The Daystar by Rene Lyons

Hero: Constantine Draegon
Heroine: Lexine Parker
Category: Paranormal
Page Count: 247 pages
Grade: B-
Buy It: Here.

Can she heal lifetimes of pain and make him believe salvation is possible?

Always feeling different from the world around her, a power grows within Lexine Parker. In the light is where she belongs—even as she finds herself thrust into the nocturnal realm of the Templar vampires.

Scarred by a brutal past, Constantine is a creature consumed with rage. He knows only darkness and sin. Believing he fights a losing battle of redemption, heaven is something he doesn’t dare hope for—until Lexine makes him believe salvation is possible.

Locked away in an ancient castle, they come together in body and spirit, searching for love to chase away the darkness. With Constantine’s soul at stake and Lex’s life on the line, the nights tick down to a cataclysmic event that could tear them apart forever.

This book was a book that I've been waiting a LONG time to read and I'm glad that I did because I enjoyed the story as a whole, but there was a bunch of little things that bothered me, but none of those things had anything to do with the story, just little stupid things that I couldn't stomach and hope to high heaven I never see again. Like, Raphael calling Lex, boo and Constantine's constant nickname for Lex being, elf. I didn't like them but I didn't hold those little things against the story as a whole. Then there was the fact that I couldn't get used to Allie being a vampire so whenever she would bare her fangs, I tried to stifle my giggles. It was just so weird for me to read about Allie being a vampire, weird and dumb, but there you go. There were other things I didn't care for, like Goth guys, I'm not into that whole Gothic guys, they don't attract me but Rene did a good job of making me see Con for what he was and still being able to respect him even though I wasn't swooning with delight over him, the way I was whenever my main squeeze, Raphael was mentioned in the story.

So, in this story we read about Constantine Draegon and Lexine Parker's romance story. Constantine is a Templar Knight and Lexine is Allie Parker's sister. The whole story revolves around the Daystar. Now, in Midnight Sun we read about how the Templars as well as all the Evil vampires and their bad armies are looking for the Daystar because whoever has the Daystar has the power to rule the world. Very cool things, I think and it was good to see Lex come into her own with her link to the Daystar.

What I liked about the story is that the story for me didn't drag, it was good enough to keep me interested in what was going to come next and I really liked the ending. I liked that everything didn't just always go good for Lex and Constantine, I liked that they had to work for their happy ending and work they did. I loved how the ending scene went down and I just loved how completely in love with Lex Constantine was. He may not have said the words, but they were there in his actions and in the way he loved Lex. He was not going to give her up without a fight and that's exactly what he did. He fought for her.

I loved that.

There was a lot going on right up into the last chapters of the story and that is what I loved, they overcame overwhelming odds to be together and Con's love for Lex was strong enough to get them through it and man that makes my romantic heart melt a little. It's just so effing romantic and you know I love me some good romance.

Rene definitely delivers with this one.

Con's book was everything I hoped it would be and a little bit of what I hoped it wouldn't be and besides those little things that left a bitter taste in my mouth, the book was still really good and I would recommend this book to all those who want to continue the Templars series and read more about good vampires.

That goes for you 5 who knows who you are...=) Read this and let me know how you liked it. I liked it a lot.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"No matter what happens, rest assured that I've already seen Heaven. I see it every time I look at you."

-Constantine

"Forever, elf, I want you forever."

-Constantine

Who knew Constantine could be so sweet? But he was, beneath that icy personality and cold attitude that he shows the world, Constantine Draegon was NOT the monster he wanted everyone to believe him to be. He just was what he was. He didn't apologize for being the complete bastard that he was to everyone, he made his bastardness (is that a word?) apart of him and people either accepted it or they didn't. I think Rene did a wonderful job of portraying Constantine Draegon and having him stay true to his character, there wasn't one part of the book where I thought, OH YEAH RIGHT CONSTANTINE WOULDN'T SAY THAT OR DO THAT, it was all on point. So good on ya for that one, Rene. I loved it!

Lex accepted him. I liked that about her, what I didn't like about her was that she cried all the time. I'd probably be the same way but gosh, all of her crying and her being scared of everything just wasn't working in her favor to be a really good heroine to me. She wasn't the woman that her sister was and though I don't hate Lex, she's not my favorite heroine. She was just there and Constantine happened to love her.

That's it.

Constantine, mean and fierce Constantine. I wanted to love him and I did but I wasn't IN love with his character like I was with Sebastian and like I was with Raphael and Raph isn't even a main character in the stories yet....I was more drawn to Seb and Raph in these stories but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of Constantine. He was a fabulous hero, very masculine and very strong, but my heart lays elsewhere and that's that.

Great job, Rene...you did good with this one, I look forward to reading more of the Templars in Lucian's book...where the bloody hell is Lucian woman? I want to read his book like..NOW!

I can't wait for more Templar action, that's for sure.