Review: Vivid and Complex
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 12, 2012
4.5 starsAll I can say is, WOW. I think Ms. James did an outstanding job crafting a complex world of Pure Ones vs. vampires. The story had a similar tenor and tone to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The similarities are that in this story the Pure Ones (the Brotherhood in BDB) are waging a war against the vampires (the Lessers in BDB) who were once Pure Ones but lost their souls and are bent on dominating the race of Pure Ones.This story Pure Healing chronicles the journey of Rain, the healer, and Valerius, the protector, as they uncover treachery that could destroy their society while discovering love in the process. The book was not at all what I expected. Frankly, I though it would be mostly an erotic romance but the story was detailed in a way that I didn't expect...refreshingly so. The Pure Ones could only have sex with their eternal mate. If the had sex with someone other than their eternal mate they would die a painful death within thirty days. I won't go into the ins-and-outs of the story because you have to read it for yourself to enjoy it. But Rain and Valerius were such compelling characters. Val was truly a valiant but wounded warrior and he suffered a great deal in his human life. Rain healed him with her patience, her care, and her love (even though she did not recognize it as love at the time). The story was paced very well and I never felt a moment where it stuttered or became dull. The subordinate characters provided a vitality to the story that kept it interesting. You could clearly see where each of them will may a major role in the battle against good and evil in future books.Bravo, Ms. James!