Jeaniene Frost has done it again, by which I mean written something that consumes me to the point of not sleeping, and ultimately, has me drooling all over the Kindle Store for the next book in the series. This was a riveting read, from start to finish, and despite the fact that I missed the Night Huntress element in the beginning, it didn't take me long to form an attachment to Leila. She's no Cat (because come on, Cat rocks!) but Leila has the same headstrong, feisty qualities I've come to expect from Frost's protagonists, and she definitely delivers. Even more satisfying, we get to see Leila's inner strength and resilience develop throughout the book. 
 And did I mention Vlad? As in Vlad the Impaler, the original prince of darkness. The ultimate vampire, Dracul--with benefits. 
 And he's no brooder. I love me some of that angst and broodiness, but Vlad takes the game to a whole new level. He's the opposite of broody. He doesn't sit around pining over his lost humanity. He revels in it. And it's freakin' glorious. Something about the way he owns his vampirism, owns his abilities, and his power, it takes masculinity to new heights. And yet, there's a softer side. He keeps it on a short leash but it's there, and it has Leila (and me) yearning to crack his exterior. Not too much though, obviously, because who wants domesticity from a vampire, right? 
 Vlad trumps Bones in this series, and that's saying a lot, because Bones has been my go-to vamp for many a fantasy! He's Buffy's Spike and Vampire Diaries' Damon Salvatore rolled into one. But with Vlad... His complex personality is nothing short of schizophrenic. He's complicated and multi-faceted to the point of frustration, but it lends intrigue and fascination. You can't help but want to dig deeper and overlook the monstrosities of some of his actions. (Which doesn't say a lot about me, but hey, I'm human. It's my job to get lost in the grey area, particularly if there's a vampire in it.) 
 Bottom line: this book is exciting, every bit as exciting as the NH series, and I cannot get a copy of book two fast enough.