Night's Honor by Thea Harrison
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
I am conflicted about this book. It was good, but not on the level with the others in the series for me. I get that it was an intro into the vampire world so that Julian's book could be next. But compared to the other books, it's definitely weaker. Does that mean I didn't like it? No. I did like it. Thea Harrison can't write a bad book.
She writes a compelling story. No doubt. She put a lot of time into worldbuilding and explaining the way the Nightkind demesnes works. We knew a little about it from Caris' book Serpent's Kiss, and from tidbits in other books, but we are invited in with this book. Some aspects reminded of Mercy Thompson and how she writes about vampires. They form their own little demesnes, where a powerful vampire has humans that he feeds from but also gives a longer life to. They pledge a certain amount of time to the vampire and can leave when they want (if I remember correctly). They actually have to interview for it, because there are only so many slots, and being a vampire attendant, can confer healing, strength and long life to the person who agrees to the relationship. Of course, there are many rules and being part of a vampire's household is quite a commitment. Tess auditions to join Xavier's household out of desperation. She's actually repulsed by vampires and doesn't do a good job of hiding it. But she is fleeing a deadly foe, so being in a vampire household will confer protection onto her. Xavier picks up on her fear (he's a predator after all), but he's also intrigued with her, and Xavier has a softspot for vulnerable people. He agrees to take her in. The book is about their relationship and that is a way to show more about the Nightkind. Tess is 100% human, so that definitely makes her stand out in the series. Grace from Oracle's Moon didn't count because she's an Oracle, so even though she's human, she's empowered.
While I found that interesting, and I liked Xavier a lot, I wasn't that drawn into the romance. My favorite parts were the rest of the story, finding about how Xavier was as a human and why he became a vampire. He has a reputation for being absolutely terrifying, and it's well-earned. But he's also very kind, so that was an interesting dynamic. I found Tess okay. I didn't dislike her. I just wasn't super interested in her. But I do like them as a couple.
The action was really good and the vampire intrigue was pretty great. If you like movies like Underworld or Blade, you would like this aspect of the book because there is a lot of vampire soap opera and hijinks. There are some really kick-ass action scenes that I absolutely loved. Watching Xavier tear off that gentlemanly demeanor and let the beast out was really entertaining. There's another thread that connects the books but I won't go into that because I don't want to spoil anything.
While I can't give this one five stars, it was a good book. I think writing my review gave me food for thought and I realize I liked more about it than I thought I did. It just doesn't measure up to the other ones on the romance scale. I do love me some Xavier. I'm a sucker for the gentlemanly type who is absolutely deadly. If I have a type, it's that. I think he's such a nice contrast to the Wyr and also to Julian, the Nightkind king. They tend to be quite hothead, but Xavier has an immense amount of self-control that is really appealing.
She writes a compelling story. No doubt. She put a lot of time into worldbuilding and explaining the way the Nightkind demesnes works. We knew a little about it from Caris' book Serpent's Kiss, and from tidbits in other books, but we are invited in with this book. Some aspects reminded of Mercy Thompson and how she writes about vampires. They form their own little demesnes, where a powerful vampire has humans that he feeds from but also gives a longer life to. They pledge a certain amount of time to the vampire and can leave when they want (if I remember correctly). They actually have to interview for it, because there are only so many slots, and being a vampire attendant, can confer healing, strength and long life to the person who agrees to the relationship. Of course, there are many rules and being part of a vampire's household is quite a commitment. Tess auditions to join Xavier's household out of desperation. She's actually repulsed by vampires and doesn't do a good job of hiding it. But she is fleeing a deadly foe, so being in a vampire household will confer protection onto her. Xavier picks up on her fear (he's a predator after all), but he's also intrigued with her, and Xavier has a softspot for vulnerable people. He agrees to take her in. The book is about their relationship and that is a way to show more about the Nightkind. Tess is 100% human, so that definitely makes her stand out in the series. Grace from Oracle's Moon didn't count because she's an Oracle, so even though she's human, she's empowered.
While I found that interesting, and I liked Xavier a lot, I wasn't that drawn into the romance. My favorite parts were the rest of the story, finding about how Xavier was as a human and why he became a vampire. He has a reputation for being absolutely terrifying, and it's well-earned. But he's also very kind, so that was an interesting dynamic. I found Tess okay. I didn't dislike her. I just wasn't super interested in her. But I do like them as a couple.
The action was really good and the vampire intrigue was pretty great. If you like movies like Underworld or Blade, you would like this aspect of the book because there is a lot of vampire soap opera and hijinks. There are some really kick-ass action scenes that I absolutely loved. Watching Xavier tear off that gentlemanly demeanor and let the beast out was really entertaining. There's another thread that connects the books but I won't go into that because I don't want to spoil anything.
While I can't give this one five stars, it was a good book. I think writing my review gave me food for thought and I realize I liked more about it than I thought I did. It just doesn't measure up to the other ones on the romance scale. I do love me some Xavier. I'm a sucker for the gentlemanly type who is absolutely deadly. If I have a type, it's that. I think he's such a nice contrast to the Wyr and also to Julian, the Nightkind king. They tend to be quite hothead, but Xavier has an immense amount of self-control that is really appealing.
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