Review: Immortal Craving

Reviewed by Jen
 

I'll be honest. I was disappointed when I found out that the hero in this book wasn't a Cait-Sith. I mean, I love those poor, tortured little kitty-cats.  But I should have had some faith.  Tasmin is, indeed, and entirely different breed of vampire.  Instead, he is a poor, tortured, BIG kitty-cat.  And I loved him just the same.

Tasmin is Rakshasa, a lion-vampire shifter, whose kind was thought to be extinct.  But he has been asleep for centuries, cursed to carry the spirit of a demon by the evil Arsinoe.  When he wakes, he is half crazed.  He hears the evil, oily voice inside him, and he wants it out.  He travels from India to the US, looking for Lily, hoping the queen of the Lilium can help him and explain what happened to his people.

When he arrives, it's not actually Lily he seeks out first, but her human best friend, Bailey.  He thinks she will give him insight into Lily that will help his cause.  But his fractured psyche leads him to pass out in her shop, and Bay steps up to help him.  Despite his power and abrupt nature, Bay sees the vulnerability in Tasmin and is drawn to him.  The attraction is mutual, but he knows that the demon makes him a danger to her, so Tas tries to fight it.  It's so sweet and noble.

There is a lot going on outside of the building relationship.  The Ptolemy vamps are targeting Lily and her people, and Arinoe wants Tasmin, so she can get her hands on that demon.  Bay and Lily are struggling with their friendship and questioning how they can maintain it with the differences between them.   There's great action... and familiar faces.. and all the threads of previous books are acknowledged and incorporated in.

But at the heart of the book is the romance, and it was a good one.  Tasmin comes from such a powerful race.  Being strong is all he's ever known, but his circumstances throw all of that on its ear.  Bay is this physically weak, fragile human, yet she takes care of him. She protects him. She saves him.  I loved watching how it humbles him; how he needs her; how is willing to sacrifice himself for her as a result.   He sees beneath the surface of her and knows her worth.  He's awesome.  And they are fantastic together.  There is so much longing and crushing fear that they're doomed.  Delicious angst, folks, just like I like it.

The book wraps up a lot in the overall storyline, and it feels like it could serve as a series finale.  But I hope this isn't the end.  There is definitely more story out there to be told... the demons... Vlad... and I want to read them.  I hope to get the chance.

Rating: B+

*ARC Provided by Forever via NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Immortal Craving

by Kendra Leigh Castle

Release Date: January 29, 2013

Publisher: Forever