An entirely unique tale of a modern-day vampire, cursed to battle the deadly darkness inside him for all eternity
Darius Kesslemen is a man with dark and dangerous secrets. Despite a new life and identity, he hides a deadly past which belies the man he knows himself to be. More than mere man, he is a vampire like no other; clinging to the vestiges of his humanity, shunning the deadly instincts of his kind, vowing to cause no more harm.
With a family he adores and the stellar reputation he has earned, he can almost convince himself that his long-ago sins are forgiven. But Darius is unaware payment for his past sins has come due. Until an enemy, thirsty for revenge and bent on destroying, and the life he holds so dear, determines to make him suffer. And the collateral damage, both vicious and absolute, blows his life apart.
Hungry know for his own revenge, Darius will do whatever it takes to stand strong against a threat he thought he would never have to face again. Amid the chaos, an old friend returns to help, but he has secrets of his own, and his arrival, as well as his revelations, make Darius question everything he has ever believed at a time when he can least afford to do so. Can he trust his friend? In this, his most desperate hour of need, can he afford not to?
Thrust into his worst nightmare, Darius must embrace all he despises about his dark curse to save himself and those he loves. A battle begins and Darius must be ready to face a vampire as demented as he is evil. To win he must accept what he has always rebuked within himself. He must become the vampire he has always promised himself he would never be again. He must nurture the darkness within him, and let it rise once more, if he is to claim victory in a fight to the bitter and bloody end.
Professional Reviews
Apex Reviews/4.5 stars/Revenge of the Damned
A bloodthirsty vampire with psychopathic urges, Zane Moore has a burdensome chip on his shoulder - namely, an inescapable desire for revenge against his sworn nemesis, Darius Kesslemen. Possessive of a vampiric nature himself, Darius - nee Andrew Carter - has reformed his ways and embarked on a new life as an entrepreneur, husband, and father to infant Jarrod. Zane, though, refuses to let bygones be bygones, and in his quest to avenge the memory of his dear departed friend Reginald Carter - a fellow vampire who was also Darius' father - he leaves no stone unturned when he finally puts his well-developed plan for Darius' demise into motion.
After wreaking considerable havoc in Darius' life, Zane ultimately manages to kidnap Jarrod in an effort to bait him into a final climatic showdown - what he doesn't realize, though, is just how far Darius is willing to go to protect the life of his only son, even if it means succumbing to his baser instincts and reverting back to to his dark vampiric ways. Supported by the sudden return of an old friend he thought long dead, Darius becomes consumed with vengeance of his own as he wages the deadliest of mortal combat against a foe who will accept nothing less than his complete destruction.
Riveting and action-packed, Revenge of the Damned is an eye-opening tale of the fraternal twins of rage and retribution. In it, author Erin K. Pugh conveys to the reader the equally impactful effects that both love and hate can leave in their respective wakes. Driven by blind anger and loyalty, Zane refudes to compromise in his destructive crusade - but Darius is just as driven, only by the blind loyalty and obligation to protect those he holds most dear. Both men are just as consumed in their individual quests, but only one victor emerges when they finally meet in a most fateful clash. In the denouncement of their battle, Pugh does a commenable job of conveying to the reader just which of the two forces is destined to prevail without coming off as preachy or pedantic in expressing such a universal sentiment.
An impressive follow up to her debut novel, Forever Damned, Revenge of the Damned is sure to add to the growing legions of readers who will undoubtedly look forward to more literary brilliance from this promising young literary talent.
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