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Zara's Curse by Andrew Domonkos - A Book Review

I will say straight away that vampire-themed fiction is not my usual cup of tea. I usually stick to thrillers and mysteries. Having said that, there is something deeply compelling and fun about Zara's Curse.

The book starts out with Zara Lane attending a nightclub with her friend Abby. The club is an old church that has been converted into a Goth bar. At first I was mildly disinterested with the character of Zara, but she quickly won my affections very early on with her snappy lines and sense of humor.

Where the author really shines though, is in the rich back-story he has given each character. These aren't two-dimensional people who you could care less about. Each of them have very unique personalities which stand out.

Without giving too much away, because the book is so ripe with twists and turns, the book is more or less a vampire-romance. But unlike books like Twilight or its many clones, Zara's Curse doesn't keep the reader bogged down with incessant moping and brooding. Sure there is some of that, but not much.

Zara herself is a bold female character, who swoons a bit for her vampire crush, but at the same time exhibits inner strength and logic. Qualities that are almost devoid in most females who exist within the genre.

The character Twig--Zara's quirky hipster friend--offers more than just comic relief, although he has some of the best lines in the book. He is also a breath of fresh air, and more of a realistic portrayal of a guy than the oiled-chested beef-cakes who usually dominate these types of books.

The lead vampire character, Micah, who plays the target of Zara's affections, is mysterious and often amusing in his glib outlook on the world. His eccentric family are fun to hate. The sinister Damon Caspari is cunning and deeply disturbed. Micah's sister Vivian is also alluring in her oddness. She is elegant and subtly dangerous.

Then there is Drake. Micah's close friend who might just be the most twisted of the lot. On the surface he appears to be a jock with not much going on upstairs. But as Zara's Curse progresses, we start to come to grips with just how violent and evil Drake really is.

This is book one of a series entitled, Empire of Fangs, which is also written by Andrew Domonkos and slated to be released sometime in October. He is an exciting author whose sharp, dynamic style could give Twilight a run for its money.