Review: Tegan's Blood (The Ultimate Power series #1)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 7, 2012
You know when you pick up a novel and are so captivated that you stay up all night until it's read, well Tegan's Blood is one of those novels.  I read it in one sitting.  It's so well written and expertly delivered that it's impossible to stop once you start.  When I cooked dinner, I had my Kindle read it to me (even with that awful monotone voice).  When my eyes got tired, I did the same.  I just could not put it down!L.H. Cosway delivers a first-rate Urban Fantasy tale of vampires, magiks and humans in a strong narrative voice at a well controlled pace.  The characters are developed skillfully so that we receive just the right amount of depth depending on their role in the story. This is the first novel in this series - The Ultimate Power - and it happens to be her very first novel she's written.  But it's obvious by her talent that she's no amateur.So about the story...Unbeknownst to the human population, the city of Tribane is home to a whole array of supernaturals (vampires, dhamphirs (half human, half vampire), warlocks, sorcerers and slayers.  There is strong animosity between the races so the city is divided down the middle with vampires on one side and dhamphirs, magiks and slayers on the other.Tegan is human and struggling to come to grips after finding her boyfriend has committed suicide. Her grief is all consuming.  Many months go by and her friends finally convince her to step outside her apartment again and go out to a bar with them.Feeling anxious and that it's too much too soon, she steps outside to get some air and runs into the most frightening people she's ever met.  They are strangely drawn to her for reasons unknown to either of them.  These strangers are vampires and they try to put her under a compulsion spell to find out what's different about her.  But when she doesn't react, their curiosity is piqued even more.Meanwhile, in need of a job, Tegan stumbles into a store selling miscellaneous items of mystery.  They sense Tegan has some kind of spell surrounding her so they offer her the job opening.Hesitant to completely trust her new employer, she seeks the advice of an unlikely ally.  With her help, she finds out the secret to why she is so appealing to both the vampires and the magic wielders alike - her blood is rare and holds special powers.And so goes the mystery of determining who's genuine and who's only out to get what they can from her.The Characters...Our heroine, Tegan, is so lost and tormented in her grief that you just want to take care of her.  She's shy and seems to be easily led at first; however, she shows trickles of inner strength as the novel progresses. She's like the girl next door that is unpretentious and completely likeable.  I found myself caring about Tegan and rooting for her to heal and take control of her life.True to real like, the healing process is a hard one and I like that the author lets Tegan actually struggle to come to terms with what's happened making Tegan's character more believable and compelling.  She doesn't forget everything that's happened right after meeting the hero of the story, Ethan. Tegan gets from Point A to Point B at just the right pace.  Not once did I think this is too much or it's taking too long.Our hero, Ethan, is the owner of the club where Tegan and her friends went.  He is a powerful vampire and I found him to be a good mix of good and bad.  You can see that he has the potential to be a bad boy, however, in this first novel, he was so full of understanding for Tegan's grief he showed a very caring side. He takes time letting her adjust to everything she just discovered.  He wasn't pushy but he wasn't about to let her get away either. He fell hard for her even before he knew about her special blood.There were other memorable supporting characters that are brilliantly depicted.  Since they are key to the story, we get to see a little background on each.* Loud and obnoxious, Rita tends to put most people on the defensive.  She has no credibility among the city's magic wielders mostly because of her bad attitude.  However, it's mainly because of their engrained bias against anyone who isn't from the exclusive all-powerful magic families.* We are introduced to Tegan's loyal array of friends who loves her deeply and is key to getting her out of her state of depression.* Gabriel and Delilah both are dhamphirs, however on opposite sides.* Finn is a slayer whose loyalties seem to be still in question.* Lucas is Ethan's pushy bodyguard who likes to stir up trouble.* Antonia is manipulative and power-hungry wife of the Governor of vampires.So what will the future hold?When I'm finished a novel in a series, my mind is still spinning with what ifs and what's next.  I can't wait to see which way the author decides to take this series especially in a new series where the possibilities are endless.* Will Tegan work through her issues and give Ethan a chance?* After all that's happened, what will things be like in Tribane?  Will they remain the same or will there be some sort of alliance between the races?* Since this first novel was setting the stage for the series, it focused a lot on Tegan.  We didn't get a whole lot of Ethan's history and I'm sure there's a lot to tell.  So, what will be revealed about him as the series continues?* Will Antonia become Governor and if so how will she rule the vampires given her penchant for evil?* What role will Rita and Gabriel play in the new world?It's all so exciting!!Bottom LineIn my opinion, this novel is a great introduction to a new series - The Ultimate Power.  The author has set the stage for a great story, created believable characters and delivered it using a very strong narrative voice.  There was not one thing I didn't like about this novel.  I hear that Book #2 is due out this April and I can't wait to find out what happens next!!Happy Reading!!Absolutely Loved It!!!!!