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Darkwing Chronicles #1
Beyond the Pale
The government knows that Daphne Urban is a vampire, and they have an spy for them, or be killed. The choice is easy. She can speak 13 languages, has a genius IQ, and has escaped detection for nearly five hundred years-making her perfect for Team Darkwing. Her first mission is to get close to Bonaventure, a shady arms dealer with an unexpected gift for seduction. But when Darius, a darkly sexy vampire slayer, begins chasing her, Darius is torn between desire and duty. For his lithe, young prey is also his ultimate temptation.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 7, 2005
13 people are currently reading
2008 people want to read
About the author
Savannah Russe
13 books113 followersLucy Finn
Pseudonym for Savannah Russe.
LUCY FINN is a fulltime fiction writer who also owns an antique store, the Big Red Barn.
Under the pen name, Savannah Russe, she is the author of the bestselling vampire series called The Darkwing Chronicles: Beyond the Pale, Book One (June 2005), Past Redemption, Book Two (April 2006), Beneath the Skin, Book Three ( February, 2007), In the Blood (November, 2007), and Under Darkness (June 2008).
She lives in an old farmhouse near Noxen, Pennsylvania where her mother's family settled in the 18th century. Her ancestor, James Patton, died in the Civil War at the battle of Spotsvania Courthouse.
Lucy, who carries spiders outside in a cup rather than kill them, shares her farm with three dogs, many cats, and upteen wild creatures.
http://www.lucyfinn.com
www.darkwingchronicles.com
www.sisterhoodofthesight.com
Pseudonym for Savannah Russe.
LUCY FINN is a fulltime fiction writer who also owns an antique store, the Big Red Barn.
Under the pen name, Savannah Russe, she is the author of the bestselling vampire series called The Darkwing Chronicles: Beyond the Pale, Book One (June 2005), Past Redemption, Book Two (April 2006), Beneath the Skin, Book Three ( February, 2007), In the Blood (November, 2007), and Under Darkness (June 2008).
She lives in an old farmhouse near Noxen, Pennsylvania where her mother's family settled in the 18th century. Her ancestor, James Patton, died in the Civil War at the battle of Spotsvania Courthouse.
Lucy, who carries spiders outside in a cup rather than kill them, shares her farm with three dogs, many cats, and upteen wild creatures.
http://www.lucyfinn.com
www.darkwingchronicles.com
www.sisterhoodofthesight.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
May 1, 2008
I seriously considered throwing this book in the trash halfway through but some weird sense of completion and minor curiosity kept it in my hand. Will I read the rest in the series? Hell No.
This author seems to have a serious problem with “Goth” as she puts it or rather puts it down repeatedly throughout the story. She mentions multiple times how unattractive pale skin and a black clad wardrobe is…um...isn’t this a VAMPIRE book? Perhaps the author enjoys a nice dark tan instead of pale skin? Then she should have explained the beauty of a tan instead of routinely discussing how disgusting lighter skin is. And how many times must she mention designer brands? I think it ruined the story and seemed like a vain attempt by the author to appear more “sophisticated”.
Do I feel that Dark Fantasy readers care about Gucci, Uggs and being in the “in” crowd? I would hope not!
PLUS…the title is Beyond the PALE, with gothic font /artwork and pale tattooed woman on the cover clad in black. Something tells me the author did not approve of the cover art.
To sum up this review: Who let the cheerleader write a vampire novel?
This author seems to have a serious problem with “Goth” as she puts it or rather puts it down repeatedly throughout the story. She mentions multiple times how unattractive pale skin and a black clad wardrobe is…um...isn’t this a VAMPIRE book? Perhaps the author enjoys a nice dark tan instead of pale skin? Then she should have explained the beauty of a tan instead of routinely discussing how disgusting lighter skin is. And how many times must she mention designer brands? I think it ruined the story and seemed like a vain attempt by the author to appear more “sophisticated”.
Do I feel that Dark Fantasy readers care about Gucci, Uggs and being in the “in” crowd? I would hope not!
PLUS…the title is Beyond the PALE, with gothic font /artwork and pale tattooed woman on the cover clad in black. Something tells me the author did not approve of the cover art.
To sum up this review: Who let the cheerleader write a vampire novel?
May 15, 2021
I'm not sure there are words to cover my dislike of this book. Half way through I skipped to the end hoping for a miracle that the book redeems itself. Ha, fat chance! I detest when an author spend her time writing about how smart, strong and edgy the character is only to create a story that contradicts all of those things. I should have known in the first chapter that it would only get worse. I mean if you have such a high IQ then you should have known something was wrong by observing your surroundings, hell she should have been smart enough to know that she should be observing her surroundings. Plus, for being a 'vampire' that's stronger than a human she felt unsafe and insecure while walking down the street but she was arrogant enough to ignore the guy following her. Come on, my 5 year old son makes up better story lines than this! And what was up with the Byron affair, just because you put him in the book does not make it Gothic/vampire/edgy. For a girl that hadn't had any in a really long time she just couldn't wait when Darius came along especially when there was nothing even slightly likable about his character. His actions and his talk blatantly made him the untrustworthy bad-guy but the 'untrustworthy' one was apparently her boss who had, if not a genuine, then committed, reason to keep her safe. Toxic relationship on the horizon. I thought my brain would explode if I had to read her debate on if she could or couldn't trust Darius but she definitely couldn't trust the guy that needed her alive to get the job done. But if you like stupid bimbo girls who are, of course, secretly smarter than anyone in Mensa and let their hormones decide how they should think then you'll love it.
June 26, 2009
Savannah Russe starts with an original premise: What if a vampire became a spy for the U.S. government? Daphne Urban has survived five hundred years and schmoozed with royalty and Romantic poets. These days, though, she's suffering from ennui. When the government makes her an offer she can't refuse, she's resistant at first, but soon realizes her new job is the most excitement she's had in over a century.
Trouble is, Daphne makes a rather bumbling spy. I realize she's new to the whole secret agent thing, but this is a character who supposedly has a genius IQ, and who has hundreds of years of experience disguising herself as human and navigating court intrigue. I'm no master spy myself, but I'd like to think I'd know better than to start mouthing off about my mission to a near-stranger just because he looked like Brad Pitt and claimed to work for a government agency. She trusts people when she shouldn’t. She goes it alone when she doesn't know what she's doing. Most importantly, her brains fly right out of her head whenever an attractive man is present.
Maybe I'd have liked Beyond the Pale better if Daphne's mistakes had resulted in disastrous consequences and she'd learned from them. Instead, everything gets wrapped up too neatly, and Daphne gets to pat herself on the back at the end.
Savannah Russe's prose is perfectly serviceable, and her ideas are creative. I'd consider reading other books by Russe…as long as they're not about Daphne.
Trouble is, Daphne makes a rather bumbling spy. I realize she's new to the whole secret agent thing, but this is a character who supposedly has a genius IQ, and who has hundreds of years of experience disguising herself as human and navigating court intrigue. I'm no master spy myself, but I'd like to think I'd know better than to start mouthing off about my mission to a near-stranger just because he looked like Brad Pitt and claimed to work for a government agency. She trusts people when she shouldn’t. She goes it alone when she doesn't know what she's doing. Most importantly, her brains fly right out of her head whenever an attractive man is present.
Maybe I'd have liked Beyond the Pale better if Daphne's mistakes had resulted in disastrous consequences and she'd learned from them. Instead, everything gets wrapped up too neatly, and Daphne gets to pat herself on the back at the end.
Savannah Russe's prose is perfectly serviceable, and her ideas are creative. I'd consider reading other books by Russe…as long as they're not about Daphne.
August 11, 2016
Moments where I thought it wasn't that bad. But the rest of it, I'm sorry but it was a little boring or could of been better. I wasn't expecting much. I like urban fantasy, I like vampires. So this book sounded okay.
Some of the characters I kind of liked. And others like the MC Daphne and Darius, I didn't. Well, there's moments where she's okay, like with her and Benny and J and the Dark wing team and with her mom.
Then there's Darius who while I thought his character was okay, just wasn't that interesting, at least in the first book. Thought the romance happened way too fast and just I don't know, didn't really care or didn't buy it you know? I thought Daphne and J had better chemistry.
Hopefully in the next book, the characters get a little more interesting. And the pace is a little better. The action scenes and her vampire form were interesting. I thought the book was okay when Daphne wasn't focused on Darius.
It does get interesting at the halfway point when Daphne and co are focusing on their mission, etc.
An okay start to a series I might read more from. Just to see where the characters and story and character development go from here.
Some of the characters I kind of liked. And others like the MC Daphne and Darius, I didn't. Well, there's moments where she's okay, like with her and Benny and J and the Dark wing team and with her mom.
Then there's Darius who while I thought his character was okay, just wasn't that interesting, at least in the first book. Thought the romance happened way too fast and just I don't know, didn't really care or didn't buy it you know? I thought Daphne and J had better chemistry.
Hopefully in the next book, the characters get a little more interesting. And the pace is a little better. The action scenes and her vampire form were interesting. I thought the book was okay when Daphne wasn't focused on Darius.
It does get interesting at the halfway point when Daphne and co are focusing on their mission, etc.
An okay start to a series I might read more from. Just to see where the characters and story and character development go from here.
February 23, 2009
I was enjoying this book in the beginning all up till Darius showed up. Really, I don't know what it is but I immediately disliked him. I hated every single scene that he was in since he turns Daphne (the main character) into a complete dimbo. It's just disgusting how she acts around him. I mean, even when he finds out that she's a vampire, he's completely disgusted and so what does Daphne do? She continues to pursue him!
Other than that, several things (if you pay attention) don't really add up. And then there's Daphne's mom...she's just a bit too weird for words. And in the end, when we find out that she's also the commander of Darkwing, I almost threw the book across the room.
Also, last but not least, I actually liked J, Daphne's boss. He really came through with her in the end, but what does Daphne do? She keeps on thinking about Darius!
Would I read the next book? Yes, simply because I have nothing better to do and I like to waste my tiem reading. Should you even bother with this book? No, it's really not worth your time.
Other than that, several things (if you pay attention) don't really add up. And then there's Daphne's mom...she's just a bit too weird for words. And in the end, when we find out that she's also the commander of Darkwing, I almost threw the book across the room.
Also, last but not least, I actually liked J, Daphne's boss. He really came through with her in the end, but what does Daphne do? She keeps on thinking about Darius!
Would I read the next book? Yes, simply because I have nothing better to do and I like to waste my tiem reading. Should you even bother with this book? No, it's really not worth your time.
July 27, 2020
Disappointing! I was looking forward to reading this, and I liked Daphne. The plot went downhill, and I didn't like the way it ended. Some books are a hit or miss and this one wasn't for me.
December 8, 2010
Synopsis: The government knows that Daphne Urban is a vampire, and they have an ultimatum: spy for them, or be killed. The choice is easy. She can speak 13 languages, has a genius IQ, and has escaped detection for nearly five hundred years-making her perfect for Team Darkwing. Her first mission is to get close to Bonaventure, a shady arms dealer with an unexpected gift for seduction. But when Darius, a darkly sexy vampire slayer, begins chasing her, Darius is torn between desire and duty. For his lithe, young prey is also his ultimate temptation.
This is a PNR book, and the first of a series that only lasted 5 books and then the publisher, it appears, refused to extend it. It's also a very strange series, in my opinion.
Daphne has been bemoaning the fact that she was the mistress and unwitting slayer of Lord Byron, who she turned into a vampire. Even her mother tried to tell her not to do it, but, she failed to listen. Her world is then turned upside down and she is conscripted into service for the US government as part of a highly secret team of vampires called the Darkwings. It was either join, or be killed.
Add to the mix a Southern Belle named Benny Polycarp, and a gay vampire named Cormac O'Reilly who is searching for his big break on Broadway, and you have team Darkwing.
The team is sent to prevent a dangerous man from gaining artifacts that could lead to worldwide destruction. The teams mission is soon complicated when Daphne is contacted by another governmental agency operative for whom we really don't know for who he works for; Darius della Chisea. Darius has no idea she is a vampire, just that she works for another branch of the service, and he wants to work with her for reasons of his own. We know that Darius hates vampires, and loves killing them. He is a slayer for the government.
Daphne's mother is named Mar Mar, and dresses like a 1960's hippie. She is over 1000 years old, and had Daphne while having a relationship with someone at the Vatican. OF course, things go crazy for Daphne when Darius realizes that she is a vampire, the very thing he hates most. Daphne and the other vampires actually turn into huge bats, which I found a wee bit over done.
This is a PNR book, and the first of a series that only lasted 5 books and then the publisher, it appears, refused to extend it. It's also a very strange series, in my opinion.
Daphne has been bemoaning the fact that she was the mistress and unwitting slayer of Lord Byron, who she turned into a vampire. Even her mother tried to tell her not to do it, but, she failed to listen. Her world is then turned upside down and she is conscripted into service for the US government as part of a highly secret team of vampires called the Darkwings. It was either join, or be killed.
Add to the mix a Southern Belle named Benny Polycarp, and a gay vampire named Cormac O'Reilly who is searching for his big break on Broadway, and you have team Darkwing.
The team is sent to prevent a dangerous man from gaining artifacts that could lead to worldwide destruction. The teams mission is soon complicated when Daphne is contacted by another governmental agency operative for whom we really don't know for who he works for; Darius della Chisea. Darius has no idea she is a vampire, just that she works for another branch of the service, and he wants to work with her for reasons of his own. We know that Darius hates vampires, and loves killing them. He is a slayer for the government.
Daphne's mother is named Mar Mar, and dresses like a 1960's hippie. She is over 1000 years old, and had Daphne while having a relationship with someone at the Vatican. OF course, things go crazy for Daphne when Darius realizes that she is a vampire, the very thing he hates most. Daphne and the other vampires actually turn into huge bats, which I found a wee bit over done.
September 18, 2011
I really, REALLY,wanted to like-no, love-this book. But I didn't and I can't. There were so many problems with this book. The first off being, that I did not like the main couple: Darius and Daphne had NO SEXUAL CHEMISTRY. zip. zero. nada. I wanted Daphne to end up w/ J. Now, THAT would have been some zip, soaring chemistry. :)
Secondly, I really didn't like Darius. His character fell flat for me. No depth AT ALL. And I shuddered every time he called Daphne 'girlfriend'.
There was too much emphasis placed on Daphne's wardrobe. REALLY, no, I don't care what the hell she is wearing every second of the book.
Thirdly--this could have been a kick-ass story. Daphne had various affairs and past relationships with REAL people-like Lord Byron, and Yeats, etc. THEN, the author had to throw in a character named Louis, and have the reader think he was the infamous fictional Louis from Anne Rice's Lestat---over the top, much?
I am not saying that the writing totally sucked...because it did have some really good lines. I am just sorry, because it really had the potential to be something better.
Just not enough to justify giving it any more than 2 stars. And that was me being generous.
Secondly, I really didn't like Darius. His character fell flat for me. No depth AT ALL. And I shuddered every time he called Daphne 'girlfriend'.
There was too much emphasis placed on Daphne's wardrobe. REALLY, no, I don't care what the hell she is wearing every second of the book.
Thirdly--this could have been a kick-ass story. Daphne had various affairs and past relationships with REAL people-like Lord Byron, and Yeats, etc. THEN, the author had to throw in a character named Louis, and have the reader think he was the infamous fictional Louis from Anne Rice's Lestat---over the top, much?
I am not saying that the writing totally sucked...because it did have some really good lines. I am just sorry, because it really had the potential to be something better.
Just not enough to justify giving it any more than 2 stars. And that was me being generous.
May 15, 2011
First off, put this book down and go buy Jennifer Rardin's Jaz Parks series as it seems this series is based on Ms Rardin's series and Ms Rardin's series does it infinity better.
Second: great concept, terrible execution. The heroine's 'personality' reads like a D&D character sheet but she is even less interesting or accurate. Despite supposedly being one of the smartest people in the world, from a family world famous for treachery & cunning, heroine is easily led, and anything but intelligent. She is a clothes happy harlot in heat. And the depiction of her mother, much less the idea that vampires give birth...so improbable as to be completely unbelievable.
Thirdly: I am not a fan of first person narrative but it can be done in an unobtrusive manner. That is not the case here. The constant repetition of 'I' and 'me' was obvious and unwelcome. It also made the book read like a grocery list or to do list.
Again, skip this series and go read about Jaz Parks.
Second: great concept, terrible execution. The heroine's 'personality' reads like a D&D character sheet but she is even less interesting or accurate. Despite supposedly being one of the smartest people in the world, from a family world famous for treachery & cunning, heroine is easily led, and anything but intelligent. She is a clothes happy harlot in heat. And the depiction of her mother, much less the idea that vampires give birth...so improbable as to be completely unbelievable.
Thirdly: I am not a fan of first person narrative but it can be done in an unobtrusive manner. That is not the case here. The constant repetition of 'I' and 'me' was obvious and unwelcome. It also made the book read like a grocery list or to do list.
Again, skip this series and go read about Jaz Parks.
July 14, 2018
I am writing this review because I was tired of reading all the reviews that put this book down.
This was a cute, fun, easy to read book. I'm not sure why people have a problem with the story either. It's a vampire book but apparently because the lead character loved her fashion and didn't like her pale completion, readers didn't find it "believable". She has been around for 500 years and has a boatload of money, what else do you think she'd be into? (She likes other things like museums, art , jewelry, and even respects life...) And how many people irl are obsessed with fashion?! Let me stress again, it's a vampire story. Apparently that's believable to them!
Anyway I thought it was a good read. Funny at times and sweetly sad in others. I will be checking out the others in the series.
This was a cute, fun, easy to read book. I'm not sure why people have a problem with the story either. It's a vampire book but apparently because the lead character loved her fashion and didn't like her pale completion, readers didn't find it "believable". She has been around for 500 years and has a boatload of money, what else do you think she'd be into? (She likes other things like museums, art , jewelry, and even respects life...) And how many people irl are obsessed with fashion?! Let me stress again, it's a vampire story. Apparently that's believable to them!
Anyway I thought it was a good read. Funny at times and sweetly sad in others. I will be checking out the others in the series.
November 13, 2025
This book is basically about Daphne being recruited to work for an FBI agency called Darkwing and her love life with Darius. (At least, in my opinion it is.)
This book leans towards adults due to some of its rated R content. Honestly, I read this once when I was 16 and reread it, so if you can handle some cheesy sex scenes, then there is no problem. I liked it enough to buy the second book.
So if you like vampires, action, and sex, then this book is totally for you.
This book leans towards adults due to some of its rated R content. Honestly, I read this once when I was 16 and reread it, so if you can handle some cheesy sex scenes, then there is no problem. I liked it enough to buy the second book.
So if you like vampires, action, and sex, then this book is totally for you.
June 1, 2009
Sounded great from the blurb on the back cover but in the end I just could not finish this book.
January 31, 2022
I bought this from a blind date book sale without any hints so it was sent to me randomly. I read the synopsis at the back and hoped it'd be good cause it sounded interesting. Sadly, what's written at the back isn't entirely accurate.
The main character Daphne is said to be very smart and can speak many languages and all but those things were only told and weren't really demonstrated in the story. She's also a vampire but the story only makes her act like it when needed. Most of the time it feels like she's a normal human character. Vampires are supposedly strong yet her life has been threatened by humans multiple times in the story. And here I thought there'd be some cool moments with her which disappointed me.
There's so many things she does that makes me wonder how she survived for many, many years without being caught. She easily trusts others despite how dangerous her situation is (both as a spy and a vampire in hiding) and she doesn't make good decisions even when she notices something fishy is going on.
The spy stuff is also kinda dumb? Like, they got these three vampire newbies to join as spies in an important mission and gives them some files but there's no training and the three used their real names when doing their missions. Again, they're vampires trying to hide they're long-lived immortals. Why are they allowed to use their real names?
The synopsis said Darius is chasing her but it isn't accurate. Darius is a vampire slayer but he and Daphne are lovers in the majority of the story and he only finds out the truth about her near the end and there was no time for him to actually "chase" her as a prey cause of all the drama that the reveal caused. I was expecting an enemies to lovers but it's the opposite. He's also not that likable as a love interest cause he's kinda sexist and he proposed they help each other in their similar missions but he kept getting Daphne to give out info and he barely gives enough on his end except "I can't tell you and you should quit cause you're a girl.". He's been so suspicious so many times that I just shake my head cause Daphne kept believing in him despite noticing how suspicious he is herself. I also didn't really like their romance since they're just lusting after each other most of the time and in other times, it's just the above talking about missions happening with them both either lying to each other or mostly Darius acting like an ass. I don't get how they fell for each other exactly.
Also, what was Cormac's role in the story? He's the third member of the Darkwings yet he barely showed up in the important moments. On the other hand, J had some moments. He's annoying at first but at the end, I wished he was Daphne's love interest instead cause he's not as annoying as Darius.
Overall, it was disappointing. It wasn't what I expected from what the synopsis said it would be. It's also kinda boring most of the time and there were paragraphs that felt like they're just fillers. I end up leafing through some of the stuff that seem pointless like what clothes the characters chose to wear this time. I only finished reading it cause I bought it.
The main character Daphne is said to be very smart and can speak many languages and all but those things were only told and weren't really demonstrated in the story. She's also a vampire but the story only makes her act like it when needed. Most of the time it feels like she's a normal human character. Vampires are supposedly strong yet her life has been threatened by humans multiple times in the story. And here I thought there'd be some cool moments with her which disappointed me.
There's so many things she does that makes me wonder how she survived for many, many years without being caught. She easily trusts others despite how dangerous her situation is (both as a spy and a vampire in hiding) and she doesn't make good decisions even when she notices something fishy is going on.
The spy stuff is also kinda dumb? Like, they got these three vampire newbies to join as spies in an important mission and gives them some files but there's no training and the three used their real names when doing their missions. Again, they're vampires trying to hide they're long-lived immortals. Why are they allowed to use their real names?
The synopsis said Darius is chasing her but it isn't accurate. Darius is a vampire slayer but he and Daphne are lovers in the majority of the story and he only finds out the truth about her near the end and there was no time for him to actually "chase" her as a prey cause of all the drama that the reveal caused. I was expecting an enemies to lovers but it's the opposite. He's also not that likable as a love interest cause he's kinda sexist and he proposed they help each other in their similar missions but he kept getting Daphne to give out info and he barely gives enough on his end except "I can't tell you and you should quit cause you're a girl.". He's been so suspicious so many times that I just shake my head cause Daphne kept believing in him despite noticing how suspicious he is herself. I also didn't really like their romance since they're just lusting after each other most of the time and in other times, it's just the above talking about missions happening with them both either lying to each other or mostly Darius acting like an ass. I don't get how they fell for each other exactly.
Also, what was Cormac's role in the story? He's the third member of the Darkwings yet he barely showed up in the important moments. On the other hand, J had some moments. He's annoying at first but at the end, I wished he was Daphne's love interest instead cause he's not as annoying as Darius.
Overall, it was disappointing. It wasn't what I expected from what the synopsis said it would be. It's also kinda boring most of the time and there were paragraphs that felt like they're just fillers. I end up leafing through some of the stuff that seem pointless like what clothes the characters chose to wear this time. I only finished reading it cause I bought it.
July 11, 2025
Daphne Urban is a 450+ year old vampire growing bored of her long life. Then the U.S. government recruits her and two other vampires for Team Darkwing: an unusual deep-black anti-terrorist group. Her first assignment is to help take down an international arms and drug dealer.
Darius della Chiesa is a vampire slayer/spy who also is assigned to taking down the arms dealer. He thinks Daphne might be a vampire, but isn’t sure and his desire for her is clouding his judgement.
Very different exciting story. Keep my attention for sure by not being your typical vampire story since the events never seems to be what you thought. Interesting detail that these vampires can still have children, thus ‘living’ families. And they eat, get cold, etc. But they do turn into terrible flying bats!
Footnote: 1) FYI. I was unable to find these books except on Amazon for $10, but I got the PB’s on eBay for about $1 each.
2) Sometimes I wonder why people bother to get luxurious, expensive suites when they only see and use the bed and none of the other features (TV, patio, kitchette, etc.).
3) It was nice to see Darius explain to Daphne that he couldn’t tell her all his secrets, much as he might want to because it would be betraying the trust of others. Not that they don’t trust you, but sometimes there are not you’re secrets to tell. It might be for your own safety, national security or something else. And sometimes you have a personal secret that you’d never tell anyone or it’s better off they don’t know.
Fave scenes: Mar Mar’s visit, Daphne’s answering machine messages, saving Gunther and swimming in Newark Bay.
Darius della Chiesa is a vampire slayer/spy who also is assigned to taking down the arms dealer. He thinks Daphne might be a vampire, but isn’t sure and his desire for her is clouding his judgement.
Very different exciting story. Keep my attention for sure by not being your typical vampire story since the events never seems to be what you thought. Interesting detail that these vampires can still have children, thus ‘living’ families. And they eat, get cold, etc. But they do turn into terrible flying bats!
Footnote: 1) FYI. I was unable to find these books except on Amazon for $10, but I got the PB’s on eBay for about $1 each.
2) Sometimes I wonder why people bother to get luxurious, expensive suites when they only see and use the bed and none of the other features (TV, patio, kitchette, etc.).
3) It was nice to see Darius explain to Daphne that he couldn’t tell her all his secrets, much as he might want to because it would be betraying the trust of others. Not that they don’t trust you, but sometimes there are not you’re secrets to tell. It might be for your own safety, national security or something else. And sometimes you have a personal secret that you’d never tell anyone or it’s better off they don’t know.
Fave scenes: Mar Mar’s visit, Daphne’s answering machine messages, saving Gunther and swimming in Newark Bay.
February 18, 2018
The basic concept is a female vampire gets forced to become a spy. She wears name brand clothes and expensive jewelry. The story contains a lot of over-used tropes like a dog barking in the distance and an owl hooting at just the right moments, but manages to retain its readability anyway. Except for the graphic sex scenes, this is a book for younger readers, who haven't been spoiled by the excellent writers I've been reading for the past 30 years. I hope the author will improve as she continues to write, and that less than stellar comments like this one will not deter her from future endeavors.
August 21, 2018
Another older title I had waiting to be read from the time I "devoured" PNR and UF after discovering the genre.
I actually liked this one, it had enough elements to be a compelling story. However, the main characters aren't that amazing and I don't feel I'm missing a lot by not reading anymore. Sadly, this was a first person narrator and since the heroine isn't as captivating as I imagined, it wasn't always interesting to have her thoughts despite how quick I managed to read this (it helped I had the time to just turn the pages).
I actually liked this one, it had enough elements to be a compelling story. However, the main characters aren't that amazing and I don't feel I'm missing a lot by not reading anymore. Sadly, this was a first person narrator and since the heroine isn't as captivating as I imagined, it wasn't always interesting to have her thoughts despite how quick I managed to read this (it helped I had the time to just turn the pages).
July 24, 2020
To much detailed description and famous name branding. Not enough detail where it should be. I'll read the second book because I already have it but I won't be wasting money on the rest of the series.
May 29, 2025
I really liked it. Although not an author I usually look for Ms.Russe does an excellent job of keeping the reader intrigued and adding detail to draw the reader in and make them privy to things that the main characters have yet to realize.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
December 30, 2021
To be honest I couldn't even get past chapter 5.
December 27, 2025
A vampire fighting terrorists for the US government. Pass.
I didn't even make it half way through this one.
I didn't even make it half way through this one.
November 9, 2013
Daphne Urban hat es nicht leicht. Nicht nur, dass sie ein Vampir ist und schon längerem - in sexueller Hinsicht - auf dem Trockenen. Als wäre das nicht schon schlimm genug, findet sie sich plötzlich beim FBI wieder, mit der Bedingung, entweder sie hilft denen und steht auf deren Seite oder sie findet auf der Stelle den Tod.
Daphne stimmt natürlich zu und so lautet ihr erster Auftrag, einen skrupellosen Waffenhändler zu beschatten. Schon bei ihrem ersten Weg zu besagtem Waffehändler, hat sie das Gefühl verfolgt zu werden und trifft recht bald auf Darius.
Darius ermittelt ebenso gegen den Waffenhändler, hat allerdings so einen umwerfenden Charme, dass Daphne ihm recht schnell erliegt.
Eigentlich spräche nicht mal etwas dagegen, immerhin darf auch eine Vampirin sich verlieben oder Sex haben, aber als ihr "Chef" J ihr erzählt, wer oder eher was Darius wirklich ist, geraten all die letzten Wochen in ein völlig anderes Licht und nicht nur Daphnes Mission gerät in große Gefahr.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin hat mich eigentlich recht gut gefallen, auch wenn ich anfangs ein paar Schwierigkeiten hatte, ins Buch zu finden, wobei ich nicht mal genau sagen kann, woran das lag.
Daphne war und ist ein Charakter, welchen ich nur schwer einschätzen konnte, aber dafür, dass sie sich so schon lange durchs "Leben" geschlagen hat, dafür dass sie schon so viel erlebt hat, ging mir ihr Selbstmitleid manchmal echt auf die Nerven.
Obwohl sie sich zu ihm hingezogen fühlt, spürt und merkt sie deutlich, dass Darius nicht nur ein Geheimnis mit sich rumzutragen scheint, auch wenn er da wahrlich nicht der einzige ist.
J... ja, J war ein Charakter, mit dem ich eigentlich so gar nichts anfangen konnte, zumal ich es ein wenig .. sagen wir, verwunderlich fand, dass sich eine so alte und starke Vampirin, von jemandem wie J etwas sagen lässt und ihm quasi aus der Hand frisst, auch wenn sich das im Laufe des Buches gibt und J und sie sich sogar ein bisschen auf mehr oder weniger freundschaftlicher Ebene annähern.
Das Verhältnis zwischen J und Darius war mir bis zum Ende hin des Buches auch nicht gerade schlüssig und die Ausreden, die J teilweise benutzt hat, um Daphne von Darius fernzuhalten, fand ich an manchen Stellen auch echt unpassend.
Zum Ende selbst werde ich nichts preisgeben, denn ich muss ehrlich sagen, dass es mich dort doch schon etwas überrascht hat, gerade auch, was das Verhältnis zwishen Darius und Daphne betrifft.
Es ist zwar ein Buch, was man zwischendurch lesen kann, welches auch das eine oder andere Mal zum Schmunzeln anregt, aber was mich selbst betrifft, werde ich mir die Folgebände - welches inzwischen schon 5 Stück sind - nicht zulegen... glaube ich zumindest.
2/5 Herbstblätter, für diese kurzweilige Unterhaltung, welche mich jedoch nicht überzeugt hat.
Daphne stimmt natürlich zu und so lautet ihr erster Auftrag, einen skrupellosen Waffenhändler zu beschatten. Schon bei ihrem ersten Weg zu besagtem Waffehändler, hat sie das Gefühl verfolgt zu werden und trifft recht bald auf Darius.
Darius ermittelt ebenso gegen den Waffenhändler, hat allerdings so einen umwerfenden Charme, dass Daphne ihm recht schnell erliegt.
Eigentlich spräche nicht mal etwas dagegen, immerhin darf auch eine Vampirin sich verlieben oder Sex haben, aber als ihr "Chef" J ihr erzählt, wer oder eher was Darius wirklich ist, geraten all die letzten Wochen in ein völlig anderes Licht und nicht nur Daphnes Mission gerät in große Gefahr.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin hat mich eigentlich recht gut gefallen, auch wenn ich anfangs ein paar Schwierigkeiten hatte, ins Buch zu finden, wobei ich nicht mal genau sagen kann, woran das lag.
Daphne war und ist ein Charakter, welchen ich nur schwer einschätzen konnte, aber dafür, dass sie sich so schon lange durchs "Leben" geschlagen hat, dafür dass sie schon so viel erlebt hat, ging mir ihr Selbstmitleid manchmal echt auf die Nerven.
Obwohl sie sich zu ihm hingezogen fühlt, spürt und merkt sie deutlich, dass Darius nicht nur ein Geheimnis mit sich rumzutragen scheint, auch wenn er da wahrlich nicht der einzige ist.
J... ja, J war ein Charakter, mit dem ich eigentlich so gar nichts anfangen konnte, zumal ich es ein wenig .. sagen wir, verwunderlich fand, dass sich eine so alte und starke Vampirin, von jemandem wie J etwas sagen lässt und ihm quasi aus der Hand frisst, auch wenn sich das im Laufe des Buches gibt und J und sie sich sogar ein bisschen auf mehr oder weniger freundschaftlicher Ebene annähern.
Das Verhältnis zwischen J und Darius war mir bis zum Ende hin des Buches auch nicht gerade schlüssig und die Ausreden, die J teilweise benutzt hat, um Daphne von Darius fernzuhalten, fand ich an manchen Stellen auch echt unpassend.
Zum Ende selbst werde ich nichts preisgeben, denn ich muss ehrlich sagen, dass es mich dort doch schon etwas überrascht hat, gerade auch, was das Verhältnis zwishen Darius und Daphne betrifft.
Es ist zwar ein Buch, was man zwischendurch lesen kann, welches auch das eine oder andere Mal zum Schmunzeln anregt, aber was mich selbst betrifft, werde ich mir die Folgebände - welches inzwischen schon 5 Stück sind - nicht zulegen... glaube ich zumindest.
2/5 Herbstblätter, für diese kurzweilige Unterhaltung, welche mich jedoch nicht überzeugt hat.
January 13, 2011
Loved this from the book, Darius said,"...I intend to seduce you and love you as certain dark things are to be loved, between the shadow and the soul. I want to find the hidden places within you like a traveler following twisting roads through the mountains that lead higher and higher till they vanish in the clouds."
Loved the quotes:
"What looks like an appealing offer may not be." A Fortune cookie's fortune
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Churchill
"Let they love in kisses rain; on my lips and eyelids pale." The Indian Serenade" by Percy Bysshe Shelly
"Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet." William Butler Yeats
In the field by the river my love and I did stand, And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand. She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs; But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears. "Billy" Yeats
"Cruelty has a human heart, and jealousy a human face." William Blake
"The best laid schemes o' mice and men; Gang aft a-gley,;And leave us naught but grief and pain; For promised joy." Robert Burns
"Fallen flowers do not go back to the branch." Zen saying
"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere; The ceremony of innocence is drowned";"; The best lack all conviction, while the worst; Are full of passionate intensity." W. b. Yeats
If you ca look into the seeds of time; And say which grain will grow and; which will not,;Speak then to me..." Shakespeare Banquo, Macbeth, Act I, scence 3
"Nothing ever becomes real till it is;experienced." John Keats
"Everything is determined, the beginning as well;as the end, by forces over which we have no; control. It is determined for the insect as well as; for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or; cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune,; intoned in the distance by an invisible piper." Albert Einstein
"Consciousness determines existence.;Cogito, ergo sum." Descartes
Loved the quotes:
"What looks like an appealing offer may not be." A Fortune cookie's fortune
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Churchill
"Let they love in kisses rain; on my lips and eyelids pale." The Indian Serenade" by Percy Bysshe Shelly
"Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet." William Butler Yeats
In the field by the river my love and I did stand, And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand. She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs; But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears. "Billy" Yeats
"Cruelty has a human heart, and jealousy a human face." William Blake
"The best laid schemes o' mice and men; Gang aft a-gley,;And leave us naught but grief and pain; For promised joy." Robert Burns
"Fallen flowers do not go back to the branch." Zen saying
"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere; The ceremony of innocence is drowned";"; The best lack all conviction, while the worst; Are full of passionate intensity." W. b. Yeats
If you ca look into the seeds of time; And say which grain will grow and; which will not,;Speak then to me..." Shakespeare Banquo, Macbeth, Act I, scence 3
"Nothing ever becomes real till it is;experienced." John Keats
"Everything is determined, the beginning as well;as the end, by forces over which we have no; control. It is determined for the insect as well as; for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or; cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune,; intoned in the distance by an invisible piper." Albert Einstein
"Consciousness determines existence.;Cogito, ergo sum." Descartes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2009
Either I've started BtP before or there's another book out there with a vaguely similar plot. With vampires, really, you can never tell.
That said, there's a lot going for BtP. The idea is interesting: After 9/11, the government decides to secretly recruit vampires. And by recruit, I mean make them choose between serving their country or dying. Immediately. Daphne falls for the wrong guys, has spent her considerably long life doing nothing of great importance, and is finally given a chance to do something, anything. Her mother is sneakier than she initially appears and the vampire angle itself is fairly unusual.
Certain phrases fall flat and sound more than a bit hokey, certain characters appear flat and stereotypical, and really, I've yet to meet many a straight guy who can say, perfectly seriously, "Girlfriend..." without at least cracking up afterward. Most of the time the characters never sound... real, and that's essential no matter what genre you're writing for.
Also, I'm still not sure what to make of the wink-wink-nudge mention of Louis and Lestat. But that might thrill some people.
That said, there's a lot going for BtP. The idea is interesting: After 9/11, the government decides to secretly recruit vampires. And by recruit, I mean make them choose between serving their country or dying. Immediately. Daphne falls for the wrong guys, has spent her considerably long life doing nothing of great importance, and is finally given a chance to do something, anything. Her mother is sneakier than she initially appears and the vampire angle itself is fairly unusual.
Certain phrases fall flat and sound more than a bit hokey, certain characters appear flat and stereotypical, and really, I've yet to meet many a straight guy who can say, perfectly seriously, "Girlfriend..." without at least cracking up afterward. Most of the time the characters never sound... real, and that's essential no matter what genre you're writing for.
Also, I'm still not sure what to make of the wink-wink-nudge mention of Louis and Lestat. But that might thrill some people.
January 13, 2013
This was my second time reading this book. It was sitting on my bookshelf and I forgot that I had already read it. I started reading it and realized things were familiar. I went ahead and read the book again since I couldn't remember what happened in it.
It had a pretty strong plot. The main character is a vampire and is recruited by a secret government agency to do a spy job.. Another spy comes into the picture that is following the same guy that she is helping spy on. They end up joining forces against the advice of her supervisor. Lots of stuff happens and then the book ends. :)
One thing that bothered me was the attitude of the author toward being pale. Several comments were made throughout the book to the effect that being pale is nasty.
Also, a lot of detail was put into the book about exactly what people are wearing. Lots of designer brand name dropping... I found myself skipping paragraphs when it started describing clothes bc I could care less about exactly what every article of clothing the character is wearing looks like, much less designer brand names and such.
Overall, a decent book. I'll probably look into reading other books in the series.
It had a pretty strong plot. The main character is a vampire and is recruited by a secret government agency to do a spy job.. Another spy comes into the picture that is following the same guy that she is helping spy on. They end up joining forces against the advice of her supervisor. Lots of stuff happens and then the book ends. :)
One thing that bothered me was the attitude of the author toward being pale. Several comments were made throughout the book to the effect that being pale is nasty.
Also, a lot of detail was put into the book about exactly what people are wearing. Lots of designer brand name dropping... I found myself skipping paragraphs when it started describing clothes bc I could care less about exactly what every article of clothing the character is wearing looks like, much less designer brand names and such.
Overall, a decent book. I'll probably look into reading other books in the series.
July 28, 2012
Okay, okay... vampires fighting terrorists is a bit silly. Savannah Russe should have done a LOT more research on criminal investigations to make the action believable. The vampires just wander around sleeping with and sharing information with suspects, not checking in, not filing reports, and not doing the basic investigative procedures you'd find in any cop show. In the first chapter mysterious government agents attack Daphne and force her to work for them or die while giving her an inane speech about duty and having a purpose in life. It was ridiculous so I can understand the negative reviews, but keep reading. The novel gets better.
The characters are well-written. The heroine's blend of depression and sass are fascinating (I'm a devotee of sarcasm). Daphne's mother is delightful, though the lack of back story was frustrating. This novel has several plot holes, but if you can suspend your disbelief, it is quite entertaining.
The characters are well-written. The heroine's blend of depression and sass are fascinating (I'm a devotee of sarcasm). Daphne's mother is delightful, though the lack of back story was frustrating. This novel has several plot holes, but if you can suspend your disbelief, it is quite entertaining.
November 24, 2010
When I first saw this book I saw that it was in the new book section and since it was about vampires I am usually in and when I read the synopsis I thought that this would be a great sci fi adventure book but little did I know that it was also an adult book lol so when I got to the first heated section which didnt take long, I was like ... OOOOOOOoo!! But by that time I was already invested in the characters and the story line and I loved it!I thought it was cleaver how they put vamps in a covert agency of the government for terrorism! But not only that you follow this woman who was a vampire, sexy, smart but fell for the wrong men and a bad boy magnet in many ways and is trying to find love and how that would fit with her new career but with her being immortal, a love that last is always that something that has alluded her and I loved learning her back story of pass loves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2013
I think, in addition to my "Did Not Finish" shelf, I should also include a "Could Not Cope" shelf.
After all, purely in honour of this book, I created a "Horrendous Mary-Sueing" shelf, and a "Dear Gods, Please Kill Me Now" shelf.
Which should probably tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about my experience with this book.
I'm not going to go into long, drawn out detail about why this book... errr... "did not work" for me. If you'd like to know a few of my specific issues, check out my status updates below.
Or check out any of the other one-star reviews from other readers. Because I didn't see anything in them that I'd disagree with.
Sorry, Ms Russe. I do not think I am the target market for your books.
I believe I shall be donating Books #2 and #3 to my local library. Or something.
After all, purely in honour of this book, I created a "Horrendous Mary-Sueing" shelf, and a "Dear Gods, Please Kill Me Now" shelf.
Which should probably tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about my experience with this book.
I'm not going to go into long, drawn out detail about why this book... errr... "did not work" for me. If you'd like to know a few of my specific issues, check out my status updates below.
Or check out any of the other one-star reviews from other readers. Because I didn't see anything in them that I'd disagree with.
Sorry, Ms Russe. I do not think I am the target market for your books.
I believe I shall be donating Books #2 and #3 to my local library. Or something.
April 9, 2010
ok so this book had me mixed - it took a long time to get to the point and then there were things that were a bit unbelievable in the character development - ie Darius. There were moments where I just didn't like any of the characters and I never felt that urgency to get to the next revelation like I have with other authers. There also wasn't anything that left me thinking about the next one - speculation and dissection is something that I enjoy with a series and i just didn't get it from this one. But I still ended up enjoying the whole thing and would read it again and continue with the series. I liked the moral at the end and the empowerment the author tried to give the reader - right on sister!
January 23, 2011
She is a 450 year old vampire and Uncle Sam wants her. This is another of the new silly vampire stories coming around now-a-days. The problem is that these books are not written very well and they have a lot to be desired. The writing is silly, the characters are weak and the whole book suffers from amateurism. She is forced to spy for the CIA and she falls in love with a vampire killer who in the end she bites him to keep him alive and he hates her for it. Then she jumps to the cranky supervisor who is the real catch. The sex was yummy and most of the secondary characters are interesting. This kind of vampire is interesting. They can fly with big wings, they can eat food, they’re not very strong, and they don’t have very many special gifts. The mother is a hoot.
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