WOW!!! A FABULOUS BEGINNING TO A NEW MUST READ VAMPIRE ROMANCE COLLECTION!!!
Title: Victor
Series: A Vampire's Thirst
Designation: Book One of Series, Standalone, Novella (197 pages-I don't consider anything under 200 pages to be full-length), NO CLiffhanger, HEA
Reading Platform: Kindle Edition
My Rating: Five Sexy Love At First Bite Stars*****
Wow!!! What a tasty treat for lovers of vampire romance and another perfect example of why I love, love, love A.K. Michaels! Have you ever heard the expression 'In like a lion - Out like a lamb'? Well, forget that! Michaels blasts out of the starting gate and holds the hammer down - all the way to the finish line! OMG! This book literally explodes with danger, drama, action, adventure, angst, passion, and romance from beginning to end! Once I started reading, I could not stop! I was glued to my chair, white knuckling my ereader, my heart fluttering wildly in my chest while the pages flew as quickly as the time! It was fabulous, and I loved every single minute! It's no secret I'm a diehard Michaels fan and love her sexy, sultry prose, but this story surprised even me. I was completely enthralled from the first page till the last! Can you tell I really loved this book? lol... Now, let me tell you why!
Victor is the first release in A Vampire's Thirst, an inspired new brainchild from the incredibly imaginative mind of A.K. Michaels, much like Michael's A Wolf's Hunger, but this collection features vampires rather than wolves. Other authors will be releasing stories in A Vampire's Thirst, but Michaels kicked off the series with Victor, and man, what a beginning it was! The story was beautifully written in the third person with multiple perspectives, which brings me to another reason I enjoy Michaels work. She gives a voice to all the major players in her stories and I love knowing what's going on in the minds of the characters in a book, but I want it done in an organized, clearly discernible fashion and Michaels does exactly that, generally distinguishable by chapters. The dialogue is smart, snappy, sometimes funny, always well-executed, and flows effortlessly. There's just so much I love about Michael's writing but my favorite component is always the large cast of intriguing and engaging characters. They literally explode from the page, grab your imagination, and capture your heart! I was instantly smitten with wealthy, ancient vampire Victor Strong and lovely, strong-willed dragon shifter Kimber. Victor and Kimber complement each other perfectly. When these two meet, their attraction is immediate, their interaction captivating, their passion explosive, and their fate undeniable! *swoon* I've been a fan of vampire fiction for many years starting in high school when I read Dracula by Bram Stoker. I was enthralled by Barnabas Collins in the Dark Shadows television soap opera in the sixties (yeah, I'm an old bird), and totally swooned over Tom Cruise as Lestat in the movie depiction of Interview Of A Vampire by Anne Rice. Then, about five years ago, I fell in love with vampire Josef from The Witch, The Wolf, and The Vampire by A.K. Michaels and he became my favorite vampire of all time - until now! I think Victor Strong just knocked Josef out of first place! Oh my! Victor Strong is handsome, domineering, and very wealthy. He's also one of the most ancient vampires in existence, and with that age comes great power, a power that must be controlled. Victor has maintained tight control and successfully reined in his urges. He hasn't drunk blood from a human for two hundred years- until now. But for some inexplicable reason, Victor suddenly finds himself unable to control his actions, which is dangerous for everyone. It's unacceptable and will result in The Directive, the supernatural governing body, sending someone to correct the situation for him, which would most likely mean the termination of his very long life. Oh dear! And just when he thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, Victor is afflicted with 'The Thirst' and must find his blood mate, or go completely insane. Oh my! He thought it was only a myth but much to his surprise, he learns, first hand, it's very real. No spoilers from me but I will say this... Handsome, wealthy, and very powerful vampire, intoxicated by the scent of his blood mate and willing to destroy anything or anyone to protect her-check! Beautiful, loyal, courageous, and strong-willed dragon shifter on the run for life and inexplicably drawn to a man who should be her enemy, not her savior-check! Malevolent enemies-check! A large, fascinating cast of characters-check! Danger, drama, action, adventure, suspense, angst, humor, passion, and romance-You bet! That and a whole lot more!
Did I like this book? No, I LOVED it! Like most reviewers, I base my rating primarily on how much I enjoy a story, and I enjoyed this story very much, but I also factor in originality, uniqueness, world building, plot and character development, cover, grammar, story pacing/flow, and overall craftsmanship. And this story satisfied all my criteria. Was it perfect? No, but it was perfect for me! Would I recommend it? You bet, and I am but only for adult readers. If you love great paranormal reads filled to the brim with danger, drama, action, adventure, angst, fantasy, engaging characters, steamy passion, sweet romance, and a heartwarming happy ending, then this book is screaming your name! Will I read this author again? Absolutely, just as soon as she releases her next book! And finally, was I entertained? Completely! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!