Gone are the days when vampires were mere rumors or legends.  Vampires have gone public thanks to a rogue vampire that went on a biting spree.  Now vampires are corralled into large fortress type cities.  Those infected and expected to turn go to Coldtown to keep from feeding off their loved ones.  Then there are the daring adventure seekers who think it is one long party in Coldtown and willingly give their blood through shunts to the vampires.

Tana wakes up in a bathtub where she collapsed in a drunken stupor after a long night of partying.  She opens the door to find all of her friends slaughtered, her ex-boyfriend tied to a bed but alive, and a strange boy chained next to the bed – yep, a vampire.  Night is falling, and the vampires who did this will be back.  During the daring rescue and escape, a vampire’s teeth rake against Tana’s skin.  So off to Coldtown they go.

This is by far the most delicious vampire book I’ve read.  Tana, our brave heroine who has lived through a lot and has a long road ahead of her is clearly the shining star.  I enjoyed the way she thought and acted and would never tire of reading books about her.  If there is a problem, by golly, she will jump in and take care of it.  Then there is Gavriel, a complex, tortured, loyal, yet solidly monstrous vampire.  Despite this being a fairly gory book, the language is not foul.  Thank you, Ms. Black, for thinking of teens who don’t need foul language to entice them to read.  Highly recommend!