ABSOLUTION
The Penton Legacy, Book 2
Susannah Sandlin
Paranormal Romance
Release date: October 9, 2012
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Ebook
307 pages
With the vampire world on the brink of civil war over the scarcity of untainted human blood, battle lines are being drawn between the once peaceful vampire and human enclave of Penton, Alabama, and the powerful Vampire Tribunal.
A Scottish gallowglass warrior turned vampire in the early 17th century, Mirren Kincaid once served the Tribunal as its most creative and ruthless executioner-a time when he was known as the Slayer. But when assigned a killing he found questionable, Mirren abandoned the Tribunal's political machinations and disappeared-only to resurface two centuries later as the protector and second-in-command of Penton. Now the Tribunal wants him back on their side-or dead.
To break their rogue agent, they capture Glory Cummings, the descendant of a shaman, and send her to restore Mirren's bloodthirsty nature. But instead of a monster, Glory sees a man burdened by the weight of his past. Could her magic touch-meant by the tribunal to bring out a violent killer-actually help Mirren break his bonds and discover the love he doesn't believe he deserves?
It's a town under siege, a powerful warrior in a battle with his past, and one woman who can make the earth move-literally-as the Penton Legacy continues.
Excerpt:
What was Matthias thinking, throwing a human woman in the cell with a vampire who'd been locked up and starved for over a month?
Mirren waited on the bench, his back against the wall, his head down. Waited until Matthias climbed the steps, slammed the door, clicked the dead bolt home. Waited until he could get control of the hunger that had begun raging the second the woman stumbled down the stairway. She was invaccinate, and he wanted nothing more than to take her, blood and body, until there was nothing left.
If he did that, he'd be no better than the version of Mirren Kincaid he'd tried so hard to leave behind. He'd be the Slayer again. His hands could too easily remember the mindless sweep of the sword, the heavy fall of the battle-ax, the controlled back-thrust of a heavy firearm. If the cold darkness ever fell over him again, he feared he'd embrace it.
"Mister, you awake?" Shit. She would have to be a talker. Mirren hated a talky woman. They always expected you to talk back. He raised his head slowly and caught his breath. She was young, maybe mid-twenties, and pretty in a rode-hard kind of way. "Your eyes are silver-I've seen enough vampires since I was kidnapped to know when your eyes get lighter, it means you're hungry. But I've never seen any like yours. How long has it been since you ate? Umm…Make that how long since you drank?" If the stupid woman kept walking toward him, he wouldn't be held responsible. "Stay where you are." He narrowed his eyes at her, thinking. How could she help him without sending his need so far over the edge he lost control of it? She eeked when he shifted on the bench and turned his back toward her. "Untie me." She stumbled a little when she reached the bench and sat hard. The woman was stoned out of her gourd. He could smell the drugs on her.
"Your wrists are all torn up. That has to hurt." She sat on the bench behind him, and Mirren breathed in her scent with his eyes closed. Damn, but he wanted to feed so badly his muscles ached. She muttered as she worked, her drug-addled fingers slipping off the rope. "You're so big that I'm surprised this rope could hold you. I should be able to…Let's see here, it's too dark. Man, this is funky rope." "Stop yapping, start untying." She had that broad, soft Southern accent he found sexy, but she used it way too much. "Yeah, yeah, okay." She tugged harder on the ropes, burning his sensitive wrists with each pull. "Sorry, sorry. Why is it burning your skin like that?" Mirren growled and spoke through gritted teeth. "It's laced with silver, and I'm a freaking vampire. Just untie me." Damn, he had to get himself under control, or he'd scare the woman to death and she wouldn't finish freeing his arms or feed him either one. "Well, you've got the funny eyes, but I don't see any fangs." God help him, he'd show her some fangs. "I said I was a vampire. Now finish untying me." Mirren twisted his wrists and felt the rope give way-the woman had gotten it loose enough that he didn't need her help. "But wait, how do I know you-" She gasped as Mirren pulled his wrists apart, popped the rope onto the cell floor, and shifted around to face her.
"Can you…?" She paused and swallowed hard, edging away from him on the bench. Mirren's gaze dropped to her mouth. "Can you feed without killing me?" Mirren nodded slowly. Maybe. Maybe not. My Review: The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I was given a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion. In Redemption book #1 of the Penton Legacy Aidan Murphy has set up his own little town in Penton, Alabama. A town where humans and vampires live together in harmony. There was a pandemic outbreak where most of the humans in the world died. The humans were vaccinated causing a shortage in the vampire's food supply. Vampires cannot feed from humans that has been vaccinated it will kill them. This is the reason Aidan set up his own little town. He took in humans that were down on their luck and had not been vaccinated. The humans came to live there of their own free will. Vampires needed unvaccinated blood and the humans needed a place to live. The humans that live in Penton are bonded to a vampire so that no other vampire can feed from them and to keep them safe. Aidan's second in command Mirren Kincaid is taken hostage by Aidan's enemy Matthias Ludlam who just happens to be Will's father who is probably Aidan's third in command. Will figures out which one of his father's many homes that he more than likely took Mirren. Will goes alone to his father's home to rescue Mirren and bring him back to Penton. When he gets there and breaks Mirren out of the cell that Matthias has locked Mirren in he sees that Mirren has a girl locked in with him. Matthias kidnapped Glory Cummings to feed from her blood is pure and has not been contaminated. Matthias feeds from her and lets his buddies feed from her as well. When he can't get the info from Glory that he wants he has Glory locked in Merrin's cell thinking that he will feed from her and kill her with him being very hungry from not feeding in a long time. Merrin at one time worked for the Vampire Tribunal as an executioner and known as the Slayer. Merrin got tired of killing for no reason and faked his own death for centuries. When Matthias found out that he was still alive he thought he could lock him up and talk him into coming back to work for the Tribunal as the Slayer. When starving him did not do any good he decided to put Glory in the cell with him thinking he would feed from her and kill her. If he killed her then it would change him and he would become the Slayer again. But what Matthias did not think about was the fact that the Slayer died a long time ago. Merrin may still be alive but the Slayer is dead. Will rescues Merrin and Glory and takes them home to Penton. With Glory's background she decides to stay in Penton. Aidan tells Merrin that if Glory stays then he becomes responsible for her. Glory becomes Merrin fam and he bonds with her to keep her safe and to keep other vampires from feeding from her and killing her. Matthias is very upset when he finds out that Merrin and Glory are gone. He wants Merrin to work for the Tribunal and his son back that he goes to Penton to get them back. Matthias plans on using Glory as bait to get Merrin back after he finds out that they are bonded. But he doesn't know how smart Glory is and what she can do. Will Merrin give in to his demands? Will his son; Will go with his father to be his lap dog? What is going to happen to Penton after Matthias makes his intentions clear? I think Aidan is a very smart man to set up his own little town where he and his vampires can have their own food supply. Not only is he taking care of his vampires he is also giving humans a home. A home they would not have if it was not for him. Matthias is jealous of Aidan and his town. If he had thought of the idea first and created his own little world then he would probably think it was a good ideal. Matthias is someone who likes to be in control and wants everything his way. Penton Legacy is full of twist and turns that will keep you turning page after page until the last page is turned. You just have to know what is going to happen next. This is the first vampire book I have read where if a human and vampire were bonded another vampire could not feed from them. I think this is a very cool for the vampire world. I loved Redemption and Absolution both and can't wait to read the third book Omega. If you like vampire books then you are going to love the Penton Legacy. Absolution is written in such a way that you could read it first but I don't suggest it because you would be missing out on a lot of important things that happen in Redemption not to mention a good book. About the Author: Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night. A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch and the horror fantasy of Stephen King. (Um…it is fantasy, right?) The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.
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