Yesterday I wrote a review for "Carpe Noctem", the first in Katie Salidas' Immmortalis series Her second in the series, "Hunters and Prey" picks up where "Carpe Noctem" left off. I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for this installment and the finished product is absolutely awesome!
The story begins with Alyssa having just fed. Alyssa has pledged to only feed from criminals deserving to die; those who are like the men who nearly elminated her existence. They have become her "prey" and she, in essence, has become their "hunter". When she arrives home in the morning, she settles in to bed and falls into a restless sleep where she is dreaming about her nemesis, Santino, the vampire hunter working with the Acta Santorum. She awakens with a start and Lysander, her mate and maker, attempts to soothe her to no avail. Unable to fall back to sleep, she pads to the living area and channel surfs looking for something to keep her mind occupied. She stops on the local news channel when she is interrupted by her clan-mate Nicholas, who startles her when he answers a question she was mentally asking herself as to who might be the head of the Acta Santorum and whether or not Santino could be alive and whether or not the Acta Sanctorum might have something to do with the gory story that was running.
Nicholas is a news junkie and as he sits down to watch the news with her announces that he knows that Alyssa is looking for clues about Santino, (the vampire hunter we met in Katie's first installment), answering some of her queries after conceding, in a roundabout manner, that he had read her mind. Later that evening, Alyssa goes out to feed and while she's out she encounters Santino. With nowhere else to go, Alyssa jumps into a cab and goes to the cafe where she used to hang out. She couldn't go home lest she expose her clan-mates and put them in grave danger. Once at the cafe, Alyssa begins to have feelings of longing for her old life and just as she's about to turn away from the entrance door, it swings open with her friend, Fallon coming through it. Now what to do?
Questions streamed from Fallon's mouth about Alyssa's sudden disappearance. Alyssa, still concerned that Santino has followed her there, decides to go inside with Fallon figuring it was the safest place for her to be. While hitting Alyssa with another barrage of questions, Fallon notices Alyssa's eyes and teeth, making the connection that Alyssa is now a vampire. Awkwardly trying to reassure her friend, Alyssa tells Fallon the story of what happened the night Fallon stood her up, the night of her turning and what her life is like now. After a while, Alyssa borrows Fallon's cellphone to call Lysander and explain to him where she was and that Santino was after her. He's none too pleased and asks her to wait for his phone call while he discusses with the rest of the clan what should be done. He is extremely upset that she has exposed their truth to a mortal. When he calls her back and tells her to meet him at a casino, Fallon refuses to let Alyssa go by herself and as they head out, Alyssa notices that Santino is standing at the door of the cafe.
"Hunters and Prey" is action packed with an incredible story line filled with vampires, zombies, survival and acceptance. It is also a story of love, sacrifice and strength. I mean, let's face it, it takes a lot of strength to trust that which you fear. Fierce battles ensue between the clan and the hunters after which Fallon is accepted by the clan as an "honorary" member.
Alyssa loves her friend so much that she fights her basic instinct to feed on her when they are held captive together and she is in dire need of feeding. She teaches her clan-mates what it means to stand beside a loved one in war, no matter what life form they may be in. It is a lesson to be learned by all. It is a known fact that I admire Katie, that she and I have a friendship, and it is because of that friendship that I feel the need to be totally honest. There is nothing I can criticize here. Once again, she has left me wanting more. This tour is to promote her third story in the series, "Pandora's Box", which I have begun reading and believe you me, I wish I had a block of time so that I can sit down and read it in one sitting as I have all her previous works. You will not be disappointed in this story and it will make you hunger for "Pandora's Box" which is available now in e-book and other formats come July 12.
A very generous Katie has once again agreed to offer a free giveaway of one copy of the smashwords edition of "Hunters and Prey". This time, since 13 is my lucky number, the thirteenth person to post a comment on my blog will be the winner! Here is a sample for your reading pleasure:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12ZAW35FurIbQbIg1lh78ynBRZpDQfE8vuFUcYiVpG10/edit?hl=en_US&authkey=CKy6noMK
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Katie and her work, here is her bio:
Katie Salidas:
The youngest of four children, Katie has always had a desire to entertain. Since, early childhood, she's dreamed fantastical characters and scribbled them into pages of various journals and notebooks. Taking an interest in vampires, she devoured every book, featuring those blood sucking creatures, in any genre she could find. It was only natural that a love of reading vampire stories, turned into a love to write them. Katie is also a Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin. She loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories.
Here is a link to Katie's blog:
http://networkedblogs.com/jDvUr
Yes, I am featured this week :)
Finally, to tempt you just a litlle bit :), here is a synopsis of Katie's newest installment, "Pandora's Box":
Pandora's Box:
Alyssa thought, after a few months as a vampire, that she’d learned all she needed about the supernatural world. But all that will change when a mysterious package shows up on her doorstep - a Pandora's box. An ancient prison, created by powerful magic, the box was used to trap the most dangerous and deadly creatures on earth. Once opened, it releases an ancient evil, with an insatiable lust for vampire blood. Within moments of its release it the feeding frenzy begins. Alyssa must find a way to return the creature to the box. If she doesn’t, it will not only destroy her clan, but the rest of the vampires in existence.
And of course, I can not end this post without putting you on about the legal stuff:
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of The Virtual Book Tour Cafe' and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by The Virtual Book Tour Cafe', no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely of my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
Thanks again for your support and for allowing me to share this with you!
~~ML
