Review: Book 2
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 18, 2011
After their battle in the castle near Perpignon, Txema (Chee-ma) Ybarra and her five vampire protectors are seeking a safe haven. Txema's life has not been in her own control since the night she woke up in her University of Tennessee dorm room to find a vampire standing over her. That had been the beginning of what the world now refers to as the infamous "Knoxville Tragedy". (Story told in the previous title, The Vampires' Last Lover.) Txema is the last of a bloodline that is vital in keeping an entire breed of vampires from deteriorating into an army of Nosferatu-like vampires.Thanks to a recent ceremony, Txema is pregnant. During the early stage of the pregnancy, Txema and her vampire protectors are guests at the Palace of Xu Zheng in the Himalayas. However, the army of the demon vampire, Ralu Izcacus, has grown. Bent on wiping out Txema's heritage, Ralu has stepped up his attacks and his mercenaries seem to be everywhere. The aggressive attacks result in Txema having to be whisked away from her Chinese hosts and into seclusion until her daughter, Alaia (A-lee-yah), is born.Ralu will not be satisfied until he takes over the entire world. The only threats to Ralu's full conquest of all vampires and human beings are Txema and Alaia. Ralu's forces openly chase Txema and Alaia all over the globe, killing humans and vampires alike. All major countries, and many small ones, are already under Marshall Law until the "Chupacabra menace" is over.Amid all of the violence and craziness going on in her life, Txema's undead protectors are doing all they can to keep mother and daughter safe, while trying to inject as much happiness as possible into their chaotic lives. Though unable to visit her parents, Txema soon has the comfort of Racco de Saint Germain's company. But Txema is unsure about resuming a relationship with the immortal, especially since it could be a distraction when her focus must remain fully on the care of her daughter. And speaking of Alaia, she is developing at almost three times the speed of a normal human, physically and mentally. There are signs of Alaia having a telepathic connection with Txema, as well as possible advanced cognitive abilities.It is up to Txema's small group of allies to stay at least one step ahead of the demon vampire's welling forces, in hopes that Alaia may someday become the catalyst that heals the growing conflict between humans and vampires.**** FOUR STARS! As with the first book in this series (The Vampires' Last Lover) this story is written much like a journal or memoir. Txema is the author/narrator. As the story opens, Txema explains that she and her group are still fighting for their lives. This book picks up from where the last one left off and will tell (any future reader of her memoir) what has happened up until Txema's current point in time.The previous book/memoir covered the first two weeks of Txema's surreal adventure. This time many months are covered. Because there are months during Txema's pregnancy when nothing happens to move the plot along, Txema's writing sticks to the biggest events instead of detailing every hour or every single day. Personally, I like this. As the reader, I am not forced to wade through pages or chapters of "fluff" and "filler". The last book of this trilogy will be titled "Blood Princesses of the Vampires" and currently has a release date set in October 2011.Unlike the first story, there are no scenes that are too steamy or intimate. Txema does not come across as loose and she still has her trademark sarcastic disposition. Having a child seems to have matured the character a bit. Aiden James tosses a few twists and surprises to keep readers off balance. The author also injects some well known television tidbits to make the story more realistic, such as when Txema mentions missing "True Blood", of which I am eagerly awaiting the release of Season Four. Do not worry about cliff-hanger endings. Though this story does not tie up all loose strings, it comes to a halt at a very good spot. If nothing else, I have learned that anything that comes from the imagination of Aiden James is sure to be interesting, suspenseful, and delightfully demonic. ****Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.