Deep Deliverance

3.5I'm sad to say that this has been a series of diminishing returns. In hind sight I'd venture to say that [b:Deep Desire 25412838 Deep Desire Z.A. Maxfield https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429794588l/25412838.SY75.jpg 6757064] a.k.a. [b:Notturno 6564154 Notturno (Deep #1) Z.A. Maxfield https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1245983162l/6564154.SY75.jpg 6757064] works perfectly well as a standalone. Don't get me wrong, BK.2 & 3 are interesting and well written but ... I could've done without them. Luckily [a:Caleb Dickinson 14015410 Caleb Dickinson https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] pulled me through. So what's may issue with this 3rd book? Well it wasn't so much a continuation or development of the romance between Adin & Donte but rather Adin out in the world, going through some logical growing pains in his new state of being. That's fine. I guess. It just got long and a tad tedious with Adin & Donte separated for long stretches, conversations that needed to be had, and things that needed to be done shelved and procrastinated on until problems inevitably ensued. We also get swept into the existence of a whole host of other paranormal beings, which it makes sense they exist in this world but whose relevance, IMO, brought nothing to the table as far as the development of relationship between the MC. Adin, whose evolution and journey this concentrates on, I know he's dealing with big, unsolicited changes but he could sometimes act like a petulant child placing himself and others in danger. As for the type of vampires in this story? I think I prefer the Lestat variety: unrepentant predators & true to their kind. RANDOM THOUGHTS: The vampires here try to gussy up feeding by doing so from human thralls. They don't kill them but rather transact an exchange where the vampire provides the human with a fantasy and sexual pleasure and the human offers life giving blood. The vampire marks his thralls when he feeds from them and supposedly has a deep emotional connection with them. When no thrall is at hand they practice the same glamour on random strangers. The idea being that by giving the human sexual pleasure the transaction is an even exchange. I didn't see it that way. The vamps got sustenance from strangers by providing them with Os & planting thoughts in their mind. It uncomfortably made me think of a date rape situation where you hadn't even agreed to go on a date. Like the only thing a human can fantasize and yearn for is sexual gratification. The thralls in turn are nothing more than blood udders that are kept alive for expediency sake and to keep up the illusion that the vamps are oh so civilized. I would prefer straight up killers who make no bones about not being human and live by their own code. If you're a completist go ahead. I did and I'm glad I did but it won't be revisited unlike BK.1As alway YMMV.