Velvet Cataclysm, Princes of the Underground, Book 1 by Beth Kery

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing, LTD
Pages:  221

From the Cover:

In his battle to resist, he found the impossible. His soul. Princes of the Underground, Book 1 Christina Astor's telepathic ability is an asset in her job as a psychiatric social worker. What's driving her crazy, though, is her elusive, gorgeous landlord. She senses that Saint Sevliss wants her with an all-consuming hunger that's somehow different. Just how different becomes all too clear when his dangerous world collides with hers.

For centuries, Saint's kind have been called vampire and werewolf. Even soulless. But their true nature remains a mystery. Bound by a magical mandate to control his bloodthirsty clone, Teslar, at all costs, Saint will do anything to keep Christina away. She infuses his gray universe with life and color, but his world--and his need--would destroy her. When an attack reveals the true power of Christina's gift, one thing is certain--Teslar won't rest in his underground labyrinth until he possesses her, body and soul?

Saint is an ancient, timeless being foreign to this world.  But, all the Princes are born as pairs, one clone born of conscious and the other born of darkness, but as Kavya, his maker is fond of saying, they are two sides of the same coin, each exists because there is the other.  Though he differs from the humans who populate the Earth, he's become part of this place that has now become his home.  His clone and darker half, Teslar, isn't having as much luck fitting in as Saint.  Both are blood drinkers, living off the vitessence of their human hosts and the Earth.  Only, Teslar has taken it a step further, hoping to create a Reverent Scourge army, beings that were once human, but have lost their humanity to become mindless tools for Teslar's destructive purposes.

Christina and her son, Aidan, have been living in Saint's coach house since almost since his birth.  Saint is drawn to the dynamic Christina, her essence life sustaining in itself.  What Saint doesn't realize and Christina doesn't know, is that on a long ago summer afternoon, Saint through his need to feed from Christina's vitessence became the father of Christina's son, Aidan.  Now, he is drawn to the pair, and will be everything is his power to keep them safe.

Velvet Cataclysm by Beth Kery is an erotically told tale of a different sort of vampirism.  It's the vampirism of an alien race, sustaining themselves through blood drinking and vitessence (the essence and magnetism of the energy eminating and residing deep within the Earth and soul).  Saint has a need to save Christina, and Teslar has a need to own Christina.  Saint is about the control of the inner demon, controlling his beast, Teslar is about the release of the inner demon, letting the beast drink deeply and savagely, creating fear to feed his even darker needs.  Saint hids in plain site, helping where he can to atone for his sins, Teslar hids within the bowels of the Earth, creating his army.  Saint and Teslar are both a drawn to Christina, both unable to understand her pull until Saint allows himself to feel, and through his ability, Teslar can realize a need deeper than himself and his needs.  When that feeling awakens in Teslar's being, then Saint can become whole, soul worthy.  Because, they truly are two sides of the same coin.

Velvet Cataclysm is a new twist in the vampire story.  Ms. Kery creates this new world where vampire legend meets fantasy/science fiction, and she does it so well.  This is the first book in the Prince of the Underworld Series, and I'll be checking out the future editions.  If you enjoy erotically told Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/Science Fiction/Fantasy, then Velvet Cataclysm maybe for you.  If sexually explicit sex scenes and sex play bothers you, try something else.  This book is rated smokin' hot, pass the fire proof mittens, hot to the touch.

Warning: This book contains some violence, smoking hot, explicit sex scenes and anal sex. In addition, there is brief M/M sexual interaction and a ménage a trois.