Blood Shadows by Lindsay J. Pryor

*ARC received for an honest review, thank you

For vengeance-would you trust a vampire?

For justice-could you betray your family?

For love-are you ready to question everything you believe in?

Gifted with the ability to read the shadows of third species being, Caitlin Parish is the Vampire Control Unit's most powerful agent. Despite that, her mission to hunt down Kane Malloy-a master vampire-comes with a death wish. Many have tried. But few have survived. For Caitlin, tracking Kane is about more than just professional reputation. With her parents both mysteriously killed seven years apart to the day, Caitlin knows that without Kane's help she is next. She has four days to make a deal with the wicked, the irresistible, the treacherous Kane Malloy. The vampire who despises everything she stands for. Or die. 

This book is a bit hard for me to review. I liked it. A lot. But it was different to the usual style of books I usually read. This story was really dark, without it being creepy and without characters being killed every chapter in gruesome ways. It was a romance story without a hint of romance within it. I know that doesn't really make sense, but that is what it felt like. The 'hero' wasn't a hero at all, not even a Byronic hero. He was dark, terrifying, and even when we get his point of view, his actions are always a surprise because of his changeability. But his need for vengeance against the people who murdered his sister in such a brutal way is what endears him to the reader, and to our heroine. I'm not completely sure whether or not I like Caitlin. She was dogmatic and sometimes got on my nerves with her stalking ways. I mean, I know it was her job to track Kane, but four years? And who has dreams about a guy who you think has done unimaginable sadistic murderous things? Anyway. Although I liked the world-building, I wouldn't have minded getting to know a bit more history behind it, because it was interesting, and I wanted to know more. Blood Shadow was an intense read, with unpredictable characters and a magnetism that draws you right in to this world of betrayal and revenge. 

Rating: 3.5/5