Pricolici.
January 1889. When a Romanian village suffers a series of brutal attacks, occult investigator Anne Lawrence is dispatched to the forests of the Old Country to hunt the killer – only to vanish without a trace.
The trail leads her mentor Vivienne Cumberland deep into the Carpathians to a remote monastery. As a blizzard rages outside, trapping them all with the pricolici, Vivienne risks sharing the fate of the woman she came to find. But is the culprit truly a werewolf … or something even more dangerous?
A man bent on revenge. And a love that was never meant to be.
Imprisoned in a decaying castle, Anne finds herself ensnared in a web of dark enchantment, at the mercy of a mysterious captor with a beast inside – and a memory as old as the ancient legends.
As the weeks pass, Anne learns his real identity, and slowly uncovers a complex and deeply passionate man. But is she willing to pay the price for falling under his spell?
Note: This darkly magical reimagining of Beauty and the Beast is the third book in the Gaslamp Gothic series, but can be read as a standalone with no need to start with Book #1, The Daemoniac.
So what's so great about this one?
A Bad Breed brings us to the Carpathian mountains where gruesome killings have occurred near a Romanian village. Is it a beast? Is it a man? Both? What starts out as a mystery quickly morphs into something else —a Beauty and the Beast scenario with a twist set in Victorian times.
I highly enjoyed the characters, especially Gabriel. He's a bit melodramatic but in the best way! As the beast holding beauty captive in the dark, crumbling castle, there were quite a few moments that he channeled Disney's Beast. You certainly can't say that he wasn't melodramatic. (Then go ahead and Starve!) I found myself snickering at some of his behavior.
I've never read anything of Kat Ross' before, BUT you can bet your bottom dollar I will again. I've already snagged a copy of #1 in the series, The Daemoniac, but don't worry! You don't need to read them in order to enjoy A Bad Breed. There was only one section that had me scratching my head. Explained later, but mentioned early on, there was a bit of confusion on my part with the daevas and what they are, but it really didn't stop the story from going forward for me.
I loved the settings, the characters, the intrigue and mystery, and yes, even the romance. If you like gothic tales of paranormal and occultism, twined around multiple parallel plots, all wrapped up in a fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast, you need to pick up a copy of A Bad Breed!
About the Author
Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the Fourth Element and Fourth Talisman fantasy series, the Gaslamp Gothic paranormal mysteries, and the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Check out Kat’s Pinterest page for the people, places and things that inspire her books.
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