Review: Great Reading
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 12, 2013
Diana's Hound is the most recent foray into the distopian alternate reality created by Moira Rogers, a reality inhabited by genetically enhanced beings, vampire, ghouls and more. A wild west with dangers around every corner, and where life was dark and hard, and evil stalked good people. Moira Rogers has crafted characters that are memorable, rough around the edges, and each with a past that has shaped them into what they have become. I enjoy these characters, because they are not perfect, and they wear their differences like armor.Bloodhounds. Created by The Guild to be bigger, stronger and able to fight the vampires who are trying to take over the western territories. Men who live hard, fight hard and even love hard. Never in the history of the Guild has there been any doubt about this. So where did Diana come from? The only living female Bloodhound, she is kept secret from those in charge. Created after an attack by a rogue hound, Diana was turned to save her life. Just as she was changed to save her life, so was Nate Powell. Once the brainchild of The Guild, Nate was captured, tortured and turned by the vampires he was helping to destroy. But Nate isn't all vampire, he is the only mixed breed, part vampire and part Bloodhound. When news of a rogue possibly working with vampires come to the knowledge of the Hounds in the field, Nate and Diana team up to go undercover and learn the truth. What they find is more than a rogue; they discover that all the Bloodhounds have ever thought to be true has been so many lies. They discover betrayal and lies, from the top layers of the Guild down through the ranks. Can these two unique beings battle through and bring back proof to those who need to know it? Can the work together without falling victim to their Bloodhound natures when the new moon comes? And will these two discover that love can come to everyone, even two uniquely impossible beings?Diana is strong, determined and loyal to the town and the people she protects. She is willing to do what it takes to protect them, even if that means going undercover as the `pet' Hound of a vampire. It doesn't hurt that the vampire she will be with is Nate, because she is already a bit attracted to him and will enjoy his company. I enjoyed watching as she worked her way into Nate's life, and his heart. I like Diana for her honest and direct approach to life, and her determination to prove to Nate he is worth being loved.Nate Powell is the genius behind the weapons the Bloodhounds use. He has been reborn, his transformation from human to Bloodhound/vampire reversing his aging, and making his a young man again. Smart and creative, he is loyal and caring of his friends. He feels that he doesn't deserve Diana, yet he slowly falls ever deeper in love with her. I loved the conversations he has with Diana, revealing so much without realizing what he is saying.This story is filled with betrayal, romance, and danger. When the extent of the treachery is finally revealed, it reaches to the inner circle of The Guild, and only Nate and Diana can stop what is happening. Many of the other Hounds make appearances here, and it is nice to see how their relationships are working out. I really enjoyed watching Nate and Diana as they fought the attraction that was slowly building between them, and the fantastic moment when they realized they were so much better together that apart. There were surprises, and some major decisions to be made once the corruption in The Guild was made known to Wilder and the others. This was a hard fought happy ever after, but so worth the wait for these two special people. This is for those who like their fantasy on the rough edge and their romance gritty and hard won.Originally posted at Long and Short Reviews