ARC Review: Death’s Sweet Embrace {Dark Brethen, #2} by Tracey O’Hara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After centuries of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens the tenuous peace.

Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force forms to halt the madness, including the vampiric Aeternus Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes . . . and forbidden lovers.

A centuries-old blood feud has divided their shapeshifting peoples, and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside, for the killer they seek is but the first sign of the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.

From Goodreads.

 

• Publisher: Eos
• Release Date: January 25th, 2010
• My Copy: eARC received from Author.
• Pages: 336
• Series: The Dark Brethren Series
• Genre: Paranormal Romance
• Author's Website
• Pre-Order This Book:

Death's Sweet Embrace: A Dark Brethren Novel

*Spoiler FREE.

After loving Night's Cold Kiss and the world Tracey has created, I was really looking forward to Death’s Sweet Embrace. I am happy to say that this second installment in Tracey’s Dark Brethren series did NOT disappoint.

This time around we get to focus on two next main characters, Kitt and Raven. They are both Animalians from feuding clans that had a love affair 20 years before. Kitt’s new job teaching at the Academy and a series of gruesome, ritualistic murders, bring these two start-crossed lovers back together.

Tracey O’Hara has created a very intricate world in the Dark Brethen series, I love a good world building and she has done it in spades. She also does an incredible job of not boring the readers with explanations. We get to learn about this incredible world piece by piece, without feeling like we are being fed a “history” lesson. It’s subtle and keep things intriguing, all at the same time. This time around we finally start leaning a bit about what/who are the Dark Brethen and I am scared for the characters I have come to feel so close to. 

One of my favorite things about this series is the perfect balance between the Romance and the Plot. Death’s Sweet Embrace is full of action and very disturbing mystery, but at the same time there is a love story being told, one very reminiscent of Romeo & Juliet, however with a much happier ending.

I was utterly shocked by the mystery’s conclusion, I did NOT see it coming at all and it has been a while since that happened. I loved being so surprised and am still in awe as to how Tracey has woven such a plot right before my eyes and I never saw it coming.

Now, the romance was just as awesome! Tracey got out a bit of the PNR comfort zone and told the story of a couple that were already together, but because of reasons bigger than they could handle have been apart for 20 years. Not only that, but they even have  children together, twin 18-year-old girls, that were just fundamental to the story as anybody else.

I loved Death’s Sweet Embrace and I really enjoyed getting a little bit of Night's Cold Kiss main characters, Antoinette and Christian. I really like the friendship that is being built between Antoinette and Kitt. However I would have rather had less POV moments from Antoinette. I feel that those moments stole a bit from Kitt and Raven’s story. That’s the only reason Death’s Sweet Embrace didn’t get full marks.

All is all, Death’s Sweet Embrace was a brilliant addition to this incredible series that has officially been added to my favorites. If you love all things Paranormal, this is definitely a series you need to check out! I am really looking forward to book 3 later on this year, Can’t wait!

Previously in The Dark Brethren Series:

Check Out My Review HERE or click on the cover above!

 

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