Perception

Ich muss ja gestehen, dass ich "Perception" vor "Connection" gelesen habe, aber das hat nicht gestört.
Auch wenn ich neu in der Welt der Kaius Vampire bin, wurde ich doch sehr gut und schnell aufgenommen. Rhys hat seinen Job hier gut gemacht :)
Generell fand ich die Geschichte toll, denn die war mal so anders als die Vampirgeschichten, welche ich bisher gelesen habe. Rauer, härter, direkter.

Die Grundidee mit den haunts und den tender fand ich interessant und Katja hat hier ein tolles Konstrukt entworfen - ja, es hat etwas gedauert, sich mit den Regeln vertraut zu machen, aber da ging es Audra nicht anders. Und das war das tolle. Denn durch Audra, welche auch neu in dieser Welt ist und so ziemlich alles in Frage stellt, bekommt man einen guten Eindruck von Mick und Co.

Der Schreibstil hat mir sehr gefallen, die Story war mega spannend und ich musste immer gleich wissen, wie es weitergeht. Das einzige, was mich etwas gestört hat war, dass es doch relativ lange dauerte, bis die Geschichte mal bei Mick und Audra direkt angekommen ist. Da passiert in der Zwischenzeit doch noch viel anderes. Und dann war es so schnell vorbei, dass ich hoffe, dass es bald einen weiteren Teil geben wird.

Ich fand das ganze Team der Kaius Vampire toll - jeder ist auf seine Art besonders, einzigartig und hat besondere Fähigkeiten. Anfangs dachte ich ja, dass Nichol "end-game" für Audra ist, aber ich bin froh, wie sie die Beziehung der beiden entwickelt hat.

Das Buch war super - anders, toll anders als bisherige Vampirgeschichten und ich schnapp mir jetzt mal Dom und Molly, und hoffe auf einen Band 3.

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I have to admit that I did read "Perception" before I read "Connection", however, it did not bother me. Even though I was new to the world of the Kaius vampires, I was welcomed in a nice and warm way, isn't that right Rhys?
Overall the story was amazing and so different than to any other vampire story that I've read so far. Rough, hard, direct.

The idea of having haunts and tenders was really great and I did enjoy what Katja made out of it. Yes, I needed a bit of time to fully understand the rules and hierarchies, but so did Audra and it was nice to discover everything with her, especially how things work around the Kaius and I loved the fact that Audra challenged everything and everyone.

The writing style was comfortable, and the story itself offered love, steamy scenes, adventure and a bunch of sexy vampires. The only thing I wished would have been different was the romance between Mick and Audra. It did take quite some time that the story developed in their direction, and once we were finally there, it was over. Thus, I do hope that book 3 is about to come, soon, quick, fast!

The whole team around the Kaius was great - I did enjoy every single character. Especially in the beginning I thought that Nichol is end-game, but I am super happy how the relationship turned out in the end.

A great book, with some sexy vamipres and strong female characters. I will now get back to Dom and Molly and hope that book 3 is around the corner.

*** Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Backlit PR and the Wild Rose Press. ***

3.75 stars rounded to 4. The first book in this series (Connection) introduced us to Dominic, the youngest vampire brother. Book 2: Perception follows another brother, Mickey. I strongly recommend to read the first book before jumping into this one, since it explains the society, hierarchy, and habits of the characters. Because of that, I enjoyed this second book way more than the first one.

Pros:

I absolutely love the relationship between the vampire brothers. They are hilarious, and the care and love they have for each other is just palpable. This side of them made me root for them more and more throughout the books (I didn't at the beginning of the first book). I found myself smiling each time they were interacting with each other, and couldn't get enough of their banter. :)

The settings and politics in the plot are intriguing and to the point. It shows the two sides of a coin, and how the two sides are not that different after all. The ultimate goal for Vampires as well as Humans is survival, and behind all the action and romance, this book shows how the world is all about perspective. It leaves you thinking about who would you root for? Both species can be loving and cruel, so who's right?

The pacing is fast, and there is no dull moment. I liked the action (except one time where it was a little hard to imagine the scene). But the author did an excellent job at keeping me guessing and at the edge of my seat.

Cons:

Again, as in the first book (but less in this one), I expected the story to be about Mickey mostly, because of the blurb and how it starts. However, there are a lot of POVs and Mickey's sometimes falls in the shadows, which is unfortunate. Don't get me wrong: I love all the different MCs but just felt a little cheated since they pretty much all get the same amount of time while I thought it will be more about Mickey.

FYI:

There is a lot of cursing. Trigger Warning: although explained and essential to the book premise, some of the descriptions and treatments of Tenders/Courtesans/Bloodslaves can be hard to read. Be prepared to step into a new world with a different set of rules.

A very good read!! I hope we'll get Book 3 soon! I wonder which vampire brother we'll follow next. Nichols?

Perception is book 2 in a series. I have not read the first book and it has an impact on my impressions of this novel. In the first few pages a lot of names and personalities are thrown in that are difficult to keep track of. Some don't need to be remembered but the first time reader doesn't know who is important. As the book moves along the focus narrows to fewer characters that makes it easier to follow and develop a rapport with them.

The plot is easy enough to follow. One of the members of the vampire group, called a haunt, is caught by the police for not registering with the government. Now the haunt must try to rescue him before he dies under police interrogation. This is complicated by two other vampire groups who are suppose to be Big Bads but didn't seem that relevant to me. Clearly, the first book had more information about them, why they are important and why they are such a threat.

Another plot line dealing with Audra, a blood slave for 2 years but now acting as counselor for a traumatized woman, Molly, connected to a vampire, is very intriguing. She analyzes the vampires while providing help to Molly and tries to manipulate them to better the position of the blood slaves, tenders (blood courtesans) and herself. However, not all the tenders appreciate her actions. Audra's position within the haunt is unique and the vampires have a hard time dealing with her. She is somewhat in a position of authority but she also annoys many of the vampires. Others look at her as more of a romantic potential. She seems to be on edge of being killed or bedded at any moment.

Things get intense later in the book. There are heart-pounding moments and glimpses of a more sophisticated vampire society than is first visible in the haunt. I enjoyed the latter half of the book more than the first. It moved faster, had more action and things came to a head with Audra and some of the vampires. There are plenty of things up in the air to be settled in a later book but it doesn't feel like a cliff-hanger. I'd be interested in reading the next book.