See where it all began in this exciting prequel to The Execution Underground, Kait Ballenger’s sexy paranormal series about the men who hunt evil and the women who love them.
Vampire hunter Damon Brock’s first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York. But he isn’t the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family–and she works solo. But when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf, the line between good and evil blurs as they must decide between their lifelong beliefs…and their newfound desires.
I have read the previous books in this series and really enjoyed them. The reader has of course already been introduced to Damon Brock, the leader of the Execution Underground in Rochester, New York, but this is the first time we see why he is the way he is. The way he is, is an unhappy, almost mean warrior and vampire hunter. The reader can’t help but wonder why he is such an unhappy man. This novella tells that story.
What I liked about this novella:
As I said before, we get to see the why of Damon and that’s something I think most readers wanted to know about. I enjoyed getting to see him be vulnerable, and to find the woman that he fell in love with, originally through letters. The fact that he feels responsible for the death of her brother, causes problems for this couple almost from the get go. I also liked that we get to see Damon as a good guy, not the almost mean spirited person that is featured in the previous books.
I also really liked the character of Tiffany. As the little sister of a now dead, Execution Underground warrior and Damon’s best friend, she is on her own mission to kill the vampire that killed her brother. This is the same vampire that Damon plans on killing, so the two decide to work together. Of course working together moves the story into the romance arena.
This was a novella, but it didn’t seem like a novella. The main characters were fleshed out, and the story more intricate then most novellas, so this is in the like column for me.
What I didn’t like about this novella:
I know it is a novella, but the insta-love thing kind of bothered me. I know that they had corresponded for years but since Tiffany doesn’t even know that, that is who Damon is, that’s kind of a moot point.To me, as a reader, insta- love is more realistic with teenagers or shifter books when finding their mate. So yes, it bothered me, but I did get over it, and just went with it.
And it has to be said, the ending. BUT, since we know Damon is unhappy in the subsequent books, I guess a super happy ending couldn’t really happen, so I am okay with it. I guess. Maybe. There is another book coming with Damon as a main character, so don’t let this scare you off reading this.
Who would I recommend this book to?
Adult Urban Fantasy fans, and people that have read the other books in this series.
This novella was a quick easy read. It had lots of action, gory scenes, and several really steamy sex scenes. I liked the characters, and even the villains were really well depicted by the author. This was a well written, good entry into the UF world and the Execution Underground series.
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