Book Review: Kindred by J.A. Redmerski

Kindred
The Darkwoods Trilogy #2
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Reading Level: Mature YA/Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Released: July 20th 2011
Review Source: Author
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) Isaac Mayfair is hiding a dark secret. And just when Adria Dawson thinks the worst of her life among the werewolf world is over, she learns the secret that can rip her and Isaac’s love apart. Adria must come to terms with what the truth means for her. What it means for her life and how much time she has left to live it. She must choose between two different fates, neither of which can offer life as a certainty.

As if Isaac’s betrayal isn’t enough, Adria learns that there are things out there older and more powerful than werewolves could ever be. An archaic entity known only to few as the Praverian, unlike anything Adria has ever known or heard of.

As Adria struggles with her own fateful dilemmas, she must also try to find out why the Praverian is so interested in her and do everything in her power to stay out of its way.

Due to adult content, this book is recommended for 17+.

When we left our characters in Mayfair Moon, Isaac Mayfair had just battled Viktor Vargas to save Adria Dawson's life. Isaac's father, Trajan (the Alpha of their pack) stepped in to save Isaac's life and Isaac believed Viktor to be dead. He had declared his love for Adria and sworn to protect her, even if it meant stepping away from his rightful place in his packs next Alpha to be with the human love of his life.

We pick up 7 months later with Adria still harboring the secret that Viktor Vargas was not killed by Trajan. Adria knows Viktor is still alive and a threat to Isaac's family because Aramei (Trajan's wife) is still alive. Aramei is kept alive by a secret Blood Bond she shares with Viktor and the blood that Trajan continues to feed her. Should Viktor ever die, Aramei would also perish. Trajan has always known and kept this a secret from his children.

Adria is also suffering dizzy spells, often blacking out and waking up to realize she can't remember anything surrounding the black out. She starts to believe whole heartedly that Viktor forced a Blood Bond on her that night of the bloody battle 7 months ago. This would explain the dizzy spells and her losing her mind, much like Aramei has over centuries. Adria hasn't had werewolf blood in 7 months so she believes this to be the reason why she is losing her mind so much quicker than Aramei did. It took Aramei at least 50 years before her memory loss started to kick in and she slowly started to lose control of her body. Adria doesn't want to live like Aramei but she also does not want to be "turned" into a werewolf. She's afraid to reveal what she truly believes happened that night 7 months ago to Isaac, and continues to believe that if she tells him, it would surely spell the end of their relationship.

All of her fears about the Blood Bond are further cemented with the sight of Genna Bishop hanging around the Mayfair house. She doesn't recall Genna (a girl from her Chemistry class) ever hanging out with any of the Mayfair's before. The Mayfair's don't allow just anyone into their home. They specifically don't allow humans into their home with the exception of Harry (Adria's best friend and also Daisy Mayfair's boyfriend) and Adria. So why is she becoming so front and center in their lives?

J.A. Redmerski was slow with her story, laying all of the elements out for you in Mayfair Moon. It wasn't until the last few chapters that the story really got juicy. But apparently it was all to set you up to dive head first into the sequel. I absolutely could not get enough of this book. Truth be told, I noticed the sequel was released and casually asked Yara if she could get her hands on an eBook copy of Kindred for me to read and review. She came through and I proceeded to devour the pages of J.A. Redmerski's second novel. She has given us a beautiful love story intertwined with a very original take on Werewolf lore and will have you flipping pages furiously to find out what is going on with Adria and how it will effect her relationship with Isaac and the rest of the Mayfair's. She also threw the cherry on top in the last few chapters giving us what most writers give us after a novel is released. She gives us a few chapters from Isaac's perspective, letting us have a glimpse into what he is feeling about Adria and the events unfolding in his life.

If you've read Mayfair Moon, you won't want to miss Kindred and later this year, Redmerski will give us The Ballad of Aramei, the final novel in The Darkwoods Trilogy! Also, check out her giveaway at www.jessicaredmerski.com to enter for a chance to win signed copies of the entire trilogy.