I really loved this book. It is the second in the Demon Days, Vampire Nights series BY K.F.Breene
As much as I am a stickler for starting at the beginning of a series, I’m not reviewing the first book in this series, Born in Fire. I picked it up while sitting with my Dad during his last days, and I really needed something that I thought would be lighthearted enough to provide a mental break for me. I liked the book, enough to continue on with the rest of the series.
Raised in Fire continues Regan Somerset’s story beginning with what is one of my favorite scenes in the book where Regan ends up inadvertently heating her bathwater with her fire magic. It’s charming and funny and gives you a little sweetness in Regan’s otherwise abrupt and often violent reactions. The romantic tension between Darius and Regan that was in the first book is still here as we find them investigating a new series of crimes together in Seattle.
One of the things I particularly like about the writing style here is that the author doesn’t feel the need to launch into a full-blown explanation of the world this is set in or a detailed description of the characters’ appearances. We know that Regan is 5’8” and has blonde hair and eyebrows she tends to burn off with her own magic. Other than a few other suggestions, it’s up to the reader to decide what the version of New Orleans or Seattle that has actual magical creatures in it looks like. When called for, we get a quick peek into the rules of this world when that determines a particular course of action. It’s illegal for Vampires to feed on humans in areas controlled by Shifters. Most of the shifters in this world have a wolf form, but not all. We get a couple of details that are just enough to set the scene, and then we are left to imagine what Darius, Vlad, or the other shifters look like.
I loved the pacing in this book, even in the pauses between scenes, there is still action to keep you going. The characters never get a break, and they feel the effects of the pace as the book goes on. We even get an appearance from Penny, the young woman Regan found hiding in a closet during the epic conclusion of the first book.
There is one thing I had a little trouble within this book – the idea of the ‘alpha male’ being desirable. A man who is domineering, controlling, and best described as a stalker because he is so in love, he can’t stand the idea of a woman who thinks for herself because she might get hurt. Don’t jump on me for this, I’m not faulting the author in any way for this, I understand it’s a common trope and very popular right now. It’s just that in the real world, this kind of manipulative and controlling behavior leads to domestic violence and many forms of abuse. I’m not OK with a woman deciding that this kind of behavior is desirable.
Rating, 4 out of 5.
