AsianCocoa's Secret Garden: Review: THE RENFIELD SYNDROME by J.A. Saare

Friday, September 23, 2011

Review: THE RENFIELD SYNDROME by J.A. Saare

The Renfield Syndrome
by J.A. Saare
Publisher: Mundania Press
Release Date: August 23, 2011

Series: Rhiannon's Law, #2

Source: Review copy from the Author

Vampires, and werewolves, and demons, oh my.

Rhiannon thought facing off against a deranged child vampire was the most dangerous task she would ever have to undertake, but she’s about to discover making a deal with a demon is far, far worse. Sent forward into another reality, one in which vampires are now dominating nearly extinct humans, she realizes the sooner she returns to her vampire lover, Disco, the better.

Unfortunately, time changes a lot of things; including those most trusted around her. When she’s faced with a loss and betrayal unlike any she has ever known, her focus shifts from severing the debt between the demon that wants to kill her, to exacting a revenge that will bring forth consequences she never could have fathomed. By reaching out to the darkness lingering within her, she’ll find the strength to push forward despite the circumstances that would see her dead and buried.

After all, when it’s all said and done, all that she has left to lose is her soul.

I could not wait to get my hands on The Renfield Syndrome! This is the second book in the Rhiannon’s Law series and it was full of awesome. This installment starts off where the first book, Dead Undead or Somewhere in Between ends.

Rhiannon Murphy finds herself in a very difficult position. I don’t want to give too much away here because it would spoil it for the reader if they haven’t read the first book. I will say that Rhiannon does have to figure out a way to get back to her beloved, Gabriel (Disco) and the hellish action packed journey that she goes through keeps the energy high and the book’s flow fast paced.

The Renfield Syndrome is a much darker book than the first one. The stark New York City setting is compared to Richard Matheson’s novel, I Am Legend. The book takes place after a war between vampires and humans that ended with thousands of human casualties. The Renfield vaccine was created as a weapon against vampires. If a vampire bit into a vaccinated human the vampire would die. Unfortunately side effects started to manifest about 30 years after the vaccinations began. Humans started aging rapidly and dying off at a quick rate. The humans that were not vaccinated were hunted down and became blood slaves to the vampires.

Rhiannon finds herself out alone after dark without any protection. She is saved by a military group that is made up of werewolves and that’s when sexy lycae, Carter enters the picture. He was really attracted to Rhiannon and I was torn between wanting him to keep his hands off of her and liking his strong alpha male personality. There are also several encounters with evil demons that Rhiannon has to outwit if she wants to get her life back.

“Rhiannon’s Law #68: If you’re going to fly by the seat of your pants, rock out with your cock out. The landing is going to hurt either way, and you might as well make an impression when you nail it.”

There were some heartbreaking moments in The Renfield Syndrome that left me sad and conflicted. Again, I’m not going to reveal too much except to say that betrayal, misunderstandings, and altered relationships will have Rhiannon questioning her feelings for those that she loves. This book will appeal to paranormal romance junkies that appreciate dark twists and turns. Despite the darkness of the novel, J.A. Saare still entertains us with Rhiannon’s sarcasm and clever dialogue between the characters. I would not recommend reading this novel until you’ve read the first book in the series. There is a lot of back story that you should be aware of before reading The Renfield Syndrome. Trust me – you will like it much better if you know what’s going on. Next up in the Rhiannon’s Law series is The Ripple Effect and I can’t wait to find out how Rhiannon handles the repercussions of her bold actions from The Renfield Syndrome. I’m giving this wonderful novel 4.5 dragons.