Paranormal/Futuristic
The Cost of Eternity
By Natasha Smith
Feb 14, 2007 - 7:44:00 AM

Vampire Lorcan MacKenna is so tired of having to hire his blood donors.  Unwilling to obtain blood via scare tactics, Lorcan tries his best to make his blood suppliers enjoy giving their blood even though the encounters leave him cold.  While he longs for something more, he knows to love someone is to lose him to mortality.  It is after one such unemotional feeding that Lorcan comes across a man being accosted in an alley.  Seeing the young man’s face in the flickering darkness and feeling an instant attraction, Lorcan finds himself saving the hapless victim and taking him home.

Kevin St. James is a starving actor.  Literally.  Doing his best to make ends meet without asking for help, Kevin has resorted to servicing men for money.  It is during one such encounter that Kevin’s life is threatened and aid comes in the form of a stranger.  When Kevin wakes up and realizes what has happened, he is at once scared and then secretly aroused by the emotions his rescuer brings forth in him. 

Lorcan and Kevin explore their relationship and each other.  There is just a bit of a problem; while Lorcan hasn’t told Kevin he is a vampire, Kevin hasn’t revealed something vital either.  Will their relationship continue to thrive, or will the exposure of secrets and involvement of others tear them apart?

THE COST OF ETERNITY by new author Shayla Kersten was emphatically one heck of a book.  Totally absorbed, I didn’t put it down until I finished with it.  I laughed, I cried, and I raged at the antagonists.  I can’t imagine having to make a decision like Kevin had to make.  I loved him for his naiveté and I adored Lorcan for his loyalty. 

While homoerotic love stories are not for everyone, I found myself forgetting that one small fact and concentrating on the plot.  I was blown away by the emotions of the characters and the love they shared.  THE COST OF ETERNITY is the second book I have read by Shayla Kersten and, all in all, it was a thoroughly gratifying read.  I can’t wait to see what else this wonderful new author releases!