Shades of Midnight: Midnight Breed    by Lara Adrian Order:  USA  Can Dell, 2009 (2009) Paperback, e-Book     Reviewed by Martina Bexte Adrian offers up the 7th instalment of her dark, edgy and action packed Midnight Breed vampire series as recently recruited warrior Kade is dispatched from The Order's Boston headquarters to investigate a series of gruesome killings in the wilds of Alaska. Bush pilot Alexandra Maguire is the first to stumble upon the horrific scene during a supply run. The brutalized bodies of a family she's known for many years have all had their throats ripped out. The carnage immediately stirs horrible childhood memories of the monsters who'd savaged Alex's mother and infant brother. Their deaths are the very reason father and daughter had sought refuge in the Alaskan wilds. Neither had ever shared their unexplained experience with anyone - until a dark and shadowy stranger arrives in town and begins asking too many questions. Kade's top priority is identifying the perpetrator of the savage attacks. It's clear that the deaths are Breed related but the question is, who is Kade hunting: the last surviving Ancient who'd recently escaped his centuries-long imprisonment by his power hungry grandson, Dragos? Or Kade's twin brother Seth, who Kade is certain has finally gone Rogue? As the bodies continue piling up, he and Alex must work together to identify the killer and put an end to the bloody rampage. While the plot of this story is geared mostly toward Kade's personal struggle with the estranged members of his Alaska based Darkhaven, Adrian doesn't sell the story short on either action or on Kade and Alex's hot, if somewhat predictable romance. The author also weaves a short, but intriguing new thread into her Breed mythology. While it's only an abbreviated peek into the mindset of the escaped Ancient, the otherworldly creature's human interaction with a secondary character is clearly going to play an integral part in future episodes of this well-written, well-conceived and increasingly popular vampire series. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews