Book Review: Edge of Dawn (Midnight Breed, #11) by: Lara Adrian

Title: Edge of Dawn (Midnight Breed, #11)

Author: Lara Adrian
ISBN: 0345532600
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Theme: Vampires
Binding: Hardcover
Length: 288
Published: 26 February 2013
Buy: Amazon.com


Synopsis: In this pulse-pounding and thrillingly sensual novel, New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian returns to the mesmerizing world of the Midnight Breed, following new characters into a dark future where an uneasy peace can unravel into war—and a great betrayal can mask an all-consuming love.

Twenty years after the terror of First Dawn—when mankind learned that vampires lived secretly among them—the threat of violence reigns as the two species struggle to coexist. The only group preserving the fragile harmony is the Order, an elite cadre of Breed warriors dedicated to protecting humans and vampires alike. And in this precarious world of torn loyalties and shattered trust, Mira, a fiery squad captain, finds that every fight bears an intensely personal cost.

Raised among the Order, Mira has always believed in the warrior’s code of swift—and even lethal—justice. But the one thing she desires more than the Order’s hard-won acceptance is Kellan Archer, a sexy but troubled Breed fighter. In love with him since childhood, Mira once broke through his tough exterior during an unexpected night of rapture, but the next day he mysteriously disappeared, never to return.

Kellan didn’t think he would ever see Mira again—or have to confront the truth of why he left. After abandoning the Order years ago, he now leads a band of human rebels intent on carrying out their own vigilante rule of law. Yet a high-profile kidnapping assignment brings him face-to-face with the past he sought to avoid, and the striking woman he has tried desperately to forget. And as tensions mount and the risk of bloodshed grows, Kellan and Mira must take sides—between the competing missions that dominate their lives, and the electrifying passion that claims their hearts.

My Rating:

My Review: Christine Feehan. Sherrilyn Kenyon. J.R. Ward. Lara Adrian. What do these authors have in common? Quite a few things, actually. They have not only written some of the most memorable alpha male vampire heroes known in the romance genre, but also have successful, long running series. Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon used to be on my top 5 favorite authors list. Feehan's Dark series and Kenyon's Dark Hunter series consisted of books that were so good that I would buy them automatically just because their names were on the front cover. But recently I've found myself not doing that so much anymore. Series that I once found so unique and exciting have become predictable while others have gone off the deep end due to authors trying to create new twists to keep the story lines fresh. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series is up to 27 books so far with Feehan's Dark series trailing at 23-- and as much as I hate to say it, they both should have ended many books ago. I can only imagine the pressure that fans put on authors to keep a series going and there are just as many authors that rather stick with what they know then try something new.

Then there are those authors that surprise you, such as J.R. Ward and Lara Adrian. Since this review is about Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed series, I will save my comments about J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series for another time. What I love and respect about Lara Adrian is that her Midnight Breed series technically ended with Darker After Midnight, book 10. Of course I didn't realize this until a couple of months ago when I started reading it in preparation for Edge of Dawn, book 11. When it finally started dawning on me that she was wrapping things up the closer I got to the end, I remember thinking, wow, an author that knows it's time to pull the plug and end on a bang. After all, I don't think I am the only one that was getting tired of Draco (the SOB needed to die ages ago even though I get he was the main villian) and she was running out of Breed warriors to write about (at least those that fought under Lucan). So if the series ended with book #10, what is Edge of Dawn, book #11 about?

Edge of Dawn takes place 20 years after the end of Darker After Midnight. Vampires are now out of the closet to humans and Lucan and the rest of the Breed have been working diligently for 20 years to create a peaceful coexistence. Mira, the adopted daughter of Nikolai and Renata, is now fully grown and a captain of her own squad of Breed warriors. She is still suffering from the loss of the only man that she has ever loved, Kellan. But when she is sent on a personal mission and is taken captive by a mysterious rebel leader, she soon realizes that the man she thought she had lost to an explosion years ago may not be dead after all.

Even though Edge of Dawn lists as book 11 in the Midnight Breed series, technically it is the first in a new series that just so happens to be set in the world of the Breed. All of the children that were introduced towards the end of the series, such as Lucan and Gabrielle's son Dare, Nikolai and Renata's adopted daughter Mira, Chase and Tavia's twins, Aric and Carys, and the parentless Ethan and Kellan make an appearance. This is why Lara Adrian is brilliant. She was wise enough to know that any more then 10 books would be pushing her luck as far as trying to find a new hero and also stretching the plot out. But, who says the world of the Breed has to end? And what better way to continue on and to keep it fresh then to jump 20 years in the future, add a new villian/threat that must be destroyed, and use the kin of the previous main characters in past books as the new heros/heroines for future books. Absolutely brilliant!

There is not much more for me to say. Lara Adrian delivers. Even the shortened length of Edge of Dawn works. Normally her Midnight Breed novels run around 350 to over 400 pages. Edge of Dawn is only 288 pages which concerned me at first but it was perfect. You could read Edge of Dawn as a stand alone but if you are a fan of her previous 10 novels in the series then you will love how she revisits previous characters and also gives us glimpses of future ones to come. One secondary character that was introduced in Edge of Dawn that I absolutely became enamored with is the alpha Breed cage fighter Rune. HOLY SH*T is he H.O.T! Even his name is sexy! I'll probably have to wait another 10 books before his story gets told, but at least I have something to look forward to!