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The Deep #2
Deep Deception
He’ll give up everything for his immortal lover…except his humanity.
Leave a note and slip away to Paris alone, Adin thought. It’ll prove to his vampire lover he doesn’t need 24/7 supervision, Adin thought. Instead, Adin lands in a surreal situation that isn’t going to endear him to Donte. At. All.
As he awaits an old foe, Ned Harwiche III, for a prearranged meeting, Adin is head butted, tossed into the back of a car…then gets the chance to acquire an artifact Harwiche had been bidding on.
Adin jumps at it, if only as payback for all the dirty tricks Harwiche has pulled over the years. To his horror, the “artifact” turns out to be an adolescent boy named Bran.
Sickened, Adin vows to help the boy out, but like Donte—like a lot of the world Adin never knew existed—Bran isn’t at all what he seems to be.
While Donte and Adin negotiate the meaning of the word “forever”, Bran is running out of time. Especially when tragedy and betrayal pit Adin’s long-cherished beliefs against Donte’s love.
Product Warnings: Contains a gothed-up college professor armed with guyliner (which is a big problem when you’re up against a little monster) and an old vampire who doesn’t like his lover out of reach. Not that he can’t administer discipline from afar…
Leave a note and slip away to Paris alone, Adin thought. It’ll prove to his vampire lover he doesn’t need 24/7 supervision, Adin thought. Instead, Adin lands in a surreal situation that isn’t going to endear him to Donte. At. All.
As he awaits an old foe, Ned Harwiche III, for a prearranged meeting, Adin is head butted, tossed into the back of a car…then gets the chance to acquire an artifact Harwiche had been bidding on.
Adin jumps at it, if only as payback for all the dirty tricks Harwiche has pulled over the years. To his horror, the “artifact” turns out to be an adolescent boy named Bran.
Sickened, Adin vows to help the boy out, but like Donte—like a lot of the world Adin never knew existed—Bran isn’t at all what he seems to be.
While Donte and Adin negotiate the meaning of the word “forever”, Bran is running out of time. Especially when tragedy and betrayal pit Adin’s long-cherished beliefs against Donte’s love.
Product Warnings: Contains a gothed-up college professor armed with guyliner (which is a big problem when you’re up against a little monster) and an old vampire who doesn’t like his lover out of reach. Not that he can’t administer discipline from afar…
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 9, 2010
Two words my description of this book: fucking amazing!!!
Sorry for my lack of education... But is true
Well, first of all this books is more dark than the first... I laugh in few scenes, while reading
I laugh a lot!
Second, if you don't read the first book this one will be impossible to understand.
Third, I hate some strange parts of this book
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Like, why Adin gave wine to a minor? He is nuts???? To a 14 years old boy! WINE!
And guys... this book is HOT! But I can't spoil the story, and will finish here my review
.
.
.
.
.
.
....No wait! WTF! Tell me, what David Hasselhoff was thinking? Picture, naked, with pups? Baby dogs! That's sick! He is a siiiiiiick man!
Back to the book review, 5 stars and it's a pity I hardly find a book so marvelous as this one... regardless some imperfections I loved this book. And now I can't wait to read more!
Sorry for my lack of education... But is true
Well, first of all this books is more dark than the first... I laugh in few scenes, while reading
I laugh a lot!Second, if you don't read the first book this one will be impossible to understand.
Third, I hate some strange parts of this book
[image error]
Like, why Adin gave wine to a minor? He is nuts???? To a 14 years old boy! WINE!
And guys... this book is HOT! But I can't spoil the story, and will finish here my review
.
.
.
.
.
.
....No wait! WTF! Tell me, what David Hasselhoff was thinking? Picture, naked, with pups? Baby dogs! That's sick! He is a siiiiiiick man!
Back to the book review, 5 stars and it's a pity I hardly find a book so marvelous as this one... regardless some imperfections I loved this book. And now I can't wait to read more!
October 27, 2020
3.5 Stars
Review:
I liked this one more than the first! It wove together the relationship struggles of Adin and Donte now that they're together, Adin's past, and a plot about a mysterious kidnapped changeling orphan Adin kind of accidentally rescues.
I felt like the plot was better in this one. More focused, or maybe just had more substance. Some unexpected things happened, and the ending was interesting. It made me curious to see how things would pan out in the third book.
We also got to know Adin a little better. This one wove memories from Adin's past into the present day narrative, in much the same way the first book wove Donte's past into the story. There were some revelations about other characters too, as well as a new character (the teenage changeling) who was sweet.
I'm still not sure how much I'm feeling the relationship between Adin and Donte though. I feel like I haven't gotten to see that much of them just casually being together to fully understand why they're in love or to feel the connection between them, but there was at least some stuff this time that showed their feelings beyond just the sexy times. And despite being in love, things weren't all moonlight and roses, what with Donte wanting Adin to be a vampire and Adin being adamantly against it. (I feel like it's usually the opposite, so it was kinda cool to read something different.) Their relationship has its sweetness but also its issues.
I found the much-changed relationships between Santos and both Adin and Donte to be interesting.
The audiobook narration by Caleb Dickinson was the same as it was in the first book. I still felt like his voice didn't quite match what I'd have imagined for Adin, but he sounded natural enough, and it was usually easy to tell character apart. Except this time there was a new side character with a different accent, and I'm no expert on UK accents, but I don't think the one this narrator did exists anywhere in the world. It wasn't the best, I don't think.
Overall, I enjoyed this one! I'm glad I decided to continue the series, as this book took some interesting turns and has made me more invested.
*Rating: 3.5 Stars // Read Date: 2020 // Format: Audiobook*
Recommended For:
Fans of Book 1 in Z.A. Maxfield's Deep Series. Anyone who likes M/M vampire romance with some relationship and morality struggles.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
I liked this one more than the first! It wove together the relationship struggles of Adin and Donte now that they're together, Adin's past, and a plot about a mysterious kidnapped changeling orphan Adin kind of accidentally rescues.
I felt like the plot was better in this one. More focused, or maybe just had more substance. Some unexpected things happened, and the ending was interesting. It made me curious to see how things would pan out in the third book.
We also got to know Adin a little better. This one wove memories from Adin's past into the present day narrative, in much the same way the first book wove Donte's past into the story. There were some revelations about other characters too, as well as a new character (the teenage changeling) who was sweet.
I'm still not sure how much I'm feeling the relationship between Adin and Donte though. I feel like I haven't gotten to see that much of them just casually being together to fully understand why they're in love or to feel the connection between them, but there was at least some stuff this time that showed their feelings beyond just the sexy times. And despite being in love, things weren't all moonlight and roses, what with Donte wanting Adin to be a vampire and Adin being adamantly against it. (I feel like it's usually the opposite, so it was kinda cool to read something different.) Their relationship has its sweetness but also its issues.
I found the much-changed relationships between Santos and both Adin and Donte to be interesting.
The audiobook narration by Caleb Dickinson was the same as it was in the first book. I still felt like his voice didn't quite match what I'd have imagined for Adin, but he sounded natural enough, and it was usually easy to tell character apart. Except this time there was a new side character with a different accent, and I'm no expert on UK accents, but I don't think the one this narrator did exists anywhere in the world. It wasn't the best, I don't think.
Overall, I enjoyed this one! I'm glad I decided to continue the series, as this book took some interesting turns and has made me more invested.
*Rating: 3.5 Stars // Read Date: 2020 // Format: Audiobook*
Recommended For:
Fans of Book 1 in Z.A. Maxfield's Deep Series. Anyone who likes M/M vampire romance with some relationship and morality struggles.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
January 4, 2015
2.5 stars
This started off well enough. The romance between Donte and Adin is sweet and erotic. But… I dunno… I kept wanting this to go somewhere .
The story is wrapped up around the mystery of a young boy, Bran, who falls under Adin’s charge. Who is he/what is he? Why is he worth so much to the dark and nefarious forces lurking in the story? These questions waft about while we get lots of scenes of Adin and Donte pining for each other or entwined in each other. The mystery gets strung out longer than I’d like, and this becomes more of a vampire soap opera.
It’s all ultimately a let down, especially in the end when we find what the story’s real purpose is…
These vamps err too much on the schmoopy side. Bring on some danger! some fang gnashing! some blood-letting! It’s all so civilized. Finally, just when an enraged Donte whips out his mighty katana, they all talk it out. Sheesh.
I shouldn’t be surprised, though. I wasn’t super enamored with the first book Notturno and dragged my feet to read this sequel suspecting more of the same. I’ve liked a lot of this author’s stuff-- her contemporary attempts are more to my liking, I’m thinking.
June 4, 2024
Review from 2019
I've given this a C for content and a C+ for narration at AudioGals, so 3.5 stars overall.
There are spoilers for the first book in the Deep series, Deep Desire in this review.
When five-hundred-year-old vampire Donte Fedeltà and his human lover Adin Tredeger embarked upon a relationship at the end of Deep Desire, it was clear that the road to Happily Ever After wasn’t going to be an easy one, not least because of Adin’s emphatic refusal to allow Donte to turn him (into a vampire) so that they can be together for all time. For Adin,
“It’s [life is] my journey. And without its beginning, its middle and its end, I’m not ever going to be the man I was born to be.”
– and he is content to be with Donte for the time allotted to him. However, this isn’t the only issue causing friction between them in Deep Deception. Adin is fed up with Donte continually treating him as though he needs constant supervision. He accepts that the supernatural world he is discovering contains previously un-thought-of dangers, and he’d hoped, after months of self-defence classes and constant lecturing, that Donte would realise he doesn’t need to be so protective… but after yet another spat, Adin decides he needs some breathing space, and slips away to Paris to attend an auction, leaving his lover a note –
“I’ll be back but you’re going to have to get used to letting me come and go.”
– and he is content to be with Donte for the time allotted to him. However, this isn’t the only issue causing friction between them in Deep Deception . Adin is fed up with Donte continually treating him as though he needs constant supervision. He accepts that the supernatural world he is discovering contains previously un-thought-of dangers, and he’d hoped, after months of self-defence classes and constant lecturing, that Donte would realise he doesn’t need to be so protective… but after yet another spat, Adin decides he needs some breathing space, and slips away to Paris to attend an auction, leaving his lover a note –
“I’ll be back but you’re going to have to get used to letting me come and go.”
In Paris, Adin receives a message from his professional rival, Ned Harwiche, who asks Adin to meet him in order to discuss a business proposition. Adin has no idea what Harwiche could want, and is getting impatient for his arrival at the appointed time and place when he’s accosted by two besuited heavies who have clearly mistaken him for Harwiche, and hauled off into a waiting car. After a short drive, Adin is marched into what looks like an old curio shop and hustled down to the basement where, he’s told, he’ll find the merchandise he’s come to purchase – and is horrified to be brought to stand before a teenaged boy shackled to the wall, his wrists, ankles and neck encircled by iron restraints.
Adin doesn’t know or care why his captors have mistaken him for Harwiche, and he doesn’t know or care why the boy – whose name is Bran – has been so cruelly treated; he just wants to get him out of there, so he pays the hefty price asked and takes Bran to a hotel to work out what to do next. He decides to call his friend Edward, whose partner, Tuan, is some sort of paranormal cop and seek their advice, but before he can speak to either of them, Boaz – Donte’s general factotum – and Cristobel Santos (Donte’s enemy, the son of his long-dead lover Auselmo) turn up at the hotel room. Adin has already figured out that Bran is no ordinary teen – he’s able to get inside Adin’s head and see his thoughts and memories – but even Bran doesn’t know who or what he is; he has no memories and no sense of anything about himself other than his name. Adin doesn’t know what his captors could have wanted with him – but Santos does. Apparently Harwiche has somehow got hold of Auselmo’s letters to Donte, letters which Santos maliciously told Donte he’d burned long ago; and Harwiche was planning to exchange the letters for Bran. Adin is appalled while Santos – being Santos – enjoys his discomfort. Donte would do anything to get those letters, and once he knows where Bran is, he’ll most likely try to force Adin to hand Bran over, but Adin promised to protect Bran… he just hadn’t expected to have to protect him from the man he loves.
It’s a good set-up, and I was looking forward to finding out more about Bran and his abilities and to learn how Adin and Donte were going to deal with being on ‘opposite sides’, so to speak, with Adin wanting to protect Bran and Donte wanting to exchange him for the letters. But neither of those things really happens; Bran’s origins aren’t explored and most of the story consists of Adin taking him from place to place in order to hide him or keep him safe. They move from city to city, country to country, continent to continent, although a lot of the time, I couldn’t figure out who – if anyone – was chasing them. And Donte is pretty much incidental for most of the book; he shows up occasionally to act fondly exasperated with Adin and have sex with him, but there’s no sense of their relationship developing until quite late in the book, when a tragic and unexpected event leaves listeners wondering how they can resolve things between them in book three, Deep Deliverance .
Adin continues to be irritating at times, but there’s also no doubt that he truly cares for Donte, and I liked the odd friendship that’s developing between him and Santos, and the relationship the author builds between him and Bram. But on the other hand, he fails to fully appreciate just how important he is to Donte, and I have to say that I felt like applauding when Boaz finally tore into him and made him really think about how his stubborn behaviour in refusing to learn about the paranormal world of which he is now a part and his disregard for anything but his own personal wants could be hurting Donte. That said, though, I still enjoyed Adin’s affectionate mocking and the way that Donte has started to unbend a little – when they’re together, they’re compelling, but they spend a lot of time apart in this story, which also probably contributed to my overall disappointment.
Having really enjoyed Caleb Dickinson’s narration in Deep Desire, I was confident going into Deep Deception that was in for more of the same, and for the most part that was true. His characterisations of the main characters are consistent with the previous book, his pacing and differentiation are excellent, and he does a great job in conveying the emotional truth of each scene, whether it’s the love scenes, moments of heightened tension or of introspection. BUT – the addition of Bran to the cast proved problematic for Mr. Dickinson, because the accent he uses for him is… well I can’t even describe it, because it’s like no accent I’ve ever heard. Bran is supposed to sound as though he comes from the north of England, but while the narrator is able to sustain what sounds almost like an RP (received pronunciation) accent to portray Santos, he is unable to perform a northern accent, and instead comes up with a weird mish-mash of I-don’t-know-what that was truly excruciating to listen to. Because Bran is a big part of the story, he’s ‘on stage’ quite a lot and has a fair bit of dialogue, so this really did impact on my overall enjoyment of the audiobook.
All in all, Deep Deception wasn’t as big a hit with me as Deep Desire, but I’m still glad I listened to it, as some of its events relate directly to those to come in Deep Deliverance, and for all the problems with his characterisation of Bran, Mr. Dickinson’s portrayal of the principals continues to be very strong and Donte’s accent is knee-melting.
I've given this a C for content and a C+ for narration at AudioGals, so 3.5 stars overall.
There are spoilers for the first book in the Deep series, Deep Desire in this review.
When five-hundred-year-old vampire Donte Fedeltà and his human lover Adin Tredeger embarked upon a relationship at the end of Deep Desire, it was clear that the road to Happily Ever After wasn’t going to be an easy one, not least because of Adin’s emphatic refusal to allow Donte to turn him (into a vampire) so that they can be together for all time. For Adin,
“It’s [life is] my journey. And without its beginning, its middle and its end, I’m not ever going to be the man I was born to be.”
– and he is content to be with Donte for the time allotted to him. However, this isn’t the only issue causing friction between them in Deep Deception. Adin is fed up with Donte continually treating him as though he needs constant supervision. He accepts that the supernatural world he is discovering contains previously un-thought-of dangers, and he’d hoped, after months of self-defence classes and constant lecturing, that Donte would realise he doesn’t need to be so protective… but after yet another spat, Adin decides he needs some breathing space, and slips away to Paris to attend an auction, leaving his lover a note –
“I’ll be back but you’re going to have to get used to letting me come and go.”
– and he is content to be with Donte for the time allotted to him. However, this isn’t the only issue causing friction between them in Deep Deception . Adin is fed up with Donte continually treating him as though he needs constant supervision. He accepts that the supernatural world he is discovering contains previously un-thought-of dangers, and he’d hoped, after months of self-defence classes and constant lecturing, that Donte would realise he doesn’t need to be so protective… but after yet another spat, Adin decides he needs some breathing space, and slips away to Paris to attend an auction, leaving his lover a note –
“I’ll be back but you’re going to have to get used to letting me come and go.”
In Paris, Adin receives a message from his professional rival, Ned Harwiche, who asks Adin to meet him in order to discuss a business proposition. Adin has no idea what Harwiche could want, and is getting impatient for his arrival at the appointed time and place when he’s accosted by two besuited heavies who have clearly mistaken him for Harwiche, and hauled off into a waiting car. After a short drive, Adin is marched into what looks like an old curio shop and hustled down to the basement where, he’s told, he’ll find the merchandise he’s come to purchase – and is horrified to be brought to stand before a teenaged boy shackled to the wall, his wrists, ankles and neck encircled by iron restraints.
Adin doesn’t know or care why his captors have mistaken him for Harwiche, and he doesn’t know or care why the boy – whose name is Bran – has been so cruelly treated; he just wants to get him out of there, so he pays the hefty price asked and takes Bran to a hotel to work out what to do next. He decides to call his friend Edward, whose partner, Tuan, is some sort of paranormal cop and seek their advice, but before he can speak to either of them, Boaz – Donte’s general factotum – and Cristobel Santos (Donte’s enemy, the son of his long-dead lover Auselmo) turn up at the hotel room. Adin has already figured out that Bran is no ordinary teen – he’s able to get inside Adin’s head and see his thoughts and memories – but even Bran doesn’t know who or what he is; he has no memories and no sense of anything about himself other than his name. Adin doesn’t know what his captors could have wanted with him – but Santos does. Apparently Harwiche has somehow got hold of Auselmo’s letters to Donte, letters which Santos maliciously told Donte he’d burned long ago; and Harwiche was planning to exchange the letters for Bran. Adin is appalled while Santos – being Santos – enjoys his discomfort. Donte would do anything to get those letters, and once he knows where Bran is, he’ll most likely try to force Adin to hand Bran over, but Adin promised to protect Bran… he just hadn’t expected to have to protect him from the man he loves.
It’s a good set-up, and I was looking forward to finding out more about Bran and his abilities and to learn how Adin and Donte were going to deal with being on ‘opposite sides’, so to speak, with Adin wanting to protect Bran and Donte wanting to exchange him for the letters. But neither of those things really happens; Bran’s origins aren’t explored and most of the story consists of Adin taking him from place to place in order to hide him or keep him safe. They move from city to city, country to country, continent to continent, although a lot of the time, I couldn’t figure out who – if anyone – was chasing them. And Donte is pretty much incidental for most of the book; he shows up occasionally to act fondly exasperated with Adin and have sex with him, but there’s no sense of their relationship developing until quite late in the book, when a tragic and unexpected event leaves listeners wondering how they can resolve things between them in book three, Deep Deliverance .
Adin continues to be irritating at times, but there’s also no doubt that he truly cares for Donte, and I liked the odd friendship that’s developing between him and Santos, and the relationship the author builds between him and Bram. But on the other hand, he fails to fully appreciate just how important he is to Donte, and I have to say that I felt like applauding when Boaz finally tore into him and made him really think about how his stubborn behaviour in refusing to learn about the paranormal world of which he is now a part and his disregard for anything but his own personal wants could be hurting Donte. That said, though, I still enjoyed Adin’s affectionate mocking and the way that Donte has started to unbend a little – when they’re together, they’re compelling, but they spend a lot of time apart in this story, which also probably contributed to my overall disappointment.
Having really enjoyed Caleb Dickinson’s narration in Deep Desire, I was confident going into Deep Deception that was in for more of the same, and for the most part that was true. His characterisations of the main characters are consistent with the previous book, his pacing and differentiation are excellent, and he does a great job in conveying the emotional truth of each scene, whether it’s the love scenes, moments of heightened tension or of introspection. BUT – the addition of Bran to the cast proved problematic for Mr. Dickinson, because the accent he uses for him is… well I can’t even describe it, because it’s like no accent I’ve ever heard. Bran is supposed to sound as though he comes from the north of England, but while the narrator is able to sustain what sounds almost like an RP (received pronunciation) accent to portray Santos, he is unable to perform a northern accent, and instead comes up with a weird mish-mash of I-don’t-know-what that was truly excruciating to listen to. Because Bran is a big part of the story, he’s ‘on stage’ quite a lot and has a fair bit of dialogue, so this really did impact on my overall enjoyment of the audiobook.
All in all, Deep Deception wasn’t as big a hit with me as Deep Desire, but I’m still glad I listened to it, as some of its events relate directly to those to come in Deep Deliverance, and for all the problems with his characterisation of Bran, Mr. Dickinson’s portrayal of the principals continues to be very strong and Donte’s accent is knee-melting.
July 11, 2016
Deep Deception is the second book in Z.A. Maxfield's The Deep Series, following Deep Desire and preceding Deep Deliverance. Please note it's not a standalone book. Characters from Deep Desire make an appearance in Deep Deception as well – mainly Boaz, Donte, Santos, Edward, Tuan and Ned.
Deep Deception begins, appropriately enough, in a cemetery where Adin is meeting Ned Harwiche, his rival in bidding wars over antique artifacts. In a case of mistaken identity, Adin is thrown in the back of a car and brought to see the “merchandise” Ned is negotiating over – a young boy in iron chains. Why does Ned Harwiche want this boy? Is the boy Bran human … or something else?
The plot definitely holds your interest as Adin attempts to discover the mystery behind Bran. He is frustrated that Bran doesn’t know “what” he is, but as Boaz points out, how do any of us know what we are? We learn from our parents, we learn from our history- we do not develop and mature in a void.
Donte and Adin’s relationship remains as steamy as ever, but this book delves further into the problems inherent in their relationship. Adin doesn’t want eternal life, but wants Donte and doesn’t quite realize he can’t have things both ways. The strength of this book is how it explores the hard truths behind how the vampire world really works, and how humans are “strangers in a strange land” at best. My only problem with the book was how darn irritating Adin can be! (But having read the third book, I’ll warn you that he doesn’t get much better.)
I received an ARC from Samhain Publishing, via GayBook Reviews, in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at GayBook Reviews. Check it out!
Deep Deception begins, appropriately enough, in a cemetery where Adin is meeting Ned Harwiche, his rival in bidding wars over antique artifacts. In a case of mistaken identity, Adin is thrown in the back of a car and brought to see the “merchandise” Ned is negotiating over – a young boy in iron chains. Why does Ned Harwiche want this boy? Is the boy Bran human … or something else?
The plot definitely holds your interest as Adin attempts to discover the mystery behind Bran. He is frustrated that Bran doesn’t know “what” he is, but as Boaz points out, how do any of us know what we are? We learn from our parents, we learn from our history- we do not develop and mature in a void.
Donte and Adin’s relationship remains as steamy as ever, but this book delves further into the problems inherent in their relationship. Adin doesn’t want eternal life, but wants Donte and doesn’t quite realize he can’t have things both ways. The strength of this book is how it explores the hard truths behind how the vampire world really works, and how humans are “strangers in a strange land” at best. My only problem with the book was how darn irritating Adin can be! (But having read the third book, I’ll warn you that he doesn’t get much better.)
I received an ARC from Samhain Publishing, via GayBook Reviews, in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at GayBook Reviews. Check it out!
July 4, 2015
Great addition to the series
The first third of the book took a bit to get used to. We have Bran sorting through Adin's memory and dreams, nefarious entities wreaking havoc wherever Adin travels, and the ever mysterious Donte just being Donte. The pace finally evens out, the plot starts to reveal itself, and mostly all hell breaks loose. Adin discovers more about the world than he ever wanted to know.
Well written, great world building, beautiful prose, meaty characters. Highly recommended.
The first third of the book took a bit to get used to. We have Bran sorting through Adin's memory and dreams, nefarious entities wreaking havoc wherever Adin travels, and the ever mysterious Donte just being Donte. The pace finally evens out, the plot starts to reveal itself, and mostly all hell breaks loose. Adin discovers more about the world than he ever wanted to know.
Well written, great world building, beautiful prose, meaty characters. Highly recommended.
May 11, 2015
There is an occasional sex scene in this installment, but don't look for the continuation of the romance. Most of the story is mystery/suspense: saving a kidnapped boy, finding out his identity and trying to stay a step ahead of the bad guys. Pretty much all the issues in the book remain unresolved, with a couple of fresh ones thrown in at the end. We must. have. book. three! Soon!
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
January 13, 2018
‘Deep Deception' picks up three months after the end of ‘Deep Desire', and all is not wine and roses with Adin and Donte. Adin feels that Donte doesn't trust him as he's constantly being watched and inundated with bodyguards. Donte feels that Adin doesn't understand the dangers in this new world he is now a part of. Adin leaves Donte in Spain and heads to Paris to get away and to just be himself for a while without feeling like he's being babysat. His nemesis, Ned, contacts him to meet, but when Adin shows up, he's been tricked and he's taken to a clandestine meet where "Ned" has contracted with these men for the purchase of something valuable. It turns out to be a young boy, Bran, bound in iron chains. Adin buys him in hopes of finding out what is going on and getting Bran to safety. Unfortunately, as seems to be the case for Adin, nothing is as it seems from the moment he meets Bran.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews
March 19, 2016
I gave this book 5 stars the first time I read it (when it came out) and now I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. Everything about it got on my nerves this time, from the faux genteel way they spoke and thought to the way Donte dressed to Adin's annoyingly selfish and Mary Sue-ish personality. The only reason I finished it is so that I could start Deep Deliverance, the third book in the series.
October 1, 2015
The first book was amazing. Sizzling hot, exciting. It made it onto my favorites list with 5 stars. But this one, compared to the first one, gets a "meh" reaction from me. 3 stars, for trying to make it as exciting as the first with all the drama. Just so disappointed in Boaz, I did not see that coming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2015
Yeah... **scratches her head** there will be a sequel to this, right? When and if it comes out, I will add another star.
March 29, 2019
Adin is still the most annoying character I’ve read in a while.
So why did I read this?
Damn if I know.
I did like the world they live in and I like the secondary characters. He’s so damn sanctimonious. Boaz, Bran and everyone else kept me intrigued.
So why did I read this?
Damn if I know.
I did like the world they live in and I like the secondary characters. He’s so damn sanctimonious. Boaz, Bran and everyone else kept me intrigued.
May 5, 2016
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
3 Stars in total.
5 for the dry wit.
2 for the plot.
I want to start this review by saying I adore the author's witty yet unexpectedly humorous voice. Most authors who inject humor into their stories end up with the result of over-the-top zaniness. Maxfield's dry, witty humor is exactly what the doctor ordered, causing me to laugh more than most authors accomplish.
The vocabulary is intelligent, which is a nice change of pace since Donte is 500 years old and would speak formally. Whereas in a lot of books with older characters, their voice is still that of an adolescent. So I appreciate both the dry wit and the intelligent voice of Maxfield.
This is the first and only MM Urban Fantasy series I've ever read.
Now, I'm going to be honest, and this is kind of killing me, here. There wasn't much of a plot to be found, and the world building is nonexistent, to the point Bran's origins were never truly explored, nor was anything dealing with vampires. We have an imp, but it was never explored on what that entails. It was all glossed over, like this was a transition book from book 1 to book 3.
As with the first book, this time we are pulled into Adin's past, which I did enjoy and wanted to read more of it. This was written well, but the transition wasn't the smoothest, as there was nothing denoted the present and past, other than to read and realize the characters mentioned don't exist in the present.
Adin rescues a boy, Bran, and spends the entirety of the book going from place to place. Hotel to hotel. City to City. Donte's house to Santos's house back to yet another house in a new location. Country to country. Continent to continent. There had to have been 20 times this occurred in only 150 pages or so. One locations, and three pages later, Adin would be on the move to another, yet no one was after him. Several times, Adin was in a location for maybe 15 minutes, enough time to put his suits it the closet, then Donte would show up. They would have sex, and then be on the move to the next location. Sometimes it was so quick, they didn't even get time to unpack. One day in particular, they 'moved' four times. But later, it was made to sound like days, when it was probably the same hour from what was presently being mentioned. Deja Vu
The hopping was the entirety of the plot, and the forces they were running from NEVER present themselves, rendering the running useless. But it served as a vehicle to get it on with Donte at every turn, while professing undying love. It was a constant cycle of longing for Donte when he wasn't on scene or being 'with' Donte when he was, when I'm sure what was written (minus the ending) was only a week or so in time. Undying love that wasn't wishy washy like the rest of the plot, but definitely the only viable plot point of the story (I won't spoil it by staying what I mean by that)
I struggled while reading, it took me three separate sessions to get through the book. By sessions, I mean over months, finally resolving to sit down and read it or else, and that still took me a week to wade through when I'm good for reading two or more books in a day.
Recommended for those who are new to the genre, since there isn't much world building to confuse newbies. Also for those who are looking at romance as the focal point. The added bonus is the intelligent voice and dry wit.
Will I read more by this author: I'm starting book 3 as soon as this review is posted.
3 Stars in total.
5 for the dry wit.
2 for the plot.
I want to start this review by saying I adore the author's witty yet unexpectedly humorous voice. Most authors who inject humor into their stories end up with the result of over-the-top zaniness. Maxfield's dry, witty humor is exactly what the doctor ordered, causing me to laugh more than most authors accomplish.
The vocabulary is intelligent, which is a nice change of pace since Donte is 500 years old and would speak formally. Whereas in a lot of books with older characters, their voice is still that of an adolescent. So I appreciate both the dry wit and the intelligent voice of Maxfield.
This is the first and only MM Urban Fantasy series I've ever read.
Now, I'm going to be honest, and this is kind of killing me, here. There wasn't much of a plot to be found, and the world building is nonexistent, to the point Bran's origins were never truly explored, nor was anything dealing with vampires. We have an imp, but it was never explored on what that entails. It was all glossed over, like this was a transition book from book 1 to book 3.
As with the first book, this time we are pulled into Adin's past, which I did enjoy and wanted to read more of it. This was written well, but the transition wasn't the smoothest, as there was nothing denoted the present and past, other than to read and realize the characters mentioned don't exist in the present.
Adin rescues a boy, Bran, and spends the entirety of the book going from place to place. Hotel to hotel. City to City. Donte's house to Santos's house back to yet another house in a new location. Country to country. Continent to continent. There had to have been 20 times this occurred in only 150 pages or so. One locations, and three pages later, Adin would be on the move to another, yet no one was after him. Several times, Adin was in a location for maybe 15 minutes, enough time to put his suits it the closet, then Donte would show up. They would have sex, and then be on the move to the next location. Sometimes it was so quick, they didn't even get time to unpack. One day in particular, they 'moved' four times. But later, it was made to sound like days, when it was probably the same hour from what was presently being mentioned. Deja Vu
The hopping was the entirety of the plot, and the forces they were running from NEVER present themselves, rendering the running useless. But it served as a vehicle to get it on with Donte at every turn, while professing undying love. It was a constant cycle of longing for Donte when he wasn't on scene or being 'with' Donte when he was, when I'm sure what was written (minus the ending) was only a week or so in time. Undying love that wasn't wishy washy like the rest of the plot, but definitely the only viable plot point of the story (I won't spoil it by staying what I mean by that)
I struggled while reading, it took me three separate sessions to get through the book. By sessions, I mean over months, finally resolving to sit down and read it or else, and that still took me a week to wade through when I'm good for reading two or more books in a day.
Recommended for those who are new to the genre, since there isn't much world building to confuse newbies. Also for those who are looking at romance as the focal point. The added bonus is the intelligent voice and dry wit.
Will I read more by this author: I'm starting book 3 as soon as this review is posted.
July 24, 2019
After the not so happy feelings I had while reading the first book, I really wanted to stop reading this series, but then I would need to add these books to the graveyard of others that met the same end, so here I'm keeping reading this, still hoping it will be better, and really wishing the pages were shorter.
**Grm**
This book wasn't better than the previous, there were many scenes that made me cringe, like the one where they used blood as lube...FUC*ING GROSS!
Adin tried too hard to be funny, also in the moments where it didn't make any sense, and he seemed like a child. In the 1st book Donte didn't give a crap(let's be sincere, he didn't) about Adin, but here they acted like Romeo and Juliet. Idk where the author did the research for Italy and Italian customs but making carbonara with garlic and parsley is actually considered a blasphemy. The only thing I didn't mind really as much as some other readers did, was the fact that a 14 almost 15 years boy, drank a bit of wine diluited with water. In my country kids usually taste the first wine at half that age, sure always with an adult supervision and in special occasions or sundays, but is normal and no one would say anything about it.
The real mystery of this book was Adin's age...In the 1st story he was talking with a 19 years old boy and he said to him he had more than double his age, making him around 38 or so, but in this book while referring to Bran that was 14 almost 15, he tells the reader that the boy was half his age. How old are you man? I'm confused.
Let's not forget the finale, Oh gods that was an epic failure....your lover turns you into a vampire without your consent? awesome. And Adin that for 2 full books was saying he didnd't want to be changed, didn't want to lose his human side etc... after the fact, tells Donte that anyway he had almost made up his mind about becoming a vampire(speaking about having no balls..). I Laughed so hard and not for a good reason.
**Grm**
This book wasn't better than the previous, there were many scenes that made me cringe, like the one where they used blood as lube...FUC*ING GROSS!
Adin tried too hard to be funny, also in the moments where it didn't make any sense, and he seemed like a child. In the 1st book Donte didn't give a crap(let's be sincere, he didn't) about Adin, but here they acted like Romeo and Juliet. Idk where the author did the research for Italy and Italian customs but making carbonara with garlic and parsley is actually considered a blasphemy. The only thing I didn't mind really as much as some other readers did, was the fact that a 14 almost 15 years boy, drank a bit of wine diluited with water. In my country kids usually taste the first wine at half that age, sure always with an adult supervision and in special occasions or sundays, but is normal and no one would say anything about it.
The real mystery of this book was Adin's age...In the 1st story he was talking with a 19 years old boy and he said to him he had more than double his age, making him around 38 or so, but in this book while referring to Bran that was 14 almost 15, he tells the reader that the boy was half his age. How old are you man? I'm confused.
Let's not forget the finale, Oh gods that was an epic failure....your lover turns you into a vampire without your consent? awesome. And Adin that for 2 full books was saying he didnd't want to be changed, didn't want to lose his human side etc... after the fact, tells Donte that anyway he had almost made up his mind about becoming a vampire(speaking about having no balls..). I Laughed so hard and not for a good reason.
November 23, 2010
I read this book under the worst circumstances -- NaNo. I had little time to read,so i just nibbled small chunks throughout the month. Just try to get a sense of an arc that way! The book is not quite as good as Notturno so i guess Vigil is about 4.7 stars really, but Notturno is one of my all-time faves. This book has those marvelous characters. I'm always surprised that in a vampire story my favorite character should be the human, but Adin is simply terrific. Smart, wise-cracking and deep-feeling, in Vigil he protests a bit too much but i still loved him. Bran is a great new addition, and we thoroughly believe Adin's affection for him. Edward is grand -- love him, love the piercings. Just as Notturno used segments of a journal, Vigil gives us dream seqences that are flashbacks. Not many authors can get away with such interruptions of action, but ZAM carries it off. Most exciting is that the book totally sets us up for a sequel so i don't have to console myself over the loss of Adin. I'll go back and read Vigil again so i can get a smoother impression, but if you haven't read it yet, grab your credit card. : )
February 7, 2020
A good continuation of Adin and Dante’s love story. Getting a little tired of the over-the-top emotional blow ups.
Bought as part of audible escape package.
Bought as part of audible escape package.
July 22, 2012
I debated between a 3 and 4 an decided to settle for a 3.5.
I didn't like this one as much as I liked Notturno. This one seemed more...I dunno, farcical to me. Almost as if it weren't necessarily meant to be taken entirely seriously. I've read some of the reviews and I think someone said this was darker than the first one, but I'm not sure if I got that feeling from it.
The characterization was great, though, which is always a big plus.
I'm also kind of sad because at the end of Vigil, it said Matins would come out 2011, but when I checked Maxfield's website, Matins was still listed as a work-in-progress for "later this year," I think it said.
I didn't like this one as much as I liked Notturno. This one seemed more...I dunno, farcical to me. Almost as if it weren't necessarily meant to be taken entirely seriously. I've read some of the reviews and I think someone said this was darker than the first one, but I'm not sure if I got that feeling from it.
The characterization was great, though, which is always a big plus.
I'm also kind of sad because at the end of Vigil, it said Matins would come out 2011, but when I checked Maxfield's website, Matins was still listed as a work-in-progress for "later this year," I think it said.
September 19, 2016
3.5 stars
May 3, 2016
~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads Review Team~
You really need to read book 1, Deep Desire first. The love between Adin and Donte is still just as deep in this book. I just love them together. It does bother me when Donte still refers to Auselmo as his one true love and I know it hurts Adin too. I love Bran’s character, he is fascinating to me, I really would like a book about him! And Boaz, sometimes I love him and sometimes I want to throat punch him, heck I feel that way about all of them! LOL. I can’t believe I was hesitant on reading this series because I am really enjoying it!
Characters: well written
Sex: oh yeah!
Religious: no
Would I recommend to others: yes
More than one book in the series: yes
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Would I read more by this author: yes
~Wicked Reads Review Team~
You really need to read book 1, Deep Desire first. The love between Adin and Donte is still just as deep in this book. I just love them together. It does bother me when Donte still refers to Auselmo as his one true love and I know it hurts Adin too. I love Bran’s character, he is fascinating to me, I really would like a book about him! And Boaz, sometimes I love him and sometimes I want to throat punch him, heck I feel that way about all of them! LOL. I can’t believe I was hesitant on reading this series because I am really enjoying it!
Characters: well written
Sex: oh yeah!
Religious: no
Would I recommend to others: yes
More than one book in the series: yes
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Would I read more by this author: yes
~Wicked Reads Review Team~
December 8, 2010
At this point, the only reason it is not 5 stars is due to the cover. I realize that the cover for Notturno was completely unrealistic to compete with (it is an unbelievable thing of beauty), but...oh whatever. This sequel took me by surprise. I did not know what to expect going in and I was happy and very shocked by the ending - fooled as they say and I was not the only one fooled! My solution minded brain took one route and ZAM took a completely different one. None of this is bad, in fact I LOVE being surprised. This had all of the arrogant speaking and sarcastic whit of Adin along with all of the other things we came to love in Notturno. Highly recommend, especially if you liked the first one.
November 11, 2010
This was a great sequel to Notturno. Donte badly wants to turn Adin but Adin refuses thinking that immortality will lessen his life. The character Bran is brought into the picture confusing everyone as to what exactly young Bran is. A wasting disease hits Donte and it becomes evident that Bran unknowingly can drain a vampire's life force. Poor Adin gets a crash course in the many non-human beings inhabiting earth before being caught in a deception so big that the lives of Donte, Santos and Tuan are endangered.
The characters are developed much more in this book but without the humor found in Notturno. The reader learns more about Edward and Adin's history. If you enjoyed Notturo, you'll love Vigil. I eagerly await the third book in this series due out in 2011.
The characters are developed much more in this book but without the humor found in Notturno. The reader learns more about Edward and Adin's history. If you enjoyed Notturo, you'll love Vigil. I eagerly await the third book in this series due out in 2011.
July 14, 2012
Damn! Now I'm dying to see what's going to happen in Book 3. When When When are we going to get it???
I really liked the suspense and the mystery in this sequel - totally lives up to the first story. The whole new story line with Bran and visiting old friends Edward and Tuan kept the pace going. The book starts off with a bang and really never lets up until the totally surprising end. BUT, now we need to find out what happens with Adin and Donte! And we need to know just what Santos has up his sleeve now!
I really liked the suspense and the mystery in this sequel - totally lives up to the first story. The whole new story line with Bran and visiting old friends Edward and Tuan kept the pace going. The book starts off with a bang and really never lets up until the totally surprising end. BUT, now we need to find out what happens with Adin and Donte! And we need to know just what Santos has up his sleeve now!
February 11, 2017
A solid addition to the series
The first third of the book took a bit to get used to. We have Bran sorting through Adin's memory and dreams, nefarious entities wreaking havoc wherever Adin travels, and the ever mysterious Donte just being Donte. The pace finally evens out, the plot starts to reveal itself, and mostly all hell breaks loose. Adin discovers more about the world than he ever wanted to know.
Well written, great world building, beautiful prose, meaty characters. Highly recommended.
The first third of the book took a bit to get used to. We have Bran sorting through Adin's memory and dreams, nefarious entities wreaking havoc wherever Adin travels, and the ever mysterious Donte just being Donte. The pace finally evens out, the plot starts to reveal itself, and mostly all hell breaks loose. Adin discovers more about the world than he ever wanted to know.
Well written, great world building, beautiful prose, meaty characters. Highly recommended.
September 9, 2011
This book started out really strong for me, but then it just got boring. I guessed it very early on and couldn't help wonder "what's the point?" for most of it. I'm debating going down to two stars, but I didn't dislike the book. I just felt absolutely nothing for it.
November 11, 2012
This is Book Two in The Hours Trilogy. Pretty much what I liked in the first one goes for this installment.
We see the maturing of Adin and an ending I really did not see coming.
I really look forward to the next book!
We see the maturing of Adin and an ending I really did not see coming.
I really look forward to the next book!
October 4, 2019
2.75*
Bran sort of save the whole thing, but the same issues I found in book one persisted.-
Bran sort of save the whole thing, but the same issues I found in book one persisted.-
June 19, 2015
3.5 stars
December 17, 2024
The plot in this book was a bit more complex than the first book of the series. The relationship between Adin and Donte is evolving, but it is starting to feel a bit toxic to me. Adin is a bit bratty and Donte is a bit arrogant. The side characters are becoming more interesting though. I would like to get to know Bran and Edward better.
Once again, I enjoyed the narrator's voice, but his French pronunciation's drove me crazy. I speak a bit of French. I cringe when people use American pronunciations on French words.
I am invested. I need to know what happens in the next book. This book had a resolution, but it left some questions that I need answered.
Once again, I enjoyed the narrator's voice, but his French pronunciation's drove me crazy. I speak a bit of French. I cringe when people use American pronunciations on French words.
I am invested. I need to know what happens in the next book. This book had a resolution, but it left some questions that I need answered.
June 30, 2017
This was great.
I loved the addition of Bran. I hope there is more of him next book. I'd like to know more about his future.
I liked the dreams of Adin's past.
I wonder what the future holds, now that Adin's whole life has altered.
Guess I'll have to read on to find out.
I loved the addition of Bran. I hope there is more of him next book. I'd like to know more about his future.
I liked the dreams of Adin's past.
I wonder what the future holds, now that Adin's whole life has altered.
Guess I'll have to read on to find out.
February 22, 2018
Story: 8
First MC: 8
Second MC: 7
Secondary characters: 4
Mystery: 6
Sexual tension: 6
Humor: 5
Hotness: 5
Product placement: 3
Ridiculousness: 4
Annoying: 3
Suspence: 5
Audio: 8 (7h 24min)
To re-read: 7
First MC: 8
Second MC: 7
Secondary characters: 4
Mystery: 6
Sexual tension: 6
Humor: 5
Hotness: 5
Product placement: 3
Ridiculousness: 4
Annoying: 3
Suspence: 5
Audio: 8 (7h 24min)
To re-read: 7
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