I know it's Friday, but instead of my usual blog post, I'm going to give you a bonus book review to keep you entertained. This one is a different take on the classic vampire stories…

Dissension

Leisha used to be a loving mother with a perfect family, but that was more than 2,000 years ago. Though she holds the memory of that time dear to her heart, she must now focus on trying to escape the eternal and bloody war between her kind—the Vampires—and the Immortals, an undying race sworn to destroy her people. Leisha soon finds herself captured by the government, only to be saved by a young and mysterious human girl. What follows is the beginning of a long and tortuous journey as Leisha and her newfound friend run for their lives while searching for the one thing that can bring an end to the conflict—the prophecy child.

My Review: 3.5 Stars

I loved the intro to the story! The first few pages had me spellbound, and I found the introduction to the main character to be quite enjoyable. But after a few pages, it kind of lost me. There was a scene near the beginning that could have had A LOT of tension and excitement to it (a confrontation between the main vampire character and her enemy), but it just didn't have it. Then the secondary character was introduced, and I felt like it watered down the story a bit more. The way the two are introduced is a little hard to believe--this shy, unassuming teenage girl breaks into a highly-restricted government lab and shuts down the electricity. It just doesn't happen like that in real life! Then the teenage girls almost immediately forms this emotional bond with the vampire character, who seems old enough to be her mother, but they have an older/younger sister thing going on. It wasn't realistic, and had a distinctly amateurish flavor to the way it was handled. There was almost no tension or uncertainty between the two characters, but they basically went from total strangers to BFFs overnight. The girl, Samantha, showed far less surprise than she should have when it was revealed that Leisha was a vampire. The way Leisha's back story was told was quite weak--coming off more as a monologue than a story being told from one friend to another. There were quite a few typos, words being misused, and the dialogue sometimes felt stilted or unnatural. That being said, I did like the conflict between the Immortals and vampires. Though what the Immortals are and what they can do is never properly introduced, they served as an intriguing antagonist. The twist at the end was one I could 100% respect--it totally took me by surprise. It definitely made me want to read Book 2, which just came out on Tuesday! You can get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Defiance-The-Blood-Inheritance-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00TNTH5O8

Here's a Taste:

Leisha straightened and schooled her expression into one of indifference. It was offset by the fact that she was having a hard time looking directly at him. She didn't want to be distracted by those captivating eyes. She focused on his chest instead. “So why are you here?” He took several steps forward and cupped her face, his fingers digging into the flesh of her cheek, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I will tell you that I certainly did not come here so you could avoid looking at me as if I were beneath you,” he said firmly, a British accent lightly threading his tone. His voice was still cold and flat, but it seemed to have a little quiver to it. Her breath caught at his touch. It felt electric, and seemed to make her feel alive in a way she hadn’t felt since she was human. She had not even bothered to defend herself from his outstretched hand, a realization that jolted her. Her neck was at an awkward angle since she was only five foot five to his six feet. He let his hand drop but didn’t take any steps back. He seemed oblivious to the corpse at their feet. They were close enough to kiss, and the energy that flowed between their bodies was of a charged violence with an undertone of undeniable chemistry. They stared into each other’s eyes for a timeless moment. “That is better,” Tafari said after a few minutes. Leisha blinked, then scoffed and would have taken a step back if the wall had not been directly behind her. “Oh please, Tafari. You say I'm acting like you're beneath me? I think that's the pot calling the kettle black.” Tafari crossed his arms and smirked slightly. “Seeing as how I am black, would you call me the pot or the kettle?” She rolled her eyes, but she could feel herself relaxing a little. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “I think I should be allowed one paltry pun considering that is the second cliché you have used thus far.” Leisha felt her own smile wanting to push itself forward, and her lips twitched. The small smirk disappeared and he cleared his throat. “So I have not seen you make any reports to Ptah for some time. Is it possible that he has allowed you to go out on your own?” Whatever warmth she had felt quickly shriveled within her. “How would you know that? You’ve been following me? Watching me?” She was agitated at herself as much as with him. She had not even had the slightest inkling that someone had been following her. She didn't like the thought of Tafari being near without her feeling it in some way. “Look,” he said. “I needed to talk to you, but I did not want to walk into an ambush of twenty bloody vampires just to do that. I did what I had to do to protect myself.” He stared hard. “It is likely you have forgotten I serve a higher purpose than most people could fathom.” Leisha felt like sputtering. “Right. A higher purpose? So murdering me is a higher purpose.” He opened his mouth, but Leisha kept on. “I didn’t realize your duty was so glorified. So should I bow down to you now, or after you've elevated yourself in my presence? It would certainly make it easier for you to cut my head off!” “There will be no need for that, vamp. I am sure that there will be plenty of time to kill you later,” he said in a biting tone. “I did come to speak with you, so either you can be civil with me as I am attempting to be with you, or we can just end the conversation now.” She studied him suspiciously. “Tell me what it is you came to say so we can both be on our way. That is, if you really meant it when you said you weren’t here to try and kill me.” With an edge to his voice he explained. “I came here to warn you.” “You came here to warn me? About your superiority or your higher purpose in life?” Tafari's eyes flashed violence, then he took a deep, calming breath. “The planets are beginning to align as it has been foretold.” Leisha felt a chill run down her spine. “The prophecy child is coming.” “Thanks for the information,” she said slowly. “But that still doesn’t answer the question of why you’re telling me.” For a second, Tafari looked as confused as she felt, but then his face went back to its passive state so quickly that Leisha thought she must have imagined it. “I have come to inform you so that I might make a request of you in return.” Her jaw dropped. “What could you possibly want from me?”

About the Author:

Adrienne Monson is the award winning author of the Blood Inheritance trilogy and a paranormal Regency novella, Eyes of Persuasion. She resides in Utah with her husband and two children where she works on more stories to share with the world. She also enjoys reading, kickboxing, and cooking. Find the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dissension-The-Blood-Inheritance-Trilogy/dp/0984880194 Or on Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dissension-adrienne-monson/1114377083?ean=9780984880133 Visit her website to find out more about her: http://www.adriennemonson.com/ Tweet at her: https://twitter.com/#!/adriennemonson Connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adriennemonson