Dark Awakening: Dark Dynasties #1    by Kendra Leigh Castle Order:  USA  Can Grand Central, 2011 (2011) Paperback     Reviewed by Martina Bexte Shape shifting vampire Tynan MacGillivray is Cait Sith, slave to Queen Arsinoe of the Ptolomey vampire clan. His hunting prowess saves him from the squalid existence so many of his fellow gutter bloods must endure. Bound to obey his queen, he is sent to a quiet New England town to collect a human woman who is a Seer. Her power will bring an end to the escalating feud between the Dynasty clans. Lily Quinn has never felt as if she's fit into the human world. Adopted as a child, her parents eventually abandoned her once her psychic abilities kicked in. Now she suffers recurring violent, bloody nightmares that leave her wondering if she's losing her mind. Tynan convinces Lily she's not going insane and that to find her true destiny she must return with him to Queen Arsinoe's court. But others within the Dynasties want her power as well and now it's up to Tynan to protect them both. Castle has a talent for creating a unique universe: this time she puts a new twist on the generally accepted vampire mythos. Unfortunately, though, an overabundance of information about the Dynasties, as well as Tynan's penchant for over internalizing his lowly status, bogs down the first half of the story. Lily too, is somewhat of a paranormal cliché, misunderstood by her adoptive family and unaware of her true background and power. Once the two accept their attraction, however, and work together to protect Lily's origin and purpose, the story finally rolls right along. Dark Awakening introduces an intriguing new paranormal world and characters - look for Midnight Reckoning in early 2012. 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