I'm going to assume that most anyone who is reading Black Dawn is a fan who has read most, if not all, of the preceding eleven books in the series, so I won't waste time in backstory and in trying to explain what the draug is and why their appearance is a very, very bad thing for Morganville residents (both alive and undead). Black Dawn picks up almost immediately after the prior book leaves off, with Claire and Co. trying to figure out any way possible to fight off Magnus and his thrall. Since the draug live as part of water, that means that the storms hitting Morganville are that much more deadly, and even the drinking/washing water isn't safe. With Amelie bitten and transforming into a draug herself, Oliver is stepping up to take over with possibly disastrous results. Will Claire and Myrnin be able to come up with a successful weapon before Amelie is turned and even more hell breaks loose?
Likes/loves: Lots and lots of action happens in Black Dawn, with Shane's life in the balance after being sent to the Water Plant in order to turn off that source, and Claire being used as bait since she is the one person who can "see" Magnus. There's tragic loss, the return of good characters (hello, Theo!), and battles for power at every turn. I love the way Caine uses time to help her characters discover their feelings, making them seem so much more human (even when they aren't), and the layers peeled back during the excitement just pulls one into the essence of the story. I'm so attached to these people now, I may never be able to let them go if indeed there are only three more books to the series left. I adore Shane and Claire together; they seem to bring out the best in each other, and Caine is developing their relationship in a realistically long term way. I am even a bit hopeful for Monica in the future, but I'm equally wary of Jason. This cannot turn out well. However, I foresee very good things coming from Miranda!
Problems? A few. While I don't mind the chapters written from other' viewpoints, I'd prefer Caine keep to our Four Friends. I gained absolutely nothing from reading Hannah's point of view, and only a minimal amount from both Oliver and Naomi. There's just so much going on that there's really no need to add in extra experiences, especially those belonging to people we're not overly attached to (Hannah and Naomi again). Also, I'm kinda tired of Claire being pissed off at Myrnin so much. She knows how he is and it's very obvious he cares for her, so it's time she just realized that and got over her anger from his actions. It's part of what makes Myrnin such a special character and I wouldn't want him to change one bit.
Overall, Black Dawn is a very solid entry in this always entertaining series, and I again recommend all the Morganville Vampire books for their creativity and character development. Things are always on edge in Morganville, yet the characters are always evolving in thoroughly realistic ways. I'd actually rate Black Dawn 4.5 stars. Get on board with this series now...you won't regret it.
~taminator40
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