It's the dawn of a new day with this series
Book #11 in the Midnight Breed series
First of all, this book more than lived up to my expectations, which were pretty high. At the end of Darker After Midnight, the world was in chaos after Dragos unleashed his madness and exposed vampires to the human world in the worst of ways. The Order positioned itself alongside humans to be advocates for peace and established a new organization to settle the unrest. It’s now 20 years later and there is still disharmony.
I knew I’d be seeing an older Mira and wondered if that transition would be okay, could I see her as a formidable woman instead of the adorable child we knew. Fortunately, this wasn’t an issue, as she still has the admirable traits that made her special but matured realistically. She is now a Warrior in the Order and captain of a team in Montreal. She’s pretty fearless and is highly respected. Having female warriors in the Order is a real plus for this series and distinguishes it from others.
Kellan was a sullen teenager last we saw him but developed into the fierce warrior we expected of him and his pairing with Mira was no surprise given how relentless she was with him as a child. What was a surprise was his absence at the beginning of the story and the reasons for it. Decisions he made eight years ago are at the center of the controversy and it was impossible to figure out how the situation could be resolved. It was the difference between life or death for him and it’s not a clear cut solution.
Kellan and Mira’s romance was pretty off the charts, passionate and steamy. Her commitment to him was heart wrenching and those scenes where she’s fighting for his life were vivid and highly emotional, some of the best in the story.
The changes in the Order were interesting and the progeny of the old members are introduced, most now either in warrior training or now members of the Order. There are new conflicts and enemies, some expected and others a huge surprise. The foundation for this new aspect of the series was done effectively without bogging down the story. It left me informed but still wanting more, just enough to whet my appetite for some of these new warriors and Breedmates.
There’s an exciting climax that will leave you with more questions than answers but definitely intrigued about what will happen next. Adrian has delivered an incredibly complex shift to the series, one that’s on par with the stories we’ve loved from the past era. There’s new energy without completely abandoning those characters and elements that are important to the series. I can hardly wait for the next book. I'm rating this 4.5 stars.
