The Dark Summer is the sequel to the excellent Blood Winter.
We are treated to another thrilling ride, As Alec tries to leave the events od Blood winter behind. All he wants is a quiet life with Terje his vampire lover.
Terje is in love with Alec, but holds back, as he knows having a lover will inevitably leave a hole in his heart when Alec grows old and dies. After all human lives are just blip in time compared to the haemophile immortality.
This book has the same danger and nail-biting suspense. As both characters are drawn into the ongoing tensions between Humans and haemophiles. We have shady politicians, betrayal from friends and a vampire that wants all vampires to return to their traditional feeding habits.
The story is told from Alecs point of view, we see him struggle with understanding haemophile life and the way they think, feel and care. His feelings for Terje are strong but he is not coping with his absence often for weeks on end, as he goes on missions to try and keep the peace between humans and haemophiles.
As with book one there is plenty of action and danger that keeps the pages turning. The characters continue to grow, though I would have loved to learn more about Terje. I felt like we did not see enough of him in this book. We do not really learn more about Terje what makes him tick, or the haemophiles in general. I would love to see Terje’s story in a book.
Having said all that, I did thoroughly enjoy the story and characters, and when Jay leads Alec to temptation, Added to the struggle Alec was having with his feelings and frustration with Terje.