The beings referred to as the Lux are not actually human and very few know they even exist. Their goal is to protect the human population from war and extinction by an equally hidden vampire population.
Although the vampires try hard to prevent overpopulation since their food source, humans, would be depleted, there is a constant political push and shove. Some vampires feel there are too many rules, such as no one being allowed to create another vampire for the most part, no legal hunting of humans, and lots of meals courtesy of a blood bank. The Lux has discovered there is a group planning to topple their somewhat fragile government and return to their old ways.
Dr. Cerisse Patel lives with her people at the Lux Enclave. She prefers to think of herself as a scientist, but her superiors prefer she be a spy, even though she is pretty sure she lacks the talent. Vampire Leopold knows Cerisse as a human hired to be his envoy. This means she will live amongst vampires for many years, as she will be a daytime employee; the eyes and ears for Leopold. At the same time, she will watch out for the rebel vampires on behalf of the Lux.
After months of training and learning vampire protocol, Leopold sends Cerisse to the vampire community, Sierra Escondida. She is to seek out a certain property for him, where they hope to build a research lab that will benefit all vampires. Hopefully, the community will be willing to financially support such an endeavor. At the same time, she is to watch for the rebel vampires. She hadn’t expected the vampires to like her presence right away, but she is unprepared for the open dislike she faces.
The vampire hierarchy is extremely strict and immovable. Slowly, she approaches individuals to find they are not amenable to the research lab in their community. They dislike the thought of humans being employed and working on their turf. The strictly upheld law of no unmated humans in their midst is taken seriously.
Henry Bautista is one of the original founders of the town and he and the others created the basic laws and, as the years pass, have changed them as needed. Cerisse, an unmated human, is right in the heart of them. Henry is disturbed by her entrance as Leopold’s envoy and even more so by his attraction to her.
I found the story interesting. The first chapter starts with the Lux. Basically, I was left in the dark about them and confused about their abilities and differences from humans. The author mentions Cerisse’s abilities as if the reader is already aware of them. I had to turn back a page looking for a paragraph where I must have missed the ‘and here it comes’ moment. It was several chapters before I acquired any significant knowledge of Cerisse as a Lux, and I felt like the author didn’t have a finished product with this character, that it would have been helpful to the story if more information had been given. As it is, Cerisse has several interesting and handy skills, making her the latest in super-women. I thought Cerisse needed to have a more mature personality, being a Lux of substantial years. Also, the ending is quickly rolled up, as if the author was racing towards the finish line.
The grading:
- Genre and general reading age – Romance/Fantasy for adults.
- Level of sexuality – Graphic.
- Is there graphic language? Yes, but definitely milder than a lot of books.
- Did I cry? No.
- Did I laugh? No.
- Is this part of a series? This is book one in the Hill Vampire Series, complete with a cliffhanger.
- Level of character development – They did not change or mature.
I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
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