Review: 3.5 Stars!! Good vampire read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 22, 2012
3.5 Stars!! Vampires, werewolves, warlocks and the like are out in the open and running many of the companies and the infrastructure. There is a new world order in 2020 and the author, gratefully, included a who's who in her world in the front of the story to alleviate confusion about her world.This is Manon's story set in Vegas. She's called into work on her day off because the owner, a vamp, wants to play the game only she deals at her table. After a playing a few hours, he tells her she is the one he's been waiting for -- for more than 1300 years. Did I mention Manon's not the least bit fond of vampires? She is courted by Mikkel but almost immediately she begins to accept him and the situation, of course this is after being told the alternative is death. I guess I would either run or accept too.Mikkel is a gorgeous and powerful vamp on the IVC (the ruling council) with vacillating and mercurial emotions.She is basically disowned by her twin brother, her only remaining family, when she makes the decision to stay with Mikkel even though he is hiding some stuff from her himself.With her change, Manon becomes a rather ruthless and bloodthirsty hybrid. What happened to the little self-conscious mouse with self-esteem issues? She becomes a new kind of vampire and Mikkel does as well after drinking from her.Most of the sex takes place 'off screen'. With all the angst and underlying betrayal Manon finds herself falling in love with Mikkel.The story starts off really good but then gets bogged down in several places by a bunch of long winded speeches made by characters. There is too much dialog and too little action.The reasons I didn't rate this higher are: Manon's acceptance of Mikkel and her situation is done a little to blithely and quickly for my taste. But this is supposed to be fiction, right?Mikkel comes off as an egotistical ass and has done some things that should have pissed Manon off but doesn't. Good looks only go so far and then he opens his mouth.She's okay with a lot of the forced changes in her life because she feels like she's known him for forever but this is never really explored or explained for the reader.She doesn't get pissed at her brother for not telling her many of the things he knows that he should have told her.A council meeting is called for a specific reason but most of the entire time is taken up by an issue that is totally beside the point.I did like this story and hope the series gets better and better with each new book. This has the potential to become a very interesting series but is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance.Includes sneak peeks at Better Off Dead the sequel to this and The Beginning, the first book in The Plague series.