Night's Cold Kiss (Dark Brethren, #1)

Jun 14, 2010 Summer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish, paranormal, vampires, urban-fantasy

So I picked up this book with no expectations, it had mixed reviews but I figured I'd give it a shot. The first few pages describe Antoinette, and to a lesser degree her brother Nici, on a mission. Antoinette is a Venator, meaning she is part of a group of humans hunting a type of creature called dreniacs. Supposedly from the opening and the blurb on the back I understood there's good vampires and bad vampires with the dreniacs being the 'bad' ones and a group called the Aeternus are the 'good'...more

like 5 likes · see review

Dec 03, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, 2009, paranormal, romance

There are two kinds of vampire in the world: the Aeturnus, who after centuries of bloodshed forged a treaty with humans to live peaceably together; and the Necrodreniacs, those vampires who have become addicted to the high they get from killing humans, draining them dry. It is a distinction that Antoinette Petrescu, the legendary Venator whose job it is to hunt down and execute Necrodreniacs, has never been able to see, not since her mother was murdered and her father died.

But now a serial kille...more There are two kinds of vampire in the world: the Aeturnus, who after centuries of bloodshed forged a treaty with humans to live peaceably together; and the Necrodreniacs, those vampires who have become addicted to the high they get from killing humans, draining them dry. It is a distinction that Antoinette Petrescu, the legendary Venator whose job it is to hunt down and execute Necrodreniacs, has never been able to see, not since her mother was murdered and her father died.

But now a serial killer is running wild in New York, targeting women who look an awful lot like Antoinette, and she must team up with the Aeturnus Christian Laroque - who used to bear the nickname the Crimson Executioner. With the help of Christian's friend and fellow Aeturnus, Viktor, and a bear-shifter called Oberon, Antoinette and Christian follow all the leads they can find. But what Antoinette finds is more than she ever could have expected: she comes face to face with a ghost from her past, learns the truth of her family, and discovers that the difference between sexy Aeturnus Christian and a filthy Necrodreniac is as wide as an ocean.

This book is marketed as Urban fantasy but I found it in the Romance section - for once, I think the bookshop has it right. Though it was gritty, it had the happy romantic ending that is the trademark of romance novels, and several sex scenes scattered throughout. Looking at the cover and reading the blurb, I was prepared for a Night Huntress-type book - it's one of my favourite paranormal series, and I wouldn't mind something a bit similar, but this one can't compare.

There were a few issues. One, Antoinette could get pretty annoying in her stubbornness - and her violence. It didn't quite add up: one minute she's an intelligent, deadly Venator, the next she's throwing a tantrum like a five year old. It made it hard to give a toss what happened to her. Secondly, I didn't buy the chemistry between her and Christian. I wanted to like Christian - he had all the markings of a dark, charismatic, enigmatic, powerful man/vampire, but failed to deliver. I didn't care for the way he treated Antoinette either - the way he tended to treat her like a child, so perhaps it's not surprising she sometimes behaved like one.

Parts of the plot were predictable - it was easy to guess who was the mastermind behind it all. On the other hand, the structure of government and parahuman departments etc. were confusing as hell. If the series continues with Antoinette and Christian as the main characters, it might work out, but it it doesn't it'll lose it's edge, and our chance to see these characters grow and develop and mature (they need it).

There were parts I liked as well, though it's been several days since I read this and it's not a good sign that I can mostly only remember the negatives. The prose relies heavily on well-worn descriptive clichés but at least the grammar is sound (except it could have benefited from more semi-colons or the start of NEW sentences!). The pacing is good, with some nicely timed slower scenes amongst the chases and fights. There's some good atmosphere: dark and gritty and a bit smelly, violent and nasty. Sadly, with under-developed characters and a lack of emotional intensity, it doesn't work for me. The potential is there, but so were my high hopes and, now, my disappointment. It was a three-star book when I finished it, but after writing this I have to lower it. I simply can't justify 3 stars anymore.
(less)

like 4 likes · see review

Jun 22, 2012 Anne Toronto1 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Starts with violent action. Slowed by made-up words and acronyms for para(normal) human organizations requiring glossary, dreams, and supererogatory back story details. Official agency "donator" is really hot-blooded double-service prostitute, though she thinks rejecting extra tip denies definition. More violence segues into x-rated coupling. Here lies satisfaction if you're in the mood for invigorating stimulation, in-knowledge of acronym-ious vocabulary. More emotion is invested in Viktor's do...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 10, 2010 Shera (Book Whispers) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampire, amazon-lists

Thoughts:

This is another title were the vampires are aliens, as a twist it also includes the shifter races. In the case of this read, the reader is given more information and it ends up being one of the better concepts for vampires are aliens. The world and history that has shaped earth by living with these creatures really clicks and O'hara gives good details on past events. Giving the reader the foot holds in the history so that you can understand the politics that are occurring. The law enfor...more

like 3 likes · see review

Feb 26, 2011 Emoore0916 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wish Ms O'Hara had given us a teaser on what the next book in this series, if it is even going to be a series. So many of the characters were killed off I don't know who the next group of characters will be about. About the only one that I would love to hear from is Oberion (*sp). All in all this was a very good book kept me interested, even though I knew who the bad guy was I still had to and wanted to finish the story. Heart it, bring the next one on.......

2/24/2011

Something I never do read...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 12, 2011 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This was an impulse pick up at the library and what a fun ride this was.

I'm not sure if I'd classify this as urban fantasy though. It's more paranormal romance. And when you hit the sex scenes, it's more like an erotic paranormal romance.

Antoinette is tough and hell-bent on avenging her mother's death. Her brother is oh-so-conveniently off to London to work for some big-wig vampire hunting thing because now Antoinette has to hook up with big bad vampire Christian somehow. Together they're after...more

like · see review

Sep 08, 2012 Sandra rated it 2 of 5 stars

The main problem with this book is that Chritian and Antoinette are not particularly likeable and the 'romance'is forced and unbelievable. Anoinette has potential but her overly emotional and violent reactions, epsecially to Christian didn't ring true. They seemed more like a plot device than grounded in believable reasons and reactions- ie conflict required between hero/heroine- tick. I thought Anoinetter had more of a connection with Viktor. A romance between them would have been more believab...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2011 Starry rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Watching her mother being savagely murdered left Antoinette Petrescu inflamed with hatred for the vampire race, but she now realizes that to exact her revenge, she needs the help of one of their kind. Little does she know that the bloodthirsty Christian Laroque cloaks his own secret agenda. Guaranteed to raise the pulse of readers who crave dark vampire fiction with strong romance plotlines.
RATING THIS BOOK 4.5 . LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH, HAPPY ENDING(: :)
_________________________________________...more

like · see review

Aug 21, 2011 N.L. Gervasio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Night's Cold Kiss is a great debut novel for Australian author Death's Sweet Embrace, is next in the series.

like · see review

Apr 12, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

if ever there was an explosion that started the universe I think it would look something like the start of this debut story from Tracey O’Hara.

HUGE start, that just doesn’t stop. Night’s Cold Kiss is an adrenaline filled rollercoaster that had me in tears by page 50, hot under the collar by page 30 and my heart racing by page 10.

My only problem was the new terms for vampires. Particularly as these were introduced in the first few pages without any real explanation as to what they were. So the ne...more

like · see review

Jan 13, 2011 Kaza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Summary

When Antoinette Petrescu was a child she witnessed the death of her mother by a Necrodreniac vampire. This experience made Antoinette feel resentment to all vampires. This resentment fuels her motivation to hunt down criminal vampires, as part of an elite Venator corps. However, Antoinette may have finally met her match when she realises her mother’s murderer may still be alive and hunting her. Helping her is Christian, a sexy Aeternus vampire.

Review

Nights Cold Kiss has a dark serial kill...more Summary

When Antoinette Petrescu was a child she witnessed the death of her mother by a Necrodreniac vampire. This experience made Antoinette feel resentment to all vampires. This resentment fuels her motivation to hunt down criminal vampires, as part of an elite Venator corps. However, Antoinette may have finally met her match when she realises her mother’s murderer may still be alive and hunting her. Helping her is Christian, a sexy Aeternus vampire.

Review

Nights Cold Kiss has a dark serial killer plotline that incorporates mystery with romance, action and good world building. To counter the dark plotline, Victor, Christian’s best friend was successfully used to lighten the sometimes dark feeling of the book and bring about humour, witty conversation and one-liners. In fact, I loved the Victor character.

Christian and Antionette have a lot of differences that make them an unlikely match. Christian’s grief over the murder of his wife and father influenced him to kill many humans in his search for their killers, enough to gain the title of the crimson executioner. In comparison, Antionette hates any type of vampire (Aeternus and Dreniacs) since the death of her mother and sister. However, there was instant chemistry between Christian and Antionette. Both characters are drawn to the other despite their denying it to themselves and each other. Their relationship is often fiery with lots of sexual tension and suspense. However, I would have liked a little more romance.

Excluding Victor, the character portrayal was probably the weakest area of this book. Christian and Antionette were not always the most likeable characters. There were moments where Christian could be domineering and aggressive (in an unattractive way) and moments where Antionette could be headstrong and rude. In addition, I felt the characters lacked character development. I think there could have been a bit more subtlety and more depth.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery element of the plotline. There were times when I thought I had it all figured out and that it was maybe even a bit obvious but then I would be surprised with a great plot revelation. I also really enjoyed the action scenes. In fact, I thought the plotline, in general, was really good.

In summary, I think you could tell the book was Tracy’s debut book but it was enjoyable anyway. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing how she progresses as a writer.

My rating out of 5

3/5(less)

like · see review

Jan 07, 2011 Lady Rogue rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When Antoinette was six years old, she watched her mother die a very violent death at the hands of a rogue vampire. That incident shaped Antoinette into the woman she became. She was a determined, intelligent, and a skilled warrior, who made it her mission to kill as many of the Necrodreniac (rogue vampires) as she could. She would have liked nothing better than to get rid the planet of all vampires. It didn't matter that there were good vampires who were an intricate part of modern society...No...more When Antoinette was six years old, she watched her mother die a very violent death at the hands of a rogue vampire. That incident shaped Antoinette into the woman she became. She was a determined, intelligent, and a skilled warrior, who made it her mission to kill as many of the Necrodreniac (rogue vampires) as she could. She would have liked nothing better than to get rid the planet of all vampires. It didn't matter that there were good vampires who were an intricate part of modern society...No, as far as she was concerned, they were all monsters. It was her hatred that motivated her into becoming the best Venators (rogue vampire/Necrodreniac hunters) of the best. While she had many good qualities, I couldn't help but feel her character was inconsistant. I was under the impression, she was suppose to be the elite of the Venators. She was suppose to be highly skilled, yet she often found her self bested or out-manuvered by less than skilled villians. Also, I felt her stubborn streak bordered on immaturity, and her feelings in regards to vampires was fickled at best.

I felt Christian's character lacked that something "special" most sexy and brooding vampires have...personality. It felt like everytime there was trouble, he was just standing around watching or was never around to begin with. This gave the impression of a card board character, like the author wasn't sure what to do with him. The only time he was noticably present was when a sex scene or something relevant to it came up.Now, that I am thinking about it...for a supposed nice guy, his sexual taste were a bit on the violent side. It seemed so out of character. I had expected romance and wisdom from him...nope didn't get it.

Now Victor on the other hand was a very engaging character. He was the light within the dark in this book. He was not only interesting, but he brought out the best in Antoinette and Christin's characters. His ability to use witty bantor and his engaging personality into the dialogue was sadly missed when the author decided to snub his character...thus taking away any engaging qualities the protagonsits might have had.

I thought the author did a good job on the world building, but the plot was lacking in both originality and substance. In fact, there were moments, when I felt the chapters were jerky and incomplete. I also felt, there were too many short cuts and easy outs. That being said, I saw alot of potential to be had in this book. The action sequences were amazing. I would have liked it , if the author delved more into the vampire politics. I think the political intrigue would have been a very prudent element. I would have also liked a bit more depth and romance in the relationship of Antoinette and Christian.

Overall, I think that the book was a good read, with the potential to have been a great one. I would have found it more appealing had the book had some unpredictablity, focus more on character depth, explored the vampire politics, and had some originality. I wish the book had more fluidity. Instead it felt jerky and incomplete. I also felt, the characters could have been more engaging and more consistant to who thier characters were suppose to be. I did like Victor, the conflict with Dante, the concept of the Troubles, and the small amount of political intrigue I was given. If you are looking for enjoyment in the urban fantasy world that is a quick and enjoyable read, then you might like Night's Cold Kiss.

(less)

like 1 like · see review

Dec 29, 2010 Karissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the first book in The Dark Brethern series by Tracey O'Hara. The second book in this series, Death's Sweet Embrace, is due out January 2011. I actually read this book because I got an e-copy of Death's Sweet Embrace to review and wanted to start at the beginning of the series. I liked this book, it was a good read. The world isn't anything super creative, but it was entertaining.

Antoinette Petrescu is a Venator; she is dedicated to killing the evil type of vampires, the Necrodreniacs, wh...more This is the first book in The Dark Brethern series by Tracey O'Hara. The second book in this series, Death's Sweet Embrace, is due out January 2011. I actually read this book because I got an e-copy of Death's Sweet Embrace to review and wanted to start at the beginning of the series. I liked this book, it was a good read. The world isn't anything super creative, but it was entertaining.

Antoinette Petrescu is a Venator; she is dedicated to killing the evil type of vampires, the Necrodreniacs, who relish the pain and death of humans. More and more humans are being slain and it is up to Antoinette to help find the Necrodreniac responsible. Much to her dismay she is being forced to work with Christian, an Aeternus (ancient vampires that are good) to help solve the case. Ends up that the murders are tied to something dark and scary in Antoinette's past. She will need all the help she can get, and Christian will be at her side the whole time whether she likes it or not.

There were some things I really liked about this book. The action scenes were fantastic and I also loved Antoinette as a character. She is hot-heated, kicks butt, has a great sense of humor, and is conflicted in a way that makes her likable but human. Christian was also a pretty good character. The vampire politics in this book are complex and engaging. The book moved at a fast-pace and never got boring. The writing style is very readable; although there were a couple typos in the book so better editing would have been nice. O'Hara doesn't shy from the grisly details, so some of the gore in this book might be a bit much for some...just something to mention, it didn't bother me but is something to know.

There were a few things that I didn't enjoy about the book. The whole world where there are good and evil vampires has been done before and this was just another version of that. Like other universes the good and bad vampires have crazy names but in reality are just good and bad vampires. This is a type of world we are familiar with and nothing too creative. There is also some mention of shapeshifters but they aren't really included in the story all that much.

The other thing that I wasn't completely taken with was Christian and Antoinette's relationship. They have some chemistry, but not as much as other leads I have read. The sex scenes are usually pretty violent and there isn't a lot of tenderness in their relationship. This is okay, but I wasn't pulling for them as a couple as much as I should have been.

The books ends well and does a good job of wrapping up the story. I will be reading the next book in this series, Death's Sweet Embrace, because I got it for review. The next book focuses on different characters but is set in the same world.

Overall a good read. It was entertaining and engaging. I loved the action scenes and Antoinette's kick butt attitude. The world wasn't all that creative though and I wasn't totally sold on Antoinette and Christian's relationship. There are also more typos than I am used to in a final book, so it could have been edited better. This book is entertaining but not exceptional.(less)

like · see review

Dec 09, 2010 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review

Danger very similar to a dark time know as the "troubles" is brewing. Much to her dismay, rouge vampire hunter Antoinette teams up with the Aeternus Christian to try and solve a string of murders. Despite her utter hatred of everything vampiric and his determination to never let another human sway him, the two of them quickly find a strong attraction to the other. The odds are stacked against them and with the fragile truce between the races in the balance, the two must come to terms with each o...more Danger very similar to a dark time know as the "troubles" is brewing. Much to her dismay, rouge vampire hunter Antoinette teams up with the Aeternus Christian to try and solve a string of murders. Despite her utter hatred of everything vampiric and his determination to never let another human sway him, the two of them quickly find a strong attraction to the other. The odds are stacked against them and with the fragile truce between the races in the balance, the two must come to terms with each other if they are to have any hope of finding the killer before it's too late.

This book was slightly frustrating to me to read. It almost felt like Antoinette had a complete personality change halfway through the book. In the beginning she is everything anti-vampiric. She is one of the absolute best at what she does, killing rouge vampires or Necrodreniacs. She even hates the so called "good" vampires, the Aeternus. When Christian comes along she is rude and downright hateful to him. Of course there was an attraction there almost from the start, but then all of a sudden about halfway through the book it's as if she just turns into this puddle of goo for him. It's like her toughness just flies right out the window. And for what? Considering the fact that she behaves like it's just sex and nothing more, this baffled me. You just don't change your entire outlook on life based on some good sex, and while I'm sure there actually was some real love starting to brew I found it frustrating that it really wasn't shown.

The premise behind this book is really detailed. There is a lot of world building, but it isn't confusing and I didn't feel overly bogged down with too much information. There are plenty of characters to build upon in this series and all of the unique terminology is fascinating. I enjoy books that aren't very predictable and apart from the romance, this one wasn't at all. There were plenty of curve balls thrown in, and the identity of the character behind the problems came at quite a shock.

Putting the drastic changes in Anoinette's behavior aside, the book was pretty good. As I said before, the premise of the book and all of the different characters and races are really interesting. I think there is great potential to this series, as there is so much to explore. Based on the ending of this book I feel that the dangers have only begun and future books should prove to have plenty of danger and adventure. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I feel it's a sound starting place to a series with a lot of promise.
(less)

like · see review

Dec 03, 2010 Tynga rated it 4 of 5 stars

Antoinette Petrescu, is a vampire hunter in a world set in an amazing lore. Vampire is indeed the common public name for Aeternus, a race of vampire living peacefully. As opposed to Dreniacs, a race of vampire addicted to death-induced high, they are serial killers of the worst kind. Antoinette is hunting the latter, but also has a strong repulsion to Aeternus since her mother’s murder. A dreniac is currently on the loose, killing prostitute matching Antoinette’s physical description. She is det...more Antoinette Petrescu, is a vampire hunter in a world set in an amazing lore. Vampire is indeed the common public name for Aeternus, a race of vampire living peacefully. As opposed to Dreniacs, a race of vampire addicted to death-induced high, they are serial killers of the worst kind. Antoinette is hunting the latter, but also has a strong repulsion to Aeternus since her mother’s murder. A dreniac is currently on the loose, killing prostitute matching Antoinette’s physical description. She is determined to stop him, even with demons from her past hunting her, and even if this means teaming up with sexy Christian Laroque, Aeternus.

I LOVED this book for multiple reasons, but the lore is one of the main ones. It kind of reminds me of the Vampire Academy series because of the good vampire/ bad vampire aspect, but is original nonetheless. I have to admit it was a little confusing at first because of all the new terminology, but thankfully, Tracey included a glossary at the end =)

I also really liked the character’s richness: They all have an interesting past and an unique personality. Viktor was my favorite. He is so corky, smart and original. There aren’t two like him. Christian is indeed brilliant and suave, but also tormented by his past, I appreciated his strong character and determination. Those last two qualities also apply the Antoinette, but what made her so special was her vulnerability. She is a strong and capable female, but the “bad guy” had such power on her, it shattered all her strength, and made her that much more real. If I had one complain regarding our heroine it would have to be her name lol It’s such an old French name it just didn’t sit right with me.

The tension roused in a crescendo the entire book and ended in a blast – literally. The plot took twist and turns I never saw coming and kept me on my toes the whole time. I can’t wait to see what’s to come!

This Urban Fantasy is indeed action-packed and passion loaded. A few sex scene to tease the imagination and a fiery intensity between the two main characters. Tracey’s debut is definitely a success and you can sign me up for the second book, Death’s Sweet Embrace.

(less)

like · see review

Jan 08, 2010 Patti Loves FAB Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, vampires

Night's Cold Kiss is the first book in the Dark Brethren Series.

Antoinette Petrescu is a Venator, a highly trained vampire hunter. Vampires come in two types: Aeternus - regular vampires, and Dreniacs - vampires who drink until they kill the human. While Antoinette has been trained to fight Dreniacs, she doesn't like Aeternus vampires either. Her mother was killed by a Dreniac in front of her when Antoinette was a child and therefore she has an obsessive hatred of all vampires.

When Antoinette is...more

like 2 likes · see review

Nov 25, 2009 Ailsa rated it 4 of 5 stars

(First posted by me at The Book Bundle)

As you all should've guessed by now, I'm a big fan of vampire romance stories, so you won't be surprised that I liked this book.

This story has a great opening chapter - readers are pulled straight into Antoinette's daily life, as she stalks then fights with one of the evil Necrodrenics, or just dreniacs for short. It's clear she's good at her job of hunting them. We also meet Christian, who is watching the lair Antoinette is about to attack. He's passingly...more (First posted by me at The Book Bundle)

As you all should've guessed by now, I'm a big fan of vampire romance stories, so you won't be surprised that I liked this book.

This story has a great opening chapter - readers are pulled straight into Antoinette's daily life, as she stalks then fights with one of the evil Necrodrenics, or just dreniacs for short. It's clear she's good at her job of hunting them. We also meet Christian, who is watching the lair Antoinette is about to attack. He's passingly curious about her, and fate soon leads them to be working together. The two are very different, and sparks fly immediately - despite the fact that they are working towards the same goal, they have very different motivations.

To start with, I didn't really like Antoinette as a person - she's very prejudiced against vampires, and, even if she thinks she has good reason for it, I hate prejudice. Christian and his friends soon make her reconsider, though, and her initial resentment of Christian turns to a passion that makes for some quite interesting situations.

This is essentially a murder mystery. They know who the bad guy is - it's tracking him that's the problem, and working out where the other bits and pieces fit in to the story. Just as big a part of the story, though (if not more) is the relationship between Christian and Antoinette. While it was a bit predictable that they would get together, I didn't mind that - I like that in these books, it's why I read them, so it wasn't an issue for me. It annoyed me a bit how much Antoinette fought against the relationship. She gets angry too quickly, and still lets her rage and prejudice get in the way.

I liked the relationship Antoinette formed with Viktor, Christian's best friend - they get quite close, and she lets herself be normal with him, and enjoys his company. I wished she could give that easy acceptance to Christian, too.

The story was very enjoyable, but there was something about the writing that just got to me a little bit. Something about it just didn't quite seem to click for me, but it wasn't anywhere near enough for me to put the book down, and I'll definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out. The book stands very well on it's own, so I'm curious about what will happen in the next book. There is a lot of unsettlement in the politics of Antoinette's world, so I'm hoping to read more about that, and see what becomes of some of their organisations after the revelations and events in NCK.

A good book for paranormal romance fans, although it is quite a dark story, I would definitely recommend this book. I give it 7 out of 10 stars.(less)

like · see review

Apr 21, 2011 WildAboutBones rated it 4 of 5 stars

Way to go Tracey! Good debut book. While the publisher has categorized this new series as Urban Fantasy, I have to disagree - it is more like Nina Bangs' Gods of the Night Series in the Paranormal Romance category. Tracey has created a new paranormal mythos. While vampires and shifters themselves aren't new, her handling of them is original. Sometimes the new terminology was used without any explanation but it really didn't detract from the story and then I found the glossary at the end of the b...more

like · see review

Nov 05, 2010 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-release, genre-urban-fantasy

**Storyline** After the death of her parents, Antoinette Petrescu devoted her life to becoming one of the top Venators, the elite hunters who destroy the rogue Necrodreniacs (Vampires). Her kill count is legendary and her skills are superb. But now the serial killer, Dante, who killed her mother has returned and is looking to add Antoinette to his collection. To stop him, Antoinette must join forces not only with the Aeternus's legendary killer, Christian.

**Thoughts** Of course, this is book re...more

like · see review

Jan 08, 2011 Cyna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

About 50 pages into this one, I realized that there had been some ridiculously amazing leap in quality between the first and second entries into this series, because this wasn't the same interesting, crime-drama-type story I'd been drawn into in Death's Sweet Embrace. This was Cliched Fantasy Kitchen Sink World B, with Cliched Vampire Hunter Love Story A, filled with stock characters and strung together with a plot whose primary agenda seemed to be furthering the leads' love-to-hate-you romance....more

like 1 like · see review

Apr 30, 2011 Kristen My Bookish Fairy Tale rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Night's Cold Kiss. Antoinette was a great heroine. Living her life being repulsed by the Aeternus and killing the Dreniacs, Antoinette never believed that she would be friendly with them on any terms. But when she finds herself in a situation that is beyond her control she is forced to work with Christian a brooding vampire who makes her furious and Christian's best friend Viktor. Viktor is charismatic and friendly but she still doesn't like the idea of working alongside a race...more I really enjoyed Night's Cold Kiss. Antoinette was a great heroine. Living her life being repulsed by the Aeternus and killing the Dreniacs, Antoinette never believed that she would be friendly with them on any terms. But when she finds herself in a situation that is beyond her control she is forced to work with Christian a brooding vampire who makes her furious and Christian's best friend Viktor. Viktor is charismatic and friendly but she still doesn't like the idea of working alongside a race she has been battling against since she was 16.

Christian has spent a better part of his life dedicated to protecting humans and parahumans alike. But when it seems that an ancient battle that everyone believed was long in the past is coming back to haunt them, Christian enlists the help of Antoinette. He know's the working along side her is going to be very difficult for more reasons than he can count. Antoinette is the best at what she does and that is exactly what they need.

Even though she is more connected to the case than even she know's, Antoinette is plagued with nightmare's of the horrific night that her mother was murdered right in front of her. But when she believed that it was all over her nightmare's are becoming a reality and the psychotic vampire that everyone believed was dead has just been lurking in the shadows waiting for the right time to claim his prize. But there are more predator's in the wind, even more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.

The characters in this book are great. I had no problem getting into the story and keeping with it. I was a little bored with Antoinette sometimes. I didn't always understand her motivation and her emotions but her character grew and she became stronger to me than she was in the beginning. I absolutely adored Christian. His brooding and protective ways had me hooked. Viktor was hilarious and a very lovable character.

This was a great read for me. I really loved Tracey's writing style and I loved how she built up Antoinette. The twist's and turns in the book kept me excited and wanting more. I was never bored and I certainly cannot wait to continue the story with Death's Sweet Embrace.(less)

like · see review

Jan 16, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Let's face it, it's hard for authors to bring something new to the field in this genre. There is only so much you can do with werewolves, vampires, and the like. What sets some authors apart is their ability to make even the most mundane plot come to life with strong likable characters. That is not the case here. What we have in Night's Cold Kiss is the typical girl whose mother was killed by a vampire, so now she must kill them all to get revenge. Of course she comes to realize that they aren't...more

like · see review

Nov 12, 2009 Natasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis

For centuries war raged between the humans and Aeternus vampires—until courageous efforts on both sides forged a fragile peace.
But the rogue Necrodreniacs will never be controlled—addicted as they are to the death-high… and bloody
chaos.
Since witnessing the murder of her mother, Antoinette Petrescu has burned with fiery hatred for the vampire race—even for Christian Laroque, the noble, dangerously handsome Aeternus who rescued her. Now an elite Venator, Antoinette must reluctantly accept...more

like 3 likes · see review

May 22, 2009 Tez rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The lines are cut thin between good and evil, and trust and mistrust, in Tracey O'hara's creepy first Dark Brethren novel, Night's Cold Kiss.

A woman was murdered whilst her six-year-old daughter watched. Now all grown up, and an elite Venator, Antoinette Petruscu is haunted by the parahuman who murdered her mother. Supposedly he died in a fire, but that's looking unlikely, and it can't just be a coincidence that women who share common features with Antoinette are being murdered.

Keeping herself s...more

like 4 likes · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Claudia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

ok, this book is difficult to judge ... the first half was really good, good characters and a good story developement and a nice romance part - just a little bit and not too much although I thought the instant attraction and the first sex scene were a little bit surprising

but then, in the middle of the book, it seemed to me like there were some pages or at least some major developments in the relationship missing because out of nothing there was a lot of action ....

to me it seemed like the autho...more

like · see review

Jan 17, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, pnr

Wow! This book was incredible - full of steamy sex, tons of action and truly captivating characters.

We are introduced to Antoinette Petrescu, a Venerator - killer of rogue vampires - Necrodeniacs. She is orphaned as a child and raised by her loving aunt and uncle. When we meet up with her as a jaded adult, she is one of the best Venerators in the business and being forced to team up with an Aeternus (or vampire) in order to determine the source of much unrest between the human Guild and the othe...more

like · see review

Oct 14, 2010 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy, paranormal-romance

This book is a great read for a first series. She's an Australian writer & puts me in the mind of Lynn Viehl, J.R Ward and Nalini Singh, I know these writers are heavy hitters but Tracey O'Hara holds her own.
This is a great debut & I have already put my order in for the next book Death's Sweet Embrace which comes out in Jan 2011.
Her world is dark with intractable enemies & commitees vieing to break or keep the peace at any cost between the humans paranormals & vampire. Antoinet...more

like · see review

Dec 02, 2010 Susi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-11, vampires, urban-fantasy, paranormals, romance, shifter, 2010, buchtausch

When I held Night's Cold Kiss in my hands for the first time I was immediately impressed. The book looks impressive and when I started to skim through it I discovered the Glossary at the end. I thought wow that really looks like some serious world-building and the book didn't disappoint in that department. But let's start at the beginning.

We are thrown in the middle of a world full of paranormal creatures living in a more or less peaceful coexistence with the human population. There are organisa...more When I held Night's Cold Kiss in my hands for the first time I was immediately impressed. The book looks impressive and when I started to skim through it I discovered the Glossary at the end. I thought wow that really looks like some serious world-building and the book didn't disappoint in that department. But let's start at the beginning.

We are thrown in the middle of a world full of paranormal creatures living in a more or less peaceful coexistence with the human population. There are organisations on both sites to keep an eye on the fragile peace and to punish those who break the line. The biggest problem are the Draniacs, vampires who turned crazy after feeling the "death rush" while draining someone completely. They turn into mindless killing machines who go rampant on a killing spree. But there is a group of humans who protect us from this threat- the Venators and our heroine is one of them.

Antoinette is a kick ass heroine with some baggage of her own. Her mother was killed by a necrodreniac who made the small Antoinette watch her mother die a slow and painful death. No wonder Antoinette is now full of prejudices and hates vampires in general with all her might. Not only this makes her into the best Venator out there and her goal is to kill as many of those vampires as she can. Antoinette is stubborn as hell and at some points she shows a rather unbecoming childish streak. But she is also an unbelievably strong woman ,compassionate for those she loves and no matter what she wants to keep the rest of her family together. For outsiders she seems to be untouchable. Her attitude shows and she can't hide her disdain for the vampire population in general. When she meets Christian and Victor she doesn't seem to be able to stop herself from judging them. With time she discovers her missjudgment but old habbits die hard.

Christian is a mysterious and very old vampire. He has big secrets in his past but all in all he is a nice guy. He learned to be in control of himself and Antoinette seems to shortcircuit that ability. He tries to keep his attraction for her in check but I have to say he's not doing such a good job. I was really intrigued by this character at first but unfortunately in the middle of the story his character was pushed a bit into the background. I would have loved to read more about him.

And then we have Victor- he's Christian's best friend but nothing like the brooding hero. He's a wonderful funny and witty character but for my taste his description was a bit too androgynous to be attractive. But I loved him nonetheles. His way to banter with Antoinette gave this book a wonderful funny side, something to light up your mood between all those fights and bloodshed. He also has that wonderful beast of a dog, Cerebrus and I just loved that one too.

The sidecast in general was very intriguing and variying. Each and every single character had a distinct feel to them- this made Night's Cold Kiss extra vibrant for me. I love to see the different facets and even more like the compulsion to discover their own secret agenda. That's always the most fun for me in one of those novels full of political intrigues. One of the characters I loved the most is Kavendish the mysterious butler. Very entertaining character.

Again I have to say I thought the end was a bit too easy and the last scene threw me off even more. I would have never seen that coming but it makes me even more curious for book 2, Death's Sweet Embrace.

An urban fantasy novel with an awesome world-building, captivating characters and a fast paced story. Night's Cold Kiss is urban fantasy at its best and it even has a bit of romance to sweeten the deal. I can't wait to read more.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Nov 29, 2010 Larissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life

At first look I thought this was an Urban Fantasy novel and it said so in the spine of the book as well, however it turned out to be more of a Paranormal Romance. After I got over the initial gear shift, I ended up enjoying Night’s Cold Kiss, a lot!

Antoinette is a Vanetor, a hunter of the creatures of the night who can’t control their inner beast. She has been training her whole life for this and her hatred for the Dreniacs has on...more Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life

At first look I thought this was an Urban Fantasy novel and it said so in the spine of the book as well, however it turned out to be more of a Paranormal Romance. After I got over the initial gear shift, I ended up enjoying Night’s Cold Kiss, a lot!

Antoinette is a Vanetor, a hunter of the creatures of the night who can’t control their inner beast. She has been training her whole life for this and her hatred for the Dreniacs has only fueled her determination to be the best hunter she can be.

As a six-year-old kid, Antoinette witnessed her mother’s brutal murder and had to deal with her father’s death in an accident after he hunted and killed her mother’s murderer. Over 16 years later and Antoinette hasn’t gotten over her past and starts seeing that monster from long ago again, but the only thing scarier than having those nightmares is realizing that she is awake.

Christian is a Aeternus, a vampire, and he was the one who took Antoinette and her brother as kids to a safe place, after their mother’s death. Christian has a past of his own that he has to deal with, but he is brought back to Antoinette when a series of cases start to look like The Troubles of 16 years ago and he needs her on the case.

Even though the names for the several paranormal creatures threw me for a loop sometimes, I really enjoyed getting to know Antoinette and Christian. They are very interesting and complicated characters and it was a pleasure to go on this journey with them, seeing them getting over their own ghosts and finding something special with each other.

The plot of Night’s Cold Kiss was very intricate and kept me on my toes, even though I kind of guessed the big twist, it wasn’t obvious and if I wasn’t quite used to mistrusting even the nicest character, I would never have guessed it.

Night’s Cold Kiss is full of action and I could not put it down. I would have preferred to have seen the glossary that is at the end, at the beginning, to avoid some confusion, but after I got used to the amazing world Tracey built, it didn’t bothered me much.

One of the things I really liked about Night’s Cold Kiss is that even though it is a Paranormal Romance, it doesn’t fall into the genre’s clichés and it has a bigger Urban Fantasy vibe than most. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel, Death’s Sweet Embrace. Even though it will focus on another couple’s story, I can’t wait to see Antoinette and Christian again, even on the background.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Mar 03, 2011 Daffodil rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

The mythology of O'Hara's world confused me. It confused me a lot. I don't know if she was attempting a slow discovery process, but it didn't work. We have CHaPR, The Department, The Guild, The Council. What are they? How are they related? Who is a member of each? I still wasn't sure when I reached the end of the book. Then I found the glossary at the back and boy, I wished I'd known it was there. It did a better job of explaining things than the narrative did.

As for Antoinette and Christian's...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Night's Cold Kiss
avg rating	preview: Night's Cold Kiss Goodreads rating: 3.68 (1008 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6283478-night-s-cold-kiss?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1349566624l/6283478.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6283478-night-s-cold-kiss?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara[/url]

Night's Cold Kiss (Dark Brethren #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (4)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Tracey O'Hara

Books by Tracey O'Hara

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Night's Cold Kiss