My dear bookish friends!
Today starts the TheWriteReads blogtour of Dark Eyes: White Lies by M.R. Noble, the second book in a gripping vampire series, and one I had been looking forward to for a long time (as always, big thank you to TheWriteReads and the author for my spot on the tour and the ebook – none of which influenced my review in any way)! If you are interested in my thoughts on book one, you can check out my review of Karolina Dalca, Dark Eyes here. But without furder ado, let’s have a look at what book 2 is all about!!
The Book
Blackmailed into espionage, Karo must lie to one man while she fights her cravings for another. As spy partners, Karo is forced to work with Andre, the vampire she swore to never trust again. The accidental vampiric bond they have threatens to bend her into submission. But is her will actually weak, or does she want an excuse to give in?
Roman’s patience teeters on Karo’s deception. Bitter, desperate, and vengeful, Karo dutifully completes her missions while withholding data from her uncle Loukin’s operation. She swore to get out from under his thumb, even if she has to break a few hands. Each assignment brings her closer to uncovering his goal, and using it against him, but she also draws closer to new foes. And they all want the same thing—Karo’s secrets.
My Review
In this gripping continuation of Karolina Dalca: Dark Eyes, we find Karo trying to deal with her new life as a spy – and half-vampire. She swore never to trust Andre again, and yet, now she finds herself having to work with him. One thing leads to the next, and his close proximity makes her resolution weaken fast, and possibly even feel things for him she never wanted.
Karo seems like a very deep, complex and authentic main character. She has to deal with her normal, everyday life, her classes, other students and professors, and then again work as a vampire spy at other times. It‘s probably exactly these binary oppositions that make her character – and the story – so interesting.
I love the way the author blends technology with the more magical/mystical vamps and their powers. Early on we see Karo herself wondering how her scientifically minded and tech-savvy professor would react to ‘a vampire spy, let alone vampirism’ – something which I have always thought more authors in the vampire romance/thriller genres should look at, so I really liked that!
The plot itself is fairly complex, and readers who – much like myself – had already forgotten much about what happened in book will have to familiarise themselves again with it in order to cope in Karo’s world. The book is fairly fast-paced too and so I had to go back and reread some scenes until I felt like I was familiar with this world again. Then I found myself at the edge of the seat most of the time.
And then, of course, there is the aspect of the love triangle (if you can call it that). Will she choose her childhood friend who happens to be a werewolf, or her vampire spy partner, who has written danger all over him? The author upped the aura of lust in this second installment another notch, and mixes it with curiosity, excitement, espionage and adventure.
Fans of supernatural novels, and especially fans of vampire fiction will love Dark Eyes: White Lies, but newbies to the genre might really enjoy this series too, so do give it a try!
4 stars from me!
Thank you all so much for reading!
Xoxo
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Gripping continuation of vampire series
