Midnight Awakening, by Lara Adrian
Midnight Awakening
reviewed by Saluki
The third book in the Midnight Breed Series follows Tegan, the most feared and deadliest member of the Order. I wasn’t sure what to think about Tegan through the small glimpses I got of him during the first two books, but after finishing Midnight Awakening, I can say that Tegan is my favorite warrior so far. This review is relatively spoiler free, so don’t be afraid to read it :)
Summary: With a dagger in her hand and vengeance on her mind, Darkhaven beauty Elise Chase prowls Boston’s streets in search of retribution against the Rogue vampires who took from her everything she cherished. Using an extraordinary psychic gift, she tracks her prey, well aware that the power she possesses is destroying her. She must learn to harness this gift, and for that she can turn to only one man—the deadliest of the Breed warriors, Tegan.
No stranger to loss, Tegan knows Elise’s pain. He knows fury, but when he slays his enemies it is with ice in his veins. He is perfect in his self-control, until Elise seeks his aid in her personal war. An unholy alliance is forged—a bond that will link them by blood and vow—and plunge them into a tempest of danger, desire, and the darkest passions of the heart. . . .
This book, like the two previous, follows a member of the Order and the human female who is destined to be his Mate. What sets the heroine apart in this book is that she is already part of Tegan’s world, a widowed Breedmate, Elise Chase. Elise has lost both her husband and son to Rouges, and has vowed to do all she can to ensure their lives were not ended in vain. Emotionally closed off to the world, she moves out of the Darkhaven and ventures into humanity to do her part in avenging their deaths.
Tegan continues to live his solitary existence. His only mission in life is to kill Rouges and protect civilian vampires and humans alike. Much like Elise, Tegan has also cut himself off from all emotion. Still wracked with guilt 500 years after losing his mate to the Rogues, he exists in an emotional void, not even letting in the men who fight beside him each day. In the end, this book is a story about letting go of loss and learning to trust again.
Elise developed into a surprisingly strong heroine. From her pampered, sheltered beginnings of the wife of a very powerful member of the Enforcement Agency, she grows into a strong, confident woman that made the perfect match to Tegan. She is able to stand up to his anger, not letting him scare her into running away. I really admired her tenacity and wit against such a formidable and unfeeling warrior like Tegan. She tackled his icy heart in much same way as she pursued her need for justice against the senseless deaths of her husband and son.
Tegan’s path towards love and acceptance in this book was a beautiful journey. He was so closed off in the beginning,unwilling to forgive himself for not saving his Mate and resolved never to let anyone in his heart again. Elise was able to knock down the wall he had built around himself a little at a time. By never giving up on him, and never giving in in the face of an argument, she proved to him that he was worthy of love.
Much of the romance aspect of this book sees the characters alternately wanting to be together and wanting to stay apart to protect themselves from the fragility that love can bring. These two drove me crazy at times; they fought so hard to protect their hearts that they actually ended up hurting themselves more. But, after they dropped the pretenses and admitted their feelings, it was made clear that Tegan and Elise balance each other, compliment each other, and make for an absolutely delicious read.
I think this is my favorite book of the series so far. I can see the improvement in Lara Adrian’s writing in each book and it feels like she’s really hitting her stride with this one. As I’ve said before, if you love the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, I urge you to give these a try.
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