Once they finally break away from their soul-searing kiss, they find themselves alone—and shaken. Had they imagined their explosive chemistry? Obstacles—ranging from a death sentence, to exile on a war-torn dimension—threaten to destroy their lives, much less the vulnerable promise in that one kiss.
Even if Mirceo can accept Caspion as his fated mate, the sensual vampire still must convince the stubborn demon that their bond is forever. And any royal Dacian union must receive the blessing of King Lothaire, an unpredictable and savage killer...
Comment: Since this book was revealed to be the next installment in the spin off series the Dacians by author Kresley Cole that I wanted to read it. I like m/m books and was very eager to see how the author would do with a genre which isn't what she has been known for. Whether she wanted to do it as she says in an note in the first pages or because she wanted to go with the m/m flow many authors are in these days, I just feel glad the story is out there!
This is the story of Mirceo, he's one of the Dacians we saw not only in the first installment of this spin off series but also in Lothaire, from the original Immortals After Dark series so many readers have come to enjoy.
Mirceo is one of the youngest members of the Dacian family and he is using his time freely before his heart stops and only a mate can revive his body again. One day he meets Caspion, a demon who catches his eye. At first they are simply friends but Mirceo doesn't hide he would want more.
Caspion just wants to be left in peace, he didn't want to have feelings for Mirceo, in fact he tries his best not to admit them, but at the end, finding a mate can only be a positive thing...
Five years after the first novel in the spin off series, finally a second installment is released. This author is involved with so many series/work that it's impossible to maintain a steady incoming of new books in the series we like best. Thankfully, readers have seen the day where the Dacians were again key in a book.
I confess Mirceo wasn't the character I wanted the most but just having a book was good enough.
Many readers have obviously mentioned the fact this is a m/m romance. This is the first book by the author where the main couple has a same sex relationship. To me, this doesn't bother me at all, but I can understand why others don't agree and won't read the book. When we think the Loreans, the supernatural beings that are the central stage in the author's PNR worlds, have such a wild side and long lives, why not having characters who feel their mates can be the same sex? Again, I was not bothered by this even if it was a premiere for the author.
Many also mentioned the writing didn't sound like Cole's work. I don't think there's anthing wrong with it and felt the "tone" was pretty much in sync with what we have seen in the other books. There's sex scenes, there's violence and mentions of previous known characters so what's to think it's different... I thought it was as expected.
In terms of plot, not much to say, this is very basic, they're mates, one of them disagrees , they are separated for a while but then Mirceo knows who he wants and goes after Caspion. We learn things abut each of them, and they find their HEA.
I do agree when people say this all seemed pretty fast and in this regard yes, the writing was the obvious culprit: the author could have written things in a way that would become more evident the passage of time or something because it did look like things were being rushed.
The romance, on its own was good enough. Towards the end, it could certainly be more romantic and not as abrupt as it looked like.
Besides, there's a situation at the end that, while not that worrying (after all, a romance will definitely happen) was avoidable and it feels like the author just wanted to give a sense of despair/climax to the end of the book. It's not something pertaining the main couple, though.
I read this story very quickly. I still feel the "vibe" of these books, I liked seeing the evolution of Mirceo from an apparently wild and silly young vampire to someone who suffers because he is aware of others' pain and Caspion from a lonely demon to someone who had happiness and the love of someone else, even if not who he imagined.
All in all, a good romance for me even if predictable at times.
Grade: 8/10
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