House of the Rising Sun by Kristen Painter

House of the Rising Sun (Crescent City, #1)

by Kristen Painter

Every vampire has heard rumours of the mythical place where their kind can daywalk. But what no vampire knows is that this City of Eternal Night actually exists.
And its name is New Orleans.

For centuries, the fae have protected the city from vampire infestation. But when the bloodsuckers return, the fragile peace in New Orleans begins to crumble.
Carefree playboy Augustine, and Harlow, a woman searching for answers about her absent father, are dragged into the war. The fate of the city rests on them - and the responsibilities their fae blood brings can no longer be denied.

Reviewed by littleread1 on

4 of 5 stars

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In this spin-off of her previous House of Comarre series, Painter takes us deeper into the Fae world in New Orleans and places us firmly in the corner of Augustine, a Fae we met briefly in the previous series. He was an intriguing character then, if infuriating at times, and now I adore him. The other characters, Olivia and Harlow, are also fantastically real. Olivia, in true southern lady fashion, manages to be both "proper" and yet scandalous in the same breath. Harlow, her daughter, is PAINFULLY shy, with reasons you find out as you read. Which makes you, or at least made me, empathize with her on a level I didn't know was possible.

As always, Painter's writing is crisp and easy to follow, and detailed enough that you can picture yourself in the scene. Having been to New Orleans ... once ... we don't really need to talk about that ... it was easy to picture the city as she took you along for the ride. The story focuses more on the mystery, as do most Urban Fantasies, however for those of you that like a slow-build romance, I think we have that to look forward to as well.

I really enjoyed this story, even more than the HoC books this series is based on, and am eagerly, if not impatiently, awaiting the next installment.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 April, 2014: Finished reading
  • 13 April, 2014: Reviewed