Devon’s review of Red Kiss (Gods of Midnight, Book 2) by Deidre Knight
Paranormal Romance published by Signet Eclipse 2 Jun 09
Original Review posted 29 Aug 09
Red Kiss is the second in Deidre Knight’s series featuring an immortal band of Spartan warriors, who pledged their allegiance to a capricious Greek god, after the battle at Thermopylae (think “300“). These hot, powerful guys protect humanity from their home base in Savannah, Georgia. More specifically, this is the story of the slave River Kassandros. Hmm… Tired retread of familiar ground? Or brand new addictive guilty pleasure?
Little bit of both, actually. Red Kiss is a great example of a B- book. I enjoyed it, it kept my interest, and I’ll likely read the next installment. But don’t ask me to recall too many details. The romance, the heroine — really can’t remember anything too specific. They love, they fight, they save the day eventually. The heroine in particular seemed very generic. There’s no reason River fell for her other than that she was in the right place in the right time.
River is a bit more interesting, due to his slave status. Yes, it’s been done before, but unlike Zarek or Zsadist, River isn’t crazy and bitter, due to years of torment. He has fought side by side with the others for hundreds of years, and respects, trusts, and cares for most of them (and vice versa). But he was never freed, and is, in fact, still Ajax’s servant. It makes River a bit of an outsider, and he feels the weight of his servitude.
It makes for an interesting dynamic when he meets love interest Emma. The concept of a slave means nothing to her, and he certainly doesn’t seem like one, but River is hyper-aware that he’s never been his own man and is uncomfortable with it. It is intriguing, and River’s kinda charming and shy, but, honestly, he seems whiny after awhile.
This is definitely one of those books where everything but the romance kept me reading. I really like the whole backstory, and many of the secondary, recurring characters are really good. There are several threads that are introduced or developed from the previous book that I’m looking forward to. I love King Leonidas and the Oracle, as well as the villain Sable. I can’t wait to find out more about River’s nemesis Nikos and curious to see what develops for him.
I suspect the next book will feature River’s BFF Ari, and though he wasn’t as interesting as some of the others, I’m on board to find out what will happen with the whole gang. Overall, I liked this one better than the first. Though I was a bit harsh on River and Emma, they weren’t awful, just bland. If you like paranormals with larger casts and several subplots, I bet you would enjoy this. You can start with Red Fire, but you’ll be okay if you want to begin here.
Grade: B-
Read more reviews of this series by following its tag here.
Summary:
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Immortal warrior and Spartan slave River Kassandros has a special gift—the ability to transform into any weapon. But in a recent battle, he was trapped as a dagger, unable to become human again. His one hope of salvation is a mere mortal…
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When Emma Lowery beaches her kayak on an uninhabited island off the coast of Savannah, an ancient dagger seems to call out to her. Compelled by dark forces, Emma draws blood with his blade, freeing River. Now he’s stronger, angrier—and exudes more sensuality than Emma can resist.
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But a sinister power wants to claim River’s destiny, and his precarious freedom. The pair must join the Spartan warriors to fight Ares himself. But can they face sacrificing their love to protect humankind from the war god’s demonic plan?
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Read an excerpt here.
Other books in the series:
