Adult book review: Ashes of Midnight (The Midnight Breed, #6) by Lara Adrian

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Dell; Original edition (May 26, 2009)

Summary: A woman driven by blood. A man thirsting for vengeance.A place where darkness and desire meet...

As night falls, Claire Roth flees, driven from her home by a fiery threat that seems to come from hell itself. Then, from out of the flames and ash, a vampire warrior emerges. He is Andreas Reichen, her onetime lover, now a stranger consumed by vengeance. Caught in the cross fire, Claire cannot escape his savage fury—or the hunger that plunges her into his world of eternal darkness and unending pleasure.

Nothing will stop Andreas from destroying the vampire responsible for slaughtering his Breed brethren . . . even if he must use his former lover as a pawn in his deadly mission. Blood-bonded to his treacherous adversary, Claire can lead Andreas to the enemy he seeks, but it is a journey fraught with danger—and deep, unbidden desires. For Claire is the one woman Andreas should not crave, and the only one he’s ever loved. A dangerous seduction begins—one that blurs the lines between predator and prey, and stokes the flames of a white-hot passion that may consume all in its path. . . .

My review: I love Adrian's Midnight Breed series. She creates really interesting characters and places them in complex situations. The writing is always tight, emotional and the voices stand out as being individual and unique. What is truly special about this series are the couplings between the female Breedmate and the male vampire warrior. When the two clash or whatever way they meet, there is usually an instant chemistry and two people you truly root for. There's plenty of action, a growing attraction and sizzling love scenes. I liked Ashes of Midnight but it wasn't my favorite of the series and I think the problem I had was connecting with the main characters. 

Claire Roth as the female Breed who has loved Andreas for years didn't grab me as much as others have (like Renata or Tess). I didn't feel strongly for Claire or understand her loveless marriage to vampire Wilhelm Roth. If Andreas was the love of her life she seemed to give him up too easily. For an intelligent woman the fact that she never questioned or looked into her mate's life wasn't believable. I know Roth was incredibly cold and Claire felt this way too. One aspect of the story I would have liked to see expanded upon was her passion for playing piano. I wanted to see something more than what I read. Vampire warrior Andreas Reichen, on the other hand, was a stronger character to me. He had a crazy cool talent of pyro-kinesis and the sections in which he used his powerful skill were exciting and easy to imagine. The way he suffered with his ability was portrayed in an emotional way. I felt his conflicting feelings between using his ability for vengeance (even though he knew he would lose control at some point which would lead to his death) and his love for Claire. The love scenes between Claire and Andreas were touching at times, but I had a problem with their choosing a temple inside the Order's Compound as a place for lovemaking. I understand it was a highly charged and emotional moment for them, yet as a reader I cringed. The story truly came alive for me when the other members of The Order were involved.

As I said, The Midnight Breed is a favorite series for me. This book, number six in the series, didn't captivate me but I'll continue reading.

Rating: +++

Favorite excerpt: "A silhouette began to take shape.

Not an army, but a single man.

A man whose entire being was alive with flames.

For one instant--Claire thought she recognized the broad cut of his shoulders, the fluid swagger of his stride. Impossible, of course. Still, a glimmer of familiarity kindled in the back of her mind. Could she know him somehow?

But this was no man--certainly none that she knew, now or ever. This creature was something out of a nightmare.

He was death incarnate." (From pages 19-20.)

Cover comment: This cover is like the others but I think the colors and having the couple in silhouette does a disservice to the characters. They all look as though they're the same skin color, whitewashed, and they're not. The fact that Adrian has interracial couples in her stories has always appealed to me, but it is not evident from the covers.

Book source: Swapped.