Resurrection by Patrice MichelleMy rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Thanks so much for writing this book, Ms. Michelle. Finally a Silhouette Nocturne that delivers on the action, the world-building, and the romance to an equal level. If you don't like high octane, action-driven romance, do not read this book. The first 1/4 of the book felt very much like a action/horror/science fiction movie, yet with a very sexy hero, and a heroine who was way out of her depth. I was loving it. It had me thinking of The Terminator, Underworld, and Blade all rolled into one. Maybe a little bit of Blade Runner and Ultraviolet, too. There are some great scenes that really bring these movies to mind in a very visually-stylistic way.
Jachin is a serious bad-ass. This is established from the first scene. I was like, "Aw, yeah." He really reminded me of Blade (except cuter than Wesley Snipes and looking nothing like him or Blade), but the aspects of him being a hard as nails, kickass, hunter-assassin who happened to be a vampire. He is sexy as all get out, and initially has a bit of an attitude (I like my heroes a little grumpy). But I could understand why. He got kicked out by his brethren, was on the run from various people and vampires who wanted him dead, and spent most of his time in a state of borderline starvation for sustenance from blood. Human blood had become poisonous, so he had to take jobs as an assassin to be able to afford to buy specially-processed blood from a scientist to stay alive. I think Ms. Michelle did a great job writing Jachin. There are nuances that sort of reminded me of other paranormal heroes, but at the same time, Jachin really had a unique feel for me. He was one of those heroes you can drool over, but really respect for being tough as nails. I'm as much an action-adventure fan as I am a romance fan, so I love when I can find characters that fill both shoes equally well.
Ariel is not the kickbutt kind of heroine. She's more of a damsel in distress. That's okay. The kicking butt and taking names kind of heroine is great, but it gets stale when every book has that sort of heroine. Initially she was bugging me with her intolerance towards Jachin. But then I had to put myself in her shoes. Shouldn't she hate vampires, since her family was brutally wiped out by them? Shouldn't she be wary and desirous to escape from those who inspired fear in her? She didn't know Jachin, so how could she instantly bond to him and trust him. So, I came to the realization that Ariel is authentic in her initial reactions to Jachin. She is soft and sweet, but she has a fortitude that comes through, considering what she is put through in this book. Talking about beat up and bashed around. Good thing Jachin's saliva is healing. And he's more than willing to lick all her wounds healed, and he discovers her blood is not poisonous like other humans in the process. Ariel comes to play a very pivotal role in this book, and I like that she comes to the conclusion that she has a responsibility in the world that Jachin inhabits, and embraces him and this role. I came to like her very much.
The worldbuilding was intriguing and involving. It is set in the future, which is clear through the technology available. I like how Ms. Michelle established this withough committing the info-dump writing sin. There are enough elements of a futuristic setting to be appreciated, but not so out there that it's distracting.
In this series, vampires were genetically engineered by humans. As with any toy, humans tired of the vamps, and decided to wipe them out. The vampires, called Sanguinas or scions, rebelled and started hunting the humans. But over the years, the humans' blood became poisonous, and the scions had to go into hiding.
The Sanguinas actually created the werewolves, called Lupredas, to hunt for them and to play part in their ancient rituals. Over time, the Lupredas and the Sanguinas became mortal enemies. This part reminded me of Underworld. In this book, the Lupredas play a minor role, although Landon, a Lupreda, is a sometimes ally to Jachin.
There is a bit of inter-breed politics related to Jachin's being ousted from the Sanguinas, and the prophecy that Ariel unwittingly reveals in her book that she wrote about vampires as a sort of therapy. Hearing that Ariel wrote this book about the prophecy is the impetus that causes Jachin to kidnap her to take her back to the Sanguinas leader as his mate to fulfill the prophecy. They are on the run from Sanguinas who want to get her there first, and also from human vampire hunters, called Garroters. The politics part is good for fans of the vampire society type storylines prominent in movies like Blade, the tv show, Kindred: The Embrace, and the Underworld films. But it doesn't drag the storyline down, as this book stays pretty action and romance-oriented.
Which brings me to the romance. You feel the heat between Jachin and Ariel build over time, but in a compelling way, practically from their first scene together. This book has some steamy love scenes that have you turning the pages, but all the interactions between Jachin and Ariel help to show the connection and the chemistry between the pair. It's not long before you're hope that Ariel will start to see Jachin in a different light, and that Jachin will realize that she belongs with him instead of Braeden.
I don't want to give that much away, so I won't prolong this review, but I definitely want to say that book left me completely satisfied. It has great romance, sexy and fiery love scenes, awesome action, and fantastic, creative worldbuilding. I'm definitely a new fan of Patrice Michelle, and I can't wait to read the next books in the series. I'm excited to see if she wrote stories for Mira, Jachin's sweet sister, and Landon. Thanks to my sister for recommending this book. She is very particular about books, so I pay attention when she really likes one (and she's the one that got me into paranormals, which I owe my eternal gratitude to her for doing). I'm glad I did read this. And I am happy that I found another Silhouette Nocturne that I really, really liked. This might be my second favorite (Enemy Lover by Bonnie Vanak is my all time favorite although this book has better action scenes).
I'd give this book 4.5/5.0 stars. Check it out if you're a fan of paranormal romance!
View all my reviews >>
No comments:
Post a Comment