There is just something about this series that I love and true rating would be 4.5 I think.

This book picks up where the first book left off. Amy and Elder are on board The Godspeed and Elder is now in charge. I really like the fact that everything doesn't just fall into place and we get to see how Elder struggles with being Eldest (even though he doesn't want that title). One of my favorite parts was when Elder is stepping up to take charge of a situation and Amy realizes that Elder has a different side...one she never really recognized was a part of him because she never really identified him as Eldest. He really does grow into his leadership role despite the problems and challenges that are a result of some of the decisions he made.

I do like Amy as a character but at times she bothered me. I don't want to give any of the story away but near the end of the book she was getting on my nerves. Everything was black and white for her - no gray area and if Elder disagreed with her she tended to run off or be mad at him. I was happy she finally realized why she cared about Elder - the fact that she pushed him away because she didn't think he should be her only choice was annoying but I get it. When she was in danger of losing him, she did come to realize her feelings were a result of much more than that.

There were a lot of secondary characters that played important roles in this book. I think they all added value but I would have liked to learn more about what happened to Luthor. Although there was a resolution, there was a lot I didn't get to find out and I wanted more..perhaps more will come to light in the next book.

Overall this was a great second book - there is mystery, angst, new love, etc. No major cliffhanger here (which I appreciate) and it ended in an appropriate place of the story. I look forward to the next book and learning more about what will happen on the way to the new planet as well as what will happen when they get there.

This was interesting. The story went in a direction I wasn't really expecting and I'm not yet sure how I feel about it.

I thought the story sounded intriguing from the blurb...it started out ok but there were a few things I struggled with. I am someone who gets invested in the characters and there just wasn't enough in this story that allowed me to do this. Everything seemed really rushed and I just didn't have the opportunity to get to know any of them.

The way the author brings out the good vs. evil theme is interesting and the resolution like the rest of the story felt rushed.

Overall I thought this was an ok story and it is a quick read. It has some angst, a bit of mystery, paranormal and of course the love story...a little bit of everything.

I enjoyed this one...the only reason I rated a 4 instead of a 5 is that this book ends on a major cliffhanger and that's a big no no for me. Luckily there is a lead in to the next book at the end but anyone who knows me knows that cliffhangers drive me crazy.

The character development is good and I really like Dawn. She is a smart and strong heroine - although at times she does some dumb things, she is 17 and it fits with her character. She has had a number of things happen in her life that got her to where she is today - a delegate who has a major role in the treaty between the humans of Denver and the vampire clan, the Valentine's. The other characters in the story all add depth and are great in moving the story forward. Michael and Tegan are clearly important to Dawn and Rachel and Jeff also play very important roles in her life. The "bad guys" are definitely bad and I liked seeing the first meeting Dawn had with Valentine.

The story itself is an interesting take on the normal vampire story. I could never do a full recap justice but as an overview, the world is changed. Currently they are in a period where vampires and humans don't necessarily get along but they live together. After a 30 year war, they now live under the VampHu Agreement. Dawn works for the Agency and is now responsible for negotiating and working with Murdoch Valentine to keep the peace. Unfortunately, the vampires are the ones with all of the power and it's definitely a balancing act she has to perform in her meetings. Along the way, Dawn meets Victor and comes to realize who he is. I won't give it away but it comes out fairly early in the story. Another character who is introduced is Sin.

Spoiler

Again, I won't give anything away but I will say my thoughts were confirmed, he was exactly who I thought he would be as soon as some background was given. I was surprised that he had a role in what happened to Dawn's brother...so there was that surprise.

I do wish we had more information on the back story. The book opens with Dawn's parents and there is a hint of a secret and it is threaded through the rest of the book but I still have no idea what it is about (outside of the fact that it has to do with Dawn). I am hoping to learn more about this secret.

Overall, this story has some romance, angst, mystery, fighting....I really enjoyed it as it mixes the paranormal with the dystopian and both are genres I love. I am definitely looking forward to book 2 and looking forward to see what happens with Victor and Dawn. Considering how things were left with book 1, you can bet I will be reading it as soon as I can get a copy of it.

I really enjoyed this book and despite what felt like a slow start to me, it picked up and I ended up having a hard time putting this down.

I won't go into all of the back story as I think it is important to read (I feel like I say this a lot but it's true...). With that said, Ismae is an assassin raised to believe she is the daughter of Death. With her role and parentage come certain abilities. While on an assignment she encounters Duval who is the bastard brother of the Duchess.

Long story short, Ismae ends up going to court posing as the "cousin" of Duval and that is when things begin to get really interesting. There are a number of characters in this book, outside of Duval and Ismae, that play important roles in the story. The other assassins Sybella and Annith, Duval's friend de Lornay and Beast, as well as the Reverend Mother and the Chancellor. All add another layer to what is going on and helped in moving the story forward.

Overall this story has a bit of everything, mystery, history, politics and there is also a romance at the heart of what is going on. I enjoyed how the relationship between Duval and Ismae progressed as well as the fact that she continued to struggle with what to do based on her loyalties to the convent and her conflicting feelings. I am glad Ismae was able to come to a conclusion around who she is and what she feels her purpose is without having to choose one or the other.

I do look forward to the next book as one of the things I do wish we would have gotten more information around what was going on with Sybella and Annith - I assume they are coming in the next books but we only got glimpses of their stories and I felt like it was a major tease.