Monday, January 5, 2009

REVIEW: Veil of Midnight by Lara Adrian

Midnight Breeds Series, Book 5

In the world of the Midnight Breeds, vampires are the descendants of an alien species that crashed on Earth thousands of years ago. These other worldly beings survived on human blood and were able to successfully mate with the select few human women of compatible DNA capable of bearing their young. These women, known as Breedmates, are rare, yet still exist today and all bear a distinguishable birthmark in the shape of a teardrop sitting above a crescent moon somewhere on their body. The first generation of young vampires fathered by the alien species born to human Breedmates are called Gen Ones and are the oldest and strongest of all vampires and highly respected and feared by all Breeds. A finite number of Gen One Breeds are still alive today, but their numbers are dwindling.

The Midnight Breed Series follows the lives of the Midnight Breed Warriors of the Order--an organization established by a Gen One who, with a select few brethren, eliminated the violent fore fathers of their species in order to protect the secrecy of their existence to protect humans who are in essence the vampires' only sustainable food source and method of breeding. The Order has also taken on the task of stopping the threat of the growing number of vampires who are going Rogue--feeding and killing humans and Breeds alike and jeopardizing the safety and security of their species. Each book in the series tells the ongoing story of the Order's fight in this Blood War and also the love story of a single Breed Warrior as he and his Breedmate find their happily ever after.

Veil of Midnight is the story of Breed Warrior Nikolai who is the weapons specialist of the Order and an unbeatable fighter. He has been dispatched by the Order to Montreal to find the reclusive Gen One named Sergie Yakut in order to warn him of a new threat against Gen One Breeds all over the world. It appears that Gen Ones are being sought out and assassinated one by one by some organized faction. A faction that the Order believes is being lead by a second generation Breed, the son of First Gen named Dragos who had hidden the sole surviving alien fore father of the Breeds for hundreds of years in a cave. To make matters worse, Dragos has released this alien forefather and has been using him to breed powerful First Gens, not unlike breeding his own unstoppable army.

For the first time ever, Nikolai is duped and captured by a fighter of comparable fighting skill who just so happens to be a human female. A human female who also bears the mark of a Breedmate. Her name is Renata and it turns out she's lives in Sergei Yakut's compound and is one of his body guards. This would seem like good news for Nikolai, but things are not exactly what one would expect. It turns out that not all First Gens agree with the Breeds' peaceful coexistence with humans, and, as evident in previous Midnight Breed novels, not all Breeds support the Order or their mission. Sergei Yakut is old school First Gen, if you will, and wants nothing to do with the Order and could care less about the assassination attempts on other First Gens around the world.

Things turn topsy-turvy rather quickly for Nikolai and although he manages to leave Yakut's compound after making some new enemies, he lands in the not so kind hands of the Montreal Enforcement Agency, an organization headed by the Montreal Darkhaven's leader who is also up to no good. The plot gets thick when Renata turns to Nikolai for help in rescuing a loved one, a child with an alarming psychic ability that she has vowed to protect. Nikolai and Renata come together to help each other reach the other's goals--rescue the child and uncover the violent truths about the Gen One assassination attempts. Of course, they fall in love along the way, although that doesn't come easy for these two warriors who fight their emotions every step of the way.

Veil of Midnight is yet another great installment in this consistently written paranormal action romance series by author Lara Adrian. The complexity of the Midnight Breed world continues to expand, yet always adheres to world rules established in preceding stories. Veil of Midnight is full of surprising plot twists and unexpected deaths that keep the story moving at an entertaining pace and with the kind of tension and exciting action sequences that readers of this series have come to love.

Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed heroes have all been strong, determined and honorable heroes who appear capable of anything except perhaps, resisting love when it finally finds them, and Nikolai is no exception. The heroines in this series are equally strong and honorable, who are very brave when it comes to working with the Order for the greater good of the Breed, and of course, falling in love with a vampire. Renata has had a difficult life and has become the strong warrior she is in Veil of Midnight in order to survive the world she was forced into at a young age. She works hard at maintaining her edge as an unbeatable fighter not because she's simply angry, out for revenge or on some mission to save the world, but because she has to if she wants to stay alive. I think the fact that she knows how dangerously powerful vampires truly are and how dangerously easy it could be for her to mess up and lose her edge, makes her a bit vulnerable which in turn makes her character that much more realistic and smart. Also, the fact that she has promised to protect an innocent child reveals a compassionate side of Renata that makes her character even more appealing. Of course, she's never too compassionate that it stops her from showing Nikolai just how dangerous she really is.

Consistent world building, great characters, a suspenseful plot and a sweet romance make Veil of Midnight one of my favorites in this series. The pacing of the story, the increasing complexity of the series arc and the developing romance between Nikolai and Renata definitely makes this novel shine.

GRADE: A-

There is a minor thread of a subplot that takes place throughout Veil of Midnight that takes place with Andreas Reichen, the Berlin DarkHaven leader who was a leading secondary character Midnight Awakening, that ended on an utterly spine chilling note. I am undoubtedly now waiting on pins and needles for the release of the next book in the Midnight Breed Series, Ashes of Midnight, scheduled for release on May 26, 2009.

Although I did not formally review preceding novels in this series, I'm including the following for comparison. Please also refer to my grading system for more explanation on my letter grading.

Kiss of Midnight B++
Kiss of Crimson B++
Midnight Awakening A
Midnight Rising B
Veil of Midnight A-



Visit Lara Adrian's website HERE.

17 comments:

  1. Cool review, Christine. :-D I wasn't going to continue with this series as Niko wasn't interesting in the last book ... but your and other reviews whipped up my interest so I guess I'll be getting this one after all. :-)

    Midnight Awakening is my favourite in this series too. :-D

    Now, Andreas IS intriguing. I want to find out more about him.

    For me, the one most intriguing element that's running in this series is the Ancient. Horrific as he may be, I can't help feeling sorry for how he was used in the last book. I hope to find out more about him too. :-)

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  2. Hi Christine!
    Hmm...I stopped reading the series after book 2. They were good, but didn't blow me away. So, while I didn't decide not to ready any more in the series, I never actually picked up book 3.
    Your "A" grade for Midnight Awakening and A- for Veil make me want to pick the series back up!

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  3. Ohh, I didn't read your review cause I want to love every second of reading this book ad didn't want to be spoiled but I did look at the grade and I am mucho excited to get into this book. Arghhh I hate international shipping!

    It seems to have gotten great reviews from everyone.

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  4. I enjoyed Veil of Midnight. I'm not usually over-eager to get the next book but after what happened with Reichen, I really want his book!

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  5. ...in this consistently written paranormal action romance series by author Lara Adrian.

    THIS is exactly why I love the Adrian books. Consistency.

    Plus, doesn't it feel, Christine as the books go on that she's had a major plan all the way through and has been leading us there slowly? I feel like the first two kind of dealt with one topic, but then the larger plot is very slowly and methodically being uncovered and she's leaving us little breadcrumbs along the way that we're supposed to figure out. Of course, I'm one of those who solved The Sixth Sense at the exact moment the director wanted me to, so I'm clueless. LOL!

    But I do love this series. It's my favorite vampire series and IMO, the best written. I do love Andreas and can't wait for his book too!

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  6. Hi Christine:

    Great review and synopsis. I thoroughly enjoyed Veil of Midnight too and actually reviewed it this past weekend.

    I am so looking forward to "Ashes of Midnight".

    All the best to you.

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  7. OMG I must read. i just need to find the time.

    PS thanks for the help I appreciate it and so does the blog!

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  8. Wow this sounds like a great read! Lots of sex also?

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  9. Thanks for the review, Christine.

    I haven't gotten completely into this series, there have been some hits and misses for me. I stopped at Midnight Awakening, but your review makes it seem like going forward with the series is worth it.

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  10. I'm in the middle of reading this right now so I'll have to come back to the review because I don't want any info! lol Glad you liked it though. I'm loving it so far.

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  11. Andreas' story killed me. I can't wait to read his story to see what happens.

    And that twist? At the end? *no spoilers* I wonder how on earth that's going to all work out? Hmm.

    Excellent review, as always. :)

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  12. Great review, Christine! It's good to know you liked it.

    I really look forward to reading this novel so I have nothing further to say except that I like this series for its consistency and because I have the impression that there is a plan behind it all; well that, and that the thing about Andreas sounds intriguing. :)

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  13. Jace :: I admit that I was fairly neutral about Nikolai's character preceding Veil of Midnight too, and honestly, he wasn't necessarily the driving force behind my love of this novel. Renata was the driving force. Her character traits, her determination to protect the child, her precarious position within the world of the villains, and the way she and Niko came together and the way they complimented each other. Plus the politics of the world got a lot more complex and intriguing. And if you're the least bit interested in Andreas Reichen, you should really read this book and the next one!

    Did I sell you on it, or what?

    Renee :: I understand what you mean. The books don't necessarily blow me away either, but I do love each romance, and the writing and world building is consistent and intelligent, so I always come back for more and am never disappointed. I hope you do decide to give them a try again. Midnight Awakening was really intense--I loved it.

    Sayuri :: Oh, I hope you like Veil of Midnight as much as I did. The world is getting really complex and multilayered now. And the romance parts are always so good! I love the way Lara Adrian puts her heroines on the same level as the heroes. They're all so smart and independent. I love that.

    Amy C :: I know!! Reichen's book is going to be very interesting--I can't wait!

    Kati :: EXACTLY! Lara's writing is consistent and intelligent. I really love the way each novel has it's own unique conflicts, yet they're all connected in ways that support the consistency of the world building. It makes the world all the more believable and keeps me coming back for more.

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  14. Lea :: Excellent. I'm coming over to check out your review and compare notes!

    Ashes of Midnight can't come soon enough!

    Sarai :: I hope you love Veil of Midnight, too! Sorry to inform you, though... Chase doesn't have much of a role in this one. I'm afraid you're going to have to sit tight for awhile until his book.

    KB :: As always with a Midnight Breed book, the intimacy between the couple is perfectly paced and sensual.

    Brie :: Like any series, I guess this one is a hit or miss for many readers. No pressure. ;)

    Tracy :: Did you finish yet? Looking forward to your thoughts.

    Lady of the Review :: Lara most certainly has left us with a bit of a cliffhanger for Ashes of Midnight! Lots of interesting scenarios to look forward to. I love the anticipation!

    Glad you like my review. ;)

    Taja :: Another Midnight Breed fan! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one, too!

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  15. I ahven't read any of Ms. Adrian's books. But your review make this story sound very appealing, Christine!

    I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday.

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  16. I just finished it this morning before work and it was great. You're review is wonderful, Christine, and a a great seller for the series IMO. Renata is definitely the driving force behind this novel. Niko wasn't really on my radar in the previous books but we got to know him a little more in this book and I really liked him. Hearing his background was heart wrenching!

    I can't wait for the next book. Andreas' story should be fabulous!

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  17. Thank you Christine! I've only read Kiss of Midnight, but I have to say I am now feeling mighty tempted to pick Kiss of Crimson up...even though my TBR pile is screaming at me :)

    I like the idea of a consistent progression and, as Kati put it, a slowly unfolding plan with breadcrumbs :)

    Oh, and I don't think this is a spoiler as it was in KOM, but does Lucan's brother pop up again? Weirdly, I quite liked him....and yes, I'm worried about that!

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