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Review
When I first learned that Mencheres was going to get his own book, I thought it would be a little weird to see him as the romantic lead. In the series so far, he has been the calm, enigmatic and, frankly, asexual, uber-powerful master vampire. He proclaims himself to be “older than dirt”, and doesn’t participate in the bantering, or have the in-your-face smuttiness of the other vamps in this series. But he has a smooth elegance about him, and I love the way that that gets explored, and his romantic side and jaw-dropping hotness finally gets revealed.
And it’s all thanks to Kira, who is a great match for him. I love their relationships! I love the way they come together, their circumstances as they get to know each other, the flirting, the lusting, the longing for each other, only for all of that to be ramped up when circumstances spiral out of both of their control. The way it all happens for them is fantastic, and very believable (all things considered).
Kira is a strong heroine. Although she’s had a hard life, she is tough, no-nonsense, and confident. Obviously attracted to Mencheres, she’s not afraid to stand up to him, and I love that she just comes out and speaks her mind.
“Dead or not, you must be bored with women telling you how you look like the hottest, most exotic wet dream they’ve ever had. No wonder the thought of you, grapes, and some scented massage oils crossed my mind—and if you drop that towel again, I’m going to need a cold shower.”
It’s a great contrast to Mencheres who, for all of his strength, is struggling with some things in this book, and I love that we get to see his vulnerabilities. My heart broke for him a number of times, but again, Kira’s strength and determination is a big factor, and she puts herself out there for him right when he needs her. And watching him fall just as hard for her was gorgeous.
“I do love you,” he said hoarsely, the words not an adequate representation of what he felt for Kira. She was everything that had been missing from his life, everything that made him want to stay in this harsh, unforgiving world that was somehow beautiful once more because of her.
And then there is the hotness. Phew! I’ve gotta say, some of Mencheres’ moves took me by surprise. Who thought a vampire not needing to breathe could have such beneficial results in a bathtub! And don’t even get me started on the Disneyland escapades!
After last night, Kira knew that his tongue felt like a vibrator set to the speed of Oh Hell Yeah.
Mencheres made love like he’d invented the act. If she wasn’t already dead, the number of climaxes he’d brought her to might have killed her.
The romance all unfolds amidst a plot to take Mencheres down, and he and Kira find themselves on the run while they try to get the bad guy and find a way to clear their names of false accusations which could turn out to be deadly.
Cat and Bones make an appearance, but the prize for best side-kick once again goes to Vlad, who shows up to help with his usual wit and sarcasm.
“Oh!” Kira exclaimed. Her eyes widened. “You’re not the real Dracula, are you?”
“Does no one think to warn people before they meet me?” Vlad muttered, shooting an irritable look at Mencheres.
While not my favourite book of the series, this is still a great addition to the Night Huntress World with lots of action, romance, drama and vampire politics that I love about these books.
A great, fun read. 4 stars.
See our Night Huntress series page for more information including reading order, reviews and buy links.