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!