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Book Description
When the human and the vampire worlds collide, there will be hell to pay.
Luca Ambrus is a rare breed: vampire from birth, begotten by vampire parents, blood born. He is also an agent of the Council—the centuries-old cabal that governs vampirekind, preserving their secrecy and destroying those who betray them.
When a cryptic summons leads him to the scene of the brutal killing of a powerful Council member, Luca begins the hunt for an assassin among his own people. But instead of a lone killer he discovers a sinister conspiracy of rogue vampires bent on subjugating the mortal world.
All that stands in their way are the conduits, humans able to channel spirit warriors into the physical world to protect mankind. Chloe Fallon is a conduit—and a target of the vampire assassin who’s killing them. When Luca saves her life, an irresistible bond of trust—along with more passionate feelings—is forged between them. As more victims fall, Chloe and Luca have only each other to depend on to save the world from the reign of monsters—and salvage their own future together.
Book 1 in The Immortal Warrior Series
Review:
BLOOD BORN is the first in the Immortal Warrior series about warriors from a parallel dimension who need certain humans called conduits to call them into our world whenever mankind faces real danger. Vampires, having long since concealed their existence, are preparing to declare all out war on humanity and claim what they consider to be their rightful place in the world. Only one thing is stopping them: The sanctuary spell. Unless invited in, humans are still safe from vampires inside even the flimsiest shacks. A witch cast the spell centuries ago and now they need a witch to break it.
Los Angeles, California
She was losing her mind. There was no other explanation. She hadn’t slept more than thirty minutes at a stretch for the past three days. How could she, when the dreams were so vivid and came so quickly, one after the other, startling her awake every time her name was called? Some of the details were murky, but two things she always remembered very clearly: the man, and the way he called to her. –Opening lines from BLOOD BORN
Linda Howard's male characters have always epitomized the perfect alpha male archetype and Luca Ambrus is no exception. A rare blood born vampire, Luca is feared and revered by his own kind. He has immense power due to his old age including a curse/blessing that causes all but the oldest vampires to forget even his name the moment he leaves and is understandably jaded and detached from most aspects of life.
Chloe Fallon is a little less...everything. She comes across as very young and slightly annoying especially towards the second half of the book. She does adapt well to the existence of supernatural beings, but she goes from being extremely resistant towards a romantic relationship with Luca, to full on couple mode faster than a vampire bite.
BLOOD BORN shifts throughout from not just Luca and Chloe's perspectives, but a number of different vampires and conduits. I would have preferred a few less POV's, maybe I would have warmed up to Chloe if she'd been given more page time. I did like the scenes written from Sorin's view (another alpha vampire tasked with killing conduits before they could call their warriors). The teaser at the end for the next Immortal Warrior book, Warrior Rising, which comes out on January 25, 2011, it will focus on Sorin and the continued fight between humans and vampires.
And what Linda Howard book would be complete without some seriously steamy scenes. In BLOOD BORN there is a ritual known as bonding that involves sex and blood. Lots of sex and blood. I'll just leave it at that.
BLOOD BORN does suffer a bit from the 'too many cooks in the kitchen' syndrome. It doesn't have the cohesion that Linda Howard's other books have, and some of the scenes seem redundant. Also there are way too many POVs. But Luca is a killer alpha male and the world building is rich enough to support what I hope to be many more Immortal Warrior books.
Sexual Content: References to sex. Several graphic sex scenes.
My Rating (out of 5):
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.
Click HERE to read an excerpt of BLOOD BORN
Product Details
- Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books (April 27, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0345520769
- ISBN-13: 978-0345520760
*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Random House
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