Sara Reinke: Dark Thirst

Review by Vicky London

Dark Thirst is the first book in Sara Reinke’s Brethren vampire series. This book really grabbed my attention and I was engrossed from the very beginning. Brandon Noble is Brethren, a family of vampires who live in the secluded countryside of Kentucky. The families live together in a secret community and contact with outsiders is strictly controlled to avoid exposure of their secrets. Brandon has known no other life but this. He is deaf and mute as the result of a brutal attack when he was a child. His family, with the exception of his twin sister Tessa and his young brother Daniel, treat him with disdain as damaged goods. Brandon’s grandfather rules the family’s horse farm and the other families like a dictator and is incredibly cruel to Brandon. His brother Caine also delights in tormenting and bullying Brandon. A violent encounter with his grandfather convinces him that he must escape and there is only one person he can turn to.

Jackson Jones has remained a friend to Brandon even after he was fired as Brandon’s tutor and sent away. Jackson understands more than anyone the freakish family circumstances that keep him chained to the farm. When Brandon runs to Jackson’s home, he gets an unexpected surprise in the person of his teenage crush, Angelina Jones. Angelina is Jackson’s sister and a streetwise cop. The awkward boy she once knew has grown into a strong young man who stirs a powerful attraction deep within her. Angelina knows that Brandon harbors a secret and he will desperately need her help to escape his ruthless and wealthy family.

One of the things I think worked really well in this book is the family of vampires that is very much like a cult. They keep the women subservient to the men and polygamous marriages to much older men is the norm. The history of the families and the secrets they hold are a goldmine for future books. Another thing I really liked was that the ending wasn’t really the end. It’s more like just part one in a much longer story. I enjoy a series much more when it continues with the same characters as a major part of the following books. At the end I was definitely looking forward to read the next book. Dark Thirst was released July 2007 and I’m not sure I would have been able to wait an entire year for Dark Hunger (book 2) to be released, so it’s perfect timing to read this one as it will be out in September 2008.

If you’re looking for something new, the complex characters and an engaging plot of Dark Thirst is just the thing. Sara Reinke gave herself a number of challenges with this book and she met each one brilliantly. You can read an excerpt of the Brethren books here. Sara also has several free e-books on her website for you to read.