Kiss of the Vampire: Forever's Paranormal Blog Tour, Part 1

 Kiss of the Vampire by Cynthia Garner is the first of her 'Warriors of the Rift' series about the preternaturals (pejoratively known as Extra-dimensionals/EDs) who have come to Earth from another dimension through a rift which usually opens every 73 years.  Beings such as vampires, fairies, werewolves, shapeshifters and demons take possession of human bodies and confer their various powers upon the shell whose owner is dispossessed.  Nix de la Fuente has the distinction of being a demon/human hybrid whose mother is a specialized demon known as a succubus.  She works as a liaison with the regional Council of Preternaturals and investigates various crimes by working with Detective Dante MacMillan, one of the few humans who knows that she isn’t completely human.  An investigation into the horrific murder of a vampire who she knew personally brings her into contact with the vampire who broke her heart 5 years prior.  Tobias Caine is a vampire who has been tracking the assassin who killed his people’s leader for many years.  His decision to break off the relationship with Nix 5 years ago was one of the hardest things he has done in his long life and he is not sure whether he will have the strength to resist her when they are forced into close proximity while investigating the series of crimes on behalf of the council.  There are many factors impeding the investigation but undermining by their own support system is not anticipated and may cause the final irreversible end to their relationship if they don’t learn to trust each other.

This was an interesting new twist on the origin of paranormal beings, the difficulties they could face when dealing with humans and the distrust and discrimination that being different engenders.  The apparent strength and other benefits that come with paranormal powers can also cause handicaps and Nix has an interesting solution for controlling excess emotion with the use of tai chi.  The sizzling carnal relationship between Nix and Tobias is contrasted with the rare bonds that Nix has formed with  the human Dante and her friend Rufus and all is set against an intriguing murder investigation.  A good start to an imaginative series that will continue with the tale of another colleague, Council Liaison Tori Joseph, in Scent of the Wolf.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Darkness Bound: Forever's Paranormal Blog Tour, Part 2

Stella Cameron invariably writes a gripping tale and her foray into the paranormal world is no exception.  Darkness Bound is the first in the ‘Chimney Rock’ series that centers around a group of werehounds...yes, canids, but not of the lupus variety which tend to be deadly enemies.  A group of these remarkable creatures are living in the town of Chimney Rock, located on an island and they are growing desperate as their race is destined for extinction unless they can find the few rare mates that will live through pregnancy and childbirth.  Widow Leigh Kelly returns to the island determined to make a fresh start but she is very wary of strangers even though her dog Jazzy seems to have no reservations about most of the people she is meeting, including Niles Latimer and his canine companion Blue.  Mysterious disappearances on the island lead Leigh to wonder who she should trust despite Niles’ attempts to ensure that he the one that she turns to.  A complex and convoluted power struggle is being conducted between vampires, werewolves, werehounds and the fae and somehow Leigh has ended up being a central figure in the struggle even though she has no idea that the strange color streams that she can see indicate that she is very special.  It’s up to Niles to keep her safe and convince her to become his mate but he must deal with both her insecurities and his own self-doubts as well as the external threats.  Fortunately, he has a pack that has been through the trials of military life as well as other allies if only he can discern everyone’s true motives.

I usually enjoy Stella Cameron’s tales and I was intrigued by this foray into a different genre.  She normally blends investigative techniques with suspense-laden action to craft an intriguing tale and this story demonstrates that skill but I think it had a bit too much thrown in at once.  There are so many different backstories that the action got a little frenetic as multiple new characters suddenly appeared and disappeared without one ever knowing what their purpose was or why certain allies did or did not work together.  I am sure that more will be unveiled as the next books in the series are released but there are quite a few dangling threads to resolve and I felt that the relationship between Niles and Leigh is a bit awkward and erratic.  The overall story is enjoyable but a bit uneven and I look forward to obtaining more pieces to the complicated puzzle surrounding the werehounds in future novels, starting with Sean's story in Darkness Bred.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review