Review: A solid 3.5 intro to a new paranormal romance series
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 20, 2011
Risking Eternity begins with a vampire named Valentin standing at his hotel room window observing the police below gather around the first of a string of serial murders.  He is aware of who is doing it and even knows why.  They are reminiscent of the methods used by Jack the Ripper back more than a century before, which Valentin had been around for as well.  He feels somewhat responsible for the deaths, which is what drives him to put an end to them.  He can't let more innocent people die, but it means using one particular woman to make them stop.That woman would be the one investigating the crime, Hayden.  She has no idea he is watching her or forming a plan involving her, but does have a feeling something isn't right.  She saw the telltale fang marks on the victim and the fact there is no major blood spill despite the body being drained.  Hayden doesn't want to believe in the signs, because the paranormal is one area she refuses to give credence, but that means finding an alternative.  Growing up with her mother taught her the supernatural is fake, but it still doesn't answer the question of how the victim was killed, if not by a vampire.  She is determined to solve the crime as she has never failed to do so yet.  That leads her on an investigation that will alter her life forever.  Whether that is for the good or bad remains to be seen.Some books advertise their stories as being dark paranormal romance.  Many of them don't deliver on that promise, but I can tell you this one does.  There is nothing soft, fluffy, or nice about this story.  Every bit of it involves, blood, death, revenge, and betrayal.  You will turn the pages wondering how the characters will find romance amidst it all.  Perhaps they do, but not in the way you expect.  This is one highly suspenseful tale that provides excellent descriptions that captivate the mind while keeping the pace moving.  I was able to read it all in one sitting and felt surprise when it came to an end, the time passed so quickly.Potential readers should keep in mind that this is a novella.  The world-building provides most of what you need, but it isn't as in-depth as a full novel would be.  There are a few details that could have been filled in better, including how vampires sustain themselves and how they operate in the world.  You get some hints of these things, but not as much as most people might prefer.  I assume the author will fill those in further in the regular size novel that will follow this one.  The ending has a couple of holes in it regarding what happens with Hayden, but I don't want to give that away because it would spoil the book.  What I can say is I still liked how it concluded and felt it made up for some of those holes mentioned before.  The story is definitely left open for further exploration.I do plan to read more and find out what happens next.  This dark tale fit too well with what I enjoy in a paranormal series to not give the next book a chance.  Plus I think the characters are rather intriguing and there is a lot more I want to learn about them.  There wasn't much time to develop them in this novella, but there were enough hints into their backgrounds to peak my interest.  I also noticed a few errors sprinkled throughout, but they weren't extensive and didn't bother me much.  Part of the reason for that is the author's smooth writing kept the flow of the story going so I could enjoy it as it unfolded.If you are a dark paranormal fan, you might give this one a shot.  You'll find the writer's use of the Jack the Ripper story line to be one of the best versions compared to the others out there.  She provides enough details to be very convincing in how a vampire could have done it.  It was clear she researched it heavily.  I really didn't feel that it was just another author using a tired story-line.  This one was fresh and different and that made it much more intriguing than others I have seen.  I was glad I gave this novella a chance and expect good things from this author in the future.  She has a few things to tighten up in her writing, but has definite promise that makes it worth the time to try her books out.