. There are plenty of options and I can honestly say I'd be interested in any of the secondary characters that Baxter should choose to give their own book.
This series, so far, has been strong, and I love that it's getting back to the classical vampire story. Vampires had an extremely popular run for a while but I feel lately that supernatural stories are tending to run towards "other". The creatures that are not as familiar. And that's fine, but sometimes it's nice to go back to a classic and I'm happy that Kate Baxter provides that.
On the other hand we have Bria, whose uncle has been protecting her from the vengeance of a dark witch for centuries. Although she knows her uncle means well, the protection is starting to feel a lot like imprisonment within the coven. But when the coven is attacked by the slayers that have been plaguing the dhampires for months now, Bria's uncle turns to Mikhail for help, and once he offers his allegiance to the vampire king, Mikhail turns Bria. And shortly after her turn, Jenner and Bria become tethered. But they'll soon learn that Jenner's need to protect his mate clashes with Bria's newfound sense of freedom in becoming a vampire.
I really liked the "marriage of convenience" type of set-up to Jenner's story. You don't get to choose to whom you are tethered as a vampire (if you ever get tethered) but sometimes you at least know the person that you become tethered to. Such is not the case with Jenner and Bria. They're strangers upon discovering their tether. So not only do they have to contend with Bria being newly turned, but they have to actually get to know one another. A tether doesn't necessarily mean love at first sight and I liked the way Kate Baxter brings that aspect to the foreground while Bria and Jenner are navigating around one another.
I was really interested in the dark witch that had been hunting Bria for centuries, but I was disappointed that there wasn't more done with this storyline. It plays out and is resolved, but it felt more like an afterthought than the true drive of the story. Jenner and Bria's developing relationship is the focus of the story, and honestly, I think Kate Baxter really nailed the heat between them. With Jenner's insatiable need for sex, I don't think things could have been written any other way, and those particular scenes definitely deliver.
There was a lot going on with the secondary characters. In the first two books it was common for side and secondary characters to get a few moments here and there aside from the main hero and heroine of the story. While Kate Baxter has built up some really interesting secondary characters, here I felt like that time detracted from possibly fleshing out Bria's conflict with the witch a little bit more.
In the end, there's a lot left open for future stories in the series. Mikhail, Ronan, and Jenner were the first three vampires and we've gotten their stories. I'm interested to see who Kate Baxter tags as the next hero and / or heroine. There are plenty of options and I can honestly say I'd be interested in any of the secondary characters that Baxter should choose to give their own book.
This series, so far, has been strong, and I love that it's getting back to the classical vampire story. Vampires had an extremely popular run for a while but I feel lately that supernatural stories are tending to run towards "other". The creatures that are not as familiar. And that's fine, but sometimes it's nice to go back to a classic and I'm happy that Kate Baxter provides that.
jessie_h's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5 Stars
This review was originally posted at Goldilox and the Three Weres.
I'm going to be honest. I almost didn't finish this book. The first half was a "She's so far above me, I don't deserve her." angsty mess that made me both angry and bored out of my mind. Every time I put it down to do something else, I didn't want to come back to it. The only reason I kept reading was because my coblogger, Gretl, told me that the second half got better. And it did get better. There was still some angst that pissed me off but there was more action to offset it.
I've been wanting Jenner's story ever since he was turned, but I was let down by this book. I was hoping his story wouldn't embody the tortured vampire trope but it did, until it became his whole image. On one page he's thinking clearly about his relationship with Bria, the vampire he is tethered to, then on the next page he's back to hating himself and being angsty and overly protective. He wouldn't listen to his friends and king who were trying to encourage him and he misses all the signals that his mate was sending him. The whole plot was a repetitive mess of will they or won't they?
If the tortured vampire trope wasn't enough, we also got the TSTL heroine trope. Don't get me wrong, I loved Bria's personality but I was hoping for there to be more to her. Despite knowing the extreme danger she is in, she repeatedly took stupid risk after stupid risk to prove she can take care of herself and doesn't need Jenner's or anyone's protection.
This book had so much potential that got buried under tropes. I just don't think this series is for me. I like the world building and its different take on vampires, but the romances were just too cliche for me to enjoy. I'll wait to see what other reviewers think about the next book to see if I'll carry on with the series. I will say that if you like old school, tropey PNR, then this is a series for you!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
This review was originally posted at Goldilox and the Three Weres.
I'm going to be honest. I almost didn't finish this book. The first half was a "She's so far above me, I don't deserve her." angsty mess that made me both angry and bored out of my mind. Every time I put it down to do something else, I didn't want to come back to it. The only reason I kept reading was because my coblogger, Gretl, told me that the second half got better. And it did get better. There was still some angst that pissed me off but there was more action to offset it.
I've been wanting Jenner's story ever since he was turned, but I was let down by this book. I was hoping his story wouldn't embody the tortured vampire trope but it did, until it became his whole image. On one page he's thinking clearly about his relationship with Bria, the vampire he is tethered to, then on the next page he's back to hating himself and being angsty and overly protective. He wouldn't listen to his friends and king who were trying to encourage him and he misses all the signals that his mate was sending him. The whole plot was a repetitive mess of will they or won't they?
If the tortured vampire trope wasn't enough, we also got the TSTL heroine trope. Don't get me wrong, I loved Bria's personality but I was hoping for there to be more to her. Despite knowing the extreme danger she is in, she repeatedly took stupid risk after stupid risk to prove she can take care of herself and doesn't need Jenner's or anyone's protection.
This book had so much potential that got buried under tropes. I just don't think this series is for me. I like the world building and its different take on vampires, but the romances were just too cliche for me to enjoy. I'll wait to see what other reviewers think about the next book to see if I'll carry on with the series. I will say that if you like old school, tropey PNR, then this is a series for you!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
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