It was an accident that I picked up this book to read. I was simply scanning the fiction bookshelf at my local bookstore, when the cover caught my eye. And the title to be honest. I was craving something with a heap of romance in it, and what's better than a paranormal romance? I stressing over finals, so I thought this would be a great way to get my mind off of the tests.Kiss of Night is labeled as paranormal Christian fiction, although I didn't realize that when I first bought it, and as I read it, I myself would have classified it as only paranormal romance. But that's not important.The characters in general were alright, but I felt a little something lacking. Especially with Raphael. I definitely would have been happier with a little more character development, such as Raphael and why he was so evil. The humans, Susan, David, and Wendy felt bland and one-dimensional at times. Since this is only first in the series, I'm hoping that there's more development down the line.Overall, I thought the plot was decent, given that this is a first in a trilogy, but I'm still debating whether or not to purchase the next in the series. Not a good sign, in my opinion. I have never gotten swept up into the vampire book craze, and have never seen a single Twilight film, but I have to say that after reading Kiss of Night I wonder if I've been missing out! This book is certainly on the edgier side of Christian fiction with vampires lusting for blood and fights to the death between vampires and humans. But I have to say that I was absolutely captivated by the story line and the breakneck pace of the book, which largely takes place in the present but also has brief snapshots into Raphael's past. The book has a fascinating premise underlying it, posing the question of whether it would be possible to be a vampire and to also embrace a belief in God. The manner in which the author lays this out makes this an entirely plausible scenario, and also raises an intriguing concept about vampires being cursed because the human had been so wicked that there was no way that in a span of their lifetime they would have been able to be redeemed. Instead, they are cursed to become vampires and basically become immortal (except for a few ways that they can be killed), giving the vampire centuries to come to grips with their evil nature and realize their need for redemption. I loved watching Susan and David discover that vampires existed, and the forbidden love that unfolds between Susan and Raphael is sure to please those craving some romance in the midst of the suspense and the supernatural elements.By the end of the book, I realized that I had entered a series that was far more epic in scope than I'd anticipated, with the unfolding of the beginning of a classic good versus evil battle unto the end. I came to the end wondering how I'm going to be able to wait for the second installment! The writing is action-packed, the characters are intriguing, and the plot is exciting and superbly crafted. In short, this is a great read, and worthy of 4.5 out of 5 stars.Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Faithwords (Hachette Book Group) for the purposes of this unbiased review.
What do You think about Kiss Of Night (2011)?
Love the book. Alot of action right from the start and a couple of romance brewing. Loved it.
—luc
Good book, different perspective on Vampires
—pitt
