Sunday, June 23, 2013

Early Review of A Kiss of Blood (Vamp City, #2) by Pamela Palmer


  • Title: A Kiss of Blood: A Vamp City Novel
  • Classification: Adult Fiction
  • Genre: Urban Fantasy
  • Mass Market Paperback; 384 pages
  • Publisher: Avon (June 25, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062107534
  • ISBN-13: 978-0062107534
  • Notes: I received an eARC (eBook Advanced Reader Copy) from the publisher. Contained a vampire orgy and many violent scenes.

It all started a mere month ago. Quinn Lennox and her brother, Zack, were searching for her brother's best friend, Lily, who went missing. Suddenly, they stumbled into another world. A world that existed in another dimension, right on top of the modern day Washington DC. A dimension where time had stood still for 140 years. A dimension populated and ruled by vampires and other creatures of legend. A deadly and dark world where vampires were the real deal and they'd sooner eat you then let you live.

Some of the vampires in V.C. feed off more than just blood, they feed off emotions. Some feed off fear, some pain, while others on pleasure. Humans are considered slaves in V.C. and are treated as the title would imply. The main law of the land is that vampires rule and humans have no rights. They are considered property, playthings, and mobile meals. Vampires are stronger, quicker, and can travel great distances in the blink of an eye making escape virtually impossible. It's a place where anything goes and rules are few and far between. A place where the magic which created it is slowly starting to fail, condemning to death those who resided within the city's confines at the exact moment the spell which created it started to break.

If Quinn had her way, she and her brother would never go back to the city dubbed Washington VC and that world would die. As Arturo, the handsome yet untrustable vampire who helped Quinn and Zack escape the city had warned would happen, when Zack left the DC area, he grew extremely ill. Now it looks like Quinn and her brother will have to go back to Vamp City and try to renew the spell that keeps VC going. It may be her brother's only hope of surviving. The only problem is, no one knows why Quinn's magic is bound within her keeping her from reaching her full potential as a sorceress. She needs to find a way to let her powers loose or her brother and all who are bound to Vamp City will die and time is of the essence. With every day that passes it becomes increasingly clear that the city's magic is beginning to crumble as fissures between the real and magical realms become more frequent and unpredictable.

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This is the second book of the Vamp City series. Once again Quinn is thrown into the dark and sinister world of Vamp City. She and Arturo search for the reason her powers are bound so she can save the city. Utilizing the talents and help of Arturo's friends they begin their quest for answers. Being in Vamp City, Quinn is once more vulnerable to the supernatural beings that dwell within. She'll need to trust and rely on Arturo more than ever to survive. I loved that along the way Quinn grew as a character and gained confidence in herself as well as valuable insight and knowledge about the supernatural world. She'll come partially into her powers and start to become a force to be reckoned with and I absolutely loved seeing this transition.

I was absolutely seduced by Palmer's last Vamp City novel, 'A Blood Seduction', and part of that seduction had to do with the Vampire name Arturo. I was slightly disappointed that the vamp whom I found myself both liking and despising in equal measures lost a bit of his bad boy edge in this novel. His character seemed to do a complete turnaround and I almost didn't recognize him as the seductively dangerous vampire we first met. I had really liked the idea of a dark and dangerous hero who skirted the edge of propriety while flirting with the taboos of society. I had enjoyed how Quinn found him irresistible yet despicable causing her to be conflicted about her feelings because while she felt herself incredibly pulled to him she knew he wasn't good for her and couldn't be trusted. I was looking forward to seeing these two explore their feelings for each while breaking the barriers of what they initially believed about one another. I guess that scenario was never meant to be. While I enjoyed the jealousy Arturo displayed, I had hope that the emotional tug of war Quinn was experiencing in regards to Arturo in the first book would continue on in its intensity for a little while longer.

Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. I really enjoy the world Ms. Palmer created and really love the characters. The world was just as dark and perverse as the last book, but whereas it was an utter and total book seduction with 'A Blood Seduction', I felt like the whip cream, nuts, and cherry were missing on my sundae which would have pushed this book over the top and raised it from a 4 to a 5 on my rating scale. Still it was a fun read that I wouldn't have wanted to miss and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one get a SHOWER rating--a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?). Some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol 

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