Companions

The first two books in Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series are quite good, but Companions is really something special. The dual protagonists are as dynamic as they are fascinating, the expanded commentary on Sizemore's unique fictional universe of vampires and companions is impressive and illuminating, and the action-packed storyline is a true page-turner. Mention of Istvan has been made in the previous books - whispers of his unparalleled prowess among the Enforcers of the vampire laws - and I must say he lives up to his reputation in spades. In Companions, we learn his remarkable story, but even Istvan, with all of his might, wisdom, and power, pales somewhat in comparison to Selena, the most unusual of vampire companions.Istvan is a dhampir born over five centuries ago - he actually worked for Count Dracula for awhile. He hates vampires and has killed many over the centuries; even though he was turned into a vampire himself (a dangerous mistake rectified in the laws soon thereafter - there is no more formidable vampire killer than a dhampir who has been turned) and works ceaselessly to defend vampire law, he has always kept himself apart from a traditional vampire lifestyle. That includes the taking of a companion, a practice virtually all vampires engage in. A bit of deception, though, brought him together with Selena Crawford two years earlier; he has fought the bloodbond that was forged between the two, however, and pretty much left Selena alone. She herself both hates and likes the situation; while she wants nothing to do with Istvan, the bloodbond is a powerful force that cannot be defeated by even the strongest of personalities - and Selena happens to have one of the strongest personalities you will ever encounter.Now, Enforcer and companion are brought together once again, however, in the search for a vampire killer roaming the streets of Chicago. Selena is a homicide detective, but she knows that a beheaded vampire dumped in an alley falls under a very different jurisdiction than her own. While the local enforcer Ariel and eventually Istvan take over the "case," Selena does plenty of work on her own, identifying the killer and, blaming a particularly despicable vampire for indirectly causing all the trouble, takes the initiative to do something about the evil perp. Companions are not supposed to even know of each other's existence across the different cities of the world, yet there is a cybersecret support group for them, and this connection with others like herself provides Selena the support she needs to stage a mini-revolution among the ranks. In essence, she takes on the role of Enforcer among vampire companions.The story of the killings and the thrilling conclusion of events makes for an engaging read, but it is the relationship between Istvan and Selena that makes this book such a triumph. Selena does not act like a companion; while the heat of the bloodbond keeps driving her and Istvan together in the most phys

This has to be my favorite of the series so far! "Laws of the Blood: Companions" is a great read! Selena Crawford is a Chicago Homicide Detective, she is also a non-magical member of a gypse family, she also happens to be the personal property of the head Enforcer in the USA. "Steve" and Selena rub each other the wrong way...well maybe its the right way all the time, when their not fighting of course.Vampire Politics mingled with the possibility of an extreamly rare pregnacy make for a wonderfully twisted and exciting read! It is Definately Worth reading this book and this series!...

Other reviewers have given the plot synopsis, so I'll just say that if you're a fan of both vampire and mystery genres, you'll like the books in this series. The stories are well-written and the characters have depth to them.All of the books in the Laws of the Blood series are stand-alones, but the previous two made mention of Istvan, the Enforcer of the Enforcers, always speaking of him in tones of dread. This is Istvan's story and it was interesting to read his point of view. What also made this book enjoyable was the fact that his companion is a strong person in her own right, and is not too happy to find herself in the role of companion. This book also brought back some characters from the previous books, so it was nice to get the update on their stories.

While I enjoyed the first two books in the series, I found them a bit confusing at times. Companions however is clear and easy to follow. The characters, the mythology, work on several levels. I look forward to more.

Istvan was born a dhampire, having been the issue of a vampire father and a mortal mother. When he grew into his powers he became a ferocious vampire hunter killing as many of them as he could. He was turned into a vampire against his will, which made him hate vampires even more. For the next five hundred years he became the Vampire Council's chief enforcer, a lone wolf who let no one get close to him. In modern day Chicago, he met his soul mate, Selena Crawford and they exchanged blood making her his companion. Not wanting anyone to get too close to him, he left her alone for two years until unsanctioned vampire killings brought them back together. When the killer is brought to justice, Istvan intends to walk away but he doesn't realize that Selena has some powers of her own. LAWS OF THE BLOOD: COMPANIONS is a juicy and tasty novel that whets the appetite for more works in this dynamite series. Susan Sizemore has created a believable new universe of the supernatural set in modern day America that will appeal to readers who like the works of Laurell K Hamilton and Tonya Huff. This supernatural romantic thriller is guaranteed to leave the reader hungering for the next work in this series.Harriet Klausner