Dr. Jim White gets the surprise of his 130 year life when his next meal turns the tables on him. Samantha “Sam” Johnson  is all set to prepare her next “fresh kill” when he morphs into a creature that she believed existed only in the myths of humans, a vampire complete with fangs, super strength and speed. Ironic since she herself is a lycan. What started out as dinner evolves into a deeply sexual and passionate relationship and unlocks what may be the key to the “Subspecies” survival among humans.

This was an extremely hard book to categorize. It is told entirely from Jim‘s point of view, which I really liked. And though the book is rife with graphic sexual encounters, the erotic element was overshadowed by the total indifference to killing their prey. There is a strong romantic element, but it is between monsters. In any other book, these characters would have been the villains who were hunted down by the good guys.  That’s why I viewed this book more as a horror read than a romance. I think Mr. Arsuaga’s intent to humanize these genetic anomalies was an astounding success. The line between a being’s true nature and society’s laws or more to the point the morality of their lifestyle was extremely blurred, if not completely erased in Subspecies.  There are a few lighter moments and some very dry and witty banter to break up the dark tone of the story. While Jim and Sam are not your typical hero and heroine, they are not completely bad. They are very loyal and supportive of their fellow subspecies. They even go so far as to create a support group called Critters of the Night. This book was well written and an entertaining change of pace that I recommend for fans of a really graphic urban fantasy or  horror. I could easily see this book translating well into film and would be one that I would pay to see.

 Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Wendy Mitchell
January 31, 2012