I cannot figure out why everyone is so terrified of Gabriel. He doesn't seem scary in the least. I actually think he's the most interesting character of them all and I can't wait to find out more about him in the third book. I hope it doesn't disappoint.
What does disappoint, however, is that we STILL do not have a clue why that cross necklace is so important. And just what exactly will happen if Richelieu's plans succeed? The story keeps telling us that it will be awful, horrible, terrible, but I'm not buying it. It's just not convincing enough.
While we're on the subject of Richelieu, tell me again how he has managed to survive 400+ years without someone recognizing him as THE Cardinal Richelieu? The author tells us that he doesn't have to have an all-out war to gain ultimate power because he has spent centuries putting his own men in very powerful places. Whaaaa? And just HOW has he done this without someone noticing that he keeps on living century after century without aging? This is just one teeny tiny example of my "huh?" moments throughout this series. I realize it's a vampire book, so of course NOT REAL, but sometimes I feel the author asks a bit much in the way of suspending disbelief.
What I do love about this series, however, is the author's premise that no one is beyond redemption, that the blood of Christ is sufficient for anyone, no matter what they have done. The letter from the author at the beginning of this book was very helpful to me in further understanding her reasons for writing this sort of story, and I wish I had read it first, before reading book one. If you happen to be reading my review and you've never read this series before, I urge you to pick up a copy of Kiss of Death and read the author's letter at the very beginning FIRST, before you read any of the books in this series. "Every person, no matter their circumstances, past, or the evil they have done can be redeemed by God through the blood of Christ. In the end, that blood is all that matters." Love that! As I mentioned in my review of Kiss of Night, I do worry that the intended audience will miss out on this book and the series. Devout Christians will probably avoid the series altogether because, how could a book about vampires be anything a devout Christian should read? It can't be good, right? And non-Christians might be drawn to it because of the vampire craze, but may be left even more confused about Christianity than they were before picking it up. It is considered "Christian fiction," but there isn't a whole lot of true Christianity throughout (minus a few references to prayer and not wanting to kill people, and a Bible verse to begin each chapter), and some things, albeit small, are even in error. (For instance, the cup from which Christ drank at The Last Supper, the "holy grail," never actually held His blood. It only held wine, which represented His blood in the new covenant. But the characters at one point believe that Richelieu is pursuing The Holy Grail because of the fact that it once held Christ's blood.) Things like these may seem small, but they can become huge stumbling blocks for those who are seeking or who have questions about Christianity.
I know I sound harsh but I still give it 4 stars because it's just so unique, well-written, and not preachy. The writing is sound, and the story is compelling (even if you don't particularly care for the present-day human characters). There is plenty of action to keep the pages turning quickly. I will definitely be reading book three in this series. I can't wait to learn more about Gabriel and Raphael!
Get your copy of this book from Amazon.
Read about the author, Debbie Viguié, on Goodreads.
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