Serpent's Kiss

Hello all, it's Friday!!! WOO HOO I have survived another week. LOL For those of you used to reading Kim on Friday's she took the day off so I am filling in for her...I am NOT trying to fill her shoes because that girl wears some really uncomfortable looking ones.
I have to throw a shout out to all my RAW friends and tell you all how much I am missing being there. I still remember the first one that Jenn and I drove to 5 years ago, seeing Lora Leigh, Christine Feehan, J.R. Ward and so many others all in one spot I thought I'd died and gone to heaven...you know the heaven with the really HOT books. I hope everyone attending has a fabulous time!
Ok so this week we have been talking about Thea Harrison's Elder Races series, and I have to say how proud I am to have been the one that brought this series to the book clubs attention. I read Dragon Bound when it first came out and fell in love with the world and the character's that Ms. Harrison has created. So I am happy that my fellow guilty indulgencers seem to like it as well. So Serpent's Kiss came out and I have to say I really wasn't sure if I was going to like this one or not. I really didn't like Carlings character in Storm's Heart and Rune is my favorite gryphon and I just didn't think she was right for him. Well thank God Ms.Harrison didn't ask for my opinion because I was wrong with a capital W.


Serpent's Kiss, Thea Harrison, Berkley
Recently, Vampire Queen Carling's power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee. Wyr sentinel Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help find a cure for the serpent's kiss-the vampyric disease that's killing her. With their desire for each other escalating they will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent's kiss...

In Storm's Heart Rune promises Carling a favor in exchange for her attempting to save Tiago's life. It was a bargain he was happy to make even if he didn't know what the Queen of the Vampyre's would ask of him. Rune feels a strong connection to Carling and he isn't sure why, but he is looking forward to exploring these feelings in greater detail.

Carling is dying. She has known this was going to happen for a while and has been searching, to no avail, to find a cure.She experiences time-dimension shifts when she fades away. When these happen they can last for hours or days, and during this time she’s completely unable to defend herself. She has exiled herself to an other-world island because of her fluctuating powers sending all of her people except of Rhoswen away from her.

As soon as Rune arrives at the island strange things begin to happen and they realize that he is being drawn into Carlings fades. This may just be the answer she has been looking for, or it may kill them both. And even if they can find a cure betrayal within could still cost them everything.

I liked this book much more than I thought I would. The more I learned about Carling the more I understood her actions and really began to like her.She was a strong woman who made a life for herself during a time when women were basically slaves. The Carling we know is powerful and self-assured but she wasn't always that way and seeing that made her much more appealing.

Rune could not have been a better hero, he is tough, protective, caring and loyal. The way that he treats Carling and the way that their relationship develops was fabulous to read.

The character's in the world that Ms. Harrison has created are not your common creatures. Sure we have vampires but the mythology that she has created for her vampyres is incredibly unique. We have gryphons and a medusa, a phoenix and a harpy and these are not commonly written about characters. It makes the possibilities and the direction that she can take this series wide open, which I hope translates to a lot of books.

There are a few things that bothered me about this book and I would be remiss not to mention them. I missed the other sentinels, I missed the interaction and the jokes. I also so did not get Drago's reaction to Rune and Carling's relationship. I am having a hard time understanding why no one seems to be happy when another character mates???

Those things aside it was another strong addition to this series that has quickly become one of my favorites and one that I am sure I will re-read many times. I give Serpent's Kiss 4 chocolate dipped strawberries and I am really looking forward to Oracle's Moon.