Blood Shadows is an amazing novel by Lindsay J Pryor, the first of the Blackthorn series.
Summary: "For vengeance - would you trust a vampire? For justice - could you betray your family? For love - are you ready to question everything you believe in? Gifted with the ability to read the shadows of 'third species' beings, Caitlin Parish is the Vampire Control Unit's most powerful agent. Despite that, her mission to hunt down Kane Malloy - a master vampire - comes with a death wish. Many have tried, but few have survived. For Caitlin, tracking Kane is about more than just professional reputation. With her parents both mysteriously killed 7 years apart to the day, Caitlin knows that without Kane's help she is next. She has four days to make a deal with the wicked, the irresistible, the treacherous Kane Malloy, The vampire who despises everything she stands for, Or die."
Living in a paranormal world where humans and vampires along with other 'third species' are in opposition; the humans rule and have Vampire Control Units keeping in line those who don't follow suit. Alongside this is the journey of Kane and Caitlin, him vampire and her human. They both have their own missions and a time limit so they have to work with, and against, each other in order to get revenge for their loved ones' deaths. The book plays with the idea of loyalty to one's own species and how quickly that can be compromised in different situations. It opens a whole world of things to come giving you just enough to understand what is happening but leaving you with this curiosity of wanting to know more and what is going to happen in the next book. It also tests resistance of physical, sexual and emotional desire, you watch as the characters fight against themselves and each other to resist these desires, which makes them that even more tempting. This story is definitely just the beginning and I think it is going to turn out to be a really amazing series.
One of the things that makes it a compelling read is the spark between Kane and Caitlin, it has enough passion and heat that you can really believe it and you can feel the depth of love between them, whether they fight it off or not. It is the kind of depth that made other popular paranormal books like Twilight so compelling, you want to fall in love just like they do. I liked how fun and fierce both characters were, they played off each other in their battles for power and fearlessness, trying not to let the other overtake them but as you are given the story from both perspectives throughout you get to really see inside their heads to know how they really feel and how they perceive each other. There are constant sub-tones of things to come; darker, more political social wars between species and their greed for control and power. Definite intriguing hints of dark, even deadly drama to come in the series.
I found it was written really well and an easy read which kept me hanging on to each page. I literally could not put it down! It combines what I wanted to happen with enough curve balls to make it unpredictable and make me want to find out how it all resolves in the end. I really enjoyed it and am already looking forward to reading the sequel!
