Hunting Daylight, by PNR author Piper Maitland, is the second installment and much anticipated follow-up to Acquainted with the Night. Book two left me with mixed emotions, but by the end I was (finish this sentence!)
Plot:
For more than a decade, Caro Barrett has had doubts about the death of her husband, who disappeared while looking for a tribe of day-walking vampires in an African rainforest. Now, their daughter is struggling through her teenage years without a father. Waiting in the wings is an ancient vampire ready to possess Caro’s heart—and to protect them both from harm. And, with her husband declared legally dead, Caro feels it is finally time to move on…
A hemisphere away in a windowless compound, an Ottoman vampire lies dying from a rare blood disease, which has made him vulnerable to the faintest bit of light. Yet he is determined to vanquish its power over him—to feel the sun on his face one last time. And in Caro’s darkest fears he will be lifted into the light of day…
A large portion of this story is wrapped around building the world, delving into the ambiance of each and every city spanning the globe. Tasty foods, smells of the spices, all which creates a backdrop for a globe-trekking adventure. I sadly found this both nagging and slow paced, I mean how many descriptions of food do we need? Give me the action and romance! If anything, this book will make you hungry for a sweet treat to go along with your latte. Dieters beware!
On the other hand, if you don't have the means to travel, as must of us don't, then you can get into the vastness of this tale with gusto. For me, I like a lot more epic adventure and action to my tales than exotic locales.
As the story picks up, we learn that our main gal is on the run with her young daughter. Chased by a sinister cult and with a husband who's been MIA for years, we quickly find out that it's a tough life to lead, especially with a hormonal teenage daughter in tow. I'm not big on the teenage angle but I get why the author shows the growth of Vivi and how far her life has come since we first meet her.
Toward to back half of the story, the action and drama picks up! A love triangle has developed and Caro must decide. You know a decision is coming but the slow build keeps the fire burning until the final pages. I'm not sure how I feel about this turn of events and it's definitely not what I was expecting. One the one hand, I love the new twist but on the other it's hard to read a story that takes on a new life in the second installment.
Overall, the tale is entertaining enough to keep you turning the pages and packed with human drama while all paced to a vampire world.
Getting 3 and 1/2 'jungle bat' Sheep
KD
I'm still on the fence, I really want to like this series so I think I will wait until something pushes me over the other side. Thanks for your awesome review :)
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