Dark Awakening(Dark Dynasties #1) by Kendra Leigh Castle

Title: Dark Awakening
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Paranormal
Format: Paperback, 368 pages 
Publisher: Forever; Original edition (July 1, 2011) 
ISBN-10: 1609418379 
ISBN-13: 978-1609418373



"Your mark is your destiny." 

In a hierarchy of vampire society the Cait Sith are the lowest on the totem poll. With no leader and their bloodline rumored to be tainted with Fae blood, they are looked down upon. Referred to by others as gutterbloods they are one of the lines who can change to animal form (cat). Each line has it's own mark and when you enter into the society you are branded by the mark of your sire's line. It can be modified, but never removed.

"It was dangerous to question the power structure, to question why one mark should be venerated while another should be spat upon"
 
Tynan (Ty) MacGillivray was on a mission. The Ptolemy, the oldest and most powerful of the vampire dynasties, are being hunted and wiped out by a Mulo, a flesh-eating spirit conjured by a curse. Ty was sent out to hunt down a Seer in the hopes they could predict when the Mulo would strike next and who might have sent it. Seers are rare and no one has come across one for a very long time. They may have died out. If the Mulo can't be stopped the Ptolemy face extinction. Ty is a Cait Sith who chose to become the equivalent of a slave for the Ptolemy. While searching for a Seer he finds Lily Quinn. He's uncertain if she's a Seer, but all the signs are in place to suggest she is. There is one problem, however. She carries the mark of a vampire, yet is human. Such a thing should be impossible for vampires can't reproduce. What started out as a straight forward mission is now complicated, and Ty knows he must figure out what it means before turning her over to Arsinoe, the leader of the Ptolemy. What Lily is will change everything.

A friend and I were discussing, okay arguing, about a vampire series. I said there are only so many variations of the creature that could be told. I insisted there just wasn't much that could be done with the being that hadn't already be done. I, Lisarenee, am now eating my words and am happy to do so. Castle put a fresh spin to her vampire series that I hadn't seen before. With vampires being able to change into smoke, mist, or animals, and roots linking them back to Egypt I found myself spellbound. The world building was superb and I found myself captivated from the very first page. An underdog, er, cat  and tortured hero, I found Ty to be simply irresistible. The chemistry between Ty and Lily was entrancing. When your heart gets set a flutter, and you need a fan for a love scene that goes no father than second base, you know you're in for a treat. I HIGHLY recommend this one and found this to be a total and complete book seduction. I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses. Yay! I've got another author to add to my ever growing list of favorites. *sigh* I am so looking forward to the sequel.

Order of series:





1. Dark Awakening (Dark Dynasties, #1)
2. Midnight Reckoning (Dark Dynasties, #2) Tentatively scheduled to be released January 1, 2012