BLOOD TIES BOOK THREE: ASHES TO ASHES

Author: Jennifer Armintrout ISBN: 077832494X 8/2007 PARANORMAL Publisher: MIRA

Being a vampire is a life-or-death situation. When I was first turned, I had only my survival to worry about. now I'm locked in a battle for the existence of the entire human race—and the cards are definitely stacked against me. The Voluntary Vampire Extinction Movement headquarters are destroyed, and their pet horror, the Oracle, is on the loose. She'll stop at nothing to turn the world into a vampire's paradise, even it if means helping the Soul Eater become a god and harnessing his power for her own evil ends. An ancient vampire, a bloodsucking near deity and, oh yeah, my presently human former sire thrown in to the mix. I say bring it on. May the best monster win.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Jennifer Armintrout has outdone herself with the third book in her Blood Ties series! ASHES TO ASHES hit me straight in the heart on so many levels, I could not keep track of all of my conflicting emotions. I find myself feeling a bit addicted to this series. I absolutely cannot get enough of it!

I would have to say that this third book is the best in the series, if there is a best! They are all so great, but something about ASHES TO ASHES really brought Carrie's pain and happiness home to me. Her love for Nathan, her need for Cyrus, her very human emotions of needing love and emotional support, they all coincide to make this book extremely powerful, especially since I have read the first two books and I know the history of these characters. Her cries for help, her need for two men, both of whom she loves, but only one that is truly worthy of her are really addressed in this book.

Nathan is wonderful, as always, in this book. He is patient and loving to a fault, until it is time not to be and then he lets his anger show—in a big way. He is trying very hard to come to terms with his wife's death so that he can be everything that Carrie needs him to be. He has a hard time trusting, a hard time loving, and at times Carrie thinks that she will never get through to him, especially because it still seems to haunt him. Add to that a man who unconditionally loves Carrie—the only other man in the world that Nathan has to compete with for Carrie's love—and the situation gets decidedly sticky.

I loved the addition of Cyrus in this book. To be completely honest, I kind of resented him at first for being there to confuse Carrie and hurt Nathan, but once I started reading and saw that it wasn't Cyrus that brought these feelings onto Carrie and Nathan, I really began to enjoy his addition. I love a story where the villain goes good—or as "good" as can be expected. When his humanity started to spread its wings in Book Two, I was excited to see what was in store for him next. Considering that he was the worst villain I have ever read about in Book One, I thought that Jennifer Armintrout did a very good job of bringing him out of his vampire life and into his human life, little by little, until he is truly 100% human.

Jennifer Armintrout has a way of bringing Carrie and Nathan's world alive to me. I feel their emotions and I hurt and laugh with them—I simply just love this entire series. Fans of the Blood Ties series are going to love this addition, and paranormal lovers everywhere who haven't read this series yet, do not know what they are missing!

Kristal Gorman