Gosh, I love this series. Each instalment is more exciting and PHANTOM SHADOWS, the third book, is a thrilling mix of romance, action, and intrigue. I was really looking forward to it because I've found Bastien to be such an intriguing character in the two previous books. After all, Bastien is an immortal who thought he was a vampire because Seth didn't find him in time, resulting in a serious identity crisis. But he's fighting the proverbial good fight now, with allies who don't really want him, with a few rare exceptions, like Ami, Seth, David, and Dr. Lipton. His special gift is empathy, which gives him some extra layers, and he really shines in PHANTOM SHADOWS. Getting to know him in this novel was a lot of fun, and it answered the questions that have been floating around my mind since DARKNESS DAWNS.
Melanie is an excellent match for Bastien. She's so compassionate and on his side from the start, since she sees the bonds he has with the vampires she's trying to save. She's shown up in previous novels and I've always liked her but we never got to know her in great detail. As you'll see if you pick up PHANTOM SHADOWS, Melanie is more than a match for Bastien on an intellectual and romantic level. They have great chemistry together and I enjoyed seeing them slowly reveal themselves to each other (and I'm not talking about dropping trou). Duvall creates great couples in each novels and Bastien and Melanie are definitely a strong pair.
The whole idea of saving vampires from their inevitable insanity is a really cool one. Vampirism as a disease is something we've seen in other books but this is a bit different: the more vampires indulge, the more they lose themselves. Melanie is trying to help vampires retain their humanity the way that immortals do, with mixed results. It's one of the most interesting subplots in the novel, and the series as a whole.
There's also a lot of strong development in the military subplot -- where the bad mercenary/ex-government/ex-military types are trying to get their hands on an immortal. These are the same guys who tortured Ami so it's nice to see Duvall delve deeper into this storyline and the potential implications of the immortals' exposure. To avoid spoilers, I won't comment on this too much but I will say that this is my other favourite subplot in the Immortal Guardians series.
Duvall is a very talented writer who has crafted an intriguing world and characters. I get excited every time I see a new book on the shelves. I'd definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for great paranormal romance.
I love this series too! Rowland is still my fav Immortal Guardian though. Glad to hear that you're diggin' these books are much as I am. :)
ReplyDeleteNice review Jenn, I recently bought this series, so I hope I will love them just as much!
ReplyDelete