Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: Jan 29th
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
The last-and most lethal-of his kind . . .
Wild, uncontrollable, and powerful, the lion-shifting Rakshasa were hunted down by vicious rival vampires who feared their dark, magical abilities. Somehow one survived, and now, after centuries of hiding, Tasmin Singh reemerges as fierce and fearless as ever at the door of the Lilim queen, seeking answers . . . and sanctuary.
The human best friend to a vampire queen, Bay Harper traded her quiet, comfortable life for a world filled with immortal assassins, warring werewolves . . . and this hauntingly sexy shifter. Only Bay’s gentle touch can subdue Tasmin’s inner demons, even as he brings out a passion and sensuality she never imagined she could feel. But when a bloody struggle threatens to tear them apart, can Bay risk everything on her faith in him-or will his dark side be stronger than even their all-consuming desire?
This blurb came from the author’s website.
I have been reading this series since the first book came out so when I saw Immortal Craving was up for review I had to request it. If you are interested in the series you need to read the previous books first. This installment not only references events that happened before but its setting is a direct result of those events. Things are not looking well for a significant percentage of the nonhuman population of the world. The events of the last book, Shadow Rising, and the release of a strong demon have left the nonhuman population and council structure badly shaken. Bay is trying to maintain a sense of stability and normalcy in a world that has become increasingly complicated. She went from living a normal life to dealing with the fact that her best friend, Lily, had become a vampire queen. While trying to maintain her friendship with Lily, Bay was approached by Tasmin, the last of his kind. His arrival set off the next wave of violence and changed Bay’s life forever.
Tasmin was searching for both answers and help. He could not remember why he had entered into a very long spelled sleep, he did not know what happened to the rest of the Rakshasa, nor did he know why he carried a dark otherness that fought for control over his body and power. He was told that the queen of the Lilim would have some answers for him so on his way to find her he ended up collapsing in front of Bay, her best friend. Tasmin was really struggling with an identity crisis. He had to ask and depend on others instead of taking and doing. Watching him grow and care about Bay as the story progressed was a lot of fun.
Bay also made some serious adjustments. She went from cautiously dipping her foot into the nonhuman world to full immersion as the stakes rose. Bay owned a pet grooming business so she was accustomed to providing a calm influence in a variety of different situations. That ability came in handy dealing with Tasmin’s dramatic appearance and everything that happened afterwards. She didn’t just accept things as they happened but dealt with her own self-doubts, fears and had to fight for a future. I enjoyed watching Bay’s character interact with the others in the story because she brought a sense of what they were fighting to keep and protect.
While the Bay and Tasmin’s interaction and relationship were at the center of Immortal craving Castle also provided glimpses into the lives of couples who were established in earlier books. I always find it enjoyable to see how those relationships have grown and meshed and this was no exception. In addition to those glimpses several things changed in the nonhuman world. The Lilim and their allies finally decided they were not going to continue to deal with incursions by their ancient enemy and decided to put a permanent stop to them. The Lilim court decided to move to a city that was more welcoming towards nonhumans and closer to their allies. Tasmin does find a solution to his dark otherness, which was not one that I expected. I think that twist will certainly have an effect in future books.
Overall this was an enjoyable and action packed installment. Once again I highly recommend that you read the previous three books before you start this one because they contain a lot of crucial events necessary for the set up of Immortal Craving. I enjoyed the addition of a new kind of shifter with different powers. I also liked how both the hero and heroine were unfamiliar with their world. While Tasmin had been born a part of it, over the numerous changes during his sleep made almost everything unfamiliar. I felt that leveled the playing field of power and knowledge between Bay and Tamsin giving their relationship base to start.
I give Immortal Craving a B
Links to purchase
Nice review, I have this series on my wishlist. And wow, what a cover!
@aurian: Thanks :). Yes I enjoyed looking at the cover a few times. You really should give it a try. Several unusual things have been done to supernaturals in this series.