Chained by Night

Starred review from August 25, 2014
Ione’s second MoonBound Vampires paranormal (after Bound by Night) deftly uses a mixture of complex rivalries, primal violence, and sex to portray a society in which frequent vampire enslavement provokes a civil-rights dispute. Hunter, leader of the MoonBound Clan, needs help against vampire-hunters from nearby Seattle. His intended mate, Rasha, and her twin sister, Aylin, are sent to MoonBound by their father, the brutal leader of ShadowSpawn Clan, to see whether an alliance between MoonBound and ShadowSpawn is sustainable. Rasha, raised on mayhem as entertainment, thinks MoonBound is weak—Hunter allows human hobbies, like video games. But Aylin, a lifelong outsider because of a birth defect, finds hope in Hunter and MoonBound, although the Clans will go to war if Hunter mates with the wrong twin. Together, Aylin and Hunter must balance responsibility with desire in the face of increasing human trouble, inter-Clan espionage, and their own vampiric natures. Ione’s characters are relatable and sympathetic both because of and despite their id-drenched setting, and Ione’s flavor of vampirism produces a fascinating mixture of authoritarianism, atavism, and compassionate humanity that works on multiple levels. Agent: Kimberly Whalen, Trident Media Group.

September 15, 2014
After agreeing to wed a rival's daughter to form an alliance, Hunter, a vampire clan leader, must break an ancient curse while facing his misgivings about the other clan, his aversion to his would-be mate and his blazing attraction to her twin sister. After agreeing to marry Rasha, the firstborn daughter of the ShadowSpawn vampire clan, Hunter, the leader of the MoonBound clan, has immediate second thoughts. He's always known that ShadowSpawn follow a heavy-handed and sometimes-cruel code of conduct known as the Way of the Raven, but he's shocked by Kars' brutal and despotic leadership, and the more he learns about ShadowSpawn's harsh treatment of Rasha's twin sister, Aylin, the more he despises the man. However, the vampire race is in peril, and creating alliances seems crucial to survival. Ever since humans discovered the existence of vampires, they have enslaved them and experimented on them, and hostilities are escalating. In theory, a match between Hunter and Rasha makes sense, but when the betrothal is announced and Rasha refuses to go through a series of expected trials, Hunter becomes more uneasy. Aylin, despised by her own clan for her physical weakness and gentle nature, steps up to the task and, during the quest, finds powers she never knew she had, suddenly becoming a valuable commodity. To Hunter, she's become much more than that, and he will do everything in his power to protect her and find a way to marry her, preferably without causing war among the clans, while also doing all he can to keep vampires safe. Ione has created a fascinating vampire world steeped in Native American traditions and lore and developed a path to happiness for Hunter and Aylin that is fraught with potent and poignant internal and external conflicts. The action-packed plot and creative worldbuilding keep us enthralled; the romance and sexual tension keep us emotionally invested.

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