Sunday, September 15, 2013

SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW "Bound By Night" by Larissa Ione

SUMMARY
A WOMAN OUT FOR BLOOD
Nicole Martin was only eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in rebellion and killed her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a vaccine against vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with every bloodsucker on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot destroy: her searing, undeniable attraction for the one man she should hate and fear the most . . .

A VAMPIRE OUT FOR REVENGE
A member of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by demons of his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her family enslaved his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when he kidnaps Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy becomes his soul obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his only salvation—a hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . . . or bury him forever.


REVIEW
This one started off like gangbusters.  The premise is enticing. Nicole is the surviving member of a slave uprising and though scarred from the ordeal, has dedicated her life to studying the physiology of vampires in order to find cures for humans.  Her family has now left her the legacy - a vampire enslaving business.  Rebelling against the humans are a community of vampires, whose strongest warrior is Riker.  Riker's wife was Nicole's nanny.  Nicole's nanny is killed and Riker blames the Martin family.  Riker has vowed to avenge his wife's death.  Nicole has been kidnapped by Riker. 

The best part of this book is the intricate world create by Larissa Ione.  Vampires in this world have been subjugated by humans  into being a lower caste destined to be enslaved.  (In my head. I just kept hearing "When will humans learn - man's inhumanity to man is boundless").  But there are vampires who survive off the grid and try to avoid being caught be hunters.  They have their own communities and rivalries and this goes back to one of the main mysteries in this story - what is the origin of the vampires? The only ones who can answer that question are the original vampires along with their first and second generations, and they are are not talking...yet. 

I also like the nod to the  Native American culture in the story. I hope this teaser will be more fully flushed out in future stories.  

More complicated than a typical paranormal romance, I should've liked this more. There is great suspense and mystery.  However, it lacked something for me that prevents me from loving it.  For me, the chemistry between Nicole and Riker just didn't ring true. He has been grieving the loss his wife.  He has been pledging vengeance against the Martin family for 20 years.  But once he finally has a Martin in custody, he wants to kiss her?  He is inexplicably drawn to her? Hmmm, not so much.  Yes, he fights it.  But I don't get the initial attraction. 

IN A NUTSHELL
Despite the bad case of insta-love, I really did like the story and still would recommend this book paranormal romance fans.  

Thank you to the author, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.  

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