Review: Awesome world building
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2012
I really like this series by Megan Derr. In this book, which is #2 but can be read as a stand-alone, the story is told in chronological order (unlike the previous one,Dance with the Devil), but it's still told case after case. The story has a more coherent feeling, because the cases are related from a certain point on, so the narration feels more traditional. I liked the first one better though, because the scrambled order made me work more with the story to piece bits of it together and it was maybe more interactive.In this book we listen to Johnnie Goodnight, a "normal" man whose parents were killed by a blood-crazed vampire and who was adopted by the vampire's husband. He grows up more vampire than a vampire: his good looks, his aloofness, his sophisticated ways make people think he is a vampire. He probably tried to blend in, to be accepted, but there's part of his heritage looming in the background and there's also a restlessness that brings him to search his own path of life. I liked very much this trait of his Johnnie's personality. He is also smart, compassionate and lonely.One night he is approached by a creature he can't place and in the dark, night after night, their encounters become hotter. This creature doesn't want to be seen by Johnnie, and like the mythical god of love, Johnnie gives him the name of Eros. There's so much longing it broke my heart. Unfortunately I can't comment more without giving away an important part of the plot, but trust me, what happens later to Johnnie and Eros is fascinating and amazing.The world building is fantastic as in the first book. I liked Johnnie's adopted family and the family he chose for himself above the Bremen, the pub where he decides to live, where the patrons are vampires, imps, alchemists, werewolves, etc. As in the first book, there are modern elements (cars, cellphones, etc), but there is an old-fashioned feeling in what people wear, the books they read or research, etc.There were a couple of things that I didn't really like. First of all, later in the book, when everything seems to fall apart, Johnnie becomes sort of whiny, more like an adolescent drama queen than a man. I also feel, after the big revelation about Johnnie's love interest, there was too much sappiness in the middle of moments where action was required. This is a pet-peeve of mine, I admit. Anyway, this made me enjoy the story a little less because it took me outside of it, I can see though why many readers prefer this book to the first.I really enjoyed it. I think Megan Derr is a very reliable author, she always finds compelling world, seducing words, interesting characters. Recommended!