Death's Sweet Embrace

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Death’s Sweet Embrace, book 2 in the Dark Brethren series, is an action packed thrill ride filled with non-stop action, mystery and a touch of romance. Truly a unique view in the paranormal genre that shouldn't be missed.

The characters of this novel and relationships between them is masterfully written with the main cast of characters being highly developed and likable. Unlike a lot of novels where the protaganist is shown to be the lone skilled fighter, this novel is compised of a team dynamic showing a wonderful comradely between characters making this an ensemble piece with each character having their own amount of strength and fighting skill, relying either mainly on brains or braun. show more Together they work as a team and are constantly protecting each other from both emotional and physical harm, a devotion that only endears them to the reader more.

On the other hand, O’Hara also brought to life a cast of villains that are so despicable that you can’t help but hate them. They ooze evil, disdain and malice through every word, especially Gideon. The portrayal of his homicidal psychosis as a serial killer truly ensnared me and I was constantly hoping for yet another glimpse into his twisted psyche and the man he was beneath all the insanity.

There are also a lot of moments of insight into the characters as the point of view shifts; these shifts are fairly sparse but no less well done. In truth, I greatly appreciated these glimpses that we receive into the other characters minds as it gave a more fleshed out appeal to the characters showing us not only the main character Kitt's perceived impressions about those around her but the truth as to their true motivations and desires. It also lends itself to remind the reader that this is about a group of characters, not solely Kitt though she is the one that we tend to follow the most.

The relationships of the story are also well developed. Not only are the romantically charged relationships engrossing, but the complicated dynamics between characters as well; for instance, the complicated relationship between Kitt and her family and the strain within the family itself. Her father has the outward appearance of disliking his daughter, possibly even hating her, but we come to find that this façade is only to protect her and allow her the right to live as she chooses. That he has always had her best interests at heart and tried to give her the space and freedom that she has always desired. Also, I adored the relationship between Oberon and Kitt, a brotherly devotion and friendship that is deep seeded and quite special. He protects her and her daughters fiercely, not afraid to take on the entire Jordan Pride if need be to protect her from threat or violence. It's a rare relationship that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing as it had no romantic hang-ups at all, just simple honest to goodness love between characters. However, the romantic relationship between Kitt and Raven was admittedly the most engrossing for me. It's the forbidden romance between the two, always simmering in the background throughout the entire novel, that kept me reading and hoping to see the two truly connect. The history of the two is complex and appealing and the addition of Seph and Cal, their daughters, was moving. I enjoyed the dynamic of Kitt getting to know them and the poignancy of the hurt that she was not able to witness them as they grew up. Yet, despite the hurt she feels there is a warmth to the tone of the story as Kitt gets to become familiar with the young adults that they have grown into that is truly heart warming.

The world of the Dark Brethren is likewise three dimensional and diverse, filled with all sorts of supernatural creatures called Parahumans, each with their own history and society. Though we are only briefly indoctrinated into these societies I was no less impressed by the complexity of them. And while there is a lot to catch up on for first time readers such as myself like the terms used for these creatures and the existing history between characters, I couldn't help but be awed by the vividness of the world. From the dark alleys to the Bunker used by the NYAPS security team everything is described succinctly yet vibrantly, often times bordering on being quite graphic especially during the autopsies at the morgue. Yet this only lent itself to authenticate the reality that O'Hara built.

Written with a unique voice, the pace of the novel flows smoothly between the action and slower moments within keeping the reader interested and driven to continue. There are also many interesting concepts broached to intrigue the reader, such as Shadow Combat-a game filled with equal parts violence and magic- and the lore of the Dark Brethren and the significance they have to the history of the Parahumans. There are also ample surprise twists and turns with well written action sequences that aren’t glossed over, but wonderfully portrayed. In fact, the action is as much a part of the story as the romance and you can expect no punches to be pulled in either respect.

Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read that I recommend to any fan of the paranormal genre. Be sure to also check out the first novel in the Dark Brethren series, Night’s Cold Kiss and the short story Dante Rising: The Birth of a Venator. show less

Much like the first book in this series "Night's Cold Kiss", I found the book very enjoyable but not without its problems. The basic premise is that an agency has been formed to investigate paranormal crime. This time around someone is tearing the hearts out of its (supernatural) victims while they are alive. Antoinette, the heroine from the first book, is back again, active in this new group. However her task is to track down some more draniacs, such as she did in the first book. This new case is being worked primarily by Oberon (turns into a bear at will), and newcomers to the series Kitt and her ex-lover Raven. The two had a pair of twins who are older teenagers now, Seph and Cal. Kitt is a Felian and turns into a snow leopard. Raven show more turns into a wolf. Many years ago Raven was blamed for Kitt's husband's death and ran to another country where his two daughters had been sent to live with an 'adoptive' family.
Now attending the school Kitt teaches at, her daughter and Raven are suddenly back in her life.

This plot was so good. Its intense and had twists and surprises I never saw coming. The ending is totally bizarre in a good way. I think the pacing is great. There are more than enough action scenes with a little downtime here or there for the reader to catch her breath. Without a doubt my favorite thing about this story was the story of Kitt's Pride. The dynamics of the Pride were intriguing and well developed. I loved some of the characters in the Pride and there is certainly more story there to be told should the author choose to go back to it later in the series. This book could have been rated more highly in my estimation if the story was even more centered on the Pride aspect.

So what drags this book down to a 3 1/2 star review? The characterization is poor. These characters are so great on the surface but they aren't developed enough to make them unforgettable. Raven was a better character than the first hero Christian. I had a better sense of his character but still it wasn't enough. While I like both Kitt and Antoinette I feel like neither is completely fleshed out. I want to know why these ladies are so special. I would have liked to have known more about why Kitt gave her babies up all those years ago. Also I disagree with some reviewers who think this is a romance trying to be urban fantasy. I totally think the romance falls flat and the story is much stronger on plot and action. There are a lot of plotlines working at the same time and a ton of new characters were introduced. While things felt muddled occassionally I still felt like the story works. It is enjoyable. It is fun. Just like the first book was.

I liked this book a tad more than the first one. I like the characters but I just want to seem them stand on their own. Right now only Oberon really stands out as an extraordinary character. I hope he gets a story all his own one day. I can say with confidence that I will read further books from this author. I think once she hits her stride she is going to be a heavy player. show less

For the second installment, new characters come to the forefront of the story. Antoinette is back as a supporting cast member and Christian makes one cameo. The new heroine is Kitt, a felian (a snow leopard shifter). She is educated, a doctor, and is called in by Oberon's new organization to perform an autopsy. Turns out there is a new paranormal serial killer on the loose and its up to these guys to stop the murderer. And of course, this will require Kitt to get up close and personal with her baby daddy, Raven (a canian/wolf shifter).

I am totally okay with the shift in main characters. It's a good way to write a long romance series without having the main couple get together and break up and get together and break up, etc. What bothers show more me is that the construction of the book is different from the first in the series. Rather than following only the two main characters, the view point follows others, including the serial killer. The reason O'hara did this brings me to my second concern.

This book has three or four villains/organizations (although maybe they're all part of the same cause?). There's the serial killer, the aliens who originally brought the paranormals to earth as their slaves, the organization the baddie from book one was a part of and the crazy Aeternus who is creating a pack of Necrodeniacs. Overkill much? Because there is so much going on and the group has to split up all the time to deal with the many problems, she could not write from the perspective of just two characters.

I really don't think that the addition of more view points or bad guys added to the book. Now the book is taking itself way too seriously; it is trying to be more fantasy/adventure than romance. This book has very few steamy scenes. What with the shifting between characters and all the action scenes, there just isn't time. That is a shame. Books need to be what they are...and this is a romance series. O'hara needs to do what she does best. show less

I'm supporting Aussie Author Month during April and so I am pleased to host Tracey O'Hara on her blog tour for the Australian release of Death's Sweet Embrace.Death's Sweet Embrace is the second installment in O'Hara's Dark Brethren series, [b:Night's Cold Kiss|6283478|Night's Cold Kiss (Dark Brethren, #1)|Tracey O'Hara|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255619500s/6283478.jpg|6467488] introduced the series that walks a line between dark urban fantasy and paranormal romance. merging humanity with vampires and shifters. The first book introduces Antoinette and Christian whose relationship develops as they hunt a psychotic serial killer and a corrupt politician.A Death's Sweet Embrace introduces Kit, a Snow Leopard shifter who has joined show more the Academy as an instructor on parahuman forensic pathology. Her motivation is the enrollment of her twin daughters whom from she has been estranged since their birth after being banished by her Pride. For Kit, things are further complicated by the return of Raven - a wolf shifter, and the father of her twins, and her families antagonism. In addition, Oberon, the head of security and Kit's late brother's partner, hopes to recruit Kit into his elite team of investigators to deal with a ritualistic serial killer on campus and an escalating threat from a society once thought mythical. A Death's Sweet Embrace maintains story threads that are complex, yet not complicated. O'Hara is still developing story precedents and introducing characters to establish the series in this second book. The foreshadowing, along with the story arcs, compete with both the main and minor plots so it can seem crowded. There are one or two aspects of the plot that don't quite coalesce and I feel that the editing process may have been a little brutal in places resulting in details being left out that can be disconcerting but ultimately has little impact on the main plot resolution. There is plenty of action and violence, the details of the murders can be graphic but it supports the gritty tone of the series. Kit allows O'Hara to develop the Animalian aspect of her world. The Animalian society conforms to the shifter trope (patriarchal societies that are concerned with territory and property as power), though she has created some interesting mythology and I thought the idea of the suits they wear is clever. I thought O'Hara managed to sustain the suspense well, the identity of the killer is a shocking twist in that it is not as cut and dried as you might guess. The pace is varied but well balanced.I thought Kit was likeable, she comes off as quite weak both physically and emotionally initially (and I still don't understand the back story that led to her separation from her daughters) but reveals hidden depths as the story progresses. Raven is the expected Alpha, his background is interesting but I would have liked to have seen him as a more active participant in the story. The romance between Kit and Raven is anchored in their past so the development of their relationship is believable. While Kit is the protagonist of Death's Sweet Embrace, there is a large supporting cast and the point of view shifts on occasion to illustrate different perspectives. These are smoothly handled and allow insight into the minor plots. Several of the characters from Night's Cold Kiss reappear, Oberon, Antoinette and Christian briefly to name a few. Most of the newly introduced characters are tied directly to Kit's story though I would expect one or two may appear in future installments. More of the mystery of the Dark Brethren is revealed but they are still quite a nebulous group that doesn't have a particularly solid presence at yet.Death's Sweet Embrace is a gritty yet entertaining read that offers an uncommon blend of mystery, action, horror and romance. O'Hara's Dark Brethren series is unique in the paranormal/fantasy fiction genre and I will be looking forward to the next installment. show less

This review is based on the advanced reader's copy I got through NetGalley. Based on the ARC, I'm not sure quite what to think of this one. It had its fun moments and its slow moments and its really over the top moments (which some will find entertaining and some will find irritating). So, I guess uneven would be a good description.

The romantic focus is on Kathryn "Kitt" Jordan, a were-lion, and her former lover, Raven, a wolf-shifter accused of killing Kitt's late husband. Kitt knows that Raven didn't kill her husband, because they were together when he was murdered, but that didn't stop Kitt's family from putting a bounty on Raven's head. Now, eighteen years later, a series of ritualistic murders are occurring that bear a remarkable show more similarity to her late husband's... and they're occurring on the same New York campus where their daughters are studying.

As a heroine, Kitt is very different from Antoinette from Night's Cold Kiss (although she also makes several appearances, which was nice). I honestly didn't really understand Kitt, especially in terms of how she related to her family and Raven. Raven, by the way, is pretty awesome, although I wish his screen time served more of a purpose than as crazy-fighter or devoted-lover guy. The hints about his back story make him sound way more interesting than what we're shown. The supporting characters are very heroic or very villainous, with lots of exclamation points, although there are a few characters whose alignments shift as you (the reader) understand their motivations better.

If you liked Night's Cold Kiss you might like this, if you didn't like NCK you're probably not going to like this one either. If you haven't read NCK, it's ok to start with this one -- NCK is more of a fast-paced vampire vs. vampire-hunter story, this one is more about shapeshifters, serial killers, and families. show less

Death's Sweet Embrace, the second installment in the Dark Brethren Series by Tracey O'Hara, follows the effort to put a stop to a serial killer that is attacking Anamalians (people who can shift to animal form because of a natural born ability; not as a magical disguise) at the NYAPS (New York Academy of Parahuman Studies). The kills are efficient and show signs of ritualistic murder. Kitt Jordan (anamalian panther) has just joined the faculty at the NYAPS and is asked to assist on the victim autopsies because of her previous experience as a medical examiner. On top of that, her twin daughters, who she had to give up at birth, are students in her class and their father, Raven Matokwe (anamalian wolf), is also at the NYAPS. The main plot show more revolves around the history that surrounded Kitt and Raven, why Kitt gave up her daughters, and why she was expelled from the Jordan Pride (her panther clan) while Kitt, Raven and others seek find the serial killer. This action packed story comes to an exciting climax that brings the plot in an unexpected and satisfying conclusion.

This book can be read as a stand-alone book, but for those who have read the first installment (Night's Cold Kiss), you will also get to follow Antoinette Petrescu on her crusade against Dreniacs (vampires addicted to the death high of completely draining a victim) in subplots and she also assists Kitt and the others seeking the serial killer. A word of warning: this book centers around the new character Kitt and not the established Antoinette (from Night's Cold Kiss). It can be a little confusing at first to be certain of this. Also, there are many terms that a new reader, or a reader who was last in the Dark Brethren universe when Night's Cold Kiss was published in 2009, may not be immediately familiar with. To help overcome this, the author has included a useful "Glossary of Terms" at the end of the book that also includes list of characters and their roles.

I enjoyed this read overall, but I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship between Antoinette and her lover Christian Laroque (who makes a short appearance). Their relationship was just beginning at the end of Night's Cold Kiss and has so much potential for further development. I hope to see more of them, as well as Kitt and Raven, in future installments.

I recommend this series to readers of the paranormal/urban fantasy genre. show less

Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogsp...

Book two in the Dark Brethren series has some of the characters as book one NIGHTS COLD KISS but mainly follows Kitt Jordan an Animalian (shifter). We are taken on a action packed ride trying to solve a string of killings. Kitt is brought into the fold and has to re-visit her past to move on to her future. The story complements book one and continues and builds stronger onto the problem of the Dark Brethren. The plot is entertaining full of twists and turns and moves along with no problems between the slower and faster paces of the book. The relationships built up nicely, and I enjoyed reading about Kitt and Ravens past. I'm not crazy about books that have different character POV's show more but Tracey O'Hara made them blend perfectly and I am happy to say they didn't get confusing like some books tend to do. If you enjoyed NIGHTS COLD KISS I definitely recommend that you pick up DEATHS SWEET EMBRACE, I'm excited to see what comes next. show less