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Kindred #1
Kindred
“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.
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.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2012
About the author
Nicola Claire
80 books733 followersNicola Claire lives in beautiful Taupo, New Zealand with her husband, two teenage boys and a Miniature Schnauzer named Rudy.
A bit of a romance junkie, she can be known to devour as many as half a dozen books a week if she drinks too much coffee. But her real passion is writing sexy, romantic suspense stories with strong female leads and alpha male protagonists who know how to love them.
So far, she’s written well over 70 books. She might have caught the writing bug; here’s hoping there’s no cure!
A bit of a romance junkie, she can be known to devour as many as half a dozen books a week if she drinks too much coffee. But her real passion is writing sexy, romantic suspense stories with strong female leads and alpha male protagonists who know how to love them.
So far, she’s written well over 70 books. She might have caught the writing bug; here’s hoping there’s no cure!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
July 4, 2016
3.5 Well, this book was a disappointment...
When I read the other book by Nicola Claire, Blood Enchanted, I said I must try everything by this author, I absolutely loved that one.
And well, I had really high hopes for this series, I heard great stuff about it. And boy, did it disappoint!
What I hated: the main female character, Luce, was chopped. She felt like she had different personalities, she was either nice or a bitch or sarcastic or absolutely lovely. Yeah, a person can be all that, but you can't say how much you love your friends and how great they are and then forget about them when . I mean, that doesn't add up! Plus, she's suppose to be a great fighter but she wears tight mini skirts when she goes out hunting vampires? Really? How comfortable can that be?
Also, I didn't like that she was all-powerful, . Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love a kickass chick, but I like to feel the "reality" in that.
The good parts? The plot, it was pretty interesting. Also, even though I hated Luce a few times, most of the time I liked her attitude (not her assassin skills but hey, at least she had an attitude).
This series had so much potential! I want my hopes back!
When I read the other book by Nicola Claire, Blood Enchanted, I said I must try everything by this author, I absolutely loved that one.
And well, I had really high hopes for this series, I heard great stuff about it. And boy, did it disappoint!
What I hated: the main female character, Luce, was chopped. She felt like she had different personalities, she was either nice or a bitch or sarcastic or absolutely lovely. Yeah, a person can be all that, but you can't say how much you love your friends and how great they are and then forget about them when . I mean, that doesn't add up! Plus, she's suppose to be a great fighter but she wears tight mini skirts when she goes out hunting vampires? Really? How comfortable can that be?
Also, I didn't like that she was all-powerful, . Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love a kickass chick, but I like to feel the "reality" in that.
The good parts? The plot, it was pretty interesting. Also, even though I hated Luce a few times, most of the time I liked her attitude (not her assassin skills but hey, at least she had an attitude).
This series had so much potential! I want my hopes back!
December 27, 2012
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 ambitten smitten!
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
May 12, 2017
Rate: 4/3 stars.
May 26, 2013
I'm always thrilled to find a fresh, unique twist to the done-to-death vampire/shifter theme, and Nicola Claire has given us that. With vamps, ghouls, shifters and magic, the world is complex, the characters engaging, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series!
Many thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
May 3, 2015
This is feeling like it's gonna be a long one and may contain mild spoilers.
To start off with, this is very, VERY similar to the Anita Blake series. The heroine, Lucinda, is a vampire hunter instead of a necromancer who hunts vampires (Anita), but she has a very similar attitude. Lucinda's best friend is a shifter, much like Richard is in the A. B. series and there are hints of a pretty powerful love triangle (One would hope not an actual trifecta. That really would be far too much to chalk up to coincidence), but it's Michel's similarities to Jean Claude that really raised my eyebrows.
Jean Claude (from A.B.) is an ill-defined master vampire, whatever that is. Michel (from Kindred) is an ill-defined master vampire, whatever that is. J.C. is the master of his city. Michel is the master of his city. Both are tall. Both have dark, longish hair and blue eyes. Both own/manage nightclubs. J.C. is 400-600 years old and powerful. Michel is 500 years old and powerful. Both are French (both from peasant families). Both are fashion conscious. Both were changed to vampires in their early thirties—J.C. at 30, Michel at 32. Both have voices that are described as having a physical sensory response in the heroine, strokes their skin and such. Both visit their heroines in her dreams. Both use a little French pet name for their romantic interest—J.C. ma petite and/or ma cherie, Michel ma douce and/or ma belle. They're both arrogant and act/speak in very similar manners. Removed from context and set side by side, I literally wouldn't be able to tell one from the other.
Given the similarities, I suppose I can say with complete confidence that if you liked Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter you'll like Kindred. Personally, I found both of them fairly so-so. Not horrible, but I didn't fall in love either. In the case of Kindred I found that I basically enjoyed it, but had some fairly serious complaints too.
To start with the positive, I like that Lucinda was an unapologeticly sexual woman, without any kind of fuss needing to be made about virginity or lack of experience. It just wasn't mentioned at all and at 24 year old, it doesn't need to be. I really appreciated that. So often, PNR heroines are made out to be chaste maidens and the reader has to sit through endless scenes of mental agony over the consequences of having sex. I liked that this book skipped all that. She had sex, but there wasn't the need to dramatise it.
I also liked that the basic vampire psyche was fairly well thought out and thoroughly explained. It really gave the reader a good understanding of their actions, especially when dealing with instinctual responses to things.
Most of the time, I also liked Lucinda and Michel. Lucinda was fairly sharp and truly brave and Michel could be really sexy sometimes. I didn't always like them though. Lucinda seemed to constantly be crying over some little thing or another. It made her seem weak. And Michel was a jackass as often as he was a sweetheart.
Lastly, I liked that the book was set in Auckland, New Zealand. The US, followed by the UK are the settings for the vast majority of the genre. It was refreshing to find myself somewhere new, with new terminology, cultural norms, etc.
Next, to move on to things that irritated me; I'll start with the minor stuff. The whole vampire/vampire hunter partnership made no sense to me. Michel spoke of it as if the vampires and the hunters had come to an agreement, or an 'accord' probably, and agreed to it. But the symptoms and consequences are biological. So how does that work then?
What's more, if it is all based on some past agreement between the species, even one that later somehow became engrained in the biology of hunters and vampires, how can a hunter be forced into it? How, exactly, the bonding takes place was never fully explained. There was a social ceremony but it wasn't clear which aspect of it actual initiates the binding. I was left confused about one of the most important aspects of the plot.
Similarly, the whole dream walking made little sense either. She could physically, but invisibly, appear elsewhere with tools she didn't have with her where her physical body was and actually affect physical reality. Seems unlikely, but more importantly how could that happen?
Next, and I can't believe I'm saying this; it's completely opposite of what I'm usually harping on about—books that end without conclusions—but IMO this book should have ended at about 45% and the remaining 50% been a separate book. (The last 5% is bonus material.)
There is a fairly dramatic event around that time that then requires the introduction of a whole new threat (plot) and reads as a separate, but related novel. There are even the occasional recap passages one finds in sequels to remind them of what happened in previous books. The shift felt abrupt. I might not even mention it if this was a stand-alone book. I would just assume the author was trying to keep the whole story in one text and appreciate the effort. But there are 7 subsequent books in the Kindred series, so why not just break it up and make it a 9 book series instead?
Lastly, for the small irritants, there are a series of deus ex machina events. These always annoy me. She repeatedly saves the day, or at least the lives in a situation, by pulling some unknown ultra-power out of her back pocket without knowing how or even that she was capable. These powers weren't supposed to have manifested yet, but the miraculously do whenever she needs them. That always strikes me as weak.
Now, to move on to the (admittedly vague) major thing that made me grind my teeth. Lucinda was demonstrably powerless. Sure she pulled out the superpowers when need be, but I'm speaking of social and interpersonal power, not magic or fighting skill power.
For all the times she went on and on about equality, her wants, needs and desires were walked over repeatedly. Even her own emotions were manipulated by a variety of male characters. Often the reader would be told something along the lines of, Lucinda didn't want to feel this way or reciprocate the lust, but her hands/mind/mouth/etc had a mind of their own. It was as if she had no defence against the men's overpowering presence or that as a woman she had no control over her own sexual responses. God, women have been shoved in that box for generations and I still hate it.
And this manipulation wasn't just done with vampire super mind control (you know glaze, glamour, rolled mind, etc) but by the fact that she was repeatedly distracted from justifiable anger by giving in to sexual desire when angry, or even worse regretted and cried, then apologised for her own feelings or appropriate retaliation for offences. Why should she have to do this? Men in this book were allowed to get angry, stay angry and react in anger. Lucinda was NEVER allowed this response.
Women just aren't supposed to do that...not good girls anyway. We've all heard some version of it, 'suck it up honey let the men handle it. They obviously know better than you, even if it makes you want to swallow your own teeth.'
The message became obviously one of secondary status. The problem is that it was written as if to suggest she wasn't, but actions speak louder than words, as they say, and Lucinda was not the one able to cause change in herself or others, she was only the recipient of it and she then wasn't even allowed to be angry about it.
As an example, Michel denied her demand to see Rick (her best friend). Michel placed his own image, not even his or her wellbeing, but his image, above her very clearly expressed desire. He did not apologise for this and when she briefly became angry at him a mere act of impressive skill on his part caused her to not only lose her anger, but then become the cliché nurturing woman who set aside her own desire to instead support on his moral journey. She never did get to see Rick and he never had to face putting her wants secondary.
A second example (one that showed up more than once), she wanted to join a fight. He locked her away, despite her protest to prevent this. Circumstances always progressed such that she never remained angry at this and he never had to alter his behaviour.
Even a blatant physical and nearly fatal attack (Michel against Lucinda, because she smelled of another) is dismissed because it's vampire nature. When Lucinda briefly retaliated (it might be better stated as fought back), she stopped when he asked, despite the fact that her similar pleas hadn't even paused his attack. Then she cried, apologised and felt bad for her actions. Did Michel? Nope, not all. He's allowed his anger and reactions to it. Lucinda wasn't...at all.
That's like asking a woman to apologise for hitting a man back, without asking the man to apologise for hitting her first, because men (and not women) are, by their very nature, violent creatures. Proverbial show of hands, anyone here find that an acceptable scenario? Because all I did was swap the word vampire for man. That's exactly how it's presented in the book, more than once even.
We can pretend she was an equal to Michel, but she was shown to be less able to control herself, her emotions, her environment and her mate than he was. I hate to read more into this than is there, and I'm not claiming the author wrote it this way on purpose. Instead, and in a way worse, I think it's a subconscious mimicking of the basic male hegemony. That's what makes it so pervasive. It's either unseen or seen as the natural way of things. Even a female author, who likely thought she was crafting a strong, in control, female lead instead wrote a classically second-class little woman. I hate that!
The writing itself was pretty good. The book could do with a little more editing. There are a few typos, it can occasionally be difficult to tell who is speaking and it's occasionally repetitive. So, final word...I had some major gripes, which I'll admit as many people as not will role their eyes at, but it was still an amusing read. There was a decent amount of humour and some pretty good sex scenes.
To start off with, this is very, VERY similar to the Anita Blake series. The heroine, Lucinda, is a vampire hunter instead of a necromancer who hunts vampires (Anita), but she has a very similar attitude. Lucinda's best friend is a shifter, much like Richard is in the A. B. series and there are hints of a pretty powerful love triangle (One would hope not an actual trifecta. That really would be far too much to chalk up to coincidence), but it's Michel's similarities to Jean Claude that really raised my eyebrows.
Jean Claude (from A.B.) is an ill-defined master vampire, whatever that is. Michel (from Kindred) is an ill-defined master vampire, whatever that is. J.C. is the master of his city. Michel is the master of his city. Both are tall. Both have dark, longish hair and blue eyes. Both own/manage nightclubs. J.C. is 400-600 years old and powerful. Michel is 500 years old and powerful. Both are French (both from peasant families). Both are fashion conscious. Both were changed to vampires in their early thirties—J.C. at 30, Michel at 32. Both have voices that are described as having a physical sensory response in the heroine, strokes their skin and such. Both visit their heroines in her dreams. Both use a little French pet name for their romantic interest—J.C. ma petite and/or ma cherie, Michel ma douce and/or ma belle. They're both arrogant and act/speak in very similar manners. Removed from context and set side by side, I literally wouldn't be able to tell one from the other.
Given the similarities, I suppose I can say with complete confidence that if you liked Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter you'll like Kindred. Personally, I found both of them fairly so-so. Not horrible, but I didn't fall in love either. In the case of Kindred I found that I basically enjoyed it, but had some fairly serious complaints too.
To start with the positive, I like that Lucinda was an unapologeticly sexual woman, without any kind of fuss needing to be made about virginity or lack of experience. It just wasn't mentioned at all and at 24 year old, it doesn't need to be. I really appreciated that. So often, PNR heroines are made out to be chaste maidens and the reader has to sit through endless scenes of mental agony over the consequences of having sex. I liked that this book skipped all that. She had sex, but there wasn't the need to dramatise it.
I also liked that the basic vampire psyche was fairly well thought out and thoroughly explained. It really gave the reader a good understanding of their actions, especially when dealing with instinctual responses to things.
Most of the time, I also liked Lucinda and Michel. Lucinda was fairly sharp and truly brave and Michel could be really sexy sometimes. I didn't always like them though. Lucinda seemed to constantly be crying over some little thing or another. It made her seem weak. And Michel was a jackass as often as he was a sweetheart.
Lastly, I liked that the book was set in Auckland, New Zealand. The US, followed by the UK are the settings for the vast majority of the genre. It was refreshing to find myself somewhere new, with new terminology, cultural norms, etc.
Next, to move on to things that irritated me; I'll start with the minor stuff. The whole vampire/vampire hunter partnership made no sense to me. Michel spoke of it as if the vampires and the hunters had come to an agreement, or an 'accord' probably, and agreed to it. But the symptoms and consequences are biological. So how does that work then?
What's more, if it is all based on some past agreement between the species, even one that later somehow became engrained in the biology of hunters and vampires, how can a hunter be forced into it? How, exactly, the bonding takes place was never fully explained. There was a social ceremony but it wasn't clear which aspect of it actual initiates the binding. I was left confused about one of the most important aspects of the plot.
Similarly, the whole dream walking made little sense either. She could physically, but invisibly, appear elsewhere with tools she didn't have with her where her physical body was and actually affect physical reality. Seems unlikely, but more importantly how could that happen?
Next, and I can't believe I'm saying this; it's completely opposite of what I'm usually harping on about—books that end without conclusions—but IMO this book should have ended at about 45% and the remaining 50% been a separate book. (The last 5% is bonus material.)
There is a fairly dramatic event around that time that then requires the introduction of a whole new threat (plot) and reads as a separate, but related novel. There are even the occasional recap passages one finds in sequels to remind them of what happened in previous books. The shift felt abrupt. I might not even mention it if this was a stand-alone book. I would just assume the author was trying to keep the whole story in one text and appreciate the effort. But there are 7 subsequent books in the Kindred series, so why not just break it up and make it a 9 book series instead?
Lastly, for the small irritants, there are a series of deus ex machina events. These always annoy me. She repeatedly saves the day, or at least the lives in a situation, by pulling some unknown ultra-power out of her back pocket without knowing how or even that she was capable. These powers weren't supposed to have manifested yet, but the miraculously do whenever she needs them. That always strikes me as weak.
Now, to move on to the (admittedly vague) major thing that made me grind my teeth. Lucinda was demonstrably powerless. Sure she pulled out the superpowers when need be, but I'm speaking of social and interpersonal power, not magic or fighting skill power.
For all the times she went on and on about equality, her wants, needs and desires were walked over repeatedly. Even her own emotions were manipulated by a variety of male characters. Often the reader would be told something along the lines of, Lucinda didn't want to feel this way or reciprocate the lust, but her hands/mind/mouth/etc had a mind of their own. It was as if she had no defence against the men's overpowering presence or that as a woman she had no control over her own sexual responses. God, women have been shoved in that box for generations and I still hate it.
And this manipulation wasn't just done with vampire super mind control (you know glaze, glamour, rolled mind, etc) but by the fact that she was repeatedly distracted from justifiable anger by giving in to sexual desire when angry, or even worse regretted and cried, then apologised for her own feelings or appropriate retaliation for offences. Why should she have to do this? Men in this book were allowed to get angry, stay angry and react in anger. Lucinda was NEVER allowed this response.
Women just aren't supposed to do that...not good girls anyway. We've all heard some version of it, 'suck it up honey let the men handle it. They obviously know better than you, even if it makes you want to swallow your own teeth.'
The message became obviously one of secondary status. The problem is that it was written as if to suggest she wasn't, but actions speak louder than words, as they say, and Lucinda was not the one able to cause change in herself or others, she was only the recipient of it and she then wasn't even allowed to be angry about it.
As an example, Michel denied her demand to see Rick (her best friend). Michel placed his own image, not even his or her wellbeing, but his image, above her very clearly expressed desire. He did not apologise for this and when she briefly became angry at him a mere act of impressive skill on his part caused her to not only lose her anger, but then become the cliché nurturing woman who set aside her own desire to instead support on his moral journey. She never did get to see Rick and he never had to face putting her wants secondary.
A second example (one that showed up more than once), she wanted to join a fight. He locked her away, despite her protest to prevent this. Circumstances always progressed such that she never remained angry at this and he never had to alter his behaviour.
Even a blatant physical and nearly fatal attack (Michel against Lucinda, because she smelled of another) is dismissed because it's vampire nature. When Lucinda briefly retaliated (it might be better stated as fought back), she stopped when he asked, despite the fact that her similar pleas hadn't even paused his attack. Then she cried, apologised and felt bad for her actions. Did Michel? Nope, not all. He's allowed his anger and reactions to it. Lucinda wasn't...at all.
That's like asking a woman to apologise for hitting a man back, without asking the man to apologise for hitting her first, because men (and not women) are, by their very nature, violent creatures. Proverbial show of hands, anyone here find that an acceptable scenario? Because all I did was swap the word vampire for man. That's exactly how it's presented in the book, more than once even.
We can pretend she was an equal to Michel, but she was shown to be less able to control herself, her emotions, her environment and her mate than he was. I hate to read more into this than is there, and I'm not claiming the author wrote it this way on purpose. Instead, and in a way worse, I think it's a subconscious mimicking of the basic male hegemony. That's what makes it so pervasive. It's either unseen or seen as the natural way of things. Even a female author, who likely thought she was crafting a strong, in control, female lead instead wrote a classically second-class little woman. I hate that!
The writing itself was pretty good. The book could do with a little more editing. There are a few typos, it can occasionally be difficult to tell who is speaking and it's occasionally repetitive. So, final word...I had some major gripes, which I'll admit as many people as not will role their eyes at, but it was still an amusing read. There was a decent amount of humour and some pretty good sex scenes.
January 2, 2018
I have lost count of how many series I have started only to drop them a couple or one book in.
Stupid slump!
It's 3am. Sleep beckons.
Also, reading slump equals review slump.
If I do end up continuing this series, it'll be for that chapter 2 from Michel's POV.
No, I'm not gaga over him. He pisses off my independence and self-worth too much for that.
Once again, not a big fan of the names. Might just be me but Michel sounds downright girly for a 500-year-old vamp. Or any self-respecting man for that...
Don't get you feathers all ruffled up, where I'm from Michel (we spell it Mishael) is a name for women.
So, Book
Stupid slump!
It's 3am. Sleep beckons.
Also, reading slump equals review slump.
If I do end up continuing this series, it'll be for that chapter 2 from Michel's POV.
No, I'm not gaga over him. He pisses off my independence and self-worth too much for that.
Once again, not a big fan of the names. Might just be me but Michel sounds downright girly for a 500-year-old vamp. Or any self-respecting man for that...
Don't get you feathers all ruffled up, where I'm from Michel (we spell it Mishael) is a name for women.
So, Book
Shelved as 'kindred-series-by-nicola-claire'
January 25, 2017At its heart Kindred is a romance story, that just happens to feature sexy vampires, vampire hunters, and a kindred connection between the two never before seen.
For more information about the Kindred World, please visit my website: http://www.nicolaclairebooks.com
For more information about the Kindred World, please visit my website: http://www.nicolaclairebooks.com
October 30, 2012
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.
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.
September 24, 2012
This was a great fresh take on the vampire world. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the second book! The fight scenes in this book are well thought out and had me on the edge of my seat rooting for the good guys! The love scenes weren't as graphic as I'm use too but they gave me butterflies all the same. I actually really enjoyed them and the sparks between Michel and Luce were through the roof. I do detect a possible love triangle coming, between Michel, Luce, and Nero. I could be way off though, it was just a feeling that I got from the attraction that Luce and Nero felt for one another.
I loved the origionality of the vampire having his "kindred" half out in the world called Nosferatin. When the Nosferatin turns 25, they come into their powers and have one month to find a vampire to bond with or they will die. Of course, it turns out that Luce bonds with Michel before her 25th birthday and she is safe from dying. She later finds out that there are others out there the same as her and Nero ends up coming to her through dream walking and teaching her the ways of there people. This is the gist of the story, of course there is so much more to it. It is just so refreshing to have new ideas in a vampire story. I find because there are so many vampire stories out there, they get to be very similiar in style. To find a book that is unique is very refreshing.
My only complaint was that it was a bit slow at getting started. BY about 20% it started to pick up for me and then I was pulled into the world and enjoying it very much. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good vampire love story that is full of action and lots of good characters.
This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the origionality of the vampire having his "kindred" half out in the world called Nosferatin. When the Nosferatin turns 25, they come into their powers and have one month to find a vampire to bond with or they will die. Of course, it turns out that Luce bonds with Michel before her 25th birthday and she is safe from dying. She later finds out that there are others out there the same as her and Nero ends up coming to her through dream walking and teaching her the ways of there people. This is the gist of the story, of course there is so much more to it. It is just so refreshing to have new ideas in a vampire story. I find because there are so many vampire stories out there, they get to be very similiar in style. To find a book that is unique is very refreshing.
My only complaint was that it was a bit slow at getting started. BY about 20% it started to pick up for me and then I was pulled into the world and enjoying it very much. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good vampire love story that is full of action and lots of good characters.
This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2020
Initially I rated this novel 3 stars, but upon further reflection I have adjusted it to 2 stars and this is for several reasons that I will discuss below. This review will contain some spoilers.
Lucinda Monk is your generic POV character for the genre of fantasy/paranormal/romance. Luce is a hard, ass kicking heroine, with abilities that she cannot explain. Born in a rural setting she moved to Auckland to work an ordinary day job, but after a vampire -by coincidence- finds its' way into the bank she works in she discovers that she has these abilities she can't explain. At this point in the novels explanation this wasn't a turn off, it is a typical set up for the genre, but introduction of new lore is usually a welcome addition to my repertoire.
Ways Lucinda fits the trope; her parents are dead so she has no knowledge of her ancestry or heritage, she isn't a 'girlie' girl and most of her friends and the company she keeps are male. She is best friends with a shifter male who is not the same species as her. Luce doesn't believe that she is physically attractive yet pretty much every male seems to fall in lust with her. Another cliche committed to page follows that, despite not knowing who she is, it turns out Lucinda is the most powerful of her species and has caught the eye of two powerful vampires, one who is dangerous, handsome, but ultimately good, and another who is evil and will destroy the city she lives in if she doesn't comply. This novel reeked of cliche in every page, it wasn't just thematic, it was integral, and I consistently found myself inwardly (sometimes outwardly) groaning.
Any appeal that this novel had for me dissipated with the pop culture language used, the character chatting to author in her thoughts became distracting. Having sex scenes, violent scenes, even scenes that just compromised of Lucinda chatting with her 'bestie' had this immature and poppy dialogue. I felt as if the author was casually patronising the reader in assuming the only way to find a novel engaging is to have a stylistically unprofessional dialogue throughout.
Every single male- barring Lucinda's best friend- wants to have sex with her. And following, every single male- not barring her best friend- feels like they own Lucinda. The problematic nature of this stance probably doesn't need to be rehashed, but the short version is, any female that exists in a world full of men who instantly feel like they own this woman and it's not called out or shows any push back against is sending the wrong message to impressionable readers.
The thing that surprised me (or perhaps given the quality of the novel did not surprise me) was that even the 'good' male lead Michael, who is clearly the partnering we as an audience are supposed to be rooting for, his jealous and possessive and violent qualities are constantly played down and forgiven because it is 'his nature'. His vamperic nature means that he can manipulate lucinda's emotions, and it's her fault because he just can't control himself around her. She sets boundaries and he consistently breaks them. He withholds key information regarding her own body for his gain. When they start a sexual relationship and another male leaves his mark on her- without Lucinda's consent I might add- he throws her across the room and threatens further violence on her body. This is a dangerous message to send to readers, and shows all the hallmarks of further abuse in the future. Yet the author constantly says that Lucinda see's her job as being the light in Michael's life. This message is... concerning at best and dangerous at worst.
If Nicola Claire reads this review, some of the ideas present in this novel were interesting and engaging, but the dangerous implications of telling people that if they are just kind enough or good enough abusers will change is reckless. I am disappointed by both the quality, the continued cliches present, and the grotesque message present in Kindred and unfortunately I will not be reading the rest of the series because of this.
Lucinda Monk is your generic POV character for the genre of fantasy/paranormal/romance. Luce is a hard, ass kicking heroine, with abilities that she cannot explain. Born in a rural setting she moved to Auckland to work an ordinary day job, but after a vampire -by coincidence- finds its' way into the bank she works in she discovers that she has these abilities she can't explain. At this point in the novels explanation this wasn't a turn off, it is a typical set up for the genre, but introduction of new lore is usually a welcome addition to my repertoire.
Ways Lucinda fits the trope; her parents are dead so she has no knowledge of her ancestry or heritage, she isn't a 'girlie' girl and most of her friends and the company she keeps are male. She is best friends with a shifter male who is not the same species as her. Luce doesn't believe that she is physically attractive yet pretty much every male seems to fall in lust with her. Another cliche committed to page follows that, despite not knowing who she is, it turns out Lucinda is the most powerful of her species and has caught the eye of two powerful vampires, one who is dangerous, handsome, but ultimately good, and another who is evil and will destroy the city she lives in if she doesn't comply. This novel reeked of cliche in every page, it wasn't just thematic, it was integral, and I consistently found myself inwardly (sometimes outwardly) groaning.
Any appeal that this novel had for me dissipated with the pop culture language used, the character chatting to author in her thoughts became distracting. Having sex scenes, violent scenes, even scenes that just compromised of Lucinda chatting with her 'bestie' had this immature and poppy dialogue. I felt as if the author was casually patronising the reader in assuming the only way to find a novel engaging is to have a stylistically unprofessional dialogue throughout.
Every single male- barring Lucinda's best friend- wants to have sex with her. And following, every single male- not barring her best friend- feels like they own Lucinda. The problematic nature of this stance probably doesn't need to be rehashed, but the short version is, any female that exists in a world full of men who instantly feel like they own this woman and it's not called out or shows any push back against is sending the wrong message to impressionable readers.
The thing that surprised me (or perhaps given the quality of the novel did not surprise me) was that even the 'good' male lead Michael, who is clearly the partnering we as an audience are supposed to be rooting for, his jealous and possessive and violent qualities are constantly played down and forgiven because it is 'his nature'. His vamperic nature means that he can manipulate lucinda's emotions, and it's her fault because he just can't control himself around her. She sets boundaries and he consistently breaks them. He withholds key information regarding her own body for his gain. When they start a sexual relationship and another male leaves his mark on her- without Lucinda's consent I might add- he throws her across the room and threatens further violence on her body. This is a dangerous message to send to readers, and shows all the hallmarks of further abuse in the future. Yet the author constantly says that Lucinda see's her job as being the light in Michael's life. This message is... concerning at best and dangerous at worst.
If Nicola Claire reads this review, some of the ideas present in this novel were interesting and engaging, but the dangerous implications of telling people that if they are just kind enough or good enough abusers will change is reckless. I am disappointed by both the quality, the continued cliches present, and the grotesque message present in Kindred and unfortunately I will not be reading the rest of the series because of this.
January 12, 2014
I was in a book funk when i stumbled upon this book and i can't believe what a revelation it was,it tore me right out of my funk and plunged me into this new amazing world.I'm happy to have found this breath of fresh air,it's an enticingly original story full of passion,action,romance,suspence and humor.I've found myself laughing,crying and holding my breath throughout the entire book.Lucinda the main character is funny,witty,loyal and a kick-ass heroine and her male interest is Michel,powerful vampire and Master of the city.
It's not the usual vampire story and i was captivated by it and immensely surprised and also relieved to find myself reading something new.
I can't wait to read the rest of series and be swept away in new adventures.
Nicola Claire,you're a genius.
February 19, 2018
This one is gonna have to be a DNF for me. I made it 60% of the way through and just can’t keep going.
Usually when I read paranormal romance I can overlook the occasional grammatical mistake or awkwardly worded sentence. But gracious me, this is beyond the pale. I found myself editing sentences...rather than just reading them.
My other struggle was the main character...I didn’t really like her. Tough to say exactly what about her I don’t like, but there we are.
Also, I read the synopsis for the next books in the series to see if it’d be worth it to power through this one and just...no.
Usually when I read paranormal romance I can overlook the occasional grammatical mistake or awkwardly worded sentence. But gracious me, this is beyond the pale. I found myself editing sentences...rather than just reading them.
My other struggle was the main character...I didn’t really like her. Tough to say exactly what about her I don’t like, but there we are.
Also, I read the synopsis for the next books in the series to see if it’d be worth it to power through this one and just...no.
July 27, 2012
I am aiming more towards 4.5 here.
I must admit, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. When I first started reading, my mind was screaming at what seemed to be shoddy writing. That was merely just due to the few too many "run-on" like sentences. I also wasn't real amused with the way that Luce would speak to the reader or herself, however you want to look at it. I read on and my swift opinions drastically changed as I really got into it.
My heart always goes out to the wanna be good boy, bad boys. Which of course led me to fall for Michel right away. You knew from the very beginning that there would eventually be more than just sparks between Luce and Michel, despite Luce's aversion due to Michel being of "dark" and her of "light". That alone had me wanting to read more to find out how their relationship was going to go. I wasn't disappointed. Michel the big bad ass master vampire, seems to be so overtaken by Luce. He wants so badly to be joined with Luce and you can so easily tell its always more than just because of the power. I was ecstatic to watch the relationship bloom and turn in to something deeper without having to wait several books down the line.
Luce also has to be one of my favorite leading ladies. It's a pleasure to see a young woman with such fight in her. For a vampire hunter, it's expected, but there seems to be so much more. I love the way she dresses and the attitude she carries. She isn't arrogant, despite what she knows she is capable of. Luce allows her emotions to effect her actions but she handles it with intelligence when making decisions. I love Luce with Michel and I hope she never gives up on trying to bring him to the light despite her worries. I also would like her to keep her thoughts off Nero though. Michel is a sweetheart when it comes to her and I think that even with added power to the mix, he will prevail in the way of Luce.
This book was different and I loved it. The personalities of all characters shone through and made me feel quite attached. Even to other vampires like Bruno ;). The storyline had me never wanting to put this book down and I can't wait to see where it goes from here. I'm just dying to see the more twists that will be occurring with Michel and Luce. I know there will be. I just hope I get a happy ending with them.
I must admit, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. When I first started reading, my mind was screaming at what seemed to be shoddy writing. That was merely just due to the few too many "run-on" like sentences. I also wasn't real amused with the way that Luce would speak to the reader or herself, however you want to look at it. I read on and my swift opinions drastically changed as I really got into it.
My heart always goes out to the wanna be good boy, bad boys. Which of course led me to fall for Michel right away. You knew from the very beginning that there would eventually be more than just sparks between Luce and Michel, despite Luce's aversion due to Michel being of "dark" and her of "light". That alone had me wanting to read more to find out how their relationship was going to go. I wasn't disappointed. Michel the big bad ass master vampire, seems to be so overtaken by Luce. He wants so badly to be joined with Luce and you can so easily tell its always more than just because of the power. I was ecstatic to watch the relationship bloom and turn in to something deeper without having to wait several books down the line.
Luce also has to be one of my favorite leading ladies. It's a pleasure to see a young woman with such fight in her. For a vampire hunter, it's expected, but there seems to be so much more. I love the way she dresses and the attitude she carries. She isn't arrogant, despite what she knows she is capable of. Luce allows her emotions to effect her actions but she handles it with intelligence when making decisions. I love Luce with Michel and I hope she never gives up on trying to bring him to the light despite her worries. I also would like her to keep her thoughts off Nero though. Michel is a sweetheart when it comes to her and I think that even with added power to the mix, he will prevail in the way of Luce.
This book was different and I loved it. The personalities of all characters shone through and made me feel quite attached. Even to other vampires like Bruno ;). The storyline had me never wanting to put this book down and I can't wait to see where it goes from here. I'm just dying to see the more twists that will be occurring with Michel and Luce. I know there will be. I just hope I get a happy ending with them.
January 1, 2013
I thought this was a fantastic read. Loved the characters and I look forward to reading the rest of the series to see where it goes! I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves paranormal reading.
December 31, 2012
I have just one complaint about this book – the cover. It makes me think some romcom type fantasy will be inside. It doesn’t lend anything to the real story (which is awesome) within. With that said, every other single part of this book was terrific.
“Hunters have been preyed upon for centuries, my dear. It’s nothing new.”
In a world where vampires have power that is tangible, Lucinda (a name I love, btw) is a kickass vampire hunter in New Zealand. She’s got the kickass style, the attitude, the quick comebacks. And a Master Vampire in her corner, which she is only just realizing exactly what that means. She is tough and strong, both in body and mind. She is fighting for the greater good. With most characters their likeability factor with me can ebb and flow, but with Lucinda I was totally into her the entire way through.
The Master vampire in her corner is Michel, and yes, he’s hot and French. In the beginning he is very diplomatic to Luce, and I couldn’t quite figure out why. I mean here they were having meetings and speaking, and I couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t staking him. Sure, she had some buried attraction to him, and he is a level one master who’d probably clean the floor with her if she tried… but still. It wasn’t long before everything became clear. And Michel, well, he is all types of wonderful. I really loved his character. Again, the same with Luce, I never found a spot in this book when I wanted to say I didn’t like him.
And then there is something coming along to bring these two characters together in a way that will make them inseparable, and liable for eachother. I am not going to get too in depth on that because its not listed in the blurb. But it really is the main focus of the book. Nosferatu and Nosferatin. It was an amazing and unique twist, and its results were literally breathtaking when Michel and Luce would give in to their base needs. And good luck for us, it was often. The two of them together felt so right and magical, it was absolutely the biggest draw in the book for me, personally.
This book has a lot of action. I mean seriously, a lot. Some of it was chemistry, some was sexual heat, and a lot of it was good ol fashion battle action. A lot of things happened in these pages. There are several kidnappings, a friendship in danger, and a budding romance that is all consuming. I was excited through every page, no skimming or reading fast through this one. Every page had something new and exciting. Of course I adored the main characters, but the secondary characters that came and went, or stayed, were all fantastic and lively. The world Nicola Claire has created in Auckland, New Zealand is really wonderful. I definitely recommend this book, and I think you need to read it!! Looking on Goodreads, I can see this series is up to book eight, so I am very far behind. But I am definitely going to read every book in this series – its that good.
“Hunters have been preyed upon for centuries, my dear. It’s nothing new.”
In a world where vampires have power that is tangible, Lucinda (a name I love, btw) is a kickass vampire hunter in New Zealand. She’s got the kickass style, the attitude, the quick comebacks. And a Master Vampire in her corner, which she is only just realizing exactly what that means. She is tough and strong, both in body and mind. She is fighting for the greater good. With most characters their likeability factor with me can ebb and flow, but with Lucinda I was totally into her the entire way through.
The Master vampire in her corner is Michel, and yes, he’s hot and French. In the beginning he is very diplomatic to Luce, and I couldn’t quite figure out why. I mean here they were having meetings and speaking, and I couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t staking him. Sure, she had some buried attraction to him, and he is a level one master who’d probably clean the floor with her if she tried… but still. It wasn’t long before everything became clear. And Michel, well, he is all types of wonderful. I really loved his character. Again, the same with Luce, I never found a spot in this book when I wanted to say I didn’t like him.
And then there is something coming along to bring these two characters together in a way that will make them inseparable, and liable for eachother. I am not going to get too in depth on that because its not listed in the blurb. But it really is the main focus of the book. Nosferatu and Nosferatin. It was an amazing and unique twist, and its results were literally breathtaking when Michel and Luce would give in to their base needs. And good luck for us, it was often. The two of them together felt so right and magical, it was absolutely the biggest draw in the book for me, personally.
This book has a lot of action. I mean seriously, a lot. Some of it was chemistry, some was sexual heat, and a lot of it was good ol fashion battle action. A lot of things happened in these pages. There are several kidnappings, a friendship in danger, and a budding romance that is all consuming. I was excited through every page, no skimming or reading fast through this one. Every page had something new and exciting. Of course I adored the main characters, but the secondary characters that came and went, or stayed, were all fantastic and lively. The world Nicola Claire has created in Auckland, New Zealand is really wonderful. I definitely recommend this book, and I think you need to read it!! Looking on Goodreads, I can see this series is up to book eight, so I am very far behind. But I am definitely going to read every book in this series – its that good.
October 28, 2012
It's a 3.5 stars. I've rated it higher and not lower because I truly believed in the promise of the series.
It's an "I like it book/series!"
I didn't like the cover at all. I really like covers that I can try to get a feeling of the book and such a fast-paced book like this could not be guessed by its cover.
I really love the heroine, she alone would be a 5 stars IMO. Luce was a do-it-my-way-or-no-way-at-all type of girl. A take charge heroine with some insecurities hidden very well.
I really enjoyed the hero, a tall-dark-and-dangerous master vamp, but for an alpha male he gave in too much for Luce. So, I guess he would be a 4 stars hero.
Nicola Claire created an amazing world for her book. Wow! Vampires, vampires-hunters, shifters, dream-walkers, it had a little of everything beautifully crafted. This world, promise us readers a great future in her series.
Her plot, was good, but the book needed some editing IMO. A bit too long! At times too repetitive.
Impressions and opinion
I didn't like the ending. Even though I know it has 2 more books, it was too abrupt. I also believe that the heroine's power were too much, very unbelievable if there is such a thing within a PNR book.
I love to read threesome, but the promise of a threesome in this series didn't really work for me. I really got stuck with that Alpha Master Vamp! Noway he would allowed room for it!
I'm so excited about the future of this series that I went over and bought the other 2 books!
If you like PNR with kick-ass heroine, alpha-master-vamp and a world full of surprises, I believe you would like this read.
It's an "I like it book/series!"
I didn't like the cover at all. I really like covers that I can try to get a feeling of the book and such a fast-paced book like this could not be guessed by its cover.
I really love the heroine, she alone would be a 5 stars IMO. Luce was a do-it-my-way-or-no-way-at-all type of girl. A take charge heroine with some insecurities hidden very well.
I really enjoyed the hero, a tall-dark-and-dangerous master vamp, but for an alpha male he gave in too much for Luce. So, I guess he would be a 4 stars hero.
Nicola Claire created an amazing world for her book. Wow! Vampires, vampires-hunters, shifters, dream-walkers, it had a little of everything beautifully crafted. This world, promise us readers a great future in her series.
Her plot, was good, but the book needed some editing IMO. A bit too long! At times too repetitive.
Impressions and opinion
I didn't like the ending. Even though I know it has 2 more books, it was too abrupt. I also believe that the heroine's power were too much, very unbelievable if there is such a thing within a PNR book.
I love to read threesome, but the promise of a threesome in this series didn't really work for me. I really got stuck with that Alpha Master Vamp! Noway he would allowed room for it!
I'm so excited about the future of this series that I went over and bought the other 2 books!
If you like PNR with kick-ass heroine, alpha-master-vamp and a world full of surprises, I believe you would like this read.
August 21, 2012
Really enjoyed this first book in a series about a vampire hunter set in New Zealand. Lucinda Monk is approaching her 25th birthday and she is a member of an almost extinct group of supernaturals. She is a vampire hunter by night and a bank teller during the day. The city's master vampire Michel is attracted to her and wants to have her as his Kindred.
As with any first in a series there is a lot of world building but so enjoyable to read. Having never been to New Zealand I can picture it thanks to the authors descriptions of the country and urban settings.
Not only are there vampires and vampires hunters but also shapeshifters in the form of Taniwhas, based on New Zealand Maori folklore. I really enjoyed the thought and detail that went into the story.
Michel is a strong sexy vampire and any woman would have a difficult time resisting him and his charm. Lots of romance and steamy scenes. Definitely swoon worthy material. I didnt connecct with him. I am not sure why I just didnt like him as much as other vampires I have read about. (Bones from Night huntress series)
There is great action, romance, humour and great writing in this story. Great start to a new series and glad to report that there are 8 books in this series. Will continue with the series.
As with any first in a series there is a lot of world building but so enjoyable to read. Having never been to New Zealand I can picture it thanks to the authors descriptions of the country and urban settings.
Not only are there vampires and vampires hunters but also shapeshifters in the form of Taniwhas, based on New Zealand Maori folklore. I really enjoyed the thought and detail that went into the story.
Michel is a strong sexy vampire and any woman would have a difficult time resisting him and his charm. Lots of romance and steamy scenes. Definitely swoon worthy material. I didnt connecct with him. I am not sure why I just didnt like him as much as other vampires I have read about. (Bones from Night huntress series)
There is great action, romance, humour and great writing in this story. Great start to a new series and glad to report that there are 8 books in this series. Will continue with the series.
November 18, 2018
Kindred is a wonderful vampire story. It is about Lucinda Monk finding out she is a vampire hunter, and all of a sudden she finds out several things about herself by the Master vampire of the city, Michael.
Lucinda is a wonderful character. She reminds me somewhat of Buffy, from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. But Lucinda is a lot different. She doesn't know anything about her heritage. And she knows she's falling for a vampire who she's not sure she completely trusts. She also knows now that if she doesn't join with a vampire it could be the end for her. I do not want to spoil it so I will not say more about that.
I thought Michael was very interesting. However, I also did not trust him, I get this weird feeling about it and I am scared for Lucinda, well for her heart. And I do not like how they both seem to let other's touch them, and be close to them it bugged me since they were suppose to be together.
Spoiler Alert.
I also didn't like the fact that Michael and Lucinda had "joined" basically married, yet the didn't act like they were married. And it didn't explain if that meant that they weren't to be with other people or not. It really bugged me that that wasn't explained in very much detail.
Overall the book was really good, and I can not wait to read more.
Lucinda is a wonderful character. She reminds me somewhat of Buffy, from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. But Lucinda is a lot different. She doesn't know anything about her heritage. And she knows she's falling for a vampire who she's not sure she completely trusts. She also knows now that if she doesn't join with a vampire it could be the end for her. I do not want to spoil it so I will not say more about that.
I thought Michael was very interesting. However, I also did not trust him, I get this weird feeling about it and I am scared for Lucinda, well for her heart. And I do not like how they both seem to let other's touch them, and be close to them it bugged me since they were suppose to be together.
Spoiler Alert.
I also didn't like the fact that Michael and Lucinda had "joined" basically married, yet the didn't act like they were married. And it didn't explain if that meant that they weren't to be with other people or not. It really bugged me that that wasn't explained in very much detail.
Overall the book was really good, and I can not wait to read more.
June 24, 2014
Not sure what I think about this one, it was definitely too long, there was a very clear point about half way through where the story almost changes that would have been the perfect place to separate into 2 books.
There were definitely good things about this book, the writing was slick, the story was grabbing and the world building was unique and shows definite promise for more. The supernatural beings had me wanting more and I really liked the premise of the nosferatin. The heroine seemed grounded in reality and it all seemed credible in a world where humans knew nothing about them.
On the downside this took me a very long time to read, I didn't find myself thinking about the characters in between reading as I often do so they didn't quite 'grab' me. I'm also not really sure I like Luce or her inner dialogue and Michel left me often confused. I found it irritating that her inner dialogue was telling her something which one moment she instantly trusted and the next she discarded without a second thought.
I see there are plenty more books in the series so I have yet to decide whether to buy the next or not. Like people not everyone can get on, I'm not sure Lucinda is for me. I can see how many people would really enjoy it however.
There were definitely good things about this book, the writing was slick, the story was grabbing and the world building was unique and shows definite promise for more. The supernatural beings had me wanting more and I really liked the premise of the nosferatin. The heroine seemed grounded in reality and it all seemed credible in a world where humans knew nothing about them.
On the downside this took me a very long time to read, I didn't find myself thinking about the characters in between reading as I often do so they didn't quite 'grab' me. I'm also not really sure I like Luce or her inner dialogue and Michel left me often confused. I found it irritating that her inner dialogue was telling her something which one moment she instantly trusted and the next she discarded without a second thought.
I see there are plenty more books in the series so I have yet to decide whether to buy the next or not. Like people not everyone can get on, I'm not sure Lucinda is for me. I can see how many people would really enjoy it however.
October 5, 2015
This book was recommended by a friend, I'd had it on my kindle for years but the cover kept putting me off. I'd never even got as far as checking the reviews I just couldn't get past the cover but now it had been recommended I checked the reviews and started reading and now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long.
I wasn't sure at first that I was actually going to like Lucinda, in my case she took a bit of getting used to. Michel however I just loved, there's just something about a hot sexy vampire and in this case there's the French accent thrown it as well, irresistible.
This is a different vampire book and there's so much here, in fact it actually felt like two books and could easily have been.
Lucinda is a vampire hunter, it's something she felt compelled to do and when she started she was just going with her gut but now she's trained and ready and busy, in fact she's never been so busy something is changing and Lucinda seems to be right in the middle of it.
Where would a vampire romance be without a hot handsome vampire, Michel is the 500 year old eligible bachelor who seems very interested in Lucinda, but then he's not alone.
Throw in some shifters, more vampires and some Nosferatin and you're in for an entertaining read.
April 18, 2013
After having read and really enjoyed Sweet Seduction Sacrifice, was interested in trying out another book by Ms.Claire. Unfortunately didn't like this one as much. Nicola does a great job in crafting a very detailed story and wrapping up a lot of loose ends, but this one almost had too much detail for me and had me struggling to follow along at times with the new vocabulary alone. I also didn't get as invested in the characters for some reason. However, great suspense in having once again multiple plot lines to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Honestly book was OK, likely good for certain readers, but after seeing that there are 7+ books in this series about these same two characters, don't think I have interest in hanging around for the ride after this one. However non-Vampire novels from Ms.Claire I am looking forward to continuing to sample.
Honestly book was OK, likely good for certain readers, but after seeing that there are 7+ books in this series about these same two characters, don't think I have interest in hanging around for the ride after this one. However non-Vampire novels from Ms.Claire I am looking forward to continuing to sample.
March 25, 2016
3-4 (3+)
I really liked the book, but I had major issues with it, too.
It was fun and interesting to read, but I was often questioning the heroines behavior and train of thought. Things didn't completely make sense. I often felt doubtful, confused/unsure and felt like I was missing a previous book or something. IMHO an author should be in control of the emotions the reader gets while reading (I doubt my confused emotions were premeditated).
I really liked the book, but I had major issues with it, too.
It was fun and interesting to read, but I was often questioning the heroines behavior and train of thought. Things didn't completely make sense. I often felt doubtful, confused/unsure and felt like I was missing a previous book or something. IMHO an author should be in control of the emotions the reader gets while reading (I doubt my confused emotions were premeditated).
May 31, 2014
An interesting spin on the vampire lore. I really liked Lucinda - she is no-nonsense, down-to earth kind of a girl who just happen to be a vampire slayer. In the company of Buffy's and Anita's , Lucinda holds her own. Highly enjoyable, looking forward to next installment.
Want to read
July 3, 2013Free today at Amazon US! 7/3/13!
November 18, 2015
Mon dieu I enjoyed this book. Don't read the commentary/live feed due to spoilers. I recommend this book it picks up & becomes somewhat original after the first 55% .
Expect cliches 4 stars
Expect cliches 4 stars
August 30, 2017
My Disclaimer:
I was provided a free copy of this book by joining the author’s newsletter. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
My Review: ✭✭✭✭
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book just about vampires and vampire hunters, so this was a change of pace for me. It turned out to be a fun one, too. It’s not a new book, it’s been around since 2012. But it’s a prolific author’s series (10 books) with a related series, Mixed Blessings Mystery series.
The world and magic were well-done. It takes place in Aukland, New Zealand and Michel Durand is the Master of Aukland City. He was formerly in Paris. He came to New Zealand looking for someone special.
Lucinda Monk is that someone special. She’s an orphan raised by her aunt and uncle, so she doesn’t really know anything about her heritage as a vampire hunter. She has no training and no information. She has no connections other than a small group she’s found online. They really haven’t been very helpful.
But Lucinda is about to turn 25 years old and that’s a significant birthday for a hunter. She’s feeling some strange changes in herself and Michel is telling her things she almost can’t believe about her “coming into her power”. Suddenly, there’s another master vampire, Maximilian, trying to grab Lucinda and it’s turning into a war. Michel has his allies in Jock, Enrique, and Alessandra. Three more master vamps. Luce maneuvers him into an accord with the ghouls to help. And the Taniwhas, shapeshifters, add their support for Lucinda from an old alliance.
Sometimes it felt like Michel was totally on Lucinda’s side and being honest with her. At other times, it seemed like she really shouldn’t be trusting him at all. All the way to the end he seems to shift back and forth with his trustworthiness. He loves her. He gets a whole lot of power from her. He won’t abuse the power. He has plans for the power. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series to see how things go now that their power has expanded so much and they both have other allies.
If you like vampires, do check this one out. I recommend it!
I was provided a free copy of this book by joining the author’s newsletter. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
My Review: ✭✭✭✭
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book just about vampires and vampire hunters, so this was a change of pace for me. It turned out to be a fun one, too. It’s not a new book, it’s been around since 2012. But it’s a prolific author’s series (10 books) with a related series, Mixed Blessings Mystery series.
The world and magic were well-done. It takes place in Aukland, New Zealand and Michel Durand is the Master of Aukland City. He was formerly in Paris. He came to New Zealand looking for someone special.
Lucinda Monk is that someone special. She’s an orphan raised by her aunt and uncle, so she doesn’t really know anything about her heritage as a vampire hunter. She has no training and no information. She has no connections other than a small group she’s found online. They really haven’t been very helpful.
But Lucinda is about to turn 25 years old and that’s a significant birthday for a hunter. She’s feeling some strange changes in herself and Michel is telling her things she almost can’t believe about her “coming into her power”. Suddenly, there’s another master vampire, Maximilian, trying to grab Lucinda and it’s turning into a war. Michel has his allies in Jock, Enrique, and Alessandra. Three more master vamps. Luce maneuvers him into an accord with the ghouls to help. And the Taniwhas, shapeshifters, add their support for Lucinda from an old alliance.
Sometimes it felt like Michel was totally on Lucinda’s side and being honest with her. At other times, it seemed like she really shouldn’t be trusting him at all. All the way to the end he seems to shift back and forth with his trustworthiness. He loves her. He gets a whole lot of power from her. He won’t abuse the power. He has plans for the power. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series to see how things go now that their power has expanded so much and they both have other allies.
If you like vampires, do check this one out. I recommend it!
May 28, 2019
I'm going with 2.5 - It's not a horrible book or anything, but the romance was a bit over the top in a cheesy kind of way. They had already met and it was already predestined kind of thing. The resistance on the side of the heroine only feels half-done and much of the book was her protests (kind-of). The "hero" wasn't bad but he was typical Master of the City type with terms of endearment in every sentence, exaggerated emotion and sometimes arrogance. The sideline plot was power plays between two vamps wanted you-know-who. I like the heroine some of the time, but other times she felt a bit soulless to me. I get the whole "I'm a vampire hunter, hear me roar" kind of thing, but to be that casual about taking life where you don't even blink an eye is hard for me to get used to. It's so simplified without a depth of emotion on her part - even in books where there is an acceptance and jadedness with slaughter, it's still delved into a bit deeper and more convincingly. Full review to come.
October 11, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed Kindred by Nicola Claire. The book was well-written and well-voiced. The narrative was engaging and flowed easily. The world-building and characters had depth… I really can’t complain.
I enjoyed the often tense and sexually charged relationship between Lucinda and Michel. The author did an excellent job of enticing the reader with tidbits of information behind the actions of the characters without giving away too much. Even having finished the book, I feel as if I have only barely touched upon the iceberg of what is truly going on in the story, and I am looking forward to continuing in the series.
If you like paranormal romances, vampire stories, or urban fantasy, chances are that you will truly enjoy this book as I have, and I encourage you to give it a read.
I enjoyed the often tense and sexually charged relationship between Lucinda and Michel. The author did an excellent job of enticing the reader with tidbits of information behind the actions of the characters without giving away too much. Even having finished the book, I feel as if I have only barely touched upon the iceberg of what is truly going on in the story, and I am looking forward to continuing in the series.
If you like paranormal romances, vampire stories, or urban fantasy, chances are that you will truly enjoy this book as I have, and I encourage you to give it a read.
March 5, 2017
I have very mixed feelings about this book...
RTC
RTC
August 15, 2012
My review as posted on http://myparanormalbookreview.blogspo...
Kindred is the first book in the Kindred Series by Nicola Claire. WOW, what a start!
I love the character of Lucinda Monk. She is a feisty, kick ass, vampire hunter. Lucinda knows she is a vampire hunter with supernatural abilities. However, she does not know why she is different and why she feels a pull toward vampires preying on innocent humans. Throughout the book, Lucinda makes discoveries about her family history and her fate. Telling the story from Lucinda’s POV enhanced my connection to her character. I really enjoyed her internal monologue and her sense of humor.
Now, what can I say about Michel? Sexy, Sexy, Sexy Vampire! He is the master vampire, who feels a connection to Lucinda. His goal is to protect Lucinda and make her his. I adored Michel; however, Michel’s characteristics caused me to flashback to Jean Claude of the Anita Blake Series. Michel is the Master Vampire of the city, he originated from France, had a pet name for Lucinda and was determined to make Lucinda join with him. I wished Michel’s character would have been a little more original.
I loved the originality of Lucinda’s best friend, Rick. He is a Taniwha shape shifter. This type of shape shifter is original to me. In so many books, the shape shifter is a werewolf. I really appreciated learning about the Taniwha’s appearance, supernatural abilities, and their connection to Lucinda.
Oh Nero. I wish you would train me! Nero is Lucinda’s friend, who teaches her about her heritage and abilities. Her description of him is so intriguing. I’m really hoping for a love triangle between Lucinda, Michel and Nero.
I appreciated the glossary of terms provided by Claire. It enhanced the reading experience because I understood the terminology being used. It also allowed me to easily flip back to refresh my memory, as needed.
I highly recommend this book to adults. The writing flowed nicely and kept me wanting more. I found myself staying up late to read. When I finished the book, it remained with me. I would find myself daydreaming about the characters and the Kindred world. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series titled, Blood Life Seeker. I think I’ve located my new favorite series!
I rated The Kindred 4 STARS!
Special thanks to Nicola Claire for providing me with a copy of The Kindred for review. I loved it! Looking forward to staying up late and reading the other books in the series.
Kindred is the first book in the Kindred Series by Nicola Claire. WOW, what a start!
I love the character of Lucinda Monk. She is a feisty, kick ass, vampire hunter. Lucinda knows she is a vampire hunter with supernatural abilities. However, she does not know why she is different and why she feels a pull toward vampires preying on innocent humans. Throughout the book, Lucinda makes discoveries about her family history and her fate. Telling the story from Lucinda’s POV enhanced my connection to her character. I really enjoyed her internal monologue and her sense of humor.
Now, what can I say about Michel? Sexy, Sexy, Sexy Vampire! He is the master vampire, who feels a connection to Lucinda. His goal is to protect Lucinda and make her his. I adored Michel; however, Michel’s characteristics caused me to flashback to Jean Claude of the Anita Blake Series. Michel is the Master Vampire of the city, he originated from France, had a pet name for Lucinda and was determined to make Lucinda join with him. I wished Michel’s character would have been a little more original.
I loved the originality of Lucinda’s best friend, Rick. He is a Taniwha shape shifter. This type of shape shifter is original to me. In so many books, the shape shifter is a werewolf. I really appreciated learning about the Taniwha’s appearance, supernatural abilities, and their connection to Lucinda.
Oh Nero. I wish you would train me! Nero is Lucinda’s friend, who teaches her about her heritage and abilities. Her description of him is so intriguing. I’m really hoping for a love triangle between Lucinda, Michel and Nero.
I appreciated the glossary of terms provided by Claire. It enhanced the reading experience because I understood the terminology being used. It also allowed me to easily flip back to refresh my memory, as needed.
I highly recommend this book to adults. The writing flowed nicely and kept me wanting more. I found myself staying up late to read. When I finished the book, it remained with me. I would find myself daydreaming about the characters and the Kindred world. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series titled, Blood Life Seeker. I think I’ve located my new favorite series!
I rated The Kindred 4 STARS!
Special thanks to Nicola Claire for providing me with a copy of The Kindred for review. I loved it! Looking forward to staying up late and reading the other books in the series.
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