Kindred (Kindred, #1) in The Indie Bookshelf

Jul 16, 2012 Leslie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, romance, vampire

This is the best vampire book I've read in a long time and if you like the paranormal world of vampires, shape shifters, ghouls and magic this book is a must read! The writing was seamless and the character development was outstanding.

Lucinda Monk is a bank teller by day and a vampire hunter by night - and she is good at it. Too good - which is why the Master of Auckland summons her for a visit. Michel Durand, the powerful, drop dead, (pardon the pun) gorgeous alpha-vamp, knows there's somethin This is the best vampire book I've read in a long time and if you like the paranormal world of vampires, shape shifters, ghouls and magic this book is a must read! The writing was seamless and the character development was outstanding.

Lucinda Monk is a bank teller by day and a vampire hunter by night - and she is good at it. Too good - which is why the Master of Auckland summons her for a visit. Michel Durand, the powerful, drop dead, (pardon the pun) gorgeous alpha-vamp, knows there's something different about Lucinda, something those creatures she hunts, want - including him. Unfortunately, our feisty and strong willed heroine needs to stay one step ahead of the enemy and to do so, she has to let the enemy in; which goes against everything she believes. Vampires are dark, she is light, though she can sense the good in Michel, his 500 years of practice can easily penetrate her, seducing her with his power. Michel is fascinated by his attraction to Lucinda and lets her know it right away, but she has another problem; vampires, at least the purely evil ones, are growing by the numbers and one little vampire hunter isn't going to cut it. So, Michel offers Lucinda his protection. Luckily, she has developed the unique ability to block a vampire's affect of seduction and manipulation, but Michel is stronger and more powerful and every day they spend together; their connection becomes more intense, even for her to deny.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking about a song I'd recently heard by Kelly Clarkson, called, "Dark Side". It perfectly depicts the relationship between Lucinda and Michel and the song's lyrics kept haunting me; revealing Michel's power and also his vulnerability when it came to loving Lucinda. If you'd like to venture further inside their world, here is the link to this incredible song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzvy4f...

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It's first person narrative allowed the reader to enjoy Lucinda's sarcasm, humor and internal banter; which had me giggling to myself, a lot. Clearly, Claire has a unique ability to pull you in immediately and keep you captivated, which is a reader's dream and I truly had a hard time putting this one down. There was action, mystery, intrigue, romance and deliciously steamy love scenes that would make any girl swoon for her very own vampire. I was a little sad for this story to end, however am delighted to tell you that this is the first book in a series of eight and I cannot wait to get back to my new favorite vampire series! Well done, Ms. Claire - I am ~~bitten~~ smitten!
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Oct 28, 2012 Kathy rated it it was amazing

This book was recommended to me by my friend, Leslie over at The Indie Bookshelf, and I decided to make it my Halloween read. Thank you, Leslie, for your recommendation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This book gives a very different spin on vampires and shapeshifters. No, they don't sparkle and there was no bad DNA in the mix, but there is something very different about them. When I first started reading this book, I immediately thought of a blend between Jeaniene Frost's Cat and Bones and Char This book was recommended to me by my friend, Leslie over at The Indie Bookshelf, and I decided to make it my Halloween read. Thank you, Leslie, for your recommendation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This book gives a very different spin on vampires and shapeshifters. No, they don't sparkle and there was no bad DNA in the mix, but there is something very different about them. When I first started reading this book, I immediately thought of a blend between Jeaniene Frost's Cat and Bones and Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse, with Kindred being their love child. But, that is not at all what this book is. Kindred completely stands on its own in originality.

Lucinda (Luce) has moved to the city from the farm life with a challenge of hunting down rogue vampires; she is the hunter with attitude. She is the best in her craft, which grants her the attention of one sexy Master vampire. Lucinda has special abilities with regard to the supernatural, but she just doesn't know how special she is....until she learns of her family history and a special kindred. I loved Lucinda and her snarkastic attitude. Whether she was afraid or not, she knew to put up a brave front in order to survive, but she is willing to take on whomever or whatever she has to in order to protect innocents from falling victim to the rogues....but why does she feel this pull to the rogue vampires and her want to protect the innocents? Well, that all comes to light when Lucinda discovers her family history and the connection with her supernatural abilities. I laughed at so much of Lucinda's dialogue and inner monologue in this book. The story is told in Lucinda's point of view, but the writing really made it feel as though Lucinda was in the room with me telling me a story or just sharing the normal events of her abnormal day...or night as the case may be.

Michel is a hot and sexy [French] Master vampire who rules the city of Auckland, New Zealand...and he has a thing for Lucinda. He wants to ensure Lucinda's safety....and a whole lot more. She is the light to his dark. He wants to claim her as his own. Well, we know where that can lead, but he really is very drawn to Lucinda, however she is immune to a vampire's glazing abilities. But, the more time they spend together, the more time Michel has to work his magic on Lucinda, break down her resistance, and try to win her to him. But, then there's Nero, Lucinda's special friend and trainer. The sparks between Michel and Lucinda are hot, but Nero may just be the one to douse those sparks...but that's for another book. There is the potential for a love triangle there, and I honestly can't tell who I would rather see Lucinda with, because I really liked both Michel and Nero. I will say that something special happens between Michel and Lucinda, but I won't tell you what it is. (I'm such a tease) You'll just have to read the book and find out...and DO read the book.

This book was action packed from the first page. I was immediately drawn in, and Nicola Claire has a unique way of telling a story. I envisioned one of those virtual reality thingies while reading...I could see the characters sitting there in the same room as me while I watched the story play out with my eyes as I read. That was a new and great experience for me. I've seen movies play in my head before, but I've never watched the story happening in the same room with me before. Hmmm...I liked that experience. The story has its own special vocabulary, but the author helped me out with the terms in the story by supplying a glossary at the beginning of the book. Is there romance in this book? Yes, there is, with a few steamy scenes to boot. The love scenes were a bit toned down compared to others I've read, but they were steamy just the same. You will be swooning and pining for your own Michel...I may have just moved my Brit heroes to the side with a French replacement...there's possibly an inner world war coming on between my alpha males of choice after this one. I give this book 4.5 stars and recommend it as a paranormal romance with a lot of action, a great reveal, and something different to offer the paranormalists out there like me. ...more

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