Helpful Score: 2
What an awful book. I really can't believe I made myself finish reading it. Luckily for me, most pages could be skimmed and skipped because the information just wasn't necessary to the story.
For the first 100 pages or so, I thought the heroine was in some kind of dystopian future. I didn't really understand (or care about) her plan, or why she even had one. Frankly, I thought she was incredibly naive and, yes, TSTL. I mean, on one page she's moaning and groaning about how stupid she and her sister were to go off alone with a couple of guys they met at a bar (who were really demons/vampires) and the next, she's going home with a guy she met in a cemetary hunting the vamps. Puhleez.
Unbareable heroine, scum-sucking hero, backstabbling sidekick #1, steadying influence sidekick #2, evil beautiful demon queen who always has just the right new power that she needs at that moment to get away (and the hunters - who are hundreds of years old - don't know about any of them)... combined with unnecessary descriptions, unending introspection, meaningless conversations, boring action scenes, and a yawn-worthy cliffhanger, and you've got a recipe for the first book in a series I will not be reading. I wish I could have those few hours of my life back.
For the first 100 pages or so, I thought the heroine was in some kind of dystopian future. I didn't really understand (or care about) her plan, or why she even had one. Frankly, I thought she was incredibly naive and, yes, TSTL. I mean, on one page she's moaning and groaning about how stupid she and her sister were to go off alone with a couple of guys they met at a bar (who were really demons/vampires) and the next, she's going home with a guy she met in a cemetary hunting the vamps. Puhleez.
Unbareable heroine, scum-sucking hero, backstabbling sidekick #1, steadying influence sidekick #2, evil beautiful demon queen who always has just the right new power that she needs at that moment to get away (and the hunters - who are hundreds of years old - don't know about any of them)... combined with unnecessary descriptions, unending introspection, meaningless conversations, boring action scenes, and a yawn-worthy cliffhanger, and you've got a recipe for the first book in a series I will not be reading. I wish I could have those few hours of my life back.
Helpful Score: 1
Huh this was sorta pretentious read....like it had illusions of grandeur but ened up lacking ...in all ways but one...the setting was amazingly done...I could see everything in my head rally well...
But I really didn't like the rest of the book, and i nearly added it to my DNF shelf a time or two....but I sloughed through, though it still surprises me that I made it to the end!
Right from the start the heroine bugged me. She had a tstl moment in the first couple pages..I know I was supposed to think she was just naive, but that's not how it came off, IMO . I tried to get past it, and give her the benefit of the doubt but she never really improves.
And the hero... I didn't like too much either...better then the heroine, sure. But that's not saying much. He's got a depressed/ self hatred thing going on that is only marginally explained....
Also, there are a few other secondary characters, but the little we get regarding them didn't whet my appetite at all...
The romance aspect while present is unsatisfying. Really really unsatisfying. It didn't even feel like romance to me...maybe because before a realtionship can really form, and keep in mind this is a SPOILER concerning a hot button issue
***
the hero cheats...It can be argued that the H&h aren't really together, but he has sex with someone almost right after he has sex with the heroine. Like right after. Sure he has his reasons, but still it wasn't pleasant to read....and he realizes his mistake...if not right away, then soon after...but then his realization that he wants the heroine back, IMO came too soon. Up until that point he was sorta diffident, so his timing didin't really make sense.
***
There was the potential for the story to go deeper into the heroes ...I guess you could call it an addiction, but the story glosses over it. One minute it's a major plot point, the next everything's resolved. Maybe it'll be mentioned in the next book, but at this point I don't think I'll be reading it.
Oh and let's not forget the amazing number of info dumps....it seemed like every few pages were getting more info dumped on us....an okay I'll admit it, I started skimming those bits...there was just so much! Maybe if I'd been more invested in the story, knowing the world better would have mattered more...
Oh and the seemingly endless pages of intro-freaking-spection! Usually I enjoy getting inside characters heads, but not to the exclusion of the actual story!
Lastly the endings a cliffhanger...a poorly done one...it was too abrupt, and sorta left me with a WTH? feeling.
So yeah, a disappointing read... I'm not sure if I'd recommend it to anyone, but if you're looking for a good PNR or a UF with a strong romantic element, I'd skip this one altogether!
But I really didn't like the rest of the book, and i nearly added it to my DNF shelf a time or two....but I sloughed through, though it still surprises me that I made it to the end!
Right from the start the heroine bugged me. She had a tstl moment in the first couple pages..I know I was supposed to think she was just naive, but that's not how it came off, IMO . I tried to get past it, and give her the benefit of the doubt but she never really improves.
And the hero... I didn't like too much either...better then the heroine, sure. But that's not saying much. He's got a depressed/ self hatred thing going on that is only marginally explained....
Also, there are a few other secondary characters, but the little we get regarding them didn't whet my appetite at all...
The romance aspect while present is unsatisfying. Really really unsatisfying. It didn't even feel like romance to me...maybe because before a realtionship can really form, and keep in mind this is a SPOILER concerning a hot button issue
***
the hero cheats...It can be argued that the H&h aren't really together, but he has sex with someone almost right after he has sex with the heroine. Like right after. Sure he has his reasons, but still it wasn't pleasant to read....and he realizes his mistake...if not right away, then soon after...but then his realization that he wants the heroine back, IMO came too soon. Up until that point he was sorta diffident, so his timing didin't really make sense.
***
There was the potential for the story to go deeper into the heroes ...I guess you could call it an addiction, but the story glosses over it. One minute it's a major plot point, the next everything's resolved. Maybe it'll be mentioned in the next book, but at this point I don't think I'll be reading it.
Oh and let's not forget the amazing number of info dumps....it seemed like every few pages were getting more info dumped on us....an okay I'll admit it, I started skimming those bits...there was just so much! Maybe if I'd been more invested in the story, knowing the world better would have mattered more...
Oh and the seemingly endless pages of intro-freaking-spection! Usually I enjoy getting inside characters heads, but not to the exclusion of the actual story!
Lastly the endings a cliffhanger...a poorly done one...it was too abrupt, and sorta left me with a WTH? feeling.
So yeah, a disappointing read... I'm not sure if I'd recommend it to anyone, but if you're looking for a good PNR or a UF with a strong romantic element, I'd skip this one altogether!
Alice J. (ASJ) -
The Series has potential. Ms. Quinn left us with a very good cliff hanger. Starts out like many other UF but grows on you over time. Characters become a little more complex, you get a feel for New Orleans after Katrina. Ms Quinn tries to add her own spin on vampires and their hierachy. good first book, will read book 2 when it comes out.
