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Last True Vampire #1
The Last True Vampire
As Michael’s eyes lit on a female not twenty feet away, he knew without a doubt that it was her blood that called to him and her scent that had awakened him.This female had tethered his soul and returned it to him.
Soul Survivor
He is the last of his race. The one true king of the vampires. Michael Aristov roams the nightclubs of L.A. after dark, haunted by his past and driven by his hunger. The last of the Ancient Ones, he alone has survived the destruction of his race at the hands of the slayers. Now he is forced to hunt and feed like a common vampire, a creature of lust. Nothing in this world can fulfill his needs…until he meets a woman who’s everything he’s ever wanted. And more.
Sweet Salvation
Her name is Claire Thompson. Her blood is so sweet, so intoxicating—the smell alone draws Michael to her like a moth to the flame. Sly, sexy, and seductive, Claire seems to be the only mortal who can satisfy his craving and seal his fate…forever. Can she be trusted? From their very first kiss, the last true vampire sweeps Claire into a world in which darkness rules desire—and where falling in love is the greatest danger of all…
Soul Survivor
He is the last of his race. The one true king of the vampires. Michael Aristov roams the nightclubs of L.A. after dark, haunted by his past and driven by his hunger. The last of the Ancient Ones, he alone has survived the destruction of his race at the hands of the slayers. Now he is forced to hunt and feed like a common vampire, a creature of lust. Nothing in this world can fulfill his needs…until he meets a woman who’s everything he’s ever wanted. And more.
Sweet Salvation
Her name is Claire Thompson. Her blood is so sweet, so intoxicating—the smell alone draws Michael to her like a moth to the flame. Sly, sexy, and seductive, Claire seems to be the only mortal who can satisfy his craving and seal his fate…forever. Can she be trusted? From their very first kiss, the last true vampire sweeps Claire into a world in which darkness rules desire—and where falling in love is the greatest danger of all…
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 2, 2015
143 people are currently reading
2051 people want to read
About the author
Kate Baxter
32 books325 followersKate Baxter is a die-hard romantic with a thing for Shakespeare. She lives in the great northwest where she hides away to write about all things fanged, furry, and undead.
http://facebook.com/AuthorKateBaxter
http://facebook.com/AuthorKateBaxter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
August 1, 2015
The gold and the silver unite...
***3.5 Stars***
The Last True Vampire has a great storyline with characters that leapt off the pages. We have the last vampire in existence Mikhail and the hustler Claire meet and form a bond that is stronger than either have experienced before or expected. The storyline is full of wars between covens of Dhampiri (part vampires) reaching for power. There are also the Sortiari (hunters) still chasing vampires to extinguish them from existence. Mikhail must join with Claire to unite and create an army to protect his people.
Sounds exciting and riveting? Unfortunately the telling was long, drawn out and overly descriptive. Lines and lines of descriptions that could have been summed up in a few words, inner monologues for every thought process and pages and pages of lead up. I just wanted to get to the story.
My other problem was for more than half the book it was a competition between the two main characters on who was more TSTL. One of the supporting characters Ronan, seemed to be the only voice with intelligence for most of the story.
There is violence and scenes of torture throughout the story with one being quite graphic. Some of the scenes are memories, but the most graphic one is in current time and involves both main characters.
The intimate scenes between Mikhail and Claire are very hot. We also get to see Ronan and the psycho coven leader Siobhan in action too. This was a very steamy read.
This book had potential but unfortunately fell flat for me. I spent nearly the whole book skimming while hoping I wasn't missing important plot points and just wanting to get to the end. While I did feel a connection to the characters, the style of writing was too descriptive for me. I'm not sure I'll go back for more.
This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/
***3.5 Stars***
The Last True Vampire has a great storyline with characters that leapt off the pages. We have the last vampire in existence Mikhail and the hustler Claire meet and form a bond that is stronger than either have experienced before or expected. The storyline is full of wars between covens of Dhampiri (part vampires) reaching for power. There are also the Sortiari (hunters) still chasing vampires to extinguish them from existence. Mikhail must join with Claire to unite and create an army to protect his people.
Sounds exciting and riveting? Unfortunately the telling was long, drawn out and overly descriptive. Lines and lines of descriptions that could have been summed up in a few words, inner monologues for every thought process and pages and pages of lead up. I just wanted to get to the story.
My other problem was for more than half the book it was a competition between the two main characters on who was more TSTL. One of the supporting characters Ronan, seemed to be the only voice with intelligence for most of the story.
There is violence and scenes of torture throughout the story with one being quite graphic. Some of the scenes are memories, but the most graphic one is in current time and involves both main characters.
The intimate scenes between Mikhail and Claire are very hot. We also get to see Ronan and the psycho coven leader Siobhan in action too. This was a very steamy read.
This book had potential but unfortunately fell flat for me. I spent nearly the whole book skimming while hoping I wasn't missing important plot points and just wanting to get to the end. While I did feel a connection to the characters, the style of writing was too descriptive for me. I'm not sure I'll go back for more.
This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/
dnf
January 11, 2017DNF - 6%
I had this on my on hold shelf for so long, I forgot what it's about. Definitely not finishing it. Ever.
I had this on my on hold shelf for so long, I forgot what it's about. Definitely not finishing it. Ever.
June 6, 2016
5 - "Welcome back to the land of the living." Stars!
I absolutely adored The Last True Vampire, I won’t say it is a huge surprise, because I loved its predecessor Stripped Bear, Kate Baxter can write and write really, really well. This story, the characters, the plot, the speed of how everything unwound and developed were all absolutely perfectly paced and described. I love me some PNR, and Vampires are up there with my favorites, add in a sassy take-no-shit heroine and I was a pretty happy camper throughout this whole book.
”I could be more trouble than I’m worth, you know.”
Mikhail Aristov has spent the last however many hundreds of years living a pretty solitary and tether-less existence and what initially starts as a harmless blood donating hook-up in one of Los Angeles, hottest night clubs soon spirals into something completely different. Mikhail’s not so random victim is actually hustling him, and while his left hand is in her pants and his fangs are in her neck, she lifting his rather expensive designed watch off his right wrist!
Claire Thompson (great name for a heroine by the way!) hasn’t had the easiest time of things, living hand to mouth, working day-to-day as a waitress, and hustling to make rent do not make for the most stress-free of existences…One more mark, and it’s the straight and narrow for her, sadly the tethering of their souls, and said marks belief that she is his one true love, mean her plans go slightly awry. Add to that a team of Sortiari, Berserkers are heading straight for L.A. to try and kill Mikhail and the last of his followers, and Claire is definitely in the ‘wrong-place, wrong-time’ kind of situation.
”I always follow through… If you insist on testing me, be prepared for the consequences.”
There is a lot going on in this book, a lot of characters are introduced into the plot as things develop, I liked that, Kate has done an excellent job in ‘setting the scene’ and if future books are as good as The Last True Vampire then sign me up. Action, adventure, off the charts hot sex, great characters, and an unusual twist on a well thumbed set of tropes made this book one I would happily go back to and read again.
”It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a few supernatural assassins to keep me from you.”
Ronan’s book; The Warrior Vampire is due December 15, it will certainly make my Christmas come early when I get my hands on it!
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.
I absolutely adored The Last True Vampire, I won’t say it is a huge surprise, because I loved its predecessor Stripped Bear, Kate Baxter can write and write really, really well. This story, the characters, the plot, the speed of how everything unwound and developed were all absolutely perfectly paced and described. I love me some PNR, and Vampires are up there with my favorites, add in a sassy take-no-shit heroine and I was a pretty happy camper throughout this whole book.
”I could be more trouble than I’m worth, you know.”
Mikhail Aristov has spent the last however many hundreds of years living a pretty solitary and tether-less existence and what initially starts as a harmless blood donating hook-up in one of Los Angeles, hottest night clubs soon spirals into something completely different. Mikhail’s not so random victim is actually hustling him, and while his left hand is in her pants and his fangs are in her neck, she lifting his rather expensive designed watch off his right wrist!
Claire Thompson (great name for a heroine by the way!) hasn’t had the easiest time of things, living hand to mouth, working day-to-day as a waitress, and hustling to make rent do not make for the most stress-free of existences…One more mark, and it’s the straight and narrow for her, sadly the tethering of their souls, and said marks belief that she is his one true love, mean her plans go slightly awry. Add to that a team of Sortiari, Berserkers are heading straight for L.A. to try and kill Mikhail and the last of his followers, and Claire is definitely in the ‘wrong-place, wrong-time’ kind of situation.
”I always follow through… If you insist on testing me, be prepared for the consequences.”
There is a lot going on in this book, a lot of characters are introduced into the plot as things develop, I liked that, Kate has done an excellent job in ‘setting the scene’ and if future books are as good as The Last True Vampire then sign me up. Action, adventure, off the charts hot sex, great characters, and an unusual twist on a well thumbed set of tropes made this book one I would happily go back to and read again.
”It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a few supernatural assassins to keep me from you.”
Ronan’s book; The Warrior Vampire is due December 15, it will certainly make my Christmas come early when I get my hands on it!
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.
August 6, 2015
Baxter revives the fiercest of the paranormal creatures with the THE LAST TRUE VAMPIRE. This book has all the components that I love about a great Paranormal Romance. It even reminds me of one of my most read novels of all time, Dark Lover by J.R. Ward. Michael Aristov is the last vampire in a dying breed. When a chance meeting ignites a mating bond of sorts, Michael wants nothing more than to complain his made. The only thing is Claire Thompson doesn’t know anything about the world. Or him.
Claire is a sweet loving girl. She kind of reminds me of Beth of Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. While still fiercely independent, Claire also has this vulnerability to her that makes her relatable. And yet despite that, things turn hot in an instant whenever Michael and Claire are together. That’s what I love about Paranormal Romance; there’s this intensity and rawness to them that adds depth and darkness to the story. I think Baxter captured this well. Her writing is eloquent and engaging and very much fitting to the genre. I’m looking forward to see what she has planned next for the series.
October 20, 2015
2.75 stars
A very 'meh' read...Couldn't really bring myself to care for any of the characters :/
A very 'meh' read...Couldn't really bring myself to care for any of the characters :/
May 22, 2015
This is the Vampire book I've been waiting for!!! Several of my favourite vamp series have ended in the last 18 months and I was left longing for a new series to follow and have not had any luck...well until now! I'm really excited I found this on Netgalley and they gave it to me in exchange for an honest review. *does the happy dance*
The Last True Vampire is the beginning of a new series by a brand new author Kate Baxter. You need to make note of her name because if the series keeps going as this first book indicates her name will be spoken along side Jeaniene Frost and Charlene Harris. Yes, as you can tell I loved the book it gave me a bit of "cat and bones" feel. Now, as with any good PNR/UF novel the first book has to do a lot of world building and character introduction and this novel is no different however at no time did I find myself distracted because of that, in fact Kate Baxter is an extremely talented writer who by the way gives no indication that she is a first time writer. The writing and crafting of the story is well done and her creation of characters makes them fully dimensional. I really liked that neither the hawt alpha male made mistakes and that the kick-ass heroine was always as street smart as she thought she was, these faults make the characters more "human" and lets the reader relate to them on a more even ground.
Let me get into a few specifics and mention why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5....
The world building as I mentioned was well done with lots of room to grow as the series expands. I know more of the world will be revealed in the next book "Ronan's story". Michael/Mikhail is a great vamp alpha hero has all the traits I love in a vamp, He is possessive, controlling, and just divine! I loved that he handled Claire all wrong at the beginning. Claire was Kick-ass and used to being independent and has taken care of herself for many years she also comes from poverty and is only scrapping by....The secondary characters did lend some humour to the plot and were given enough page space to make us want to know more. There is also still lots of room to introduce more new characters to the story. The Villains...of which I think there are three with 2 loosely connected were wonderful to hate!! The sex was major steamy and on the rough side...hawt and not over done! It worked into the plot...did NOT have the plot created around the sex like in so many books. Ok, my 2 issues and although neither of them were huge they bugged me. First, we had too much repetition during the inner dialogues of both lead characters. I hate when the same thing is pointed out several times in a book. If the reader is paying attention then they will remember....if they are not it will probably be a DNF for them. The second issue was loose threads...why were they even introduced unless of course she plans on using them in further novels ...in this case *minor spoiler* Why was Mikhail's previous lover brought up a number of times and why did Claire have the specific memory of her and Mikhail together and him expressing his feelings for her??? This was not addressed in this novel and it drove me nuts. I hope it is addressed in the next.
This is a novel that exceeded my expectations and blew them outta the water! I can see that Kate Baxter has a bright future in writing and I can't wait for the next book in this series. I give it 4 shining, blinking stars and a t'irla recommendation...get in on the beginning because this is going to be a series to watch as well as an author to put on your auto buy list! Or your Pre order list as this book will be out June 2nd 2015 so make it your first summer read of the season!!!
The Last True Vampire is the beginning of a new series by a brand new author Kate Baxter. You need to make note of her name because if the series keeps going as this first book indicates her name will be spoken along side Jeaniene Frost and Charlene Harris. Yes, as you can tell I loved the book it gave me a bit of "cat and bones" feel. Now, as with any good PNR/UF novel the first book has to do a lot of world building and character introduction and this novel is no different however at no time did I find myself distracted because of that, in fact Kate Baxter is an extremely talented writer who by the way gives no indication that she is a first time writer. The writing and crafting of the story is well done and her creation of characters makes them fully dimensional. I really liked that neither the hawt alpha male made mistakes and that the kick-ass heroine was always as street smart as she thought she was, these faults make the characters more "human" and lets the reader relate to them on a more even ground.
Let me get into a few specifics and mention why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5....
The world building as I mentioned was well done with lots of room to grow as the series expands. I know more of the world will be revealed in the next book "Ronan's story". Michael/Mikhail is a great vamp alpha hero has all the traits I love in a vamp, He is possessive, controlling, and just divine! I loved that he handled Claire all wrong at the beginning. Claire was Kick-ass and used to being independent and has taken care of herself for many years she also comes from poverty and is only scrapping by....The secondary characters did lend some humour to the plot and were given enough page space to make us want to know more. There is also still lots of room to introduce more new characters to the story. The Villains...of which I think there are three with 2 loosely connected were wonderful to hate!! The sex was major steamy and on the rough side...hawt and not over done! It worked into the plot...did NOT have the plot created around the sex like in so many books. Ok, my 2 issues and although neither of them were huge they bugged me. First, we had too much repetition during the inner dialogues of both lead characters. I hate when the same thing is pointed out several times in a book. If the reader is paying attention then they will remember....if they are not it will probably be a DNF for them. The second issue was loose threads...why were they even introduced unless of course she plans on using them in further novels ...in this case *minor spoiler* Why was Mikhail's previous lover brought up a number of times and why did Claire have the specific memory of her and Mikhail together and him expressing his feelings for her??? This was not addressed in this novel and it drove me nuts. I hope it is addressed in the next.
This is a novel that exceeded my expectations and blew them outta the water! I can see that Kate Baxter has a bright future in writing and I can't wait for the next book in this series. I give it 4 shining, blinking stars and a t'irla recommendation...get in on the beginning because this is going to be a series to watch as well as an author to put on your auto buy list! Or your Pre order list as this book will be out June 2nd 2015 so make it your first summer read of the season!!!
May 21, 2015
4 1/2 stars, Michael is the last vampire, there was a time when there were many vampires but the Sortiari killed everyone but him. Now Michael lives with the memories of all of the vampires and he is soulless till he finds his mate and the Dhampis wait for his mate to be found so that they an be turned into vampires and the vampires can rise again. One night while at a club to feed Michael smells a scent he can't ignore and when he see's Claire and feeds from her he knows he has finally found his mate and his soul has been returned to him.
This is Claire's last hustle, she needs this to not only make rent but to survive, going out and spending too much Claire see's Michael. He is beautiful and obviously rich but he is also high and her last hustle. Even though she has her rules for hustling Claire seems to be breaking them all with Michael when she gets close to him and she can't deny the attraction that is stronger than anything she has ever felt before. After an intense night Claire knows she has to leave before it's too late so Claire leaves.
Now that Michael has found Claire he has no intentions of letting her go till his friend accidentally gets in the way and Claire gets away. Claire is all Michael can think of and now that he has met her he knows he can't live without her. The meeting with Michael threw Claire and she's left shaken, knowing she needed to leave the club now all she can think about is finding him till the Sortiari find her. Seeing a man disguised as a priest Claire knows right away not to trust him and she also knows he wants to do her harm. Searching everywhere for Claire Michael finally finds her and neither can or want to deny their feelings anymore even if Claire doesn't understand them, but when Michael and Claire are reunited the Sortiari are there as well to stop it all.
But Claire knows things aren't right and she wants the truth, and Though Michael knows Claire is his destiny knowing she is human scares him more than anything. As Michael try's to grow closer to Claire he feels her pulling away and all Michael can think about is keeping her safe and with him while he makes plans for the future of the vampire race But as Michael makes plans he also makes decisions for Claire that scare her and make her question her decisions to be with Michael and Claire finds herself making some of her own, but their decisions may have consequences neither could imagine while the Sortiari make plans of their own to get rid of the last true vampire.
I really, really liked this book for a time there was more than enough great vampire romances but for the last few years I feel like I can't find any that gave me the great feeling I had when I first started reading paranormal romance. This book gave me all of that back and then some, I didn't want to put it down and it was one of those books you just couldn't get enough of. The storylines were great and the beginning of a great new series, the world building was amazing and the stuff of a series that can withstand many books to come without getting old or tiresome and repetitive.
Michael was a great hero he was possessive of any many who he thought wanted his mate or any man he thought had her interest or attention. Once Michael met Claire she was it and even though he at times made stupid designs he did it to protect and have Claire. Claire was the perfect heroine for Michael she was smart and strong and she wasn't a push over, Claire has to be many things to be the new queen of the vampire race and she was and then some. This book is filled with tons of great and interesting side characters that will be great heroes in the future. The next book is about Ronan, Michaels friend and I loved him but the man makes some stupid choices to help Michael so I think it will be really interesting to see how his book turns out. I have to say the woman who he lets use him to help Michael got on my last nerve. I'm glad she isn't the heroine of book two because I'm not sure I could stomach that.
**small spoiler** My only complaint that just started grated on my nerves was the mention of Michael's ex who is long dead. I got her being mentioned but why was she brought up more than once, and crap really he dreamed about her thats a big no, no for me even though it's explained I just didn't want it in the book. It left me confused and frustrated because I didn't see the point to keep bringing her back up and it was left feeling unfinished or a why was that here type thing. She wasn't his mate and comments were made that she wasn't his mate and he wanted his mate but at the same time he was worried she wasn't his mate, and it was more lust than tender emotions but why the dream, I just would have preferred this left out and maybe a mention that he wasn't celebrate before the heroine but not the specifics. And yes he says Claire is it but I just wish the ex hadn't been brought up more than once the hero even says he feels bad more that the vampire race was killed than the ow specifically being dead but still.. **small spoiler/rant over**
Having said that that's is a pet peeve of mine but I don't think it overshadowed Michael and Claire at all I just get funny with that ( and yes I take it to the extreme)as most know who have read any of my reviews. I still completely loved this book and I'm so glad I found this and the prequel. I recommend reading them both because they are both so great but you can easily read one of them and not be confused or lost but I do highly recommend reading them both. This is a series I am really excited to see how it goes and grows. I think Kate Baxter did an amazing job with this book. She easily creates a magical world I was sucked into and loved every minute of.
I was so impressed with this first time author you would never think in a million years after reading this or the prequel that she hasn't written tons of books before this one. In short there just wasn't much that wasn't perfect in this book. If you love a great romance or if you are a paranormal romance fan I can't recommend this book enough. Kate Baxter hit this one out of the park, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Thank you NetGallery and St. Martin's Press for this ARC
This is Claire's last hustle, she needs this to not only make rent but to survive, going out and spending too much Claire see's Michael. He is beautiful and obviously rich but he is also high and her last hustle. Even though she has her rules for hustling Claire seems to be breaking them all with Michael when she gets close to him and she can't deny the attraction that is stronger than anything she has ever felt before. After an intense night Claire knows she has to leave before it's too late so Claire leaves.
Now that Michael has found Claire he has no intentions of letting her go till his friend accidentally gets in the way and Claire gets away. Claire is all Michael can think of and now that he has met her he knows he can't live without her. The meeting with Michael threw Claire and she's left shaken, knowing she needed to leave the club now all she can think about is finding him till the Sortiari find her. Seeing a man disguised as a priest Claire knows right away not to trust him and she also knows he wants to do her harm. Searching everywhere for Claire Michael finally finds her and neither can or want to deny their feelings anymore even if Claire doesn't understand them, but when Michael and Claire are reunited the Sortiari are there as well to stop it all.
But Claire knows things aren't right and she wants the truth, and Though Michael knows Claire is his destiny knowing she is human scares him more than anything. As Michael try's to grow closer to Claire he feels her pulling away and all Michael can think about is keeping her safe and with him while he makes plans for the future of the vampire race But as Michael makes plans he also makes decisions for Claire that scare her and make her question her decisions to be with Michael and Claire finds herself making some of her own, but their decisions may have consequences neither could imagine while the Sortiari make plans of their own to get rid of the last true vampire.
I really, really liked this book for a time there was more than enough great vampire romances but for the last few years I feel like I can't find any that gave me the great feeling I had when I first started reading paranormal romance. This book gave me all of that back and then some, I didn't want to put it down and it was one of those books you just couldn't get enough of. The storylines were great and the beginning of a great new series, the world building was amazing and the stuff of a series that can withstand many books to come without getting old or tiresome and repetitive.
Michael was a great hero he was possessive of any many who he thought wanted his mate or any man he thought had her interest or attention. Once Michael met Claire she was it and even though he at times made stupid designs he did it to protect and have Claire. Claire was the perfect heroine for Michael she was smart and strong and she wasn't a push over, Claire has to be many things to be the new queen of the vampire race and she was and then some. This book is filled with tons of great and interesting side characters that will be great heroes in the future. The next book is about Ronan, Michaels friend and I loved him but the man makes some stupid choices to help Michael so I think it will be really interesting to see how his book turns out. I have to say the woman who he lets use him to help Michael got on my last nerve. I'm glad she isn't the heroine of book two because I'm not sure I could stomach that.
**small spoiler** My only complaint that just started grated on my nerves was the mention of Michael's ex who is long dead. I got her being mentioned but why was she brought up more than once, and crap really he dreamed about her thats a big no, no for me even though it's explained I just didn't want it in the book. It left me confused and frustrated because I didn't see the point to keep bringing her back up and it was left feeling unfinished or a why was that here type thing. She wasn't his mate and comments were made that she wasn't his mate and he wanted his mate but at the same time he was worried she wasn't his mate, and it was more lust than tender emotions but why the dream, I just would have preferred this left out and maybe a mention that he wasn't celebrate before the heroine but not the specifics. And yes he says Claire is it but I just wish the ex hadn't been brought up more than once the hero even says he feels bad more that the vampire race was killed than the ow specifically being dead but still.. **small spoiler/rant over**
Having said that that's is a pet peeve of mine but I don't think it overshadowed Michael and Claire at all I just get funny with that ( and yes I take it to the extreme)as most know who have read any of my reviews. I still completely loved this book and I'm so glad I found this and the prequel. I recommend reading them both because they are both so great but you can easily read one of them and not be confused or lost but I do highly recommend reading them both. This is a series I am really excited to see how it goes and grows. I think Kate Baxter did an amazing job with this book. She easily creates a magical world I was sucked into and loved every minute of.
I was so impressed with this first time author you would never think in a million years after reading this or the prequel that she hasn't written tons of books before this one. In short there just wasn't much that wasn't perfect in this book. If you love a great romance or if you are a paranormal romance fan I can't recommend this book enough. Kate Baxter hit this one out of the park, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Thank you NetGallery and St. Martin's Press for this ARC
May 22, 2016
3.5 stars
Ancient, last standing vampire Mikhail Aristov meets simple human Claire at a club and has an instant bloodlust. What follows is a series of introducing her to the world of vampires and the concept of 'mates' while Mikhail tries to bring back the legacy of vampires. Short paranormal read with a LOT of sexy times. No cliffhangers however the main plot continues in the second book.
Ancient, last standing vampire Mikhail Aristov meets simple human Claire at a club and has an instant bloodlust. What follows is a series of introducing her to the world of vampires and the concept of 'mates' while Mikhail tries to bring back the legacy of vampires. Short paranormal read with a LOT of sexy times. No cliffhangers however the main plot continues in the second book.
April 8, 2015
Seriously. Hot. Damn. Killer worldbuilding, a heat level Demonica fans would appreciate, an alpha male who isn’t perfect, and a heroine with some steel to her spine.
August 18, 2015
The vampire race has been driven to the edge of extinction by the Sortiari, an ancient sect who believe themselves the Guardians of Fate. As the last Ancient One, the fate of all vampires and possible vampires (called dhampirs) rests on Mikhail’s shoulders. As he heads out to feed at an LA nightclub, he senses his true mate. Claire is a hustler, doing what she needs to do to survive. When she sees a clearly rich looking man who seems to be high, she decides to rob him blind. She doesn’t expect to tether his soul and meet her mate. But you know, romance happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
New to me author : I’ve really enjoyed Ms. Baxter’s take on vampire mythology. I read the prequel, of sorts (Stripped Bear, which that title? Still don’t get) and the ‘verse is an interesting one. It is, by far, the highlight of the series and keeps me coming back for more. Her writing style appeals to me, and I’ve enjoyed the chemistry she’s created between Mikhail and Claire.
Mikhail and Claire’s insta-love : Insta-love is harder than you’d think to pull off. Many times, it’s thrown out there as “these two characters are fated, connected, can’t stay away from each other” without alot of time spent to really develop it. As the reader, you’re supposed to accept it and move on. Here, Mikhail’s instant desire for Claire, his frantic search for her and Claire’s reaction to Mikhail as well, was compelling because Ms. Baxter really managed to write their attraction in a way that drew me in and kept my attention.
Lots o’sexy sex and blood : Well it is a vampire romance, so there’s gonna be blood. There’s lots of both, and it works.
SPOILERY BITS
This next bit is a little spoilery in nature, so if you’re not into that, skip to the next heading...if you’re into it, read on.
END OF SPOILERY BITS
More details on the ‘verse please : I would have liked to have seen more regarding the Sortiari and their reasons for believing themselves the Guardians. Delving into their history would enhance this story, flesh it out beyond the insta-love romance and give it a richness that could elevate this into a great paranormal series. The potential is there.
The Bottom Line (3.5 stars)
I enjoyed the majority of the book. Issues with certain actions aside, Ms. Baxter has managed to create a ‘verse with alot of potential that I’ve really enjoyed exploring. I would definitely read the next one.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
New to me author : I’ve really enjoyed Ms. Baxter’s take on vampire mythology. I read the prequel, of sorts (Stripped Bear, which that title? Still don’t get) and the ‘verse is an interesting one. It is, by far, the highlight of the series and keeps me coming back for more. Her writing style appeals to me, and I’ve enjoyed the chemistry she’s created between Mikhail and Claire.
Mikhail and Claire’s insta-love : Insta-love is harder than you’d think to pull off. Many times, it’s thrown out there as “these two characters are fated, connected, can’t stay away from each other” without alot of time spent to really develop it. As the reader, you’re supposed to accept it and move on. Here, Mikhail’s instant desire for Claire, his frantic search for her and Claire’s reaction to Mikhail as well, was compelling because Ms. Baxter really managed to write their attraction in a way that drew me in and kept my attention.
Lots o’sexy sex and blood : Well it is a vampire romance, so there’s gonna be blood. There’s lots of both, and it works.
SPOILERY BITS
This next bit is a little spoilery in nature, so if you’re not into that, skip to the next heading...if you’re into it, read on.
END OF SPOILERY BITS
More details on the ‘verse please : I would have liked to have seen more regarding the Sortiari and their reasons for believing themselves the Guardians. Delving into their history would enhance this story, flesh it out beyond the insta-love romance and give it a richness that could elevate this into a great paranormal series. The potential is there.
The Bottom Line (3.5 stars)
I enjoyed the majority of the book. Issues with certain actions aside, Ms. Baxter has managed to create a ‘verse with alot of potential that I’ve really enjoyed exploring. I would definitely read the next one.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
August 25, 2015
Michael is the last of his kind, the only ancient vampire to survive the slayers who set out to eliminate his race. He survived their torture but has never forgiven himself for the deaths of his brethren and he has been punishing himself ever since by refusing to feed as much as he required and by keeping himself apart from the dhampirs who think of him as their king. Michael is the only one who can repopulate the vampire race and he can only do that if he finds his true mate, the one woman who will return his soul and give him the strength to start turning dhampirs. After searching for centuries he's pretty much given up hope but all his prayers are answered when he stumbles upon Claire in a nightclub. Her blood draws him like no other but it takes him a while to realise how important she is to him and she gets away before he can stop her. Now the race is on to track her down before his enemies can harm her.
I had incredibly high expectations when I picked up The Last True Vampire, let's face it when a book is compared to works by four of your favourite authors (Nalini Singh, Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione and J.R. Ward) you're going to be looking for greatness. Unfortunately I think that did this book a disservice because it was almost bound to be a disappointment. It's actually a pretty solid start and I have high hopes that Kate Baxter will build on these foundations to create a wonderful series but there were issues with this first instalment that meant I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
Let's start with the positive. The author has managed to put her own twist on vampire mythology, you can tell the series has been inspired by some of the author's mentioned previously but it stands on it's own enough for that not to be a problem. I'm intrigued by the connection between the vampires and dhampirs although I'm still not 100% sure I understand it fully and am hoping we'll get more information about that as the series continues. Usually the vampire society is well established at the start of a series so I'm definitely interested to see how Michael will go about rebuilding an entire race and I think seeing things from the ground up will add an interesting element to these books.
One of the things I missed the most was having a solid group of core characters who are going to be central to the series though. When we first meet Michael he very much keeps himself to himself and there is only really one dhampir who he trusts. I did enjoy the bond he had with Ronan and it looks like Ronan has a group of warriors he trusts so the cast is bound to expand thanks to him but since Michael is supposed to be the king I felt he should have been the core member of the group and the one that everyone relied on.
I actually had a lot of issues with Michael to begin with, the way he treated Claire in the beginning was despicable and a complete turn off, he constantly left her in the dark and refused to answer any of her questions so it was no wonder she found it hard to trust him. At one point he used mind control to put her to sleep for THREE WHOLE DAYS just so he didn't have to deal with her - he didn't even wake her up to feed or drink so it's a wonder she even survived! After everything he puts her through I struggled to believe the romance that develops between them even after he realised his mistakes and worked hard to turn things around. Claire was an interesting character, she starts out strong and street smart but it did seem like her connection to Michael effectively removed her brain and she started making more and more stupid decisions the longer she'd known him. To be fair they both turned things around eventually and I was happy with the way things turned out but I could have enjoyed the whole book much more if they hadn't been such idiots. I don't mind the whole fated mates thing in paranormal romance but I do like to feel that there is more than just a physical attraction between them and I'd have liked more of a slow build into a full on relationship.
In spite of the problems I had with this book I definitely want to carry on reading the series. Ronan was my favourite character all along, although I have to admit the side story with him and another dhampir Siobhan actually turned my stomach, so I was excited to find out he will be the hero of the next book. I'm kind of nervous to see how it plays out because of his connection to Siobhan but since I know she isn't going to be the heroine I'm hoping we won't have to see too much of her. If Kate Baxter can build on the positives and avoid some of the issues then I think I could really fall in love with this series so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed when I pick up a copy of The Warrior Vampire.
I had incredibly high expectations when I picked up The Last True Vampire, let's face it when a book is compared to works by four of your favourite authors (Nalini Singh, Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione and J.R. Ward) you're going to be looking for greatness. Unfortunately I think that did this book a disservice because it was almost bound to be a disappointment. It's actually a pretty solid start and I have high hopes that Kate Baxter will build on these foundations to create a wonderful series but there were issues with this first instalment that meant I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
Let's start with the positive. The author has managed to put her own twist on vampire mythology, you can tell the series has been inspired by some of the author's mentioned previously but it stands on it's own enough for that not to be a problem. I'm intrigued by the connection between the vampires and dhampirs although I'm still not 100% sure I understand it fully and am hoping we'll get more information about that as the series continues. Usually the vampire society is well established at the start of a series so I'm definitely interested to see how Michael will go about rebuilding an entire race and I think seeing things from the ground up will add an interesting element to these books.
One of the things I missed the most was having a solid group of core characters who are going to be central to the series though. When we first meet Michael he very much keeps himself to himself and there is only really one dhampir who he trusts. I did enjoy the bond he had with Ronan and it looks like Ronan has a group of warriors he trusts so the cast is bound to expand thanks to him but since Michael is supposed to be the king I felt he should have been the core member of the group and the one that everyone relied on.
I actually had a lot of issues with Michael to begin with, the way he treated Claire in the beginning was despicable and a complete turn off, he constantly left her in the dark and refused to answer any of her questions so it was no wonder she found it hard to trust him. At one point he used mind control to put her to sleep for THREE WHOLE DAYS just so he didn't have to deal with her - he didn't even wake her up to feed or drink so it's a wonder she even survived! After everything he puts her through I struggled to believe the romance that develops between them even after he realised his mistakes and worked hard to turn things around. Claire was an interesting character, she starts out strong and street smart but it did seem like her connection to Michael effectively removed her brain and she started making more and more stupid decisions the longer she'd known him. To be fair they both turned things around eventually and I was happy with the way things turned out but I could have enjoyed the whole book much more if they hadn't been such idiots. I don't mind the whole fated mates thing in paranormal romance but I do like to feel that there is more than just a physical attraction between them and I'd have liked more of a slow build into a full on relationship.
In spite of the problems I had with this book I definitely want to carry on reading the series. Ronan was my favourite character all along, although I have to admit the side story with him and another dhampir Siobhan actually turned my stomach, so I was excited to find out he will be the hero of the next book. I'm kind of nervous to see how it plays out because of his connection to Siobhan but since I know she isn't going to be the heroine I'm hoping we won't have to see too much of her. If Kate Baxter can build on the positives and avoid some of the issues then I think I could really fall in love with this series so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed when I pick up a copy of The Warrior Vampire.
June 2, 2015
The title, the cover and the synopsis....wow I couldn't wait to start this book it sounded like the perfect book for me.
Michael Aristov is the last true vampire, the king of his race, the last of the Ancient Ones all the rest were tortured and slaughtered by the Sortiari two and a half centuries ago, Mikhail (Michael) himself was tortured endlessly and then left for dead his existence now is just that he exists, he has no spark left in him he's drifting making himself suffer by going twenty, thirty days between feeds, being the last of the Ancients means he's the sole carrier of the collective memory, the memories of all the ones before and it's a heavy almost impossible burden to carry and as if that wasn't enough he also carries the hunger of an entire race and he's exhausted.
If he's the last true vampire then what's the race who's hunger weighs him down? The answer is the dhampirs, these are born and in order for them to become vampires they need to be drained and then fed from the vein of a vampire, Michael is the last one and not strong enough alone because he's untethered.
In this book the soul is given up when they change, their soul is lost to oblivion until they find their mate and once they do their soul is returned.
Desperate to feed and long overdue Michael finds himself in a popular nightclub when suddenly he's overcome with emotion, it explodes inside him and the empty void he's carried for so long is finally filled, he's scented his mate.
His mate is Claire Thompson, she's a fiercely independent woman who's had and continues to have an awful life but despite the dreadful hand she's been dealt she retains her warmth and humanity. She's a fighter, strong and stubborn and while she works as a waitress she doesn't earn nearly enough to survive so she hustles and picks pockets when necessary.
Sounds good....yes it sounds fantastic so what went wrong...
Firstly Michael, I know he's suffered but he was just too whiny and self pitying for me I like more of a take action alpha male not someone who can't be bothered because he feels sorry for himself, ok maybe that's a bit unfair he's been through so much but I just found it depressing and repetitive in places and I had to repeatedly stop myself from skimming.
Claire, although I loved her early on she started to grate on me and she did a couple of things which were on the verge of being TSTL and I mean seriously she's not a stupid woman, she's street smart and should have known better, since I don't want to make this a spoiler review I'll leave it there.
This is not a bad book and maybe my expectations were just too high but when I'd finished I felt disappointed.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
September 19, 2016
Unfortunately this book just didn't work for me. I'm actually surprised that I didn't DNF yet, but I kept hoping I would start to enjoy it.
I didn't like the hero, especially not his high-handed ways, and I didn't like that the heroine didn't put up a bigger fight. I mean, he compelled her to sleep for three days because she kept trying to escape after he kidnapped her, and she barely stayed mad at him for this, and then she slept with him the same day she awoke from this induced sleep. WTH? There just wasn't anything romantic about how they felt about each other, it was just lust and the fact that they were supposedly mates. I will say that the sex was quite hot, but that was about it.
September 4, 2017
Dipping my toe back into the PNR world and Baxter is a great voice in the genre. Continuing to book 2.
June 5, 2015
Claire Thompson is swept into a world in which darkness rules desire and where falling in love in the greatest danger of all – the world of the Last True Vampire in this exhilarating vampire romance.
Dark desires and pulse pounding excitement draws the reader into an exhilarating and dangerous world as Michael finds sweet salvation in the form of his mate but discovers that she’s only human. The strong enthralling characters demand your attention as sparks fly in every direction when Michaels underestimates Claire and despite her burning attraction for Michaels fights him every step of the way. The fast paced and smooth flowing plot thrills readers with lots of suspense, action and romance and the emotional angst adds depth and grips the heart while hot and steamy sex scenes add lots of sizzling passion.
Expectation and excitement builds as the vampire’s enemies strike once again and the danger continues to escalate throughout the story while Michael struggles to reconcile his relationship, desires and Claire’s being human. Meanwhile, there is tension building in other parts of the vampire world as not all of the dhampir’s agree with Michael being their king and cause some heated encounters as well. The well written scenes and details capture the imagination and bring the story to vibrant life while the well-orchestrated events ensure that there is never a dull moment and some unexpected surprises keep the readers guessing.
The author has taken the more traditional vampire lore and weaves in a few unique twists to spice things up and created a fascinating sensual vampire world full of captivating and sexy characters that make the heart pound and pulse race with delicious anticipation. I was positively enthralled by it and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
4 ½ STARS
Dark desires and pulse pounding excitement draws the reader into an exhilarating and dangerous world as Michael finds sweet salvation in the form of his mate but discovers that she’s only human. The strong enthralling characters demand your attention as sparks fly in every direction when Michaels underestimates Claire and despite her burning attraction for Michaels fights him every step of the way. The fast paced and smooth flowing plot thrills readers with lots of suspense, action and romance and the emotional angst adds depth and grips the heart while hot and steamy sex scenes add lots of sizzling passion.
Expectation and excitement builds as the vampire’s enemies strike once again and the danger continues to escalate throughout the story while Michael struggles to reconcile his relationship, desires and Claire’s being human. Meanwhile, there is tension building in other parts of the vampire world as not all of the dhampir’s agree with Michael being their king and cause some heated encounters as well. The well written scenes and details capture the imagination and bring the story to vibrant life while the well-orchestrated events ensure that there is never a dull moment and some unexpected surprises keep the readers guessing.
The author has taken the more traditional vampire lore and weaves in a few unique twists to spice things up and created a fascinating sensual vampire world full of captivating and sexy characters that make the heart pound and pulse race with delicious anticipation. I was positively enthralled by it and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
4 ½ STARS
June 3, 2015
I gave it 3.5 stars
THE LAST TRUE VAMPIRE has a very interesting blurb and I quickly got into the storyline when I started reading.
Claire is just getting by as a waitress, but her side job as a pick pocket and hustler makes it so she has a little extra. I had no problem instantly liking her. We find out that she is very loyal and caring with a backbone to boot. Michael has a lot going for him, but it took me a bit to care about him and what happened to him. He has a long and difficult (and pretty hellish) past which leaves him as the only true vampire left.
I wasn't crazy about the relationship between Claire and Michael for a good chunk of the book. He was kinda an a-hole and treated her like she was just a blood bag even though he truly wanted her and had strong feelings for her. I get that he is old and hasn't had a relationship in a really long time, but come on, how can you not know to treat a woman that knows NOTHING about your world and is a scared better than that. It bothered me. He did get better and he did grow, but that was always my first impression of their relationship.
NOW I really enjoyed the secondary characters in THE LAST TRUE VAMPIRE and the world building was pretty good. The danger was heart pounding and there was a nice pace throughout the story. There were plenty of twists thrown in as well and I really enjoyed the point in which the couple were finally on the same page. My favorite secondary character, Ronan, will be featured in book 2, so I plan to pick it up when it's available.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
THE LAST TRUE VAMPIRE has a very interesting blurb and I quickly got into the storyline when I started reading.
Claire is just getting by as a waitress, but her side job as a pick pocket and hustler makes it so she has a little extra. I had no problem instantly liking her. We find out that she is very loyal and caring with a backbone to boot. Michael has a lot going for him, but it took me a bit to care about him and what happened to him. He has a long and difficult (and pretty hellish) past which leaves him as the only true vampire left.
I wasn't crazy about the relationship between Claire and Michael for a good chunk of the book. He was kinda an a-hole and treated her like she was just a blood bag even though he truly wanted her and had strong feelings for her. I get that he is old and hasn't had a relationship in a really long time, but come on, how can you not know to treat a woman that knows NOTHING about your world and is a scared better than that. It bothered me. He did get better and he did grow, but that was always my first impression of their relationship.
NOW I really enjoyed the secondary characters in THE LAST TRUE VAMPIRE and the world building was pretty good. The danger was heart pounding and there was a nice pace throughout the story. There were plenty of twists thrown in as well and I really enjoyed the point in which the couple were finally on the same page. My favorite secondary character, Ronan, will be featured in book 2, so I plan to pick it up when it's available.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2015
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books
After centuries of barely living as a soulless creature of the night, Mikhail has finally found the keeper of his soul. The one person created to be his mate and return his soul to him. Unfortunately for him, she's a human.
Baxter gives us everything we look for in a new series. Hot, potential heroes abound as do villains set to destroy everything they've built. What was most surprising was the fluidity of Baxter's story. The overall flow of the characters and story line was practically flawless. So much so that I found it difficult to believe this is only this author's second published book.
I enjoyed it so much, that this book would have been a solid five if not for a heroine who continuously put herself in danger even knowing what was waiting out there for her. I mean who does that? She's been confronted at work, attacked on a crowded street, used as bait and almost killed. Yet somehow staying alive is only secondary to her independence.
Even secondary characters were fully developed with their own sub plots which UI hope develop into future books. Baxter is a completely new to me author, probably new to many people seeing as how this is only her second book. However, if The Last True Vampire is any indication of her writing style, I'll be keeping an eye out for future books by this author.
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
After centuries of barely living as a soulless creature of the night, Mikhail has finally found the keeper of his soul. The one person created to be his mate and return his soul to him. Unfortunately for him, she's a human.
Baxter gives us everything we look for in a new series. Hot, potential heroes abound as do villains set to destroy everything they've built. What was most surprising was the fluidity of Baxter's story. The overall flow of the characters and story line was practically flawless. So much so that I found it difficult to believe this is only this author's second published book.
I enjoyed it so much, that this book would have been a solid five if not for a heroine who continuously put herself in danger even knowing what was waiting out there for her. I mean who does that? She's been confronted at work, attacked on a crowded street, used as bait and almost killed. Yet somehow staying alive is only secondary to her independence.
Even secondary characters were fully developed with their own sub plots which UI hope develop into future books. Baxter is a completely new to me author, probably new to many people seeing as how this is only her second book. However, if The Last True Vampire is any indication of her writing style, I'll be keeping an eye out for future books by this author.
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
June 8, 2015
I liked the premise for this story but felt the world building was not fleshed out in a way that flowed well. It was a tad bit confusing at times. I really liked some of the supporting characters, in particular Ronan. My problem was that I just didn't like our couple. Michael was so overbearing, bossy and controlling. I never really like these kind of men in romance. I hated the way he treated Claire. I never really felt a connection between these two at all... the romance was lacking.
I am disappointed, I was looking forward to this one but if the connection isn't there then what else can you do? There are a lot of 5 star reviews for this book so perhaps it's just me. It happens...
Anyway... moving onward!
ARC was provided by St. Martin's Press
I am disappointed, I was looking forward to this one but if the connection isn't there then what else can you do? There are a lot of 5 star reviews for this book so perhaps it's just me. It happens...
Anyway... moving onward!
ARC was provided by St. Martin's Press
January 13, 2016
A good start to a new vamp series. I found it a little repetitive in places and it really annoyed me how Claire's . Anyway, I enjoyed it regardless and looking forward to reading book 2
August 12, 2015
Review-Jo 4,5 Stars
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"The Last True Vampire" was all about Michael Aristov, who was indeed the last vampire of his kind. Michael was living a lonely existence with the threat of his enemies always close by. When Michael stumbled upon Claire, their connection was impossible to resist, but obviously with Claire being human, this would cause a bunch of problems and Claire would have to live her life surrounded by darkness and danger. Claire's life really was turned upside down by meeting Michael.
I loved both of the main characters in this story. Michael was a big, beastly vampire with a beautiful heart. When he met Claire, he had at last found someone to live for. She truly brightened up his dark world and gave him hope for a happier future. I fell in love with Michael when I saw how lovingly he treated Claire. There is something so extra special with the way that a vampire falls in love. They are all so hot and passionate, and will protect their mate so fiercely. Their love consumes them. Male Vampires are the epitome of alpha and because I go crazy for an alpha man, I know that if I ever bumped into a vampire I would happily offer my throat to him! Lol.
Claire's life was pretty grim. She too was living alone with no family and very few friends. Claire was struggling through life so meeting Michael brought some much needed excitement into her world. I loved how Claire first reacted to meeting Michael. She made me laugh out loud when she was attempting to make sense of how Michael displayed vampire like features. She was so funny. Claire was a really likeable character. I loved watching her progression from the moment that realisation hit her to the moment when she began to embrace her true feelings for Michael and her place in the underworld. To be fair, she never really had a choice.
This book was a brilliant read, it was everything I expected a vampire story to be and more. It was smokin' hot, passionate, exciting and dangerous. It was fantastically written, with an engaging plot. I was easily transported into the dark and deadly underworld and loved every minute of being there. I also loved getting to know the other characters in this story and I am already looking forward to reading Ronan's book. This story can also be read as a standalone, although if you are like me you will want to continue with the series. I can't wait for more!
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"Our souls are tethered, love. Irrevocably braided into a single thread."I loved the sound of this book ever since I first heard about it via social media, and before you say it, It had nothing to do with the hot cover whatsoever! Lol! As soon as I got the opportunity, I got stuck in, excited for some steamy vampire action. If you love a good, sexy paranormal read, you are going to love this one.
As inexplicable as it may have seemed, he was tethered. His soul had found it's twin and this human belonged to him.
"The Last True Vampire" was all about Michael Aristov, who was indeed the last vampire of his kind. Michael was living a lonely existence with the threat of his enemies always close by. When Michael stumbled upon Claire, their connection was impossible to resist, but obviously with Claire being human, this would cause a bunch of problems and Claire would have to live her life surrounded by darkness and danger. Claire's life really was turned upside down by meeting Michael.
"You belong to me as surely as I am bound to you. And that knowledge will be my undoing as surely as any stake driven into my heart."
I loved both of the main characters in this story. Michael was a big, beastly vampire with a beautiful heart. When he met Claire, he had at last found someone to live for. She truly brightened up his dark world and gave him hope for a happier future. I fell in love with Michael when I saw how lovingly he treated Claire. There is something so extra special with the way that a vampire falls in love. They are all so hot and passionate, and will protect their mate so fiercely. Their love consumes them. Male Vampires are the epitome of alpha and because I go crazy for an alpha man, I know that if I ever bumped into a vampire I would happily offer my throat to him! Lol.
"No male save me will ever touch you, taste you, enjoy the pleasure of your body. You are mine, Claire. My mate."
Claire's life was pretty grim. She too was living alone with no family and very few friends. Claire was struggling through life so meeting Michael brought some much needed excitement into her world. I loved how Claire first reacted to meeting Michael. She made me laugh out loud when she was attempting to make sense of how Michael displayed vampire like features. She was so funny. Claire was a really likeable character. I loved watching her progression from the moment that realisation hit her to the moment when she began to embrace her true feelings for Michael and her place in the underworld. To be fair, she never really had a choice.
"What am I to you? You know, besides meals on wheels."
"What are you to me? Claire, you are everything."
This book was a brilliant read, it was everything I expected a vampire story to be and more. It was smokin' hot, passionate, exciting and dangerous. It was fantastically written, with an engaging plot. I was easily transported into the dark and deadly underworld and loved every minute of being there. I also loved getting to know the other characters in this story and I am already looking forward to reading Ronan's book. This story can also be read as a standalone, although if you are like me you will want to continue with the series. I can't wait for more!
"Not until now, not until this moment, have I known what it is to truly love something.""The Last True Vampire" gets ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ from me.
October 16, 2015
I’m always on the lookout for a new adult paranormal romance series and so when I notice a book that is being compared to the likes of J.R Ward, I find myself intrigued straight away so of course The Last True Vampire intrigued me.
Katy Baxter has kick her new series off with a bang and we’re immediately thrown into the lives of Claire and Michael.
Michael is the last true king of the vampire race after everyone else was destroyed by the slayers centuries ago. Since then, he’s been tormented by his past and because of his weaken state, he is trying to avoid the Dhamphirs that are relying on him to turn them but it will remain that way until he finds his mate.
Claire is a human girl who works a dead end job as a waitress. Struggling to make ends meet Claire has no other choice but turn to her other side job by trying to hustle people just so she can make rent. It’s while out one night that Claire finds her new target, Michael but when they meet Claire realizes that Michael isn’t no ordinary guy and there’s something bigger happening – Claire is Michael’s mate and soon she’s thrust into his dangerous life when she discovers she will help save the vampire race.
It’s been a while since I’ve read anything with a vampire theme so it definitely welcomed addition to my TBR pile, actually so much that as soon as I received it, I started it straight away. And in truth while I did enjoy the story it doesn’t live up to some of the other books that I’ve read. I did find I lost interest in parts.
I liked both Claire and Michael. Both of them were headstrong and stubborn characters and at times I found that slightly frustrating because they never seemed to agree on anything especially in the very early days. As their relationship started to develop this does calm down but it’s a constant back and forth pull with these two. But once they finally start getting on the same page, their relationship is the best part of the book. The connection they have is fantastic and their chemistry was steaming for most part of the book.
The premise of the story I liked. Michael was the last vampire and it was on his shoulders to save his race. It was simply impossible without his mate but I felt like he should have done more to find her – I know he’d given up hope but still, people are depending on Michael! The slayers were even scarier than I first thought they would be. And the story had a few good action scenes too.
In all, The Last True Vampire was an enjoyable read and even though I had a few issues with the story, I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for the sequel which is Ronan’s story.
Thank you to Headline Eternal for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.
Katy Baxter has kick her new series off with a bang and we’re immediately thrown into the lives of Claire and Michael.
Michael is the last true king of the vampire race after everyone else was destroyed by the slayers centuries ago. Since then, he’s been tormented by his past and because of his weaken state, he is trying to avoid the Dhamphirs that are relying on him to turn them but it will remain that way until he finds his mate.
Claire is a human girl who works a dead end job as a waitress. Struggling to make ends meet Claire has no other choice but turn to her other side job by trying to hustle people just so she can make rent. It’s while out one night that Claire finds her new target, Michael but when they meet Claire realizes that Michael isn’t no ordinary guy and there’s something bigger happening – Claire is Michael’s mate and soon she’s thrust into his dangerous life when she discovers she will help save the vampire race.
It’s been a while since I’ve read anything with a vampire theme so it definitely welcomed addition to my TBR pile, actually so much that as soon as I received it, I started it straight away. And in truth while I did enjoy the story it doesn’t live up to some of the other books that I’ve read. I did find I lost interest in parts.
I liked both Claire and Michael. Both of them were headstrong and stubborn characters and at times I found that slightly frustrating because they never seemed to agree on anything especially in the very early days. As their relationship started to develop this does calm down but it’s a constant back and forth pull with these two. But once they finally start getting on the same page, their relationship is the best part of the book. The connection they have is fantastic and their chemistry was steaming for most part of the book.
The premise of the story I liked. Michael was the last vampire and it was on his shoulders to save his race. It was simply impossible without his mate but I felt like he should have done more to find her – I know he’d given up hope but still, people are depending on Michael! The slayers were even scarier than I first thought they would be. And the story had a few good action scenes too.
In all, The Last True Vampire was an enjoyable read and even though I had a few issues with the story, I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for the sequel which is Ronan’s story.
Thank you to Headline Eternal for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2015
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***Received a copy of the ebook for an honest review
The cover is awesome of course, but I wished it would have shown his scar to be true to the book :)
This is the first book I have read by Kate Baxter and the first in a new series. I think she knocked it out of the park. I loved it!! She took an old idea (vampires) and made it unique and completely her own. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series and checking out anything new Kate comes out with. This is an adult series due to the steamy scenes and violence.
Michael starts out as a grumpy do things my way kind of guy, and even though your heart bled for what he has had to endure….I wanted to slap him in the back of the head like he was DiNozzo from CSI and ask what do you think you are doing. Claire has this amazing fighting spirit from being in survival mode since she was a kid, and she also has this wonderful caring persona that very few get to see. This is tons of action, fighting, and drama in this book, and it is unique which I love in a new series. Vampire, Dhampirs, Berserker Hunters, and so much more :)
I highly recommend this book to vamp lovers who love when an author makes it is new!!! I need book 2 like now!!
***Received a copy of the ebook for an honest review
The cover is awesome of course, but I wished it would have shown his scar to be true to the book :)
This is the first book I have read by Kate Baxter and the first in a new series. I think she knocked it out of the park. I loved it!! She took an old idea (vampires) and made it unique and completely her own. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series and checking out anything new Kate comes out with. This is an adult series due to the steamy scenes and violence.
Michael starts out as a grumpy do things my way kind of guy, and even though your heart bled for what he has had to endure….I wanted to slap him in the back of the head like he was DiNozzo from CSI and ask what do you think you are doing. Claire has this amazing fighting spirit from being in survival mode since she was a kid, and she also has this wonderful caring persona that very few get to see. This is tons of action, fighting, and drama in this book, and it is unique which I love in a new series. Vampire, Dhampirs, Berserker Hunters, and so much more :)
I highly recommend this book to vamp lovers who love when an author makes it is new!!! I need book 2 like now!!
August 27, 2015
I was going to write a lengthy review of this book. I was even making mental notes on all the things I would mention and then it became clear that won't be possible. So here is the main things that I didn't like. First of all this whole book contains at least for me to many reminders of other books of this gender. I won't mention names but when I read the book I was reminded non stop of other better ones. Second there was No chemistry between the main characters and frankly there needed to be more scenes with them bonding. Which brings me to my next point: The "love" scenes were awkward and in the wrong places in the story. To me they weren't sexy just cringe worthy. And the last thing I will mention is that for a vampire book there was nothing that enticing about becoming one. I mean seriously almost everyone in this book wants to become one and to me there is no reason for it. I am not going to spoil why but to me the cons are more than the pros. All in all I was disappointed. This was my first new series about vampires in a long time and I expected more.
June 24, 2015
I am a sucker for paranormal romance. And if it has really cool vampires? Even better! Oh, who am I kidding? If they were really lame vampires, I’d probably still like the book. :) When I saw the description of The Last True Vampire by Kate Baxter, I knew I had to try it out. The fact that the author was new to me was just icing on the cake.
Michael is literally the only vampire left and the vampire king by birthright. I really liked Michael and I understood why he was depressed and reluctant to lead his people properly. After witnessing and surviving the mass genocide of his people, his friends, and his family centuries ago...
Read the full review on Kindles & Wine HERE
Rating: B (4 stars)
Note: Review copy courtesy of the publisher.
Michael is literally the only vampire left and the vampire king by birthright. I really liked Michael and I understood why he was depressed and reluctant to lead his people properly. After witnessing and surviving the mass genocide of his people, his friends, and his family centuries ago...
Read the full review on Kindles & Wine HERE
Rating: B (4 stars)
Note: Review copy courtesy of the publisher.
June 12, 2015
Stars: 3.5
Pros: I loved Claire and her attitude towards life. Even though she was thrown a lot of hard balls in life, she still kept her wits about her. The beginning of the story was amazing and than I felt that it kind of fizzled out, until the end. The ending leaves you with a happy feeling and sets Ronan up on his journey.
Cons: At times I felt a little bored with the story and I wanted more action between Claire and Michael. I felt it took a little too long for him to wake up and realize what he had right in front of him. I understand that this is the first book and there is usually a lot of explaining, but I wish that the details would've been a little better explained.
Characters: Claire & Michael
Page Turner: Yes & No
Series Cont: Yes
Recommend: Yes
Pros: I loved Claire and her attitude towards life. Even though she was thrown a lot of hard balls in life, she still kept her wits about her. The beginning of the story was amazing and than I felt that it kind of fizzled out, until the end. The ending leaves you with a happy feeling and sets Ronan up on his journey.
Cons: At times I felt a little bored with the story and I wanted more action between Claire and Michael. I felt it took a little too long for him to wake up and realize what he had right in front of him. I understand that this is the first book and there is usually a lot of explaining, but I wish that the details would've been a little better explained.
Characters: Claire & Michael
Page Turner: Yes & No
Series Cont: Yes
Recommend: Yes
June 21, 2016
Two thumbs up. A nice take on the vampire world. Something fresh. Onto the next book in the series!
June 13, 2015
5*s
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
The Last True Vampire is the first book in the series of the same name and I really enjoyed everything about it.
I’m a sucker for paranormal romance – when it’s done well – and still love the Vampire stories as much as ever so this appealed to me straight away. In the story we find an old vampire who is just living, not enjoying life and full of despair because he is the last vampire. He is the last because the enemy wiped them all out, very nearly Michael too but he survived…just. Now he is alone, he can’t turn any of the Dhampirs, can’t breed and has no want for power…..until he meets Claire. Her blood calls to him, he has never wanted anyone the way he wants Claire and one taste will never be enough.
Claire was only trying to steal Michael’s watch so she could afford her rent but there was something about him that pulled her into his arms, into doing things she wouldn’t necessarily have done – but once the watch was her, she was gone.
Both Michael and Claire can’t escape the connection they shared that night, he needs to find her because she is his ‘tether’ she has given him his soul back and he can finally become the powerful vampire he is meant to be, he can create his race again but how can that be when Claire is human? Claire is thrust into Michael’s world of blood and death as she becomes the target of an age old enemy who are determined to eradicate the vampire race once and for all.
I really loved this book, it seems vampires are making a comeback lately and if they’re all going to be like this then I’m a happy lady! I liked the premise of the book with Michael being the last vampire and holding the fate of his race in his hands, we are given a few flashback scenes of Michael throughout the book to show what happened to them and why he was the only one left. It’s plain to see that he is living half a life and is quite pitiful when we meet him, he even has to force himself to feed and all of the Dhampirs know that he is weak. Because he is the last of the ancient ones, he also carries the burden of being the one to hold all of the history of the vampires and the consciences of the slain collective and also the current dhampirs. This is a heavy burden indeed. He has practically given up hope when he finds Claire and it takes him a while to understand why he feels the way he does which gives Claire opportunity to leave, meaning he will have to find her. I thought Claire was a great character, you could tell she was a survivor and had those skills so she was never going to take the mating bond lying down. I like it when they fight like that, more times than enough the men are swept away with the realization that they have found their one and the women take some convincing which is so much fun to read. I loved the way these two clashed, both as stubborn as each other and unwilling to bend – that is until the bad guys came knocking. They definitely had the chemistry that makes you get involved in the relationship and that is topped with some nice sexytime and a great surprise.
As I said – the story was great and the premise too. I liked how the enemy was linked to Michael’s past and how they made their presence known, there is also a few things to discover about the enemy too. Much of the story is about the relationship and how they get together, the enemy becoming more active and involved especially when it’s clear that Michael has found his mate but the story branches off for some of the secondary characters too which I enjoyed because I like to get to know everyone and know what is going on in all areas. This is done with multiple povs which I think enhanced the story here, it helped to build the other characters up so that you could get to know them more and also get into the mindset of the enemy who aren’t short on their own drama either. There are also some great fight scenes and action throughout as Michael takes on anyone who means Claire harm, adding an element of danger that kept the plot exciting. I was very satisfied by the ending of the book, obviously with it being book one it is left open for more and book two seems set up so now just for the wait – great start though and I’ll definitely be reading the sequel.
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
The Last True Vampire is the first book in the series of the same name and I really enjoyed everything about it.
I’m a sucker for paranormal romance – when it’s done well – and still love the Vampire stories as much as ever so this appealed to me straight away. In the story we find an old vampire who is just living, not enjoying life and full of despair because he is the last vampire. He is the last because the enemy wiped them all out, very nearly Michael too but he survived…just. Now he is alone, he can’t turn any of the Dhampirs, can’t breed and has no want for power…..until he meets Claire. Her blood calls to him, he has never wanted anyone the way he wants Claire and one taste will never be enough.
Claire was only trying to steal Michael’s watch so she could afford her rent but there was something about him that pulled her into his arms, into doing things she wouldn’t necessarily have done – but once the watch was her, she was gone.
Both Michael and Claire can’t escape the connection they shared that night, he needs to find her because she is his ‘tether’ she has given him his soul back and he can finally become the powerful vampire he is meant to be, he can create his race again but how can that be when Claire is human? Claire is thrust into Michael’s world of blood and death as she becomes the target of an age old enemy who are determined to eradicate the vampire race once and for all.
I really loved this book, it seems vampires are making a comeback lately and if they’re all going to be like this then I’m a happy lady! I liked the premise of the book with Michael being the last vampire and holding the fate of his race in his hands, we are given a few flashback scenes of Michael throughout the book to show what happened to them and why he was the only one left. It’s plain to see that he is living half a life and is quite pitiful when we meet him, he even has to force himself to feed and all of the Dhampirs know that he is weak. Because he is the last of the ancient ones, he also carries the burden of being the one to hold all of the history of the vampires and the consciences of the slain collective and also the current dhampirs. This is a heavy burden indeed. He has practically given up hope when he finds Claire and it takes him a while to understand why he feels the way he does which gives Claire opportunity to leave, meaning he will have to find her. I thought Claire was a great character, you could tell she was a survivor and had those skills so she was never going to take the mating bond lying down. I like it when they fight like that, more times than enough the men are swept away with the realization that they have found their one and the women take some convincing which is so much fun to read. I loved the way these two clashed, both as stubborn as each other and unwilling to bend – that is until the bad guys came knocking. They definitely had the chemistry that makes you get involved in the relationship and that is topped with some nice sexytime and a great surprise.
As I said – the story was great and the premise too. I liked how the enemy was linked to Michael’s past and how they made their presence known, there is also a few things to discover about the enemy too. Much of the story is about the relationship and how they get together, the enemy becoming more active and involved especially when it’s clear that Michael has found his mate but the story branches off for some of the secondary characters too which I enjoyed because I like to get to know everyone and know what is going on in all areas. This is done with multiple povs which I think enhanced the story here, it helped to build the other characters up so that you could get to know them more and also get into the mindset of the enemy who aren’t short on their own drama either. There are also some great fight scenes and action throughout as Michael takes on anyone who means Claire harm, adding an element of danger that kept the plot exciting. I was very satisfied by the ending of the book, obviously with it being book one it is left open for more and book two seems set up so now just for the wait – great start though and I’ll definitely be reading the sequel.
June 15, 2015
I have been dying to get my hands on The Last True Vampire for months now so, of course, I was super excited to be able to sit down over the weekend and read it. Unfortunately after all that build up I was more than a little disappointed that I didn't end up loving it as much as I had hoped I would. Maybe it was all of the anticipation and expectations but there were so many things that just didn't work for me.
So let's start with the hero, Mikhail, because most of my issues with this book began with him. Mikhail has been existing but not exactly living since the demise of his race at the hands of the Sortiari. He's the last true vampire and the only one left that can turn dhampirs (vampire kin) into vampires and rebuild his race, unfortunately without his mate, Mikhail isn't strong enough to turn them which is where my main issue with him comes in... Here's this race that depends on him yet he rarely feeds, making them all completely miserable, and doesn't even attempt to search for his mate to help the dhampirs become vampires. I guess I was just expecting a more capable king rather than a miserable emo vamp.
Next we have our heroine, Claire, who I loved at certain parts and loathed at others. She starts off a street smart hustler and turns into a TSTL heroine that is so contradictory to the way she was in the beginning of the book. I totally give her props for leaving Mikhail at the first chance she got but she let her misery go on for way too long in my opinion. Luckily, when push came to shove she showed her strength in the end and I was happy with how everything worked out.
I loved the action and suspense, especially when Mikhail stopped being all woe is me and started kicking some Sortiari ass. And I really loved when Mikhail let his true feelings for Claire show towards the end but I wish the romance throughout the rest of the book was a little stronger. I guess I never really felt the connection between Claire and Mikhail that I was expecting between a fated couple.
Which brings me to my absolute favorite part of this book... The sexy times. I'm not sure what that says about me but the sex scenes definitely made this book for me. While I never really felt the love between Claire and Mikhail you could cut the sexual tension with a knife... And when they came together? Explosive! When it comes to vampires, the more biting and blood sucking the better in my opinion, and Kate Baxter did not disappoint in that regard.
I wish I could say that The Last True Vampire was everything I was hoping it would be, and I guess certain parts of it were, but in the end this was just an okay read for me. Quite honestly I'm not sure if I'll read the next book in this series, especially after the few parts of this one that were in Ronan's POV, but I might give it a go to see if he can redeem his character in my eyes.
*Book kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
So let's start with the hero, Mikhail, because most of my issues with this book began with him. Mikhail has been existing but not exactly living since the demise of his race at the hands of the Sortiari. He's the last true vampire and the only one left that can turn dhampirs (vampire kin) into vampires and rebuild his race, unfortunately without his mate, Mikhail isn't strong enough to turn them which is where my main issue with him comes in... Here's this race that depends on him yet he rarely feeds, making them all completely miserable, and doesn't even attempt to search for his mate to help the dhampirs become vampires. I guess I was just expecting a more capable king rather than a miserable emo vamp.
Next we have our heroine, Claire, who I loved at certain parts and loathed at others. She starts off a street smart hustler and turns into a TSTL heroine that is so contradictory to the way she was in the beginning of the book. I totally give her props for leaving Mikhail at the first chance she got but she let her misery go on for way too long in my opinion. Luckily, when push came to shove she showed her strength in the end and I was happy with how everything worked out.
I loved the action and suspense, especially when Mikhail stopped being all woe is me and started kicking some Sortiari ass. And I really loved when Mikhail let his true feelings for Claire show towards the end but I wish the romance throughout the rest of the book was a little stronger. I guess I never really felt the connection between Claire and Mikhail that I was expecting between a fated couple.
Which brings me to my absolute favorite part of this book... The sexy times. I'm not sure what that says about me but the sex scenes definitely made this book for me. While I never really felt the love between Claire and Mikhail you could cut the sexual tension with a knife... And when they came together? Explosive! When it comes to vampires, the more biting and blood sucking the better in my opinion, and Kate Baxter did not disappoint in that regard.
I wish I could say that The Last True Vampire was everything I was hoping it would be, and I guess certain parts of it were, but in the end this was just an okay read for me. Quite honestly I'm not sure if I'll read the next book in this series, especially after the few parts of this one that were in Ronan's POV, but I might give it a go to see if he can redeem his character in my eyes.
*Book kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
June 14, 2015
DNF @ 23%.
I stopped reading paranormal books years ago and now only read contemporary. But I decided to try this anyway and unfortunately it didn't work for me. The h hustles men by flirting and teasing them. She pretends she is attracted to them and they spend money on her. She targets wealthy men and will steal things like watches while they are distracted. I found myself really disliking her. She was not a good person. There was some sob story about how she was struggling to make ends meet but it didn't make her actions acceptable. Plus, she gives some of the money she steals to a poor kid who lives in her building. This felt like a bad attempt to try to make the h seem like a good person but it didn't work. She was not likable. I found myself so bored with the story. I remembered why I didn't read paranormal stories anymore. The world is always filled with characters with abilities that are so OTT and ridiculous. I never understand the lore or give a damn about the different types of species.
I stopped reading paranormal books years ago and now only read contemporary. But I decided to try this anyway and unfortunately it didn't work for me. The h hustles men by flirting and teasing them. She pretends she is attracted to them and they spend money on her. She targets wealthy men and will steal things like watches while they are distracted. I found myself really disliking her. She was not a good person. There was some sob story about how she was struggling to make ends meet but it didn't make her actions acceptable. Plus, she gives some of the money she steals to a poor kid who lives in her building. This felt like a bad attempt to try to make the h seem like a good person but it didn't work. She was not likable. I found myself so bored with the story. I remembered why I didn't read paranormal stories anymore. The world is always filled with characters with abilities that are so OTT and ridiculous. I never understand the lore or give a damn about the different types of species.
August 5, 2015
BASICS
Love triangle?
Cheating?
HEA?
Any Descriptive Sex w/OW/OM/Ex?
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? Maybe, but not for now.
Rating: +2 stars
Review
The first couple of chapters were interesting and kept me going but after that it just kinda went downhill. For me it felt like it took too long to get H/h into their relationship. It's a push-pull play between them for a tad too long for my taste.
I'd say for me it isn't my cup of tea, but perhaps it is for someone else. :)
Love triangle?
Cheating?
HEA?
Any Descriptive Sex w/OW/OM/Ex?
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? Maybe, but not for now.
Rating: +2 stars
Review
The first couple of chapters were interesting and kept me going but after that it just kinda went downhill. For me it felt like it took too long to get H/h into their relationship. It's a push-pull play between them for a tad too long for my taste.
I'd say for me it isn't my cup of tea, but perhaps it is for someone else. :)
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