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    Death's Sweet Embrace: A Dark Brethren Novel
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    Death's Sweet Embrace: A Dark Brethren Novel
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    Death's Sweet Embrace: A Dark Brethren Novel
    Ebook399 pages5 hours

    Death's Sweet Embrace: A Dark Brethren Novel

    By Tracey O'Hara

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “Death’s Sweet Embrace is a compelling read. I can’t wait to read more about the Brethren.”
    —New York Times bestselling author Keri Arthur

     

    “Tracey O’Hara writes in a voice full of passion and power.”
    —Nalini Singh

     

    An exciting new star in contemporary urban fantasy, Tracey O’Hara returns with Death’s Sweet Embrace, the second book in her Dark Brethren series. In the bestselling vein of J.R. Ward and Patricia Briggs, O’Hara follows up her sensational debut, Night’s Cold Kiss, with a sizzling supernatural take on the Romeo and Juliet story, as two forbidden young lovers from rival shapeshifter tribes must join forces with Aeturnus vampires to thwart a fiendish serial killer. Gripping, dark, and sensual, Death’s Sweet Embrace is an exceptional supernatural adventure that will appeal equally to discriminating fantasy fans and lovers of paranormal romance.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 25, 2011
    ISBN9780062041654
    Author

    Tracey O'Hara

    Tracey O'Hara grew up reading Stephen King, Raymond E. Feist, and J.R.R. Tolkien, where she developed her taste for adventure and the paranormal thriller. When she's not writing, reading, or listening to heavy metal, she spends time with her husband, two sons, and three cats. The author of Night's Cold Kiss, she lives in Australia. Night's Cold Kiss was shortlisted in the Best Horror Novel category at the 2009 Aurealis Awards and won the Novel with Romantic Elements category at the Romance Writer's of Australia 2009 awards.

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    Reviews for Death's Sweet Embrace

    4/5

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    • 2/5
      For the second installment, new characters come to the forefront of the story. Antoinette is back as a supporting cast member and Christian makes one cameo. The new heroine is Kitt, a felian (a snow leopard shifter). She is educated, a doctor, and is called in by Oberon's new organization to perform an autopsy. Turns out there is a new paranormal serial killer on the loose and its up to these guys to stop the murderer. And of course, this will require Kitt to get up close and personal with her baby daddy, Raven (a canian/wolf shifter).

      I am totally okay with the shift in main characters. It's a good way to write a long romance series without having the main couple get together and break up and get together and break up, etc. What bothers me is that the construction of the book is different from the first in the series. Rather than following only the two main characters, the view point follows others, including the serial killer. The reason O'hara did this brings me to my second concern.

      This book has three or four villains/organizations (although maybe they're all part of the same cause?). There's the serial killer, the aliens who originally brought the paranormals to earth as their slaves, the organization the baddie from book one was a part of and the crazy Aeternus who is creating a pack of Necrodeniacs. Overkill much? Because there is so much going on and the group has to split up all the time to deal with the many problems, she could not write from the perspective of just two characters.

      I really don't think that the addition of more view points or bad guys added to the book. Now the book is taking itself way too seriously; it is trying to be more fantasy/adventure than romance. This book has very few steamy scenes. What with the shifting between characters and all the action scenes, there just isn't time. That is a shame. Books need to be what they are...and this is a romance series. O'hara needs to do what she does best.
    • 4/5
      Much like the first book in this series "Night's Cold Kiss", I found the book very enjoyable but not without its problems. The basic premise is that an agency has been formed to investigate paranormal crime. This time around someone is tearing the hearts out of its (supernatural) victims while they are alive. Antoinette, the heroine from the first book, is back again, active in this new group. However her task is to track down some more draniacs, such as she did in the first book. This new case is being worked primarily by Oberon (turns into a bear at will), and newcomers to the series Kitt and her ex-lover Raven. The two had a pair of twins who are older teenagers now, Seph and Cal. Kitt is a Felian and turns into a snow leopard. Raven turns into a wolf. Many years ago Raven was blamed for Kitt's husband's death and ran to another country where his two daughters had been sent to live with an 'adoptive' family.Now attending the school Kitt teaches at, her daughter and Raven are suddenly back in her life.This plot was so good. Its intense and had twists and surprises I never saw coming. The ending is totally bizarre in a good way. I think the pacing is great. There are more than enough action scenes with a little downtime here or there for the reader to catch her breath. Without a doubt my favorite thing about this story was the story of Kitt's Pride. The dynamics of the Pride were intriguing and well developed. I loved some of the characters in the Pride and there is certainly more story there to be told should the author choose to go back to it later in the series. This book could have been rated more highly in my estimation if the story was even more centered on the Pride aspect.So what drags this book down to a 3 1/2 star review? The characterization is poor. These characters are so great on the surface but they aren't developed enough to make them unforgettable. Raven was a better character than the first hero Christian. I had a better sense of his character but still it wasn't enough. While I like both Kitt and Antoinette I feel like neither is completely fleshed out. I want to know why these ladies are so special. I would have liked to have known more about why Kitt gave her babies up all those years ago. Also I disagree with some reviewers who think this is a romance trying to be urban fantasy. I totally think the romance falls flat and the story is much stronger on plot and action. There are a lot of plotlines working at the same time and a ton of new characters were introduced. While things felt muddled occassionally I still felt like the story works. It is enjoyable. It is fun. Just like the first book was.I liked this book a tad more than the first one. I like the characters but I just want to seem them stand on their own. Right now only Oberon really stands out as an extraordinary character. I hope he gets a story all his own one day. I can say with confidence that I will read further books from this author. I think once she hits her stride she is going to be a heavy player.
    • 4/5
      Death's Sweet Embrace, the second installment in the Dark Brethren Series by Tracey O'Hara, follows the effort to put a stop to a serial killer that is attacking Anamalians (people who can shift to animal form because of a natural born ability; not as a magical disguise) at the NYAPS (New York Academy of Parahuman Studies). The kills are efficient and show signs of ritualistic murder. Kitt Jordan (anamalian panther) has just joined the faculty at the NYAPS and is asked to assist on the victim autopsies because of her previous experience as a medical examiner. On top of that, her twin daughters, who she had to give up at birth, are students in her class and their father, Raven Matokwe (anamalian wolf), is also at the NYAPS. The main plot revolves around the history that surrounded Kitt and Raven, why Kitt gave up her daughters, and why she was expelled from the Jordan Pride (her panther clan) while Kitt, Raven and others seek find the serial killer. This action packed story comes to an exciting climax that brings the plot in an unexpected and satisfying conclusion.This book can be read as a stand-alone book, but for those who have read the first installment (Night's Cold Kiss), you will also get to follow Antoinette Petrescu on her crusade against Dreniacs (vampires addicted to the death high of completely draining a victim) in subplots and she also assists Kitt and the others seeking the serial killer. A word of warning: this book centers around the new character Kitt and not the established Antoinette (from Night's Cold Kiss). It can be a little confusing at first to be certain of this. Also, there are many terms that a new reader, or a reader who was last in the Dark Brethren universe when Night's Cold Kiss was published in 2009, may not be immediately familiar with. To help overcome this, the author has included a useful "Glossary of Terms" at the end of the book that also includes list of characters and their roles.I enjoyed this read overall, but I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship between Antoinette and her lover Christian Laroque (who makes a short appearance). Their relationship was just beginning at the end of Night's Cold Kiss and has so much potential for further development. I hope to see more of them, as well as Kitt and Raven, in future installments.I recommend this series to readers of the paranormal/urban fantasy genre.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in the Dark Brethern series by O'Hara. I got an advanced reading copy of this book through NetGalley. I thought the first book of this series was entertaining and was eager to see how this book advanced the storyline. This book was also entertaining; I thought it was pretty good, if a bit run-of-the-mill for vampire paranormal romance.Where the first book in the series centers around Antoinette, this book centers around the story of Kitt. Kitt is a were-snowleopard who is a doctor. She is starting work at the University where Antoinette, Oberon, and others work. Kitt's first day on the job is a tough one. She is called in to consult on a body of a were that is found, attacked by a crazy vampire, and finds out that her sexy ex-boyfriend (and the father of her twin-daughters), Raven, is seeking sanction at the University. The story goes back and forth between Antoinette and Kitt, but focuses on Kitt.I have to be honest and say that I didn't like Kitt as a character quite as much as Antoinette; Kitt is more about healing and less about kicking butt. That's not to say there isn't a lot of action in this book, there is. In fact this book is much like the first in terms of the amount of violence and gore that are included; O'Hara doesn't shy away from giving all the gory details. There are a few steamy sex scenes in this book, they were very similar in tone to the first book if a bit more tender at points.As a couple I thought Kitt and Raven had way better chemistry going on than Antoinette and Christian in the first book. Both Kitt and Raven are much more likable, have a good basis for their relationship, and actually seem to love each other. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Kitt and Raven's twin daughters Cal and Seph, these two added humor to the story and were very intriguing...hopefully future stories focus on them.This story focuses more on the were-societies than the vampires. Not too much creative here, the were-societies are male-centric and much like other wereanimals you have read about in other stories. O'Hara also expands on the storyline from the first book, there are more paranormal murders happening and in this book the Dark Brethern are finally talked about in more detail.The story ties up nicely and builds on the idea of the Dark Brethern becoming more of a problem. The story was easy to read and moved at a good clip.My main problem with this series so far is that I am having trouble connecting with the characters. I think maybe it is leaning too much towards romance for me; all the males are of the Alpha sort and much of the storyline focuses on the main two characters trying to make a relationship work against all odds. There is a little bit of humor throughout but at times the story takes itself a bit too seriously.Overall a good read, entertaining, and the plot moves at a good clip. Fans of paranormal romance that features vampires with some good action scenes sprinkled throughout should enjoy this. I personally won't keep reading this series. There are just too many other really awesome and creative urban fantasy books out there to pick from. I am kind of burned out on these vamp/werewolf stories. I also have some trouble connecting with these characters, there is a bit too much romance for me, and the story and world is just too predictable. Maybe as O'Hara starts expanding the Dark Brethern portion of the storyline things will get more interesting. I would recommend Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter, Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin, Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep, or Dorina Basarab series by Karen Chance; all of these are great urban fantasies featuring kick-butt females in creative worlds and have just a touch of romance to them.
    • 3/5
      This review is based on the advanced reader's copy I got through NetGalley. Based on the ARC, I'm not sure quite what to think of this one. It had its fun moments and its slow moments and its really over the top moments (which some will find entertaining and some will find irritating). So, I guess uneven would be a good description.The romantic focus is on Kathryn "Kitt" Jordan, a were-lion, and her former lover, Raven, a wolf-shifter accused of killing Kitt's late husband. Kitt knows that Raven didn't kill her husband, because they were together when he was murdered, but that didn't stop Kitt's family from putting a bounty on Raven's head. Now, eighteen years later, a series of ritualistic murders are occurring that bear a remarkable similarity to her late husband's... and they're occurring on the same New York campus where their daughters are studying.As a heroine, Kitt is very different from Antoinette from Night's Cold Kiss (although she also makes several appearances, which was nice). I honestly didn't really understand Kitt, especially in terms of how she related to her family and Raven. Raven, by the way, is pretty awesome, although I wish his screen time served more of a purpose than as crazy-fighter or devoted-lover guy. The hints about his back story make him sound way more interesting than what we're shown. The supporting characters are very heroic or very villainous, with lots of exclamation points, although there are a few characters whose alignments shift as you (the reader) understand their motivations better.If you liked Night's Cold Kiss you might like this, if you didn't like NCK you're probably not going to like this one either. If you haven't read NCK, it's ok to start with this one -- NCK is more of a fast-paced vampire vs. vampire-hunter story, this one is more about shapeshifters, serial killers, and families.