When Antoinette was six years old, she watched her mother die a very violent death at the hands of a rogue vampire. That incident shaped Antoinette into the woman she became. She was a determined, intelligent, and a skilled warrior, who made it her mission to kill as many of the Necrodreniac (rogue vampires) as she could. She would have liked nothing better than to get rid the planet of all vampires. It didn't matter that there were good vampires who were an intricate part of modern society...No, as far as she was concerned, they were all monsters. It was her hatred that motivated her into becoming the best Venators (rogue vampire/Necrodreniac hunters) of the best. While she had many good qualities, I couldn't help but feel her character was inconsistant. I was under the impression, she was suppose to be the elite of the Venators. She was suppose to be highly skilled, yet she often found her self bested or out-manuvered by less than skilled villians. Also, I felt her stubborn streak bordered on immaturity, and her feelings in regards to vampires was fickled at best.
I felt Christian's character lacked that something "special" most sexy and brooding vampires have...personality. It felt like everytime there was trouble, he was just standing around watching or was never around to begin with. This gave the impression of a card board character, like the author wasn't sure what to do with him. The only time he was noticably present was when a sex scene or something relevant to it came up.Now, that I am thinking about it...for a supposed nice guy, his sexual taste were a bit on the violent side. It seemed so out of character. I had expected romance and wisdom from him...nope didn't get it.
Now Victor on the other hand was a very engaging character. He was the light within the dark in this book. He was not only interesting, but he brought out the best in Antoinette and Christin's characters. His ability to use witty bantor and his engaging personality into the dialogue was sadly missed when the author decided to snub his character...thus taking away any engaging qualities the protagonsits might have had.
I thought the author did a good job on the world building, but the plot was lacking in both originality and substance. In fact, there were moments, when I felt the chapters were jerky and incomplete. I also felt, there were too many short cuts and easy outs. That being said, I saw alot of potential to be had in this book. The action sequences were amazing. I would have liked it , if the author delved more into the vampire politics. I think the political intrigue would have been a very prudent element. I would have also liked a bit more depth and romance in the relationship of Antoinette and Christian.
Overall, I think that the book was a good read, with the potential to have been a great one. I would have found it more appealing had the book had some unpredictablity, focus more on character depth, explored the vampire politics, and had some originality. I wish the book had more fluidity. Instead it felt jerky and incomplete. I also felt, the characters could have been more engaging and more consistant to who thier characters were suppose to be. I did like Victor, the conflict with Dante, the concept of the Troubles, and the small amount of political intrigue I was given. If you are looking for enjoyment in the urban fantasy world that is a quick and enjoyable read, then you might like Night's Cold Kiss.