Book Review: Kindred by Nicola Claire
Nicola Claire: Kindred (Kindred, #1) Format: ebookSource: Review copy provided by authorPublisher: Self-publishedPublication date: 7th May 2012 Synopsis: “You may not be aware, ma douce, but not all vampyre have a kindred, some will live out their existence without such beauty in their lives. I have waited five hundred years for you." Vampires, shape shifters, ghouls and magic users abound in a world where the Norms, (those humans without paranormal abilities) are ignorant of the creatures of the night and the supernatural species that live alongside them. Lucinda Monk is a bank teller by day and a vampire hunter by night, but she wasn’t always a part of this world. Thrown into a heady mix of powerful people and sensual beings, she’s had to find her way practically blindfolded in amongst the creatures of the night. But she’s a capable and realistic kind of girl. Her motto: never show fear. But, there's something different about Lucinda, something those creatures she hunts, want. In order to stay one step ahead of the enemy she has to let the enemy in. In all his compelling, seductive and delicious ways. Sleeping with the enemy has never meant so much before. But, can she trust him? From the urban streets of the city, to the dark alleys and sinful bars that promise a wickedness a girl from the farm has never before been exposed to, Lucinda gets drawn irreversibly into the dark side of life. And if the Master of the City had his way, she would always be his. For eternity.Review: Kindred starts out in the thrust of the action- vampire hunter, Lucinda Monk is fighting off vamps who are preying on the innocent citizens of Auckland, NZ. What appealed to me about this paranormal romance, was the setting. NZ is a very close neighbour to Australia and although we may sound similar to foreigners each country has it’s own stereotypes and slang. The author portrays this well throughout the story and made Auckland a vividly eerie setting for the supernatural world. Lucinda's best friend Rick is a shapeshifter and there are also ghouls about too. There are modern-day aspects in the story too such as Lucinda connecting with other hunters via an online forum.Lucinda moved to the city two years prior and began to work with a powerful vampire, Michel to keep other vamps in check in the city. But as her twenty-fifth birthday looms she discovers that she is a much more powerful hunter than she originally thought. She is actually a Nesferetin, a powerful being with supernatural abilities that once joined with a vampire will intensify and in turn create an almighty vampire partner also. This power also makes her vulnerable to an opposing vampire who would like to make her his.Michel who clearly has an intense attraction to Lucinda, offers her a solution to her problems- she can be claimed by him and she will remain safe by opposing vamps. But if she accepts his offer she risks losing her independence and has to deal with the control and jealousies of an alpha vampire who she struggles to resist at the best of times. There's great chemistry betweeen Lucinda and Michel and I grew to like him throughout the story. Then there's Nero who is a Nesferetin like Lucinda, he is bonded with a vampire in Egypt and connects with Lucinda through her sleep. They are both nightwalkers and his charm and training allows her to feel as though she is part of a family for the first time since she found out she was a vampire hunter.Kindred is a great start to a paranormal series which introduces us to Lucinda Monk, a strong, feisty heroine who I imagine has plenty more adventures ahead of her. It’s quite a long ebook at over 400 pages and there were times I felt scenes could have been cut back a bit when they trailed off in internal monologue. Aside from that, Kindred is jam-packed with plenty of actions and Lucinda is challenged time and time again, presenting herself as a determined, likeable protagonist that most paranormal fans will adore. A great debut by self-published New Zealand author, Nicola Claire.
3.5/5 rating
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About the author: Nicola Claire lives in beautiful Taupo, New Zealand with her husband and two young boys. She's tried her hand at being a paramedic, bank teller, foreign exchange consultant and children's party shop owner, (not all necessarily in that order), but her love of writing keeps calling her back. A staunch supporter of the eBook phenomenon and Indie Authors worldwide, you can find her books at all good eBook stores online.