After Midnight (Lords of Midnight, Book One): Teresa Medeiros *UPDATED*

“The eldest and most sensible of the three Cabot siblings, Caroline is naturally concerned that her sister Vivienne has lately been keeping company with the infamous Adrian Kane, Viscount Trevelyan, the enigmatic nobleman whom most of the ton firmly believe is…a vampire!  Surely, it is nonsense.  And yet…  The brooding gentleman inhabits a dark castle and is never seen in the daylight, embarking nightly on mysterious excursions to who knows where.  And from the first moment Caroline encounters the handsome, hypnotically compelling viscount, she is shaken by a fevered desire for the man that borders on the unnatural.  She must know Adrian’s secrets!  But each step that draws the inquisitive beauty deeper into his shadowy world pulls her closer to a sensuous surrender, for the power of his passion is impossible to resist.  Is he man or monster, champion or villain?  And will a yearning heart lead Caroline to disaster…or to love?”

 

Here's another May read I've finally managed to review!  And it's a re-read!  You can find my original (rather horrible) review of this book from August of 2008 HERE.

 

Caroline is driven by a fierce determination to see her younger sisters safe and secure, even if it means sacrificing her own food, clothing, and happiness.  After the death of their parents, she takes over the care and management of her siblings and does everything within her meager power to keep them safe and comfortable.  Her own dreams and ambitions are put on hold so that her sisters might have a better chance at making it out in the world.  Vivienne even inherits the beautiful clothes and adornments that were meant for Caroline’s own coming-out.  While in Town, Vivienne meets and, apparently, captivates one very mysterious suitor.  Viscount Trevelyn has a dark and mysterious reputation, but this does not seem to deter Vivienne’s aims to marry him.  The youngest Cabot sister, however, feels very differently.  Portia has always been flighty and prone to fantasy.  When she discovers Vivienne is being courted by a man purported to be a vampire…well, that sets her imagination aflame.  Caroline must juggle keeping Portia in line and ensuring Vivienne is happy with the match (because, surely, vampires are not real).  She doesn’t, however, take into account her own feelings.  The first time she meets the intensely-handsome, golden-haired viscount, she does not realize to whom she is speaking.  She finds herself inexplicably drawn to him and his sense of humor.  Little does she know, she’s enchanted by the very man her sister is to wed.  As they grow closer, Caroline and Adrian are playing a very dangerous game.  She gets to know Adrian and, rather than have her questions answered, a Pandora’s Box seems to be opened and she’s swallowed by his dark, mysterious world.  Could her sanity be slipping, or is there a very real possibility that the rumors about Adrian could be true?  Could he really be a vampire?  Or does he shield darker secrets from the prying eyes of the ton?

 

I enjoyed this book very much the first time around almost 11 years ago (wow, I cannot believe it’s been that long!) and I did like it this go as well; however, perhaps not as much.  I wasn’t as sucked in as I was last time.  I don’t know if I should attribute this to the fact that I knew to expect the twists and turns, or because it’s not as fantastic as I’d once believed it to be.  Don’t get me wrong, I still very much enjoyed the style of writing and the characters.  I think the difference probably lies in my tastes.  This is a more traditional vampire story and I tend to stay away from these.  If this is something more to your tastes, then you’ll likely enjoy it more than I did.  Its best qualities are probably the surprises.  It’s not as straightforward a plot as you might first believe!  Medeiros is artful in her stealthy approach, carefully crafting a storyline that will keep you interested:  not everything is as it seems.

 

As for the characters, themselves:  I feel like we got to know Caroline much more than Adrian.  For me, books of this genre suffer a bit when this happens.  We female readers are supposed to fall for the male leads.  When they’re less-developed, this becomes more difficult to accomplish.  We learn snippets about Adrian’s past, but the biggest focus is his relationship with his younger brother, Julian.  This redeemed his development somewhat, but I found it a bit lacking.  Most of what we come to know about him is secondhand rather than from Adrian’s own memories or emotions.  I wanted just a bit more from him and I probably would have been more satisfied had I gotten it.  I realize a lot of this had to do with the fact that Medeiros needed to keep us in the dark about various plot twists, but I feel like more could have been revealed once these twists finally came to fruition.

 

Caroline has a much better-formed backstory.  I appreciated her tenacity and self-sacrifice.  She was a young woman bent on doing whatever it took to take care of her sisters and I definitely admired this.  However, this did not make her a pure, flawless character, which I appreciated.  I don’t like when characters are too perfect, and I think most of you will agree with me.  There have to be some imperfections or they don’t feel real enough.  The fact that she began to fall for her sister’s intended was certainly a flaw and her struggle made her more likable.

 

I liked this book and will probably reread the second in the series as well.  If you’re a fan of vampire romances and period romances, then this one will be right up your alley.

As Twilight Falls (Morgan Creek, Book One): Amanda Ashley

"Photographing ghost towns across the American West, Kadie Andrews takes a wrong turn and ends up in Morgan Creek--a spot that isn't on the map.  It's a quaint little place, but there's something off about its complacent residents.  And when twilight falls, it takes on a truly sinister air...

"Unable to run, or to find any way out, Kadie finds herself a prisoner, hunted for her blood.  Still more disturbing, her spirit and beauty have captured the attention of master vampire Rylan Saintcrow.  When he looks into her eyes, she can see his hunger.  When he takes her in his arms, she can feel his power.  When he presses his lips against hers, she can taste his need.  Saintcrow may be the most compelling creature she's ever imagined, but Kadie knows in her heart that he is also a man.  A man who needs a woman.  To want him, desire him, crave him.  To be his willing prisoner--for all eternity..."








I haven't read anything by Amanda Ashley in quite some time, but she reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to review her newest book, the third installment in this Morgan Creek series.  My answer was, of course, yes!  She sent me an advanced copy of Twilight Desires a month or two ago and I've only just now gotten my hands on the first two books in the series.  It certainly wouldn't do to read them out of order!  I'm only a few chapters into As Twilight Falls and I've only just now realized how long it has actually been since I read a true vampire romance novel.  I don't quite count Sherrilyn Kenyon in this "true vampire" genre because her Dark-Hunters aren't actually vampires at all, they are just the beings off of which the legends were created.  When I say "true vampire," I mean Anne Rice-style or Stoker-style vampire (and the Twilight Saga doesn't count, not that I've ever even picked up those books).  These are vampires who don't stray far -- if at all -- from the traditional vampiric mythology.  There's something to be said for traditionalism and I can appreciate both sides of this spectrum:  authors who take the myth and use it for their craft; and authors who take the myth, turn it on its ear, and create something wholly unique at the risk of not actually creating a vampire at all.  Ashley is more of a traditionalist, which is something to be respected.






So far, I find the premise of Morgan Creek to be pretty intriguing.  Like I mentioned, it's still very early in the book; everything is still being developed and I still haven't learned all that much about the characters or their motivation.  I'm looking forward to continuing onward.






***




Thus far, I'm liking the premise of the town of Morgan Creek, but I do have a lot of questions and I'm looking forward to finding the answers.  I've also just met Saintcrow and I really would love to see more of his point of view.  Thus far, we've focused a great deal on Kadie and I need to really care about a male lead in order to become invested in a book. Granted, I'm still very early on in my reading, but I look forward to what's coming.  For that matter, I want to know more about Kadie.  I'm not very invested in her yet, either.  I know very, very little about her personality or her background.  I realize that a lot of writing is going toward setting up the odd, isolated town of Morgan Creek and having Kadie come to terms with the fact that vampires do exist, but I'm looking forward to finding out what make Kadie so special -- what draws Saintcrow to her?




***


I'm now a little bit more than halfway through this book.  I still like the premise of Morgan Creek -- the fact that it's a hidden vampire haven headed by a powerful master vampire.  I think Ashley put a lot of thought and care into creating a livable, believable (as far as vampire storylines go) scenario.  I really have to admit that I'm still not in love with either of the leading characters.  What makes them special?  Kadie has no really special defining characteristics or even a fantastic personality and, as far as female leads go, I'm struggling a bit with her.  The fact that she's a photographer seems to be the most interesting thing about her, though there is VERY little evidence of this in her day-to-day life.  I feel like someone who has dedicated her life to this art would look at the world through a different lens (pun intended); having her see the beauty in certain things, appreciate her surroundings or something, would lend her character a bit more interest.  For that matter, the rest of her character is pretty run-of-the-mill.  She likes shopping, chocolate, and overeating (and there seems to be a heavy emphasis placed on exactly what the characters eat at every single meal, which becomes a little bit repetitive...especially when characters like Kadie eat large quantities at a time).  She doesn't have any flaws as far as I can tell -- nothing that makes her feel more realistic.  I have yet to see what makes her so fascinating and attractive to Saintcrow.  I'm also really not sold on Kadie's internal and external dialogues.  She flashes back and forth between wanting Saintcrow and hating him with such rapidity that it's difficult to invest in.  I can understand the fact that Ashley is trying to show that Kadie is at war with herself, but having the same conversation again and again makes the story drag.  I long to see her develop more as a character.




As far as Saintcrow goes, I really want to see more of his point of view.  In the 216 pages that I've read, I doubt there have been anywhere near 50 pages from his perspective.  I'm definitely used to a more even balance and I've found this balance necessary when writing for this genre.  As unsold as I am on Kadie, I'm almost even less invested in Saintcrow.  He has SO MUCH POTENTIAL!  He could be so interesting, so tortured; instead, he seems almost robotic.  His attraction to Kadie and his love for her feel a bit flat.  Desire, I can see, but only on the most basic of levels because he's male and she's an attractive female.  As for why she's the first woman he's loved in 900 years...I don't quite know why.  He does mention that he's not sure what draws him to her, but this ends up feeling like a little bit of a cop-out.  Sure, he's dark, mysterious, sexy, and dangerous...but what beyond these things makes him a well-crafted male lead?  I'm uncertain at this point.  I hope to discover something in his past that makes him fearful of love (other than that he is a vampire and unwilling to put himself at risk).  I want to know why and how Kadie has changed him so much.  As Saintcrow's world starts to fall down around him, I hope to see more depth and range from both him and Kadie.




***


Alright!  I finished this book late last night.  The ending was tied up in a very neat little bow (like most books in the romance genre).  I was able to predict some of the things that happened...well, most of them, to be honest.  Some things were better explained than others and I found a few minor plot holes (things that probably should have been caught by an editor).  I don't know if they became more numerous toward the end of the book, but there were a few sprinkled throughout and I definitely noticed them more toward the end.  They weren't horrible or glaring, but they were definitely present (i.e. Saintcrow was able to enter a house into which he'd not previously been invited; someone Kadie was VERY close to was told by Saintcrow that she was aware he was a vampire, but when this person questioned her, he behaved shocked that she knew...and I'm certain it wasn't an act; a fledgling vampire who had NO training or instruction somehow knew about the complex blood bond between Kadie and Saintcrow, as well has how to use it, etc.).  In addition to this, there were so many repetitive conversations, internal dialogue, and phrases (i.e. "sickening thud" was used a few times within a paragraph of each other and there are a lot more adjectives which could have been used; the scenes with Kadie's mother have some repetitive phrases and the conversations felt rather trite; and if a man had an English accent it was always a "slight English accent").  These struck me the hardest and "bothered" me.  I realize what was trying to be conveyed -- Kadie's indecision and vacillation between whether or not to trust and love Saintcrow -- but it left the characters feeling flat.  Not to mention I don't feel like the attraction between the two main characters was ever fully formed.  I never saw what made Kadie so special.  I did see a little bit more of what attracted her to Saintcrow, but it rarely went past the physical.  I think part of the issue is what I mentioned before:  We see SO LITTLE from Saintcrow's perspective that he felt underdeveloped.  Other than being a vampire, I saw almost nothing that made him unique or really a stand-out male lead.  He had no flaws.  Sure, we see some very minor snippets of his past, but many of them are in Kadie's dreams, so we can't really be certain how much she imagined and how much Saintcrow put there.


Reading back through the progression of this review (because I actually had the time and patience to review as I read (thanks RAIR method!) and I can see how badly I wanted/needed more development and uniqueness to the main characters from the very beginning.  I still very much enjoyed the premise of Morgan Creek.  This Venus Fly Trap-like sanctuary for vampires was really creative and I don't think I've ever encountered anything like it before.  Unfortunately, the character development fell a bit flat for me.  There was so much potential to create unique and exciting characters, but they ended up coming up short.  I'm about to start the second book in this series, so we'll see if being introduced to the male lead in this first book helps the depth of the characterization.