I have to admit, I found the first novel in this series, Dhampir, a little ho-hum. I picked up the next 2 books anyway, and churned through them in record time. There is just so much more to them, with better plot, better mythology, and better character development. I believe what disappointed me the most about the first book was a lack of connection to the characters. Within the first chapter of the 2nd in the series, I suddenly cared. Each book has gotten better, with this one the darkest emotionally so far. Can’t wait for what comes next!