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Darkride
(Darkride #1)
by Laura Bradley Rede |
Summary from Goodreads:
"Ander McNair used to be the favorite son of a great monster-hunting family – until he was bitten by a werewolf and the hunter became the hunted. Now anything that makes his pulse race, even a kiss from his girlfriend Cicely, is enough to turn him into a monster. When he finally gets a chance to earn his cure by killing a vampire prince, he finds he has to choose between his own past and the future of the girl he loves. Can a guy who’s not even human learn what it means to be a man?
Luke Marianez used to be an immortal vampire prince – until the witch he loved betrayed him and cursed him with the ability to die. Now he lives in the world of vampire blood bars, where the waitresses are the drinks, and dreams about killing the last of the witch’s line so he can live forever. But revenge doesn’t just mean breaking the curse. He wants to break the girl’s heart, too. Can Luke seduce Cicely without falling in love himself?
Cicely Watson doesn’t believe in werewolves or vampires. She’s not even sure she believes in true love. But she’s about to discover what every werewolf knows:
People change."
Rating:
I have totally underestimated this book!
When I first got a copy of Darkride, I was completely drawn to the premise. I found it so interesting but I also thought it was mainly a love story. Little did I know that I was in for more than just that.
Darkride started off with a simple setting where our heroine, Cicely was your everyday typical girl. As with most novels, it’s easy to put yourself in the protagonist’s shoes because the author has made her really relatable. Although I have to admit that there are times I feel annoyed with Cissa’s (Cicely’s nickname) decisions, but then again, her stubbornness is what makes her who she is.
Anyway, moving on to the plot. During the part where Ander was introduced as a werewolf and Luke was introduced as a vampire, I immediately thought it was a little cliché. But as I dived deeper into the story, I found that there was so much more into it than my first impression. There’s the history, the thrall, the bonding, the whole curse and so much to take in which I absolutely cherished! I love it when authors come and give a classic story the unusual twist, which makes their books standout. And the whole “there are two types of vampire thing?” – priceless! I really liked that.
One of the best things about Darkride is the shifting of perspectives. You don’t get stuck with just one person’s thoughts so the way things flow are not stagnant. You get to know each character from their own point-of-view and not just from how one person sees him/her.
Another thing is the last few remaining chapters, talk about a climax! And I love it that even though Rede has created a cliffhanger for the next book of the series, she didn’t leave readers empty-handed. She gave a fitting ending that doesn’t leave you completely ignorant of what’s to come but still has that element of surprise, mystery and excitement.
I'd like to thank Laura Bradley Rede for giving me the privilege of reading and reviewing her book. Thank you so much, Laura!
