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womenwer16's review against another edition
this was an ok novel. the characters solid and the plot interesting. I just wasn't buying the whole vampire cat thing .I don't think they were mixed well here. I liked Lilly's character strong, kind and determined. I just didn't think ty was a strong enough partner for her. she needed a very strong man to help her lead this new dynasty. he was too busy lamenting his low bloodline. the novel had potential.
larissa568's review
3.0
3 1/2 stars..I liked the way she created the different castes of vampires. I'd like to read more of Lily's story.
demilee1369's review against another edition
2.0
I found this book rather boring and hard to hold interest in, it did hold some interesting characters and the blurb sounded so interesting. Like all books I give a low rating I will try to reread this book at a later date to make sure its not this way just cause I have read a lot in that genre.
heabooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a unique take on vampires and I really enjoyed reading it. The history and lore is written really well; the Dynasties and their history that Kendra Leigh Castle created were really interesting and very unique in the flood of vampire romance on the market.
Ty was a great hero, strong, loyal and determined to protect his clan. He was a bit blinded by the real nature of his Queen but when it counts he comes through. And his support of Lily is strong throughout the book. I wanted Ty to realize Arsinoe’s true nature sooner but after decades in her Dynasties he’s blinded himself to what’s really going on in order to protect his clan.
Lily herself was an interesting character because she was unaware of her powers. When Ty approaches her and explains things, she’s willing to help someone she doesn’t even know. And the sacrifice she makes for Ty says a lot about her character and what she’d be willing to do for those she loves.
Ty was a great hero, strong, loyal and determined to protect his clan. He was a bit blinded by the real nature of his Queen but when it counts he comes through. And his support of Lily is strong throughout the book. I wanted Ty to realize Arsinoe’s true nature sooner but after decades in her Dynasties he’s blinded himself to what’s really going on in order to protect his clan.
Lily herself was an interesting character because she was unaware of her powers. When Ty approaches her and explains things, she’s willing to help someone she doesn’t even know. And the sacrifice she makes for Ty says a lot about her character and what she’d be willing to do for those she loves.
romancejunkie1025's review against another edition
4.0
Wow what an awesome beginning to a new series. I was a bit confused when reading the back cover blurb, but luckily the author gave a small intro to the dynasties which made the book enjoyably fascinating without being confusing as hell (as some of these strange worlds can be).
Passionate and deep the romance that buds between the two is quick-though progressively moving-and leaves you at times wondering how men can be so stupid in the face of love. The story has so many twists and turns and so much deep explanation of the strange world of vampire dynasties, but through it all the compassion and strength of the H/H make unexpected appearances like the sun through rain clouds.
The side characters were interesting as well and i look forward to learning more about them all in future books. Now i'm bummed i have to wait so long for book 2.
Passionate and deep the romance that buds between the two is quick-though progressively moving-and leaves you at times wondering how men can be so stupid in the face of love. The story has so many twists and turns and so much deep explanation of the strange world of vampire dynasties, but through it all the compassion and strength of the H/H make unexpected appearances like the sun through rain clouds.
The side characters were interesting as well and i look forward to learning more about them all in future books. Now i'm bummed i have to wait so long for book 2.
shelleyjld's review against another edition
So I’m DNFing this one. I bought it used paperback so I don’t know the percent but it is very early on
It’s insta love and I don’t normally have too much of a problem with that. It’s got solid world building.
It just felt *meh*. The hierarchy of vampires is not interesting to me. The whole low blood and high blood caste system feels silly.
And the insta love is more like insta obsession at this point but it feels very insta. I don’t feel any connection to these characters.
Honestly this could be that I’m not in the mood for this so take this review with that in mind. Maybe I will come back later. But this is not scratching the reading itch for me right now
It’s insta love and I don’t normally have too much of a problem with that. It’s got solid world building.
It just felt *meh*. The hierarchy of vampires is not interesting to me. The whole low blood and high blood caste system feels silly.
And the insta love is more like insta obsession at this point but it feels very insta. I don’t feel any connection to these characters.
Honestly this could be that I’m not in the mood for this so take this review with that in mind. Maybe I will come back later. But this is not scratching the reading itch for me right now
sk24's review against another edition
4.0
Originally reviewed on my blog: SIK Book Reviews.
Okay, honestly, before I decided to read this book, I had already decided that it was just going to be another Twilight knock-off. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Castle's new take on the world of vampires. This novel is full of adventure, unique story lines, and passionate romance (intended for adults, I'm sure). I found the story grabbed me right from the beginning and barely let go throughout its entirety. The novel started off with a very surprising - and welcome - bang! I was not expecting it to start off like it did. The prologue was very intense and full of action. And the action comes back again throughout the book.
The characters were very well developed. Ty is a bruting male vampire who has issues from his past that prevent him from giving in to his feelings...even when it comes to true love. And Lily also has a history that causes her to keep her guard up when it comes to love and romance. Castle does a good job of taking the reader through the journey of these two characters while they grow throughout the novel.
I was very, very pleased with the writing of Castle. The writing was maturely done and there were nearly no mistakes! Yay! The style is written in a way that it easily grabs and envelops the reader into the story.
The creativity and uniqueness was refreshingly surprising, as Castle opens a whole new world than I have read before about vampires. Yes, she does use some old concepts, but she adds new unique twists into them. I thought the creativity/uniqueness factor of this novel was very well done. One element I found interesting and creative was how the biting of the vampires is often pleasurable for both parties while taking part in "funny stuff" (you know what I mean!).
Overall, I was very satisfied with the entirety of this novel and am looking forward to the next novel in this series. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a little romance, along with action-packed paranormal plots.
Okay, honestly, before I decided to read this book, I had already decided that it was just going to be another Twilight knock-off. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Castle's new take on the world of vampires. This novel is full of adventure, unique story lines, and passionate romance (intended for adults, I'm sure). I found the story grabbed me right from the beginning and barely let go throughout its entirety. The novel started off with a very surprising - and welcome - bang! I was not expecting it to start off like it did. The prologue was very intense and full of action. And the action comes back again throughout the book.
The characters were very well developed. Ty is a bruting male vampire who has issues from his past that prevent him from giving in to his feelings...even when it comes to true love. And Lily also has a history that causes her to keep her guard up when it comes to love and romance. Castle does a good job of taking the reader through the journey of these two characters while they grow throughout the novel.
I was very, very pleased with the writing of Castle. The writing was maturely done and there were nearly no mistakes! Yay! The style is written in a way that it easily grabs and envelops the reader into the story.
The creativity and uniqueness was refreshingly surprising, as Castle opens a whole new world than I have read before about vampires. Yes, she does use some old concepts, but she adds new unique twists into them. I thought the creativity/uniqueness factor of this novel was very well done. One element I found interesting and creative was how the biting of the vampires is often pleasurable for both parties while taking part in "funny stuff" (you know what I mean!).
Overall, I was very satisfied with the entirety of this novel and am looking forward to the next novel in this series. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a little romance, along with action-packed paranormal plots.
nelsonseye's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good but kind of slow. Hard for me to wrap my brain around Tynan's motivations for staying with the Ptolemy.
cozybookhobbit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Dark Awakening
3 Stars
Tynan MacGillivray, a feline shapeshifter vampire, is tasked by his Queen to locate a Seer who can save her race from annihilation. Ty’s search leads him to Lily Quinn, a human woman with a mysterious past and immense powers, who awakens in Ty a fierce need to love, protect and belong. Yet other forces are at work against them and they will need to overcome many obstacles in order to be together ...
Interesting world building and a promising plot, but the chemistry between the leads is lacking and, therefore, results in a rather tepid romance.
The concept of various vampire dynasties each originating with a god/goddess from a different mythology is very intriguing and the idea of a caste system amongst the vampires lends a darker tone to the story. Nevertheless, the details and explanations are few and far between, which means that the atmosphere is less immersive than it could have been.
The story revolving around Ty’s search for a Seer to save the race of vampires to which he is sworn and Lily’s coming to terms with her true identity and her awesome powers is well written and exciting. Unfortunately, Ty is more of a beta than an alpha and his unquestioning loyalty to his Queen despite her obvious manipulation and prejudice against his kind puts a pall on his hero status.
The romance is the weakest element. There is no real spark to Ty and Lily’s relationship and their sex scenes are not only mechanical but unoriginal - one can read similar yet more sensual scenes in other vampire tales of this kind. The characterization is also flimsy and what little development there is comes toward the end, at which point, it is too late for the reader to truly empathize and identify with either of Ty or Lily’s past histories.
Although the secondary characters are appealing whether it be the tormented Jaden, the nefarious Damien (who doesn’t love a bad boy in need of redemption) or the enigmatic Vlad, it is not yet clear whether they have grabbed my attention enough to continue with the series. Perhaps when I’m in the mood.
3 Stars
Tynan MacGillivray, a feline shapeshifter vampire, is tasked by his Queen to locate a Seer who can save her race from annihilation. Ty’s search leads him to Lily Quinn, a human woman with a mysterious past and immense powers, who awakens in Ty a fierce need to love, protect and belong. Yet other forces are at work against them and they will need to overcome many obstacles in order to be together ...
Interesting world building and a promising plot, but the chemistry between the leads is lacking and, therefore, results in a rather tepid romance.
The concept of various vampire dynasties each originating with a god/goddess from a different mythology is very intriguing and the idea of a caste system amongst the vampires lends a darker tone to the story. Nevertheless, the details and explanations are few and far between, which means that the atmosphere is less immersive than it could have been.
The story revolving around Ty’s search for a Seer to save the race of vampires to which he is sworn and Lily’s coming to terms with her true identity and her awesome powers is well written and exciting. Unfortunately, Ty is more of a beta than an alpha and his unquestioning loyalty to his Queen despite her obvious manipulation and prejudice against his kind puts a pall on his hero status.
The romance is the weakest element. There is no real spark to Ty and Lily’s relationship and their sex scenes are not only mechanical but unoriginal - one can read similar yet more sensual scenes in other vampire tales of this kind. The characterization is also flimsy and what little development there is comes toward the end, at which point, it is too late for the reader to truly empathize and identify with either of Ty or Lily’s past histories.
Although the secondary characters are appealing whether it be the tormented Jaden, the nefarious Damien (who doesn’t love a bad boy in need of redemption) or the enigmatic Vlad, it is not yet clear whether they have grabbed my attention enough to continue with the series. Perhaps when I’m in the mood.