This was my first Karina Halle book and I stumbled on it looking for a new vampire book for my healthy vampire obsession. 🙂 This was set in an urban fantasy world in Berkely, California. Our main character, Lenore, is a second year UC Berkeley student in Egyptian history. I was intrigued from the first page and read this in one sitting. Halle’s characters were captivating and her world beautiful and addicting. I gave this a 4/5 rating. You should read this too.
**Spolier Alert**
As a child, Lenore’s parents were murdered by rogue hunters, tracing her mother. The couple that killed them, took her in and raised her. She doesn’t find out any of this until right at her 21st birthday after she is kidnapped by a house of vapires. She doesn’t even know she is half witch, half vampire as her parents never told her.
The alpha of the house, and the man that sets her skin on fire, Absolon Stavig, helps push her through her vampire change so she doesn’t hurt anyone. As she grows into her vampire side, her stand in parents confess they kept her hidden from the vampire and witch world, because they would have killed Lenore for what she is, but they do have a true love for each other despite the circumstances.
Though as Absolon had guessed, once Lenore’s change is complete, the rest of their world knows who and wha she is. Both sides come forward to try to kill or kidnap her for their vampire king in Norway. This is a wonderful tale with death and heartache in spades but their is also love and forgiveness.