This is the second book in the Blood Ties series by Armintrout, and sadly, it's not nearly as good as the first, "The Turning". Our heroine, Dr. Carrie Ames, is still trying to adjust to being a vampire, and as it turns out, having two different "sires". Yes, just when you'd thought you knew everything there was to know about vamps, along comes Armintrout's world; Carrie is killed in the first book by her sire Cyrus, but resurrected by her second sire, Nathan. Sigh. This means, of course, that she has feelings for both men.
There's a plot developing here about Cyrus's father, the Soul Eater. Seems he's destroying the vampires he's created over the decades in hopes of becoming a god. Sounds good, right? Well, it's not. The plot is introduced, but then nothing really happens. It almost seems like this book and the third installment, "Ashes to Ashes", were originally written as one, then divided, possibly by the publisher. Really, "Possession" is sort of a wait-and-see book. Again, sigh. Oh, and Carrie's second sire, Nathan, has been possessed by something, possibly a demon. Again, that plot is introduced very early in the book, then sort of left alone as Carrie goes looking for a "cure". If Nathan can't be stopped, he'll be exterminated, not something she wants.
What's strange is that our heroine has turned into a bit of a whiny vampiress, while the evil Cyrus has become a full-functioning human. Cyrus is really the most interesting character in the book this go-around, so much that you feel more connected and concerned with what happens to him than you do the main character, Carrie. I'm not sure where Armintrout is going with this; as I said, this book feels very much like the first half of a much larger novel. I have the third installment of the Blood Ties series waiting for me at home, so we'll see what happens then.
Overall? It's an OK book, but not nearly as good as the first one. Then again, sophomore works rarely are. Gone is the wonder of Carrie's new lifestyle. Gone is the romance between Carrie and Nathan. Gone is - well, I hate to say it, but some of my interest. Keep your fingers crossed that the third book, "Ashes to Ashes", picks up the pace/writing.
There's a plot developing here about Cyrus's father, the Soul Eater. Seems he's destroying the vampires he's created over the decades in hopes of becoming a god. Sounds good, right? Well, it's not. The plot is introduced, but then nothing really happens. It almost seems like this book and the third installment, "Ashes to Ashes", were originally written as one, then divided, possibly by the publisher. Really, "Possession" is sort of a wait-and-see book. Again, sigh. Oh, and Carrie's second sire, Nathan, has been possessed by something, possibly a demon. Again, that plot is introduced very early in the book, then sort of left alone as Carrie goes looking for a "cure". If Nathan can't be stopped, he'll be exterminated, not something she wants.
What's strange is that our heroine has turned into a bit of a whiny vampiress, while the evil Cyrus has become a full-functioning human. Cyrus is really the most interesting character in the book this go-around, so much that you feel more connected and concerned with what happens to him than you do the main character, Carrie. I'm not sure where Armintrout is going with this; as I said, this book feels very much like the first half of a much larger novel. I have the third installment of the Blood Ties series waiting for me at home, so we'll see what happens then.
Overall? It's an OK book, but not nearly as good as the first one. Then again, sophomore works rarely are. Gone is the wonder of Carrie's new lifestyle. Gone is the romance between Carrie and Nathan. Gone is - well, I hate to say it, but some of my interest. Keep your fingers crossed that the third book, "Ashes to Ashes", picks up the pace/writing.
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