Review: Fresh, Engrossing, Fantastic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 12, 2014
Triumvirate: made up of witches that are feared by all the Arcane(Supernatural) due to a blood pact in the past that prevented all out war/extinction.Sanguen: a vampire. They burn in the sun if exposed for too long but do not die. Regular eye sight and hearing. Stronger and faster than average human. They are vegetarian. Do not feed from humans, as they do not have blood that can sustain them. Males feed from their own females. They do not feed from the same females as that would create a bond between the two that is not sanctioned by The Council of Elders. (This is correct in regards to ths Ferrar House; which is a focus in this story).Crossbreeds: the term itself is self-explanatory. Examples: Sanguen and Guardian/ Sanguen and Elemental,  etc. They are hated by the Triumvirate and Pureblood Sanguen(i.e. Ferrar House). Seen as wild rebels with no respect to the old ways. Lots of the crossbreeds are abandoned by their parents at an young age and put in Triumvirate "foster" houses(the worst of houses; several types of abuse occur here daily).Guardians: The Triumvirate uses them as guards. They sere enslaved by them long ago. Are extremely powerful. They are vampires who are not effected by the sun and are faster and stronger than the Sanguen. They also have a heightened sense of hearing and they eat meat. They too are hated by the pureblood Sanguen.Drachon: Fire Breathers.Elementals: those who have power over an element.I loved this new world of vampires. The seperation among the Arcane was very peculiar.  They all seem to stay clear one another but somehow always end up in each other's business. I found this both amusing and intriguing. It is clear that the Triumvirate has a bigger hold on these communities even though it is not explored in depth but only touched on briefly.Now on to the actual story. House Marshal Gabriel Ferrar has disobeyed the council's orders and has gone off in search of his "cousin" Karl Pryor, who he believes is somehow involved in the dissapearence of four girls. The Elders refuse to see him as a suspect as it would be a blow to their house and because a distant relative of his sits on the council.After following him, he comes across a rabid Karl who he later learns is dealing with a dealer by the name of Jamss Centrone aka Jimmy. However, a girl(Kel) interrupts this deal and as the dealer runs and she gets bitten by Karl, something uncontrollable occurs with Gabe that his him pulling out his swords to save this strange woman who stirs instincts in him that he has never experience.A blood bond is formed between the two and that's where everything gows to hell. They don't want to be bound for different reasons and those reasons are what push the plot forward and help reveal secrets that cause a change within Ferrar House and the disease that has been running rampant within throughout the years. Doesn't make sense. Read the book!I loved Kel. Regardless of her traumatic past, she was tough. She definitely kicked butt and showed Gabe that she could protect herself. Who doesn't love a strong heroine.This book is more than sex and romance, it deals with trauma, prejudice, mystery killers and an unjust system. It's fanatastic, even though you do get a tad annoyed at the inner dialogue between Gabe and Kel. I understood the passive-aggressive stance but a little less would have been more pleasing to the eye while reading. I did love the sexual tension though. I was living it with them. That's how engrossed I was in the story. And I loved Kel's Bff, the Drachon Raife. I really want to see where his story goes.Great book. Highly Recommend.