Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Ever since the night he had the vampire’s hands around his throat, Tyler hasn’t been able to get Lucien out of his mind. The haemophile — the polite word used in these modern times — haunts his dreams, lurks in the shadows of his room at night, lives in his thoughts, and Tyler is reaching a breaking point. The cops won’t help, his sister won’t help, no one will. So it’s time for Tyler to take matters into his own hands. A phone number given to him by a friend leads him to Damon, someone who is willing to get Tyler what it is he wants … in more ways than one.
Between the two of them they manage to capture the ancient haemophile, and now that Tyler has him … he has no idea what he wants to do with him. Damon’s ideas include torture and murder, but Tyler doesn’t know if he wants that, if he can allow that. The more time he spends with Lucien, the more he feels those inhuman eyes on his skin, hears his voice, and feels the touch of his cold hands, the less he wants to hurt Lucien and the more he wants to possess him, to make Lucien need him, want him as much as he wants Lucien.
Between escaping the vampire hunter and the council of other haemophiles, both of whom want to hurt Lucien, Tyler has no idea what to do or where to turn for help. He knows one thing, though: Lucien is his.
This is the second book in the Blood and Bonds series and really ought to be read along with its precursor, Touch in the Night. The first book did a great deal of world building, explaining how haemophiles came out to the public, how they’re treated, and how and why public opinion of them shifts as it does. This book focuses less on the world building and more on the growing obsession between Tyler and Lucien.
Tyler is a jerk. He’s rude to wait staff and callous with his ex — who he uses when he needs something from him, and ignores when he doesn’t. He breaks into someone’s home to yell at them and never once considers what someone else feels. Even with Lucien, it’s all about Tyler’s feelings, Tyler’s needs and wants and pleasure. He’s shallow, narrow minded, and a whiny brat, but … he does have some charm with his driving need for Lucien, his ardent fixation, and how quickly he pours every emotion on Lucien’s shoulder.
For Lucien, time is something that happens elsewhere. He’s ancient, beyond the oldest of vampires, older than much of humanity, and views himself as above all of them and their small laws. Where he sees someone worth killing, he kills them. When he’s not interested in talking to someone, he leaves. It’s been ages since he’s felt anything at all beyond the dulled need to cull the worst of humanity. Until Tyler, whose eyes are constantly on him, whose touch is warm enough to burn his skin, whose present and animal needs are so different than anything Lucien has felt in so long.
And then there’s Damon, with his quick smile, like the shimmer of oil on water, whose easy looks and sexuality draw Tyler to him because of the lack of effort required. Damon’s willing to do all the work to get what he wants, and Damon’s easy going enough to want many things. To torture a vampire to death, to fuck Tyler, to be seen as a villain or hero … it’s all good by him.
The writing is strong and I do enjoy the world the author has created in this series. Tyler and Lucien work together well as a couple so blinded by one another as the world happens around the two of them, dismissive of consequences because they’re both already decided what they want to happen. There is an open ending, leaving the door wide open for further adventures but is, overall, fairly self contained. It’s quick enough to read in one sitting, and I had fun with it. I’m very much looking forward to book three!
