What do you think?
Rate this book
The Energy Vampires #1
Thirst
A hidden society of vampires—and the humans they love—are at the heart of this opening novel in a biting, all-original series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightwalkers saga.
Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, soaking up nourishment from the sun—and, only when necessary, drawing sweet sustenance from humans who are pure in body and spirit. As the right-hand man to his queen, Rafe is a key player at a historic peace summit in New York City, which will unite the vampire nations against a common threat: the sycophants, who feed on humanity and kill indiscriminately. But Rafe’s fascination with a beautiful blond police detective may put everything at risk.
Detective Renee Holden has never worked a homicide quite like this. The victim has twin puncture wounds on his neck, and the only eyewitness swears she saw a vampire. Now’s definitely not the time to get distracted by a seductive stranger. But the suave, darkly austere, exotically handsome Rafe DaSilva is a hard man to deny, and as Renee falls under his spell, she also falls prey to his enemies. Desperate to protect her, Rafe lifts the veil on a shadow realm she can only visit—a world of intoxicating power, terrifying dangers, and forbidden pleasures.
Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, soaking up nourishment from the sun—and, only when necessary, drawing sweet sustenance from humans who are pure in body and spirit. As the right-hand man to his queen, Rafe is a key player at a historic peace summit in New York City, which will unite the vampire nations against a common threat: the sycophants, who feed on humanity and kill indiscriminately. But Rafe’s fascination with a beautiful blond police detective may put everything at risk.
Detective Renee Holden has never worked a homicide quite like this. The victim has twin puncture wounds on his neck, and the only eyewitness swears she saw a vampire. Now’s definitely not the time to get distracted by a seductive stranger. But the suave, darkly austere, exotically handsome Rafe DaSilva is a hard man to deny, and as Renee falls under his spell, she also falls prey to his enemies. Desperate to protect her, Rafe lifts the veil on a shadow realm she can only visit—a world of intoxicating power, terrifying dangers, and forbidden pleasures.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 17, 2017
122 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
About the author
Jacquelyn Frank
85 books3,428 followersI live in Asheville NC and have written a book...or two...or is it ten?
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 163 reviews
February 9, 2017
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
3,5 STARS
I love PNR books and I really enjoyed the plot and characters in this story but I can't say I'm a fan of the authors writing style. At times the dialog and words between the main characters seemed too clinical, I just couldn't get that emotional connection. Also the origin of the vampires was a bit silly, to be honest. But original for sure, I can't say I've heard that one before.
Aside from that, the romance is sweet and I loved how the hero dealed with these new emotions. What I liked the most was the action and mystery. Both characters amde a great team in solving the problem. I also liked their connection and how they didn't do unnecessary drama. There were some things that did bother me, like how easy they accepted their new relationship. That came across a bit unnatural and plastic, at least to me. I like it when I can really get into their minds and connect thrugh that to the other character.
The story has potential to become a series, since we do get to know some interesting secondary characters that could have their own story told. This is a fun read and while I don't think I would re-read it, I still recommend it to PNR fans. All in all a great read. :)
3,5 STARS
I love PNR books and I really enjoyed the plot and characters in this story but I can't say I'm a fan of the authors writing style. At times the dialog and words between the main characters seemed too clinical, I just couldn't get that emotional connection. Also the origin of the vampires was a bit silly, to be honest. But original for sure, I can't say I've heard that one before.
Aside from that, the romance is sweet and I loved how the hero dealed with these new emotions. What I liked the most was the action and mystery. Both characters amde a great team in solving the problem. I also liked their connection and how they didn't do unnecessary drama. There were some things that did bother me, like how easy they accepted their new relationship. That came across a bit unnatural and plastic, at least to me. I like it when I can really get into their minds and connect thrugh that to the other character.
The story has potential to become a series, since we do get to know some interesting secondary characters that could have their own story told. This is a fun read and while I don't think I would re-read it, I still recommend it to PNR fans. All in all a great read. :)
February 9, 2017
The cover and the blurb drew me towards this book, it's difficult with so many vampire books out there to find something different but with energy vampire soaking nourishment from the sun as well as humans this certainly seemed to fit the bill.
But unfortunately I struggled with the beginning of the book and just couldn't seem to get going, normally with a book that would be it but since I'd requested this I felt I should make an effort to actually finish it.
It starts in the third person which I think is why I struggled but this has been sitting on my kindle for weeks so I pushed ahead. While I appreciated the different angle and it's one of the things which drew me towards the book I'm not sure how well it worked one of the things I like about vampires is the darkness, I like that while they're so powerful at night sunlight is their weakness whereas these vampires have very little to be afraid of.
This book has all the right ingredients Rafe DeSilva is the hot, sexy powerful vampire who's drawn inexplicably towards detective Renee Holden. Renee is a strong independent woman and for the most part I liked her although at times I felt she was a little too independent for example after a run in with sycophants (evil vampires) she continues to insist she can look after herself and while she's incredibly capable she needs to realise that she couldn't stand against a group attacking her.
So, everything was here the characters, the story then why didn't I like it more?
It kind of lost its way in the middle and one part I thought was just plain stupid (more on that in the spoiler) in the end I'm not sure exactly what went wrong but somehow it just felt like something was missing.
It picked up towards the end but not enough for me to want to continue on with the next book although having said that I did find Halo very interesting and intriguing.
###
This isn't a major spoiler but I didn't want to risk spoiling the book for you.
Renee looks after herself, she eats organic food and it's one of the things that draws Rafe to her but when they're looking for someone to go undercover into the sycophants she's up for it. To fit in she would have to taint her body.
"Great. So all I have to do is use once a week. Just enough for me to come off dirty.”
“And if others ask you to use while you’re undercover? It will look suspicious if you turn them down. You’re supposed to be a junkie. A junkie goes for a fix whenever he can get one. Anything less will blow your cover.”
"I’ll take each situation as it arises....."
"This is different. Very different. I don’t think you fully appreciate the lure and temptation and danger of hooking yourself on drugs. And what drugs would you use? Heroin?”
"I would pick crack as my drug of choice....."
"And what about sex?” he murmured against her ear. “These are sex traffickers and you are a very beautiful woman. They could easily decide to sell you for profit. Or they could demand sexual favors as you climb the ranks. Or they could just gang-rape you because that is what they feel like doing. Do you know how at risk drug users are for such things? And you’d have no backup. No one to protect you.”
"I am well aware of what could happen, Rafe. I can accept it,"
Now don't get me wrong I'm all for strong independent women, I complain constantly about the TSTL females, the ones with hardly enough brain cells to function the ones which seem to be plaguing romance books these days but this is just plain crazy.
ARC was kindly provided by NetGalley.
February 6, 2017
I loved the unique take on vampires in this series. They are nothing like I've read before. I felt the author succeeded in introducing a new species instead of harping on the same stereotype. They feed off of energy in a person rather than blood. You get a full explanation at the end of the book about how and why. Add to that, Renee could actually feel Rafes energy spark through her body when they were intimate. I thought that was brilliant of the author since that makes their sex scenes more intense and very hot!
I did have a few minor issues in the story. I didn't like how much it talked about how humans are mostly just a food source. Rafe even thinks about how they see humans like a human would see a cow. It was thought of more than once and it kept throwing me off. Hard to sell an attraction with that. The other thing that kept throwing me off was it felt like Renee was trying to be the man in the relationship. I'm all for girl power and I did like how she proved herself capable but I think we needed to see a more feminine side to her. Rafe was great and is the only reason I could see a softer side to her.
Overall, I liked this fresh new take on vampires and I will definitely read Halo's story. He intrigues me because of how much he's feared. ARC provided by NetGalley.
I did have a few minor issues in the story. I didn't like how much it talked about how humans are mostly just a food source. Rafe even thinks about how they see humans like a human would see a cow. It was thought of more than once and it kept throwing me off. Hard to sell an attraction with that. The other thing that kept throwing me off was it felt like Renee was trying to be the man in the relationship. I'm all for girl power and I did like how she proved herself capable but I think we needed to see a more feminine side to her. Rafe was great and is the only reason I could see a softer side to her.
Overall, I liked this fresh new take on vampires and I will definitely read Halo's story. He intrigues me because of how much he's feared. ARC provided by NetGalley.
April 27, 2017
~3.5 Thirsty Stars~
Thirst is the first in The Energy Vampires Series. With a powerful vampire hero and a spunky headstrong human heroine, Jacquelyn Frank offers a fun and action packed start to what promises to be an intriguing series.
Renee Holden is a successful homicide detective, and when she is tasked to solve a horrific crime, she puts herself in harm's way. Never one to back down from a arduous task, she refuses to give up until she uncovers the truth. Falling in love was never on her radar. Falling in love with a vampire is something she would have never imagined in her wildest dreams.
*ARC graciously provided via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review!
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
"I'll keep you safe."
Thirst is the first in The Energy Vampires Series. With a powerful vampire hero and a spunky headstrong human heroine, Jacquelyn Frank offers a fun and action packed start to what promises to be an intriguing series.
"I am going to stay close to you. I am going to protect you. I promise you that."Rafe DaSilva is a powerful vampire who has dwelled the earth for years and years finding solace in his job and his esteemed position with the vampires. As his occupation requires him to work directly for the queen he is comfortable in his existence, he hasn't had the desire to find love. When he is required to follow and investigate a spunky human detective, he is instantly drawn to her, and in one moment everything changes.
Renee Holden is a successful homicide detective, and when she is tasked to solve a horrific crime, she puts herself in harm's way. Never one to back down from a arduous task, she refuses to give up until she uncovers the truth. Falling in love was never on her radar. Falling in love with a vampire is something she would have never imagined in her wildest dreams.
"You are precious to me. And to no one else if I have my say."Told in dual POV, Thirst offers a light paranormal read with natural flowing dialogue and a unique plot. Although the connection between the two main characters happens at an accelerated rate, I found their connection to be romantic and sincere. The action drives the story line as the alliances are made. The creation of these vampires is unique and I, am certainly intrigued to see how this new couple finds their way. This was my first read by Jacquelyn Frank, and I am certainly curious to read more of this series. Overall, I recommend this read to Paranormal fans who are looking for a unique plot with a sweet romance.
*ARC graciously provided via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review!
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
December 9, 2024
Detective Renee Holden gets a call to investigate a homicide where the witness claims she saw a vampire attack the victim. Upon inspecting the body Renee and the coroner find two puncture marks in the back of the victim's neck that look to be from a bite and they think they've come across someone who has had dental work to imitate vampires because there's no such thing, right?
Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, instead of biting and taking a victim's blood he feeds upon the energy of humans without killing them. When watching at the crime scene Rafe knows that the victim was killed by a rouge sychophant and he needs to find the culprit before he kills again. Deciding to get close to Renee to keep up on the investigation Rafe finds himself falling for the detective and in danger of disclosing the secret world of vampires.
Thirst is the first book in the new Energy Vampires series by Jacquelyn Frank. The story has been created around a secret world of vampires living among humans that instead of feeding on blood are feeding upon energy of their prey. Of course with every society you have the bad mixed in with the good and some rogue vampires still kill their prey and are in danger of exposing the whole secret world.
I'm not sure I'm totally sold on non-blood drinking vampires myself but I thought I would give this series a try. What I found myself is that I had a bit of a problem connecting with the characters and fitting them into the situations at any given time during this book. For example for Renee being a homicide detective she was awfully timid when meeting Rafe but then a complete turn around to the I can take care of myself strong attitude you should expect from page 1.
All in all it was an OK read for the beginning of a series. A lot of world building with the vampire politics and some steamy moments in the budding romance involved but little details here and there kept me from loving this one even more.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, instead of biting and taking a victim's blood he feeds upon the energy of humans without killing them. When watching at the crime scene Rafe knows that the victim was killed by a rouge sychophant and he needs to find the culprit before he kills again. Deciding to get close to Renee to keep up on the investigation Rafe finds himself falling for the detective and in danger of disclosing the secret world of vampires.
Thirst is the first book in the new Energy Vampires series by Jacquelyn Frank. The story has been created around a secret world of vampires living among humans that instead of feeding on blood are feeding upon energy of their prey. Of course with every society you have the bad mixed in with the good and some rogue vampires still kill their prey and are in danger of exposing the whole secret world.
I'm not sure I'm totally sold on non-blood drinking vampires myself but I thought I would give this series a try. What I found myself is that I had a bit of a problem connecting with the characters and fitting them into the situations at any given time during this book. For example for Renee being a homicide detective she was awfully timid when meeting Rafe but then a complete turn around to the I can take care of myself strong attitude you should expect from page 1.
All in all it was an OK read for the beginning of a series. A lot of world building with the vampire politics and some steamy moments in the budding romance involved but little details here and there kept me from loving this one even more.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
January 9, 2018
Thirst is the first book in the Energy Vampires series by Jacquelyn Frank. Vampires are my favorite type of paranormal being, so I'm always looking for an amazing vampire romance. When the cover of this book caught my eye and the blurb intrigued me further, I decided to give it a try.
Renee Holden is a homicide detective that finds herself being pulled into the vampire world after she's assigned a strange new case in which the victim has two puncture wounds on the neck. Rafe Da Silva, a vampire that works for the queen, is tasked with finding out exactly what Renee has learned during her investigation. Everything starts to become a little complicated once Renee and Rafe meet and begin to fall for one another.
Thirst is a refreshingly unique paranormal romance with a brand new take on vampires. If there is anything I love in my paranormal reads, it's originality! The author deserves a round of applause for her creativity alone. I had a few issues with the book that hindered my enjoyment, but not enough to put me off from reading the next installment. If you're looking for something new in the paranormal genre, this might be the book for you!
Renee Holden is a homicide detective that finds herself being pulled into the vampire world after she's assigned a strange new case in which the victim has two puncture wounds on the neck. Rafe Da Silva, a vampire that works for the queen, is tasked with finding out exactly what Renee has learned during her investigation. Everything starts to become a little complicated once Renee and Rafe meet and begin to fall for one another.
Thirst is a refreshingly unique paranormal romance with a brand new take on vampires. If there is anything I love in my paranormal reads, it's originality! The author deserves a round of applause for her creativity alone. I had a few issues with the book that hindered my enjoyment, but not enough to put me off from reading the next installment. If you're looking for something new in the paranormal genre, this might be the book for you!
November 6, 2025
Renee is a homicide detective who gets pulled into the vampire world through an unusual murder (the victims have “vampire” puncture wounds). Once the clues start to unravel, Renee sleuthing attracts the attention of Rafe, an energy sucking vampire, and the sycophants who feed and murder humans to slake their feeding lusts. While Rafe wants to protect Renee and make her his, his enemies, the sycophants, want to feed.
I loved the original take on energy powered vampires but I struggled with creating any character connection and it seemed to lose me a few times with the direction the plot took and the repetition. I'm chalking this up to it being a new series and I had no investment in the characters when this started. I will continue on because I'm Frank fan.
I received this ARC copy of Thirst from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept in exchange for a honest review. The review is set for publication Jan. 17, 2017.
I loved the original take on energy powered vampires but I struggled with creating any character connection and it seemed to lose me a few times with the direction the plot took and the repetition. I'm chalking this up to it being a new series and I had no investment in the characters when this started. I will continue on because I'm Frank fan.
I received this ARC copy of Thirst from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept in exchange for a honest review. The review is set for publication Jan. 17, 2017.
February 7, 2017
Not for me.
I like vampires but Rafe extremely pissed me off. He would drain his woman and then make her forget and walk around like he was superior. Show some manners! Ask before you suck dude!
I didn't like the characters their conversations were robotic and I just couldn't care about them. It just didn't peek my interest.
Received ARC from the publisher through NetGalley
I like vampires but Rafe extremely pissed me off. He would drain his woman and then make her forget and walk around like he was superior. Show some manners! Ask before you suck dude!
I didn't like the characters their conversations were robotic and I just couldn't care about them. It just didn't peek my interest.
Received ARC from the publisher through NetGalley
December 29, 2016
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Good, but not up to Ms. Frank's usual prose. This first book in a new series just didn't hold my interest like her others. I realize this is a new world that is being created but it wasn't a page-turner for me and the protagonists didn't leap out at me. These energy vampires are quite different from normal vampires which makes them unique, so I hope the next book will be a little more riveting because Ms. Frank really is a gifted author who knows how to capture her readers' attention.
Good, but not up to Ms. Frank's usual prose. This first book in a new series just didn't hold my interest like her others. I realize this is a new world that is being created but it wasn't a page-turner for me and the protagonists didn't leap out at me. These energy vampires are quite different from normal vampires which makes them unique, so I hope the next book will be a little more riveting because Ms. Frank really is a gifted author who knows how to capture her readers' attention.
July 14, 2017
Apparently Detective Renee Holden is about to find out there is more truth to vampires than fantasy tales. Mysterious murders will lead her to the attention of Rafe, an honest to goodness vampire. Yes, he and his fellow vamps suck people dry. No, those shouldn't people die, it is their energy that is taken to sustain these creatures of horror stories. When their attraction rises, Rafe’s need to protect Renee is not shared by his sychophants. Not exposing his world to humanity is just as important, but can he keep Renee from full disclosure? Can he keep her safe when she is near him?
Jacquelyn Frank knows the paranormal she knows the passion they possess. THIRST is book one in a new series with a great idea that fell just short of sucking me in and making me forget this is fantasy. The character development is a little flat and the plot just ran out of energy for me.
Series: The Energy Vampires - Book 1
Publisher: Loveswept
Publication Date: January 17, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Print Length: 270 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Jacquelyn Frank knows the paranormal she knows the passion they possess. THIRST is book one in a new series with a great idea that fell just short of sucking me in and making me forget this is fantasy. The character development is a little flat and the plot just ran out of energy for me.
Series: The Energy Vampires - Book 1
Publisher: Loveswept
Publication Date: January 17, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Print Length: 270 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 10, 2016
Interesting concept of having a kind of solar/energy vampire and also the origin of their existence.
The characters, writing, and the story was good.
Full review to be posted closer to release date.
"A copy of this ARC has been provided by Loveswept (Random House Publishing Group) in exchange for an honest review"
February 7, 2017
These are more my general notes/thoughts on the book, as things are a bit cray in my RL and writing a full review...yeah, not happening.
-Oh dear Lord I’m only about 16% in, and the constant conversations about eating clean are mind numbingly boring. Between that and the constant exposition to set up the ‘verse and I’m in a coma.
-Original spin on the vampire mythology
-Repetitive inner monologues
-Lots of dull exposition about the ‘verse
-Feels like a boardroom drama, without the drama.
-Odd lack of tension considering danger
-Uneven pacing really hurts. Sex in elevator at your work after the focus has been how capable and responsible you are is just...oy vey. Confessions of love while riding in van also oy.
-There’s sexual heat but lacks just that extra something to tip it over
-Capable heroine at least by the end
-Still mental lapses or simply overeager dum dum moves are distracting.
-Gets better as the action picks up
This unfortunately didn’t work for me. If you’re into a unique spin on vampires and don’t mind alot of not-exciting setup, this may work for you better than it did for me.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
For more reviews, visit
-Oh dear Lord I’m only about 16% in, and the constant conversations about eating clean are mind numbingly boring. Between that and the constant exposition to set up the ‘verse and I’m in a coma.
-Original spin on the vampire mythology
-Repetitive inner monologues
-Lots of dull exposition about the ‘verse
-Feels like a boardroom drama, without the drama.
-Odd lack of tension considering danger
-Uneven pacing really hurts. Sex in elevator at your work after the focus has been how capable and responsible you are is just...oy vey. Confessions of love while riding in van also oy.
-There’s sexual heat but lacks just that extra something to tip it over
-Capable heroine at least by the end
-Still mental lapses or simply overeager dum dum moves are distracting.
-Gets better as the action picks up
This unfortunately didn’t work for me. If you’re into a unique spin on vampires and don’t mind alot of not-exciting setup, this may work for you better than it did for me.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
For more reviews, visit
February 10, 2017
Thirst Thirst book one of the Energy Vampire series didn't leave me as excited as I wanted to be. The story as a whole was well written and as the reader I was able to get a clear idea of who all the characters were. It was the almost sterile nature in which it was written that threw me off. This entry has very good bones and would make an excellent series but with this one something was off.Usually, in anything that I read there is one thing the draws me into the story but in the case of this one there is a couple of things that was just ... I don't know ... irritating. I know the sycophants are the bad guys of the story due to their impure nature but the sheer repetition of the term is distracting at best. Also, the constant clean vs dirty thing is chaffing but this is one of the main ideas of the story (clean energy sources vs unclean energy sources). Since, this is the case it is necessary to make this idea understood but it is just repeated so often. As for the main characters, I wasn't drawn to them and even in their romantic scenes I didn't feel the fire but that isn't to say the appeal isn't there. All and all this is a good start to what should be a good series.
~~~Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review~~~
~~~Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review~~~
February 6, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
TITLE: Thirst
BOOK SERIES: The Energy Vampires #1
AUTHOR: Jacquelyn Frank
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
PUBLICATION DATE: January 17, 2017
CLIFF HANGER: No
4 Stars
*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+
SYNOPSIS:
A hidden society of vampires—and the humans they love—are at the heart of this opening novel in a biting, all-original series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightwalkers saga.
Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, soaking up nourishment from the sun—and, only when necessary, drawing sweet sustenance from humans who are pure in body and spirit. As the right-hand man to his queen, Rafe is a key player at a historic peace summit in New York City, which will unite the vampire nations against a common threat: the sycophants, who feed on humanity and kill indiscriminately. But Rafe’s fascination with a beautiful blond police detective may put everything at risk.
Detective Renee Holden has never worked a homicide quite like this. The victim has twin puncture wounds on his neck, and the only eyewitness swears she saw a vampire. Now’s definitely not the time to get distracted by a seductive stranger. But the suave, darkly austere, exotically handsome Rafe DaSilva is a hard man to deny, and as Renee falls under his spell, she also falls prey to his enemies. Desperate to protect her, Rafe lifts the veil on a shadow realm she can only visit—a world of intoxicating power, terrifying dangers, and forbidden pleasures.
MY THOUGHTS:
Another new author for me! I liked her writing style. I really enjoyed this twist to vampires and look forward to the next book in the series. I seem to be in the minority of liking this book, but I truly enjoyed it.
Renee is good at her job as a NYC police homicide detective. She is known to sift through leads, has good instincts and is a hardnosed detective. She and her partner get a case that has them baffled. A man is killed in broad daylight and the witness swears he was bitten by a vampire. The woman gives a detailed description. Of course, they think it is a person that has dental implants, but they have to work the leads and see where it takes them.
Rafe has to find out what the beautiful detective knows. He is responsible for the peace summit that is going to be held in NYC. He promises the Queen that he will get the information needed to find out who is threatening the vampire culture, as well as threatening the summit with the blatant killing of a human. Rafe follows Renee and strikes up a conversation with her. He is charming, handsome and Renee is attracted to this mysterious stranger. He asks her to go out for coffee, she hesitates, but takes him up on his offer and meets him at the coffee shop. He charms her and gives her his phone number. He told her I want you to want to see me again so the ball is in your court.
Needless to say, Renee contacts him again and they go out on a date. They are attacked by rogue vampires known as sycophants. They kill two of the three, with the third threatening Renee that she isn’t safe. Rafe, under vampire, law is not to divulge what they are to humans unless the human is approved by the council. Rafe is worried for Renee’s safety and doesn’t want anything to happen to her so he feels it necessary to tell her what they are and who he is. An energy vampire. They draw energy from hosts that are pure, clean living with no drug or alcohol abuse, clean eating and exercise. The theory you are what you eat. They pierce the back of the neck at the base of the spine between the neck and vertebrae drawing the electrical impulses from the spinal cord. They only take what they need and hypnotize the hosts, so they don’t remember why they are feeling tired and a little run down. After 24-48 hours, the host is back to full strength. They also get energy from the sun. Renee is floored.
There is a lot more to this story and I am not going to tell you anymore. The secondary characters are strong and some are outrageously funny! There are so many twists and turns in the story. It held my interest and it was so entertaining. I loved the idea of energy vampires. I can’t wait for the next book in this series and can’t wait to see what’s next!
If you want an interesting twist to your usual paranormal vampire series, give this one a try, I highly recommend it.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
TITLE: Thirst
BOOK SERIES: The Energy Vampires #1
AUTHOR: Jacquelyn Frank
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
PUBLICATION DATE: January 17, 2017
CLIFF HANGER: No
4 Stars
*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+
SYNOPSIS:
A hidden society of vampires—and the humans they love—are at the heart of this opening novel in a biting, all-original series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightwalkers saga.
Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, soaking up nourishment from the sun—and, only when necessary, drawing sweet sustenance from humans who are pure in body and spirit. As the right-hand man to his queen, Rafe is a key player at a historic peace summit in New York City, which will unite the vampire nations against a common threat: the sycophants, who feed on humanity and kill indiscriminately. But Rafe’s fascination with a beautiful blond police detective may put everything at risk.
Detective Renee Holden has never worked a homicide quite like this. The victim has twin puncture wounds on his neck, and the only eyewitness swears she saw a vampire. Now’s definitely not the time to get distracted by a seductive stranger. But the suave, darkly austere, exotically handsome Rafe DaSilva is a hard man to deny, and as Renee falls under his spell, she also falls prey to his enemies. Desperate to protect her, Rafe lifts the veil on a shadow realm she can only visit—a world of intoxicating power, terrifying dangers, and forbidden pleasures.
MY THOUGHTS:
Another new author for me! I liked her writing style. I really enjoyed this twist to vampires and look forward to the next book in the series. I seem to be in the minority of liking this book, but I truly enjoyed it.
Renee is good at her job as a NYC police homicide detective. She is known to sift through leads, has good instincts and is a hardnosed detective. She and her partner get a case that has them baffled. A man is killed in broad daylight and the witness swears he was bitten by a vampire. The woman gives a detailed description. Of course, they think it is a person that has dental implants, but they have to work the leads and see where it takes them.
Rafe has to find out what the beautiful detective knows. He is responsible for the peace summit that is going to be held in NYC. He promises the Queen that he will get the information needed to find out who is threatening the vampire culture, as well as threatening the summit with the blatant killing of a human. Rafe follows Renee and strikes up a conversation with her. He is charming, handsome and Renee is attracted to this mysterious stranger. He asks her to go out for coffee, she hesitates, but takes him up on his offer and meets him at the coffee shop. He charms her and gives her his phone number. He told her I want you to want to see me again so the ball is in your court.
Needless to say, Renee contacts him again and they go out on a date. They are attacked by rogue vampires known as sycophants. They kill two of the three, with the third threatening Renee that she isn’t safe. Rafe, under vampire, law is not to divulge what they are to humans unless the human is approved by the council. Rafe is worried for Renee’s safety and doesn’t want anything to happen to her so he feels it necessary to tell her what they are and who he is. An energy vampire. They draw energy from hosts that are pure, clean living with no drug or alcohol abuse, clean eating and exercise. The theory you are what you eat. They pierce the back of the neck at the base of the spine between the neck and vertebrae drawing the electrical impulses from the spinal cord. They only take what they need and hypnotize the hosts, so they don’t remember why they are feeling tired and a little run down. After 24-48 hours, the host is back to full strength. They also get energy from the sun. Renee is floored.
There is a lot more to this story and I am not going to tell you anymore. The secondary characters are strong and some are outrageously funny! There are so many twists and turns in the story. It held my interest and it was so entertaining. I loved the idea of energy vampires. I can’t wait for the next book in this series and can’t wait to see what’s next!
If you want an interesting twist to your usual paranormal vampire series, give this one a try, I highly recommend it.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
November 13, 2016
Okay, I am combining the review for this book with my regular Quote-tastic Monday post because I cannot bear the idea of having to think about it twice . . . and that should tell you my opinion if the one star does not. I am not sure I have ever give one star to a book and I know I have never given it to a book written by an author I normally like.
My very favorite book by Jacquelyn Frank is Jacob which may have been her first published book. It had an interesting, unique to me, premise of demons in our world and their interactions with humans. AND it was funny. I love funny books.
Thirst is not funny, at all. It also has a unique to me paranormal species: energy vampires. And if that name isn't bad enough they are referred to as e-vampires. I don't know why that bothered me so much, but it did. Anyway, they don't drink blood, they draw energy from their "resources" by biting them on the back of the neck.
Oh yeah, good vampires only feed from good resources. A good resource is someone who lives clean, as in eats healthy, exercises, doesn't smoke, or do drugs. The reader gets an entire section on organic food just to make it clear how important a clean resource is to a good vampire.
Obviously, bad vampires only eat from the rest of us and it makes them evil.
I can't even say anymore about that.
As you can tell, I didn't like the book from the beginning and it never improved. If I hadn't promised to review it for NetGalley, I would have never finished it. And it got worse. I've never had the occasion to use the phrased "jumped the shark," but now I can.
At the very end, where Rafe is explaining where e-vampires (cringe, cringe) come from, he states that they are actually descendants of aliens whose spaceship was struck by lightning over 500 years ago.
Really? REALLY!!??
Please do not waste your time with this book. Read her Nightwalker series instead. It's wonderful. This one just isn't.
Okay, a quote.
Renee, who is a homicide detective, has a chance to infiltrate the bad e-vampires and Rafe thinks it is too dangerous. He has told her that he will not allow it and she reacts as expected . . . badly.
Rafe realized he was going about this all wrong. She was an intelligent woman. He had to appeal to her intellect. And the more he told her what she couldn't do, the more she would want to do it just to spite him.
Because all intelligent women do things just to spite their lovers. -sigh-
I'm done. So done.
This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
My very favorite book by Jacquelyn Frank is Jacob which may have been her first published book. It had an interesting, unique to me, premise of demons in our world and their interactions with humans. AND it was funny. I love funny books.
Thirst is not funny, at all. It also has a unique to me paranormal species: energy vampires. And if that name isn't bad enough they are referred to as e-vampires. I don't know why that bothered me so much, but it did. Anyway, they don't drink blood, they draw energy from their "resources" by biting them on the back of the neck.
Oh yeah, good vampires only feed from good resources. A good resource is someone who lives clean, as in eats healthy, exercises, doesn't smoke, or do drugs. The reader gets an entire section on organic food just to make it clear how important a clean resource is to a good vampire.
Obviously, bad vampires only eat from the rest of us and it makes them evil.
I can't even say anymore about that.
As you can tell, I didn't like the book from the beginning and it never improved. If I hadn't promised to review it for NetGalley, I would have never finished it. And it got worse. I've never had the occasion to use the phrased "jumped the shark," but now I can.
At the very end, where Rafe is explaining where e-vampires (cringe, cringe) come from, he states that they are actually descendants of aliens whose spaceship was struck by lightning over 500 years ago.
Really? REALLY!!??
Please do not waste your time with this book. Read her Nightwalker series instead. It's wonderful. This one just isn't.
Okay, a quote.
Renee, who is a homicide detective, has a chance to infiltrate the bad e-vampires and Rafe thinks it is too dangerous. He has told her that he will not allow it and she reacts as expected . . . badly.
Rafe realized he was going about this all wrong. She was an intelligent woman. He had to appeal to her intellect. And the more he told her what she couldn't do, the more she would want to do it just to spite him.
Because all intelligent women do things just to spite their lovers. -sigh-
I'm done. So done.
This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
February 17, 2017
I waited ages for this book.
Ever since I saw it on NetGalley but was denied an ARC cause I'm not from USA or Canada.
(BTW what's the point of this requirement when it's an ebook being offered? huh? huh? Rude!)
Right. So ages!
And I was so excited. Kept checking when it'll be out cause I kept forgetting.
And then it did.
And now I've read it.
And it was so vanilla! >_<
And I'm so upset.
Cause
And I didn't get what I like.
I don't know what exactly was wrong with it but I'm basing what I'm feeling off the fact that I've read Jacquelyn Frank's work before and it did not feel like this.
I used to be like,
And now I was just,
It feels like as if nothing actually happened. The majority of the story went into the build up and I can't say I know the characters well. I can't even say they know each other well.
There was no connection.
Between me and the characters or the characters themselves.
Things weren't well thought of.
I mean "Energy Vampires" it's a new concept, one you'd really want to explore it but I just kept drowning in the plot holes.
And I'm not even gonna discuss that ending. Let's just say if in the following books you hear our H and h broke up, I totally called it.
Boy, was this a bummer.
2.5 stars
.5 star cause Renee drives like me. xD
(This was probably my favourite part of the book :/ )
February 7, 2017
The Paranormal Genre is one of my favorites. I'm always on the look out for my next favorite paranormal series. After reading the blurb this book caught my attention but sadly it didn't work for me at all.
What didn't work for me:
I didn't feel the connection between Rafe and Renee. It was too much insta lust for me. Renee was supposed to be a headstrong detective but kept going back and forth over her feelings. One minute I don't know him that well. Then the next minute I can't imagine him not being in my life. Ok......
I also had a hard time connecting to either character in this story. I felt everything just happened way too fast and a slower build up would have been better. I felt nothing while reading and if I can't feel anything that's a big problem for me.
What I did like:
I did enjoy the plot about the energy vampires and their fight against the sycophants. I've never read anything like this paranormal wise so I have to give the author stars for creativity.
Even though this book didn't work for me please don't let my review stop you from reading. This could be your next favorite paranormal series.
*received review copy from NetGalley*
For more reviews check me out at: http://www.shellysbookcorner.com
December 31, 2016
3 "Energy Vampires" Stars
ARC via NetGalley
Thank you, Loveswept!
Warning #1: Due to the holiday season and the lack of Internet access, I’m keeping my reviews short & sweet. Back to the normal speed next year. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, guys!
As a fan of paranormal romance, I’ve been missing and waiting for this genre to make its official comeback. Who doesn’t love a good supernatural creature falls for human girl love story? I certainly do.
While Thirst, the first book in this author’s new series about energy vampires
was interesting, it didn’t satiate my thirst (see what I did there?) for this genre. It was a good book; but not a great one.
Here’s a list of what I liked and what I didn’t about Thirst:
Positives: The premised introduced a twist on the vampire tale, not only because those vampires had a different source of food (energy), but because they were created in a different way (can’t say much because of spoilers). The characters were likable enough. The MC was strong, both physically and mentally. She asked the right questions and acted in a way that made sense. She wasn’t silly or naïve to the point where I was rolling my eyes, which often happens with main characters in paranormal stories. The love interest – the energy vampire – was kind, reasonable and Portuguese, which made him even more interesting to me.
Could’ve been better: I missed a good villain. There was a villain, but he wasn’t remarkable or interesting enough, in my opinion. For a paranormal romance, I expected much more in the heat and sexiness level. The main couple lacked chemistry and their romance was sort of insta-lovey. But the thing that bothered me the most in this book were the major POV shifts. The story is told in third person, with segments alternating between the male and female main character’s POV… or so it was supposed to me, but there were major segments where the POV simply shifted from one person to the other. That’s a big no-no to me.
Overall, the pacing worked, which means the story was likable enough. It just lacked that extra factor to keep me truly invested.
April 14, 2017
Our story begins when Renee Holden, a tough cop in New York City, is called to investigate a murder. The only witness claims that the perpetrator is a vampire and when she explains the body they find two puncture marks on the victim’s neck. Slightly disturbed by this information Renee goes with the angle of someone who is a delusional vampire-fanatic who pretends he actually is one. Because vampires don’t exist.
But of course they do because Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire who feeds off of human’s energy instead of blood and he is currently stalking Renee. He knows who killed the victim and he has to make sure Renee is safe and also doesn’t come to discover that vampires are real as she investigates the murder.
I just could not connect with this novel. I’ll admit that I had to skim read quite a bit near the end just to finish. The dialogue between Renee and Rafe was so stilted and unnatural. At first I thought maybe the author was trying to make Rafe sound formal because he was so old but it just did not work for me. And Renee didn’t seem to stay true to her character many times in the novel. We establish right away that she is a tough detective that has a strong attitude but then she does so many shy and fearful things later on in the novel that had me scratching my head.
The romance was sweet once they got to know each other better but the insta-love at the end was a bit much. Yes, they had been through a lot together in such a short period of time but it was still plain ol’ insta-love.
The crime/mystery aspect to the story was fairly interesting but the origin story had me rolling my eyes. It is definitely original but it was quite silly. Even the whole idea of e-vamps that don’t actually drink blood, but drink energy, was a bit much for me.
Overall it was an okay read but I won’t be continuing the series. I normally love paranormal/urban-fantasy novel so I would still recommend this to other that love that genre but this just did not work for me!
|Featherbrained Books Blog | Twitter |
January 18, 2017
Thirst: An Energy Vampire Novel is an energizing twist on a vampire story. The quality of the victim's blood determines the quality of the vampire. Vampires that choose to take blood from people who abuse their bodies go rogue. They become dangerous and have to be hunted in order to keep their existence secret.
Rafe, an energy vampire, gets energy from different sources. When he takes blood as an energy source he is careful to choose someone who eats well and doesn't drink too much. He is close to the queen and is working hard to broker peace amongst the different factions of vampires. But not everyone wants peace.
Renee is a detective. She lives a clean life and works hard to keep her city safe. She is tenacious and strives to be the best. She has a great partnership with Jimmy and they hate leaving a case unsolved.
There is an unusual murder that has two puncture wounds on the back of the victim's neck with an eye witness stating that a vampire was to blame. This brings the two worlds together. There is instant chemistry between Rafe and Renee but Rafe can't let the knowledge of the vampire world get out. He also doesn't want to take Renee's memories from her.
Thirst has a little bit of everything. It has a murder mystery to go with hot chemistry between the main characters. There are different elements at work in this story including great romance between Rafe and Renee, great friendships, what could be an evil mastermind and the rogue vampire issue. This first book of this series has set up this series for more exciting books to come.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rafe, an energy vampire, gets energy from different sources. When he takes blood as an energy source he is careful to choose someone who eats well and doesn't drink too much. He is close to the queen and is working hard to broker peace amongst the different factions of vampires. But not everyone wants peace.
Renee is a detective. She lives a clean life and works hard to keep her city safe. She is tenacious and strives to be the best. She has a great partnership with Jimmy and they hate leaving a case unsolved.
There is an unusual murder that has two puncture wounds on the back of the victim's neck with an eye witness stating that a vampire was to blame. This brings the two worlds together. There is instant chemistry between Rafe and Renee but Rafe can't let the knowledge of the vampire world get out. He also doesn't want to take Renee's memories from her.
Thirst has a little bit of everything. It has a murder mystery to go with hot chemistry between the main characters. There are different elements at work in this story including great romance between Rafe and Renee, great friendships, what could be an evil mastermind and the rogue vampire issue. This first book of this series has set up this series for more exciting books to come.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2016
3.5 Stars
I loved the cover and the synopsis for this book, it's what drew me in. I've not read a vampire novel for a good few months and this book seemed like a safe bet. The story was really good, so much potential. Good vampires versus bad vampires (not blood suckers, but energy vampires, a brilliant twist on the normal blood sucking variety). Rafe and Renee were admirable as the main characters and the chemistry between the two of them was palpable. But, something didn't sit right with me, I'm not sure if it was the fact that it felt a little rushed in places, cheesy in parts even. Maybe it was the fact that it was written in dual POV, but in third person narrative, it just didn't work for me.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I loved the cover and the synopsis for this book, it's what drew me in. I've not read a vampire novel for a good few months and this book seemed like a safe bet. The story was really good, so much potential. Good vampires versus bad vampires (not blood suckers, but energy vampires, a brilliant twist on the normal blood sucking variety). Rafe and Renee were admirable as the main characters and the chemistry between the two of them was palpable. But, something didn't sit right with me, I'm not sure if it was the fact that it felt a little rushed in places, cheesy in parts even. Maybe it was the fact that it was written in dual POV, but in third person narrative, it just didn't work for me.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Read
June 3, 2017DNF at 60%. Just wasn't holding my interest. Some of the story ideas were original, but many more were derivative. There was way too much over-description and some really cheesy lines.
I've enjoyed several of Frank's series, but won't be adding this one.
I've enjoyed several of Frank's series, but won't be adding this one.
September 29, 2017
Barely 3 ****
I'm trying very hard to read books that have been on my TBR pile instead of buying more books. I've had this book buried deep in my kindle since it was released Jan. '17. Jacquelyn Frank is a hit or miss author for me. I've found that I tend to like the first book in her series' more than the subsequent books. I thought
was just OK. Rafe is an energy vampire. They bite people in the back of the neck and suck out energy. The cleaner someone is the better the energy. Drug addicts, alcoholics and those who don't eat organic and like sugar have bad energy (pass the cupcakes, please). Vamps that feed off people like that are bad and called sycophants. Renee is a cop who is leading the murder investigation of a guy that had teeth marks on the back of his neck.
It's a typical start to a paranormal series. Rafe who is part of the e-vamp upper echelon and Renee the cop have to join forces. I almost gave up on the book though. First of all the energy vampires refer to themselves as e-vamps. I had trouble keeping a straight face reading that. I'd think of e-cigs, e-books, etc. Rafe who has lived hundreds of years doesn't have a problem with the slang. Rafe and his friends only feed from 'clean' sources. Humans who take good care of themselves and eat organically. Of course Renee is a pure source of energy. Rafe and Renee bond over discussing organic foods, restaurants, grocery stores and generally anything to do with the 'organic' lifestyle. I gotta say it became very preachy. I got the point within the first 2 chapters. Continuing dialog got old quick and was the main reason it took me 3 weeks to get through the book. I didn't think the discussions about vegetables were ever going to end.
I'm glad I stuck with it because around 80% the story finally took off. Coincidentally that's also the point in the book when the characters stopped the endless 'organic food / lifestyle' chatter.
The explanation of where the e-vamps (I just gotta chuckle) come from didn't work for me at all. It seemed like it was added during the editing process as an after thought.
I already bought the second book
. I hope it's better than the first.
3 ****
I'm trying very hard to read books that have been on my TBR pile instead of buying more books. I've had this book buried deep in my kindle since it was released Jan. '17. Jacquelyn Frank is a hit or miss author for me. I've found that I tend to like the first book in her series' more than the subsequent books. I thought
was just OK. Rafe is an energy vampire. They bite people in the back of the neck and suck out energy. The cleaner someone is the better the energy. Drug addicts, alcoholics and those who don't eat organic and like sugar have bad energy (pass the cupcakes, please). Vamps that feed off people like that are bad and called sycophants. Renee is a cop who is leading the murder investigation of a guy that had teeth marks on the back of his neck.It's a typical start to a paranormal series. Rafe who is part of the e-vamp upper echelon and Renee the cop have to join forces. I almost gave up on the book though. First of all the energy vampires refer to themselves as e-vamps. I had trouble keeping a straight face reading that. I'd think of e-cigs, e-books, etc. Rafe who has lived hundreds of years doesn't have a problem with the slang. Rafe and his friends only feed from 'clean' sources. Humans who take good care of themselves and eat organically. Of course Renee is a pure source of energy. Rafe and Renee bond over discussing organic foods, restaurants, grocery stores and generally anything to do with the 'organic' lifestyle. I gotta say it became very preachy. I got the point within the first 2 chapters. Continuing dialog got old quick and was the main reason it took me 3 weeks to get through the book. I didn't think the discussions about vegetables were ever going to end.
I'm glad I stuck with it because around 80% the story finally took off. Coincidentally that's also the point in the book when the characters stopped the endless 'organic food / lifestyle' chatter.
The explanation of where the e-vamps (I just gotta chuckle) come from didn't work for me at all. It seemed like it was added during the editing process as an after thought.
I already bought the second book
. I hope it's better than the first. 3 ****
February 6, 2017
Title: Thirst
Author: Jacquelyn Frank
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: The Energy Vampire # 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Thirst" by Jacquelyn Frank
My Thoughts.....
This one was one a PNR suspenseful story line. The story was of a homicide detective [Renee Holder] with a witness claiming that a vampire attacked the victim. Now with unusual murder on her hands [the victim had vampire puncture wounds] she get involved in the their 'vampire world'. The vampires were definitely different than the regular ones that I have read about. These vampire got there energy from the sun[they feed off of human's energy and not blood]. Be ready for a long read as this story comes together as we find Renee a very strong and independent woman [sometimes too much]who dealt with some emotional raw connections dealing with a romance with Rafe DeSilva[who was a energy vampire]. Now, this is where I hope the story would pick up but what I was left wondering if I had missed something. However, I kept on reading and by the time I got to the end I thought this novel was a OK read especially if you are into paranormal reads 'with murder, romance, suspense, energy sucking vampires, sycophants who feed and murder humans to stake their feeding lust.' In other words the readers will see clean energy vs unclean energy sources. In the end will Rafe be able to protect Renee? This is where I say you will have to pick up this unusual read to see what all with happen to Renee, Rafe and those sycophants, Since this read was the first of 'The Energy Vampire' it will be of interest what the author has planned in the next series.
Author: Jacquelyn Frank
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: The Energy Vampire # 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Thirst" by Jacquelyn Frank
My Thoughts.....
This one was one a PNR suspenseful story line. The story was of a homicide detective [Renee Holder] with a witness claiming that a vampire attacked the victim. Now with unusual murder on her hands [the victim had vampire puncture wounds] she get involved in the their 'vampire world'. The vampires were definitely different than the regular ones that I have read about. These vampire got there energy from the sun[they feed off of human's energy and not blood]. Be ready for a long read as this story comes together as we find Renee a very strong and independent woman [sometimes too much]who dealt with some emotional raw connections dealing with a romance with Rafe DeSilva[who was a energy vampire]. Now, this is where I hope the story would pick up but what I was left wondering if I had missed something. However, I kept on reading and by the time I got to the end I thought this novel was a OK read especially if you are into paranormal reads 'with murder, romance, suspense, energy sucking vampires, sycophants who feed and murder humans to stake their feeding lust.' In other words the readers will see clean energy vs unclean energy sources. In the end will Rafe be able to protect Renee? This is where I say you will have to pick up this unusual read to see what all with happen to Renee, Rafe and those sycophants, Since this read was the first of 'The Energy Vampire' it will be of interest what the author has planned in the next series.
June 19, 2018
An okay start to the series. I wasn't drawn in as I was by the first book of the Nightwalker series. One of main thing that bothered me about this story was the part where Renee (main female) actually considered taking illegal drugs in order to undercover. I mean who in their right mind would even consider doing something like that. She then went on comparing the merits/effects of taking cocaine, meth and heroine. She then came to the conclusion that heroine was the one she could take because the side effects were less devastating. I mean how asinine was that reasoning. I am thinking that families of anyone struggling with drug addiction would not appreciate that assessment.
November 30, 2016
I was so excited to see this author had a new book out . I remember being blown away by the first book I read by her which was Jacob. I realised straight away that her prose and general writing style might surprise many readers but for me her ideas are truly magical. So as much as I loved her demons I wasn't quite sure what would be different about her vampires. Well firstly they don't take blood but actual energy and then there's their somewhat unusual antecedents . These vampires have created their own society which is pretty far reaching but unfortunately there is a downside to their feeding on human energy and that's really where this story begins.
Renee is a detective whose latest case is to put it mildly odd. The victim has two marks on the back of his neck and a witness believes it was a vampire. Renee isn't convinced its that fanciful but the possibility of someone acting out isn't something she will ignore. Rafe has delegates from all around the world about to descend on New York and the last thing they need is the truth of their existence coming to light. So keeping an eye on the detective in charge of the recent sycophant murder seems like a smart move . Slight problem though as Renee is not only the perfect food source but also the most intruiging female Rafe has met!
Well this is very much a first in a series type of book. We are introduced to the idea of these energy taking vampires and the way their society functions. Those who feed to excess devolve into something pretty unpleasant known as sycophants so already the author is giving us good and bad vampires. I have to take unbridge here though as I really didn't care for the attitude of those vampires we are supposed to cheer for . They see and describe humans as food, have a hugely irritating superior manner and if honest grated on me.
Now as you could probably guess from the cover its a romance and at times it gets pretty hot and steamy. What felt slightly off though was the repeated ideas of clean living and I hate putting this but I felt the organic angle was overdone. Which leads me to the idea that Renee would volunteer for something that felt just so out of character . In the course of just a couple of days she not only accepts the existence of energy vampires, falls hard for Rafe, turns into Wonder Woman when it comes to defending herself but then on top of all that says yes of course I will put my life and all my ideals on the line! No, no ,no it felt like just too much.
So to sum up the author clearly is set to expand this idea as we meet Halo, who is kind of a bad boy enforcer who I actually liked more than Rafe. It ends with two pretty big reveals, one being how energy vampires came to be and the second being the fact that they have an enemy with a pretty big plan. Unfortunately I didn't always buy into the dialogue used but I'm hoping that like the authors Immortal Brothers series this one too will gather pace and take on a life of its own.
These are my voluntary thoughts on an advance reader copy
Three and a half from me
Renee is a detective whose latest case is to put it mildly odd. The victim has two marks on the back of his neck and a witness believes it was a vampire. Renee isn't convinced its that fanciful but the possibility of someone acting out isn't something she will ignore. Rafe has delegates from all around the world about to descend on New York and the last thing they need is the truth of their existence coming to light. So keeping an eye on the detective in charge of the recent sycophant murder seems like a smart move . Slight problem though as Renee is not only the perfect food source but also the most intruiging female Rafe has met!
Well this is very much a first in a series type of book. We are introduced to the idea of these energy taking vampires and the way their society functions. Those who feed to excess devolve into something pretty unpleasant known as sycophants so already the author is giving us good and bad vampires. I have to take unbridge here though as I really didn't care for the attitude of those vampires we are supposed to cheer for . They see and describe humans as food, have a hugely irritating superior manner and if honest grated on me.
Now as you could probably guess from the cover its a romance and at times it gets pretty hot and steamy. What felt slightly off though was the repeated ideas of clean living and I hate putting this but I felt the organic angle was overdone. Which leads me to the idea that Renee would volunteer for something that felt just so out of character . In the course of just a couple of days she not only accepts the existence of energy vampires, falls hard for Rafe, turns into Wonder Woman when it comes to defending herself but then on top of all that says yes of course I will put my life and all my ideals on the line! No, no ,no it felt like just too much.
So to sum up the author clearly is set to expand this idea as we meet Halo, who is kind of a bad boy enforcer who I actually liked more than Rafe. It ends with two pretty big reveals, one being how energy vampires came to be and the second being the fact that they have an enemy with a pretty big plan. Unfortunately I didn't always buy into the dialogue used but I'm hoping that like the authors Immortal Brothers series this one too will gather pace and take on a life of its own.
These are my voluntary thoughts on an advance reader copy
Three and a half from me
May 26, 2017
Ridiculous story. Definitely not for me. I found Renee quite annoying and a bit arrogant. There is no way, after seeing a phant in action, could she defeat them without help. I was so tired of Renee saying she could take care of herself. I was saying "Please someone kill her now!"
There are many things I do not like about this book. One of which is that everything, and I do mean everything, is spelled out for you. Even something as simple as walking through a door. (He put his hand on the door nob, turned it. Pulled it forward, walked through and then closed it, standing on the other side). Really. It was like the author did not believe we could get there on our own. Another was the writing style. Literally bored me. I almost stop reading on several occasions. Which is why it took me so long to finish. At times you could not tell whether it was Rafe's POV or Renee's. It felt like a thesaurus was threw up on the page.
I was so bored after the first few chapters. I found my self skipping massive pages when Renee was in her ridiculous head. Rafe was not always as annoying, but when he was, I skipped pages. I don't know what they were thinking and did not care. The summary and book cover were deceiving. Obviously designed to pull me in. My fault for being too weak to turn away.
There is no way these two should be a couple. Absolutely no passion. I felt it more like, I haven't had sex in a long time. Why not use Renee for food and sex. The same for Renee. Need sex, Rafe is willing. The actual story line was not believable for me. The relationship felt forced.
After Rafe fed from Renee and ran across the phant, he mentioned using too much power and becoming weak. The next day he was able to fight three phant's with limited power, then complained to the committee that he was outnumbered and needed her help. How is a vampire as old as he is only strong when he is feeding? Why isn't he dead? He is so weak, I'm amazed he's survived this long.
It's almost like the vampires are representatives for the insurance companies. "We will only drink clean blood from healthy humans. Those who eat burgers, fries and pizza, oh and druggies, should see the phants. Ridiculous. Alien vampires. I just couldn't buy the story. If it was told from that point of view, with better writing, maybe.
Took me forever to get through it. Thought it would never end. I will say that one of my favorite characters was Danton. He was definitely a strong, interesting vampire. Halo was fun too. I would love to read his story but I did not care enough for the writing style to purchase another book. Did not really care for the two main characters. Others found it enjoyable, so perhaps you should try. Although not for me, there were more than enough 5 star reviews.
There are many things I do not like about this book. One of which is that everything, and I do mean everything, is spelled out for you. Even something as simple as walking through a door. (He put his hand on the door nob, turned it. Pulled it forward, walked through and then closed it, standing on the other side). Really. It was like the author did not believe we could get there on our own. Another was the writing style. Literally bored me. I almost stop reading on several occasions. Which is why it took me so long to finish. At times you could not tell whether it was Rafe's POV or Renee's. It felt like a thesaurus was threw up on the page.
I was so bored after the first few chapters. I found my self skipping massive pages when Renee was in her ridiculous head. Rafe was not always as annoying, but when he was, I skipped pages. I don't know what they were thinking and did not care. The summary and book cover were deceiving. Obviously designed to pull me in. My fault for being too weak to turn away.
There is no way these two should be a couple. Absolutely no passion. I felt it more like, I haven't had sex in a long time. Why not use Renee for food and sex. The same for Renee. Need sex, Rafe is willing. The actual story line was not believable for me. The relationship felt forced.
After Rafe fed from Renee and ran across the phant, he mentioned using too much power and becoming weak. The next day he was able to fight three phant's with limited power, then complained to the committee that he was outnumbered and needed her help. How is a vampire as old as he is only strong when he is feeding? Why isn't he dead? He is so weak, I'm amazed he's survived this long.
It's almost like the vampires are representatives for the insurance companies. "We will only drink clean blood from healthy humans. Those who eat burgers, fries and pizza, oh and druggies, should see the phants. Ridiculous. Alien vampires. I just couldn't buy the story. If it was told from that point of view, with better writing, maybe.
Took me forever to get through it. Thought it would never end. I will say that one of my favorite characters was Danton. He was definitely a strong, interesting vampire. Halo was fun too. I would love to read his story but I did not care enough for the writing style to purchase another book. Did not really care for the two main characters. Others found it enjoyable, so perhaps you should try. Although not for me, there were more than enough 5 star reviews.
May 13, 2018
3.5 Stars
Interesting concept in that the vampires don't subsist on blood, but rather an individual's energy so bad habits negatively impact a vampire who feeds on them. I definitely liked that idea, and the fact that the sun is another source of energy for them. However, the conflict between healthy energy vamps and those who feed and ultimately kill humans isn't new, but the story still played out well. This isn't my favorite series from the author, and I'm on the fence as to if I'll continue reading them. Something about it just didn't do it for me which is why I rated it what I did.
Interesting concept in that the vampires don't subsist on blood, but rather an individual's energy so bad habits negatively impact a vampire who feeds on them. I definitely liked that idea, and the fact that the sun is another source of energy for them. However, the conflict between healthy energy vamps and those who feed and ultimately kill humans isn't new, but the story still played out well. This isn't my favorite series from the author, and I'm on the fence as to if I'll continue reading them. Something about it just didn't do it for me which is why I rated it what I did.
January 19, 2017
Jacquelyn Frank wrote the Nightwalker series, which is outstanding from book one to the end. Thirst is the first book in her new series The Energy Vampires and so far, I'm not seeing the same sort of success for this new series as Nightwalkers had.
Rafe DaSilva and Renee Holden make such a sweet couple inspite of their differences. Differences you say? Well, let's see, she's human, a homicide detective, rather casual, and very cautious about men and relationships. He's an e-vampire, a high government official for his queen, very rich, formal, and has never been human. I'd say that's quite different, wouldn't you?
The story was okay. The characters weren't terribly deep, but you got to know them a bit. You got some of Renee's quirks from her friend's comments. As for energy Vampires, well they are something else. There are always good and bad in all things, so of course, there are with these Vampires. Good ones such a Rafe and his queen live the good life and take energy only from clean resources. No blood, just energy, as in your life source. Yes, people are called resources, not humans or people. Just resources. Isn't that friendly? The bad guys, sycophants, use dirty resources. A dirty resource is someone who abuses their body with poor nutrition, alcohol and drugs.
Other than the cold folks who refer to people as resources, and the term "e-vamps", there was something else that bothered me. I really thought Renee had lost her mind when she was talking about going under cover and using drugs. I won't harp on it, but no way.
I would really like to see Ms. Frank turn this series into something really good with a second book that pulls this out of mediocre. The concept is good and I know the author has great writing skills. So, I have hope for book two. I recommend this book to Frank fans to read with an open mind and with the same hope that I have for book two. In the meantime, we can always reread the Nightwalker series.
This eARC was provided to me by Loveswept and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley
Rafe DaSilva and Renee Holden make such a sweet couple inspite of their differences. Differences you say? Well, let's see, she's human, a homicide detective, rather casual, and very cautious about men and relationships. He's an e-vampire, a high government official for his queen, very rich, formal, and has never been human. I'd say that's quite different, wouldn't you?
The story was okay. The characters weren't terribly deep, but you got to know them a bit. You got some of Renee's quirks from her friend's comments. As for energy Vampires, well they are something else. There are always good and bad in all things, so of course, there are with these Vampires. Good ones such a Rafe and his queen live the good life and take energy only from clean resources. No blood, just energy, as in your life source. Yes, people are called resources, not humans or people. Just resources. Isn't that friendly? The bad guys, sycophants, use dirty resources. A dirty resource is someone who abuses their body with poor nutrition, alcohol and drugs.
Other than the cold folks who refer to people as resources, and the term "e-vamps", there was something else that bothered me. I really thought Renee had lost her mind when she was talking about going under cover and using drugs. I won't harp on it, but no way.
I would really like to see Ms. Frank turn this series into something really good with a second book that pulls this out of mediocre. The concept is good and I know the author has great writing skills. So, I have hope for book two. I recommend this book to Frank fans to read with an open mind and with the same hope that I have for book two. In the meantime, we can always reread the Nightwalker series.
This eARC was provided to me by Loveswept and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley
Displaying 1 - 29 of 163 reviews