Entoxicated by the Serpent’s Kiss

Elder Races by Thea Harrison

Paranormal Romance

Serpent’s Kiss (Book 3)

Overall Rating: 5 (sXe)

Quick & Dirty summary: Carling is one of the oldest vampires in the world, and yet, strangely and paradoxically, she is dying. Wyr Sentinel Rune visits the Queen of the Vampires in order to fulfill a promise she demanded of him. While there he is shocked by Carling’s acceptance of her fate, prompting the Wry to fight on her behalf. As a Gryphon formed during the formation of the world, he is a creature of paradox and in-between spaces. Rune may be one of the few in the world who can help Carling discover the cure to her immortal disease.

Carling and Rune are one of the best couples I’ve read about. I love them together. They both break stereotypes, completely comfortable in their age, power, and temperaments. To read about two beings who don’t have issues to work through, but rather obstacles to overcome, was refreshing. The chemistry between them was explosive, making for some exciting sex scenes. But more than that, the way they fall in love was beautiful.

The time travel/bending aspect of the novel was really what won me over a thousand percent. The idea that otherlands would also allow for othertimes was an interesting thought experiment that I enjoyed. That this was the solution to Thea Harrison’s problem of how a Wry who makes for life could trust a vampire known for surviving at all costs enough to fall in love was brilliant. And the love that develops between the two of them is so sweet and deep, I am jealous. I wish for that kind of love.

It prompted Rune to offer a type of love vow to Carling: “I will never leave you. I will never let you go. I will never let you fall, or fail. I will always come for you if you leave, always find you if you’re lost. Always.” For a being who can travel through time, always means so much more. And for her to return his vows throughout the rest of the novel is euphoric in its celebration of love. Of course, I can’t forget that even Carling’s name becomes more important, its meaning fuller, as the novel and their love progresses. It’s just perfection!

As a side note: I hate this book cover. The novel is so much better than this cover and if I had judged the book by its cover I never would have picked it up. Sorry to be so judgmental, but that’s one of the benefits of reading ebooks. It prevents me from doing that.

Is it worth buying? (Kindle $7.99)

Yes, yes, yes! I love this book so much that I would gladly pay eight dollars for it. I really want to get an autographed copy of this one, so I might just have to go buy the paperback and hope to meet Ms Harrison in person.

Something else you might enjoy:

While I don’t really care for time travel books, I am fascinated by the idea of multiple worlds existing at the same time and the way that possibility would necessitate a shift in our understanding of time. The Witching Savannah series has this component. It doesn’t have any sex in it, but the three book series is AWESOME. I highly recommend it and you can read my review of the series here.