BLOG TOUR: Karolina Dalca, Dark Eyes by M.R. Noble

Goodreads synopsis

Blindsided by an attack that destroys her home and blamed for murder, Karolina Dalca, a half-vampire, escapes, only to plunge into the magical societies from which she was sheltered.

Betrayed by those around her, she abandons her dreams of becoming an investigator and flees, trusting only herself. Her police internship would never prove more useful. Hoofing it through the wilderness, she makes it to her university dorm, disheveled but delightfully deflowered.

Enter a full vampire: one wielding dark magic and a ride out of Canada. A fugitive from the law, Karo complies with his demands to escape, unsure whether his requests are bewitched. She vows to clear her name and avenge her mother’s death, but Karo’s family secrets aren’t so easily left behind.

My comment on the synopsis

Whoever wrote the synopsis need to go back to the board and come up with something that is not going to end up being cringe-y to a vast majority. Deflowered? Really? 🙄

Thank you Dave @ The Gang for inviting me on this Blog Tour.

Rating and Review

I gave this book a 3.75 out of 5.

To begin with, I will say the book was interesting and I was invested in the story as I really wanted to know what will happen to the main character Karolina Dalca. I have read a ton of vampire stories, werewolf stories and stories revolving around magic but this I think is the first one where there is so much all put together. But vampires with magic? That’s a first and points for creativity for Ms Noble on that.

The writing was simple and with my hectic and exhausting schedule these days this simple and fun story was what I needed. I finished the book in way lesser time than I had initially planned (Seeing that it was taking ages for me to finish a book these days).

The characters range from annoying to good.

Our main character Karolina Dalca, a part vampire, is certainly one of the kind of annoying ones because she does not want to sit down and think things through. Spontaneity has its charm but when one knows that so much depends on one’s actions, one must think things through as your putting so much up to go bonkers. Now while this aspect of Karolina was annoying, this kind of made her more human to me as well because do we all not experience (at least once) where we need to do something despite the consequences to the self?

Andre I liked since the beginning and even through the story enfolding and painting him in a dark light. I still believe in the character and that there is a back story to what may have resulted in his actions. Being an aged vampire (is that even a thing?) who looks like a late teen is suave and know how to get what he wants. His determination to succeed endears him to me.

Roman, the third character completing this triangle and someone I am not rooting for, is kind of a confusing character. The narration in the story keeps saying that Roman and Karolina are childhood friends and have known each other since forever but while Karolina is referred to as a teenager, Roman is never referred to as thus. Every mention of him is as a fully grown man. I am confused if that is a loop hole or if it is intended thus on account of him being a werewolf.

Whatever the case may be with Roman, the pairing I kept rooting for was Karolina and Andre because throughout the story I felt the ying and yang vibe with them. As in they just fit perfectly together so I am waiting to see where Noble takes this relationship to.

Lastly, the setting. The story takes us to 3 countries in total and does not really show even one of them to us. It leaves more room for our imagination to design the places the way we want them to be.

Overall, an interesting read and I am looking forward to book 2 in the Dark Eyes series.

About the Author

M. R. Noble has played a tug of war between science and art her whole life, but the rope broke when she wrote the first line of The Dark Eyes Series. Immersed up to her keyboard in paranormal romance and urban fantasy, she enjoys blending the real with the surreal. The only drawback is she misplaces her mug while dreaming up her next scene, and soon finds herself six cups overpoured.

Keeping to her Lake Simcoe roots, she is a member of the Writers Community of York Region (WCYR), where her muse is made not found . . . over a hefty cup of coffee.