Review - The Land of Tears (Kindred Blood #3) by Amber Riley

Title: The Land of Tears

Author: Amber Riley

Series: 3rd (The Flash of a Firefly, The Well of Truth)

Pages: 164

Published: March 13th 2012 by iUniverse 

ISBN: 9781475900620

Source: Sent in exchange for honest review 

Description: Spain is the one place Kaden never planned to see again. Years after he escaped the master vampire, he has never looked back—until now. As he stands before enemy vampires and werewolves, he knows that determination is the only thing that can save Lyn from her captives. Everything Kaden has worked so hard for has to be forgotten. He must become a ruthless killer once again.  After everything Kaden has done to remain free, he has purposely walked back into his old life, leaving his friends behind in order to protect them. Now, in the midst of a bad game of hide and seek with Phoenix, Kaden must fool everyone into thinking he has returned for all the right reasons. But Phoenix is not easily swayed. He still resents Kaden for leaving and letting Tobias out of his tomb. Kaden is running out of time. If his plan fails, there will never be another opportunity.  In the third tale of the Kindred Blood series, a young life depends on whether Kaden can convince Phoenix and his fellow vampires to trust him. One way or another, things are about to end where they all began.

I Give This ...

I've enjoyed this series very much.  It's what I imagine most vampires to be like, absolutely ruthless!  But, I loved that Kaden has managed to retain his humanity through it all.

I knew from the start of this series, that we would eventually end up in Spain.  And I wanted to see how ruthless Phoenix was.  I was always curious as to why Kaden was so important to him.  Why would he go to such lengths to make sure he came home and resumed his role as second in command.  Now, I know why.  And it made perfect sense.  I loved that all the pieces fit together.  

I was a little disappointed in Lyn sometimes.  Granted we don't have an insight into what she's really going through.   She seems to have decided to play the weak heroine this time around.  She's desperate for Kaden to save her, but does nothing to try and help.  And then she acts shocked when she sees a video of Kaden acting like a ruthless vampire.  Um, he's a vampire and you expected him not to act like one (especially when he's told you how he use to be while under Phoenix's watch).

I'm still not sure on the ending.  It was different.  I was disappointed at first, but in the end I decided to let it go.  I guess I didn't to read about the blood and carnage really.  This way, I just get to know that all is well.

 

Review: The Well of Truth (Kindred Blood, #2) by Amber Riley

Title: The Well of Truth

Author: Amber Riley

Series: 2nd in Well of Truth

Pages: 188

Published: Available now from iUniverse

ISBN: 9781450287647

Source: author sent in exchange for honest review

 

Description: Something dangerous is closing in on Kaden, and he cannot afford to be weak. Inside Vatican City, the vampires are more vulnerable than they have ever been. But with his independence on the line, Kaden is breaking every rule in the book, putting everyone's lives at risk. Worse yet, he is feeling things again-things he has not felt in centuries. He must find a way to completely sever his ties with the past. Unfortunately, in a city that is supposed to be off limits to all vampires, Kaden finds more than he bargained for-and loses even more. Kaden has made a promise to the Iustitia. In exchange for helping the vampire hunters rid Rome of their supernatural infestation, he will never be hunted by the church-assuming he makes it out of the country alive. With a master vampire who is letting the city be terrorized, Kaden must uncover his true motives before it is too late.  

I Give This ...

 

I was intrigued by the ending of the first book in this series, enough that I wanted to read the next one.  I'm so glad I did.

I felt that book 2 was so much better than the first.  It was more fluid and the characters had more overall depth to them.   I enjoyed Kaden and the decisions he has to make.  He's come along way from the vampire he use to be and it shows.  He's so use to go it alone that he has a hard time accepting help and that he might actually care for someone.  But, that distrust of others benefits them all in this story.  I like his interactions with Lyn.  She's scared of him like she should be, but drawn to him as well.  I also enjoy that banter between the other vampires and the wolves.

I enjoyed the twists and turns this story takes.  It explains a lot of the history between the church and vampires.  And it completely wasn't what I thought it would be.  I'm still not sure who to trust, and what the full implications might be of what occurred.   It seems like Kaden has a war brewing on all fronts.  As someone who has spend that past few centuries trying to live on the radar, I wonder what it will do to him.  

It's a very interesting series that I am enjoying quite a bit.  I can't wait to see were the next one might go. 

 

The Flash of a Firefly (Kindred Blood, #1) by Amber Riley

Title: The Flash of a Firefly

Author: Amber Riley

Series: 1st in Kindred Bloos

Pages: 160

Published: Available now from iUniverse

ISBN: 9781450232067

Source: author sent for honest review

 

Description: Trying to put his past behind him, Kaden moves to New York City where he creates a new life for himself. And that isn't easy, considering the fact that he's a six-hundred-year-old vampire who hasn't fed on a human in more than a century. Unfortunately, the past isn't something you can always escape from. When old enemies resurface, they come with a message. His master wants him back and refusing isn't an option. Confronted with losing both his freedom, as well as the human that has captivated him, Kaden struggles to hold onto his humanity while controlling his darker side. He knows the showdown is inevitable. He must find a way to stand his ground. 

I Give This ...

 

  

I admit, I wasn't exactly sure of this book from the start.  The market seems to be overcrowded with vampire books that don't really different from one another.  Add that to the fact that my kindle how trouble with the formatting, and I almost gave up on it.  

But, I didn't because I didn't think that would be a fair and honest review.  And, I'm glad I didn't because I got sucked into the story and really enjoyed it.  The vampire lore isn't really that different, except maybe the hierarchy.   There's one ruling vampire (at least how I understood it) and Kaden use to be his right-hand man.  Kaden broke away from Phoenix a century ago and has been living in New York City.  He's built a life for himself there, owns a successful nightclub, and had the loyalty of the local werewolves.  After this long, he thought Phoenix would have let it go.  He's wrong of course.

 He soon realizes that Phoenix has sent enforces to drag him back to Spain and they don't care who they kill to get him there.  And this was the area of the book that drug the story down to a rating of 3 for me.  Kaden has a run in with these 3 vampires way to many times.  I think a couple of these could be cut out of the story because it kind of loses it's momentum.  The final showdown happens so fast, it was a real let down after so many confrontations.  

Despite that, I really enjoyed the characters.  Kaden doesn't every behave like a vampire should.  He seems to have developed a soul, which may be nothing new, it's refreshing in this book.  I especially enjoyed his developing relationship with Lyn, who is human.  I also like the renegade band of vampires that come together to prove the Phoenix has no power over Kaden or the rest of them who broke away.

It's a shorter story that I think could benefit from the editing that comes with a publishing company, but it has real substance.  I think if book 2 has the same sort of thing going for it, they could be combined to make a great book that any fan of vampire would enjoy!