Review: Serpent's Kiss (Elder Races #3) byThea Harrison

Serpent's Kiss (Elder Races #3) by Thea Harrison
Format: paperback
Source: purchased

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Date read: 2012

Elder Races
1. Dragon Bound
2. Storm's Heart
3. Serpent's Kiss - Paperback | Kindle
3.5. True Colors
4. Oracle's Moon
4.5. Natural Evil
4.6. Devil's Gate
4.7. Hunter's Season
5. Lord's Fall
5.5. The Wicked
6. Kinked
6.5. Dragos Takes a Holiday
6.6. Pia Saves the Day
6.7. Peanut Goes to School
7. Night's Honor
8. Midnight's Kiss
8.5. Dragos Goes to Washington
8.6. Pia Does Hollywood
9. Shadow's End
9.5. Liam Takes Manhattan
9.7. The Chosen
9.8. Planet Dragos
9.9. The Unseen
9.95. The Adversary

Thea Harrison
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

In order to save his friend's life, Wyr sentinel Rune Ainissesthai made a bargain with Vampyre Queen Carling—without knowing what she would ask from him in return. But when Rune attempts to make good on his debt, he finds a woman on the edge.

Recently, Carling's Power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee in fear. Despite the danger, Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help her find a cure for the serpent's kiss—the vampyric disease that's killing her.

With their desire for each other escalating just as quickly as Carling's instability spirals out of control, the sentinel and the Queen will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent's kiss.

My Thoughts: Oh.mi.god. This book bowled me over and beat me down with a sharp stick. And just when I thought I'd have a chance to catch my breath, it did it again. I salute you, Thea Harrison, for your unprecedented ability to reduce me to a gasping mass of emotions. *curls into a fetal ball and rocks*

*deep breath* Where do I begin with this one? Rune. He's... well, here's the thing, Thea Harrison builds these characters that are so unrepentantly sexy and *male* and you just want to crawl into their world and sit beside them to soak in some of that strength and power. Rune is all the things that I love in a main character. He's powerful, playful, hot, and he is a genuinely good guy at heart. He will kill to protect the people that he deems worthy. He will give everything inside him for the woman he loves. And, oh, does he love Carling. In an interesting twist he has the chance to see her as she matures into the woman she is today and he falls a little more in love with her with every incarnation he meets. However, being a pig-headed male Wyr, he denies it with every fiber of his being and writes off his desire for her as simple lust.

Boys are so funny sometimes.

Carling on the other hand has accepted that her time is short. Although she's still looking for a cure, she knows that the disease eating away at her has stamped an expiration date of her already impressively long life. Rune's refusal to let her fade gives her something to hold onto and her attraction to him is an unexpected bonus. Did I mention that these two are smokin' hot together? *fans self* Whoa. Just, whoa.

I absolutely loved the twists this book took. I loved that we were introduced to the main characters in the next book and they look like they're going to be FANTABULOUS. I even loved the hiccup the relationship between Rune and Dragos took (although I am hoping those two big lugs work things out down the line). I love the secondary characters (I'm firmly of the belief that ALL the Sentinels need their own books now) and the power struggles and the worldbuilding.

I'm sorry, Thea Harrison, I'm in love with your books. I want to hug them and squeeze them and call them George. *strokes them* Simply put, I need more.