Last Breath by Rachel Caine

Title:  Last Breath

Author:  Rachel Caine

Genre:  Young Adult/Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Penguin Aus (Imprint: Razorbill) 

Publication Date:  26th October 2011

ISBN:  9781921880100

Stand alone or series:  Morganville Vampires #11 

Pages:  456 pages

Book Received from:  Penguin Australia (Publisher)

First Lines:  Shane's lips felt like velvet against the nape of her neck, and Claire shivered in delight as his breath warmed the skin there.

Possible spoilers if you haven't read the other ten books. 

Synopsis:
Claire Danvers is concerned when three vampires vanish from Morganville without a trace. The last person seen with them is someone new to town – a mysterious individual named Magnus. Claire is convinced creepy Magnus isn't human . . . but is he a vampire, or something else entirely?
Claire's hunt for answers leads her to solving another mystery that's long been puzzling her: why do vampires live so far out in a sunny desert when they're sensitive to sunlight? The answer has nothing to do with sunlight, but with water – and an ancient enemy who has finally found a way to invade the vampires' landlocked community. Vampires aren't the top predator on earth. There's something worse that preys on them . . . something much worse. Which means if Claire, and Morganville, want to live, they will have to fight on to the last breath . . .

My Thoughts:
The Morganville Vampire series has been up on my favourites list for quite some time.  After I was given the opportunity (along with two other bloggers) to have breakfast with Rachel Caine (see here), a few little hints were dropped about book 11, so I had been waiting impatiently for Last Breath!  So naturally when I did get this I devoured it in one night.

In Bite Club Rachel Caine had introduced Shane's POV to the story line, but in Last Breath we get to see the story unfold from not only Claire's POV (who still remains the Main character) but also Amelie, Eve, Michael and Shane's this time.  I liked how she's done this because it gives the storyline so much more depth and you can see how each character comes to the decisions they make throughout.

By far this is my favourite book in the series so far.  Right from the beginning with an unexpected visitor to the Glass House I couldn't put the book down at all.  As always, my all time favourite character Myrnin really did surprise me in this book.  He would go to the ends of the earth for Claire!  Even though at times it doesn't seem like it.

There are plot turns and surprises.. okay SHOCKS!  that I did not see coming at all.  Rachel Caine has done a good job of keeping the reader on their toes especially with introducing Magnus the creepy character to the series.  And I will admit, without (hopefully) spoiling it, that there is one moment about halfway through where I'm like OMG!  Noooo! So if you are following the series and haven't read this book.  It is a must!

As always another beautifully crafted story from Rachel Caine and I so can't wait to find out how the Morganville characters will deal with the changing circumstances in Black Dawn.