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A review by idratherbereading542
Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian
3.0
You know, I really like the Midnight Breed series. Really, I do. There's a lot to like. But I can't help reading it without comparing it to J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) series. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - they are similar in a lot of ways. They have the same basic premise being vampire breed warriors falling in love. They both also have a lot of the same character molds - the hottie hot hot geek, the guy who can kill with his hand, the tortured soul (well there's two in this series), the overbearing leader...you get the idea. So I can't help but compare them, it's inevitable to me.
That being said, I've read almost all of the BDB books available right now (with the exception of the most recent one). By the third book in that series I was seriously attached to the brotherhood and all the characters. Although she had a couple books that I wasn't a big fan of in the series.
But that's beside the point. What I mean in saying this is that I find myself not really attached to these characters. The books are pretty good, the story lines are alright, but the character building is iffy. However, I do think that Lara Adrian does a better job of building up the relationship more gradually and realistically than J.R. Ward with BDB.
But, BDB has something that this series does not. I'm not exactly sure how to pinpoint it. The best way I can describe it though is a definition of characters. The characters are built up really well in BDB - all very individual and unique from each other. They're humorous, sexy, have realistic problems, and their pasts play a big role in how they are today. I can think back on any character and remember what he was like in my mind, and how he was different from the others. In the Midnight Breed series, I find that the characters are a little 2D. Although, they are built up a bit and their past somewhat affects how they are, they could almost all be interchangeable in how they react to their destined Breedmate. I could honestly see Lucan reacting in some of the same ways as Rio did in this book to Dylan. Same goes for Tegan or Dante. Although they are separate characters, their behaviors as lovers are so much alike that I have a hard time looking back on Dante, or Lucan and remembering what was unique about them.
In addition, J.R Ward is not afraid to get down and dirty with a good love scene, while Lara Adrian will rush through it, the initial contact and the climax of both characters being only a few paragraphs. It's a waste. Another thing missing, for me personally, is the humor. Humor makes characters feel real. It makes me visualize them standing there having a normal conversation because people in real life have humor between each other - sarcastic or otherwise. Midnight Breed is all serious, serious, everything's serious. It's all business and no fun.
I know, I know - for all my bashing, why am I still reading? Well, these books are entertaining, and I do love a good vampire suckfest, so that's one reason. The other is that, there is something there. I feel like these books are going to get better, just a feeling. Perhaps her writing style won't change, but I keep hoping that there will be more substance behind them in the future.
Now that I've got that out of the way, onto Midnight Rising - the fourth book in the series about Rio and Dylan. Overall I was a bit disappointed. I really and truly liked the first three. I did. Aside from the things above, the books have been super entertaining and I have trouble putting them down. In this book though, I found myself not really caring whether Rio and Dylan got together. I know that sounds harsh, but it just wasn't real enough for me. It seemed artificial.
First of all, what kind of name is Dylan for the girl? I get her explanation, but it kept making me think of 90210 and having to remind myself that she's a chick, not a guy. Anyways, Dylan was very annoying to me at first. She'd ask like 15 questions in a single breath and expect and answer to all of them. She just seemed childish and demanding, and not the least bit appealing to me at all. When it came down to falling in love with Rio and having to "leave" her mother behind, she wouldn't do it. This, I did not get. I mean, I doubt she couldn't go visit her mom during the day if she stayed with Rio, and from the timeline she's about 32 or so. So, although her mother is dying, I think that being five hours away from her is not that bad. I mean, she is an adult and needs to have her own life.
As for Rio, he got over Eva way to quick. Sure, she betrayed him, and that's a real kicker. BUT, he's been with her for how long? It's gotta be awhile. We're not told exactly how long, but it's been since Rio was a kid (5 or 6) and he was taken to the Darkhaven where he met her. Again, we're not told how old he is (unless I missed it), but he's got to be a least a hundred. So a hundred years (or more) and he's just over her, like that? As an example, I find that even when I look back on my first love (which is who Eva was for him), I look at it through a rose colored glass - whether I want to or not. In spite of all the bad things he did, I have a hard time remembering those, and I was only with him for months. I think that Rio would still be at least a little bit in love with Eva, despite that she betrayed him.
So I have a hard time believing that he's falling in love just a year after he lost her. One year in vampire years is like the blink of an eye. Hell, it took Tegan 500 years to get over his first mate. The contrast is enormous. I just think Rio's story should have been pushed off some, at least 5 years in terms of how long it's been in the story that is.
The romance in this one didn't build up very well for me either. Perhaps I'm in a bad mood, I don't know. But even though they didn't have sex until like 250 pages or something like that, I felt like they fell for each other a little quick. Here he is holding her hostage, she doesn't know what's going to happen really, and she finds herself wanting him to touch her after being with him for a few minutes? It just doesn't really seem realistic. Also, the first time they have sex it's in a freakin' church! Now, that was just wrong, even for me.
Finally, there was not really much of an underlying story. In all the other books, there was some kind of threat to their Breedmate or themselves lurking in the shadows. Whether it be Marek or Crimson, or whatever. This one had some Gen Ones being killed off, but honestly the actual action of the book didn't even begin (literally) until about page 328/356. No kidding. I mean, there was absolutely nothing really holding Rio and Dylan apart, except that she didn't want to leave her mother. So as far as that goes, it was a very bland read.
I'm not really sure why a lot of people say this is their favorite in the series. For me, this was by far my least favorite. I didn't feel much for the characters, they "fell in love" way too quickly, there's very little sex, and even less of a story. To me, it was seriously lacking compared to previous books in the series.
I will keep reading though. Perhaps this was the bad one in the batch (even BDB had a couple of those), or perhaps I'm just in a really bitchy mood today. :) Who knows...
That being said, I've read almost all of the BDB books available right now (with the exception of the most recent one). By the third book in that series I was seriously attached to the brotherhood and all the characters. Although she had a couple books that I wasn't a big fan of in the series.
But that's beside the point. What I mean in saying this is that I find myself not really attached to these characters. The books are pretty good, the story lines are alright, but the character building is iffy. However, I do think that Lara Adrian does a better job of building up the relationship more gradually and realistically than J.R. Ward with BDB.
But, BDB has something that this series does not. I'm not exactly sure how to pinpoint it. The best way I can describe it though is a definition of characters. The characters are built up really well in BDB - all very individual and unique from each other. They're humorous, sexy, have realistic problems, and their pasts play a big role in how they are today. I can think back on any character and remember what he was like in my mind, and how he was different from the others. In the Midnight Breed series, I find that the characters are a little 2D. Although, they are built up a bit and their past somewhat affects how they are, they could almost all be interchangeable in how they react to their destined Breedmate. I could honestly see Lucan reacting in some of the same ways as Rio did in this book to Dylan. Same goes for Tegan or Dante. Although they are separate characters, their behaviors as lovers are so much alike that I have a hard time looking back on Dante, or Lucan and remembering what was unique about them.
In addition, J.R Ward is not afraid to get down and dirty with a good love scene, while Lara Adrian will rush through it, the initial contact and the climax of both characters being only a few paragraphs. It's a waste. Another thing missing, for me personally, is the humor. Humor makes characters feel real. It makes me visualize them standing there having a normal conversation because people in real life have humor between each other - sarcastic or otherwise. Midnight Breed is all serious, serious, everything's serious. It's all business and no fun.
I know, I know - for all my bashing, why am I still reading? Well, these books are entertaining, and I do love a good vampire suckfest, so that's one reason. The other is that, there is something there. I feel like these books are going to get better, just a feeling. Perhaps her writing style won't change, but I keep hoping that there will be more substance behind them in the future.
Now that I've got that out of the way, onto Midnight Rising - the fourth book in the series about Rio and Dylan. Overall I was a bit disappointed. I really and truly liked the first three. I did. Aside from the things above, the books have been super entertaining and I have trouble putting them down. In this book though, I found myself not really caring whether Rio and Dylan got together. I know that sounds harsh, but it just wasn't real enough for me. It seemed artificial.
First of all, what kind of name is Dylan for the girl? I get her explanation, but it kept making me think of 90210 and having to remind myself that she's a chick, not a guy. Anyways, Dylan was very annoying to me at first. She'd ask like 15 questions in a single breath and expect and answer to all of them. She just seemed childish and demanding, and not the least bit appealing to me at all. When it came down to falling in love with Rio and having to "leave" her mother behind, she wouldn't do it. This, I did not get. I mean, I doubt she couldn't go visit her mom during the day if she stayed with Rio, and from the timeline she's about 32 or so. So, although her mother is dying, I think that being five hours away from her is not that bad. I mean, she is an adult and needs to have her own life.
As for Rio, he got over Eva way to quick. Sure, she betrayed him, and that's a real kicker. BUT, he's been with her for how long? It's gotta be awhile. We're not told exactly how long, but it's been since Rio was a kid (5 or 6) and he was taken to the Darkhaven where he met her. Again, we're not told how old he is (unless I missed it), but he's got to be a least a hundred. So a hundred years (or more) and he's just over her, like that? As an example, I find that even when I look back on my first love (which is who Eva was for him), I look at it through a rose colored glass - whether I want to or not. In spite of all the bad things he did, I have a hard time remembering those, and I was only with him for months. I think that Rio would still be at least a little bit in love with Eva, despite that she betrayed him.
So I have a hard time believing that he's falling in love just a year after he lost her. One year in vampire years is like the blink of an eye. Hell, it took Tegan 500 years to get over his first mate. The contrast is enormous. I just think Rio's story should have been pushed off some, at least 5 years in terms of how long it's been in the story that is.
The romance in this one didn't build up very well for me either. Perhaps I'm in a bad mood, I don't know. But even though they didn't have sex until like 250 pages or something like that, I felt like they fell for each other a little quick. Here he is holding her hostage, she doesn't know what's going to happen really, and she finds herself wanting him to touch her after being with him for a few minutes? It just doesn't really seem realistic. Also, the first time they have sex it's in a freakin' church! Now, that was just wrong, even for me.
Finally, there was not really much of an underlying story. In all the other books, there was some kind of threat to their Breedmate or themselves lurking in the shadows. Whether it be Marek or Crimson, or whatever. This one had some Gen Ones being killed off, but honestly the actual action of the book didn't even begin (literally) until about page 328/356. No kidding. I mean, there was absolutely nothing really holding Rio and Dylan apart, except that she didn't want to leave her mother. So as far as that goes, it was a very bland read.
I'm not really sure why a lot of people say this is their favorite in the series. For me, this was by far my least favorite. I didn't feel much for the characters, they "fell in love" way too quickly, there's very little sex, and even less of a story. To me, it was seriously lacking compared to previous books in the series.
I will keep reading though. Perhaps this was the bad one in the batch (even BDB had a couple of those), or perhaps I'm just in a really bitchy mood today. :) Who knows...