Shades of Midnight (Midnight Breed, #7)

Oct 07, 2010 Buggy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-rom, shelf-10, vampalicious, tattooed-hero

SHADES OF MIDNIGHT is book 7 from the Midnight Breed series which I’ve followed from the beginning and for the most part really enjoyed. You can always count on yummy and tortured alpha male heroes, steamy romance and exciting action filled paranormal storylines. Adrian has built a great Vampire world here that always reminds me of a vanilla-fied version of Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. Unlike Ward each instalment continues to be either hit or miss for me though and I’m never really sure goin...more SHADES OF MIDNIGHT is book 7 from the Midnight Breed series which I’ve followed from the beginning and for the most part really enjoyed. You can always count on yummy and tortured alpha male heroes, steamy romance and exciting action filled paranormal storylines. Adrian has built a great Vampire world here that always reminds me of a vanilla-fied version of Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. Unlike Ward each instalment continues to be either hit or miss for me though and I’m never really sure going in which one I’m going to get.

With this instalment we travel to the snow, cold and almost perpetual darkness of Harmony Alaska, focusing on newer Breed member Kade and his strong and independent breedmate to be, bush pilot Alexandra. I loved the setting; with its remote settlements, small town characters, wolves, snow mobile action scenes and death deifying single engine flights. You could almost feel your breath freezing and the snow crunching beneath your boots. I think that this could easily be read as a stand alone too as it steps away from the previous story arcs and main breed characters. (They do make a small appearance however and Hunter in particular intrigued me) Lara Adrian has also given the rules to her vampire world and filled in an relative back story, so you won’t ever be lost.

After a rather gruesome prologue we join Alexandra Maguire and her wolf dog Luna as they fly to one of the remote settlements on her supply route. What she comes across when she arrives is horrific. Someone or something has slaughtered the entire Tom family, reminding Alex of the unspeakable events from her childhood that’s kept her running and pretending ever since.

Back in Boston at the Breed compound word of the attack has reached the ranks of the Order. Little known member Kade is sent to investigate, having been born and raised in Alaska he’s the logical choice and the only one truly comfortable in the cold. What the Order doesn’t know however is that Kade’s twin brother could be the one responsible for the murders. But if anyone remembers what happened at the end of Ashes of Midnight you’ll also know that the Order has even bigger problems in the form of one roving and unrestrained Generation One warrior.

So for me this was just an okay read. Nothing special or remarkable happened that added to the series as a whole, there were few surprises and the romance was quick, trouble free and lukewarm at best. I never really felt any connection to or between Kade and Alex and in the end came away not feeling much of anything with a romance and story that I’ll soon forget. Nonetheless I will continue to recommend this series and be looking for the next addition Taken by Midnight as soon as it hit’s the shelves. Cheers!

"Do you… do this often?"
"Get naked with sexy Alaskan bush pilots in the middle of the frozen wilderness?" He paused for a minute "Nope, this was a first time for me" (less)

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Jan 02, 2010 Kathrynn rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of the series

Shelves: romance-paranormal, series-midnight_breed_adrian, own, 2010, reviewed, theme-depressing

Shades of Midnight had a lot of potential, but I found it too slow. There was a lot of clutter in the writing that bothered me, too. Character's speculating about events that did, may or may not occur. An enormous amount of recapping or summing up of events that already happened....

As for the two main characters, Kade and Alexandra, they were good, well developed. I grew frustrated at all the doom and gloom Kade carried around based on his family situation. Got SO tired of reading about all his...more

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Jun 08, 2011 DarienMoya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, rrrc-challenge-a-to-z-2011, 2011-reads, action-movie-to-the-face

^^ALASKA AND VAMPIRES,WHEN HOT MEETS COLD!^^

Book 7 in the Breed series takes us to Alaska, and seriously, I wasn’t expecting that. It seemed like quite the leap, from city vampires to frozen terrain of unknown Alaska. As the book progressed, it started to sort of make sense, when you have an animalistic predator on the prowl his pursuit of any and everything living would take them anywhere.

Well the people of a small town in Alaska are about to be ripped apart and their cold haven becoming a liv...more

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Dec 15, 2012 AJ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: actiony, kindle, romantic, series, steamy, pnr-vampires

Another Midnight Breed book finished - and another one that I absolutely loved!

I fear I am becoming a wee bit obsessed with this series! They have the perfect mix of action, swoony, steamy romance, and absolutely fantastic characters that you cannot help but love.

Kade is a newer member of the Order, and I was worried that I wouldn’t connect with him as much seeing as though I hadn’t known him from the beginning of the series. WRONG! I absolutely loved him, and was entrenched in his story from p...more Another Midnight Breed book finished - and another one that I absolutely loved!

I fear I am becoming a wee bit obsessed with this series! They have the perfect mix of action, swoony, steamy romance, and absolutely fantastic characters that you cannot help but love.

Kade is a newer member of the Order, and I was worried that I wouldn’t connect with him as much seeing as though I hadn’t known him from the beginning of the series. WRONG! I absolutely loved him, and was entrenched in his story from page 1. Of course, it helped that the heroine, Alex, was also pretty awesome.

Alex is a survivor, losing her mother and brother to a Rogue attack when she was a child, she and her father escaped to Alaska where she has carved out a life for herself, trying to put her awful past behind her. When Kade comes to her small town to investigate slayings in the area, the two of them have an instant attraction. I wouldn’t say it was insta-love, but it is very intense, very quickly, but it is still realistic. Their connection is very strong, and with the dual POV, you know what they are feeling and you can see how and why they fall for each other so quickly. I also love how Alex was the one to put herself out there to Kade. He may have initiated first kiss, but she did the rest. She knew she wanted him, and she went for it, and I really liked that. (view spoiler). And even when he tries to pull away in order to protect her, again she stands strong and refuses to let him, and I wanted to cheer for her. The love scenes are hot, and the romance is epically swoony - OMG that boy can bring the swoon! There are no games, no stupidness, they both talk to each other about what they are feeling, and just go with it. Thank God!

There is also plenty of action, as Kade returns to his Alaskan home to investigate just what (or who) is responsible for all of the recent killings, and in doing so he has to face a secret from his past. And while he deals with that, he discovers what happened to the mysterious Ancient, uncovers another of Dragos’ schemes and calls the Order boys in who show up in all of their badass glory to kill minions, fight bad guys and blow shit up. Oh yeah!

The next book is also set up beautifully with Brock developing a bit of a fixation on Alex’s best friend Jenna, who has had her own dealings with the Ancient. What is going on there??? Looking forward to seeing how that all unfolds.

Another fantastic addition to this fantastic series.

5 action packed, swoony stars.
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Jan 19, 2010 Rossy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Breed fans/rom-pnr fans

Recommended to Rossy by: Continuation of a series

Shelves: series-pnr, challenge-144-books-2010, challenge-pnr-series-2010

I have to admit that after waiting for the release of this book i was a bit hesitant to finally read it. I read a few reviews previously that left me wondering if i would really enjoy the story.

I shouldn't have worried because the book was great, in fact one of the best i have enjoyed from the series. These two very broken main characters were just fantastic and i have to say that i didn't feel at all any lack of depth in their relationship. Nor did i think that after what they had each endured...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

What can I say really, that hasn't already been said about this series? I will say that I absolutely loved this addition to the series. I like the addition of new characters again, and the story telling was wonderful, I just kept turning the pages uncontrollably, I just couldn't stop once I was able to sit down with it.
I loved Kade so much, I think he is easily one of my favorites now, maybe it's because I think his "talent" was really cool. He and Andreas have the best tricks in the trick bag...more

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Feb 14, 2010 Inga rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, lara-adrian, 2010-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The idea about the different society which exists along with human society is very tempting for the readers who enjoy romance with some spice (especially when the strongest, most handsome and sexiest representatives of that secret society are the heroes of the novels). However, not all this genre authors manage to convey the coexistence of these two societies in the way which almost makes the reader to believe that it’s quite possible such different secret society really exists and there really...more The idea about the different society which exists along with human society is very tempting for the readers who enjoy romance with some spice (especially when the strongest, most handsome and sexiest representatives of that secret society are the heroes of the novels). However, not all this genre authors manage to convey the coexistence of these two societies in the way which almost makes the reader to believe that it’s quite possible such different secret society really exists and there really can be heroes among cruel vampires  Lara Adrian is one of the authors who manages this in a very good way.

The seventh book in Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series is quite different from the others in regard to the environment. It is limited from the perspective of place (Alaska), number of people (a bit less than 100), climate (cold wintertime), daytime and nighttime (there are only approx. 3 hours of the daytime), etc. Because of the solitude of the environment, the hero is more on his own than in any other novel in the series. This adds some intensity and intrigue to the story.

Although Lara‘s writing style, wording and high-sounding expressions as well as amusing replications are not as brilliant as J.R. Ward’s or J.Frost’s, they are definitely another one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book. However, sometimes repetitive wording is used for particular situations which makes the reader think deja-vu.

However, there are few things which I found rather annoying. One of them was the warrior’s complex of feeling not worthy of Breedmale’s care. It was quite interesting aspect of the story when reading first books but when we talk about the seventh book it becomes annoying since the reader already knows that they will need to undergo the same conflict once again (although it is already almost clear that this will be Happily Ever After). The good thing is that the conflict itself is not that extensive and complicated which partially solves the issue for me.

Another thing was details related to Breed members’ peculiarities and other related information which is fully known to the ones who follow the series. I, personally, skipped those parts 

The way Alex reacts to the Breed itself and related dramatic events, to my point of view, is ever too easy which makes the second part of the novel way too soft as well as more like fairytale: no questions asked, no doubts, no hard time..

Well, there was not much time at all  few days were all what was needed for burning desire to grow into love of the life with no questioning.. for me it was too short of time (especially because this was stressed few times) for the development of such strong feeling..

On the overall, I liked this novel in the series. I couldn’t say this was my favorite novel but I could hardly put the book aside.(less)

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Aug 18, 2012 Alkyoni rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-dusk-till-dawn, nobody-puts-baby-in-the-corner, paranormal, x-men, say-anything

An ancient vampire is on the loose in the small Alaskan town of Harmony, turning it into anything but. Kade of the Order is sent to his familiar terrain to investigate the gruesome murders and once there, he stumbles upon a female bush pilot that is * SURPRISE * a breed mate, and they feel a mutual attraction like nevah before.

I enjoyed this book of the Midnight Breed Series much more than expected to. Maybe I was in a mood for love, maybe the artic background was cooling the August heat or mayb...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Myvampfiction rated it 3 of 5 stars

reviewed by Saluki

*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*

Shades of Midnight is the seventh book in the Midnight Breed series. This book follows Kade, a relatively new member of the Order. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book because Kade hasn't played a large role in any of the novels thus far. The core members of the Order were introduce very early in the series, giving the reader a chance to bond with them. With Kade, and the other new recruit Brock, the sense of cohesion and bonding jus...more reviewed by Saluki

*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*

Shades of Midnight is the seventh book in the Midnight Breed series. This book follows Kade, a relatively new member of the Order. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book because Kade hasn't played a large role in any of the novels thus far. The core members of the Order were introduce very early in the series, giving the reader a chance to bond with them. With Kade, and the other new recruit Brock, the sense of cohesion and bonding just isn't there. But, I wasn't going to let that stop me from reading the book.

Book 6 of the series, Ashes of Midnight, ends with the Ancient escaping from captivity from the Dragos. This sets up the beginning of the next book. An entire family in a very remote part of Alaska is killed in a violent, bizarre manner. The Order hears of the killing and sends Kade, a native of the state, to investigate.

Alexandra Maguire is a Bush Pilot who discovers the murders during one of her supply deliveries. When she encounters the bodies, Alex realizes she has seen this type of murder before. At the age of six, her mother and brother were killed in a similar way, and it has haunted her days and nights ever since. Deep down, she has a sense of what kind of creature killed her family, but she never speaks her suspicions aloud, knowing most people would think she was crazy.

I think you can get where things go from here. Kade and Alex meet, try to deny their growing feelings, and fail miserably. Author Lara Adrian sticks to a formula for this series, and I have to admit after seven books it is starting to feel a bit repetitive. I understand it is the nature of the series that the plot follows a certain pattern, but just once it would be nice if she deviated just a bit.

As a whole, I don't feel that this book did much to move the plot along. Yes, we got confirmation that the Ancient had escaped in Alaska, but besides that, Dragos didn't appear at all in the book. It was mainly a book about Kade and Alex overcoming their pasts so that they could move forward together as a mated couple. And, while I enjoyed getting to know Kade in this book, I still don't feel the sense of attachment with him as I do the other members of the Order. Hopefully as the series grows I will develop more of an attachment to him, but for now he still feels like "the new guy".

We also get introduce a bit more to Brock, who is the other new recruit for the Order. I have a feeling the next book is about him, and I'm feeling the same hesitation about reading his book as I did this one. If I have any advice to give to authors it would be this - if you are going to introduce new characters, let us build up a familiarity with them before you throw us into their world: give us some insights into their personality, let us see them in action and give us a reason to care about them.

I will be starting the next book in the series, Taken by Midnight, soon and I hope it picks up the pace and reconnects with the main plot line. Of course, as soon as I read it, you'll be the first to know what I think of it. As for Shades of Midnight, I give it 3 out of 5 fangs. Until next time, happy reading!

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May 14, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, books-i-own-print, favorites, signed, aad-2011-philly

This is book 7 in the Midnight Breed series & although each book can be read as a stand alone story I really recommend that you read the books in order in order to get the most out of the series and follow the ongoing story.

Alex is a pilot in Alaska who earns a living delivering supplies to remove villages. When doing one of her usual deliveries she discovers the bodies of an entire family who have been brutally murdered. The terrifying thing for Alex is that she has seen this kind of damag...more This is book 7 in the Midnight Breed series & although each book can be read as a stand alone story I really recommend that you read the books in order in order to get the most out of the series and follow the ongoing story.

Alex is a pilot in Alaska who earns a living delivering supplies to remove villages. When doing one of her usual deliveries she discovers the bodies of an entire family who have been brutally murdered. The terrifying thing for Alex is that she has seen this kind of damage before - when her Mother & Brother were killed years ago. She had escaped the tragedy with her Father & they fled to Alaska hoping they would be safe there. Alex has never told anyone the truth about her past and doesn't know who to turn to now that it seems to be happening again.

The Order becomes aware of the killings when video footage of the bodies turns up on the internet. Suspecting that the family was killed by Rogues Lucan decides to send Kade back to his homeland to control the situation and make sure the Rogues are dealt with. Kade left Alaska a year ago to join the Order in Boston and hasn't been home since, avoiding issues he has with his twin brother Seth. Although Kade has made appearances in previous books we don't know much about him or his history and I really enjoyed finding out more about him. His talent is telepathy with animals and he is able to to see through their eyes and control their actions which I found really interesting.

The attraction between Kade and Alex is instant although he has no idea that she is a Breedmate and she struggles to understand why she finds herself so drawn to him. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and really loved Kade. There are so many things going on in this book & I couldn't put it down. The ongoing war between the Order and the Rogues is developing really well & I can't wait to see what happens next.

I've been a fan of this series since the first book but I honestly think it is just getting better & better with each new release. I love the world that Lara Adrian has created - it drew me in from the beginning and has kept me hooked ever since. The action is fast paced and building up to what I can only assume will be a spectacular finish, although I'm pleased to say we have several more books to come! I've already re-read most of the books in the series & I know I'll be happy to read this one again in the future. If you haven't already discovered the series then I'd highly recommend it. (less)

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Dec 30, 2010 Zeek rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr, favorites-pnr

Part of a group of vampire warriors who protect humanity from the evils within their own race, Kade is summoned home when a family is torn to bits by an apparent rogue attack on a quiet settlement in his hometown.

Upon arrival he meets bush pilot Alexandra Maguire, the person who first happened upon the massacre and decides very quickly she is one who knows more about what's going on by the haunted look in her eye.

Alex doesnt know what's going on now, but she's seen this kind of attack before. So...more

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May 20, 2010 Lady Ethereal Butterfly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pararom-and-urban-fantasy, steamy-or-sexual-content

When Alex Maguire discovers a family massacred in remote Alaska, it brings back painful and terrifying childhood memories. She knows that something dark is out there waiting to kill more people, but she’s afraid and doesn’t know who she can trust. Kade, born and raised in Alaska, arrives in the small town of Harmony to investigate the brutal murders, and Alex instinctually knows she can trust Kade with the truth. As Kade and Alex work together to find what is lurking in the darkness, Kade starts...more When Alex Maguire discovers a family massacred in remote Alaska, it brings back painful and terrifying childhood memories. She knows that something dark is out there waiting to kill more people, but she’s afraid and doesn’t know who she can trust. Kade, born and raised in Alaska, arrives in the small town of Harmony to investigate the brutal murders, and Alex instinctually knows she can trust Kade with the truth. As Kade and Alex work together to find what is lurking in the darkness, Kade starts feeling affection and maybe even love for Alex creeping up on him. Can Kade risk bringing her into his world when there is so much danger as well as his own secrets waiting to catch up to him?

Going into this novel, I knew a lot less about Kade than I had the other warriors going into their novels. As a result, I felt disconnected from Kade and I had a bit of a hard time really immersing myself in his story. Compared to the previous novels, I found the beginning of Shades of Midnight slow to grab my attention despite the fact that the novel starts off with a fairly brutal event. Both the continuing plot and the relationship plot in the novel started off slowly, progressed with moderate excitement during the middle, but exploded with thrilling twist and turns at the end. Based on the first 200 pages, the book only seemed worthy of 3 out of 5 stars, but the last 150 pages almost completely made up for what the beginning and middle lacked. The continuing plot progressed somewhat, but the ending of the book left me with a few suspicions and questions that I’m eager to explore further in the next installment. There were multiple little side plots going on in this book, which I found very interesting. Kade not only had the plot with Alex, but he also had a subplot involving his family. I appreciated the inclusion of the family aspect because it allowed me to develop an understanding and fondness for Kade that I lacked going into the book.

Like I said before, Kade was a bit of a mystery going into this book for me because I Lara Adrian didn’t spend a lot of time developing a back-story or introducing Kade like she did with some of the previous warriors. While Kade was elusive at first, his past was explored probably more than any other warrior during the course of his novel. Kade’s family was introduced and his childhood was explored in quite a bit of detail. I was delighted to get so much insight into his character because he seemed a bit cold and flat at first. There is a lot more to him that meets the eye. Alex didn’t connect with me immediately either, but I warmed up to her quicker than I did Kade. She had a lot of baggage and secrets she carried around from her childhood, and she seemed quite lost and alone emotionally. Once she met Kade and started to open up a bit, I found her quite sweet and pleasant. There were some fairly steamy love scenes between the two, but I wouldn’t say they were the most memorable or highest heat of the series. Overall, I think they complemented one another well. Shades of Midnight had a lot of side characters due to the Alaskan setting. I found a lot of these new characters to be sort of stereotypical, but mildly amusing.

I’d still say Shades of Midnight was the weakest of the series so far, but it’s a worthwhile read. Stick it out until the end and you’ll be rewarded. I’m looking forward to the release of the next novel in the series.(less)

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Jan 30, 2010 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Continuation of series; fans of paranormal romance, Ward's BDB series, and Ione's Demonica series

Shelves: lara-adrian-midnight-breed, pnr-vampires, favorite-romance-series, tattoos-piercings-body-art, 2010-reads, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, i-read-own-faves-keepers, heroine-kickass-spirited-strong, heroine-i-adore, badasses-hunks-in-leather, scifi-futuristic-fantasy-misc-pnr, psychic-special-abilities-powers, hh-warrior, exotic-wild-settings-survivor-lovin, 5-stars, paranormal-romance, animals-matter, hero-tattalizing, favorites

5 stars – Vampire Romance

In this latest installment of the Midnight Breed series, a killer is leaving a violent, bloodthirsty trail of carnage through the Alaskan wilderness and it’s up to one of the Breed Order’s newest recruits, the volatile vampire warrior Kade, and a local bush pilot, Alexandra Maguire, to uncover the truth behind the brutal slayings and stop an ancient evil before it’s too late.

Kade, with his spiky raven, jet black hair, golden skin, penetrating, hypnotic, silver eyes, erot...more

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Jan 15, 2010 Laurie (Bitten by Paranormal Romance) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, keepers, vampire

These are things I loved/liked: I loved the story line, Kade he was awesome, loved his ability wouldn’t mind having that one myself, liked the sad prelude although it was hideous it make you want to read more, absolutely loved the Alaskan setting and all the snow and I liked how Jenna was left with no closure, it gives a little peak of something bigger coming.

Things I didn’t like: The biggest one is Alex she just didn’t seem believable one bit, I mean just rollover and cave in, get real and her...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Holjo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rated 4.5/5

Summary: This is the story of Kade, one of the newer additions to the Order. Kade became one of the breed warriors several books earlier, during a time in which Lucan was recruiting additonal manpower for the Order.

Far away from the Order’s compound in Boston, Alexandra Maguire lives in the normally quiet town of Harmony, Alaska. Her job as bush pilot takes her to the most remote communities within the Alaskan wilderness. During a supply run for one of these remote areas, she discove...more Rated 4.5/5

Summary: This is the story of Kade, one of the newer additions to the Order. Kade became one of the breed warriors several books earlier, during a time in which Lucan was recruiting additonal manpower for the Order.

Far away from the Order’s compound in Boston, Alexandra Maguire lives in the normally quiet town of Harmony, Alaska. Her job as bush pilot takes her to the most remote communities within the Alaskan wilderness. During a supply run for one of these remote areas, she discovers that an entire family has been brutally murdered. As local law enforcement begins to investigate the killings, Alex is reminded of the brutal killings she witnessed as a child that sent her running to Alaska in the first place.

When a video of the crime scene shows up online, Kade is sent back to his home state of Alaska to investigate the situation. He is deeply concerned that his brother may be responsible for the slaughter, but we readers know that it is actually the escaped Breed Ancient who killed the family. Kade’s fear about his brother’s bloodlust keeps him from seeing other possibilities right away, but eventually he becomes aware of both the Ancient and the presence of a Dragos crew near this small Alaskan town.

Throughout the investigation, Kade and Alex are continuously finding themselves together. Kade learns quickly that Alex is a breedmate, and it doesn’t take long for the couple to develop feelings for each other. The only question remaining – can Alex let go of her fear of him and his species?

Review: I found this to be another great installment in the Midnight Breed series. I wasn’t sure if I would be as enthralled with Kade’s story, primarily because he was not one of the original warriors that I’ve already come to love. However, I think that Lara Adrian’s decision to set Kade’s story in his home state of Alaska is what made his book work so well. If this book had been set in Boston near the Order’s headquarters, some of the other warriors may have overshadowed Kade. But, by putting Kade in a world of his own, he truly became the hero.

To add to the genious of this story, we finally have the oportunity to see the world from the POV of the last surviving Ancient. Wow. In spite of the Ancient’s murderous nature, he wasn’t as evil a creature as I expected. I actually felt compassion and pity toward the old vampire, which I never would have thought possible. While I understand why the other Ancients were all killed, I wound up thinking that Dragos was far more evil than his ancestor.

The only thing keeping this book from a 5-cup rating was the lack of presence from the Order throughout the story. I absolutely think it was the right decision to set this story far away from Boston, but I really would have liked to know what was going on at the compound at the same time. Kade’s story led to some fantastic progress in the war on Dragos, but the warriors in Boston didn’t seem to be doing anything at all until they eventually joined Kade.

I continue to be impressed by Lara Adrian’s consistantly well-developed and well-written Midnight Breed series. I’ve got to hurry up and finish reading the published books before the newest installement, Darker After Midnight, is released on January 24th. The new book will finally be Sterling Chase’s story, and I can’t wait to read it!

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Apr 21, 2013 Lita Bouquard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire-were

The best thing about this book was that Alex- a breedmate of course, flies airplanes and Kade the Breed vamp has power to control animals. Kade returns to Alaska on Breed business but also visits his home Darkhaven which he left abruptly one year before. His family had considered him dead/lost. The reason he left- his dominating father and twin Seth's urges to kill humans. Kade felt himself being drawn into his twin's ugly games and fled to the Order in Boston. You can't go home again.
I didn't l...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Miraphora rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, vampiri

Dopo ben 6 libri la Adrian ha esaurito i veterani della Stirpe e le sono rimaste in mano le nuove leve, i nuovi guerrieri che si sono aggiunti dopo al gruppo base.
Il primo guerriero che viene pescato è Kade, che si becca il rametto più corto e diventa protagonista - quasi all'improvviso - del settimo romanzo della Stirpe.
Dico all'improvviso perché io mi aspettavo che Stirling Chase fosse ormai prossimo ad avere un suo romanzo, considerando che è entrato in scena ormai molti libri fa. Eppure la...more Dopo ben 6 libri la Adrian ha esaurito i veterani della Stirpe e le sono rimaste in mano le nuove leve, i nuovi guerrieri che si sono aggiunti dopo al gruppo base.
Il primo guerriero che viene pescato è Kade, che si becca il rametto più corto e diventa protagonista - quasi all'improvviso - del settimo romanzo della Stirpe.
Dico all'improvviso perché io mi aspettavo che Stirling Chase fosse ormai prossimo ad avere un suo romanzo, considerando che è entrato in scena ormai molti libri fa. Eppure la Adrian ha deciso di dare l'occasione a uno degli sbarbatelli, quelli che compaiono e che hanno qualche battuta ma che in linea di massima non lasciano nessun segno.
Kade e Brock, nella mia immaginazione, sono sempre stati due personaggi secondari, di margine, che hanno importanza solo nel momento in cui compaiono e se escono di scena vengono dimenticati. Fisicamente non sapevo nemmeno come fossero, non mi ricordavo chi fosse Brock e chi Kade e - in tutta sincerità - neanche mi interessava. Diciamo che li ho sempre unificati assieme a quei personaggi meno interessanti, come Reichen, che prima o poi sarebbero diventati protagonisti ma che ho sempre confinato in un angolino, perché pensavo che sarebbe passato almeno un altro paio di romanzi.
Ma poi mi sono resa conto che non rimaneva più nessuno, dei 'soci fondatori', e che sarebbe stato troppo bello se la Adrian avesse anteposto Hunter a tutti gli altri.
Insomma, è con un senso di sorpresa che ho iniziato a leggere il romanzo. Prima di tutto c'è da dire che se fosse stato ambientato a Boston non mi avrebbe incuriosita più di tanto, forse perché praticamente tutti i romanzi precedenti sono 'cittadini'. In questo caso, invece, si viene sradicati dal solito scenario e scaraventati nella gelida Alaska, che raramente riesce ad essere così affascinante (solo l'Alaska di Zarek della Kenyon ha più fascino). Il cambio di scena giova parecchio a tutta la serie, funziona come uno schiaffo - gelido - in piena faccia, ti sveglia dal torpore della routine e dona una certa agilità e freschezza che ultimamente non aveva.
Oltre all'ambientazione così selvaggia e inospitale, ma decisamente scenica (la 'vedevo' nei toni del blu, ghiaccio e bianco), anche il protagonista maschile ha lo stesso spirito selvatico. Kade è originario dell'Alaska, è casa sua, e tornare indietro - per qualsiasi motivo - è un ritorno a casa che sente nel sangue. Il richiamo è talmente forte che la felicità di scorazzare ignudo con i lupi a - 30° lo rende vivo come non poteva essere a Boston. Se prima Kade era pallido e trasparente, quasi insapore, nella sua terra d'origine acquista sapore, colore e carattere. La trasformazione è così inaspettata e decisa che colpisce senza scampo.
Per quanto mi riguarda, poi, i personaggi maschili di questa serie sono sicuramente più approfonditi e meglio riusciti di quelli femminili (solo Renata ha lasciato il suo segno) e il loro background viene spiegato con maggiore dettaglio, per cui ogni loro pensiero e azione sono un'estensione naturale che si fondono senza scossoni nella trama.
In questo caso specifico, Kade ha un passato che ha nascosto all'Ordine e al suo migliore amico Brock, un passato che vuole dimenticare e da cui è scappato senza guardarsi indietro. Il suo segreto è legato al suo dono e alla sua famiglia: dalla nascita Kade ha il dono di entrare in contatto con gli animali, i lupi in particolare, e di farsi accettare dal branco come uno di loro. Cacciare con i lupi e lasciare libero sfogo al suo istinto di predatore diventano sempre più esaltanti e difficili da controllare, finché un giorno decide che per salvarsi dalla Brama di sangue deve allontanarsi dalla sua terra e dalla sua famiglia. Il problema fondamentale, comunque, è che il gemello di Kade, Seth, ha compiuto i suoi stessi passi fino a farne uno più lungo della sua gamba. Kade è combattuto tra la lealtà al gemello e la speranza che un giorno potrà salvarsi, e la lealtà verso se stesso e verso la giustizia. Incapace di compiere una scelta vera e definitiva scappa, consapevole che così avrà solo rimandato la resa dei conti. Che, ovviamente, arriva sotto la scusa di attacchi brutali nella piccola cittadina di Harmony, dove un'intera famiglia è stata brutalmente sterminata. Lo zampino di Ribelli porta Kade - e l'Ordine - ad indagare sui delitti e a scontrarsi con una donna che in passato ha già vissuto un simile orrore.
Alex, pilota di aereoplano, è scappata con il padre dalla Florida per dimenticare la morte violenta della madre e del fratellino e si ritrova proprio in mezzo alla carneficina. Lo straniero, l'unico che sembra crederle quando dice di aver visto impronte di piedi nudi, la attrae subito sia per la sua bellezza selvaggia ma soprattutto per il senso di sicurezza che le infonde. Non essere considerata una depressa cronica con manie di persecuzione da mostri è una novità che le fa cadere tutti i muri protettivi che aveva eretto attorno a sé. Con Kade non riesce proprio ad essere la finta Alex che ha costruito e man mano che lo conosce e che, insieme, si impegnano a trovare chi ha compiuto gli omicidi, scopre di avere un passato e un futuro legati a lui e alla sua razza. Alex è un personaggio - purtroppo - sciapo. Il fatto che tutto il suo carattere sia costruito attorno ad un trauma e che oltre a quello non ci sia molto la rende poco interessante da leggere. Kade ruota attorno a lei - pare - per le circostanze e per un classico caso di 'destino', non c'è molta magia nel loro incontro e tutto si sviluppa in linea retta, con pochi scossoni che vengono superati semplicemente con la forza dell'happy ending.
Suscita una lieve curiosità l'episodio dell'Antico, che dimostra di avere una mente lucida, oltre alla fame e alla rabbia, e del conseguente coinvolgimento di Jenna. Tegan fa una comparsa e lascia la sua impronta e Hunter si prende con decisione il ruolo che era di Lucan, cioè quella di guerriero Gen Uno, forte e spietato.
A conti fatti posso dire che questo è un romanzo dedicato ad un unico personaggio, Kade, mentre tutti gli altri - Alex compresa - sono da contorno a lui e alla storia. Anche se la componente romance è presente in dosi massicce, ho preferito senza ombra di dubbio le parti in solo di Kade, al massimo quelle in cui interagiva con gli altri guerrieri. Il mio voto finale è di 4 stelline, anche se non è il migliore della serie. Ho come l'impressione che il mio preferito deve ancora arrivare (*coff*Hunter*coff*).(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Dotti Elrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kade is one of the newest members of the Order. A group of vampires who protect their vampire civilians and the humans they feed from. When a vicious attach on a family in rural Alaska, Kade is asked to go back to his home state to look into what appears to be a Rogue attack. Vampires who have succumbed to bloodlust, they live for only one thing, blood. They are mindless and deadly.
Alexandra Maguire is a bush pilot, who delivers supplies to people living too far away from modern conveniences. O...more Kade is one of the newest members of the Order. A group of vampires who protect their vampire civilians and the humans they feed from. When a vicious attach on a family in rural Alaska, Kade is asked to go back to his home state to look into what appears to be a Rogue attack. Vampires who have succumbed to bloodlust, they live for only one thing, blood. They are mindless and deadly.
Alexandra Maguire is a bush pilot, who delivers supplies to people living too far away from modern conveniences. On her latest delivery, she senses something not quite right as she approaches the small family community. From the air she can see lots of blood and bodies in the snow. As she approaches the bodies she recognizes the type of injuries inflicted on the family, she's seen the same injuries on her own mother and young brother as they were killed several years ago by something not at all human.
The locals of the small community of Harmony, where Alex lives are sure that the attacks are being done by a pack of wolves. Alex cant convince anyone that it was not wolf marks she saw on the bodies. No one will believe her. No one but Kade. He knows exactly what is doing the killing. And after a trip to his families home, he is pretty sure he knows who is doing the killing. His twin brother Seth. He has witnessed his brother kill once before, and after searching his quarters what he finds only convinces him more. That incident is what drove Kade to leave Alaska and join up with the Order. Now he's afraid his brother has gone over the edge and gone Rogue.
Kade has Alex fly him to the other crime scenes. The two of them seem to be drawn to each other. She knows something is different about Kade but she still wants to be near him. Kade understands immediately what has drawn him to Alex when he sees her birthmark, a tear drop over a crescent moon. The mark of a Breedmate. A rare human whose DNA will allow them to breed with the vampires and carry their sons. The last thing Kade wants is a mate. But he also cant seem to stay away from Alex.
Kade also uncovers some strange activity around a closed mining company. Lots of equipment being unloaded and way too much going on to be a closed business. But what really alarms him is when he sees one of the vampires who is on guard. He is one of the newly bred Gen One assassins. The Order has been looking for a vampire named Dragos for months. He has one of the ancient ones (one of the eight original vampires who started the Breed). Dragos has been holding him prisoner and using him to breed his own Gen One army. If this Gen One is in Alaska it can only be bad news.
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book. Kade has been a secondary character for most of the series. Hardly mentioned in some books. But it was nice to get to know him. I really enjoyed his story. And learning more about his family in Alaska. It was a good addition to the series.
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Mar 12, 2013 Alisi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-but-not-great, meh, paranormal-romance, romance, series, this-could-have-been-so-much-better, urban-fantasy, the-fast-food-of-fiction, its-totally-you

I liked the main couple well enough but overall it was whine, whine, WHINE!

I find I have no tolerance for books that contain the "papa don't love me" whine and, I felt, most of his angst was stupid. The author purported that Kade's father hated him but there was only a handful of scenes with him in it and one of those was the scene where he brought home his dead son (which, I think, would give him the right to be a little nasty to anyone.)

These books try to support an idea that most vampires are...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Continuing the trend of her Breed males whose talent is a duel edged sword, comes Kade. He has a lot on his plate. His ability to command wild animals and experience things through their senses carries the risk that he will become to caught up in the joy of the kill. He has an identical twin who is not dealing so well with their shared talent and he feel rejected by his father. Alex is one of the better developed leads although her talent - ability to tell if someone is lying - is pretty much ig...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Tahnee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Again, very good story. I thought the beginning and much of the middle were great. I really enjoyed the Alaskan tundra atmosphere, the small town vibe and interesting characters, (ie. Skeeter, Seth, Kade's dad Kir). What I like about this series is that the descriptions and atmosphere are quite clear, vivid and direct. I am easily transported into her "world" when reading. The story had a bit of depth and weaved in a few interesting surprises as different characters confronted each other in ways...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Serena rated it 4 of 5 stars

TRAMA: Qualcosa di non umano sta dilagando nella gelida natura dell'Alaska, lasciando indicibili carneficine sul suo cammino. Al pilota Alexandra Maguire quegli omicidi ricordano qualcosa che avrebbe voluto cancellare per sempre, riaprendo antiche e incolmabili ferite. Finché un oscuro e seducente straniero entra nel suo mondo. Mandato da Boston per indagare sui crimini e fermare il killer, il vampiro Kade ha le sue ragioni per tornare nel suo paese natale. Perseguitato da una vergogna segreta,...more TRAMA: Qualcosa di non umano sta dilagando nella gelida natura dell'Alaska, lasciando indicibili carneficine sul suo cammino. Al pilota Alexandra Maguire quegli omicidi ricordano qualcosa che avrebbe voluto cancellare per sempre, riaprendo antiche e incolmabili ferite. Finché un oscuro e seducente straniero entra nel suo mondo. Mandato da Boston per indagare sui crimini e fermare il killer, il vampiro Kade ha le sue ragioni per tornare nel suo paese natale. Perseguitato da una vergogna segreta, Kade scopre subito la sconvolgente verità sulla minaccia che deve fronteggiare, e si tratta di qualcosa che metterà a rischio il fragile legame che ha stretto con la giovane e coraggiosa donna che ha riacceso le sue più profonde passioni e la sua fame primordiale. Ma per portare Alex nel suo mondo di sangue e oscurità, Kade dovrà confrontarsi sia con i suoi demoni personali sia con l'entità maligna che potrebbe distruggere tutto ciò che gli è caro.
Settimo volume della serie Midnight Breed. Prima nota positiva. L’Alaska è senz’altro una location davvero particolare:bella,incontaminata,dura,selvaggia e fredda. Vorrei dire che stavolta la Adrian ha superato se stessa in quanto a originalità. Kade,il protagonista è dotato del dono di comunicare con gli animali (lo stesso per il fratello Seth),è un guerriero forte e coraggioso,appena unitosi all’Ordine. Deve sistemare alcune faccende familiari,infatti, è originario dell’ Alaska dove viveva con i suoi genitori e il fratello gemello in uno dei Rifugi Oscuri (finchè qualcosa di terribile li ha separati). Invece di occuparsene subito, Kade ha preferito scappare e lasciarsi il problema alle spalle. Ora però quel problema è diventato ancora più grande, ma potrebbe salvargli la vita. Alexandra è una ragazza giovane e determinata che si ritrova catapultata in un mondo di cui sperava non tornassero più a tormentarla dopo aver sterminato la sua famiglia. Faticherà a razionalizzare la situazione ma si dimostrerà per quello che è. Una degna compagna della stirpe. Kade ha il compito di scoprire chi sta uccidendo gente ad Harmony ,ma quando scopre che non sono Ribelli sotto l’influsso della Brama di sangue ma l’Antico stesso ,in fuga,la situazione diventa pericolosissima. E romanzo che lascia senza fiato per l’azione e i toni cupi. Inquietante e con un finale al cardiopalma che non mi ha delusa nemmeno per un momento. Il lato sentimentale non è dominante su tutto,ma ci sono spazi particolarmente intensi anche in queste pagine. Il loro è un amore molto contrastato perché Kade sa con assoluta certezza che,essendo un vampiro,Alexandra non lo accetterà mai,perché i vampiri hanno distrutto la sua famiglia.
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May 30, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-uf

This is book seven in the Midnight Breed Series and is the story of Breed Warrior Kade and the Alaskan Bush Pilot, Alex.

The story has shifted to Alaska because several savage unexplainable killings have taken place up in a remote area. Kade is from Alaska so he is the obvious choice to check out the problem. Kade has not been entirely forthcoming when he joined the Warriors. He was running away from his past and now he is about to be confronted by it.

Alex is a very capable bush pilot who is deva...more This is book seven in the Midnight Breed Series and is the story of Breed Warrior Kade and the Alaskan Bush Pilot, Alex.

The story has shifted to Alaska because several savage unexplainable killings have taken place up in a remote area. Kade is from Alaska so he is the obvious choice to check out the problem. Kade has not been entirely forthcoming when he joined the Warriors. He was running away from his past and now he is about to be confronted by it.

Alex is a very capable bush pilot who is devastated by the news of the Tom family being killed. She is the one who discovers it all and it brings back vivid memories of a similar slaying in her childhood. While the townsfolk are calling for a wolf hunt, Alex knows that the killer is no wolf pack. When she tries to stand up in the town meeting and say so, she notices a mysterious man in the back who is the only one who believes her story.

Kade knows he's in trouble on more than one level when he hears Alex's story. He senses that she somehow knows exactly what has been rampaging through the humans, he feels an immediate attraction to her and not long after he asks her to help him by flying him to check out the crime scenes he discovers that she is a breed mate.

The beginning set up started slow, but then it got going when we have story threads of the Ancient loose in the wilderness, Kade's volatile twin brother and his wild pack of wolves, a hidden facility, the trouble of Kade explaining the hidden Breed world to Alex and his attraction to her, and the mystery going on with Skeeter and Zach.
Toward the end, several of the warriors finally enter the story and we get some more action.

The plot in this one was good, but I have to say that it didn't quite grab me like some of the others before it. I'm not sure why because I liked the characters though I hadn't seen much of Kade in the other books and I thought the premise had big possibility.

On a side note to the plot, I was actually glad to see that poor Ancient experiencing some freedom though I cannot condone what he did with it. Now I know there is a reason why they had to be taken down originally, but what Dragos did to him was so cruel. And speaking of Dragos' cruelty, I'm really starting to warm up to Hunter. He is so necessary now that Dragos has all those other Gen One Assassins (another group that I pity).

Er-hem! Well back to this story- so I'm not sure what to say was the reason for my disconnect other than this one wasn't a Midnight Breed favorite.

About the characters-
I really liked Alex. She had so much she had to take from the early death of her mother and brother, her father's Alzheimer's and death, and now more death. On top of that, she had the 'oh wow there are really vampires and I'm a breed mate' adjustment to make. Under the circumstances, I thought she handled it well. I guess it help that she fell hard and fast for Kade. Now Kade, like I mentioned before, was not one of the Warriors that got much face time and all of the sudden he's front and center. He has quite a back history and while I find familial duty an admirable thing, I really didn't buy into his guilt over his twin brother. He warned him, he looked out for him, and he loved him. What Seth did was all on Seth not Kade, but Kade wasn't convinced (yep, found that a bit annoying). So glad he has Alex now to bop him in the head when he gets to thinking that way.

Now there is a hint to the next story being about Jenna and Brock. Loved that little teaser at the end that something's up with Jenna after the Ancient got a hold of her. Looking forward to the next installment!(less)

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Apr 17, 2012 Heidi Sutherlin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I found this to be an extremely satisfying "vampire" read.

I have never had a taste for the truly gothic vamp novels that roll about in the fangs and the blood and the vicious ecstasy. With perhaps the notable exception of Christine Feehan's Carpathians series, which is at the top end of melodrama for me, I prefer my psy creatures to exist in a more realistic world. I'm not talking about psy and technology, unrecognizable worlds and creatures, but rather the overwhelming melodrama that many vamp...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Jilly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: midnight-breed

I started this series a while back because I really wanted more vampire stories in my life and I was in between books with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter Series, J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, and Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen Series. I have decided that I really liked this series, enough so that I decided to keep all the books.

As for this book, I didn't think I would like Kade as much as I did. I loved that the book was set in Alaska and I enjoyed getting to know a Brother of the Or...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another amazing book from Lara Adrian, it's unbelievable how she can keep bringing such wonderful stories about the unnatural, about something that is to believe evil but it's put in such a way that it takes your mind and soul into the story. This is the VII book of the Midnight series, the story develops in Harmony, Alaska, Wiseman Town and Boston between Kade a tall man, with dark and gray beautiful eyes with jet black straight hair an Alaskan gorgeous man with powers to connect with animals m...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review reposted from my Smitten with Reading blog....

My Review:
I complained about the different feel to the last Midnight Breeds book, but this one I loved. I loved the totally different feel to it. I loved the different seeing and the fact that there was very little of the Order in this book. Maybe that was because I liked Kade & Alex and their story so much. Maybe it was the Alaskan wilderness setting. I don't know, but this book really worked for me.

Alaska is home for Kade, but he is not...more Review reposted from my Smitten with Reading blog....

My Review:
I complained about the different feel to the last Midnight Breeds book, but this one I loved. I loved the totally different feel to it. I loved the different seeing and the fact that there was very little of the Order in this book. Maybe that was because I liked Kade & Alex and their story so much. Maybe it was the Alaskan wilderness setting. I don't know, but this book really worked for me.

Alaska is home for Kade, but he is not happy about going back there. He left a year ago with plans to never really return to his twin or family's darkhaven. He's having to deal with that mental anguish and real issues to do with his twin, Seth, while at the same time he is falling for Alex and trying to deal with the Order's mission. All of these are separate issues which converge to create a really emotional, suspense-packed book.

Alex is dealing with her own issues and finding out that Kade is something "other" is certainly not making life any less complicated.

Things I loved about this book:
*Alex is a bush pilot and a damn good one- priceless scene when she landed the warrior's on the edge of the mountain. It's fun to see these huge tough guys rattled.
*Kade & Brock's bromance- love these two together and am so excited that Brock's book is next.
*through so many of these books, they've really focused on the Breedmates' gifts, but Kade has an amazingly cool gift with his ability to connect with animals. So perfect for the Alaskan wilderness setting.

One of the other things that made this book really work for me was the thoroughly modern feel to it. All of the Midnight Breeds books have taken place in modern times, but so many of them have Old-World undertones because of the ages of the Breed males or the traditions and locations where the books take place. With Kade being one of the newer members of the Order and so much of the book taking place in Alaska, it gave the whole book a very contemporary feel. I loved that.

I loved both Kade & Alex's characters so much. I am excited because they are best friends to Brock & Jenny (h/h of the next book,) which hopefully means that we will get to see a lot more of them.(less)

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Oct 15, 2010 Mackenzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire-paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Alaskan bush pilot Alexandra Maguire had been running from her past since she was 9 years old. After witnessing a brutal Rogue attack on her family leaving her mother and brother dead, she had her father had made a new life for themselves. As Alex was about to land to deliver some packages, she realized that something was wrong. Then what she was seeing was actually bodies in the snow. Her worst fears and nightmares had somehow caught up with her.

One of the teens, who was also making a name for...more Alaskan bush pilot Alexandra Maguire had been running from her past since she was 9 years old. After witnessing a brutal Rogue attack on her family leaving her mother and brother dead, she had her father had made a new life for themselves. As Alex was about to land to deliver some packages, she realized that something was wrong. Then what she was seeing was actually bodies in the snow. Her worst fears and nightmares had somehow caught up with her.

One of the teens, who was also making a name for himself dealing drugs and alcohol to minors, heard about the killings and to make a little extra money, took a snowmobile up there and made a video which he sold to a gore/horror website. This is how the Breed in Boston noticed the killings. As Kade was originally from Alaska, he was sent to investigate and wrap up any loose ends that might be there.

While there he has to confront his past, which he had left behind. His twin brother took human life for sport and was loosing the battle to Bloodlust. He had a harder time fighting off the wildness inside of him. He discovered that the original maker of the Breed, an Ancient one, was on the loose and Breed who oppose the Order are trying to find him to create more GenOnes for their use.

Throw into the mix the fact that Alex is actually a breedmate, a woman who has the right chemistry for Breed males, not just any male but Kade himself and the story begins to heat up. Alex feels like even though it's only been a few days, Kade understands her, sees that part of her that she's always keep hidden from everyone else. Although scenes from the recent murder (from the Ancient) blend in with those from the past, she puts her trust in him. Unfortunately just at a critical point, she sees Seth in the woods right after he killed another human. Thinking that Kade betrayed her and that he's no better than Rogues, she eventually turns to her best friend, Jenna. And walks right into the Ancient one who has taken shelter and a lot of blood from Jenna... but possibly has left something important in return.

Others from Boston arrive and Kade, along with the others find Alex cradling Jenna's semi-conscious body. Another, Brock, stays behind to tend to Jenna while Alex agrees to fly the other Breed across the tundra looking for the Ancient. When she lands and the separate into groups, Kade stays behind to insure Alex's safety as well as hopefully make amends with her. But the Ancient interrupts them. As Kade slowly begins to loose the battle, his brother Seth walks out of the shadows and hurls himself at the Ancient causing them to topple over the cliff, creating an avalanche. Seth is thrust, broken, at a cliff shelf and Kade reaches him just in time for the two to say good bye to each other. While the rest of the Breed take care of loose ends, Alex takes the twins back to their home. Eventually their father, who had remained very cold to Kade, explains his feelings and this chapter of the Breed story is resolved. Next... what exactly DID happen to Jenna? (less)

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Sep 05, 2010 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm well aware that this review is going to be a minority opinion, but as much as I've enjoyed Adrian's Midnight Breed series, this particular book and the lead characters in it just didn't excite me as much as the previous novels.

Alexandra Macguire is an Alaskan bush pilot that flies into remote areas of the frozen north to deliver goods and medicine. On one such flight, she stops at the home of friends only to find an entire family slaughtered in a brutal and bloody fashion. A fashion that sha...more I'm well aware that this review is going to be a minority opinion, but as much as I've enjoyed Adrian's Midnight Breed series, this particular book and the lead characters in it just didn't excite me as much as the previous novels.

Alexandra Macguire is an Alaskan bush pilot that flies into remote areas of the frozen north to deliver goods and medicine. On one such flight, she stops at the home of friends only to find an entire family slaughtered in a brutal and bloody fashion. A fashion that shakes her down to her soul and reminds her all too clearly of the loss of her mother and brother, and of a flight of another kind altogether - the cross-country escape from a madness a child's mind could never comprehend.

As a Breed warrior and recent addition to the ranks of the Order, Kade is sent back to his family's stomping grounds on a mission to find out what's behind the mindless slaughter, but he's ridden by the fear that his twin is responsible for the deaths of innocents, and guilt from decisions in his past, decisions to flee Alaska and his family, make him ultimately culpable. What Kade finds first is Alex, and while she stirs a fire in his blood that would keep him warm on the coldest of the Alaskan nights, what they stumble across together could destroy everything - and everyone - in the end.

I was truly looking forward to delving into this story. I liked the setting, and I really enjoyed...in a disturbed but impressed way...the beginning, but then for me, Shades of Midnight sort of sputtered out. Adrian is extremely talented and she's given us six books with vibrant characters, tense plots, and a growing and deepening arc of good vs. evil - with fangs and guns. This one didn't quite match those in either plot or character, and one of the most disappointing aspects of this one is that by the end I didn't care very much for Kade or Alex, and didn't get any sense of true lasting emotion between them. Alex started out strong and seemingly independent (she's a bush pilot in the Alaskan wilderness!), but she seemed to backslide when faced with horrifying memories of her past and just never seemed to regain that strength to stand on her own. Kade was very disappointing. I'm sorry, I don't know if it was the fact that he ran from his family instead of dealing with his brother a year ago, or that he spent most of the book beating himself up about it that really turned me off. Hell, maybe it was the fact that I couldn't help but sympathize with the humans who lost loved ones and family members because Kade kept his mouth shut and flew the coop instead of doing what he should have done. What he went to Boston to help the order do. Kill rogues. Whatever it was, I didn't find him to a very worthy Breed.

And the story had some major flaws for me as well. Most notably, by book seven of a series, I would have expected the overall arc, the theme that holds all the books together, to be tightening and getting more tautly defined as the battle between good and evil creeps closer and closer to a head, but in this one, the story thread of Dracos was...dare I say anemic?...and the scenes with the ancient were at times tense and interesting, and at times a confused mess that didn't make much sense. I did like seeing the Breed males I've come to know and care for, but they ended up being too much of a non-factor to leave much of an impact. There were quite a few other issues I had with the book, as well.

By the end, I was left with a general feeling of ambivalence. Maybe a little disappointment. I didn't dislike the book, by any means - regardless of my complaints, Adrian tells a good story. It just wasn't the story I was expecting, and I didn't like it as much as I've liked all the others. It's not a bad story - not at all. It was just...sort of..."Meh."

Originally reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another (less)

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Aug 04, 2010 Cherry Mischievous rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, i-ve-read, own

The story telling quality is good but not quite a masterpiece. I would give it a 4 out of 5. The story itself is also good but not terribly original. Maybe because I've read the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward and the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon already that it has now grown old on me?! Perhaps. I would give it a 2 out of 5. The cover art... If I was browsing the shelves of a bookstore on a retail therapy binge, I would pick this book up as a potential buy just by it's cover alone...more

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Shades of Midnight (Midnight Breed #7)

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