Eternal Kiss of Darkness Book Review *Jeaniene Frost*

When I first heard Jeaniene Frost was going to give the Master Vampire Mencheres a starring role in his own book, I have to admit I was a bit turned off. In my mind, I saw Mencheres as an old, wrinkly vampire who walked around with long robes giving everyone the evil eye. I even raised my concerns to Jeaniene because I really thought of Mencheres as a grandfatherly type who would turn someone into a pile of ash with one thought. When Jeaniene told me Mencheres looks like this:

The delicious Oded Fehr

And could make someone do anything he wanted with his mind, meaning using the old mind mojo in ways a woman couldn't walk, but would have a big smile on her face after some Mencheres mind loving, I then asked, so when in his book coming out?

Jeaniene's vampire character Bones is one of my all time favorite paranormal romance heroes. I really didn't think Mencheres could be as worthy and sexy as Bones is. Oh how wrong I was! Mencheres is not your typical powerful immortal who walks around giving advice and lending a hand when the need arises. He's the type of person, who after surviving for over 4,500 years old, still lives by his own set of morals and even has self-esteem issues. Dare I say that Mencheres is more well rounded and dimensional than Bones? Mencheres may be able to kill someone with a blink of an eye, but this is man hurts and suffers for it. The one woman he loved (his greedy Egyptian Princess wife Patra) betrayed him and tried to destroy all that was good inside of him. Mencheres does live his life on his own terms, but instead of embracing that darkness and ruling over all the weaker undead with an iron fist, he surrounds himself with those who care for him and has made his own close knit family. Now Mencheres has a new outlook on life all due to one plucky woman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Kira Graceling has a crappy job working as a private investigator in Chicago. She basically keeps an eye out on cheating husbands. As she's walking home late one night from her latest job, she comes across a man being attacked. She tries to save him and is almost killed in the process. The man is Mencheres, who was in the middle of battling a few nasty ghouls due to his old enemy, Radje, who hides behind his role as a Vampire Law Guardian. Mencheres would love nothing more than to get rid of Radje, but if he does, he'll be marked for death and not even his own god defying powers can save him.

Mencheres saves Kira from death with a little vampire TLC, meaning giving Kira his blood to drink. Mencheres brings Kira home to recover, and when she awakens she's told that she can't leave. It seems Kira is immune to Mencheres' power. Kira is angry and refuses to be kept in some golden palace with the very handsome Mencheres. He's all out of sorts because most people cower before him, but not Kira. Mencheres and Kira come to an agreement, where she'll stay with him until she is susceptible to his mind powers. Kira is more than worried because she has a very sick sister to take care of and a drug addicted loser of a brother who only comes around for money. As Mencheres gets to know Kira better, he decides he can't keep her with him, even though he feels at peace with her around. His next decision regarding Kira starts a change of unfortunate events for her. Radje has forced his hand and Kira is the collateral damage.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World, Book #2) is perfect for fans of smoldering, angsty vampire heroes and the dangerous world they inhabit. Mencheres does dance the angsty mambo from time to time, but Jeaniene makes sure he's not going to walk into the sunlight just because he is all guilt stricken. Mencheres enjoys the lifestyle he has grown accustomed to, and is much like a vampire dictator, but a very merciful one. This is one vampire who is very respectful and doesn't cross lines, especially when it comes to Kira. Kira comes from the life of hard knocks and even though she and Mencheres are two totally different people, they mesh together perfectly. Kira can be a bit too vocal at times, where I wanted to tune her off, and she tends to go off without any concern for her safety. But when her life is turned upside down because of Mencheres, she handles it in a realistic manner.

The chemistry and sexual tension between Mencheres and Kira is hot. Mencheres takes cradle rocking to a whole new level. After reading Eternal Kiss of Darkness, you'll come to think of Disneyland in an entirely different way. Jeaniene brings the vampire sex kink to the happiest place on earth with wonderful results. Mencheres is not only skilled with some fun against a wall, but he also puts the ceiling above to good use.

Reading a Jeaniene Frost novel is like coming home to old friends. Mencheres' tender and loving nature, as well as his way of taking control of a situation, both in battle and in the bedroom (or in the underground caverns of Disney) makes for fun reading. Eternal Kiss of Darkness is a solid read all around and I look forward to more adventures between Mencheres and Kira. (Avon)

Final Grade: B

And if you are still on the fence whether to pick up this latest from Jeaniene, I must highlight one of the best quotes I've read this year, and all the Chapter 32 fanatics will love. Jeaniene really does come up with the best one-liners:

"Kira knew that his tongue felt like a vibrator set to the speed of Oh Hell Yeah."

A few other Eternal Kiss of Darkness reviews:
Smexy Books
Smokin'Hot Books
Wicked Book Addict