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ghostlydreamer's review against another edition
3.0
Just another forgettable vampire novel. I'm surprised I gave this three stars, because honestly, I don't remember liking it much at all at the time. I think I only gave it the three stars out of loyalty for Barb Hendee, whose other series, the Noble Dead Saga, written with her husband, was one I adored. You couldn't have found a bigger fan of the Noble Dead Saga, probably still can't. So naturally, I was hoping that the rest of her books would give me a good fix. You know, substitute my love for the series that I had finally finished and all that fun stuff. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.
Barb Hendee's writing in this book was unmemorable, which is a shame because I know what she is capable of when writing with her husband. The plot felt very forced and kind of...irritating. I get what she was trying to go for, and props for trying to be creative. But it didn't leave any kind of lasting impression on me. I forced myself to enjoy this more than I did because I wanted to love everything she did just as much as The Noble Dead Saga, but sadly, it was more like a waste of time. I'm not a huge vampire fan to begin with, and especially not in the context of the real world. The Noble Dead Saga worked because it took place in a fantasy world and ended up being about so much more than vampires after the second book. And I guess I shouldn't compare them. But the comparison might help you understand why this book let me down so much, when her other work didn't.
I didn't actually stop reading the series after this book, but I think I should have. I felt no connection to any of the characters, found myself annoyed with them more often than not, and just couldn't care an ounce for anything they did to progress the plot. If you're looking for a vampire novel that lacks substance, I guess this is it. And that's fine if that's what you're looking for. I can see why this might be addictive for some readers. But I don't think I'm the right crowd for it.
Barb Hendee's writing in this book was unmemorable, which is a shame because I know what she is capable of when writing with her husband. The plot felt very forced and kind of...irritating. I get what she was trying to go for, and props for trying to be creative. But it didn't leave any kind of lasting impression on me. I forced myself to enjoy this more than I did because I wanted to love everything she did just as much as The Noble Dead Saga, but sadly, it was more like a waste of time. I'm not a huge vampire fan to begin with, and especially not in the context of the real world. The Noble Dead Saga worked because it took place in a fantasy world and ended up being about so much more than vampires after the second book. And I guess I shouldn't compare them. But the comparison might help you understand why this book let me down so much, when her other work didn't.
I didn't actually stop reading the series after this book, but I think I should have. I felt no connection to any of the characters, found myself annoyed with them more often than not, and just couldn't care an ounce for anything they did to progress the plot. If you're looking for a vampire novel that lacks substance, I guess this is it. And that's fine if that's what you're looking for. I can see why this might be addictive for some readers. But I don't think I'm the right crowd for it.
milinkalap's review against another edition
3.0
Not a big fan of this book but at least I finished it.
avoraciousreader68's review
4.0
Compelling. The second book continues to pull me forward in the series. I want to see what happens with this odd group. I'd love to see Julian dead, but a good villian is hard to come by, so he can't go yet.
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