Serpent’s Kiss (The Elder Races 3) by Thea Harrison

Hi,

         here comes my second review in English for January, don't worry seems like next month will be more english than French from my TBR list. So today it's my opinion of the Elder Races tome 3: the Serpent's Kiss by Thea Harrison

Enjoy!

Genre: Paranormal romance
Editor: Berkley sensation book ( published in 2011)
Langage:mild
Sex: mild
Violence: mild
How i got this book: bought

Summary/ back cover from Goodread:

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, a Queen on the brink of sanity has no one to rely on except the Wyr warrior whose conviction is every bit as strong as his passion.

In order to save his friend's life, Wyr sentinel Rune Ainissesthai made a bargain with Vampyre Queen Carling—without knowing what she would ask from him in return. But when Rune attempts to make good on his debt, he finds a woman on the edge.

Recently, Carling's Power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee in fear. Despite the danger, Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help her find a cure for the serpen's kiss—the vampyric disease that's killing her.

With their desire for each other escalating just as quickly as Carling's instability spirals out of control, the sentinel and the Queen will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent's kiss

Story:

          Rune always stay true to his word, when he gave it to save his friend he doesn’t regret it even it he means he has a debt without any specifications. The sentinel made a pact with the Vampyre Queen Carling to save his friend, now the week he had to prepare has come to an end and he is called to complete his part of the bargain.

Carling’s lawyer send him to a secluded island where the Queen resides, there he is ready for everything expect being released from the pact after a kiss. However, when he is ready to leave he learns the truth… Carling is dying and it’s something he can’t accept. She is in his life for so long he can’t imagine a world without her so he decides on his free will to do all he can to save her.

Together they start to see what she has found since she begun to search for a solution and discover that the past isn’t set in stone by accident and after by will they try to discover the impact of the “fading” Carling endures and in the same time they learn to care for the other even if the risk is there for the wyr because mating is for life and she is still dying…

Style:

           Thea Harrison give us another perspective from her world after the wyrs and the  dark faes she describe the Vampyres’ demesne ( kind of territory and political system) and his history. She build her story around a wyr who is the first of command from the chief of wyr and the Queen of Nightkind, a vampire. She is following what she started in the last book so that each book can be read separately but still together they form a following story.

The writing is rythmed and easy to follow. The characters are built like they were in the last book so the readers recognize them easily and can understand them. Humour, romance, action, political intrigues, Thea uses all the classics but it so well done

My opinion: I enjoyed this book more than the last one but still less than the first book. The characters are the same and we understand Rune easily now than we have learned about the wyr and Carling is more interesting now or at least I appreciate her more now that she is acting like a woman  and not only a strict counsellor.

The story in itself is captivating I just regret that the wyr seem to separate themselves from their “king”. The Griffons take also a more important place and when she explains past events from last books or uses characters from them she put them in perspective so even a new reader could follow.

Score: 4/5

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Ce livre s'intègre dans le challenge de Natasia

book read for Tales from the Crypt Vampire Challenge.

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading Challenge

Review Elder Races Vol2: Storm's heart by Thea harrison

Hi!,
           today we continue  the serie Elder races written by Thea Harrison with the second novel: "Storm's heart".

Genre: Paranormal romance
Editor: Berkley ( 2011)
Langage:mild
Sex: mild
Violence: strong
How i got this book: Bought

Summary by Goodread
During the rule of her murderous Dark Fae uncle, Thistle "Tricks" Periwinkle found sanctuary among the Wyr in New York. Her ethereal beauty and sparkling personality won the hearts of the public, but after her uncle's death, there are those who don't want to see her ascend the throne...

Able to wield thunder and lightning, Wyr sentinel Tiago Black Eagle has ruled the skies for centuries. His massive build and thunderous power make him one of the Wyr's best weapons. And he's the one sent to protect Tricks when she's almost assassinated in Chicago.

Soon, both Tiago and Tricks will fall prey to the stormy hunger that engulfs them- a passion that will shake the very foundation of all the worlds

Story:  This story is centered on Tiago - warlord of Dragos - and Niniane alias Tricks. Everything is around how she will ascend her throne and who is again the idea. So the biggest part are on Dark Fae: customs, history, allegeance and such.
We learn also a lot more about the vampire that were quite transparent in the first book ( just a citation)

The romance part is short and diffuse because it's more the story of the discovery of who are the villains.Why and how.

Style: Thea Harrison style is still fluent but not at the level of Dragon Bound. The suspens is quite easily stopped because the clues are too important to miss. The romance seems to be on the second plan. We are waiting to see the difficulties this couple encounter and we only get the job of a detective. Also the characters seems less constructed except for a few. We discover some new character that could be great but they disappear immediately. As for learning about the species ..we learn about vampire, a bit of the past of Tiago but not so much.

The violence and deaths are much more presents too and the difference with the first book is that we feel it. It doesn't come so well in the story it's perhaps too often and too quickly but Thea Harrison didn't manage a good balance with all the aspect of this book.

Opinion: To be honest i was disappointed. It's a good book but not near the level of the first one: Dragon bound. I wasn't captivated and stopped several time. The culprit was evident as were her motives and opportunities so i couldn't stay in the story like before.
Also, the lack of romance is quite disturbing : yes there are some and some difficulties but as soon as they say yes it seem everything is forgotten. They don't learn together.

Perhaps i put too much expectations in it and that's the reason i'm disappointed so i will continue reading this serie while hoping the level will again be the same of Dragon Bound. Thea Also wrote 3 books in one year so it's a possibility it was too quickly, we will see.

Score: 3/5

Buy it on Bookdepository

This post enter in the Spooktacular October paranormal challenge hosted by Ramblings of a daydreamer