Title: Eternal Kiss of Darkness
Author: Jeaniene Frost (narrated by Tavia Gilbert)
Series: #2 in the Night Huntress World spin off series
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Blackstone Audio (August 23, 2010)
Source: Public Online Library
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2
Synopsis: Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.
At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he's seen it all. Then Kira appears - this fearless, beautiful....human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.
But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing hte darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.
My Thoughts: I love Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress and her Night Prince books but I just wasn't wowed by this one.
The Good Stuff: I think getting more information on Mencheres' first wife's obsession of revenge and demise was such a good thing. Although it was touched on in the Night Huntress series the history wasn't as in depth as it could have been. The strength of Kira's character was nice also. She is no victim no matter what is stacked against her. Particularly the last 100 pages or so. She's kind of bad ass!
The Bad Stuff: It was nice to see more information on how vampires police themselves but it seems ridiculous that beings who are thousands of years old, all with various levels of power, could be taken in by one bad vampire "cop". Because he is in enforcer, Radje, appears to be judge and jury when it comes to accusing Mencheres of nefarious acts against the vampire community. Wouldn't Mencheres' past speak more for his character with the governing vampires? I mean he is over 4000 years old, if he was a bad seed it would have appeared way before now, right? Which leads me to Radje who really is a bad seed. That sure didn't happen over night. WTH vamp people! Have you been drinking Abby Normal blood or what?
I hate to add the entire romance between Mencheres and Kira into the Bad Stuff but I had a hard time seeing their connection. Mencheres liked Kira because he'd never met anyone like her before. Really? In 4 millennia? No one? Kira seemed to like Mencheres because he was hot. It was not a lot to base an "I'd die for you" relationship especially since their actions felt more obsessive and stalkerish than loving.
The Even Worse Than Bad Stuff: What's worse than a whining 4500 year old vampire? One that is supposed to be the hero in my paranormal romance book, that's what. Ugh! I got really tired of Mencheres' woe is me attitude. He spends most of the book complaining that he is tired of life and his special ability to see the future is gone. Gone you say? Really, yet we are to believe that he can still see his future (which is nothing but darkness). I don't get it. So, he thinks he has no future as the darkness must mean death. Ok, so does he make the best of it? Nope he decides to kill himself first. WHAT???? I'm sorry but I like my heroes, um, heroic, not suicidal. But his visions are NEVER wrong and you can't change fate (according to him). Yet in the Night Huntress series he actively intervened between Cat and another vampire so her and Bones could be together. If his visions are never wrong he shouldn't have been able to intervene....oh, unless he saw himself intervening therefore fulfilling the original vision. Whatever.
My Thoughts on the Audio: While I think Tavia Gilbert did a good job with the pacing and the different voices I was stunned by the horrible Cockney voice of Bones. I'm so glad I physically read all the books in the Night Huntress series and the Night Prince series. If I'd listened to them Bones would have never made it into my all male harem. Trust me, it's not a sexy voice. It's better if you go into it with James Marsters' Spike from Buffy/Angel in mind. True Story.
In a Nutshell: While I really wanted to love this book I just didn't. I feel as if I'm a bit of a lone ranger in my rating as most people love it. I thought it was just OK but was only able to come to that conclusion after I suspended my disbelief of everything other than the lovey dovey parts. Even knowing many of my bookie friends adored this book I wouldn't recommend it but to those who love Frost and have to read everything she wrote. However, I would absolutely encourage everyone to read the Night Prince books....Vlad is more worthy of your adoration than Mencheres. Seriously.
