Title: Bloodlust
Series: The Departed, # 1
Author: Suzi Slade
Genre: Paranormal/Vampires/Historical
Length: 101 pages
Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand (21 Nov 2015)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Blurb: The year is 1944 and war has ravaged most of the world, but Cassander Ribault is young, handsome and rich. He has everything he wants except for a companion. Every time the vampire has attempted to create a progeny, they have died in screaming pain. That is until he finds Henry Bathory.
Henry was shipped off to fight six years ago and has been living in the trenches ever since. After a brutal battle in Normandy, he is sure it is the end for him. Cue Cassander with an offer he can’t refuse.
However, things for Cas are never smooth. His creator wants blood and he’ll stop at nothing to get it. Sebastien made him and he is damned sure he can break him. Does Henry have it in him to find Cassander, fight an ancient vampire, and admit his true feelings towards his maker? Or will he run away from it like he’s used to doing?
ISBN: 9781632599032
Product Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/book/bloodlust
Reviewer: Prime
Review: Bloodlust is the first book in Suzi Slade’s The Departed series, although I am unsure when the next book in the series is coming out. I’ve read both historical and paranormal romance by Slade and both times quite enjoyed what I read. However, this time we get to see the historical mix with the vampire side of paranormal and I think that this is a rather pleasing result.
Henry Bathory is a young soldier who has been left dying on the war-torn battlefield of Normandy. Wishing for the end, he is frightened when a very human-looking creature approaches him as he dies. This is the vampire Cassander and knowing that he cannot drink blood without killing his prey (something unique to him for reasons he does not know why) he still tries to turn Henry so that his eternity will not be such a lonely one.
As Henry gets to know more and more about the new world he has been turned into, he discovers a few curious truths about he and his maker. However, it is the danger caused by his power-hungry grandsire (if that makes sense), Sebastien, that he discovers the full extent of these truths of vampire powers. It is also through the terror caused by Sebastien he discovers that eternity is probably not so bad with Cassander by his side.
This is a really fun book that just happens to be set in WWII Europe. If anything I think it would have been nice to utilize WWII more than it had been in the book so that you get a better feel for the world at that time. But anyone into vampires will get some level of enjoyment out of this book. Henry brings the humanity to the vampires and is very good for Cassander.
I am not sure what any sequels will bring to this world but one thing is for certain, I am more than a little bit interested to find out what happens next!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *