Customer Reviews

Twice Damned

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
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I would like to begin this review by saying that this is one of the best-written, best-developed, and most thoughtfully composed books I have ever read. So much care and detail has been put into this book that it honestly amazes me. I offer my most sincere congratulations to the author on this beautiful book.

In their ongoing crusade to create the ideal soldier, the Nazis created a mutation designed to bring their soldiers great strength and invulnerability, yet something went awry: their creation became nosferatu -- the damned forced to live away from the harm of sunlight and drink the blood of humans. The results of their experiment were horrifying, and the few survivors quickly became unmanageable killers.

Decades pass, and the most docile and human of the vampires, Ritter Breitmann, poses at a student in a midwestern United States university. He lives off minute quantities of blood obtained from the unwitting he safeguards from other dangers of the world: a devil's trade to some, but Ritter is no monster.

On one such a "gallant" outing, he comes across and rescues a university researcher -- Faith Allister, who unwittingly works on a controversial, humanitarian genetics project that draws the ire of both the human and superhuman worlds. Her work is woven into a complicated web of deceit and treachery, and only her fateful meeting of the vampire offers a possible, untangled solution to her genetic questions -- and a way out of the situation alive.

The book moves slowly, with descriptions that make it entirely realistic. There is no blind acceptance of the preternatural status quo from our heroine, and the setting's utopian, yet stark 2014 lends an even more believable touch. The slight offset of years from the present gave the author room to work without provoking a "but that isn't how things are!" reaction.

The characters are possibly the most well-developed in any paranormal book I've read; they're realistic and emotional, and sympathetic without contrived flaws simply to show that they're "real". Ritter and Faith need no help establishing them through such devices.

Utterly stunning, with tender touches and fantastic storyline. I honestly could not put this book down.

The plot idea behind Twice Damned was very interesting, vampires created to be super soldiers during WWII. Sounds great... That's the extent of the positive. The author just didn't pull it off.

There was no plot development to pull us into this different idea of vampirism. The characters were developed pretty well, we got a good idea of who they were, however they wern't built as likeable characters. They were dull, drab, and I couldn't bring myself to care what happened to them one way or the other.

I had to force myself to finish this book mostly because I wanted to get my money's worth. I kept reading hoping it would get better, it never did. Save your time and money on this one.

Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Reader Views (10/06)

He is known as Todd Ritter in the year 2014. However he was born Ritter Breitmann and served in Hitler's army. He survived an attack during the war and was told that he would be part of a team creating a new weapon that would win Germany the war. This changed Ritter's life; he was never the same after.

She is Dr. Faith Allister, a dedicated researcher. Her brother died from Stoker's syndrome and she is determined to find a cure.

They meet one night when Faith is about to be mugged. Ritter saves her and he decides that he is going to be her protector. They form an uneasy alliance and every time something happens to Faith, Ritter is not far away. He does not tell her that he is a vampire, from an experiment that went really wrong during the war. Faith thinks that
Ritter is much younger than she is, she does not know that he didn't age because of the experiment.

The hospital where Faith works lost the grant money for her research. So, she and her boss Miles are offered a job continuing the research for a private party. With state-of-the-art equipment and a new apartment thrown in they both leave for the new job.

Enter Cole, a vampire like Ritter. He learns that his nemesis is working to make a virus to infect more men like he and Ritter. He also learns that Faith works with him and he is determined to kill both of them. Ritter tells Cole that Faith has no idea about the experiment and that she is under his protection.

Good will triumph over evil in the end, but you will have to read the book to find out how.

Ms. Masek weaves the story between the war and what happened after with the future in 2014. The reader can't help but root for Ritter and Faith to come through all their trials. From her descriptions you feel like you are right there with them, living right along side.

Any paranormal reader would love this book. I truly enjoyed reading it and will look for more books by Ms. Masek in the future.

Suspense and passion fuel "Twice Damned" from beginning to end.

Book received free of charge.

In the near future, a young doctor works to cure Hitler's legacy. Stoker's syndrome claimed the life of her infant brother, and in Faith's scientific opinion, gave rise the the legends of vampires. She never imagines that vampires might be real, or that the very young man hitting on her is actually old enough to be her grandfather. Ritter is one of the few survivors of Hitler's experiements to create super soldiers, and now, he and another vampire seek not only a cure, one Faith is working on without realizing its scope, but also to stop a new breed of vampires from rising. Enlisting Faith in their effort is both a blessing and risk. Before it all is over, heart breaking sacrifices will be required of them all in order to surpass the danger for the greater good.

*** Fast moving action and bittersweet decisions make this a memorable book with a logical premise that makes it believeable without stretching one's credulity level to greatly. ***