I thought I was going to hate this book, especially after the butchering of German translations that made it obvious that the author didn't bother to seek out a reliable source for authenticity's sake. Aside from that I already had an aversion to the female heroine, Dylan, who is a reporter for a cheap newspaper that prides itself on publishing stories about paranormal activities and the supernatural. In the beginning the sense one gets from Dylan is that she's only concerned with furthering her career by means of the big break. The discovery of the hibernation chamber, which was discovered at the end of Midnight Awakening, seems to be her golden ticket to fame. I have nothing against serious journalism, but it's the sensationalism of journalists who will go to any length, not caring who they hurt along the way, that really irks me. For that reason I didn't warm up to Dylan until very late in the story.
I was looking forward to Rio's story after reading about the painful tragedy that was dealt to him in the first story. The betrayal of his Breedmate, Eva, left deep scars both emotionally and physically. Then in Awakening, Tess tried to help him heal and overcome most of the damage but it seemed he'd never recover. You can't help but feel for him in this story. Not because of the fictional character but by extending the compassion to real life people who know pain and isolation because of disfiguration. Underneath scars there is always still a human being with feelings, and I think that comes across.
As for action in this story, we learn more about what happened to the mysterious Ancient that was freed and what the bigger plans are. The author doesn't shy away from mentioning some pretty gruesome themes, like rape. Though it's not detailed and graphic, be forewarned that it is implied.
All in all, this wasn't my favorite story but Dylan redeems herself in my view and Rio learns to trust again. Even Eva plays a significant role in this and I feel that lose end was wrapped up appropriately. I'm not surprised that the ending battle was a little anticlimactic. After all, the battle must continue.
I'd give this 3 stars for Dylan's involvement in the story but 4.5 just because of Rio and his strong will. He really came out as the hero in this book.