Despite my best efforts and the decent writing and plot, it took me a while to get into Rhyannon Byrd’s Rush of Darkness. I mostly fault my own personal tastes. I’m more sure now than ever before that I just simply prefer it when the male love interest is the vampire. The female can be a vamp as well, but the male definitely has to be a vamp, too. Might there be something a little psychologically off with that? Probably. But that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! The Cheshire Red Reports series is pretty much the only exception for me.
That said, my personal preference shouldn’t hold anyone else back from a good read. There’s a lot of tension between Raine Spenser, a psychic vampire who was recently held prisoner for her abilities, and Seth McConnell, a capable soldier whose ultimate mission and goal is to hunt and destroy her kind. Though destined to be enemies, they find that they have a mutual adversary and must work together to defeat him. Of course tension evolved into sexual tension and then…
While the premise isn’t the most original, I thought that the read was overall engaging. Both the hero and heroine have sympathetic back stories that helped mold them into what they are. The villain is interesting too and I was glad that he received page time from his point of view. There’s a gritty feel to this book and I didn’t really sense any slow moment, which is a sign of good pacing. Their chemistry is as much as any paranormal romance fan can hope for. Byrd definitely delivers on this front.
This is the 7th book in this series, but it works well as a standalone. I hadn’t read any of the prior 6 novels, but I never felt lost. I enjoyed the author’s writing style so I am willing to try her other books, especially since I’m eager to see what she can do with male vamps.