Ash’s review of Nightshade by Michelle Rowen
Urban Fantasy published by Berkley 01 Feb 11
I’ve been reluctant to read urban fantasy lately, I have needed something with a more happy outlook. For that reason I have put off reading this book, even though I was pretty sure I would enjoy it. Turns out, I wasn’t wrong about liking it and I am glad I made myself start reading.
The action starts on page 4, which makes me very happy. I hate having to read through chapters to get to the good stuff. I am not a patient person. I don’t need 20 pages describing the world, the characters, or what outfit looks best. I much prefer to learn as we go, which is what happens in Nightshade. Jill is thrown into a situation that she is completely unprepared for, but she adapts. I tend to be overly critical of urban fantasy heroines, but Jill just works for me. I could actually see her growing, while still maintaining who she is. She is someone I can easily root for.
Hoping for a romance in this book (when am I not?), there is, sort of. Declan is, again, a character I can really like. He isn’t a cookie-cutter bad ass, and he doesn’t always win the fight. I hope that he and Jill can be together, but, of course, thanks to a drug, Declan doesn’t really feel emotions. Instead of being like a robot, he still has personality and Michelle Rowen does a good job with him. He is pretty close to the kind of hero I love reading about.
Actually, in Nightshade, I feel like she did a great job with all the characters. Every one was so clear in my head. I especially have a soft spot for Noah and the vampire Matthias. I was looking forward to the fact that vampires are bad, simple as that, only it’s not that simple. Matthias shows that they aren’t all the monsters they are thought to be. He is one of my favorite characters, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed the story as much without him.
Another thing that really gets me into the story is that it’s kind of a paranormal and science fiction mix. Jill gets injected with a serum and, therefore, becomes what she becomes. It has nothing to do with magic or anything like that. We don’t really know how vampires come to be, but I like that it’s not the typical fantasy story with magic and such. There are many things about Nightshade I enjoyed, and I can’t even remember the little things that bugged me. My only complaint is I have to wait until July for the next story.
Grade: B
Summary:
Jillian Conrad never believed in vampires. But she’s just become a living, breathing weapon against them. Attacked by a desperate scientist, she is injected with a serum that was supposed to act as a deadly poison to vampires. And when the scientist is gunned down in front of her, his secrets die with him.
Declan Reese was only half-vampire, but he hates them with all his heart. He knows that the poison in Jillian’s veins could finally destroy the undead kingdom. Also, the serum has had an unintended effect, making her blood irresistible to all vampires—including Declan, whose bloodthirsty traits are driven into a frenzy by her.
Driven by duty to protect her and by instinct to crave her, Declan takes Jillian into his shadowy world of blood and battle. But he soon realizes his increasing need for her may be a different kind of hunger…
Read an excerpt here.
