Title: Chasing Daybreak
Series: Dark of Night, Book 1
Author: Ranae Glass
Published: March 24th, 2015
Publisher: Crimson Tree Publishing
Genre: NA Paranormal Romance
Content Warning: Violence and adult language
Recommended Age: 18+
Synopsis: Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.
Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you.
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About the Author:
Ranae Glass writes New Adult Paranormal Romance. A Southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out West where she spins tales of vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. You won’t find any ‘vegetarian’ monsters here, her books are best served bloody and are not for the faint of heart. Ranae is the author of the Dark of Night novels from Crimson Tree Publishing.
My Thoughts:
It should come as absolutely no surprise to any of you that I'm reviewing this read. For months now I've been pushing for New Adult books that aren't solely rooted in romance and have come back with some excellent new favorites. Vampires are among my all time favorite paranormal creatures, so what's not to like from a paranormal thriller with one heck of a mystery attached?
The first thing I'd like to discuss is the 'New Adult-ness" of this read. Yes, it is a New Adult novel, but it's a pretty safe NA. The violence isn't any worse than I've read from a YA, neither is the language. There isn't any explicit content to speak of, though there was some tension going on. The only thing that really labeled this novel as a New Adult read to me was the ages of the characters. I have no problems with that, at all, but if you are heading into this read looking for some steamy mortal-vampire sex, keep on looking, you won't find it here (thankfully).
I've mentioned before in several of my reviews that I generally won't read mystery novels. I just hate the suspense. I get all antsy and spend too much time analyzing plot points to enjoy the novel. Thankfully Glass found a way to write an awesome mystery novel without making it too overbearing. I will admit that I think the 'whodunnit' for this one was a little too easy, but the getting there had lots of twists and turns to throw you off track, which was nice. There were a lot of moments when I can seriously say I didn't see something coming, but I would have liked to see just a bit more action. Whereas some novels are active, this one was a bit passive. There was a lot more sitting and thinking than actual doing. In the end, we did get an awesome action finale, but I would have liked to have seen a few more of those adrenaline filled scenes.
I may be a male reader, but I have a thing for strong, intelligent female characters. Ranae Glass took that to the next level with Isabel Stone. Isabel is smart, sassy, hot, strong, and so much more. She's got a compelling backstory, a sharp mind, and more determination than I've seen in a female character in quite some time. I really enjoyed Glass' character development. That being said, Stone wasn't my favorite character in the novel. That title, instead, goes to her partner Shane, a recently turned vampire, and her former fiance. Shane plays a major role in the story, but we really don't see as much of him as I would have liked. Shane is really the only insight we get into the lives is the supernatural community in this novel so I hope we see lots of him in the future. Also, am I wrong for really wanting to see Isabel and Shane back together in the end? Who says death can stop true love? LOL.
The paranormal element in this novel was pretty interesting. I'll go ahead and admit that I'm not too big a fan of the "vampires out of the coffin" situation. Anyone who knows me knows that The Southern Vampire Mystery Novels, AKA The Sookie Stackhouse Series, AKA "Those True Blood Books", is one of my all-time favorite series, but, I really think that situation is Charlaine Harris specific. Those novels had so much going on that you really didn't even think about vampire's existence being known to mortals. Glass has opted to take the 'out of the coffin' method and apply it to this series as well, and while it's a unique take on the genre, I really would like to see more of the how and why it happened. Glass really doesn't supply much backstory on the vamps. We also really don't learn many specifics about Glass' vamps. Each author has their one take on the species, so I'm anxious to see what Glass will introduce in future novels. Werewolves also are present in the novel, but they are nothing more than a passing plotline, I'm hoping Glass finds a way to pick them up for future use. Any paranormal fan shouldn't find fault with Glass' interpretation of the genre and will find it quite a refreshing experience!
As I mentioned before, the violence and romance levels for this novel were way lower than I expected. Glass definitely doesn't leave us disappointed, but I was hoping for a bit more 'umph' from a New Adult branded read. There really isn't a romance element to speak of, but there is enough talk of Isabel's past to leave you wondering what's happening next. I'm really excited to see where this series is going. Chasing Daybreak really only felt like a taste of what Ranae Glass has in store for her readers with this series! Per the violence, it wasn't any worse than one may read from a YA read, but there was some gore involved. Of course, whoever is reading a vampire novel and isn't expecting gore probably should just stop reading in this genre right now.
All-in-all, I am granting Chasing Daybreak a well-deserved 4-star review. While it isn't my all time favorite vampire novel, I really like the direction that the author is going in! A unique spin on a genre that's become a little over-inflated as of late, Glass is a breathe of fresh air! The second novel in this series, Chasing Midnight is due out soon and I'll have to get my hands on it ASAP!
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Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Chasing Daybreak by Ranae Glass. What do you think? Sound like the read for you? I know I enjoyed it! I'll be over here anxiously awaiting the next book in this awesome series. Already read it? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts. Until next time, Happy Reading!
-Ethan
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