Monday, August 7, 2017

Review: Hunger (The Energy Vampires #2) by Jacquelyn Frank

Hunger by Jacquelyn Frank

Hunger (The Energy Vampires #2) by Jacquelyn Frank
Purchase link: Amazon

My rating: Small star Small star Small star Small star

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Hunger by Jacquelyn Frank blurb

Jacquelyn Frank has written an intriguing story with a different sort of vampire, of two people - one human, one vampire held in captivity, with nothing to depend upon but each other and their wits.

I have to admit I had misgivings when I started reading Hunger. I was wondering how Ms Frank was going to keep the story interesting and the pace of the story engaging while Halo and Felice were essentially locked in a room together for the better part of the book while trying to figure a way out. Ms Frank surprised me by keeping the pacing tight, the dialogue snappy and the action engaging. It's quite a feat considering for more than 50% of the book Halo and Felice were trapped together in a room, naked and vulnerable. I could not turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next.

Let's face it. Halo is a jerk. He's the best hunter the vampire nation has and he's capable and resourceful, but he's a class A jerk. He has built up so many defenses around his heart that he maintains a hedonistic lifestyle in order to keep everyone at arm's length. To protect himself, to protect others, and then comes Felice. It takes Felice to ding underneath his fascade to reveal that beneath his blunt, rather crude exterior is a man who cares deeply, who doesn't want the chance of getting hurt and who is protecting his heart at all costs. In spite of how much a jerk he is, I liked Halo a lot. He's honest with those around him and he's honest with Felice. Of course, he's so direct and straight-talking that he almost comes across as being crass, but one needs to look beneath the surface with Halo to see the man.

"Halo was very up front about being a jerk. He didn’t try to hide it. He didn’t try to excuse his behavior. He was honest..."

"Halo reached across the seat and cupped her bare knee in his huge hand. He rubbed it soothingly. Giving her comfort. It seemed so out of character for him. And yet she had always suspected there was a softer side to him hidden somewhere deep beneath all the bluster and crudeness. She wouldn’t have given herself to him if she hadn’t thought that he was completely irredeemable."

When I first met Felice, I thought she was weak. Granted she was trapped naked in a room against her will. But then I got to know her. She's got a strength to her that is amazing. She's been through some difficult times in her past and has come out stronger, more confident and self-aware than before. I like that she stood up to Halo, didn't let his bullshit bother her and challenged him. Gotta admit though, the was she was psychoanalyzing him and picking at him did come across a bit shrewish. But mostly, I admired her resilience and strength in the face of difficult odds. She could have easily caved under the stress and pressure of her situation but she didn't.

"You can be very practical.” “I’m a realist. I’m facing the truth. I’d rather face the truth than candy-coat it so I’ll feel better for a moment."

I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this story given the premise. I think I enjoyed this one much more than the first book in the series and I'm liking seeing the story arc develop in the war between the vampires and the sycophants. A core theme within the story is drug abuse and living a clean life. It's a big deal for clean, law abiding vampires that they have clean food sources. The whole concept behind a clean food source and how it affects the vampires is a very interesting aspect of this series. I look forward to the next book in the series and seeing what happens next.

One final note, even though this is the second book in the series, you can easily jump in and read it without having read the first book. Ms Frank provides some of the world building and back story here and skillfully weaves it into the main storyline. For the first time reader, you get a glimpse of the world these energy vampires live in and for the person who's already read the first book, it's a good refresher.

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About the author

Jacquelyn Frank

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