Book Review of Inferno’s Kiss by Monica Burns

Title:  Inferno’s Kiss

Author:  Monica Burns

Release Date:  October 4th, 2011

Genre:  Adult Paranormal Romance

The laws of desire…

Dante Condellaire, heir apparent to the Sicari Lords, knows that being a true leader means sacrifice. For Dante it was relinquishing all erotic pleasures. But he never expected his willpower to be tested so fiercely by Cleopatra Vorenus, expert assassin of the Order, and daughter of the man he is positioned to succeed.

The rules of battle…

Cleo prefers working alone–until she meets Dante who shares her goal: to destroy a Praetorian stronghold where Sicari women are imprisoned for devious purposes. Bringing the mission off without a hitch pumps up more than their resolve. It sets off a sexual spark too combustible to ignore.

Are all made to be broken.

As their attraction flares like an inferno, the stakes are raised. So are the risks. Before the mission is over, Dante and Cleo will be plunged into a dangerous conspiracy where a traitor threatens the very foundation of the Order, as well as the fiery bond between Dante and Cleo–warriors and lovers now torn between duty and desire.

Summary from Amazon.com

My Review:  We rejoin the world of Sicari right where we left of with the last book, Assasian’s Heart.  We actually backtrack just a little bit because Phae is still in a coma when we meet up Atia.  While Atia is not the main focus of this book, she and Marcus play a vital role in this book.  They have been featured as a secondary couple in the past and their relationship continues to be volatile as they fight their feelings for one another.  Having their story featured in Inferno’s Kiss worked perfectly next to Dante and Cleo’s.  Like mother, like daughter and both Cleo and Atia are stubborn till the end leaving the men in their lives fighting to let them in.  Both relationships followed similar paths, so having both of them featured in Inferno’s Kiss was perfect.  It also gave finality to an entire family’s future, both relationships affecting the other in some way.

Inferno’s Kiss has a very slow burn when it came to Dante and Cleo, which was good and bad.  I loved it because it gave their feelings time to develop and grow, but it also drove me crazy because Dante was being so stubborn! Here is the quick version of my frustration with him.  Dante took a vow of celibacy when he was fifteen, many encouraged him to not rush into this choice because he was so young, but he thought it was his duty to honor this vow.  But at fifteen how many of us really know what we want out of life?  I don’t think many do, and Dante should be included in this group.  His desire to please his mentors and have a sense of belonging clouded his judgment and led him into a vow that would always put his needs second.  It is a choice he never regretted, until the first second he laid eyes on Cleopatra.  While, it does take them a while to finally give into their initial feelings once they do it is hot!  Monica knows how to build up the tension until it is practically spilling out of the pages and the anticipation can be just as good as the main event.  I enjoyed watching Cleo slowly show Dante there is more to life than duty and in return Dante showed Cleo that letting people in does not always mean you get hurt.  The couple complimented each other well and I appreciated Monica taking the time to develop the characters fully, both separately and together.

The mythology in this world continues to blow me away.  The Sicari and Praetorians are a group of people I never heard of until this series and each novel brings new information that affirms my love for these characters.  Past lives, telepathic and telekinetic abilities, ancient civilizations and romances that can span lifetimes blend together in this world and leave the reader aching for more.  It commands your full attention and makes it easy to fall in love with the lore and the people whose lives it affects.

The ending of this book was a blur of action and revelations that were both shocking and heartbreaking. That is one of the things I have come to admire about Monica’s writing, her ability to write great plot twists.  In Inferno’s Kiss, there is a traitor in the Sicari ranks and I had absolutely no idea how deep that betrayal was going to be.  Once their identity was revealed, I was staring at the words open-mouthed in complete shock.  Looking back now, the clues are there and it made sense, but it caught me off guard and my heart broke for the character’s lives that were impacted because of the traitor.  I am eager to see what will happen next because of events that unfolded in Inferno’s Kiss.

Overall, this series just keeps getting better with every installment.  Monica has created a fascinating world filled with an intriguing mythology and well developed characters that will keep you coming back for more.  I have not seen any mention of a fourth book yet, but I am keeping fingers crossed that we get to see more in the Sicari world.  As long as Monica keeps writing them, I will keep reading them!

FTC:  Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book to review!