Title: Prey for Mercy

Author: AE Rought

Publisher: Lyrical Press, Inc. 2008

Killing is easy, almost better than sex.

I learned that lesson the night I became a vampire.

Any novel that starts with opening lines like this has my undivided attention. Prey for Mercy is a straight-up yarn about how vampire Mercy falls for human Chase, and the trouble they run into when Angel, a woman scorned, decides to stalk Mercy and gain retribution for perceived wrongs.

What I like about Rought’s vampires is that although they enjoy the perks of vampirism (immortality) they’re not as indestructible as the conventions would have us believe. This gives humans more than just a fighting chance in the battle with the undead which, in Rought’s milieu, also breathe and have beating hearts. Another refreshing aspect is that they’re not too hung up about what it is they do (killing people and drinking blood).

Although at times I felt I could have gained a better sense of how time passes in Prey for Mercy, the author still delivers a punch read that keeps the pages turning, with some blistering eroticism thrown in for good measure.

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Find AE Rought online: http://www.aerought.com/

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