Book 46, 2018

The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



So, it was Wednesday night when I finished reading The Becoming by Jeanne C Stein. It's the first book in her "Anna Strong" urban fantasy series, featuring bounty hunter Anna Strong, who is turned when a bust goes bad. I'd read the second book in the series and liked it well enough to get the first one. Eh.

Anna and her partner, David, are preparing to bring a white-collar criminal in. He resists arrest and attacks first David and then Anna. When Anna comes to, she's in the hospital, where she learns she was beaten and sexually assaulted. Anna has no memory of it, and she is quite numb to what happened. Her doctor, Grant Avery, wants her to see a counselor, but all Anna wants is to go home. She gets her way, but certain physical symptoms have her seeking out Avery again. He tells her she's becoming a vampire, and that he's one, too. Anna can't believe it at first, but she begins to realize he's telling her the truth. She no longer breathes, her reflection is fading, and she can't stomach real food.

Avery advises her to walk away from her old life, leave the mortals behind, and embrace her new reality, but Anna is reluctant, angry, and anxious. She has a boyfriend, DEA agent Max, and her family, as well as her partner and friend, David. However, when Anna is abducted by Revengers (mortals who know about vampires and make it their mission to destroy them), it's Avery she turns to. When her home is burned down, Avery offers her a place to stay. But, when David turns up missing, Anna will have to rely on herself to get him back.

It's a good thing I read the second book before this one, because if I'd read this one first, I wouldn't have read any others. It wasn't a bad story. Characterizations were done well, as was world-building, and the plot was engrossing. I simply dislike non-con immensely, and I also despise that worn-down trope of a woman being unable to think with anything but her panooch when she's confronted by a handsome, charismatic man. The fact that Anna couldn't see the forest for the trees made me want to throttle her.

Other things that bothered me were vampire characteristics. I liked that they could move about in the daytime (finally!), but the fact that they don't cast reflections is just odd. Also, their hearts beat, but they don't breathe? Made no sense.

Favorite line: "Wonderful. A fanged support group. Just what I've always wanted."

The story was raw and gritty, and there really wasn't any humor to lighten things up. Nevertheless, it was well-written. Giving it four stars:

****