Stolen Nights

Vampire Queen #2

by Rebecca Maizel

Release Date: January 29, 2013

Summary:
Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human—and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss.

With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead...

Rating: 2.5 Stars


Review:
Stolen Nights is not badly written. But to be honest,my biggest issue with this book was,  I simply couldn't stand Lenah. She acted like a selfish brat through most of this book. And even if she somehow got to her senses at the end, it didn't redeem her in my opinion. My biggest issue is that she is actually more than 500years old, but behaves not even age appropriate to her current age. More like a 14year old.  I kept on shouting at her and rolling my eyes at her actions. The vampire queen did manage to be even a less rounded character than in the first book. I felt Lenah's character had a lot of gaps and made often no sense. Again she actually did live for 500 years, so many of the things she did were just way to childish and stupid, but also felt totally unreal, since she had so much more experience. She is supposedly well educated and intelligent. Sadly none of this ever came through in anything she did in this book.The fact that she is on top of everything totally selfish just made me loath her. I dislike love triangles on a good day. THIS one, was just painful.  I take huge issues that someone uses another person, just for their own self-esteem. Is with someone they know they don't wanna be with it. That's not only selfish, its cruel and heartless as well.
I actually prefer the first book, the sections about Rhode were very beautiful
And in Stolen Nights again, I really loved the sections with and about Rhode. He had the depth Lenah lacks. And somehow when Maizel writes about him, her most poetic side comes out. No questions I am on team Rhodes!
Lenah was surrounded by several male characters, and as mentioned I really liked Rhode- he actually acts and talks like someone who has his kind of experience. Plus I am team Rhode.
Vicken, a character I actually disliked in the last book, was a total turnaround for me. I think Maizel actually managed to show different facets of him and gave me a totally different perspective of him - so in the end, not only cared for him I also felt I knew him better and understood many of the things he did in the first book
Justin on the other hand, was just a cardboard pretty college boy to me. He was way more interesting and way deeper in the first book. If I wouldn't have read the first book, I wouldn't have been able to relate to him at all. He ended up being a total cliche. Very sad!

My biggest issue with the book is the plot. The story line is alright most of it. A bit of a different version of the first book mostly actually. But I totally hated the end. It made no sense. How did Leah remember? How did Rhode have memories?
Leah's actions at the end, however heart breaking they were, it was the first decent thing she did, probably in both book. But the results just left question marks. And honestly contradicted everything that was said earlier and the explanation of Lenah's choice. I felt rather annoyed by it. I know this will be addressed in the third book. But it felt just like a set-up so there will be a third book..

Maizel's language is really beautiful, especially when she talks about Rhode's and Lenah's past lives. I really enjoyed her descriptions.

To be honest, after finishing Stolen Nights I wasn't so sure I would read the next installment. But now I think, that with the hope Maizel will explain the ending and that there will be more beautiful passages, and naturally more Rhode, I probably will give it a go.


ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!