Ruling Passion is a young adult vampire anthology that contains three novels entitled Hearts at Stake, Blood Feud, and Out for Blood. I'm pleased to award this anthology Five Angels and a Recommended Read.

Hearts at Stake

The first of these novellas introduces us to the Drake family and focuses mainly on Solange, a nearly sixteen-year-old girl about to change into a vampire. Her claim to fame is that she's supposedly the fulfillment of a prophecy that will make her queen of the vampire tribes. When her family closes ranks to protect her, she chafes at their overprotectiveness and demands to be the maker of her own decisions. This leads her and her newfound acquaintance, a Helios-Ra agent named Kieran Black, to a fast-paced and dangerous game of life and death.

What an amazing story and incredible world building! I was enthralled and enchanted from the opening of this tale to the finish. Ms. Harvey blasts through the Twilight - inspired angst that seems to beleaguer this genre and crafts characters that fairly leap off the page with their vitality and unique personalities. I loved the juxtaposition of the romance between Solange and Kieran against that of Lucy and Nicholas. Lucy was my favorite character of the bunch.

Blood Feud

The Drakes' ascension to power has left them with many allies and some enemies as well, each of whom are not to be fully trusted. When an attempt on the life of the queen casts suspicion upon Isabeau, an emissary from the Hounds, the newly formed alliance between the Drakes and the Hounds is immediately tested. Matters are further complicated by the attraction between the emotionally wounded, revenge-driven Isabeau and Logan, one of the queen's sons. Everything is at stake, especially when it comes to light that Isabeau was prophesied to meet her mate at the royal court.

Action-packed and passionate, Blood Feud chronicles the tricky intricacies of treaties and matters of the heart. As a survivor of the French Terror, Isabeau is heartbreakingly poignant, but such a survivor, and I loved her core of stubborn resilience. Logan is a young man dedicated to his family and honor, and watching him devote himself to Isabeau was priceless. This one has it all - excellently crafted fight scenes, the call of destiny and a deep, abiding passion.

Out for Blood

Hunter Wild is being raised in the proud heritage of the Helios-Ra tradition, and is in her senior year of schooling. She is the apple of her grandfather's eye and the last of her line. When things start going crazy all across the school's campus, Hunter must utilize every tool at her disposal, including an alliance with the very creatures she trains to hunt, to get to the bottom of the vitamin craze sweeping the school, the increased attacks from their enemies and her best friend's inexplicable mood swings. Quinn Drake, a hunky vampire with loads of playboy charm, seems to be quite taken with her, and it soon becomes apparent that they need to work together to figure this situation out...and deal with the attraction between them.

It's not often that all three of the novellas in one book rate so highly with me, but this ending to the Ruling Passion anthology capped it off in such an exciting, explosive way that I was just astounded. There are no wussy, sparkly vampires here; it's all action, strength and a blessed absence of posturing. Hunter is a great character, skilled and complex, and I adored her. Quinn is dangerously charming, a real rogue, but loyal and caring. He's so much more than he originally appears. Out for Blood is certain to please with excellent pacing, an electrifying plot and explosive action.

Reviewed by: Michelle B.