I remember reading The Mephisto Covenant last year and somewhat enjoying it enough to where I was interested in seeing where Faegen was going to take this series. It wasn’t something that completely knocked me off my socks or I would’ve categorized into any kind of favorites’ list or anything like that, but it was entertaining. A page-turner. So, when I saw The Mephisto Kiss available, I decided to request and give it a try. I admit going into it with hopes that it would be better than the first since the characters were mostly developed in that one. I’d already known how it was basically going to go--a new romance for one of the other brothers, a bit like how J.R. Ward does her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. In a way, I do enjoy these types of series when authors set them up like that. You could almost read them out of order without worry of much confusion (I still suggest reading in order anyway, or at least the first book before anything else). I knew within the first twenty or so pages, I wasn’t going to like this book much. I continued anyway because there’s something oddly page-turning like I mentioned above. At the same time, I didn’t dislike it enough to put it down, but I also really didn’t like it and there’s a strong possibility I just won’t continue the series now that I know my stance. The Mephisto Covenant was a well-enough read, but book two was awful for me. I cringed a few times. I didn't feel these characters like I wanted to, and it just fell apart for me.As I’m reading, I’m realizing how ridiculous some of this is. These guys are almost a thousand years old (but they’re of course immortalized in bodies and faces of eighteen-twenty year olds), and chasing after sixteen and seventeen year old girls? First girl was eighteen I think if I remember correctly. Jordan’s age was barely seventeen. To add, when they do find them, they expect them to abandon their families and friends to live on this mountain in a huge mansion distant from everything. The more I read, the more I thought about these things, and the more I thought, the more I realized how strange this is. Yeah yeah, I get it. People are going to come back and say “vampire fiction is often the same way”…blah blah blah… If you want to know my opinion, a hundred year-old vampire and a sixteen year-old girl bugs me, too. Also, I’m not the least bit religious. In book one, I didn’t feel overwhelmed by any religious undertones and I think that’s why I managed to stay intrigued and enjoy the story enough there. With this one though, it felt really heavy, and often times, even uncomfortable. This simply may not be the series for me due to this. Maybe my rating is even a little on the harsh side considered to some, but I don’t think so. According to my scale-- 1.5 stars is “I finished it. Not for me. I’ll recommend it to a particular audience.” And the thing is: I did finish it within only a couple of days because it is one of those reads that will keep you reading, because of the action and the cliffhangers at the end of chapters. I’d had higher expectations though after The Mephisto Covenant. I also don’t connect with the religious undertones. And I had some nitpicks about characters. I really don’t have much of anything else to say for this. If you’ve read The Mephisto Covenant and enjoyed it, I’d still recommend checking out The Mephisto Kiss for yourself. Other readers seem to be enjoying it just as well. It just wasn’t for me and I don’t know if I’ll continue or not yet. I do recommend giving The Mephisto Covenant a shot if you haven’t read it though--I did find that one to be entertaining.Final note: I wouldn’t quite classify this as YA. These books are more New Adult/for more mature audiences due to sex, violence, etc.
