Banana's Book Blog

So I am from this moment on a diehard Suzanne Wright Fan. I have read all her books now, and she even made me really like vampires. Now not everyone can do that (I’m a werewolf/shapeshifter person myself), but she has. I like the idea that there are various species of vampires, and that each and every vampire has a special gift. This was pretty cool, and it explained the vampire lore, and and why everyone might be right, little details like that I like in mythical books. I think Ms. Wright gave us quite a bit to work with in this book, so many characters, and some serious storylines, that just made this book into a real page-turner.

So Sam....

I honestly just wanted to belong only to myself and not have to be concerned with pleasing other people.

Firstly, I love that Ms. Wright tends to use gender neutral names for her fierce females, and I don’t think she can write a weak female, but as a result, we get this sarcastic, and mostly unbreakable females, who I LOVE! Sam has not had an easy vamplife, she’s about 3 years old and has basically barely lived. But she is chosen to try-out for the King of the Vamp’s special army called the legion. When she arrives (because her maker has basically had her locked up for the last 3 years), she realizes that not only is she one of the very few of her species of vamp to get asked to try-out, but she is also the very first female to ever try out for the highly-trained, super gifted team. And I have to admit, I don’t think I would’ve tried to stay after all the grief she was given, but that said, is why I love Sam like I do. She is given the opportunity to not just join the team, but become a commander of it, because well Sam’s gift is freaking awesome, and so is she, and it’s as result of this changed that Sam gets to interact with Jared. And Jared is... “a sexist twat"

The duel POVs allowed the reader to know so much more than the characters themselves. It was clear, that Jared had a thing for Sam from the moment they first met, and battle during the try-outs.

“I had to laugh inwardly at myself: the whole thing was so weird. She had kicked my ass, embarrassed me in front of God knows how many, and even called me a pretty. And all I’d wanted to do was grab her kiss her and bite her.”

But Jared had some serious issues to deal with starting with his three consorts (who are basically sex buddies), as well as some serious emotional difficulties. So, between Sam just wanting to be accepted, and Jared just wanting to not let anyone in, there was an insane about fighting, and I have to say that the sexy times did not come until the last 40% of the book. Though when they came, it was awesome. We got some new vamp sex concepts that I’d never thought of or believed in.

“When we have sex - and we will Sam, - it won’t be because I seduced you, it’ll be because you’ve finally admitted that you want it”

So apart from the fantastic leads who did make me what to lock them in a room together, so they’d just get on with it already! There were some really great secondary characters. But there were so many of them. I have a three-way tie between Fletcher, Max and Evan for my favorite. Fletcher was assistant to both Jared and Sam, and I think he was the first to think that they should try each other on for size. He was so good to Sam, and always so willing to help. I have to agree with Sam when she says, Every home should have a Fletcher...

Max was the first of the squad in the legion to attempt to make a play for Sam. And I have to say that if we didn’t have Jared’s POV and know how he was really feeling, I would definitely be rooting for a Sam-Max connection. He was just as alpha as Jared, and so forward, "You’ve no idea how much I like challenges. You might not have meant to, but you just turned me on big style....” Oh Max, you and your mouth, and looks, I don’t know how Sam didn’t try to have her own group of consorts lol.

I liked the group dynamics between Sam and all the men in her life, because there were a lot of men in her life on this island. lol. But she was so good with all of them. And though the squad was against her at first, once she got them to respect her (using some hilarious and effective techniques) they were all great together.

” “You want me to bite you?” I asked all of them. Their smiles and arched brows said 'hell yes'. “You can all sod off, I’m not biting any of you.” “Why not?” whined Fletcher. “Because it would turn you all on.” “That's why we want you to do it,” said Norm sounding horny already.”


I think Suzanne Wright has a gift for mixing a great story, that is so filled with all those things that make you think, and feel, and love her characters. She knows how to give an ordinary story so much body, that is is completely different by the time you’ve finished. This was not at all typical, it was so filled with so many layers, that there was never a moment of boring, I just kept on wanting more and more. So there was so much more to say, but I really don’t want to give away too much of the book. Just go out and get it, cause it will be worth it.