Review: Perfection!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 27, 2013
If anyone has read both or either of my reviews for The Nightlife Series namely: The Nightlife New York #1 and The Nightlife Las Vegas #2, you will probably be surprised at my completely different take and rating for Blood Slave. I also mentioned in my first review that I’d gone into #1 with some trepidation as I’m used to reading paranormal books by female writers only.At the risk of being reprimanded by the author, I’m nevertheless going to take a chance and say this: after reading Blood Slave, I feel that Mr. Luedke went down a completely different path, albeit the same story background, and reached way, way down deep in his soul and became one with his ‘female’ side. Is this the moment where I should duck? This, as far as I’m concerned, is a compliment! The way Mr. Luedke has written this book, the horror and the genuine down-to-the-bone emotion he has poured into every page and its characters, is nothing short of amazing. Blood Slave was a pleasure to read. Maybe I should elaborate on ‘becoming one with his female side’. Simple, really. Not many male authors (keeping in mind that many of my favourite authors are male) are capable of writing not only a female character in first person POV, but making her believable in every sense of the word from her head to her toes, her speech, her mannerisms and her character. I’ve mentioned numerous times that I’m not really a fan of first person POV as I much prefer third, but, my goodness, Blood Slave was perfect. Mr. Luedke’s storytelling was perfect. Every character and every detail, as far as I’m concerned, was… perfect! I sincerely believe that had it not been written this way, it would probably not have had as much of an impact on me as it has. I’m sure you can tell.Where to begin. This is Esperanza’s story, or Hope as she prefers to be called. Both mean the same thing. She’s young, gorgeous, a prostitute and has suffered at the hands of those who should have loved her, and those who have used and abused her. Who in their right minds sells their 14-year-old daughter to a cartel member? Her father did. Disgusting, sad and heart wrenching. She has a gift though, can read what people are thinking, or are about to do. Didn’t make her any more special in Faustino’s eyes – her ‘owner’ – the low life her father sold her to. She was not only used for her talents where the mind is concerned, but of course – her body. Hope had had aspirations to study and have a career when she was younger, much as we all do, but no such thing was meant to go her way.A date she’s expecting, which turns out to be an Asian female by the name of Lia, inadvertently changes her life – a life that’s at times good for the situation she finds herself in, but inevitably one still lumped with the bad. After hours of sexual ‘work’, Lia becomes privy to the fact that Hope knows precisely what she's been thinking. Not in the least pleased, murderous actually, Lia takes Hope back to her master. Something Hope found weird, because who calls anyone a master? When she meets Enrique, she doesn’t trust him or his motives, as he’s the first person who’s mind she can’t read. Why should she trust him, though? Her situation isn't really any different, because when all is said and done she’s now his slave. As time passes, he’s the one with whom she forges a strong attachment. Plus, let’s not forget that she's gone from the cartel... to vampires. Is one situation any better than the other? Enrique, despite making her a blood slave through no fault of his own but Lia’s, has the utmost patience and care for Hope. He becomes quite enamoured with her, and she with him. Hope eventually realises that what she feels for Enrique must be love. Not something, although he cares for her and treats her with as much respect as possible in their situation, she believes he will ever reciprocate.Also, residing constantly at the back of Hope’s mind is Faustino (the shark). Should he or any of his henchmen find her  – death or torture prior to death would be the outcome. Any way she looks at it, the universe and everyone within it (except for Enrique) seem to be against her. When Enrique goes on a business trip to Panama – a business arrangement with none other than her previous boss, she’s left in Lia’s care. The same Lia who’d wanted to kill her, but has now done an about turn, or so it appears. Now, for clarification purposes, once a blood slave, the need to be bitten is tantamount to breathing – either that or go crazy with want. Much like a drug, which of course is dealt with here as well, one is hooked; it's needed and should it not be available, one feels like dying from craving it.Prior to leaving, Enrique made sure she’d have syringes with the much needed venom to keep her at bay until such time as he returns. However, she feels torn apart and misses him so much, it’s akin to torture where her body and mind are concerned, and she dispatches with them quickly. Now what? She then finds other means which rapidly run out, too. The only one she can turn to is Lia. She desperately needs to be bitten, in turn offering Lia anything at all. Mistake! Lia’s not one to sit back when opportunity comes knocking, and Hope’s desperation works beautifully with her upcoming plan. A malicious plan that changes Hope’s life. Where Hope was previously able to read Lia like an open book, Lia in the meantime had put said plan into place when she’d gone to Spain.Regardless, Hope had guessed that Lia would pretty much change once Enrique wasn’t around… the cat would play when the mouse was away, and what takes place hereafter is horrendous. I literally wanted to climb into this book and save Hope. It brought me to tears. How much pain can one person endure? Hope has (throughout her unforgiving and miserable life) endured all kinds; horrors so unbearable I’m shocked she survived them over and over and over again. Lia, bitch that she is, means to take Hope down.The following line is so true:“The enemy of my enemy is also my friend.”Before this review gets any longer, and I blurt out the whole story, I’ll conclude by saying that I adore Hope. Just adore her. I wanted to bring her home and look after her. It’s how much she affected me. Not only did she rise above all the hardships she’d been dealt with, she was loyal and she was just beautiful both on the outside and inside. Strong of convictions despite her ‘profession’, and unbelievably strong of body, mind, soul and love. Oh gosh, what a book, what a story. And, Enrique? Exactly the person she desperately needed to come in to her life, even though it took him a while (with a bit of female persuasion in the form of keeping the distance thing going – with reason, though) and many tribulations to admit to Hope what exactly she meant to him. A fantastic character and man.Those of you who have read my reviews know that I’m never shy when I need to admit that a book has grabbed me, completely turned me upside down, consumed me and spat me out. Mr. Luedke, you sir, made me cry… bucket loads. Is it any wonder this book has made its way into my 2013 favourite books shelf? No, it’s not. I must mention that although it’s part of The Nightlife Series, it can be read as a stand alone. Please, read it. I highly recommend it. You won’t be able to stop yourself from loving it. It’s a keeper.Fast paced, no holds-barred, gripping, gut-wrenching, soul-ripping and most definitely tear-inducing. Perfection! Perfection! Perfection!