Immortal Craving by Kendra Leigh Castle (Dark Dynasties #4)
Paranormal Romance
January 29, 2013
Forever

Reviewed by Helyce

Tasmin Singh is the last of his kind. A lion shifting Rakshasa, his dynasty was once revered until its near extinction by a rival dynasty whose queen was jealous of their unique gifts. When he awakens, it is to the realization that he’s been asleep for hundreds of years and that he is cursed-his very soul being pushed out by a demon inside him. His quest for answers takes him to the small town of Tipton, MA in search of the Queen of the Lilim, who he’s heard may have the answers he needs.

Bay may be human, but she is very aware of the creatures of the night now that her very best friend, Lily, is the Queen of the re-born Lilim. She’s at work one day when Tasmin shows up looking for Lily. She’s hesitant until she realizes that something is wrong with Tasmin and even though she knows what he is, her protective instincts take over. She decides to take him home and gets in touch with Lily. Bay is definitely wary, but her instincts tell her that he won’t hurt her.

Bay has no interest in getting involved in anything vampire related. But she can’t stop herself when it comes to Tasmin. They have some sort of connection and their attraction is strong. But he confuses her; his Jekyll and Hyde type personality at times kind and at others violent. They are drawn to each other and even though Tasmin knows being with him could put Bay in danger, he just can’t let her go.

I adored Tasmin. He awakens after nearly 400 years to find that he’s alone, the last of his kind and he’s been saddled with a curse; that of an evil demon that has been merged within his body and who gets stronger and stronger as time goes by. Tasmin’s goal is to find the evil woman who did this to him and make her reverse the curse but the demon is getting stronger and it’s a constant fight for Tasmin to keep control of his own body. Along the way he meets Bay Harper, a very petite human woman who is much tougher than she looks. I adored Bay as well. Her spunky, quirky attitude just made me smile; but she was also a very strong confidant woman who didn’t back down when things got tough. Their attraction is immediate, though neither acts upon it initially. But Tasmin can’t stay away from Bay, and he finds himself going to her even though he knows it’s a bad idea. Their road to love is not an easy one, though, and will be met with many obstacles as Tasmin fight to stay in control.

The story arc started in book one peaks in this book and I have to say it is hugely satisfying. Tasmin’s mere existence has everything to do with it and I was very excited at this outcome. Ms. Castle’s writing shines here. Combining the initial story arc with the secondary one introduced in book 3, the war between the dynasties moves forward. The build-up to the final battle is not drawn out and has a tiny twist which was very well done.

Immortal Craving is book four in this series and with each installment this series gets better and better. My son’s teacher used the word luscious once to describe an essay that he’d written and I always thought it was an odd word to use, but not anymore. Ms. Castle’s writing is luscious! Her world building, clear and descriptive, is so well done here; each Dynasty with its distinctive gifts and qualities is a truly fresh approach to this genre. This is what makes this series different from anything that is out there. Each Dynasty brings something unique to the world. Strong on their own but stronger when they unite their causes. Though able to stand alone, I would recommend reading in order to get the full effect!

Rating: A

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