Dissension – Chronicles of the Uprising: Book 1 by K.A. Salidas

Book Description:

The great cataclysm wiped almost all life from the face of planet Earth, but tiny pockets of survivors crawled from the ashes, with only one thought: survival, at any cost.

But not all survivors were human.

In the dark, militant society that has risen in the aftermath, vampires, once thought to be mythical, have been assimilated and enslaved. Used for blood sport their lives are allowed to continue only for the entertainment of the masses. Reviled as savages, they are destined to serve out their immortal lives in the arena, as gladiators.

And there is no greater gladiator than Mira: undefeated, uncompromising...and seemingly unbreakable. When an escape attempt leads Mira into the path of Lucian Stavros, the city’s Regent, her destiny is changed forever.

Lucian, raised in a culture which both reviles and celebrates the savagery and inhumanity of vampires, finds Mira as intriguing as she is brash. An impulsive decision - to become Mira’s patron – changes more than just Lucian’s perception about vampire kind.  The course of his life is altered in ways he could never have predicted – a life that is suddenly as expendable as hers.

Can Mira prove to Lucian that all is not as it seems? Can Lucian escape centuries of lies, bloodshed, and propaganda to see the truth? Or will the supreme power of the human overlords destroy them both?

My Thoughts:

This was a good, original book.  The world as we know it has ended and humans weren't the only ones to survive.  Vampires came from hiding and formed an uneasy alliance with humans.  Humans found a way to control them and now the vamps are slaves.  They fight for the pleasure of the humans.  The better you fight, the longer you live and the better you live.  The best fighter in her area is Mira.  She isn't likable and has no desire to be but she wants to survive.  She can't trust humans, but one, Lucian, is interested in her and not in the 'normal' way.  Maybe humans aren't all bad?

I liked the back story of how Earth basically ended and the way humans change.  I completely adored Mira (though she might rip out my throat for saying that!).  She was just completely true to herself and what she was.  Though she hated humans for imprisoning her, she didn't kill them.  I think George was my favorite character.  He was a friend of Mira even if she was stubborn and got the other vamps tortured as well.  I wasn't sure if I liked Lucian or not, he is a definite mix that leads to lots of questions.  I like how the story line flowed and you just don't want to put this book down!

I rate this a 5/5.  I really enjoyed the whole story and characters.

Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

**This book contains adult language/concepts**