What do you think?
Rate this book
Ujaali
Several months after the events of To Touch the Sun, Narain Khan’s life has slowly been returning to normal—or as normal as life can be for a popular chef and owner of one of Chicago’s premiere restaurants who also happens to be a vampire. The depression he’d been suffering since the loss of Sophie had been lifting. No doubt his relationship with Cassie Lambert has helped in this but it’s a relationship in which they’re still finding their footing.
Despite the fact that his life is slowly moving back on track, Narain still feels unsettled. Off-kilter. As he tells Dom, “Did you ever get the feeling that something is heading your way and you’re completely unprepared for it?” The visit with his sister Ujaali as she laying dying in a nursing home may be one reason for this. He’d hired detectives to track her down knowing that at age 97, there might still be a possibility that she was alive. She was but her time was running out. And as she lay suspended between life and death, Narain felt confident enough in the timing to visit her. It would be only one visit when her condition left her unable or perhaps unwilling to fully comprehend that a brother 20 years older than her still lived and looked 70 years younger than she. But it would hopefully lead to some closures.
Weeks later, though, as Narain is beginning to regain his emotional footing, another fragment of his past arrives threatening the peace he’s at last attained. He comes face to face with the consequences of a thoughtless and careless act committed so many decades before and indeed, he is completely unprepared for it.
To save those he loves, victims of his mistake, Narain must turn to his greatest nemesis for help and agree to the harsh terms that Reg Jameson is only too glad to put forth.
Despite the fact that his life is slowly moving back on track, Narain still feels unsettled. Off-kilter. As he tells Dom, “Did you ever get the feeling that something is heading your way and you’re completely unprepared for it?” The visit with his sister Ujaali as she laying dying in a nursing home may be one reason for this. He’d hired detectives to track her down knowing that at age 97, there might still be a possibility that she was alive. She was but her time was running out. And as she lay suspended between life and death, Narain felt confident enough in the timing to visit her. It would be only one visit when her condition left her unable or perhaps unwilling to fully comprehend that a brother 20 years older than her still lived and looked 70 years younger than she. But it would hopefully lead to some closures.
Weeks later, though, as Narain is beginning to regain his emotional footing, another fragment of his past arrives threatening the peace he’s at last attained. He comes face to face with the consequences of a thoughtless and careless act committed so many decades before and indeed, he is completely unprepared for it.
To save those he loves, victims of his mistake, Narain must turn to his greatest nemesis for help and agree to the harsh terms that Reg Jameson is only too glad to put forth.
392 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2015
10 people want to read
About the author
Laura Enright
8 books7 followersI am the author of To Touch the Sun, and Ujaali books 1 and 2 in my Chicago Vampire Series published by Dagda Publishing and available through Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. I'm also the author of "Chicago's Most Wanted™ The Top 10 Book of Murderous Mobsters, Midway Monsters, and Windy City Oddities" and "Vampires' Most Wanted The Top 10 Book of Bloodthirsty Biters, Stake-wielding Slayers, and Other Undead Oddities." I published "Trouble," a science fiction comedy with western overtones, on Kindle available now on Amazon. I'm interested in any number of things, far too many for my limited free time to accommodate. Never the less, I remain a giggling idiot for the ages and encourage the world to follow suit. Some already have. You know who you are.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 21, 2015
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
'Ujaali" is the second novel in Laura Enright's Chicago vampire trilogy, and as a fan of the first novel, I found it to be even more entertaining than its predecessor.
When we first met our sentient vampire hero Narain Khan, he was trying to protect his beloved adopted home of Chicago from violent feral vampires terrorizing the city. This time around, an employee of Narain's own restaurant meets a gruesome end at the hands of a new type of vampire with strength and power never before seen. As if that weren't enough to deal with, Narain's great grand-niece (who thinks the never-aging Narain is just a distant cousin) shows up at his doorstep with some bizarre news: the body of Narain's recently-deceased sister Ujaali has disappeared. Could these two incidents be connected?
"Ujaali" introduces several new characters to the series and generally has more going on than the first novel. As much as I enjoyed "To Touch the Sun," it was understandably a bit heavy on exposition, due to the author's need to establish how vampirism "works" in this fictional universe. This time around, Enright was able to get right to the action.
If you enjoyed the first novel, you will definitely want to check out "Ujaali." And even if you haven't read the first book, the backstory is filled in well enough that you can still follow what's going on. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series continues. "Ujaali" is highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy and vampire stories.
'Ujaali" is the second novel in Laura Enright's Chicago vampire trilogy, and as a fan of the first novel, I found it to be even more entertaining than its predecessor.
When we first met our sentient vampire hero Narain Khan, he was trying to protect his beloved adopted home of Chicago from violent feral vampires terrorizing the city. This time around, an employee of Narain's own restaurant meets a gruesome end at the hands of a new type of vampire with strength and power never before seen. As if that weren't enough to deal with, Narain's great grand-niece (who thinks the never-aging Narain is just a distant cousin) shows up at his doorstep with some bizarre news: the body of Narain's recently-deceased sister Ujaali has disappeared. Could these two incidents be connected?
"Ujaali" introduces several new characters to the series and generally has more going on than the first novel. As much as I enjoyed "To Touch the Sun," it was understandably a bit heavy on exposition, due to the author's need to establish how vampirism "works" in this fictional universe. This time around, Enright was able to get right to the action.
If you enjoyed the first novel, you will definitely want to check out "Ujaali." And even if you haven't read the first book, the backstory is filled in well enough that you can still follow what's going on. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series continues. "Ujaali" is highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy and vampire stories.
November 20, 2015
Ujaali picks up shortly after To Touch the Sun left off. Vampire-chef Narain Khan has a new girlfriend and a successful restaurant, but still regrets leaving his family in India to fight in World War I. This next installment deals with a family reunion of sorts, reigniting decades-old sibling rivalries and exploring family dynamics. Narain’s commitment to his family forces him to confront how his “affliction” affects all of them, and to spar once again with his arch nemesis from the past, Reg Jameson.
Enright has created a credible ensemble of characters and an engaging plot, weaving in details of contemporary urban life with those of the traditional vampire tales.
Enright has created a credible ensemble of characters and an engaging plot, weaving in details of contemporary urban life with those of the traditional vampire tales.
March 17, 2016
I enjoyed this sequel even more than the first in the series, To Touch The Sun. As another reviewer noted, once the introductory exposition is completed, the story is quite compelling. Richly drawn characters and the familiar Midwestern setting kept me reading page after page. Since this is such a unique take on vampires, the early exposition is necessary. I highly recommend sticking with the book because it's a wild, well-seasoned ride you won't want to miss.
April 18, 2016
Ujaali picks up after the first book, with Narain trying to get back to normal. Or as normal as it can get for a vampire. He is still working as a chef and trying to have a relationship with Cassie. When he visits his sister Ujaali, who is on her deathbed, it sets off a chain of events that will plunge him back into the fray. A well written sequel. It is nice to read an adult vampire novel and not a tween one. I would recommend this.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews