ARC Review: Kendra Leigh Castle - Immortal Craving

Dark Dynasties Series:
 
Book 4:
 
Immortal Craving: Bailey Harper and Tasmin Singh
 

 
Release Date: January 29th 2013
Purchase on Amazon: Kendra Leigh Castle - Immortal Craving (Dark Dynasties)
Summary:
From Goodreads.com
Wild, uncontrollable, and powerful, the lion-shifting Rakshasa were hunted down by vicious rival vampires who feared their dark, magical abilities. Somehow one survived, and now, after centuries of hiding, Tasmin Singh reemerges as fierce and fearless as ever at the door of the Lilim queen, seeking answers . . . and sanctuary.
 
The human best friend to a vampire queen, Bay Harper traded her quiet, comfortable life for a world filled with immortal assassins, warring werewolves . . . and this hauntingly sexy shifter. Only Bay's gentle touch can subdue Tasmin's inner demons, even as he brings out a passion and sensuality she never imagined she could feel. But when a bloody struggle threatens to tear them apart, can Bay risk everything on her faith in him-or will his dark side be stronger than even their all-consuming desire?
 
Review:
Another great installment of this series! I quite enjoy this series; it is a unique take on vampires. The characters are likable and the stories interesting. The only problem with the series in general is I forget about it, it’s not one that sticks out in my memory until I see a new book in the series pop up and then I’m excited to grab the new one.
 
We have met Bailey Harper before; she is Lily’s human best friend. We come to love her in the first book of the series. She is loyal, compassionate and feisty, always a good combination. Lately, she has been feeling a drift between her and Lily, they try to stay close but with Lily’s responsibilities and the whole Bay still being human thing, it has started to get in the way of their friendship. You are almost mourning this friendship as much as Bay and Lily are, you don’t know if that gap can be bridged. When Tasmin comes crashing into her shop and during the day she doesn’t want to get involved in vampire politics but there is something about this man that gets her engine revving. He’s grating on her nerves almost as much as he’s turning her on. Bay takes Tasmin into her home and eventually into her heart, only there are two problems with her desire to Tamsin, the first is that he is a vampire and she is still human. The other is …
 
Tasmin is the last of his dynasty. The Rakshasa have some of the cooler powers of the dynasties. They can shift into lions, they can hypnotize and can day walk. I think if I was going to be of one of the dynasties, I’d pick this one! When Tasmin wakes he has no idea how much time as passed, everything is different and all of his brothers are gone and something is seriously wrong with him. There are blocks of time that are missing from his memory, there are times he wakes covered in blood, not having any idea what had happened. Bay is not what he expected. She is pretty fierce for a human. Despite his superiority complex (which is pretty large lol) he finds himself drawn to the fragile human and finds himself with protective instincts towards her. Tasmin becomes extremely protective, yet caring towards the fragile yet fierce Bay. He has his ruff moments when he is being all egotistical but you come to really like him, because, of how he becomes. He softens; he becomes more personable and loyal to his Bay. He is better able to control his episodes, but he knows he is losing the battle; he is fading and might not have much time left.
 
As is the usual with this series, the romance is great. The chemistry between Bay and Tasmin is electric! They start off a bit rocky, but pull it together. There are all these forces that could keep them apart, but one by one, they solve the issues together. There is plenty of action both in the bedroom and out of it as the feud with the Arneso escalates. Things may or may not come to a head on this front by the end of the book. But I can tell that, that *itch needs to die! Some important decisions need to be made before the decisions are made for this ragtag group. Overall a lot happens in this book, some open issues are solved, so remain open and new issues occur. You will be taken on an emotional and action packed roller coaster ride!
 
*This copy was provided through NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.
 
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ARC Review: Kendra Leigh Castle - Shadow Rising

Dark Dynasties Series:
Book 3:

Shadow Rising: Damien Tremaine and Ariane
 

 
Release Date: July 31st 2012
Summary:
From Goodreads.com
As one of the Grigori, a noble vampire dynasty shrouded in mystery, Ariane has spent her life hidden away in the desert. Like all of her kind, she is a watcher, fated to observe, forbidden to act. Yet when her best friend, Sammael, vanishes, she defies all rules and flees her safe haven to bring him home.
 
A shape-shifting assassin for the House of Shadows, Damien Tremaine is hired to locate Sammael. His hunt for the wayward Grigori leads him to Ariane, the rogue vamp who stands between him and his bounty. Damien never lets emotion interfere with his work, but a single touch from the sexy, beguiling vampire shatters his self-control. Drawn together by their common goal, what begins as an alliance of necessity soon becomes one of desire. But when the secret at the dark heart of the Grigori comes to light, Damien and Ariane must make a choice that could bind them eternally...or tear them—and everything they care about—apart.
 
Review:
I started this series on book 2 and then went back and read book 1 and I am so glad I did! This series was such a great find! I enjoy the concept of the different dynasties and the differences between each dynasty. It adds a unique twist to the vampire genre.
 
Since I started reading this series I have been intrigued by the Grigori, they are such a secretive, mysterious dynasty. So I was glad that this book featured one of the Grigori and I was not disappointed by Ariane. Ariane has been sheltered her entire 900 years as a vampire, she remained at the Grigori compound not once leaving in all of her years. Unlike the rest of the Grigori who remain cold, she has emotion and struggles against it, so she is considered flawed and they never let her forget it. What I liked about Ariane, was her sense of loyalty, her one and only friend went missing and she was going to do anything she could to find him; including risking being hunted by the rest of the Grigori. Once she left the compound she really realized how much of a half life she was living. I loved how Ms. Castle had Ariane struggling to adapt to the world around her and how to develop relationships with the people she meets. I also loved how compassionate Ariane is, she had a great capacity to care, but she was also fierce. She didn’t hesitate to attack and defend against those she felt wronged her or hers. Ariane, also didn’t have any rose colored glasses when it came to Damien, she knew who and what he was and she never tried to change him. It takes a strong woman to accept her man as he is. There was so much to like about Ariane and I couldn’t find any fault with her.
 
Damien, since the beginning has been an a$$. He cares about #1, it’s how he has always gone through life, even as a human. As one of the Shade as well as a Cat Shifter that was further reinforced. He never worked with a partner but as his and Arianes’ paths kept crossing it became clear they may need to team up. At first he was not too happy about it, but sooner rather than later, he got with the program. Little by little Ariane, got under Damiens skin and he did not know how to react to that. It became fun to watch as he floundered over what to do. He was such an easy target for Vlad, to tease. Damiens progression from the first book to the third was small but significant. In the first book, Damien would not have called anyone a friend, but by the third book he had accumulated a very small group of friends including Vlad. Although, there has been some small progression for Damien, he still stays true to who he is, a cocky, self indulgent a$$, who cares about few people but those in his inner circle of which Ariane became the center. Damien worms his way into your heart and easily becomes one of your favorites of this series.
 
A lot of the characters in the previous books reappear in this book, adding to the story line. It is always fun to circle back around to characters you previously read about to see how they are doing past their book. One of my favorite side characters has become Vlad, he is quite entertaining in his own right and I look forward to reading his book one of these days. I will most definitely be continuing on with this great series by Kendra Leigh Castle. It is fun, entertaining and refreshing. I do suggest starting from the beginning; everything is a lot clearer if you do.

*ARC was provided through NetGalley for an honest review, no other compensation was given.
 
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Review: Kendra Leigh Castle - Dark Awakening

Dark Dynasties Series:
Book 1:
 
Dark Awakening: Tynan MacGillivray and Lily Quinn
 

 
Summary:
From Goodreads.com
For centuries, shapeshifting vampire Tynan MacGillivray has prowled the night as an outcast, valued only for his ferocious hunting skills. When a feud among the immortals escalates into all-out war, he is ordered by his ruthless queen to locate a Seer - a human woman with a special gift - who can secure victory for their clan. Ty's search leads him to a quiet New England town, but once he has the Seer in his grasp, her touch awakens within him a hunger like he's never known...
 
Lily Quinn has always been different. Since childhood, she's had vivid nightmares and an eerie sixth sense. When a sexy, silver-eyed stranger demands her help, Lily plunges into a new world of danger and sensuality. With Ty, she discovers sizzling passions she cannot deny and powers she cannot control. Soon, it is clear that Lily is much more than a Seer - she holds the key to ancient secrets and unthinkable destruction. But will a vampire's vow of eternal protection stop these evil forces...or unleash her dark destiny?
 
Review:
 
Man I wish I had read this book BEFORE I read the second book in the series! There were things in the second book that I was confused on that this book cleared up. So with the third book coming out in the next couple of months I suggest not starting with that book, but starting at the beginning so much will be clearer to you as you read.
 
Ty and Lily for the most part are likely able. Their chemistry is intense from the beginning. I was actually expecting it to be a like a Mate situation since Ty is a cat-vamp, but that never came up. I think it should have, since it would better explain the instant attraction, which usually works as a mating situation. Even though it was not a mating situation it did not hinder the believability of the attraction at all, it was not annoying like a lot of insta-love situations.
 
Lily is vulnerable yet finds her inner strength. All her life she has felt rejected and knew she needed to hide what she can do; which has affected her natural ability to interact with people. By the end of the book she comes into her own and can stand up to the most powerful of immortals. Ty I feel so bad for, he has next to know self worth unless it comes to his hunting skills. His entire life both before he was turned and after he has been considered trash, the lowest of the low. He has no idea what a great man he is. It kind of reminded me of an emotional abused wife. I kept hoping he’d find some worth and wake up about the Queen. He was so horribly naïve about the queen, which I thought so out of character since he preaches not to trust anyone and to expect betrayal. However, despite his self worth issues and being so naive about the Queen even with faced with facts I still liked Ty. He was loyal, and for the most part kind and stood beside Lily. He’s the kind of man that lives by his own moral code even as he’s doing bad things. He’s managed to keep some of his humanity even after a few centuries of hard living. He was sexy and strong, I wouldn’t have kicked him out of bed.
 
The story line is fast paced and action packed. You are moving from almost the beginning to the very end. They are on a quest to find out with Lily is with: an assassin right on their tail, cryptic dream/visions, The Queen seeking Lily for visions (that Liliy is pretty sure she can’t produce), another cat-vamp who is on the run from the Queen, Dracul the leader of a enemy dynasty is trying to get his hands on Lily, a betrayer, a cursed being that is killing vamps left and right and Lilly’s occasional Power mishaps. Needless to say, this book is not boring in the least. I do have to admit that at first I felt like we were dropped kicked into this world and I wasn’t sure what was going on even with the terms dictionary, when your reading a eBook you cannot easily flip back to the terms and it was a lot to ingest. Eventually I felt like I had some the dynasties straight, but I’m still not sure on some of them. A lot of my enjoyment of this book came from the side characters, I have to say I enjoyed most of them. They made an impact and stood out from the crowd. I particularly liked Dracul and the assassin whose name I can’t remember for the life of me right now. I hope these two get books! Oh and I’m fascinated with the Grigori, they are so mysterious. I’d have to say I’m glad I went back and read this book, I quite enjoyed it.
 
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Review: Kendra Leigh Castle - Midnight Reckoning

Dark Dynasties Series:

Book 2:

Midnight Reckoning: Jaden Harrison and Lyra Black

Summary:

Jaden is free for the first time in his long immortal life.  For the first time he can make his own decisions, go where he wants to go and do whatever he wants with no enchanted leashed tied to him. He is enjoying that freedom when he sees Lyra a werewolf he has seen before being attacked by another werewolf. He is not sure what he is thinking when he steps in to protect Lyra, their first encounter was not a good one.  When Lyra sees who her savior is, she is less then pleased. She remembers meeting this arrogant vampire and it was not a good meeting. Instead of thanking the vampire she ends up yelling at him and running off, forgetting that her mother’s necklace was left behind.

Jaden has been thinking about Lyra since their last encounter and now he has her necklace to entice him more. Looking at the necklace and wondering about the woman who wears it. He knows that he will not be able to get anything done until he satisfies his curiosity. So he sets off for werewolf country.

Lyra does not have time for men, she is destined to be her Packs Alpha, but Pack traditions do not allow for female Alphas.  They are stuck in the middle ages when it comes to women’s liberation.  She has to figure out a way to enter the Proving and not get killed. Her cousin definitely has it out for her and she has no real training to speak of.  The chances of surviving if she can’t get any training are not good.

When Jaden arrives in the werewolf territory he knows that he is walking in dangerous territory, and is not surprised when he is attacked by a werewolf outside Lyra’s home. What he didn’t expect was to receive an offer of employment by the Alpha himself…

Review:

 To first point out I did not read the first book in this series. I personally feel that this was a mistake; I was definitely missing important pieces of information and was drop kicked into this world with very little knowledge of cast and background.  I will probably go back and read the first book, which seems like it would have been very interesting.

That being said at first I was a little perplexed with the whole cat shape shifting and a vampire at the same time. I am used to one or the other but not both. So I found it kind of weird at first, but got used to it. The whole world was kind of strange at first, I didn’t know anything of this new world I found the different species odd, it was all the familiars but with a twist.  But by about half way through I think I finally got the gist of what was going on at least when it came to Jaden. Overall, I would have liked to see more of the training between Lyra and Jaden it was basically glossed over, but it is where they were spending most of their time, the purpose of his staying in werewolf territory. A lot of their interaction was fluff and kind of in passing. It took me a while to really get into this book, but once I did, I was in it and interested. There is even a twist or two just to keep things interesting.

 Lyra, I got, the wolves were pretty easy. However, I wasn’t all that thrilled with Lyra. She is in her early 20’s, she knew the proving was coming up; she even knew that she wanted to participate, yet she didn’t do anything to train for it. She just whined that the gender issues that Packs have were unfair.  If I knew that I was going to have to fight to the death possibly I don’t think I would wait until a month before the event to finally start thinking about doing something and even then, her father still had to take the initiative for her. That’s not my idea of a strong leader, I’m just saying. After a while she started getting with the program, so I started liking her more towards the middle of the book.

Jaden is easy to like. He’s pretty easy going, he’s just happy to be free for the first time I several centuries.  He wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to Lyra, but once he acknowledged it he wasn’t afraid to go after her, even though it was basically forbidden by both races.  This is definitely a case of forbidden love for both Jaden and Lyra, but Lyra has the most to lose from this union including possible death by her Pack.

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