The Dangerous Ones

Vicious read! The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood is a historical fantasy romance set during America’s Civil War about a vampire hunter falling for a vampire. Jerusalem is an escaped slave and a Saint – people with god-like strength, speed, and agility. She’s spent her life hiding who she really is, but now she’s fighting for the Northern army in the hopes of freeing others like her who were enslaved and treated as less than because of the color of their skin. Alexei is a vampire fighting beside Jerusalem in an effort to stop the Ancient Vampires who have made their home in the South. Together they make an unstoppable team. Told in dual narration, The Dangerous Ones takes a unique look at history, trauma, prejudice, and putting it all aside for love.

Jerusalem is a fierce character. You do not want to get on her bad side. At the start of the story, it’s been one year since she escaped her owners and fled to the North. Thinking her family dead, she trains daily to go back and free other slaves. Her commitment to killing vampires and hating them is easy to understand. They have ruled over her life since she was born, and every good thing she’s ever had was taken from her by them. It’s her life’s mission to end them, one at a time, and she revels in it.

Alexei is unlike the vampires from Jerusalem’s past. He sees her fear behind the anger she projects, and he finds common ground with her. This life wasn’t his choice. He had no say in becoming what he is, but he does have a say in how he acts and what he does daily. Right now, he chooses to fight on the side that wants to free slaves. He chooses to fight for humanity. He respects Jerusalem and trains her. Over the last year, they’ve built a tenuous friendship. But it is more for him.

I really enjoyed this story. It is well-written. The author’s choice of backdrop works well in highlighting both Jerusalem’s prejudice against Alexei and her PTSD from her former life. While she fights prejudice on a daily basis because of her past and her skin color, she is not immune to judging Alexei because he is the thing she hates. Overcoming this is a big part of the story. I love how the author shows how love is at the center of their story, first through friendship and then something more. Their shared trauma, how Alexei recognizes it in her, and Jerusalem’s realization of Alexei’s own trauma drive the narrative.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Dangerous Ones. Blackwood’s writing from the characters to the setting is perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better read. If you enjoy historical fantasies, adventure, and a little romance, I highly recommend it.

THE DANGEROUS ONES is an intriguing YA historical fantasy. The story is told from alternating perspectives of Jerusalem and Alexei during the Civil War. Jerusalem is a saint, someone with special super-human-like skills. She fled the plantation where she had been enslaved after they killed the rest of her family, fighting along the way. She found her passion in vengeance, and has been fighting with the Union army along with the other saints, who are known for their particular acumen and lethality.

In this version of the past, vampires joined the South as plantation owners and are thus fighting for the South in the war. Alexei is a vampire who had joined the Union, not particularly liking most of his kind and appalled by what they have been doing. Jerusalem is determined to kill the vampire who had enslaved and killed her family, and while she was reluctant to trust Alexei, he has been proving himself to her every day as he tries to have her back and help with her training, showing her how to kill his kind. As they fight for freedom and revenge, Alexei is also falling in love with Jerusalem - and she is maybe falling for him too.

What I loved: This was a unique premise that was laid out well throughout the book. The fantasy elements were well done with the vampires coming to life as both horrible and flawed. There were also humans amongst the vampires, showing the cruelty of human nature and the brutality faced by those enslaved. Even amongst the Union soldiers, Jerusalem and the others face microaggressions and prejudice, which are demonstrated and addressed in the story.

Themes around revenge, oppression, family, found family, loss/grief, and racism were all really thought-provoking throughout the story. Jerusalem was a particularly compelling character, and her story unravels throughout the book as the readers learn what happened to her family and what led to when she ran. Alexei was also intriguing, and though his story also unfolds, he felt secondary to Jerusalem. The two perspectives were easy to keep apart and follow throughout with their voices being unique from the other.

What left me wanting more: The story felt a bit slow in places and took a while to build. The romance felt like much of it was built before the book began/off-page, and a lot of it was the banter in between as well as conversations amongst the characters, rather than action or moving the story forward. It ended up feeling a bit easy to put down and felt a bit repetitive in the middle.

Final verdict: THE DANGEROUS ONES is an intriguing YA historical fantasy about revenge, family, and love.