Les cendres de minuit

Midnight Breed #6

by Lara Adrian

Assoiffé de vengeance après le massacre de sa famille, Andreas Reichen se retrouve confronté à Claire, celle qu'il a jadis aimée mais qui s'est liée à un autre mâle de la Lignée. Cette rencontre ravive une flamme longtemps étouffée et une fureur ravageuse, surtout lorsqu'Andreas se voit obligé d'accepter l'aide de Claire s'il veut retrouver le coupable. C'est un gouffre de désir et de plaisir qui attend les deux anciens amants.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adult

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 26, 2009

About the author

LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times and #1 internationally best-selling author with nearly 4 million books in print and digital worldwide and translations licensed to more than 20 countries. Her books have been named among Amazon’s Top Ten Romances of the Year, and have also been nominated by readers multiple times as finalists for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance of the Year. Reviewers have called Lara’s books “addictively readable” (Chicago Tribune), “extraordinary” (Fresh Fiction), “strikingly original” (Booklist), and “one of the best vampire series on the market” (Romantic Times).

Writing as TINA ST. JOHN, her historical romances have won numerous awards including the National Readers Choice; Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice; Booksellers Best; and many others. She was twice named a Finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards, for Best Historical Romance (White Lion’s Lady) and Best Paranormal Romance (Heart of the Hunter). More recently, the German translation of Heart of the Hunter debuted on Der Spiegel bestseller list.

With an ancestry stretching back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, the author lives with her husband in New England, where she is working on her next novel. Visit Lara’s website and sign up for new release announcements at http://bit.ly/LaraAdrianNews

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Andreas' fire Stars



Ashes of Midnight was on fire! Damn but Andreas was bad ass. I loved his power. Andreas was one sexy fire starter. After the last book when reading about poor Andreas' whole Darkhaven be murdered my heart just hurt for him. I wanted him to get his justice for all the senseless death. And damn but did that male get his vengeance.



I really liked Claire. I was worried that I wouldn't like. After all she mated someone else while in love with Andreas, but I could totally understand where she was coming from. I was a little mad myself that Andreas wouldn't mate her back then. I didn't like that he held back. Man but I hated her mate Wilhelm Roth. He was an evil pos and I can't believe the amount of pain he rain down on Andreas. All because Andreas was nice to Roth's first mate and Roth wanted her to suffer. I was so glad when Roth Died just sayin'. I thought Claire and Andreas were very cute together but there was so much pain and past hurts that there were some big bumps in the road back to each other. Still with everything they had to go through you could feel their love for each other.



Both Claire and Andreas had awesome powers. Andreas with his pyrokinesis and Claire with her dreamwalking. I also really liked that the other breedmates were part of the team. They were not kept safe like helpless females that can't handle anything on their own. Their mates respected that they had their own powers and they used that. Dragos was reeking evil havoc all over this book. It is plan that Dragos' was bat shit crazy. The more we readers see of the things he has set into motion the darker things look for the Midnight breed world. I can't wait to read the next book and see what happened to the escape Ancient.

[Beanbag Love · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointment! I loved Andreas from the other books but this story left a lot to be desired.

I'm sorry for spoilers, but I have to do it. There were so many problems with this book, it's hard to even outline them all. I only give it two stars because it's part of a series that has some really good stuff. Otherwise it might even have been a DNF.

Okay, first of all -- the heroine supposedly blood-bonded with the villain months after the hero disappeared from her life (about 30 years ago). The villain is a true monster, although the heroine doesn't actually know that. She only knows he's a jerk who never sees her but about once every six months. But my question is, why in the world, when you know the man you love is still alive, do you blood bond with someone you don't love at all? Someone who may be a friend, but who definitely isn't the one you love? Blood bonding is forever. Not just a fifty-year or so sentence, it's forEVER. Or until one of you dies which, barring extreme circumstances, NEVER happens. So ... what was she thinking?

I had thought she had been forced into the blood-bonding with Roth. That's the only way I could accept what follows. But she wasn't. She went into it by choice. Made her bed, so to speak.

So, then we have the return of Andreas, the man she really loves and he's out for vengeance against Roth -- her mate. He attacks Roth's Darkhaven, killing everyone (yes, even family members, which is hypocritical because that's exactly why he hates Roth -- no matter that the villain doesn't care about them, it's still the same thing). Then he attacks Roth's country home, where Claire resides, killing all the agents who are there to protect her.

And somehow she's still not only attracted to him, but is totally shocked when Roth sends a death squad out to kill him after she calls her mate to "help Andreas". Lordy. What a dingbat. And Roth sending the death squad is proof positive to her that Andreas (the man she witnessed killing EVERYONE) is telling the truth that Roth is the actual monster. Yeah.

Okay. If you're still reading, I'm on to the next offense. They embark on a love affair! Yes! But Roth is a monster, you say. Yes, he is. But she has no real evidence that he is. Only Andreas's say-so and he's killed EVERYONE. As I said, if she'd been forced into the loveless blood-bond, or even if Roth had been abusive (not just neglectful), I might have been able to accept this. But I can't. He's a monster, but Claire made her bed with him and she's got to wait until he's dead...

...which is what Andreas is trying to bring about and she keeps trying to stop him! Because she's afraid Roth will hurt him. After she's seen him kill EVERYONE!

And after she's found out some info, that Roth is indeed involved in something really ugly that's going to get a lot of humans and Breed killed, she pretends she can't feel Roth in Boston and runs away. Because she's afraid he might hurt Andreas. So ... run away from Andreas. Leave him in Boston. Where Roth is. So he can be blind-sided by an attack instead. Which he'd probably survive anyway because she's already seen that he can kill EVERYONE!

She finally decides she's going to help after she finds out about the dead Breedmates. Everyone has a limit, right? Sheesh. But now Andreas wants her to stay away. Luckily we're spared that hollow conflict and she helps anyway.

Which brings about the best part of the book which is probably the last 15%. But it's a long way getting there. And still the HEA leaves a bad taste in my mouth. A couple of TSTL adulterers live happily-ever-after with some vague future of spying or something. Whoopee.

I'm concerned about what Adrian has in store for Chase. He was basically taken out early on in this book and we didn't see or hear from him again. They said he'd be out for a week. Weeks later, and he's still MIA. I'm hoping she doesn't pull a Phury on him and make him the background guy who gets the tepid romance that nobody cares about. Or kills him off. He's not the lead in the next two books so ...

Oh well, I hope the next one will be better. I haven't cared much about Kade or Brock -- probably because they were hamhandedly introduced in what strongly appears to be an injection of racial diversity (diversity not being the problem, the hamhanded, inorganic nature of their introduction is -- but I didn't care about Niko before his book and it's so far been my favorite so I'm open to surprises.

So there you have it. If you've stuck with me through this rant thus far then I guess it's pretty clear how I feel about this one. Thumbs. Down.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I must say I was very pleasantly surprised with Ashes of Midnight. Because I have had a crush on Andreas for a while, I've been looking forward to this book, although this seems to be a least favorite of a lot of fans of this series. Veil of Midnight ended with things in an abysmal place for Andreas. His whole family was wiped out through an act of his enemy, Wilhelm Roth, who is highly placed in the Enforcement Agency. This book begins in medias res of Andreas' brutal quest for vengeance. Andreas has the gift of summoning fire, and he uses it to devastating effect against his enemies. It's only a matter of time when his former love, Claire, ends up in his path. She's the breedmate (term for a wife/life-partner in the vampire world) to his enemy, and has been for thirty years. He left her because of his problem with the uncontrollable fire that wells from deep within him, and when he returned, she was married to Roth. Since then, he's stayed away, and lived the life of a playboy and leader of his Darkhaven in Berlin. But all that was taken away from him by Roth.

Andreas is a man driven by vengeance. The only thing that penetrates this thirst is the love he felt for Claire, which never faded. It puts him in an impossible position, because he won't give up his determination to kill Roth, even if Claire begs him to. Although I didn't always agree with the choices that Andreas made, I could see why he made them. That gave me a level of understanding for his actions. He was truly in a bad place. His gift of firestarting had unwittingly caused him to do something that haunted him with guilt, and he knew that every time he summoned fire, his ability to control this devastating force lessened, and his bloodlust got stronger. Even though he was murdering his enemies in a very brutal fashion, at heart, I could see that he was a good man. He'd just been driven over the edge by his enemy's actions. And he harbored no illusions that his own choices would lead to his own demise. His goal was to destroy Roth, even at the cost of his own life.

I actually ended up liking Claire quite a bit. Marrying Roth was a bad decision on her part, but with Andreas gone and her all alone in the world, she clung to Roth as her only security. She paid dearly for that, trapped in an loveless marriage for thirty years. When Andreas turns up again, she is faced with the horrible conflict of being between the man she loves and the man she owes her loyalty to. Although I thought she was a bit too trusting of Roth initially, I could see why. Claire was a very honorable, loyal person. She made vows and she wanted to keep them. Too bad she made them to the wrong man. That was clear, because she felt the same intense love for Andreas she had felt so many years before, even though he comes back into her life as a violent, enraged, and dangerous man. She's a gentle, but strong person. Her loyalty and steadfast love is the only thing that has the power to save Andreas.

The adventure in this story was really good. I loved the concept of Andreas having the gift of fire. It was very cool and cinematic. And kind of intimidating. He was literally so hot, he could incinerate anything that came near him. He could summon fireballs and make things explode. Very cool. I also liked that his gift had a cost to him. It was getting out of control, and it summoned an insatiable lust for blood. The conflict built to a very good climax, and I was very satisfied with the resolution (which has not been the case with most of the other books).

I thought the love between Andreas and Claire was very apparent. This book was also pretty steamy. Although I don't like adultery in books (to me Claire was married in every sense of the word, even though vampire marriage is different), I felt that they were in a tough situation, and Roth had manipulated both of them, giving them little choices in the matter. I didn't like the idea of Claire being blood-bonded to another man when I heard about this book, but I think Ms. Adrian handled it pretty well. It was clear that Andreas and Claire belonged together, and their bond was a much more powerful one than the bond with Roth.

Ashes of Midnight turned out to be my favorite in this series so far. I think that everything was pretty well done, and Ms. Adrian took one of my least favorite concepts (reunited lovers) and made a very good read with it. She has a good feel for mood and tone. Her writing is clear and strong, telling a fast-moving, interesting story in this book. I felt the urgency of the situation that the Order faces. The threat of the crooked politicians in the Enforcement Agency and the nefarious plans of Dragos. Things are culminating to a very dangerous confrontation with each book. I realized that I don't like all the foul language in this series, but I try to overlook it. I think that it ties into the dark, gritty vibe that Ms. Adrian is going for (even if it causes me more than a few winces when I read). This series just gets better and better in its execution. She tied everything together from the past books very well. It was good to see all the Breed warriors and their mates. I love how Renata fights with the men. She rocks! I think Ms. Adrian does a good job of integrating and involving the breedmates into the work of the Order, making them more than just chess pieces after their book is over. I respect her for that. I am excited to see where things go with the storyline. I look forward to reading Kade, Brock, Chase, and Hunter's stories.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars

[Lover of Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Ashes Of Midnight….we get the exciting continuation of the series and yummy we get Andreas Story. I have truly admired this character for the majority of the series and I love seeing how he has helped the order. This book was quite heartbreaking for me at times because Andreas is going through hell. He lost his coven….they were murdered and not just his men….but women and their children were all slaughtered. He is out for vengeance, and he has a burning hatred building inside him….a burning that may destroy him if not for the good woman he has always loved and stands by him. Claire is going through her own hell, when her mate betrays her and doesn’t seem to care if she is in danger or not. She has always loved Andreas, but he left her and never returned. Now circumstances have changed for both of them, and we see these two and their courage and love they have for each other. These two are split in moments of the book, which is understandable given the circumstances, and I loved the way they protect and stand for each other. It was quite remarkable to see and I just craved more of these two and my heart was so saddened when the book was over. This story was thrilling, passionate and full of adventure and suspense…..gimme more!!!

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 ½-5 stars – Vampire Romance

I really enjoyed this sixth installment in Lara Adrian’s awesome Midnight Breed series, but found myself feeling a little confused at first because it’s been a while since I’ve read the previous books and there is an ongoing story arc that’s central to the story.

For those of you who haven’t yet read this series, there are similarities often drawn with J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood and Ward herself gives an author endorsement, but Adrian��s take on the origins and life of vampires and Breed Warriors has some unique and creative aspects to it as well. The vampire ‘Breed’ race originates from otherworldly beings that landed on Earth and over time found certain human females, referred to as Breedmates, with the proper genetic make-up to breed and produce offspring. The original alien vampires, Ancients, were too feral and volatile and subsequently taken out by their first generation vampire offspring, Gen Ones. There is a class of Breed Warriors led by Gen One vampire Lucan, known as The Order, who now fight to protect the Breed race and humanity from bad vampires, Rogues, who have been lost to bloodlust and their Minions, humans who are controlled by the Rogues, and to keep their existence secret from humankind. Of course, there is a continuing, evolving plot throughout the books involving the evil Breed mastermind Dragos’s attempt to bring down The Order and rule the world.

Ashes of Midnight picks up a few weeks after the events of Veil of Midnight and focuses on Andreas Reichen’s quest for vengeance against Dragos and his power hungry subordinate Wilhelm Roth, even if it means using his former lover Claire, who is now bloodmated to Roth, in his violent pursuit of his archenemy. Andreas has been an intriguing side character in the previous books, and I’ve looked forward to his story and it didn’t disappoint. His special Breed ability is pyrokinesis and the whole ‘Phoenix rising from the ashes of hell’ to inflect retribution element adds a thrilling edge to the plot and lots of fiery, intense action. The romance between Andreas and Claire is scorching hot, and their love against all odds relationship is really emotional and moving.

This is another electrifying read in an extraordinary vampire paranormal romance series! I’m looking forward to Kade’s story in the next installment, Shades of Midnight, slated for release at the end of December’09! 4 ½-5 stars!

[Jilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admit that it is a little tough for paranormal romance authors to get a convincing romance in there while still having to build the world, have a mystery to solve, keep up with the doings of the thousand-member cast, and make sure to let us know what the bad guys are up to.... all within less than 300 pages. Tough gig!




It helps if you keep a list and check off the items as you do them.

Needless to say, the romances suffer a bit and there has to be a little insta-love. And, that was my big frustration in the last book. But, in this one, I felt that the romance part of things was so unbelievably boring that I was okay with there not being too much time devoted to it.

Andreas was a great character in the last books. He was wild and engaging, and it was super sad what happened to him in the last one. But, I couldn't stand all of his self-hatred and angsting in this one. So, you lost your true love and your entire family was slaughtered - get over it already. We all have problems. I've got a freaking zit on my chin right now. A zit!!! I'm too old for this shit. And, yet, I will carry on, because I am brave that way. You don't hear me whining about it. (Except when I just whined about it.)

So, I didn't like the main characters in this book, but the side stories were good. I also liked that we got more glimpses into the romance from the last book, Niko and Renata. They are both gun-crazy warriors and it's pretty adorable:

Nikolai added one more: a nasty-looking, long-barreled gun. He handed it to Renata, then placed a clip of ammunition in her open palm.
"Your special titanium hollow-points?" she murmured, then beamed up at him as if he'd given her a bouquet of prize-winning roses.
Niko grinned, "Nothing says I love you like custom-made rounds."

Aww, young love....

Niko and Renata also work as a team when going out at night to kill Rogues. I love their partnership and that he isn't one of those asswipe alphas that won't allow his woman to go out and kill things. Sometimes we ladies just need to kill things.

Even later in the book, when the warriors all go out to do a dangerous raid, Renata goes with them while Rio stays in the car with the women. :D

So, obviously, I liked everything BUT the main romance that was supposed to be the focus of this book. But, I have already started the next book and it is better already. It's focusing on Kade, who is new to the order, so we don't know that much about him yet. But, he looks like this:


So, yeah...

[Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

^^ BURN BABY BURN!^^

Another wonderful instalment in the Breed series, and I don’t know, I am liking them way better now. I find it that the series is starting to shine on its own now. The similarities to other vampire books is becoming less and less, and the action more spine tingling. I am talking hairless brooding vamps, with sex appeal that can warm the coldest winter. Plus the friendships are deeper, and the love oh so much stronger.

Andreas Reichen, he was a constant character through previous books and he finally got his own book. His life is met with a harsh reality, when one of his closest friends is used in the destruction of his family. This is the horrific conclusion, to a case that Andreas was helping the Breed with, and somehow they found out and decided to punish him in the cruellest of ways. Andreas knows who is behind the murder of his family and he is hell bent on revenge even if it means the end of him. He begins his slaughter by tapping into his breed power, which is fire and turning those involved in the murder to a bloody crisp. When everyone presumes you dead, why not go on a killing spree.

Clair Roth aka bitch face is the love of Andreas life, not deserved I tell you. She is married to his enemy and the vampire behind the murder of his family. She doubts him through out the book, and at times seemed to be purely thinking about herself. She does realize the truth, and that she has been married to a madman for over thirty plus years. Yet for all that time she has loved Andreas and now, even though the circumstances suck, destiny has brought them together again.

Andreas and Clair are caught in a war with the breed warriors, and they might not come out alive. Something sinister is developing in the vampire race, something that doesn’t bode well for the vampires everywhere. Through out all this, Andreas fights to hold on to his very soul, and the first signs of bloodlust. With each fire ball he fires the closer it pulls him to destruction.

I really liked this book, a little slow in the beginning but it picks up speed in no time. I love when you get to see all the old characters, and they play a significant role in this book. Tegan comes out to play, and man oh man I wanna play with him. I can say that Adrian is the only author I have seen write characters of different race in a PNR. Clair from what I gather is mixed with black and white, plus Brock is a black vampire, can’t tell the last time I have come across that. That alone is one of the reasons why this series shines. The characters are diverse, the plot is thick with action and curves, and the sex is explosive, the blood sharing is just…… feckin hot. This book was a hit, and I am dying to get a piece of Hunter, he needs his own book and fast. I wanna eat him, a freaking wicked read.

No idea who the Breed warriors are, check out the first book Kiss of Midnight.

[Rossy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the story but even after reading it a second time i still don't like Claire. Her logic just doesn't add up to someone who claims to love a person so fiercely. The fact that it took her so long to realize for sure who was the real villain just made me want to slap her a bit.

*sigh* I think i need to go back to reading another genre for a while.

[Debra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just gets better and better AND BETTER! I loved the interactions between Andreas and Claire. The extent of deception that had kept them apart for 30 years and the intensity of what brought them back into each others lives was spectacular!! All the characters from the previous books are in this one. Not only are the warriors of The Order giving all they got towards defeating Dragos and his evil, but their Breedmates get in on the action too. They prove in this book that they are more than capable of helping to conquer the psychopaths that are determined to have world domain over both humans and breeds alike.
From the very first word to the very last, it is explosive and filled with treachery, intrigue, suspense and constant ACTION!

[Noemí (Mysticnox) · Rating 3 out of 5]

La trama vampírica como siempre muy interesante aunque para mí la historia de amor es mas floja que las anteriores. Creo que el hecho de que fueran pareja en el pasado les resta pasión y entrega, algo a lo que nos tiene muy bien acostumbradas la autora en anteriores libros. De todas formas engancha y se disfruta.
Lo cierto es que sin desmerecer la obra, este libro me ha recordado a la película de animación Frozen pero con fuego en vez de hielo. Las que lo habéis leído me entenderéis.
Es un buen libro de la saga pero no es de mis preferidos. Me sigo quedando con Lucan y Rio.
A ver el siguiente.

[Zeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay I'm not sure why this entry into Adrian's Midnight Breeds series got such bad press- I think this one is one of my favorites!

AOM not only had the typical thrilling suspense we've come to expect in Adrian's popular pnr series, but also some uber romantic elements, I find myself helpless to resist.

Not only linked by the fact they are tied to a race of Alien progeny, Andreas Reichen and Claire Roth have a history together. Long ago they fell in love, only to be parted by unforeseen circumstances, secrets and misunderstandings. In fact Claire thinks Andreas is dead, burned up in a firey explosion at his family compound in Germany.

Far from dead he's bent on vengeance toward the one who caused the accident- Claire's mate, the less than noble Wilhelm Roth. When they are thrown back together, Andreas has to decide what's more important- the love he still harbors for the woman who makes him complete or continue on the destructive path he has no choice but to follow.

Andreas, despite the fact he's yet another tortured hero with an axe to grind, ends up being deeply moving in his love and desire to keep his heroine safe and Claire demonstrated many qualities I like to see in a heroine- mainly the self-sacrifice she displayed in her desire to keep Andreas safe from the evil man she finds herself irrevocably mated to.

The arching plot of a fellow Breed- the vampiric descendants of an Alien race who wrecked havoc on the human race oh so many years ago...(still amazes me how much that otherwise silly backtwist works!!)- building an army to make war on the Warrior caste Andreas is now a part of, continues on, providing a dramatic backdrop for the pair of lovers who should never have been parted in the first place.

4.5 out of 5 from me!

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 "Blazing" Stars!!!

I loved this one! It's on the angsty side. Both Andreas and Claire are fantastic. Two things kept it from 5 stars. Can't say because you may not care about my two issues and I don't want to point them out. Overall, great addition to the series! One of my favorite so far. The overall story arch is getting better and better. Happy reading!

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ay Andreas, lo que he sufrido por ti.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When last we heard about Andreas Reichen, he had unleashed a fireball on his decimated home and disappeared. In Ashes of Midnight he makes his comeback in a BIG way. By the first chapter, Lara Adrian lets us know that the once carefree rogue is gone, and in his place is a merciless killer intent on revenge. He is determined to exact his fiery brand of justice on anyone who aligned themselves with the Darkhaven leader, Wilhelm Roth, and while lost within the destructive force of his pyrokinesis he sees Claire Roth as just another enemy.

Andre hid a world of pain beneath his roguish charm and at it's core was Claire Samuels. They had a brief but passionate affair that ended when he abruptly disappeared one day. Claire thought he had abandoned her after they had a falling out, but what really happened was that he was trying to come to grips with the fact that his previously untapped vampiric gift had emerged with devastating results. He doesn't want to inadvertently hurt her, so he stays away. Until events lead to him stalking her in the woods, chasing her down with fireballs. He unleashes a firestorm on Claire's security escort and sends her running for her life. When his rage cools, Andreas realizes that not only did Claire see him as the destructive monster he never wanted her to witness, he nearly killed her. Shame, guilt and anger eat at him, as does the Bloodlust. Every time he unleashes the fire his body demands blood, and in a fit of desire and anger he drinks from her. In one instant he has connected himself to her for all time, and in that moment he revels in it. Until he remembers that Claire is Breedmate to Wilhelm Roth and is bound to him by blood and vow.

Now both of them are on the run from the far-reaching tentacles of the not-so-honorable European Enforcement Agency and they head to Boston for aid. With Claire's dreamwalking ability and Andre's pyro, they are of big use to the Order, especially when Claire is able to sneak a peek at what her Breedmate is up to. Dragos is stepping up his plans for world domination and with Wilhelm Roth at his side they plan a big surprise for the warriors. A surprise that Andreas doesn't mean to survive. This battleworn vampire doesn't know how long he can contain the firestorm that rages within him and it's only with the aid of Claire that he has a hope of controlling the fire before it tips him over the edge.

Veil of Midnight came really close to boring me to tears and it's only saving grace was Andreas Reichen's story. The first moment he graced the pages in the Midnight Breeds series he grabbed my attention and I just knew he would be a bad boy of astronomical levels. Lara Adrian doesn't disappoint in Ashes of Midnight and she does a fabulous job of creating an extremely exciting and passionate story. She's finally shown me how well she can craft a tale and in my humble opinion I feel she escaped from beneath J.R. Ward's shadow with this addition to the Midnight Breeds series.

There is a lot of fiery imagery in this book and it helps that one of my favorite Stephan King novels is Firestarter. This book is like the last twenty minutes of the movie and I loved it. I raced through this book very quickly and it's the first Midnight Breeds book that I fully enjoyed. Perfect pacing and storytelling. Claire was a very supportive and determined heroine, and Andreas was a tortured and passionate hero. We get a few glimpses into the Order and it's ever expanding family, plus a few moments of idyllic bliss. Danika and Baby Connor make a brief appearance and Hunter also has some screen time. Another nice moment (for me anyway) was when the Order sent out the women on a little reconnaissance mission, trusting in their Breedmate abilites. That was a nice change of pace. Usually men in these type of books stick their women in a protective bubble, but in this book the warriors look to their women as useful and capable allies.

All in all, this was a very exciting addition to the series and I can't wait for the next book, Shades of Midnight to come out. It's going to star Kade and it looks like he's got some interesting psychic powers. Unfortunately I wont be reading about him for quite some time. His book comes out spring of 2010. But until then I will have to content myself with Andreas Reichen........and his fireballs. Enjoy!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The charismatic Andreas we all knew and loved from the previous books in the series is pretty much nonexistent in Ashes of Midnight. Although we do see some sparks of the old him. Ruined by the attack on his Berlin darkhaven, Andreas vows to avenge the deaths of his innocent kin. His fury reaches monumental levels and it seems as if nothing will stop him until he kills Wilhelm Roth. His fiery gift of pyrokinesis acts as a great representation of the anger he is experiencing within. Both dangerous and uncontrollable, Andreas must learn to control his temper and his gift.

To be honest, I found it a little difficult to get use the transformation that Andreas makes from the other books to Ashes of Midnight. In the previous books, he is the posterboy for the devil-may- cry attitude. But all of that changes dramatically once he becomes the last living person in his line. His rage and need for vengeance is understandable, but to lose that care-free mind-set that he’s known for seems like such as waste. However, it’s great to see Andreas’ passion once in awhile.

His Breedmate Claire Roth is the perfect match for him. As former paramours, Claire and Andreas share a past that complicates matters greatly. Now that Claire is Roth’s mate, Andreas must fight his attraction to Claire since her blood can betray his presence to Roth. Though Claire has a pretty interesting talent, she doesn’t use her gift to really help anyone. Yes, she tries but all her efforts are epic failures. I didn’t identify with Claire like the other Breedmates. When she used her gift to visit Roth the first time to warn him, I had already written her off. I just couldn’t relate to her. She just seemed so naive and lost.

The romance between Claire and Andreas was a rollercoaster ride. One moment they are cold as ice to one another and in the next moment, they get all hot and heavy. There is no doubt that their relationship is the most complicated and strained of all the others. But I would have liked to see them fall in love for the first time. I felt like half their story was already told by the time Claire and Andreas meet again in Ashes of Midnight.

On another note, we get to see what happens back at the compound in Boston. One of my favourite things about this series is that we continue to see the other characters in each book. The situation with Dragos continues to be a pain in the Order’s behind, but I’m not complaining. Adrian does a remarkable job with integrating the warriors and their Breedmates into the storyline long after their stories are told. I just loved how Renata , Dylan and Claire got to go out during the daytime and do some investigating!

Even if the romance in Ashes of Midnight is a little too hot-and-cold for me, the action that takes place is amazing! Adrian is so skilled in writing her violent action scenes. It kind of makes up for the mediocre romance.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm. "Ashes of Midnight" is book six in Lara Adrian's 'Midnight Breed' series. I have to say that it wasn't my favorite. I also have to say that it follows very well on the heels of book five, "Veil of Midnight", since events here pick up where it left off. This series is about Adrian's version of vampires (there's good ones and bad ones) and the good guys' fight to save humanity.


Claire never knew she was special--until Wilhelm Roth saved her from an attack and through him, she met the love of her life, Andreas Reichen. But though she thought Andreas loved her too, he just up and disappeared one day...and she allowed Wilhelm to comfort her and ended up married and bonded to him. They've long since settled into a marriage of strangers and when Claire heard about the recent death of Andreas, she was just glad to be able to greive alone. But now something isn't right and Wilhelm's properties are coming under attack...and that includes Claire.

Andreas WILL have his revenge on Wilhelm Roth. He knows Roth was the dastard (G-rated review folks) who ordered the cold-blooded killing of Andreas' entire family...and soon Roth will know that Andreas is still alive. Because Andreas intends to take from Roth just what Roth took from him...everything.

The overall plot of the series doesn't advance too far in this book, but I enjoyed it all the same. Andreas has been an interesting character for me from his first appearance and I wondered about the reasons for his demeanor and distance. Claire was (eventually) strong in her own way, even though she did have a few TSTL (too stupid to live) moments and needed to shed the overly naive outlook she had on life. By the end of the book, she was a good match for Andreas and the passion and strength of their love made for a powerful ending.

I will warn that if you don't like Andreas, you probably won't like this book. Although there are scenes with other characters, the story still firmly revolves around Andreas and Claire. There is a bit of an interesting development (for the next book I'm guessing) towards the end and a possible expansion on the current series' storyline. That's all the hints I'm willing to drop...if you want more, read the series. It's a darn good one.

Her next book, "Shades of Midnight", is scheduled to release at the end of December 2009 and it's already on my list.

[Luana ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was such a waste. Two things bothered me quite a bit here, first I need to say that the hero is someone that I liked a lot in the previous books and was looking forward to know him in more depth, but man, was he boring or what? I know he got a huuuuge blow with his family being slathered in the previous book and all that, but all the self hatred and self pity and angst went to the next level with him. There was none of the charming and likeble guy we thought we knew and liked so much. More is the pity.

Second, is it okay to cheat in any circumstance? I mean, doesn't matter why you chose your husband, doesn't matter that you still love your ex, doesn't matter that your husband is a lunatic, you didn't know that! So, is it still okay to cheat on him so big and don't even give it a second thought? I mean, you can't be married for 30 years and as soon as you see your ex and discover your husband is not who you think he is, you simply go back on your word. The way things played out were not okay in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I hated her husband, I just think they could have waited longer to be together.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this series and even since meeting Andre I looked forward to his story. I engaged with his character and after the tragedy that happenned in his life, I wanted to see him find happiness again.

What didn't work for me was Claire. Could there ever be anyone so dumb and idiotic like her......the whole trust issue she had with Andre...please...where are you coming from???? I wanted to throttle her a few times.

Loved getting to see the characters from the previous books...Lucan & Gabrielle...I love that couple and Mira...adore her...not forgetting Renata...what great characters.

World building continues to grow and I can't wait for the next story.

[Aure #SlavaUkrain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is on FIREEEE!!!!!!

5 Stars for my beloved Andreas!

I'd like to quote P!NK instead of writing a review!

Where there is desire there is gonna be a flame,
Where there is a flame someone's bound to get burned,
But just because it burns doesn't mean you're gonna die,
You've gotta get up and try try try.......

[Delta · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second chance romance. *romantic sigh* Our hero and heroine were attracted to each other many years ago. But she chose another man. Now fate brings the two back into each other's lives. Will romance stand a chance against everything life has thrown against them over the years? Can their personal paranormal gifts be used to help the Breed, without more harm?
Good story with over the top characters that would not work in any other world except the paranormal.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from the Midnight Breed!

Book 6 in the series picks up three months after the tragic events at the last book, and Andreas Reichen is on a mission of vengeance to kill Wilhelm Roth, the man who cost him everything. His fury has reawakened a monstrous power in him that he is unleashing on anything and everything in his way, and he is a man possessed! To make matters more interesting, suddenly thrust into the picture is Claire, the only woman he has ever loved. Together for only a few short months 30 years previously, before they were torn apart, she is now mated to his mortal enemy, Roth.

Despite being bonded to another man, Claire has always loved Andreas and, finding herself immediately drawn back to him, she does everything she can to help him escape the people trying to bring him down, even though he’s on a mission to kill her mate. So the two of them are on the run together, and there are twists and turns as they fight both bad guys and their attraction to each other – sometimes successfully, sometimes not so successfully (squee).

I really loved Claire and the strength of her love for Andreas, and the fact that wasn’t shy in telling him what she was feeling.

“Goddamn you. How can you still make me feel this way after all these years? Damn you for leaving me! And damn you for coming back like this, just when I thought you were gone forever and I might finally be able to forget you.”

The fact that she is blood bonded to the bad guy and they can sense each other, does add an interesting angle to the story, but her feelings for Andreas never falter. She was determined to be there with him every step of the way, letting him know that she loves him and doing anything to keep him safe.

Andreas is just fantastic. Strong, brave and honest, I’ve loved him since he first appeared in the series, and watching him try to distance himself from Claire, knowing that he still loved her, yet knowing that she unbreakably bound to another, was heartbreaking.

“We can’t change anything that’s happened, Claire. I won’t stand here and give you lies to make either one of us feel better. And I’m not going to give you promises that I know I can’t keep.”

Coming to their rescue are the boys of the Order - “You’ve had our back more than once. We’ve got yours now.” SQUEEEEE!!! And the action shifts to Boston where the group discover that Roth is working with uber bad guy, Dragos. And in a suspenseful and action packed climax, Andreas and Claire team up with the Order and their breedmates to go after the bad guy - “Fuck you very much, if you think we’re gonna let you do this on your own, Reichen.” So much awesome!!! But Andreas’ power is slowly consuming him as his thirst for vengeance starts to destroy his humanity, and may cost him both the woman he loves, and his life.

This book, and the whole freaking series, needs a big fat SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Action, romance, sexy and broody vampires and some kickass girl power all combine to create stories that make me swoon and squee, and never fail to keep me hooked from the first page. And it’s all there again in Andreas’ and Claire’s story.

Their second chance at love is so beautifully swoony, with some heartbreaking moments, and you can absolutely feel the depth of their love for each other, and how badly they ache to be together. “You were the only one, Andre. It’s always been you.” *sniff* They had to go through hell to be finally together, and so deserved their HEA, and it was beautiful!

I loved having the action back in Boston, because it means we got to see a lot of the other characters from the series (all of them!), and I loved that – seeing them in all their badass glory or just being around the compound, I can’t get enough!! And I need to give a quick shout out to the girls of the series – not content to leave everything to the boys, they get right into the fight with them. They are there when they plan strategy, and in this one, some of the girls actually go out on their own on the own mission, and I LOVE that!!! Go girl power!

I can’t gush enough over this series. If you are a fan of the PNR genre and haven’t tried it yet, you have to get on it!

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG... what another fantastic book... I simply love the way Lara captures the reader (namely me!) without realising it... I get to a part of the book that takes my breath away and then reach a desperation to get to the end to find out what is going to happen....

Andreas and Claire are another fantastic couple, and although we probably all have our favourites (mine is Dante and Tess), this couple are just as awe inspiring as the rest...

I truly love these books!!!!

[Izzie]

dnf @ 50%

i think paranormal romance just isn't for me. a fun distraction though!

[Buggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book six in Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed series and I couldn`t put it down. Following events set up in the last book VEIL OF MIDNIGHT this instalment just takes off, with it's exciting and suspense filled storyline. There is plenty of angst filled romance here too and several ongoing subplots and POV's which all manage to come together for one explosive ending. Fans of the series will be thrilled as we get to revisit past members of the `Order' and their `Breedmates' who all have significant roles within this story. There is also a reunited lovers theme between our couple which is my favourite type of romance.

Andreas Reichen's character has been around in a secondary role for several books now. But ever since the massacre took place within his Darkhaven compound killing his entire family, this Vampire has been hell bent on extracting revenge from the man responsible. Andreas agony over this event and his need for retribution has also brought out a deadly power within him, one that he had tried to keep hidden. Andreas can physically manifest into fire, burning with a heat so intense he blazes everything in his path and now he's coming for Wilhelm Roth.

His search for Roth ironically takes him to the home of his enemy's wife and Andre's former love Claire. He has never been able to forget the beautiful Breedmate or their fated love affair. Once reunited this couple is powerless to stop their mutual attraction even if it means breaking the sanctity of her blood bond to Roth. Events soon transpire which see this couple on the run as Claire learns of her absentee husband's true nature and Andreas tries to recover from his ever increasing bouts of pyrokenetics. He's finding it harder and harder to control the fire and Claire fears for his life knowing that he won't give up this quest for revenge even if it means sacrificing himself in the process.

As a last resort they contact the Order and are flown to their compound in Boston. That's when things get really interesting; as all the storylines converge into a combined hunt for Roth and his evil partner Dragos thereby placing the entire group in a lethal trap. Andreas may very well be their only hope of escape but he's become so blind with vengeance that he can no longer control the fire, this time the inferno may consume them all.

This series seems to be either hit or miss for me, ASHES OF MIDNIGHT is a definite hit. The conflict, erotic romance and gunplay carries throughout and builds to a level of nail-biting, page turning suspense as we approach the thrilling finale. I do suggest at least reading book 5 before starting here but alternately I could recommend the entire Midnight Breed series. Cheers.

1-Kiss Of Midnight, 2-Kiss Of Crimson, 3-Midnight Awakening, 4-Midnight Rising, 5-Veil Of Midnight, 6-Ashes Of Midnight

[B.E.Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

**re-read**

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a whole I liked this story, but I got really frustrated with Andreas the further into the story we went. I like the reunion of him and Claire. I like them as a couple. But I did get tired with how obsessed he was with his revenge. In fact we really got only a cursory ending with him being his normal charming self. I appreciated how Claire kept trying to reach him though and pull him out of the revenge dive he was into.

I actually really liked Claire. She's been an ignored breed mate for a very very long time and yet when push comes to shove she's ready to step up and help. While she does make some stupid mistakes within the story she was at least actively trying to work things out for herself.

We did get to learn a bit more about what Dragos is up to in this one and put a little bit of a wrench in his stride. The greater story is building well and I did like how everything played out in the final battle. Looking forward toward more.

[RoXXie | The Art of Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gesandte des Zwielichts ♦ Lara Adrian | Rezension

Gesandte des Zwielichts setzt an den Geschehnissen um den deutschen Stammesvampir Andreas Reichen aus dem vorherigen Band Gefährtin der Schatten an und ich wollte wirklich wissen, wie es um ihn steht. Doch was ich dann lesen musste, war furchtbar langweilig.



Enttäuschend und nervig

Ich gebe zu, dass es für AutorInnen paranormaler Liebesromane eine schwere Aufgabe ist, eine wirklich überzeugende Romanze aufs Paper zu bringen. Gerade dann, wenn der Weltenaufbau sich noch immer entfaltet, mysteriöse Verkettungen gelöst werden müssen, und nebenbei wird mensch mit den Handlungen einer gefühlt hundertköpfigen Besetzung gefüttert, die sich darum drehen, herauszufinden, was die bösen Buben vorhaben … und all das auf rund 300 Seiten.

Es ist fast unnötig zu sagen, dass die Romanzen darunter ein bisschen leiden könnten und es eine Art „Hau Ruck“ – Aktion unerlässlich ist. Doch bei diesem Band hat mich dieser Fakt überhaupt nicht gestört. Da der romantischen Teil so unglaublich langweilig und irrelevant (für mich) war, habe ich hier kein Tränchen verdrückt, dass diesem Part nicht allzu viele Seiten gewidmet wurden.

Für mich war Andreas in den letzten Bänden immer eine sehr interessante und tolle Figur. Er war wild und einnehmend, und es hat mir das Herz gebrochen, als er alles verloren hatte. Doch war sein Selbsthass ab einem bestimmten Punkt im Buch für mich einfach unerträglich. Es war einfach too much! Ich habe mit seiner Figur wirklich mitgelitten und nach der Tragödie wollte ich nichts Wichtigeres, als dass er glücklich wird. Doch der Weg dorthin war anstrengend für mich. Zumal ich auch mit Claire einfach nicht warum geworden bin.

Claire hingegen hat für mich überhaupt nicht funktioniert. Diese Frau hätte ich ständig einfach nur schütteln können. Könnte es jemals jemanden geben, der so dumm und idiotisch ist wie sie? Dieses ewige Hin und Her um Vertrauen hat mich echt auf die Palme gebracht und ihr gesamte Art war so verzogen und hochnäsig. Unabhängig von dem, was sie mit ihrem Gefährten Wilhelm Roth durchmachen musste, wollte ich nicht, dass sie am Ende glücklich wird. Denn allein die Tatsache, dass sie einfach losläuft und ihren Noch-Gefährten, auch wenn er ein absoluter Arsch ist, betrügt, ohne auch nur einen Gedanken an ihn zu verschwenden. Claire war für mich ein Ich-bezogenes-Miststück!

Fazit

Gesandte des Zwielichts war für mich fast Zeitverschwendung. Einzig die Nebengeschichten, also das Weiterspinnen des roten Fadens im Hintergrund, und das Erscheinen der anderen Stammeskrieger und ihrer Gefährtinnen, war für mich wirklich interessant. Ansonsten kam ich aus dem Augenrollen nicht mehr heraus.


This review was originally posted on The Art of Reading.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally finished this one and it was good, just as the other novels in the series have been, and the heroine Claire was ok in the beginning, but, got on my nerves by the last few chaps. of the book, as usual with the books in this series...I liked the powers that both Andreas and Claire had....Andreas the pyrokenesis and Claire, the ability to dreamwalk, those were both some pretty cool powers to have...At this point I am wondering if Dragos is ever going to get caught and killed at some point in this series or will he just keep sheilding himself with his minions and gen 1s and 2s that he has working for him....This makes me think that he is a coward, and if he is to be the main villain in this series I mean be an asshole and all that that implies, but, don't be a coward...I know that in the lastest book 'Taken By Midnight," Brock, along with members of the order come face to face with him, and now that I look back on it, he got away that time too...Flying away in a helicoptor if I'm recalling that story right...What's his deal anyway? After reading what 4-5 books in this series so far he's on my very last nerve, he needs to finally be killed off and the author an invent a new villian...idk...But, overall a pretty good read....didn't draw me in as much as some of the other books in the series that I have read thus far, but, still good...

What I really want to know is when are we going to hear Gideon's story...I want to know about his beginnings and how he came to be with Savannah...I mean his character has been in this series since book one as the mastermind behind the main lab and all of the tech work the order does, but, we never got his story...The author keeps telling everyone else's story but his...What's up with that?

I would recommend this series to any and all paranormal romance lovers....

[Kathrynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashes of Midnight is the sixth in the Midnight Breed series and the books should be read in order because they continue solving a problem while each installment has a different hero/heroine. There are also brief updates on previous characters in later books.

The series has come a (very) long way since the first saga was told. Now the plot to get rid of the really bad guy (Dragos), hunt the Ancient, kill the Gen Ones (bad ones) and restore order to the vampire community is what keeps the series moving along. Each book brings us closer to resolving the multitude of problems with a few turns and twists.

Andreas is the hero, but his character was first introduced in earlier book(s). It is important to read #5 before #6 because a series of events and Ashes of Midnight picks up right where #5 left off. The heroine, Claire, is a new character and I enjoyed how the author wrote the couple's backstory. Nice twist. Claire and Andreas had a past and as the plot unfolds we learn who interfered with their love and why. The plot thickens...

There were some excellent action scenes in this little book. Seems like the author may be trying to move out of the romance with steam into more action/fantasy with mentions of what happened behind the bedroom door. So unlike the earlier books in this series.

Felt there was too much recapping of events already told, but overall I enjoyed the story, plot and characters.

Being 50 does not make a person old in 2009...page 188. For shame! ;-)