Third in the Midnight Breed Series
|
Following the events of Kiss of Crimson (Bk 2), Elise Chase has left the safety of the Darkhaven to seek revenge on the Rogues and Minions whose schemes led to the death of her son. But as the psychic gifts she uses to pursue her vengeance threaten to overwhelm her, it will take the intervention of the Breed warrior Tegan to bring her home.
The Midnight Breed series is finally standing on its own, this is the first book where I didn't feel the shadow of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. It helps that Lara Adrian writes such independent heroines, and also that we change locations, a large chunk of Midnight Awakening takes place in Germany. It places the series in a larger world.
Elise is another strong female character who knows her own mind, she's got a brain and she uses it. This is important, this story just wouldn't work with a heroine who wouldn't stand up to Tegan. There's a scene where Tegan chases Elise off by being his charming self, and she does run away. But, she also stops, thinks and goes back. The progress of Elisa and Tegan's courtship isn't simple, and it shouldn't be. They both have a lot of history and emotional baggage to deal with. It's realistic that it takes them over three quarters of the book to get themselves sorted out. And I think at the end, this gives us the most believable relationship of the series so far.
Although this story is very much focused on Tegan and Elise, and we don't dwell on the previous pairings, there are some moments with characters from the first two books. Tess helping Rio, Gabrielle taking photographs of the daylight world for Lucan - little touches that give us an insight into their relationships. I still find Chase (Sterling) to be the most interesting seconday character and I have to add here, that I KNEW Dante and Chase would end up as friends. :)
If I had any complaints it's that Marek who had such potential to be an outstanding bad guy is reduced to the status of pantomime villain. To me this feels like a wasted opportunity, and is almost too easy. I felt a little like the author thought, 'Oh, I've come up with a better idea, let's just scrap the first one.'
Midnight Awakening acts as a conclusion to the first three books, whilst at the same time the plotline is opened up with a new and more threatening danger awakened. I very much look forward to seeing where this series goes next.
Book 1 - Kiss of Midnight
Book 2 - Kiss of Crimson
Book 4 - Midnight Rising (March 2008)
|
|
This great vampire series continues
|
"Midnight Awakening" is the third in Lara Adrian's Vampire Breed series and it's another great read. Comparisons with J R Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood books continue, especially as this third book is about the emotionally damaged and loner vampire who finds his match in a damaged woman who no longer feels her place is in the society of her peers (rather like Z and Bella in Lover Awakened). However this story also has many differences, particularly in the locations in which it is set. Most of the action in this book takes place in Berlin and it's clear the author has some familiarity with the city, although I felt there were occasional lapses when the locals seemed to speak English automatically. However overall the change of setting made it an interesting book.
The hero of this book is Tegan, one of the Gen One vampires who are oldest and strongest but also the most liable to go 'rogue' and become bloodlusting dangerous vampires that have to be killed. He connected briefly with Elise, a vampire widow and sister-in-law to Sterling Chase, in the last book. In this book they find themselves meeting again unexpectedly and Tegan is shocked by the situation into which Elise has moved. She has vowed vengeance against the Rogues who killed her son and goes out at night attacking them; Tegan eventually has to take her to the warriors' mansion for her own safety, and it's at that point where they find themselves beginning to connect. When Elise has to come with him to Berlin to follow a lead, their relationship becomes more complex.
Much of the romance aspect of this book sees the characters alternately wanting to be together and wanting to stay apart to protect themselves from the fragility that love can bring. This sometimes felt a little repetitive, especially as various misunderstandings were occasionally engineered that were resolved a page or so later. We were introduced to a new character, a German man named Andreas Reichen, who may well feature in a future book as he was an intriguing person. However the bulk of the story follows the interactions between Tegan and Elise with the other warriors and their mates very much in the background.
The plot moved along reasonably in this story although towards the end it felt perhaps a little rushed. In some ways the 'baddie' was finished off rather easily but this was just to open the story up to the extra layer, the new 'baddie' who is rather badder than the old one! Elise's vengeance also seemed to subside as the book went along and it was unclear by the end whether she'd given it up, handed it over to Tegan or just forgotten about it. Although the story clearly continues, this particular episode finished in an acceptable manner and I found myself looking forward to the continuation of this interesting series. It's not groundbreaking stuff but it's still a good read.
|
|
|
Tame and somewhat dated.
|
Midnight Awakening reads like an average series romance. Perfunctory is the word I would use to describe it. I cannot believe this novel comes from the same pen what wrote in the lurid tattoo-sucking scene in Kiss of Crimson.
`Widow' romances are rarely much good and this is no exception. The heroine Elise subjects Tegan to one of the most outrageous teases I've ever read. First she comes on to him like she's ready to do the deed. Then at the last moment she changes her mind, runs away, and then comes back to finish the business! I thought her actions at the time almost amounted to the sadistic torture of a guy who admits he hasn't had sex for 500 years. I don't like that kind of thing.
And lookee. The Order has got it's very own groupie, hanger-on. Chase. Just like Butch in the BDB. And he's just as much of a brown-noser. I want him to die. Or be the first Rogue to infiltrate the compound. But I just know he's going to get his own story some time in the future.
As an experienced romance reader I found Midnight Awakening to be such an eeeeasy read. However. Be aware that the story still has the quota of soft-core and violence required by the genre. But not too much of either. Neither is the heroine brutalized by the baddies. I think that's what I found a bit much in Crimson. When Tess got munched by the Rogues. Not to mention the imagery of blood that was thrust into the tattoo-sucking scene. All a bit too much for me. But. Wow! What an imagination on someone's part. Nothing like that in Midnight Awakening. Thank goodness. Sort of.
What is good is the non-romance plot. Something about a book and an ancient alien vampire. Marek gets his just deserts but someone worse is due to take his place. However like so often, the thrills and tension do not make any appearance until well over half way into the book. It was wonderful how all the riddles were solved by the females.
I absolutely did not get the character of Andreas. I kept expecting that continental creep and his floosie to turn bad. He takes up far too much of the novel for what is essentially a cipher role.
Absolutely not a patch on Kiss of Crimson. But perfectly acceptable nonetheless. And it was Tegan who turned out to be a cardboard cutout not Elise. I found it all a bit one-dimensional and...simple.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada