Published Synopsis:
Damien Magneson's life is anything but normal. He is part of an innocent vampire family, helping to promote peace, all while secretly working alongside the local government to track and eliminate supernatural threats that may harm society. However, when Damien meets target Aderra Fayre, who is part of a potentially sought-out and labeled family of serial killers, he feels he must protect her. Damien's life changes dramatically, now living in a world filled with constant drama, violence and sacrifice.Review:
Damien and his family are not ordinary vampires. They are assassin vampires working with the government to keep humans safe from supernatural threats. Until now, Damien has had to sit on the sidelines while his parents, brother and sister tracked down, and often killed, the bad guys. Now, his training is complete and it’s time for him to step up and stand next to his family in this fight against evil.Unfortunately, things don’t work out according to plan. His very first target gets the better of him and his sister ends up badly hurt. He falls for his next target, Aderra, a suspected serial killer who also happens to be a vampire. Strange, since the government had led him to believe that his family was the last line of vampires in existence. Now, he has to figure out who he can trust, and how to save the day, all while avoiding a certain pesky reporter determined to take them all down.
In Stone Cold: A Vampire Novel by Mike Denault, readers are drawn into a world where the government not only knows about the supernatural world, but also sanctions kills against any creature who proves to be a threat to humans. I always enjoy the premise of vampires being the good guys ridding the world of evil, and I believe the story has a solid foundation to build from.
There were a few things that would have made me enjoy the story a little more, though. There wasn’t a lot of information about the vampires that made me relate to them as individuals, or as a group. I did not know enough of the history of each individual to make me feel as if I knew him or her on a personal level, allowing me to get truly involved in the story. I wanted to know more about what they did from day to day, what they ate, how they managed bloodlust, or all the ways that they were different from humans. Also, Damien’s character seemed a bit immature to be an assassin. Often, his interactions with his parents felt as if he was a petulant child who needed to be watched more closely, rather than be sent out as a trained killer. This said, I would enjoy watching his character grow and mature through a series.
I also found the dialogue to be a troubling area, at times. It tended to bounce back and forth between being a bit long, and at other times, I felt things moved along faster than they should. For example, there was very little dialogue before Damien is convinced to trust Aderra and her family of admittedly evil vampires.
I did enjoy the overall story and feel that the foundation is one that could move in many positive directions. I thank the author for a review copy and I give the book three stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment