ARC Review: Lara Adrian’s Edge of Dawn

Right before the holidays I received an ARC copy of Lara Adrian’s upcoming, coveted and next installment in her New York Times bestselling Midnight Breed Series, Edge of Dawn. *squeals with joy*  First, I have to say a big THANK YOU to Lara for sending me the ARC.  I can’t tell you how excited I was to read this book.  If you know nothing about me, know that I am a HUGE fan of anything Adrian, and all things breed.  Don’t believe me? Check out this feed of my blog posts.

In the previous installment, Darker After Midnight, the series almost felt like it was coming to an end.  If you missed this book, check out my review here. In this book, Sterling Chase and the rest of the order defeated Dragos and in doing so, exposed themselves as vampires to the world.  In Edge of Dawn, its twenty years later and humans and the vampires are struggling with co-existing.  I remember when I read the back cover of this book, I was more excited about the characters featured than the plot.  Adrian has such a talent for writing intriguing characters.  If you recall, Mira was the young breedmate and adopted daughter of Nikolai and Renata from Veil of Midnight.  She had these wicked eyes that reflected the future when a person glanced into them—like pools of visions. Pretty cool, huh?  That pesky little talent always caused trouble for Mira and twenty years hasn't changed that.  Now that she's older and wiser with deadly skills and stunning looks, her visions reveal the worst fate imaginable—the death of the love of her life, Kellan.

Without revealing too much, Edge of Dawn was the perfect extension to the series. Adrian immediately entranced me with the new world of breed and humans. Mira, a captain with the Order, is all grown up now (along with other kid characters), and she is bad a**!  But as an adult, she’s angry and still grieving over the loss of her childhood friend and love interest, Kellan.  Believed to be dead for eight years, Kellan has been in hiding, living among the rebel humans. These two were the perfect couple to segue the series into a new era.  Of course there’s a new enemy revealed too, one with ancient ties to both Breed and their mates. I won’t tell you what happens, minions. It wouldn’t be right. 

Edge of Dawn was a 4 for me—no surprise there, huh?  Edge of Dawn releases February 26, 2013 so pre-order your copy today.  If you haven't read the series, you really need to catch up since we're already at book 11. Coincidentally, book 1, Kiss of Midnight (ebook) is on sale on Kindle for 99 cents so download that one too while you can. 

Oh, I almost forgot.  Stay tuned in the coming week.  Along with the ARC, Lara also sent me some swag so it appears I'll be doing a special giveaway, which is perfect timing since I missed my blogoversary.  Wahoo!  

Who doesn't love free sh**?

Mina B.

ARC Review: Lara Adrian's Darker After Midnight

All I have to say is I've been waiting for Harvard's story since Book 2, Kiss of Crimson (my review.)  And it's finally here....Book 11, Darker After Midnight.  Squeak!  Ask and you shall receive.  Seek and you shall find.  Hallelujah, Lara Adrian.  First, I have to say a big thank you to Lara for sending me the ARC.  This is one of my favorite vampire series.  I simply must read all that's breed, dang it!  If you're a fan of Adrian's Midnight Breed vampire series than you know how we "breed" lovers have been patiently waiting (in near-death anticipation) for this book!  I'll do my best not to give away too many spoilers, but there may be some…sorry.

Darker After Midnight...in two words: Breed Armageddon.

If you recall, our breed hero, Sterling Chase, first arrived in Book 2, Kiss of Crimson.  Since then, we faithful readers, have read Chase's slow and painful demise.  Over the course of this series, he's managed to lose his loved ones and the damn near respect of every one of his kind.  As breed, vampire warriors almost always face bloodlust.  That's when you (according to Lara) "fuck, fight or fang" with an insatiable appetite.  And then, of course, you go “rogue.”  Going rogue is about the worst thing for a breed vampire.  Rogues are mindless and live in a constant feeding frenzy.  And poor Chase is on the cusp.  He had been there the last couple of novels, nearly going over the edge in Deeper Than Midnight (my review.)  It's there were he foils Dragos' plot and meets the lovely Tavia Fairchild.

In Darker After Midnight, the Order (Chase's Breed Warrior family) comes to terms with losing their treasured compound.  Chase, however, took one for the team, diverting attention away from the Order and becoming public enemy number one.  While the police end up containing Chase, the Order manages to relocate to another property.  While biding his time in lockup, Chase sees Tavia again.  At first glance, these two appear to be worlds apart.  She's a perfectionist and is the right hand to a prominent US Senator.  Chase, on the other hand, is the nearly rogue vampire warrior.  When Tavia first eyes Chase, she shudders at his unearthliness.  It permeates through his human facade, piercing Tavia's soul.  However different they seem, lo and behold through Adrian's plot reveal we soon find out they are not so different after all.  

So much happens in this book, I don't want to say more than that.  I have to warn you, though.  I've said it before (too many times *sigh*.)  Lara Adrian loves to break her own rules and she's done it again, minions.  Damn it, it's awesome too.  I wasn't sure what to expect having such high expectations for one of my favorite brooding heroes, Chase.  But after reading the book in its entirety, I was more than pleased.  Tavia is a force period.  And Dragos' war against the world - human and breed alike - has finally arrived.  It was nothing like I expected.  On my meter....Darker After Midnight was a 4.  

Stay tuned for my review of Lara Adrian's novella, A Taste of Midnight.

Mina B.