Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven as she hides from the Blue Blood aristocracy that rules London through power and fear.
Blade rules the rookeries-no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.
When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel-or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.
Comment: I had this book in the TBR list since 2015 and due to a recommendation. PNR and UF were genres I gravitated to for a while between 2005 and 2015 (like many other readers I imagine) but not so much nowadays. Still, I do want to try some of the books on the TBR, even though some might not appeals much anymore. This one was, therefore, a positive surprise.
Honoria Todd and her younger siblings are living close the Whitechapel rookeries because they no longer have access to the privileges they did when their father was alive. She tries her best to make ends'meet but things more complicated after each day. Things only get worse when she is finally "summoned" by Blade, the master of the rookeries who has been feared by many, including the blue bloods who rule London, so that she pays him for the protection of her family. Although they agree on a price, the attraction between them is undeniable, but are both of them ready to trust the other? What about all the other issues in their lives which should be the focus of their attention?
This book was recommended by a reader whose taste I shared a decade ago, and that is why I decided to give it a try... well,better late than never. This is a story set in London, where vampires, werewolves and steampunk culture exist, with the same old social distinction and the snobbery between classes. Honoria is the oldest daughter of a scientist who wanted to cure the blood virus, which gives people more power for a while, but degeneration at some point causes vampirism and all the negative aspects that come with it.
It was easy to feel engaged with this world and the characters and I'd say that, for me, the main reason was probably due to the "vibe". Although the world presented has good and bad people, as always, and the characters mostly deal with negative aspects in their lives and have worries, the situations aren't presented in a vicious manner, nor in a hopeless state of things. There is also friendship and caring for others and I think that the feeling of knowing that good things exist in the world helped me wanting to see what would come next for the characters.
The world building is interesting and relatively easy to follow, although the whole dukedom houses and who can be a "good vampire" (my take on those who are infected with the virus but are in control of it) and a "bad one" (one who has been infected for too long, I assume) still feels rather confusing. there are other beings and ways to change people or to enhance them somehow, but I've kind of put those worries aside to simply invest my focus on the characters and on what they were facing.
Honoria is a determined heroine, she wants to protect her siblings although their financial situation is very complicated. She is also worried about her brother, who is infected with the virus and about her work, which depends on her appearing unconcerned about money. Her emotional journey about what she should be controlling or not was interesting for me to see happening, as well as her romance with Blade, even though some details didn't always seem convincing.
Blade is one of those heroes who seems to be a bad guy but who is, in reality, someone who protects those under his care. His character development is, as expected, affected by falling in love and all that comes with it. The romance between them is slow and sets on an emotional bond before anything physical happens, so there is that, follows the positive vibes I got from most of the novel.
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