Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Pages: 298
Source: Purchased from Amazon

Goodreads Summary

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.

My Opinion

Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning is a fun, fast-paced read with a whole new breed of vampires and one of the hottest guys to hit YA fiction.

I absolutely love the world Taryn Browning created. Seekers hunt vampires, but this isn’t the sort of mythology you’re used to. Browning added a whole new spin onto it, but I don’t want to give anything away. Let’s just say that her new breed of vampires will take the species to a new level. I also loved the way she incorporated Native American lore into the story, by relating it to the Seekers.

Speaking of our Seeker, the protagonist Janie is a great character who will be a fabulous role-model for teenagers. She’s strong, spunky, and isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind. She’s also a great vampire hunter. Taryn Browning excels at writing fight scenes, and when Janie is battling vampires you’ll feel like you’re right there beside her, rooting her on to win. Janie doesn’t do everything alone though — her mom Isabelle and her mom’s friend Abram serve as excellent mentors throughout the book.

I saved the best for last …. KAI! I loved Kai. He is … well, I’m not going to give away what he is, because that would spoil the story for you, but he is HOT! However, it’s not only his looks that make him appealing, but his personality as well. He and Janie have some fabulous witty banter, but you’ll also get to see a deeper side of him when Taryn gives you a few glimpses of what’s going on from his point of view. His love story with Janie is sweet, and will also leave you wanting more.

Dark Seeker was a fantastic debut novel, and one that I highly recommend. I can’t wait to read the rest of the Seeker series to see what Browning has in store for us!