Rate this book

Das Dunkle Portal (2000)

by Pamela Palmer(Favorite Author)

3.94 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

380259553X (ISBN13: 9783802595530)

languge

English

genre

Romance

series

Vamp City

review 1: I enjoyed this book. I like the dark, gritty and violent world the author created. Showing us how dangerous it is for humans to be in Vamp City. The odds are stacked high against our heroine, which makes for an exciting story. We're introduced to new characters. There's some great action scenes. Loved the relationship between the heroine and her brother. The hero goes through some character development, which is nice. I don't like it when the character does a 180 -- changes to quickly. I thought the ending felt a little flat to me. After such a climatic moment, it didn't expect to see it end in that manner. It wasn't bad, I just wanted more.
review 2: Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A dark urban fantasy that toes the line towards... more paranormal romance. A Kiss of Blood has the feel of a filler novel and some readers may not like the complete 180 of a characters actions.Opening Sentence: F our more days until Quinn Lennox’s life, as she knew it, was over.The Review:A Kiss of Blood is the sequel to Pamela Palmer’s A Blood Seduction and this novel felt almost completely opposite of its predecessor. There are two big reasons why. One is that Arturo, the main love interest to Quinn, was completely evil in the first novel. He had no problem tossing Quinn away even with his intense interest in her. He went from being almost the ultimate bad boy to a puppy dog, hanging on to Quinn’s every word and promising to make up for his past sins so he could be the man she loved in every way. The second is that Vamp City is a terrifying and cruel world and the vampires let you know it on almost every page. In A Kiss of Blood they let you know how bad it is all the time but the cruelty isn’t seen until closer to the end so the extreme peril that Quinn is in doesn’t feel materialized until then.This series toes the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The same main characters are involved in the storyline, switching between Quinn and Arturo’s points of view. Their romance and attraction for each other is very apparent but will these characters have a happy-ever-after in this world? Lily, another character stuck in Vamp City, shows up every once in a while to update readers on her progress through the terrible Vamp City world.Absolutely do not pick up A Kiss of Blood unless you have read A Blood Seduction or you will be lost. Only a few weeks have passed since Quinn escaped Vamp City with her brother Zach after being trapped there. Quinn is trying to move on but she is having a hard time doing it when she keeps seeing people fall into the death trap that is Vamp City with no help or rescue coming. Then Zach is progressively getting worse with his illness and Quinn is pretty sure it is related to the fact that Vamp City is dying and the magic is somehow tied into her brother. Knowing that she has to go back and renew the magic to restore Vamp City, Quinn gives in and returns under the stipulation that she will be no one’s slave (and hopefully not be tortured).Quinn grows up a lot in this novel. She still wants to rescue everyone but this time she is more careful about it, knowing she can’t get caught if she wants to save her brother’s life. She makes some bold decisions which in turn help her learn more about the magic she has inside of her. When Quinn is confronted with her true nature, she breaks down, but it gives her the resolve she needs in order to continue with her mission.Arturo is a completely different character in thought and action. He is such a hard character to grasp. While I didn’t completely like him from the first novel since he seemed like such a heartless bastard, I wasn’t quite sure what to think when he kept following Quinn like a puppy dog and asking for her forgiveness and her love. His motives for not outing himself and saving Quinn are quite reasonable in this setting but I’m still not quite sure I like the complete 180 of his character.I was so completely engrossed with the storyline to A Kiss of Blood that the abrupt ending startled me. I saw the page numbers coming to a close but I felt the real story/battle was coming but it didn’t. Sadly, I have to wait for the next novel to find out what’s next for Quinn, Arturo, Zach and the rest of the gang. After thinking about it, A Kiss of Blood really felt like a filler novel helping to bridge a gap to an inevitable terrible showdown. A few major details were revealed but the real questions will be answered (I hope!) when the next novel comes out.Overall, I’m still a fan of Pamela Palmer’s writing style and this incredibly dark world that she has created. I will pick up a copy of the next book because if the way this one ended is any indication of the action we will see in the upcoming title, there will be a lot of craziness going on.Notable Scene:Suddenly, her back was up against the wall, her body pinned by that of a furious vampire.“It is my business. You are my business.” Arturo’s enunciation was slow and cold and dangerously precise. “You are mine, Quinn Lennox. Mine.”She gaped at him, speechless. “I’m not your slave. I’ve never been your slave, and I’m never going to be!”“Not my slave.” At her words, at her vehemence, his anger seemed to ease. He gripped her jaw with long, cool fingers. She tried to jerk away, but he held her fast. His voice lowered, softened. “You are mine, cara. The sunshine that warms my flesh. My sunlight.” His hold on her jaw tightened, though not unduly so. His expression grew tormented. “Do you have any idea how much I want you? Yet I do not push you. You have lost your faith in me. You are angry with me for handing you over to Cristoff and, dio Quinn, you have a right to be.”He released her suddenly, turning away, running a hand through his hair. “The things I saw today . . .” His voice was low with anguish. “I have watched his atrocities for months, years, and felt too little. Felt nothing.”Quinn stared at him, her own anger slipping away as she realized how shaken he really was. This wasn’t about Neo. This was about Cristoff.“What happened at Gonzaga Castle this morning, Arturo?” she asked quietly. Not that she really wanted to know. She didn’t.When he didn’t answer, she reached for him, sliding her hand down his back. She felt him tense and shudder. Slowly, he turned back to face her, his expression revealing little, but his eyes burning.He took her face in his hands. “He will never touch you again. I vow it.” His shoulders sank, his forehead tipping against hers. “Mio dio. You’ve changed me, cara. I cannot decide if I should thank you or hate you for it.”FTC Advisory: Avon/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of A Kiss of Blood. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. less

Download links for: Das dunkle Portal

Advertising