The Blood That Bonds

The II AM Trilogy #1

by Christopher Buecheler

Two is trapped: hooked on heroin and forced to sell her body to feed the addiction. Her vampire lover Theroen can lift her from this dark life, but his plans conflict with those of the dangerous elder Abraham, to whom he is bonded by both blood and a long-held promise. Two enters a world of darkness, violence, and despair. She must fight for freedom, both for herself and for those she loves.

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Ebooks

637 pages, Nook

First published July 15, 2009

About the author

Christopher Buecheler has written ten novels and published five. He is also a web developer, a musician, an illustrator, a mixologist, and a fan of video games and the NBA.

He lives a semi-nomadic existence with his wonderful wife Charlotte and their two cats, Carbomb and Baron Salvatore H. Lynx II. Currently they reside in Providence, RI.

You can visit him at http://www.cwbwriting.com

Reviews

[Hail Hydra! ~Dave Anderson~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The decision is made between the flare of the match, and the cigarette’s last dying ember. Under the moon and the stars, it’s so much harder to lie to herself than it is under the sun. She wants what once was offered. What once she had. There are others, and they are out there, living the life she wants, knowing the power of the blood, moving their way through the cities and towns and woods of the world.

Two sits, and smokes, and smiles through her tears. There are others. They are out there. She knows it.

[Mena Grazie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It is the tale of a human prostitute and addict with an unusual name who finds redemption in a vampire's love. Like most vampire stories, it is one of death and rebirth and the emotional ties which endure for lifetimes. It is the story of survival and finding reasons to go on, even in the midst of despair.

Two, for all her flaws and frailties, makes an interesting anti-heroine. She does not want to be a heroine at all. She wants to lose herself in dreaming, in needs and in love. Instead, she finds that dreams and love and even needs can be shattered past all repairing. It is a hard lesson. Rather than emerge from it calloused and cold, Two emerges with a family, perhaps more than one. She finds the strength not only for revenge on those who shattered her dreams, but to survive and save others. One can't help wondering what happens to her in a future only hinted at in the epilogue.

Abraham is the monster, the villain all vampires threaten to be. Cold, uncaring, selfish and deadly, his power, both as an ancient vampire and as an individual of great wealth is immense. Like most men of power, however, he has lost touch with his children though he will not let them go. They are his, as much as his art collection and library are.

Readers can't help feeling sorry for Theroen and Melissa. They are tragic figures caught in a game they have little hope of winning. The idea of a priest becoming a vampire is intriguing. So is the concept of someone developing multiple personalities (or going feral as Tori does) as a result of the Turning process. I also liked the idea that if the Maker/Sire vampire is destroyed within a certain amount of time, say 50 years or so, of making a new vampire, that vampire will revert to being human.

The author shows flashes of brilliance. Unfortunately, these are camouflaged by a great deal of extraneous detail and some poor editing. There are jarring typos and errors which spoil the spell of disbelief. It is also too long (974 pages on my iPod) though I read it over the course of a couple of days, so it is a very fast read. I must admit, I skipped ahead in a few places, but then I often do, even in books I love. Maybe that's why books are always fresh to me, even when I've read them before. It's a good read for distraction, something you can pick up and put down without really interrupting the flow. A good beach book.

[Pia · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Her name was Two, and she sometimes thought she could smell her death, blowing in from the cemetery that lay south of her building in East New York. Sometimes she even hoped for it. Stinking, muttering, moldering death. Cold and dark."

It was a great start. I was pulled into Two's world of heroin addiction, a vicious pimp, and selling her body simply to survive.

Then a mysterious client requests her for what she assumes is a typical night of sex.

From there, The Blood that Bonds becomes your typical vampire story. (I read 35% and then skimmed another 10%.) After Two is kidnapped from her pimp by the client, the story devolves to cliche ancient vampires that have too much money, revel in blood and sex, and have an elitist attitude.

I had hoped we'd see more of that first chapter - the pain, the struggle - but no, this is a Cinderella story, but without any explanation as to why the prince fell for poor little Ella.

[Nicole Nixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted SO bad to like this book.

It was free on Kindle and when I read the description and glanced at the reviews (I only really scan the star ratings) I was siked. I LOVE Vampire novels written by men. (Ala Charlie Huston) Men have a way of making the (possible) love between a mortal and a Vampire make sense. Women go for the old, every girl likes the bad boy they think will change for them. Men, not so much.

I thought ahh ha! She was a drug addict and prostitute, of course loving a Vampire would make sense Stockholm syndrome something like that. Somehow the author took that no-brainer of a plot and made it senseless. They are in love about 30 seconds after meeting. I was literally sitting jaw dropped like “really?!? Wtf?!?” How and when did that happen? The heroine bounced back and forth between a hardened street urchin to a whiney and love struck little girl. It made no sense.

And how like a man to think that he can give her an orgasm (which lacked detail imo btw) and she will instantly fall in love. She was a prostitute. I imagine it would have taken her a bit longer to get past some things.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this plot. I really do. I felt like the story got away from the author, like perhaps his brain was working faster than he could type and there was no one there to properly edit or add and delete and line up his story. It was disjointed. He would have me really interested and liking the style and then wham! Jump around to something that made no sense.

I, by no means think this author is lacking in talent. I think it’s just the opposite. He has the makings of a very good vampire writer, but he needs honest back up. Someone who is not afraid to tell him when to cut the story back and what does and does not work. The bones of this story are very good. But for instance the bit about Two liking art seemed random and disjointed. I think I am using disjointed for the second or third time in this review. That is why I am NOT a writer. But that does sum up my feelings about this book. Disjointed. Get it together and I could be a rampant fan. Nothing better than Vampire love stories that actually include sex. :-)

Ohh and I am all for crazy names, but Two was difficult to read as a name.
Charlie Huston

[Penelope Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stared to read this then ended up in tears at 3am, and unable to sleep even though I had to get up and go to work the next morning. Interestingly, the cover did not appeal to me, and I downloaded it on a whim on my way home from work. It’s choppy in some places, but a good read. I liked how raw Buecheler was in describing the complicated relationship between sex and blood. The ending was not so hot (in my opinion), but that’s because I’m a helpless romantic, and like my endings full of love and hope…blah, blah soppy stuff. That said, the writing was engaging enough for me to look forward to reading the sequel, which I hope will be out soon...

[Louise Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 11am Trilogy, Book 1

Two is trapped: hooked on heroin, held as property, forced to sell her body to feed her addiction. Time brings her even closer to what seems an inevitable death and Two waits, uncaring, longing for the next fix. That's when Theroen arrives beckoning to his Ferrari and grinning his inscrutable grin. He is handsome. Confident. Eager to lift her out of the life that's grinding her down. The only problem? Theroen is a vampire.

The pace is steady to begin with, then it takes a dip in the middle and the pace is slow, then it gets steady again. With the main characters being vampires, it actually concentrates more on the feelings of the characters rather than vampire stories usual blood lust. This is a love story with some humour. Not my usual type of read, but strangely, I quite enjoyed it. Just a pity about the dip in the middle.

#FreeKindleBook

[BookMarc · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Blood That Bonds' is a vampire novel with more than an element of romance to it that reads as a little bit more old school than say, the Night Huntress series.
Like the Night Huntress series, and most vampire novels these days, it has a major love interest between the story's two most prominent characters. The female of the couple, Two, starts out the story as a drug addicted prostitute before being converted by the ancient vampire Theroen. I can't say I cared too much for the names of the two main characters. Sure, they're different from the normal names you see in vampire novels but I never really took to them, particularly Two. Another aspect I couldn't take to was the cover of the book. It looked too much like the cover of a 70s horror B-movie and didn't do the novel any favors at all as it's much more refined and intellectual than what the cover suggests.
If you were to judge this book from the first chapter then you wouldn't think it was a vampire novel at all (unless you seen the cover of course) as it very much concentrates on introducing Two and the horrible life she leads. At the mercy of heroin, and reliant upon her pimp to supply it, Two's life is one of dejection and despair. The despair is portrayed very well and when Theroen enters the story and shows Two a wealthier and more opulent standard of living it's easy to see why she quickly falls for his charm and falls in love. Likewise, Theroen falls in love with Two although there was an aspect of Theroen also being that father figure that Two never had and thus she falls for a more emotionally mature male. I loved the relationship between Two and Theroen and much preferred their dynamic to that of the very popular Kat and Bones.
With Two's character being fleshed out from the beginning we're left with a series of story telling flashbacks to set the foundation for who Theroen is and how he came to be. While living as a priest Theroen is transformed into a vampire by Abraham which is an action that calls him to question everything he has believed. There's a very strong distinction in the name of Abraham to the Biblical figure of the same name and thus it was a very well chosen name for the character. Of course, with Theroen being a priest there are some good lines in this novel in relation to his faith. One such line spoken by Abraham being, "If ever your God was listening, little sheep, he has long since gone deaf."
As well as Abraham there are a couple of strong side characters who play a major part in this novel. Melissa/Missy who is a vampire with a split personality. Sometimes the evil Missy is in control and at other times it's Melissa. This was a very good way of creating suspense in the novel for her character could appear as either person and it kept her very interesting. The other main vampire character is Tori who is as much, if not more, animal than human. In that respect she is a vampire but one who has the raw brutality and demeanor of a werewolf that remains in its non-human form.
There are strong sexual elements throughout this novel, as arousal is often brought about from the desire that the vampires have to feed, but equally strong is the notion of love. At times the two are brought up in conversation and we are left in no doubt that Two and Theroen truly love each other even though their relationship is highly sexual such as when Theroen says, "Sex is sex. Love is love...love makes sex something more...sex without love is merely gratification. I love you Two."
I was actually loving this novel until 75% of the way through (yes, I read it on my Kindle so I know the exact percentage) and then there's a story changing moment that totally changes the whole direction of the book. I'm not sure as to why the author chose the direction he did but I really do believe 100% that it was the wrong way to go. I think I could have lived with that moment being the end of the book but the fact it happens with a quarter of the novel still remaining just had me baffled. Even more so when taking into account that the final quarter of the novel is actually its weakest part.
The final quarter of the novel loses its way a bit and is a tad inconsistent. For instance there's a part where Tori gets out of a shower and is seen naked by a character named Sam. Sam complains about seeing more than she needed to. In itself that's fine except Sam has just witnessed the slaughter of two people with blood and guts everywhere. Why on earth would she be concerned about seeing another female get out of the shower with the carnage she just witnessed? Didn't really make sense to me and pulled me out of the novel. Another example of the novel losing its way in the final quarter when Two states it would take a nuclear bomb to kill Abraham. Earlier in the novel she mentioned the same thing to Theroen and he told her that wouldn't work without getting into details as to why. So as she knew that already why even say it again even if it was meant in jest?
The ending of the story wraps everything up into a neat little package and gives the reader a positive, if somewhat timid, finish to the novel. It's difficult to go into the faults of what transpires at the end without giving the ending away but I will say I found it too unrealistic and the reasoning used, in relation to what happens, was about as strong as wet paper.
It's a shame I felt the way I did about the final quarter of the novel as up until then this novel was a definite winner and I would have rated it higher. Given the way it panned out in the last quarter I feel I have to drop the rating down a little.

[Carina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had potential to be a great story. It had promise of being something different, new and exciting. But it wasn't.
The first 2 chapters were really good. It sets you up for something that looks to be a great story, but from there it falls flat, predictable and a tad boring. I was still hopeful, so I kept reading.

There is no climax really. The conflict is obvious but it doesn't reach that high and it doesn't get your adrenaline pumping, like it should.
Two and Theroen are... non-beliabable. They "fall for each other" too quickly and their "romance" is somewhat vague and un-interesting. Sometimes it feels like Theroen is still in love with an old flame, that he won't let go of. And others he's all about Two. Rather confussing if you ask me. Also he sounds very cold at times(like robotic cold) and others he's warm and nice. <---Contradiction much? I think so.
Sometimes they were hot and others cold, I just couldn't connect with them. Not even when Theroen sacrificed him self. I didn't really care much. It bugged me a little that they didn't get a HEA if that counts.

I hate it, when I come across a book with such potential to be great, well at least good. And its all a big lie.
*Sigh* I'm not even sure if I'll bother reading the rest of the series.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a clean and sanitized Twilight-esque vampire novel, nor is a sweet romance where the vampires never kill people. Instead it is a dark, gritty novel. The main character starts out the novel as a prostitute, unwillingly hooked on drugs so that she becomes a virtual slave to her pimp. The vampire we know best doesn’t think twice about killing people, although he doesn’t have to do so to survive. Yet, despite that I enjoyed reading the story. The author doesn’t explain much of anything about his vampires (ie: where vampires come from, how their society is organized, etc) and left me thirsting for the next novel, hoping to find out more about these things.
This isn’t really a novel I would generally pick up. However, the author gives it away (as do Barnes and Noble and a few other sellers) just to get his work to his audience, and really, who turns down a free book? I’m glad I read it though, because I really did enjoy it.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting to me. I think, because it is written by a male, and because it is just very different. It does not end with the happiest of endings ... but that's one of the reasons that makes this book interesting. It was written differently as well ... not bad per se but the author certainly has a different writing style. It did have more than the average amount of typos, but they were words that just had an extra letter or a forgotten letter. I am really at a lose of words on how to describe this book. It is dark, which I look for at times, but it did not hold the romance that I was looking forward too either. There is a very short lived romance. The story was not predictable at all ... there were times (more during the second half of the book) where I was wondering where the story would go from here, which kept me reading. I was not thrilled with the book, but I have to give the author kudos for writing a book that is off the beaten path.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating and review takes in to consideration that I got this book for free from iBooks. Why must this be a part of the criteria, well it is because of one word, "editing". I've read several free iBooks and for most novels; editing, grammar, and word usage are extremely poor. The Blood That Bonds seems to be an exception to this sad fate.

The characters are well written and their voices are defined. The story isn't new or fantastic but it was entertaining and you cared for the protagonist. The author was able to give us readers a solid sense of what the setting and who the players were through very precise and imaginative words.

I believe that Buecheler's take on "elder vampires" is precisely correct and I wish more new novels would incorporate this view on them. Elder Vampires should be godlike in power. The older you are, the more powerful you become. I also enjoyed his initial stages of defining "blood hierarchy". This is yet another vision I would hope other novels would follow.

In the end, it is worth to grab simply because it is free, it won't drive you insane with poor editing, and it will entertain you through some nights.

[Jenni Hackler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mesmerizing read that intrigues you from almost the start to the end.
At 1st it was a wee bit slow but by the 2nd chapter, I was hooked.
If you are not used to jumping from current to the past view of characters, it may
confuse you only a wee bit to where you may need to re-read parts to understand
clearly. The ending caused a joyful/ caring relief but then at the same time,
wanting you to experience more of the main character. What will she do now?

I am a new fan of Christopher's now & am excited to follow thru with his writings &
his other talents & interests. It is wonderful to be able to see an author thru
regular, everyday events to know he/she is a real down-to-earth person. As I am finding
that Christopher doesn't mind sharing things in his life & let you get to know some of the
"real Him".
I would love to hear how he met his beautiful French wife sometime. Is that possible Chris? LOL!
Well, off to follow him on one of his hobbies that is one of mine as well... Brewing your own
beers & mixology. ;)

Thanx Christopher for "TBTB" & please inform me when I can get a hold of "Blood Hunt".

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty, very original take on the vampire saga. Loved the characters, loved the idea.

It fell a little short in some of the details. . . the idea of the 'change back' sort of left me out. I know it's silly to say when you're discussing something ridiculously implausible, but I just didn't feel the idea of being able to become human again was workable. How long do you need to be a vampire for it to 'take'? Is it good only as long as your 'maker' is 'alive'? When a maker dies, do all his progeny revert? When I read something like this, that's where my mind goes, and in this book, that's one of the things that made me crawl out of Mr. Buecheler's world and sit back in my own.

The ending was a little too sappy and tied up, but I LOVE the idea of a sequel. If he spends time on the development of the whole thing, and keeps his details in focus, the next book will be a home run for sure.

[Tammy Chase · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two, ( That really is her name.), is a hooker addicted to heroin. She has a mean pimp. A vampire sees her and decides to turn her for himself. He loves her for no apparent reason. His master/father doesn't like this. and so on....

The books reads about as smoothly as my review so far. The author may as well called me up on the phone to droll on about his book. I felt like I was waiting for the actual story to start while being introduced to two dimensional characters.

Even her transformation to vampire, where we all know is like a body lift and plastic surgery gone epic, is anti-climatic. She has better skin and her eyes glow but she still is an addict with no personality.

I skimmed big time.

Finally near the end I saw a glimpse of potential to this story. I have to say that book two in this series could possibly be a lot better. I am currently trying to convince myself to put in on my TBR shelf. I'm sure if I drink a couple Gin and Juices I will.

[Kitty Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"THE BLOOD THAT BONDS" BY CHRISTOPHER BUECHELER

A Vampire's need for a companion takes a heroin addicted hooker by the name of "Two" off the streets and into the realm of nightmares. Though Theroen had given her a new life, Two is having a hard time adjusting but learns quickly how to handle the change and seeks to help the other girls that are trapped by the pimp Darren.

This story is well-written and has a bite that most fans of the supernatural will enjoy. While I did enjoy the story it was just a little of too much the same for me. Another basic Vampire falls in love with girl, girl becomes his companion, and eventually gets revenge on the ones that always treated her badly. If you enjoy this type of story you will definitely enjoy this book. I do recommend giving it a read.

Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud


Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.probo...

[Kay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it about half way through the book and decided not to finish it. Maybe I will pick it up again later, but it is doubtful. I actually liked the main character and the the concept of the book. I think it definitely had potential. What I did not like was the relationship between Two and Theron. Basically, he bites her, takes her home, helps her over her addiction and suddenly she is in love with him. It just didn't work for me. There was no relationship building for me and I feel that she did not know Theoron well enough to fall in love with him. I was getting to some more back story about Theoron but found that I just wasn't interested in continuing at that point and did not care enough to learn more about him. I still think it was a good concept and it was written well, I just couldn't get into the characters and the relationship between them.

[Beth Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some parts of the book that annoyed me just a litle, but for the most part I was so engrossed, I lost track of time. Yes, some parts were a bit choppy, but with the drug-addicted lead character, it makes sense. Buecheler adds interest to the vampire literature genre with a different perspective.

The ending just plain p*ssed me off, and that means it was a great book to read...considering I got so wrapped up in the story enough to evoke an emotion. I know not all stories end with butterflies and rainbows...but Theoren being killed in such little time aggravated me.

I'm extremely interested in reading more from this author and I certainly hope that there is a continuation of this story, because that one left me with absolutely no closure!

[Leah Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT
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Well, it kept me interested all through the day i read it in :') couldnt put it down.
BUT i'm a soppy romantic so i was not happy with Theroen dying :( hopefully he will miraculously come back in the sequel (yn)
I also would have liked a little more love between Theroen and Two, especially because of the whole Lisette thing. It made me feel like Two was just a replacement :/
But it still hooked me in, more realistic (as vampire stories go) people relate it to true blood but i think its better :) just dont tell my sister because she would kill me if she knew i just said that :S read it ;)

[Chella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the book started off great and had me hooked, for me, it started to go downhill after a few chapters. I found myself searching for another read. I am glad I didn't. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. By the end of the book I couldn't wait to read book II. The story of Two's life before Theron is sadly of one we hear too often, but what a ride it was after! I wouldn't consider this book a horror at all. No doubt one of fantasy and definately one worth the read.

[Jeffrey Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, long chapters

Good story yet hard to put down due to the length of the chapters. Good use of characterizations. Nice plot.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not like to give such poor ratings, but this book was abysmal. The writing was static and the storyline uninspired. The characters were very one dimensional. First of all, what kind of name is Two. While I was glad she was able to overcome her drug addiction and save Molly and Tori, but she was so whiny and pathetic whenever she was alone that it made her very unlikable. Secondly, what kind of book has an ending where there's no happily ever after for the main character? She falls in love, overcomes drugs and prostitution and then he's killed and that's it; no happy ending just Two deciding she wants to be a vampire again. Please. I felt like this book was a waste of my time. Thank goodness it was a free ebook! That was the best part of about the story.

[Kenya Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really a great book. I'm surprised because it started off really tragic, but the entire time I rooted for the main character. I would have given it five stars but I took away a star for three reasons (without giving away the story).

One- The romance's begining could have started more realistically. I understood why Two was head over heels but not why Theoron was.

Two- The name Two was pretty dumb. I think the author could have been a bit more creative. It was confusing a few times.

Three- I didn't like the tragic ending, but everything can't always be perfectly worked out. So its more of a personal preference.

There is suppose to be a sequel so I will be reading that.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book, sort of. I think the author has a way to go in terms of the quality of his prose and dialogue. The main character of "Two" (silly name & also it tripped me up while reading) really needed more development. She just sort went with the flow, really made no choices of her own, not until the very end. I don't think the author should have picked a woman for his main character because I'm not convinced he knows how they think.

[liirogue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out really good - Buecheler did a great job of bringing the character Two alive. But as soon as she hooks up with the vampire Theoroen, it all falls apart. All of their interactions, and the entire Theoroen character, are surreal and oddly detached. The ending sucked me right back in - so much so that I might consider reading a sequel.

[Sillylittlefishey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought the concept was different...getting a girl of the streets off of drugs and out of prostitution and into a life of love with a vampire. It had potential but I found the story was boring as the writing got pretty long-winded at times. And the ending was taking your right into the next book, but it didn't compel me to want to read it.

[Harvantebell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the book starts off very well pulling you into "two's" life and struggle with het addiction to heroin and being g pimped it made me want to cheer her on so see this wonderful story to the end to see how it would end....An I must say im very pleased

[Julie Fain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for free for my Nook E-reader and I didn't expect much... but it way exceeded expectation! Great read and I can't wait for the sequel!

[Oleander · Rating 1 out of 5]

didn't finish. too dark and too boring

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a vampire romance with literary ambitions, and it is quite well written despite a few editorial issues. There are moments of intriguing imagery and some religious cogitations, but generally this novel follows the norm of the genre: flashbacks, lovers’ debates, anime-style battle speeches, and good old fighting. At least it’s not first person, present tense, to build up ersatz tension.

There are good bits and bad bits, but they add up to a good read overall.

As to the bad:

- The protagonist’s name, Two, is a silly, distracting conceit. It’s meant to underline the squalor of her backstory, but it’s really too much, especially once she has escaped her past.

- As to that squalor, the sheer excess of Two’s backstory (abuse, abandonment, prostitution, addiction, slavery) is counterproductive. The story ponders the allure of a luxurious “life” as a vampire over a horrendous existence as a human, but “choosing” immortality, power, and wealth, to escape such extreme circumstances isn’t really a choice. Had the protagonist come from a secure and happy background, “choosing” a vampire’s existence would be far more intriguing.

- And as to the element of choice, is there truly one? Two goes from one form of addiction to another, one dominant male to another, without protest. That passivity eliminates any discussion of consent or volition. Neither Melissa / Missy nor Tori had any choice in becoming vampires. Discussion of choice in those circumstances is rather uncomfortable. Theroen was also offered a choice of sorts when he was turned, but the same lack of true volition applied.

- The insta-love between Two and Theroen is unbelievable as well as creepy, but conventional in a vampire romance. However, the slower romance between Theroen and Lisette, told in flashback, is by far the more interesting story. Why bother with boring, passive Two when we have sassy, tragic Lisette?

- Vampires as vigilantes, preying only on the wicked? Too convenient. But then, to dismiss the choice of victim as something that “doesn’t matter” skirts around a whole story-worthy debate of what it means to be a conscious predator.

- So much more could have been made of Theroen as a fallen priest. His return to goodness under Lisette’s tutelage is just too simple.

As to the good:

- Melissa / Missy and Tori are intriguing characters, as “failed” vampires, damaged by the turn process. They are far more interesting than Two, who in turn is at her most interesting in their presence.

- Abraham is nicely threatening and deeply evil, a well-presented demiurge of darkness. Undeniably the best character, if one of the least used.

- The concept that a vampire can return to human form in certain circumstances is interesting as it provides the element of choice missing from the usual vampire turn premise. Especially as it seems to require murdering the “parent”. And that weaves really well into the plot and the big fight. Nicely done.

- Vampire lore and politics are nicely done throughout, providing a coherent backdrop and reasons to the fighting between vampires, as well as to the inevitability and doomed nature of that fighting.

- The final battle makes good use of Two’s addict backstory and was well foreshadowed, which made for a better ending than many boss take-downs in other paranormal series.

Would I read the rest of the series? Yes, but it’s not a priority. The epilogue was a little too drawn out, and didn’t chime with Two’s decision to return to vampirism after all she’s been through. It’s addiction reasserting itself just when it seemed broken for good, and that felt contradictory to the happy resolution for other characters.

[Chelsea Pagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a vampire fan, but I've always wanted to be. Even Anne Rice couldn't really get it done for me. But this--I was blown away by this series. The absolute raw depths to these characters and their struggles, both human and vampire, creates such a link with the reader. As a writer, I'm jealous. As a reader, I'm so, so thrilled. I was concerned this would prove to be your average nonsensical vampire/love story. It goes so far beyond that, delving into pure connection and blurring the line between relationships. There's no shortage of love and loss, or confusion--but it's so artfully done that there's learning too.

This, the first installment, is much more isolated and less focused on world-building, much like it's main characters. It sets the stage to a very well thought out and fascinating world that the reader will get to experience and learn as the characters begin to understand it. Read this book! And then the two after it!