Review: A Nice Installment in the Vampire Born Trilogy!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 22, 2013
A review copy was provided for an honest review. Having readDescended by Blood (Vampire Born Trilogy, #1), the first book in the series; I had expected an equally good sequel. What's delivered is a nice follow-up but I didn't love it as I did the first. At the heart of it all I think I built up impossible expectations. Reflecting on it I guess the story didn't go in the direction I thought it would which took me by surprise. Despite that I thought the world that's built was intriguing and greatly detailed especially with the different classes of vampires. This series distinguishes itself amongst the many vampire novels and continues to bring a refreshing story. It's imperative that you read the first book to grasp what's going on in this one. It picks up immediately after the first left off so you're instantly pulled in. I had a hard time remembering some of the details of the previous book because I read it nearly a year ago but that didn't matter much once I began. The beginning of the story is slow and it increases the pace halfway through to deliver some crazy action scenes and unexpected plot twists. The viewpoints shift between Brooke and Mirko throughout and gives interesting insight into both their thoughts. I would have preferred if Brooke's viewpoint alone was shone because Mirko's perspective made me dislike him which seems in opposition with why his POV was included. Mirko still has this mysterious edge about him and protective quality towards Brooke as well as intense feelings for her. Brooke - the leading heroine is loyal, and hardened since she's been thrown into the vampire world but at the same time she is afraid for the safety of her friends. I was frustrated with her behavior at times but she pulled her act together by the end and redeemed my faith in her maturity and ability to own up to her mistakes. As for the romance I thought it was a bit overdone and too dramatic for my tastes but it worked well for the story.Brooke Keller has finally accepted her Pijawikan (vampire) side and is content to move forward but others see her as a threat. As it's forbidden for such an creature to exist--a melez--who has the powers and strength of a higher breed of vampire but is still human. After Brooke kills Jelena in self-defense after being kidnapped she now faces the consequences of what that action brings. Mirko and Brooke face a bigger danger when Brooke's father--the most powerful vampire in existence--is looking for her. She soon discovers that not everything is how it seems and her enemies aren't who she thinks they are. As she starts putting together the bigger picture she comes to the realization that she has something worse to fear--losing Mirko. As things start to look particularly bad Brooke has to make decisions that will effect the people closest to her in order to prevail.It seemed like the first half of the book was just unmemorable while the remaining half was teeming with action.  In the second half it noticeably changes into an adult-like read more suitable for 16-year-olds+ as it contains swearing, violence, and suggested sexual content. The beginning of the story felt inconsistent with the rest and frankly odd but I enjoyed it more than what it started up as. I also really liked Brooke's best friend Kaitlynn because she's a strong character that holds it together even though she gets tossed some pretty huge obstacles. Jaren isn't a major part of this novel and he was forgotten the moment he no longer appeared. Which leaves me to question what happened to him and what will become of him? Either way I felt like his character wasn't significantly important. Furthermore Angeline Kace is wonderful at building up stories and creating intense endings that will leave you craving more! Admittedly I really loved Descended by Blood and Enemy Within had a lot of potential to be just as great. It was a good read but it took awhile to finally get invested in the story to appreciate it. It is written well, draws you further into the Pijawikan world, extends Brooke's enthralling story and leaves you with an exciting cliffhanger! All in all I'd recommend it for those who have already read Descended by Blood.