Review: Heaton hasn't disappointed me yet with her stories
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 21, 2013
Heaton always seems to hit the mark, and bring the heat.  She doesn't fail with this one either.  It was a good vampire tale, with interesting characters, and plot.  I did struggle however, to continue to like Elise, the female lead.  Her back and forth attitude ("feelings"), and her unwillingness to express her feelings until the end really started to get on my nerves.  I developed a strong sense of loyalty to Aleksandr while learning his struggles and story.  I felt that Elise dragged him along on the yo-yo string up and down a little TOO much.  I kinda felt like he deserved much better.  Being a royal prince, and taking on the burden of ensuring safety to his kind, at his own detriment.  I think that should've had more affection in her response to him.  Instead she constantly doubts him and his feelings.  I mean, yeah, maybe back in the day he was a womanizer.  For God's sake, did she NOT notice his appearance when he showed up in town?  He didn't exactly sound like he had been dressed for a night trolling for chicks.  From what I read, he looked like a Grizzly Addams, unshaven, dirty, and half crazed.  Doesn't sound like he thought about the opposite sex in a long time.  I would've also liked a little more back info on the vampires genre themselves.  There wasn't really a clear picture of what kind of vampires Heaton had created.  Through the story you get little snippets of info about their origins, but not enough to get a true foundation of them.  Despite my critiques, this was a good story, and kept my interests peaked throughout.  I must say though, for a minute there, I thought I was reading a scene straight from Shakespeare himself!  I was almost stupified when I thought that was how the end was gonna be played out.  Well done for throwing me onto my toes instantly with fear and anticipation, all just in a few lines amongst a dramatic scene.  A writer that can make me sit up and say "oh, s***" out loud, is certainly a writer indeed.  Well worth a read.