Mikhail Faustin is the prince of New York. His authority is absolute, his power unquestioned--and his heart is empty. The pain he carries inside leaves him with nothing to offer a mate. When he discovers that Alya Adad is not only his destined bride but also the source of his misery, his fate is sealed. He must claim the woman he despises most. Or die trying.

Alya Adad is the most powerful of her kind born in generations and a prince in her own right. She's accountable to no man, certainly not to her first lover, Mikhail. Now he has the gall to not only invade her territory, but threaten to take her by force--for a prophecy she doesn't believe in? She'll kill him first.

Their battle for the upper hand is no-holds-barred...until she discovers the one thing his pride didn't want her to know. That she still holds the key to his heart--and his innermost desires. And when a rival vampire clan strikes, letting her guard down is the only way to save him.

After I read the stories on Gregor (BOUND BY BLOOD) and Alexander (CALLED BY BLOOD) Faustin, the wait for Mikhail’s seemed to last forever, even though it was just 4 or 5 months, but from the moment I started reading I was drawn back into the fascinating vampire world Evie Byrne has created for the Faustin Brothers.

Mikhail Faustin is the harshest and most analytical Faustin brother. He isn’t known on the streets as “Iceman”, “Frost” or “Ice” for nothing. He is ruthless, cold, practical and powerful. He respects tradition and doesn’t do sentimental or witty. He is a man of rules and abides by them; compassion is reserved for only his parents and brothers and their wives. I met Mikhail in his brothers’ books and I knew he his story would have to be very different in order to do him justice. All Faustin brothers have distinct personalities and lives and a sweet and moving romance like Alex’ or a witty and fiery one Gregor just wouldn’t do for Mikhail. A meek human bride wouldn’t do either. He needed a woman who would not falter under his ruthlessness and his harsh ways, but one who could give as good as she gets and not be intimidated by him.

In Alya Adad, Mikhail’s former lover and a vampire too, Byrne created the perfect match. She is ruthless, powerful, cruel and power hungry. She has no scruples and is as tough and sarcastic as they come. She is the ruler of the West Coast vampires who are in the midst of a territorial war with the East Coast vampires, ruled by Mikhail. Alya has gotten to the top using all means available and necessary. She has no qualms when it comes to gaining power.

Evie Byrne managed to give all three Faustin brothers their own unique book, bride and vibe. DAMNED BY BLOOD was brutally intense. Neither Mikhail nor Alya budges an inch. They are both fierce warriors and their passion shines through in both their fighting and their loving and this book is a perfect example of the saying: “thin line between love and hate.” While at first I was wondering how their HEA was ever to be achieved with so much complications and resistance between them, I think Ms. Byrne solved this perfectly and absolutely fitting of both the storyline and the characters.

Even though BOUND BY BLOOD (Gregor) is still my favorite of the three, DAMNED BY BLOOD has definitely made a big impression on me too. I was enthralled and fascinated by this book’s intensity and raw, violent feel. It really isn’t for the faint of heart. If you’re expecting a sweet and witty vampire romance, skip this book. It’s intense and violent. Mikhail and Alya fight and hurt each other, both emotionally and physically and it takes a prominent position in the story. It almost seems to dominate and takes over the romance, but it was the only way to deliver Mikhail’s story and do it justice. A fluffy romantic story just wouldn’t do here and I was happy to see this.
Evie Byrne pulled it off and in my opinion, she strengthened the romance by staying true to the way she portrayed Mikhail in the other two books.

The vampire world Evie Byrne has created with the Faustin Brothers Trilogy is captivating and refreshingly unique. It’s a paranormal world I haven’t encountered before and I’ve read my share of paranormal/vampire romance. The pull of Evie Byrne’s writing is powerful and comprises dark humor, strong and consistent characterization and a heavy emotional impact. You cannot read these books and remain untouched by world, the characters and the writing. I am sad to have come to the end of this fascinating world and secretly hope Ms. Byrne has more in store for us within this alluring world of unique vampires.

Quotes:
“You think this is my idea?”
“You’re in my house, asshole. Holding the gun you shot me with.”
There was that. Mikhail emptied the semi-automatic in front of her, releasing the magazine and tossing it onto the sofa and carefully ejecting the loaded round.
If he were Alex, he’d say something charming and give her a lopsided grin. Gregor would…well, he didn’t understand what women saw in Gregor, actually. But whatever it was, he didn’t have it. Mikhail knew he was cold and dry and unappealing to women, and he didn’t have any experience at courtship. All he could be was practical.



*****
He pushed back her hair, searching her face. He lowered his head and sniffed her, skimming his nose over her forehead and nuzzling her hair. She couldn’t help but sniff too. The skin on the underside of his jaw smelled good beyond belief.
“You’ve changed.” Mikhail’s eyes shut in ecstasy as his nostrils flared again. “Your blood. Your scent. My God.”
Yes. His scent had changed, too. It had become an airborne drug. She clenched her jaw to stop her teeth from chattering. She wanted to rub her face against his skin. She wanted to cut him open and climb inside.
Mikhail pressed her to the sheets. His mouth slanted over hers. Primal masculine satisfaction radiated from him, body and brain. It flooded her mind. It flavored his kiss. It said, Mine.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

My reviews of the other books in this trilogy:
BOUND BY BLOOD
CALLED BY BLOOD

The damned will be sucking snow cones in hell before Gregor Faustin succumbs to love and marriage. Or so he thinks. Until he ploughs his BMW straight into destiny. Madelena, with her smart mouth and her luscious ass, her old-man wardrobe and pointed questions, affects him like no woman he's ever met. Gregor can't decide if he'd rather throttle her, suck every sweet drop of blood from her body, or lock her in a room and make love to her until they both die of exhaustion.

Maddy begs the man who ran her over to keep her out of the hospital. In answer, he heals her with a kiss that leaves her haunted by erotic, soul-stealing dreams. But she's got too many problems to risk what's left of her heart on any man.

Gregor would like nothing better than to pull his usual disappearing act, but he finds himself entangled with Maddy in a way that goes beyond obsession. By tasting a few precious drops of her blood, he's bound his life to hers. Now both their days are numbered.

I won’t do a summary of the story in this review because the cover blurb actually says it all and I don't want to spoil.

Maddy is a librarian with a secret that I will leave undisclosed due to spoilers. She is mouthy, reclusive, self-sufficient, stubborn and hotheaded. She is the perfect match for Gregor who is a nightclub owner on the verge of opening a second nightclub. He is a grumpy workaholic, sexy as hell and tough but brought to his knees by the power of love and a mouthy woman.

Gregor and Maddy are great together and their chemistry is extremely powerful, despite (or maybe because of) their constant bickering. Their interactions feel like sparkling verbal sparring. Gregor is sexy and Maddy is fierce but they both have a touch of vulnerability that makes them easy to relate to and sympathize with. Maddy's despair about not being able to have a future with Gregor, once she accepts that she does want that future, is heartbreaking and palpable. It gave the story a deeper dimension that was much to my liking.

Maddy is perfect for Gregor. She offers resistance where needed but at the same time she makes him feel wanted once she accepts their mutual feelings and despite the difficulties surrounding their future. Gregor, to my relief, is not the overbearing, dominant vampire and yet still very much in control and alpha. But he is also aware of his own flaws and weaknesses and although ultimately and deep down he feels that Maddy belongs to him and he belongs to her, he still respects her choices and boundaries. Next to Maddy and Gregor's story, this book also does a lot in setting up an extended world around them. Prominent places are reserved for Gregor’s brothers Alex and Mikhail and in a slightly lesser extend for their parents.

The Faustin brothers are three brothers with totally different personalities. Gregor is the serious, workaholic and practical middle child. Alex is the romantic, playful and charming youngest brother. And Mikhail is the brooding, responsible and old-fashioned oldest son. From the opening scene of the book you just know they are all going to meet their match and fall hard, no matter how much they fight it or don’t believe in their mother’s antics.

Sometimes true treasures are stumbled upon via the most unexpected places. When I clicked on a link via Twitter to a blog-post at Samhain Publishing by Evie Byrne and immediately after clicked on the "buy-button" at MBSAM, I couldn't have guessed how impressed and overwhelmed I would be by an erotic vampire romance novella. What this book evoked is that gushy feeling over a book that I hadn't felt in quite some time. Heck, I'd never felt it over a novella before!

I was glad I had prior knowledge to the fact that even though this is book 2 in the series, chronologically the events in it precede those in book 1 (CALLED BY BLOOD). Being a bit obsessed with the chronological order of books I wouldn't have wanted to read it out of that order and I was relieved I knew the deal upfront.

When I started reading this story I was forewarned that it was a different approach to vampires and I must say I was a little skeptical at first. There are so many vampire-based stories, especially in the paranormal and erotic romance genres. What could this author and story bring to the table that could be new and/or refreshing? Well, my skepticism was totally unfounded. With BOUND BY BLOOD Evie Byrne has indeed delivered and original and different take on vampires, vampire mating and vampire romance and I loved it, she has shot straight to my favorites list by giving me a distinctive concept of vampires combined with a beautifully written tale of love, destiny and fate.

The dialogues and characters were outstanding. The plot was original and refreshingly unique. The sex scenes made me go tingly all over. They are explicit but very complementing to the story and writing style. Had these scenes been less explicit, it wouldn't have worked so well for me. I couldn't stop reading as Byrne's writing pulled me deep into the story and it was hard to let go. Maddy and Gregor's journey from dislike and bickering to fascination and attraction to ultimately love was done exquisitely, gradually and believably. I was sorry when the journey ended and I had arrived at the end of the book. 108 pages weren't nearly enough; I could have gone on reading about Gregor and Maddy endlessly.

This for me was truly a perfect read; containing all the elements I love in my romance reads. It was intense, fast-paced, witty, endearing, high on family dynamics and arousing. The ending with the ingenious solution to Maddy's problem (involving Gregor's whole family), Gregor's declaration of love to Maddy, Maddy's acceptance of the solution and Gregor's love, it was all prove of Evie Byrne's amazing talent and imagination and it was the ending that truly sealed the deal for me! With BOUND BY BLOOD premise and promise were met beyond my expectations!

There were so many quotes in this book I would have liked to share but they'd give away too much of the story, so I limited myself to the ones below and one on the RealmsOnOurBookshelves message board. I was enthralled and mesmerized by Evie Byrne's writing and I fell hard for Gregor Faustin. The way his story unfolded is a tough act to follow but I'm ready to see where Alex' destiny and story will bring me in CALLED BY BLOOD.

All I can say is: read this book and experience it for yourself. If you like vampire romances and you like ‘em hot and intense, Evie Byrne and her Faustin brothers are what you seek.

Quotes:
No one—no one—tasted like that. He could eat her down to the bone. He could roll in her scent like a dog. Like a sophisticated drug, those few blood cells on the tip of his tongue were rushing through his bloodstream and altering his chemistry.

She begged in a raspy whisper, completely lost, unaware of anything but the solid feel of this man beneath her hands, the need in her beyond anything she’d known. (...) Mr. Patel’s voice sliced through her dream. “Get out! Get out, you filthy perverts, before you ruin my cab with your love juice and beef franks.”

At the threshold of his hearing he picked up a little noise from the back of her throat. A choked cry. Pure desire. In that moment he knew he was enslaved. He may as well be in cuffs and leg irons.

I never include more than 2 or 3 quotes max in my reviews, but couldn’t leave this review without a little taste of Alex (youngest Faustin brother) which sums up the brothers’ personalities perfectly:

“You know, you and Mikhail make fun of me for watching Oprah, but Misha is a monk, and you’re a Neanderthal.” Alex folded his arms and leaned against the railing. “You make me proud to be a metrosexual.”

Rating: 10 out of 10

Alexander Faustin has always wanted to be human. Even though he comes from a family of powerful vampires, he's fascinated with the daylight world. Maybe that's why destiny gave him a human mate.

It's not like Helena to make out with a stranger on her front porch, much less invite him into her bed. Somehow Alex makes her feel safe, even while he's dismantling her defenses. But in the wake of a terrifying accident, her faith in him is shattered.

Alex must regain Helena's trust and persuade her it's possible to love a monster. To do this, Alex must first learn to embrace his true nature. Unfortunately, he has to make this voyage of self-discovery while dodging the sheriff's department, the Rocky Mountain sunshine, and one very pissed off elk. But there's no turning back, because if Alex can't convince Helena to love him, he'll never love again.

Alexander Faustin was disappointed when his mother's first visionary dream brought a bride for his middle brother Gregor (BOUND BY BLOOD), so when finally the dream comes with his intended bride, he wastes no time and heads to Colorado to whisk her of her feet and carry her straight to the proverbial altar. But he didn't count on Helena MacAllister who is sure Alex is a stalker who has targeted her. Little by little Alex convinces Helena that she is his life mate but before they can walk away towards the sunset, there are some issues to be dealt with.

Alex is a vampire but he tries hard to adjust to the human world by imitating their ways. Sometimes so hard that he tends to forget he IS a vampire. He is romantic, easy-going, charming, impulsive and gentlemanly. But despite his softer side and his high level of cuteness, he can be just as dominant and sexy as his brother Gregor (who stole my heart in BOUND BY BLOOD) is.
Helena is great! Evie Byrne writes heroines that I can't but like. Helena is a feisty and take-charge kind of woman. She's bubbly and stubborn, a bit chaotic and impulsive. Indeed a perfect match for Alex.

After blowing me away with BOUND BY BLOOD I knew it was going to be tough for CALLED BY BLOOD to reach those same heights and I was right, but still Byrne is anything but predictable. In the beginning of the book I had a big scare and just as I was thinking: "Oh no, Evie don't tell me you're going that way, please!" but fortunately she made a surprising retreating movement and went down the exact right path, making everything good and putting me straight.

Because BOUND BY BLOOD was so good in my eyes I took into consideration that this installment would be less impressive, more sedated and would have less emotional impact on me and the first half definitely was all of the above. Not in the least because of Alex' character and personality. Contrary to his brothers' reluctance towards the idea of marriage and their mother's visionary dreams, Alex embraces the concepts of romance and marriage as wholeheartedly as he does everything else. This leaves only the hurdle of convincing his intended bride, which would logically lead to a less intense story than the previous one where both Gregor and Maddy were dead-set against ending up together.

However about halfway through the tone of the book changes, and it gets even better than it already was, when Alex is forced to reveal to Helena who and what he is and not in the romantic, easy-to-grasp way he had intended to. What started out all sweet and romantic and fitting Alex's personality, became an intense and emotional when desperation, fear and guilt play a big part in the second half of the novella, with a crucial role for oldest brother Mikhail.

While Helena fights to get a grasp on the fact that Alex is a vampire and learns to accept it because her growing feelings for him, Alex also learns to embrace and accept the fact that he is a vampire. Instead of pretending to be a normal human and doing things in denial of his vampirism. I absolutely loved the beautifully written second half of the book and the ending too, even if it was a bit sudden and I felt left hanging a bit. I wouldn't have minded an epilogue to show me how they were doing after the acceptance of their mutual feelings but I hope to see how Alex and Helena are doing in a future book, in Mikhail's story (DAMNED BY BLOOD) maybe?

Evie Byrne is amazing. I really love the humor, originality and intensity in her writing. They go so well with the pace, the plot, the romance, the characters and the sex scenes. And those sex scenes, they are scorching and not to mention very original. Having read and reading plenty of erotic romance I am always happy when an author surprises me with original love scenes like the ones in CALLED BY BLOOD are. But my favorite scene of the book isn't even a love scene. It's the scene where Alex and Helena go to the grocery store to get provisions for a dinner Alex is going to cook for Helena. If I thought Alex was cute and sexy before, this scene had me utterly convinced.

What I also like about Byrne are her characters. They are so lifelike and easy to identify with; I was expecting them to leap out of the pages (Ehm, read these novellas in e-format on NDS so I should say: leap out of the NDS) any moment. They are far from perfect people. They are flawed, with insecurities and weaknesses, but in a good way, a way that makes them extremely likeable. And their HEAs are not easily achieved. They have to "work" for it. I can appreciate that kind of HEA more than one that comes to the characters without them having to put effort into it. But I especially like Byrne's vampires. They are strong, alpha and sexy without being overbearing or Neanderthal. They pull off vulnerability in a way that doesn't take away from their sexy alpha vibe. It takes a skilful author to achieve that (Alyssa Day comes to mind) and Evie Byrne is such an author.

Both books I have read in this trilogy match the personalities of each Faustin brother perfectly in setting, plot and heroine. I expect DAMNED BY BLOOD (Mikhail's book) will continue this excellent writing of Evie Byrne that, after just two installments, I've grown totally addicted to. I am definitely ready for Mikhail Faustin!

Quotes:

When he’d first learned the sun could kill him, he slept wrapped in space blankets for over a year, and dragged one around with him at all times because, despite his parent’s reassurances, he worried that the sun might sneak up on him at night.

After he’d taped up the window, he tuned the TV to the Food Network. Alex watched cooking shows like other men watched exotic porn—fantasizing about things he was not ever going to experience. Solid food did not sit well with him.

“No.” The sudden harshness of his voice made her take a step back from the glass. “Don’t let me in if you have any doubts in your mind, because once you invite me in, I’m going to make love to you. It is the first thing I will do. We will not have dinner or a glass of wine first. We will not chit chat or watch a movie. You let me in this door and I’m taking you. Understand that.”

Rating: 9 out of 10