5 out of 5 stars
E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 265 pages. Published March 13th 2015 by N.R. Walker (first published March 12th 2015)
Blurb:
NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec’s view on weird is changed forever.
Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last thousand years waiting for Alec. He’d been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn’t expect him to be human, and he certainly didn’t expect that shield to be a police badge.
Both men, strong-willed and stubborn, are still learning how to cope with the push and pull of being fated, when fate throws them another curveball.
Rumors have spread quickly of turmoil in Egypt. Covens are fleeing with news of a vampire who has a talent like no other, hell-bent on unleashing the wrath of Death.
Alec and Cronin are thrown into a world of weird Alec cannot imagine. What he learned in school of ancient pharaohs and Egyptian gods was far from the truth. Instead, he finds out firsthand that history isn’t always what it seems.
Likes:
- Great start.
- Hooked me fast.
- So many questions, but all answered eventually.
- Good introduction to vampires without feeling like an info dump.
- Alec reacted reasonably to both vampires and being Cronin’s fated one.
- Alec and Cronin, together and separately.
- The unique vampiric skills.
- Non-romantic plot kicks ass.
- Good UST.
- Good hook for the next book.
Dislikes:
- Easy to realize that Alex is the key, but took the characters a while.
- Cronin was less developed than Alec.
I feel like it’s been a while since I read an urban fantasy romance with a non-romantic plot that hits a home run, but this book definitely earned its 5 stars. The romance was good, but the non-romantic plot kicks ass.
The beginning hooked me fast. Alec was a good cop used to dealing with weird stuff. He gets taken from his normal life and introduced to Cronin, Eiji, and Jodis early into the book, which gives time for him to acclimatize to learning that vampires are real and that he’s Cronin’s fated one. I liked Alec’s reactions to everything he learned. They were realistic, neither easy acceptance nor a total freakout. His thoughts get muddied, with so much to take in, but his time as a cop allow him to continue to function despite his turmoil. He had so many questions, all of which were eventually answered.
It took me a little longer to warm up to Cronin. He doesn’t get as developed as Alec, something I’m hoping will be remedied in the next book. Mostly the focus is on his vampiric nature, from how he became friends with Eiji and Jodis, to his unique vampiric skill. Cronin was very focused on the fact that he’d finally discovered his fated one, and I liked that he respected Alec and didn’t push for them to instantly get together or move fast.
The addition of unique vampiric skills was cool, and a way for these vampires to stand out from ones written about by other authors. It also added a lot to the plot.
The upheaval going on in the vampiric world was a great plot. Not only was it interesting, showcasing both the individuality of vampire abilities and Alec’s skill as a detective, but it also allowed for lots of moving pieces. Cronin and his coven weren’t the only ones getting involved. Vampires all around the world had a stake in how things turned out. The larger world building was only hinted at, but there was enough to make this book feel well written.
I was a little annoyed that it took the characters so long to figure out that Alec was the key. Of course, with the title, it was easy for the reader to figure out.
The way the vampires in this novel live, they want to feed during penetrative sex, and feeding either leads to death or turning. This meant a lot of UST – unresolved sexual tension – between Alec and Cronin. They still had sexy times, just not of the penetrative variety. I didn’t mind that. In fact, I thought it was nice because it allowed both men time to develop deep feelings for each other.
The non-romantic events are wrapped up nicely at the end, but there’s a little hook added in that makes me eager to get to the next in the series. I’m looking forward to reading more books featuring Alec and Cronin.
Love is Love Reviews 