Review: Well Developed Characters and Great Fantasy World Draw You In
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 3, 2013
Irina Argo's "Vampire Elite" is a vampire novel of depth and complexity, with modern and likeable protagonists, and although it's also quite long it held my attention to the end. The story begins in 6000 BC, when the Egyptian goddess Hathor unleashes her demonic alter ego on humanity--and the result is the vampire race. Remorseful, she creates a second race--the Amiti--to teach the vampires how to love and to ultimately save humanity. However, her plans go awry--the Amiti and the vampires become enemies, with the vampires enslaving and using the Amiti for bloodstock through the centuries.When Amiti Queen Istara falls in love with the vampire King, Tor, she's willing to risk all for him--and they have a child, Simone. She also has a pureblood child, Arianna, and the two's lives will intertwine in ways both touching and tragic.The book, along with creating a fascinating world rooted in ancient times, is really the story of Arianna and Simone, two modern girls with ancient lineages who must come of age, define the limits of their powers, and accept who they are--or deny who they don't want to be. The novel offers a good mix of horror, romance, and fantasy, and is fast-paced throughout. I would recommend this to readers of romance, fans of the vampire genre, and readers who enjoy horror (though parts of it are a bit erotic, so I would hesitate to recommend it for younger teens). I would certainly read the sequel to this one.