Highly enjoyable...
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As a recent convert to the Laurell K Hamilton, Anita Blake series, I wanted to see if there was anything else out there that was as addictive and enjoyable. I have to say that I was unsure as to whether I would find anything that lived upto my expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
The whole premise of the vampires existing is totally different to Hamilton's, but this is a difference NOT a negative thing. Its just another way of approaching the long standing myth of vampirism.
The setting of the book was very normal. Gabrielle Maxwell's life is extremely realistic, the background is believable and the supporting characters are gently introduced. But although this is total fantasy, the paranormal aspects of the story are sympathetically injected into her surroundings.
The only reason that this book didn't rate 5 stars is because its not as intricate a read as a Hamilton. I was able to sit and read it in one sitting. However, this may well be a positive thing, as it was a highly addictive read and I'm definitely going to be ordering the next one in the series.
For those readers who have disliked the extensive sex in the later Anita Blake books, be warned that this book is very explicit and erotic in parts. It isn't necessarily the main thrust of the plot, but it does play a major role. Personally, I found this enjoyable and well written.
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excellent start to a promising series!
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This is the first book in the midnight breed series and already i'm hooked! kiss of midnight is Lucan and Gabrielle's story and also serves to introduce us into the vampire warrior brethren that Lucan has led for countless centuries. I think the reviewers before me have pretty much summed everything up as far as the stories plot and characters are concerned, yet i just wanted to come and offer my kudos to a new and refreshing series.
Obviously if you have read anything by JR Ward or Sherrilyn Kenyon then you will have some idea on what you can expect from the midnight breed series. Yet despite the comparisons that have been made between JR's brotherhood series and the midnight breed i have to say that i for one refuse take any notice. Both are equally good authors and both have fantastic series neither of which i cant fault. Though given that kiss of midnight is the first book in this particular series, the only one of which i've read so far, i'm hoping my words wont be in vain as far as my premature opinion is concerned. But so far, so good.
There's everything you could ask for in this story. Great characters both main and secondary, an excellent plot, not to mention the relationship between Lucan and Gabrielle which will have you laughing one minute and deeply ingrossed in the next. Yup i'm hooked. I cant wait for kiss of crimson to arrive through my letterbox!
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Brilliant new series
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How great - to find another brilliant Vampire series with a change. Absolutely cannot put these down - you will not notice how fast you turn the pages - Loved all of these especially Dante & Tess's story - Well Done Lara, can hardly wait for Book 4.
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disappointing book
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kiss of midnight is a disappointing book. Having read other reviews I thought it would be as good as JR Ward's Dark lover, but it is nowhere near. It starts slowly and builds in tension but doesn't actually go anywhere.
Gabrielle Maxwell is a disappointment, the attraction between her and lucan is contrived and predictable. Do yourself a favour and buy a book by Kresley Cole, JR Ward, Laurell K Hamilton, Charlaine Harris or Carrie Vaughn instead.
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Derivative but still a great read
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There's absolutely no doubt as to the readership to whom this book is meant to appeal - the commendation from J R Ward, author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, gives a big clue. This book is very, very similar to the Black Dagger Brotherhood and will no doubt be enjoyed by those who like those books; the similarities are very marked - a small number of warrior vampires live together in a compound and fight against strong and numerous adversaries. This is the first in the series and it's very akin to Ward's "Dark Lover" (in fact at one point the heroine describes the hero as her dark lover), in that the hero is the leader of the band of warriors, that he isn't looking for a romantic involvement and yet he discovers that a woman is linked to the vampire nation although she herself is oblivious of that fact. There are even mentions of a Red Sox hat, there's a computer expert vampire, a monosyllabic and weird vampire, the death of one of the six warrior vampires... the comparisons with the BDB go on and on.
And yet this is a book in its own right and it has its differences. There are several good things about this book when comparing it to the BDB. The first is that the characters don't have silly names but just unusual ones - the hero is Lucan, we also meet Tegan, Nikolai, Dante, Rio, Gideon and Conlan. Secondly there aren't loads of odd words with extra letter h peppered throughout the text which I always found rather cheesy. Thirdly the sections dealing with the Rogues, those against whom the warriors are fighting, aren't as extensive (I always find myself skim-reading the Lesser sections in the BDB) and in this series the Rogues are vampires gone bad rather than a separate species.
There are some aspects about this book that didn't feel as accomplished as the BDB. The characterisation felt somehow less authentic although it was hard to put my finger on why. Gabrielle, the heroine, was a plucky woman who seemed able to cope with an awful lot of scary information in one go, perhaps too much. Lucan's conflicted nature about not wanting a mate and being afraid that he's about to lose the plot from Bloodlust was perhaps overplayed in the book but was necessary for the suspense in the plot. And in some ways perhaps that's my chief disappointment with the story, that the overall idea on which this book hung didn't seem quite developed enough. It was a good read with some spicy scenes between hero and heroine, some fighting, lots of blood and gore and awkward relationships amongst the vampire warriors but somehow it didn't quite grip me as much as the BDB. However J R Ward's novels definitely improved as she got into her writing stride with them (with the exception of Vishous' novel) and I have hopes that Lara Adrian's books will equally mature as she continues the series.
For those who like the Black Dagger Brotherhood this is a worthy read alongside that series. For those who haven't read that series, read this one first, and enjoy it, and then read the BDB and enjoy it too. For those who don't like the BDB this book probably isn't for you. Some people may moan about the similarities between the two series but I think there is room in this genre for other books of a similar type as long as they have their own individual differences as well and as long as plot and characterisation are well-written. This is a good start to the series and I have already purchased the sequel.
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