13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
If anything, the second installment is even more exciting than the first., July 8, 2009
SYNOPSIS:
This second installment in the Fitz Clare chronicles begins immediately as the first book,
Kissing Midnight (Upyr), leaves off. Edmund Fitz Clare is being held by vampires Frank and Li-Hau and he is completely helpless to free himself because of all the iron bullets still in his body. Those two corrupt individuals have a truly horrendous plan in mind for Edmund. Back at the Fitz Clare home Graham makes a decision with life changing repercussions in order to help find Edmund and bring him home.
OPINION:
I'm very glad to say that this second segment of the three part Fitz Clare family story is even more interesting and exciting than the first was. And that is really saying something special from my perspective. This story has a great deal of action and activity in it and also reveals why it was so important that Emma Holly set the stage for this series in 1933.
All of the characters from the first book return with each one showing great changes in their personalities brought on by the stress of Edmund being kidnapped. Estelle finds even more powers and insights which she learns to use. Graham makes a life changing decision and has Robin, Edmund's natural son, guide him through the process. Ben is given more depth to his character and plays a very important part in the rescue plans. And I get my wish, Sally does indeed grow much more mature because of the circumstances she is faced with. There are two new characters introduced, Penelope (Pen) Anderson, the daughter of the man Graham worked for and another vampire, Durand, who will figure quite prominently in the third installment of this adventure.
There are still quite a few sensual scenes written into this story, but the attempt to rescue Edmund takes center stage and so there is a wonderful, complex plot to this novel. The period setting is presented with all the rich trimmings available from this time period and it all made for a very opulent feel to the book.
RECOMMENDATION:
Once again, I highly recommend this book. Emma Holly actually did a wonderful job of incorporating all of the happenings from the first part of the trilogy so that this book can be read as a standalone. And this book does not contain the cliffhanger atmosphere which was present at the ending of book #1, but I really want to read that last novel to make sure Frank and Li-Hau finally get exactly what they deserve. The idea for the final segment sounds interesting enough to make me look forward to receiving the third and final part of the Fitz Clare chronicles.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Not Very Good, May 24, 2011
By half way through I was just bored with the plot and skipped ahead to the sex scenes. I was annoyed that the author would name one character Ben and another one Pen- which both look very much alike and cause me much confusion in scenes where both characters were present. I liked the Ben and Sally plot line but that was it.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
The Sizzling Barbeque of Awesomeness continues..., January 16, 2010
I was on vacation in Asia this past summer and happened to see Kissing Midnight (the first of this series) in the Taipei 101. I loved it and was very eager to read the second and third installment. Verdict? I've read better-written books, but Emma Holly still has some serious genius inside her. I just started reading the third installment of this series and it features a much-darker Edmund, which is generously hinted at in Breaking Midnight. My only complaint is that although the plot sometimes grows stagnant with the same characters, I'm not overly fond (yet) of the way Emma Holly shoved in several new ones. There's an American girl who's willing to help the Fitz Clares, but with a sketchy background and motives, and a prison guard who shows both understanding and contempt for *BRIEF SPOILER* Edmund and the human race. *END SPOILER*
Some parts of Frank and Li-Hua's plot were a little fuzzy and unclear (but that could just be me). Although I like Nim Wei's character and although it would make sense for her to join the quest to rescue Edmund, Nim Wei appears only very briefly and doesn't join them at all. Robin also stays comfortably in London, which confused me some.
Still, it's an all-around good book and gets a sincere thumbs-up from me. Not the best, but hey, no author can appeal to everyone!
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