I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Raphael by D. B. Reynolds Narrator: Traci Odom
Series: Vampires in America #1
Published by ImaJinn Books on December 11th 2013
Length: 8 hrs 32 mins
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires
Pages: 222
Format: Audiobook
Source: Provided for review through Audiobook Blast/Boom
Goodreads
Malibu, California-home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich . . . and vampires.
Powerful and charismatic, Raphael is a Vampire Lord, one of the few who hold the power of life and death over every vampire in existence. Thousands call him Master and have pledged absolute loyalty on their very lives. But when, in a brazen and deadly daylight attack, a gang of human killers kidnaps the one female vampire he'd give his life for, Raphael turns to a human investigator to find his enemies before it's too late.
Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough, and sexy - a private investigator and former cop who's tired of spying on cheating spouses and digging out old bank accounts. When Raphael asks for her help in tracking down the kidnappers, Cyn's happy to accept. But she soon realizes her greatest danger comes not from the humans, but from Raphael himself.
Battling Russian mobsters and treacherous vampires and betrayed by those they trusted, Cyn and Raphael find themselves fighting for their lives while caught up in a passion of blood and violence that is destined to destroy them both.
Julie’s Review:
I love a good vampire novel. I read a lot of them, and so I feel like I have a general expectation for the genre. Raphael was decent, but I expected more. I but didn’t really love it, didn’t hate it. It was just there.
I did like our leading lady. Cyn is a great PI who doesn’t back down from a fight. She kind of reminded me of the lady from Blood Ties. I kind of liked our vampire hero, Raphael, but thought his arrogance was obnoxious.
The storyline was decent – a kidnapping of Raphael’s someone and we the reader knew just about right away who she was (after the first flashback) but our leading lady thought she was someone else entirely – causing the romantic conflict.
Speaking of romantic conflict – I think this is supposed to be a romance? But, I didn’t buy it. Not from either side. There is only possession from Raphael, and Cyn is just lusty as can be, but I don’t believe her feelings are real – she doesn’t even. And it doesn’t get resolved, so maybe future books show more passion and conversation between these two.
See, I don’t really have much to say about it. Nothing that significant or memorable or unique occurred.
The narration was good, though. I liked the voices, accents, and overall sound of the narrator’s tone.
I actually liked Raphael a bit more than you did, Julie. But I read it rather than listened. I’m always curious as to whether that affects things. I think it does for me because if I don’t like the narrator’s voice, it kinda ruins the story. But you liked the narration here, so… Anyway, I really liked Cyn as well. She’s my kind of heroine. I was disappointed with how things wrapped up in the end. I was expecting something different. But I plan to continue in the series, so I’ll let you know how things go. 😉
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