Where's the rumpy-pumpy?
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Page 243 of a 300-page novel brings the first sighting of any kind of pleasurable consensual biblical relations. Too little, too late for me.
So what's the theme for the remainder of the story. It's torture basically. If you like descriptions of torture for entertainment purposes then this is the novel for you. With a couple of other degradations thrown in which I won't detail because then Am.uk will delete this review.
I tend to steer clear of torture novels. Because years ago I read a couple of descriptions in the Sunday papers of what real-life torturers got up to in Nazi Germany and South America. More than enough for me to stomach. But I completely understand that people who've lived safe boring lives might get a thrill from reading about it.
Personally. I felt contaminated.
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Four and a half stars
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If Angels Burn is the first of Lynn Viehl's Darkyn series. Alexandra Keller a reconstructive surgeon is kidnapped and forced to repair the face of Michael Cyprien - a reclusive millionaire and member of the Darkyn. Unbeknownst to Alexandra once she has entered the world of the Darkyn it's going to be much harder to leave.
In the first few pages I get an immediate sense of who Alexandra Keller is - the fact that she is far from perfect and makes mistakes. It's how she deals with those mistakes and their consequences that make her such a ballsy character. She is constantly re-evaluating whatever situation she finds herself in and acting in accordance with that information. A heroine that thinks. Readers should be aware that Michael and Alex's continuing story is one of the main plot threads throughout the series. The story of their relationship does not end here.
This book is marketed as a paranormal romance and I think some readers will be disappointed by the lack of romantic romance in the story. Michael and Alex's relationship is more sexual than romantic to begin with. I'd also say this is closer to urban fantasy and a story of relationships - the ones we choose, the families we make, the families that are forced upon us. The book also focuses on the dysfunctional relationship Alex has with her brother John - one of the main subplots. From reading other reviews I know some readers would prefer less time be spent with John. But I think there is definitely more going on with him than we are aware of.
As this is a re-read for me and I've read the following books I was able to count out the various plot threads that started in book 1 - I counted nine and could have missed some :) . Some of them are only hints but it's fascinating to look back and see where the seed of a plot was first planted. One of the things I enjoy is not being able to predict where the story is going, and also not knowing which parts of the story are going to have greater relevance later in the series. It means the books are very re-readable.
This first book in the series is not the start of one story but of many stories, only some of which are resolved ( or apparently resolved). If you prefer a story where everything is neatly wrapped up at the end, then perhaps this is not for you. If however you prefer a more complex story, with interweaving plotlines, where characters make the best of the bad situations in which they find themselves and don't always behave in an honourable manner. Then it's well worth checking out.
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First book in the Darkyn series - but nothing to get excited about
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Lynn Viehl's Darkyn series had been recommended to me many times but I never quite got round to reading any of them. So anyway I decided one day to buy "If Angels Burn", the first in the series and see how I got on.
The first few pages were brilliant, there were some other great moments, but my overall view of this book is rather disappointing. The heroine, Alexandra Keller, is a doctor of plastic surgery and when the book focuses on her work it's fascinating and gripping. Initially she seems rather too good to be true but as the story progresses she seems to be an amazingly grumpy woman who doesn't want to understand those around her - the Darkyn - and why they are different.
There's a separate plot involving Alex's brother John, a priest, that works its way through the book, eventually joining up with the main plot at the end. John seems to have a rather tough time as a priest and I was rather sceptical about his credulity about what was happening.
The hero, Michael Cyprien, is the head honcho of the Darkyn peoples in America. Unfortunately we never really get to understand much about him, his personality or his motivations. He and Alex seem to fall in love with no actual build-up to it and he treats her remarkably badly. Alex is doing her best to find a reason for the Darkyn curse (and there are hints that she has done so) but no-one else seems to think it's very important.
The are some nasty scenes of torture in this book and if you're squeamish about blood and medical procedures this isn't for you. Equally if you want heroes and heroines that you can value and appreciate and admire, this isn't for you. A side-character called Phillippe is more traditional hero-material to me - I couldn't find much interest by the end of the book in what happened to Alex, she annoyed me too much.
The denouement at the end of the book seemed to happen very quickly and a character, Lucen, who appeared to be being set up as an opponent was rather easily sidetracked. This book probably functioned to set the scene for the subsequent ones in the series, thus the different characters who weren't very rounded, but I for one won't be spending my money on the rest to see how it works out for them.
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Surprised
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I didn't expect to like this book but was surprised to find that i did.
It really is different from Sherrilyn Kenyon and Christine Feehan stuff but still as good...
I just didnt really understand how Alexandra started to fall for Michael, from his side it was obvious, but from hers? Could be a bit more developed.
Still an enjoyable read, that did not bore me...
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very different but not in a bad way
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this book is about a member of the darkyn (a group of vamps) who is disfigured and enlists the help of plastic surgeon alexandra to reconstruct his face and the story goes from there. although the actual storyline is very good (kinda like the da vinci code but with vamps instead) i feel that the relationship between the main characters needed more development and certain aspects needed to be fully explained rather than being left for the second book in the series. for those expecting romance along the lines of christine feehan this may not be for u as the romance takes a back seat to the all the action. all in all this was a good book- different from what i expected but now im gettin the second one
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