Because of illness and fragility, Tavia Fairchild has lived a sheltered life. However, her inner strength has still allowed her to have a career that places her in contact with people of influence and the manipulative power-games they play. Still, seeing a man attempt to kill someone right in front of her has shaken her to the core, so she is, if not eager, at least prepared to be the witness responsible for keeping him under lock and key. Little does she know, Breeds don't stay under lock and key for long, and Sterling Chase, known as "Harvard" to a few associates, allowed himself to be caught as one final play to help the others regroup. He sees it as a final noble act as he edges closer to the Bloodlust that will make him a feral rogue, so his time is running out.

When Tavia saw him, he was trying to shoot Dragos, the bane of Breeds' existence, a man who does more than dabble in genetic research and wants to drop the vow of secrecy under which they have survived for so long and which keeps Breeds safely under the human radar. Now, Chase has confessed to everything but the JFK shooting, but he quickly discovers that perhaps his final act was a bit premature: Tavia Fairchild is more than she seems.

Together, Chase and Tavia have to unravel the web of lies surrounding her life. She doesn't know where she should place her trust, but when the sexy man with the broken soul, glowing eyes, and fangs appears to be the only person she can count on, Tavia realizes how dramatically changed her life has become and must disvcover if she can even begin to pick up the pieces.

Chase and Tavia are brilliantly developed characters. Chase's belief that he is some golden-boy fraud in comparison with his family, particularly his brother, contributes to his fight with the Bloodlust as well as his fight with his attraction to Tavia. His desire not to hurt her in combination with his desire for her is realistic and well-written. In addition, despite her unusual history and current unexpected plunge into the tumultuous Breed world, she is a fiery character who wants control of her life and her decisions. The combination is explosive, particularly when placed within the context of a world where one never knows who will prove worthy of trust and who will be a betrayer.

Adrian, as always, does an excellent job with fascinating exposition. Even if one has not read the other Midnight Breed novels (and why not? Put that on your to-do list!), the reader is not left in the dark about other characters or their back stories. For long-time lovers of the entire Midnight Breed series: DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT keeps up-to- date on the Breeds, their mates, and the challenges they prepare to face as they discover increasingly complex information not only about Dragos' nefarious plans for the future, but also about their entire race's past.

Book Summary

The climactic novel in the bestselling Midnight Breed series, of which BookPage raves: “If you like romance combined with heart-stopping paranormal suspense, you’re going to love this book.”

In the dark of night, a blood war escalates within the hidden world of the Breed. After maintaining a fragile peace with the humans who walk beside them unaware, a single act of retaliation has put the vampire nation at risk of discovery. It falls to the Order—a cadre of Breed warriors pledged to protect their own and humankind alike—to stop Dragos, the power-mad vampire, before his push for domination explodes into catastrophe.

At the center of the Order’s quest is Sterling Chase, whose biggest battle is the one he wages against his own savage nature. But when his eyes meet those of Tavia Fairchild, Chase finds himself drawn to the woman—and convinced she is something much more than she seems. And while everything logical warns Tavia against getting close to Chase, she cannot deny that he stirs something ravenous within her. As the Order’s enemy mobilizes for the battle of the ages, Chase and Tavia are thrust into the heart of the violence. With time running out, they must find a way to defeat Dragos once and for all—or die trying.

BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Lara Adrian's Edge of Dawn and the novella, "A Taste of Midnight."