It is now the year 2341 and humanity has all but destroyed the beautiful planet known as Earth. No longer are humans the dominant life force on this planet. In Token Huntress by Kia Carrington-Russell, they are usually mere impotent bystanders to the battle that rages between the vampires and the hunters. Hunters have evolved from humans and are programmed to protect that species from the depredations of the vampires, which requires them to ruthlessly kill all vampires they encounter. A young huntress, Esmore, the most skilled in her Hunter’s Guild, is promoted to the role of leader, the Token Huntress, even above those older and more experienced than herself. She leads by example, determined to destroy all vampires, but an encounter with a handsome and strangely compelling vampire, Chase, will change her world forever, as she begins a voyage of self-discovery into what is her true self.

It can be quite difficult for an author to come up with a new spin on the classic good versus evil concept around vampires, but in Token Huntress, Carrington-Russell does this wonderfully well. What I particularly liked about this story was the author’s ability to show how easily the lines between two different groups can become hardened and entrenched, simply by what we are told from birth. Esmore finds out, despite her misgivings and life’s mission to destroy vampires, that all in not necessarily what she had been led to believe in vampire society. I loved the developing relationship between Esmore and Chase, especially the way Chase toyed with her emotions, knowing that deep down Esmore knew she was supposed to hate him with a passion, yet somehow she knew she couldn’t. I really enjoyed this fresh, innovative story and was pleased when it became obvious we would hear more of Chase, Esmore and their clan. An excellent read for lovers of the genre and for all readers.

You’d know that defeating a vampire that is more than one hundred and fifty years old won’t come easy if you’ve read Kia Carrington-Russell’s paranormal romance offering entitled Token Huntress. The technology age has ended. It is now the age of survival in a world where humans are sitting ducks while vampires and sabers are sought after by hunters, a result of scientific experiments gone right, or wrong, depending on which side you’re on. The token hunter, or huntress, is in charge of an entire raid team of killers with special gifts. Esmore wears the title of token huntress, but she is not like other hunters. While other hunters have gifts and hunter eyes, she doesn’t. She is special in her own way – a Council vampire named Chase has the answer to that one.

Through Esmore’s first person narrative, I was introduced to Esmore’s life as a hunter and a romantic complication in the form of James, a hunter male who wants Esmore to leave her hunting for a life with him. Chase, the Council vampire, proves to be the exact opposite of James, but he is a vampire and readers already know what Esmore can do with a couple of arrows. I’m a fan of surprising plot twists at the end and the author dishes out a lot. Throwing in superpowers and mindless monsters, Carrington-Russell has created a vampire infested world that is the most interesting I’ve ever encountered. I would like to explore more of it in Token Vampire and see how Esmore grows with the truths that have been revealed to her here.

Token Huntress by Kia Carrington-Russell takes us into a world where the sun has been dimmed and the year is 2341. Vampires have what seems like control of the world, and are able to hunt their prey in a world that no longer is fully lit by the sun. Humankind finds itself in a society ruled by the vampires and other supernaturals who squabble over who gets to hunt the remaining humans. The Hunter guild works hard to stay ahead of the Vampire Council. Esmore is a Huntress who has surpassed any expectations placed on her at the young age of 18. For all her strength and leadership, Esmore has darkness within her and that darkness finds itself drawn to the surface by a vampire.

I have been reading various vampire novels for as long as I can remember. I cut my teeth on Anne Rice and have continued ever since. With that said, lately vampire novels just have not seemed as good; they follow too many tropes and have become mostly YA to a large extent. Enter Kia Carrington-Russell and her fresh, sexy style of writing that hooked me right into this book! Esmore is a tough heroine, but she also allows you to see her emotions. I love that about her. Sexy Chase, well, I mean need I say more then sexy? This book may have some of the familiar twists you see in vampire works, but they quickly turn you down another path and leave you wondering what will happen next. Simply put, I adored reading this book and I adored the sensual, sexy nature of it. Vampires are back and better then ever in my mind. I very much look forward to whatever comes next! Fantastic just fantastic. I have not enjoyed a new vampire novel this much in a long time.