Claimed

For the paranormal part, it is honestly hard to classify this as a fantasy of any kind. There are a few moments where the paranormal comes into play, but ninety percent of it happens at the very end. I don’t mind if a book tries to be coy and keeps the reader wondering exactly how and when the fantasy elements will manifest, but I expect those elements to be more essential to the plot, world, or characters. I would have liked it much better if some kind of fantasy element established itself at the halfway mark and allowed the characters to change or evolve based on those additions. Instead, I was beginning to wonder why it was classified as a fantasy novel at all. The world in this series is supposed to be the same as Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and that series is all about vampires. So, it was sorely disappointing to feel like I was reading a regular mystery novel with a lack luster romance subplot.

I would also like to note that Lydia and Daniel’s plot line is not the only one going on in this story. Ward has added in another sub plot dealing with one of the characters from her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It appears to be related to what Lydia and Daniel are doing, but honestly, I just found the whole thing confusing. I have read a few books from the other series, but I didn’t know the character (Xhex). I also had no clue what she had to do with anything in this book. Anytime that the focus shifted to Xhex, I was completely confused. There was no connection to Lydia and Daniel even by the end of the novel, so I often found myself wishing I could skip over those sections. I would say that if you decide to read this book, it might be important to have read her other series completely in order to understand Xhex’s role.

I am very sad to say that I can’t recommend this novel. I was very hopeful since I have liked some of Ward’s other books, but this one fell very flat to me. The actual writing and storyline is very well done and thought out. I was even genuinely surprised by the ending (though I can’t say that I feel like those events fit the story). But, it truly didn’t feel like an urban fantasy or a paranormal romance, so if that is what you are looking for, I would try something else. It is unlikely that I will read the next book when it is released.