The Official Description: Nathen was recently diagnosed with autism, and he’s a newly created vampire. His maker, a multinational corporation with its finger on the pulse of the technology industry, has recruited him to stop a terrorist plot. In the process, he meets Cameron, a telepath and psychologist, who has a troubled past he keeps locked up in the shadows of his psyche.
Nathen is confused by social cues and Cameron can barely block out the thoughts of others.
Together, they find common ground, and with the help of their friend Syn, they work out the secrets of the terrorist group and learn that the plot is far greater than they could have imagined.
Just the facts: M/M romance, lots of sex, light on plot
A newly born vampire teams up with a psychic mage and a hacker to solve cyber crime. – Kinzie Things
My thoughts bit: When computer wiz and hacker Nathen Hale opens his eyes… he’s being presented with a work contract from Impetus. It surprises him because he’s just recently been diagnosed with Autism and doesn’t exactly remember being interested in the job. Oh yes, and he’s also a brand new vampire.
What’s interesting about Nathen is that what some people might consider to be an “illness” or a “disability” is just part of Nathen’s makeup. I really liked that! He’s neurodiverse, certainly, but he has a great understanding of the way his mind works differently from that of those around him. His challenges with social immunization and emotion do seem to allow him to accept some of the craziness that has been introduced into his life. When he awakens as a vampire, he doesn’t panic or lose his grasp on reality… he is curious and intrigued by what has happened to him.
When Nathen aggress to meet up with an online hacking friend, Syn, he meets her roommate and chosen-family member Cameron.
Cameron is a mage… he can read minds, communicate psychically, and can even influence peoples’ actions. He works as a psychologist, trying to make the most of his gift and help people. When he meets Nathen, he’s shocked because he is unable to sense Nathen at all. Interestingly, the fact that he can’t sense Nathen… blinds him in a way… and puts him on a level playing field with Nathen.
The two men have an instant connection and are drawn to each other physically very quickly. There is a lot of sex int his book! More sex than plot for the most part! The sexual intimacy is made even more intense by some of the changes in Nathen’s physiology. As a vampire, he has saliva that is an aphrodisiac. Biting and drinking from a person gives them an intensely erotic experience and once he has tasted someone’s blood, he can read their emotions and thoughts for a time.
The main reason that these three people come together is to try and get to the bottom of a mystery. The Sons of Discord have infected a children’s hospital with ransom software. The three main characters in the book are determined to understand what is going on and why this hacking group would attack a hospital.
The main focus of this book is on the characters. There is a lot of discussion and descriptions of memories. If you are just interested in getting to know the two main characters then you will enjoy this book. The plot, while intriguing, really is confined to the first part of the book and the end. I was very interested in the mystery that is in the book, but I would have liked to have seen it expanded across the entire novel.
Things You May Want To Know: Please be aware, I’m by no means an expert on what may or may not have the potential to disturb people. I simply list things that I think a reader might want to be aware of. In this book: (SPOILERS) Violence, sexual assault, racism, sexist language, murder, rape, drugging.
I received an ARC of Awakening by Sean Ian O’Meidhir and Connal Braginksy from NineStar Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 