Review - Dawnbreaker

Title: Dawnbreaker
Author: Jocelynn Drake
Publishing Date: 2009
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: C+
Sensuality: N/A
Book Disclosure: I purchased a new copy.

Dawnbreaker is the third book in Jocelynn Drake's Dark Days series. Dawnbreaker is told in the first person point of view from the main character Mira, a centuries old vampire also known as the fire starter. She has a major battle coming up between herself and her unlikely partner Danaus against the Naturi, unearthly creatures that have been locked in captivity for years. If these Naturi were to escape, then vampires and humans alike would be in serious trouble, as the Naturi want to kill them all.

Alright, I admit it. I had some problems with this book and I did struggle through the reading of it. Mainly the romance is pretty much non-existent and by book three in the series, I really need a connection to be established between the main couple. To put it bluntly, I need more romance!

Mira is a hard character to connect with. She is fair and protective, but at the core of her is a killer. The plot and characters are very well drawn and well developed, but the pacing of the book is on the slow side. It is most evident at the beginning of the book when things are being set up. It had been a while between reading books in this series and therefore I couldn't quite remember everything that had happened previously. So for a little while there in the beginning I felt a little lost as to what the heck was going on. Eventually, things started to pick up, but it took me a while to be drawn into the story.

I really like the mystery surrounding Danaus. The reader really has no idea what is going on with him. As I heard it from Jocelynn herself, Danaus will be narrating the next book, Pray for Dawn. I think this is such a smart move on her part. I really don't think I would be all that interested to continue this series, but that is some serious temptation. I want to know more about Danaus!!

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon.

Review - Dayhunter

Title: Dayhunter
Author: Jocelynn Drake
Publishing Date: May 2009
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm

Dayhunter is the second novel in Jocelynn Drake's Dark Days Series. It starts off right where Nightwalker ends, with Mira and Danaus needing to recover after the battle they just fought. Even though they managed to win round one, the war is far from over. Now Mira will have to travel to Venice, Italy to stand before the Coven and work with them to find away to stop the Naturi. Of course that is easier said than done, when Mira isn't sure exactly who is on who's side. Mira hates court politics, but she will put aside her own reservations and do what is necessary to save her people.

So far, I am enjoying this urban fantasy series, Dark Days. Mira makes the book for me. Of course, Danaus isn't to bad himself. Although, since the book is written from Mira's point of view, she steals the show. What I love about Mira is that she is an incredible mix of strength and vulnerability. She is tough when necessary, especially when called upon to make decisions that will impact the lives of so many people. These are not easy decisions for her to make and her sadness and regret are palpable.

Mira is very different from most of her kind, especially the leaders. The members of the Coven all seem to have their own agenda and will stop at nothing to obtain it. They are cruel and are not opposed to torture and murder to get what they want. Mira is a natural born leader, even though she has no ambitions to be a leader. People just naturally follow her and look to her for advice and support. It is very interesting how Mira doesn't fit in and the secrets behind her differences. She also had powers that no other Nightwalker has and yet she doesn't ever misuse this power. Even though Mira is essentially good, she never comes across as too goody-goody. It is very easy to relate to her plight and sympathize with her.

One thing I would like to point out for romance readers, is that this is not a romance. So far Danaus and Mira are enemies, who for the time being are setting aside their differences in order to fight a common enemy. When the war is over, they each plan to kill the other. But along the way, they are learning that they may have more in common than they previously thought and the lines of good and evil are becoming more and more blurred. I love seeing Danaus struggle with his feelings for Mira. He essentially believes that she is evil and has no soul, yet as he spends time with her he is becoming disabused of his preconceived notions. Having said that, things might be moving to slowly for some fans of romance. Personally, I am still enjoying the series and have plans to continue reading it.

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This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon.

Series Sunday - Dark Days by Jocelynn Drake

I recently stumbled on The Dark Days Series by Jocelynn Drake. It is straight urban fantasy narrated in the first person point of view by Mira, a centuries old Nightwalker, otherwise known as a vampire. Mira has carved a niche for herself in Savannah, Georgia after finally breaking away from her European makers. She meets the infamous vampire hunter Danaus and learns of an impending war between the Nightwalkers and the Naturi. She must team up with Danaus if she is to defeat the Naturi and save Nightwalkers and humans alike.

This is not a romantic series, although there is sexual tension between Danaus and Mira. For the most part, the focus is on the war between the Nightwalkers and the Naturi, but there are other supernatural creatures that exist as well, such a werewolves and warlocks. Not to mention it isn't entirely clear what Danaus is. Danaus doesn't fall into any category very easily and has unusual powers.

So far I am really enjoying this series not because the plot or storyline is very original, because let's face it. It's not. I am enjoying it because of the execution of the story with the wonderfully written character, Mira. She is constantly questioning the right/wrong or good/bad of different creatures and what she must do in order to survive. She also many times must decide what is the best for the majority of her people and not just for herself. These lead to some very difficult choices to make and broadens the defining line between black and white. I really enjoy this philosophical aspect to the book. It adds just the right amount of depth without becoming too preachy.

I am of the opinion that this series should be read in order, as each of the books build off of its predecessor.

Series Reading Order:
The Dead, The Damned, And the Forgotten (prequel to Nightwalker releases August 25, 2009 in the anthology Unbound)
Nightwalker
Dayhunter
Dawnbreaker
Pray for Dawn
Wait for Dusk (releases August 2010)

Review - Nightwalker

Title: Nightwalker
Author: Jocelynn Drake
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm

Nightwalker is the first book in Jocelynn Drake's The First Dark Days series. It is narrated in first person by Mira, a centuries old nightwalker, otherwise known as a vampire. She has resided over the undead in Savannah, Georgia ever since she finally decided to leave the ancients who made her. Lately there has been a hunter in her territory killing off her people. She hasn't minded so much of late, because those vampires this hunter Danaus, has killed were a threat anyway. These vampires on their compulsive killing sprees among the humans threatens to expose Mira and her kind. She follows this hunter's progress and finally confronts him. She learns that even though he is her enemy, he has knowledge of an even greater threat and that they must work together if they are going to stop it.

Nightwalker is not a romance, although there is definitely some tension between Mira and Danaus. It is very subtle and I am sure as the series progresses will become more prominent. Instead the focus is on Mira and how she must find a way to put a stop to the Naturi, a very destructive race of beings. They will wipe out humans and vampires with a blink of the eye, if they manage to break the seal holding them prisoner. This is a story with a Good vs. Evil theme. But there is a unique spin to this theme in that Good and Evil isn't necessarily defined by black and white. There are some shades of grey and this book will make a reader question their definition of what is acceptable.

Mira is an interesting mix of strength and vulnerability. She is very powerful with her magic and physical strength. Yet, mentally she is very fragile. It is an interesting paradox and adds layers of depth to her character. The world building is very well done, and easy to follow along. The reader doesn't get the whole story right away, but the facts are slowly released. Mira's past is not divulged all at once either. She has memory losses from a certain period in her life and those memories are key to what is currently happening to her. Ms. Drake has definitely piqued my interest. I am very curious to see what happens between Mira and Danaus and how they will overcome their differences.

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