((ARC)) Guest Review: Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian

Guest Reviewer:

My name is Jordan.  I'm a full time graphic art student with a part time gig as an exercise rider.  I love to read romance, paranormal, and classic literature.  When I'm not in the stables riding Texas Two Step (Tex), Remington, or Rolex, I'm listening to music, drawing, doing homework, or sleeping.  Sleeping is my 3rd favorite past-time.  Being an athlete, I feel like I never get enough sleep.  I moonlight as an equestrian and aspire to compete in the Olympics. (This picture is of me, Tex, and the ribbons I won at my last show.)

The Book:

Edge of Dawn (Midnight Breed #11)
by Lara Adrian
Kindle Edition, 1st Edition, 300 pages
Expected publication: February 26th 2013 by Delacorte Press
Source: Netgalley

Twenty years after the terror of First Dawn—when mankind learned that vampires lived secretly among them—the threat of violence reigns as the two species struggle to coexist. The only group preserving the fragile harmony is the Order, an elite cadre of Breed warriors dedicated to protecting humans and vampires alike. And in this precarious world of torn loyalties and shattered trust, Mira, a fiery squad captain, finds that every fight bears an intensely personal cost.
Raised among the Order, Mira has always believed in the warrior’s code of swift—and even lethal—justice. But the one thing she desires more than the Order’s hard-won acceptance is Kellan Archer, a sexy but troubled Breed fighter. In love with him since childhood, Mira once broke through his tough exterior during an unexpected night of rapture, but the next day he mysteriously disappeared, never to return.
Kellan didn’t think he would ever see Mira again—or have to confront the truth of why he left. After abandoning the Order years ago, he now leads a band of human rebels intent on carrying out their own vigilante rule of law. Yet a high-profile kidnapping assignment brings him face-to-face with the past he sought to avoid, and the striking woman he has tried desperately to forget. And as tensions mount and the risk of bloodshed grows, Kellan and Mira must take sides—between the competing missions that dominate their lives, and the electrifying passion that claims their hearts.

My Review:
I would first start off by saying that I did not even know about the Midnight Breed series by Lara Adrian before the creator of this blog, Katrina Pierce put me on to her books. I was looking for something that was new and exciting for me to read. When I was told it was a romance series I was a little skeptical because I was afraid it would turn out o be one of those cheesy romance novels. Boy, was I wrong! Lara Adrian had created a world where the characters are just as interesting and dynamic as the stories she is telling. The characters also come off as very realistic, which is very hard to do in a paranormal series. The men are strong-willed, fearless, and very attractive. They all have a rouge sensibility, but not without a great sense of honor. The women of this series are also characterized in a very positive light. These are not your average Mary Sue’s or damsels in distress that can be found in a huge number of romance novels. These women are intelligent, resilient, independent, sexy, and serve as great counterparts and companions for the male characters. Lara has created a world where I am so involved with the characters that I am always anticipating the next book in the series where I get to learn more about one of her warriors and their potential mate. Edge of Dawn was no different. So when I heard that Lara Adrian was writing her book #11 of the series, I knew I had to get my hands on it!

The fact that it was starting a new time chapter in the series and introducing new characters while still keeping the old ones I grew to love made the experience better. Edge of Dawn tells the story of Mira and Kellan. They were minor characters in the previous books and were introduced to us as children. In this book they are all grown up and dealing with the complications of their love. I was very much anticipating this book because I loved Mira and Kellan. I could see the chemistry between these two even when they were children. While Lara has certainly kept her skills in writing a great love scene and telling an engaging story, there were some things about this book that confused me. I was not entirely sold on the reason why Kellan left Mira in the first place when they were young. The book tried to explain it as he was trying to protect Mira from the pain of witnessing his death. So instead of trying to explain this to the love of his life, he fakes his death and abandons the woman he loves and the family of warriors who took him in as a child after he witnessed the murder of his entire family. This seemed out of character for Kellan, who came off to me as someone who was desperate to hold onto what was his. After the murder of his entire family, I could not really believe the fact that he would just abandon everything and everybody that has ever mattered to him to become their enemy and a radical. I just accepted it and kept reading. While it did provide some much needed angst between the two, it seemed to me to be a little bit of a character stretch for Kellan. It was also stated that Mira and Kellan had fallen in love earlier and this was the story of them being re-united after eight years of separation. I would like to have read flashbacks of this period in their lives that way I could have been more emotionally connected to Mira’s and Kellan’s present situation.. I did like Lara’s interpretation of Mira. She was very strong and resilient, they aspects of a true warrior. However, her stubbornness did sometimes come off as naïve and somewhat impulsive. This stayed true to her character though and was much easier to except than Kellan’s abandonment.

All in all, this was a great book and will appease the Midnight Breed Series fan base. It was a solid return for Adrian and is an enjoyable read. It has plenty of action, violence, heartfelt moments, and passionate love. It is not my favorite of the series (that would be Dante’s and Tess’s story Kiss of Crimson), but it is still a solid chapter in the series. I am eager to read the next book (book #12), which is rumored to be Nathan’s story. The 13 year old teenage assassin that has now grown into a grown man warrior intrigued me from the moment he was introduced in Deeper Than Midnight. I cannot wait to read it!

Jordan is a dear!  She's my cousin-in-law and new bestie. She has a music blog and a "new" NetGalley account.  She's trying out the book blogging thing here. Let's give her some encouragement!