Review: "Immortal Craving" by Kendra Leigh Castle

Wild, uncontrollable, and powerful, the lion-shifting Rakshasa were hunted down by vicious rival vampires who feared their dark, magical abilities. Somehow one survived, and now, after centuries of hiding, Tasmin Singh reemerges as fierce and fearless as ever at the door of the Lilim queen, seeking answers . . . and sanctuary.

The human best friend to a vampire queen, Bay Harper traded her quiet, comfortable life for a world filled with immortal assassins, warring werewolves . . . and this hauntingly sexy shifter. Only Bay's gentle touch can subdue Tasmin's inner demons, even as he brings out a passion and sensuality she never imagined she could feel. But when a bloody struggle threatens to tear them apart, can Bay risk everything on her faith in him-or will his dark side be stronger than even their all-consuming desire?
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Immortal Craving is book 4 in Kendra Leigh Castle's Dark Dynasties series.

In each book of the Dark Dynasties we've gotten to know another faction of the vampire society but at the heart of each story has been the cat-siths.  In this installment, the author switches it up a bit to give us the bigger, badder version of the cat-shifting vampire.  Tasmin is an ancient breed of vampire that can not only shift into the form of a lion but also has magical abilities.  This magic is not your typical hocus pocus.  We're talking mind reading, giving people hallucinations, bending shadows and so much more.  Tasmin awakes after 400 years sleeping in a cave to find out he's the last of his kind still alive.  He seeks out the new vampire queen, Lily, to see if he can get some answers to what happened to his people.  Lily, who we've gotten to know well through out the series, has a human best friend, Bay.  It's this friend that Tasmin ends up going to in an attempt to get to Lily.  Unfortunately, Tasmin's not alone.  The little secret to why he's survived this long... he has a demon that's been trapped inside of him by the warring Ptolemy vampire clan.  Bay and Tasmin must work together to get to the bottom of what happened while also battling with the demon inside him that very much wants to kill Bay.  

Tasmin and Bay have so much to overcome in this story let alone the fact that Tasmin is from a race of vampires that was known for their tough, wild nature.  It was touching to see how hard they both had to work for this relationship and everything they had to overcome.  Tasmin is overly protective of her right from the start and wants to do right by her through out the story.  Even though Bay is just "a fragile human," she is really the one to save Tasmin at the start.  He is in bad shape after his time in the cave and it was touching to see how humble Tasmin was forced to be to accept her help.  I'm sure it goes against everything in his nature.   

In addition to the romance building between Tasmin and Lily, we also have a lot of familiar faces from the previous books.  Lily and Bay are still trying to figure out how their relationship can survive the fact that Lily is now a vampire queen and she's merely human.  Also, we have the ongoing battle with the Ptolemy queen that continues from the previous book.  The story arc that continues through this novel is fascinating.  Ms. Castle has really written riveting stories that could easily be read on their own and be enjoyed but watching the vampire society evolve through the series has been captivating. 

Kendra Castle has created an amazing world with the Dark Dynasties series.  I love that each book wraps up nicely so there are not huge cliffhangers, but enough of a tease for what's coming up that I can't wait to read the next novel.  There were lots of twists and turns that kept me on my toes but overall I just loved Tasmin and Bay's relationship.  Each novel in this series just keeps getting better. This is certainly not your typical vampire book.  Ms. Castle has built an entirely unique breed of vampires that gives this series a refreshing originality. 

Ms. Castle was nice enough to stop by a couple days ago and give us a little more insite into the character building of Tasmin and also offer a signed copy of Immortal Craving.  Click here to see her post and enter to win.

Guest Post and Giveaway: Kendra Leigh Castle - "Immortal Craving"

I would like to welcome Kendra Leigh Castle to the blog today!  She's the author of the amazing Dark Dynasties series, among others.  I will try to save my gushing over Immortal Craving for my review which will be up soon... but it's so hard.  I'll let Kendra take the reins from here and tell you a little more about this hot shape-shifting vampire.

     When I started thinking about who I wanted for a hero in the fourth Dark Dynasties book, Immortal Craving, I knew I wanted to do something a little different.  The heroes of the first three books are all Cait Sith, a bloodline of cat-shifting vampires who, up until recently, were the pariahs of the world of night.  They’re gorgeous, they turn into big black cats, and they purr…I mean, yum.  Still, much as I love them, I wanted to introduce a completely new guy, with a completely new bloodline.  So I thought about it, and before long, who should come prowling out of the ether but Tasmin Singh.

     Tasmin is a Rakshasa, a dynasty of powerful lion-shifters that was wiped from the earth in a genocidal campaign by the Ptolemy…which will surprise no one who has read the previous books.  When he awakens in a small, manmade cave deep in the Gir Forest in India, he soon discovers not only that it isn’t the 1500s anymore, but that he is the only one of his kind still alive.  This would be a lot for one person to deal with regardless, but Tasmin has the added problem of blackouts that he awakens from covered in blood…and the occasional unfamiliar, malevolent voice whispering in his head.  He’s what you might call “troubled.”  Or just plain “trouble.”  Still, he is compelled to seek out the Queen of the Lilim, Lily MacGillivray, who is the one person he thinks may be able to help him with both his past and, he hopes, his future.  And that, of course, is where he meets his destiny in the form of one stubborn, kind-hearted human named Bay Harper.  Oh, and her enormous slobbery dog, Grimm.

     I loved writing Tasmin. It was really kind of freeing to be able to create a guy who didn’t have the particular sort of baggage that all Cait Sith carry. I got to create new baggage just for him! Tasmin came from an amazing dynasty. They were day-walkers, mind-benders, illusionists, creatures of fierce strength and beauty and magic. And they’re gone, something Tasmin is still struggling with. He is a man out of time, and alone in ways that none of my other characters have been. Before he was put in that cave, he had pride brothers who were his family. He had a life, hopes and dreams. When we meet him in Immortal Craving, he’s really starting from scratch. He’s got no idea how to relate to these other dynasties, who he never would have bothered with before. To the younger vampires he’s a frightening novelty, and to the older ones, a potential threat. He presents himself as proud and aloof and, often enough, rude—and what choice does he have? In the world of night, showing a highblood vampire your weakness is death. But underneath it all, what Tasmin really needs (though he would never admit it) is to be able to connect to someone again. When he does, we start to catch glimpses of the man he was before he had everything taken away. Tasmin is incredibly loyal, surprisingly sweet, and capable of the kind of love that will last lifetimes. He takes nothing for granted, because he knows better than most how everything can change in a heartbeat. And as a bonus, while he may not purr like the Cait Sith do (lions don’t purr, a fact I was sorry to discover), he has one hell of a roar.

     I hope you enjoyed this peek at Tasmin!  He’s a golden-eyed warrior with a lot of heart… and his arrival in the world of the Dynasties won’t just change Bay Harper’s life.  For the vampires, it changes everything.

     Thanks so much to Underworld Love Addiction for having me back to celebrate the release of Immortal Craving!  If you’ve got any questions about the series, the characters, or anything vampire related, ask away in the comments…I’m here all day :)

            

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For more about Kendra Leigh Castle and her books, visit her website at http://kendraleighcastle.com.

Giveaway and Excerpt from "Shadow Rising" by Kendra Leigh Castle

Thanks to the wonderful Kendra Leigh Castle for this great excerpt from Shadow Rising and for offering a signed copy to the winner of the giveaway!  Just fill out the form below to enter.  You can also check out my review of this latest book in her Dark Dynasties series here.


Synopsis:

      As one of the Grigori, a noble vampire dynasty shrouded in mystery, Ariane has spent her life hidden away in the desert. Like all of her kind, she is a watcher, fated to observe, forbidden to act. Yet when her best friend Sammael vanishes, she defies all rules and flees her safe haven to bring him home.     
     A shape-shifting assassin for the House of Shadows, Damien Tremaine is hired to locate Sammael. His hunt for the wayward Grigori leads him to Ariane, the rogue vamp who stands between him and his bounty. Damien never lets emotion interfere with his work, but a single touch from the sexy, beguiling vampire shatters his self-control. Drawn together by their common goal, they begin an alliance of necessity that soon becomes one of desire. But when the secret at the dark heart of the Grigori comes to light, Damien and Ariane must make a choice that could bind them eternally . . . or tear them-and everything they care about-apart.



Here's an excerpt just for you:
     Slowly, the tension beneath his hand eased, and the woman sank back down onto her stool. Damien released her reluctantly. His hand tingled where he’d touched her. For a moment, her awkwardness vanished, and the woman looking back at him was every bit as cold and ancient as her dynasty mark proclaimed her to be.
     He wondered fleetingly if playing with a Grigori this way was wise, then brushed it aside. He’d lived for centuries doing just as he liked, and it had served him well enough. Why stop now?
     “I’ll stay. For now. But I’m not going to entertain you…cat.” Her gaze dropped to the concealed top of Damien’s right collarbone. There, beneath his shirt, was the mark of his bloodline, a trio of entwined black cats fashioned into a Celtic circle. It branded him as Cait Sith, a cat-shifter.
     And without looking at it, she shouldn’t have been able to tell so quickly.
     “How did you know?” Damien asked.
     The woman shrugged, a dainty lift of shoulders exposed by the sleeveless little black dress she wore. The movement made him look below her neck, which he instantly knew he shouldn’t have done. He could stay distracted for weeks by the wonders showcased by that dress. With some effort, he dragged his eyes back up to meet hers.
     “I’m good at identifying who’s who,” she said, her tone defensive. “I studied.”
     “Really. And what identified me?”
     She turned her head to glare into her drink. “Does it matter? You’re just going to make fun of me, whatever I say.”
     The accusation startled him…more because she was probably right. And for whatever reason, the knowledge bothered him.
     “I won’t. I’m genuinely curious.”
     She didn’t even look at him. “I doubt that. You’re just bored. Go away.”
     Damien watched her face, seeing the frustration likely borne of fumbling her way through modern vampire society without a lifeline for at least a couple of weeks, and something in him softened. He didn’t bother to try and analyze it, but his voice sounded strange to his own ears as he sought to reassure her.
     "I’m not leaving until you tell me. But I’m happy to drag this out if you’d rather.”
     She looked up at him through long, dark lashes with such world-weariness that he had to fight back the urge to pull her into his lap and nuzzle her. The idea had some merit, actually…but Damien was pretty sure that would just put them back at square one. The longer they looked at one another, the more Damien had the unnerving sensation that she was sizing him up, judging him by some measure he couldn’t begin to guess at. The intensity of her focus on him was as pleasurable to Damien as a caress. To his shock, he had to swallow back an inadvertent purr. He didn’t purr for anyone. Anyone. And certainly not for something as cheap as a little attention.
     At last, she relented with a sigh. “It’s your eyes, for one thing. The pupils do some interesting things in the light. They’re very feline, if you look close enough. But mostly it was just the way you move. I’d read about it, but the words didn’t really do you justice.”
     He lifted his brows, surprised by the simple honesty of her answer. “Oh?”
     She nodded, obviously an eager student of a subject Damien was inclined to find ridiculously flattering. He didn’t think any woman had ever remarked on the way he moved before…out of bed, that was.
     “Yes,” she said. “Very graceful, very sinuous. Very…” She trailed off, and it seemed she’d been about to say a lot more than she’d intended. Damien watched her pale cheeks flush again.
     “Well. It’s unique anyway. So…” She looked a bit at a loss, grabbed the martini she’d been nursing, and took a large gulp. Then she looked at him over the rim of the glass, eyes glittering in the dim light, and Damien found himself momentarily lost again. All vampires were beautiful. It actually got boring after a while. But this one was damned near a work of art. Sculptors would have carved her likeness on temples; famed poets would have composed masterpieces extolling her beauty and then drank themselves to death over her. He could imagine it easily.
     Except that she acted like she’d been locked in a closet for the last five hundred years.

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Cover Release: "Immortal Craving" by Kendra Leigh Castle

Check out the sexy new cover for "Immortal Craving" by Kendra Leigh Castle.  This will be the 4th book in her Dark Dynasties series.  It is scheduled to be released January 29th, 2013.  I am loving this series and am really looking forward to more of her hot vampire shifters!

Synopsis:
Wild, uncontrollable, and powerful, the lion-shifting Rakshasa were hunted down by vicious rival vampires who feared their dark, magical abilities. Somehow one survived, and now, after centuries of hiding, Tasmin Singh reemerges as fierce and fearless as ever at the door of the Lilim queen, seeking answers . . . and sanctuary.


The human best friend to a vampire queen, Bay Harper traded her quiet, comfortable life for a world filled with immortal assassins, warring werewolves . . . and this hauntingly sexy shifter. Only Bay's gentle touch can subdue Tasmin's inner demons, even as he brings out a passion and sensuality she never imagined she could feel. But when a bloody struggle threatens to tear them apart, can Bay risk everything on her faith in him-or will his dark side be stronger than even their all-consuming desire?


The 3rd book in this series, "Shadow Rising," will be released next Tuesday!  I'll have an excerpt up on the blog tomorrow along with a great giveaway!

Review: "Shadow Rising" by Kendra Leigh Castle

Shadow Rising is the third book in the Dark Dynasties Series by Kendra Leigh Castle and is due to  be released July 31st, 2012.  I know... it's a little ways off, but just wanted to share early since I loved it.


     As one of the Grigori, a noble vampire dynasty shrouded in mystery, Ariane has spent her life hidden away in the desert. Like all of her kind, she is a watcher, fated to observe, forbidden to act. Yet when her best friend Sammael vanishes, she defies all rules and flees her safe haven to bring him home.


     A shape-shifting assassin for the House of Shadows, Damien Tremaine is hired to locate Sammael. His hunt for the wayward Grigori leads him to Ariane, the rogue vamp who stands between him and his bounty. Damien never lets emotion interfere with his work, but a single touch from the sexy, beguiling vampire shatters his self-control. Drawn together by their common goal, they begin an alliance of necessity that soon becomes one of desire. But when the secret at the dark heart of the Grigori comes to light, Damien and Ariane must make a choice that could bind them eternally . . . or tear them-and everything they care about-apart.
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Who knew a purr could be so sexy!

     The world building in this series is excellent.  The author has created a whole new take on vampires, shifters and otherworldly creatures in the Dark Dynasties.  In this book we get our first look into the world of the Grigori dynasty.  They are the most mysterious group of "vampires" and hardly anyone knows even the tiniest details about them.  The Grigori outcast, Ariane, leaves the confines of the Grigori compound in search of her missing friend Sammael.  While most of her kind have been conditioned over hundreds of years to have very little emotion, Ariane is different.  She cares deeply about her missing friend and will do almost anything to find him.  During her initial attempts to blend into the outside world and begin her hunt for Sammael, she runs into competition.   Damien, a cat shifter, turns out to be hired to find the same man.  When it becomes obvious that Ariane has no plans to back off on her hunt they must decide whether to compete or work together.
     I love that Ariane is almost as much of a bad-ass as Damien is.  She's not your typical damsel-in-distress type of heroine.  She has plenty of her own "weapons" at her disposal and is not afraid to use them.  She holds her own with Damien both physically and mentally.  Damien, for all his faults, definitely has a softer side... even it's buried very deeply behind his tough guy exterior.  Oh, and that purr.  Who would ever think a purr could be so sexy?!  In my head it's a very deep gravely purr :)  Damien definitely can put on the charm when he wants to.
     While these books could certainly be read on their own, it does bring more to the table when read in order to get the whole on going story arc between the dynasties.  The dynasty structure could be a little complex feeling if you just jump in mid-series but you could definitely still enjoy the story on it's own merit.  I'm loving this series and can't wait for the next one!