3.75 stars and I'd never make it as a professional judge at any contest because I'd beg for halves and thirds on the points....PARDON MY BAD GRAMMAR, MAN..
Oh VLAD.
I have loved Vlad the entire Night Huntress series and I was on the edge of my seat to see if Frost was going to deliver the goods for the beloved smexy Vlad.
It occurred to me reading this book that while I've been reading PNR like a junkie for a few years now and given my rapid reading speed that means one hell of a lot of vamps- and I've taken a hiatus due to boredom that vampires have one great thing (sometimes). They can read minds in most universes- and when that happens that makes it difficult for writers to fall into the habit of "The Great Misunderstanding that begats other Great Misunderstandings that last until the HEA" move. And that is
awesome.
I'm not a fan of first person POV but Leila was tolerable to good. She's a straight forward young woman who has led a difficult life. Her background reminds me of comic book hero. She has a horrible accident and due to that has abilities that separate her permanently from normal society. One thing I admired about her character is that while her abilities led to her leading a fringe life by most standards- she doesn't prance around with a high level of vitriol and bitterness in her head. I rather like this because I've seen enough caustic bad ass heroines with heartbreak stories that took it out on the everyone and everything around them without a second thought because they feel entitled. That attitude disgusts me in real life and disgusts me in books. I like that Leila is softer despite every desperately horrendous thing she's ever been exposed to and she still feels human.
And Vlad. Vlad's character had me thinking all kinds of things. He reminds me of Mircea from the Cassie Palmer series..he's arrogant to a fault and even Leila harps on about it. As the reader I must say I agree with her- and so does Vlad- repeatedly. He's damned sexy no doubt about it. What I started wondering while reading this is- do we women truly want and desire a man that is arrogant beyond the pale and who dominates so completely? For real? Is this our real ideal? I thought about this a lot reading this. Maybe that's well and good in bed but in my opinion for everyday walking around I'll take a good dose of my own mind leading me where it wants without interference. Anyway Vlad- Leila has her doubts about his many faceted personality and that's completely understandable. Oh another good thing about the creepy hundreds of years old vamp getting into some super young woman? At least he has great carnal experience right? He better be expert level. I did think the sex scenes were nice (frankly I usually skim read sex scenes I am all for sexual tension and romantic tension but sex scenes usually fail) and Leila and Vlad have great chemistry.
I am all over the map about this-
I read this in one day it was highly entertaining and I didn't spend a ton of time rolling my eyes nor taking huge breaks because the plot was boring me.
I hesitate to call it the ultimate entertainment because of THE ENDING.
This gets my official WTF ending shelf label. How was that an ending?! Anyone that's read the book feel free to edify me and my measly brain but I flipped past the last page thinking that cannot be it..huh?
Oh and I dedicate Thom Yorke's
The Black Swan as Leila and Vlad's love song. The chorus says it all.