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raven168 's review for:
Antonio: Vampires in Europe
by D.B. Reynolds
I had every intention of having this read and reviewed before it's release date, but that obviously didn't happen. And I'll tell you why. Because this book was just so boring! I wanted to like it. I really did. Antonio was a pretty fun guy, especially when he was with Rachel. But so much of the story focused on Rachel and I didn't really care at all for her.
So it turns out that Xavier is Antonio's sire. If that was mentioned in his book, I don't remember. It doesn't really matter except for the fact that it was because Antonio was following him that Antonio ended up a vampire lord. Xavier was trying to quietly leave for Spain, because that's where he wanted to rule, but the lord of Portugal at the time was convinced he was threat to his own rule and pretty much chased him down. Antonio stayed behind to buy Xavier time to get away. He had no intention or desire to be a vampire lord, but obviously it happened. And he's been one for quite a long time.
Rachel was abandoned by her mother at a very young age to be raised by the zealot group she was part of leading. As she grew older, Rachel never trusted the group, but she was really good at what she did. She was trained to be an assassin. Something we are told ad nauseam throughout the book. While she never questioned why she was sent after her targets, she didn't enjoy the killing like her peers did. Even so, we're told more than once that she was one of the best.
Antonio is Rachel's current target. Her directions were to act as an interpreter for another vampire that had a meeting with him, seduce him, and kill him. Really not so easy when she'll be in his own home. Or one would think. The attraction between these two is immediate and it's only Rachel that fights it. And not even for long as she finds herself in his bed, in his secured vault, pretty much right away. But she can't bring herself to kill him. Which is a good thing because there's a dangerous plot going down that centers on Antonio. So while most of the book is meetings with all of the various main characters, or Rachel going out and doing touristy things, the ending has one big battle going on. Was is exciting? Meh. Yes and no. Honestly, I expected a hell of a lot more from Rachel considering how often we are told how great she is. I did like the very end when Rachel got her revenge of a sort and Antonio finished it all. I kind of doubt the organization is destroyed completely, but I guess we'll see.
The epilogue has us coming back to America it seems, and while I didn't really care for this book, I am looking forward to that one.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley
So it turns out that Xavier is Antonio's sire. If that was mentioned in his book, I don't remember. It doesn't really matter except for the fact that it was because Antonio was following him that Antonio ended up a vampire lord. Xavier was trying to quietly leave for Spain, because that's where he wanted to rule, but the lord of Portugal at the time was convinced he was threat to his own rule and pretty much chased him down. Antonio stayed behind to buy Xavier time to get away. He had no intention or desire to be a vampire lord, but obviously it happened. And he's been one for quite a long time.
Rachel was abandoned by her mother at a very young age to be raised by the zealot group she was part of leading. As she grew older, Rachel never trusted the group, but she was really good at what she did. She was trained to be an assassin. Something we are told ad nauseam throughout the book. While she never questioned why she was sent after her targets, she didn't enjoy the killing like her peers did. Even so, we're told more than once that she was one of the best.
Antonio is Rachel's current target. Her directions were to act as an interpreter for another vampire that had a meeting with him, seduce him, and kill him. Really not so easy when she'll be in his own home. Or one would think. The attraction between these two is immediate and it's only Rachel that fights it. And not even for long as she finds herself in his bed, in his secured vault, pretty much right away. But she can't bring herself to kill him. Which is a good thing because there's a dangerous plot going down that centers on Antonio. So while most of the book is meetings with all of the various main characters, or Rachel going out and doing touristy things, the ending has one big battle going on. Was is exciting? Meh. Yes and no. Honestly, I expected a hell of a lot more from Rachel considering how often we are told how great she is. I did like the very end when Rachel got her revenge of a sort and Antonio finished it all. I kind of doubt the organization is destroyed completely, but I guess we'll see.
The epilogue has us coming back to America it seems, and while I didn't really care for this book, I am looking forward to that one.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley