Favorite Lines:  “When they returned, Don Manuel had shifted again. A yellow Sky Bar candy wrapper scurried crazily down the middle of the subway car, as if blown by a maverick wind.” (118)

This is book two in the Darkwing Chronicles by Savannah Russe. It follows vampire Daphne on her mission to stop a deadly new recreational drug called susto from being released in mass quantities on the streets. Daphne meets a nice guy at one of the pubs while learning about susto. At that same club she runs into a man from book one, Darius, her love. Darius is a newly turned vampire who used to be a vampire hunter who is hiding a secret from Daphne while trying to keep his distance from her.

Past Redemption does well incorporating book one into it, meaning it stands alone. I didn’t fully understand Darius’ attitude; I think, inpart to not having read the first book. I like the way the vampires look in their bat form and the shaman turning into a candy bar wrapper. (I had to read the passage twice to make sure that I read it right.) Despite the many pluses this book had, I couldn’t overcome my disappointment in the relationship between the lead characters. This book reminds me of Passions Thirst. It doesn’t feel like a romance to me.

Yes, it constantly goes back to the couples relationship. It features monogamous sex (though it’s not a requirement in romance). I don’t believe in giving spoilers so I can’t really touch on what bothered me about this book. It just felt more like a piece of fiction that wanted a better chance at sales and was placed in the romance section. I’m glad that I didn’t pay cash for this book having bought it at a resale shop. I’m putting this book under the fiction section of my Books Read page despite it’s label and am giving it 2.5 stars.