Dawn McCullough-White

This was such a fun romp! Perfect book to break the monotony of reading the same genre.

The setting of the story is some sort of fantasy/alternative history with kings, aristocracy, knights, sun cult, assassins and plenty of superstitions and fairy-tales.

Cameo is an assassin whose mission goes all wrong after a highwayman stops the carriage she is travelling in. A unique sort of circumstances brings Cameo and Black Opal (the highwayman) together on a very dangerous journey, losing and acquiring friends and enemies along the road.

What stood out for me in this story is that Cameo and Black Opal both are not your typical protagonists. Cameo is a legendary scary assassin whose name simple folks use to frighten their children. She is not beautiful at all, but dark, lonely and eery.

Opal has poor vision, is scarred by pockmarks, which he covers by heavily powdering his face and wearing ridiculously foppish clothes. He is also not young and kills easily. But the guy is devilishly charming and thinks that Cameo is beautiful.

I couldn't help laughing visualising this pair. Because they are so imperfect, they are very lively. The same can be said about secondary characters who are just as vivid.

The whole book come to life very easily, and becomes a fast read. There are also plenty of unresolved mysteries in the end which make you want to read book #2.

Very much recommended.… (mais)

At first I couldn't get why the book started with a vampire in the Yetta Cementary but as I read along I understood more and more. Augustine actually plays a big part in the book.

Ilka poor Ilka in the beginning of the book your heart is torn for her when she fights the battle against a mob and Jesse is caught in the battle. Ilka goes over and ends up being saved by Nathaniel. Or is she saved?? To me this is where she begins to find her true strength in herself. I say this because her is where she truly begins her battle for herself.

Nathaniel the captain of the pirate ship is a gentleman. Older than her by many years but falls for her anyways. Their interactions are sweet and you can see the trust and friendship build. than he is boneheaded and this gets fractured. Even with this stupidity of his, he still loves her and protects her. he brings her home at the risk of his freedom.

Ilka confused and hurt doesn't know what to do. She is torn and she needs to confront her feelings but doesn't know how. Her true turmoil because of her loyalty and love for Jesse, her love of who she has trained to become and her growing feelings for Nate. When Nate is brought up on charges she defends him and this shows her deep emotional tie to him. Her dad, the king, sees this and is torn. Or is he? Well that is tabled since Nate does stupid move number 2. Which than puts Ilka in a rock and a hard place. Bad nate bad.

anyways, Ilka must do her duty and go after Nate with the other Paladins. But this puts more turmoil in her path. She does a bonehead move. yes I said Ilka was a bonehead with a decision and this is where Augustine the vampire becomes pivotal. She goes against her calling as a Paladin and creates something she shouldn't and this does have consequences. When she realizes her error, she rushes back to her group who doubt her. their trust gone but Nate supportive, she turns to him for love. And he gives it. YEAH!!!!! Only to have this once again torn away....????? She faces the music with herself and her Paladin leaders and is now on her way to right her wrong getting passage on board a ship lead by a mysterious captain....

The book is a wonderful read about finding the strength and courage within not only for yourself but also for your love of someone who no one accepts.… (mais)

Cameo the Assassin took me by surprise. I was expecting a run-of-the-mill vamp novel and it didn't deliver that! What I got was a steampunk-esque (though I'm not sure I'd qualify it completely as Steampunk) story about a ghoul, I mean girl, who's a hired killer-with-a-soul for the Association (dun-dun-duuuuun!). I've never read a Zombie book before, and while the novel is careful to not bandy about that term (certainly, Cameo, our daring lead character doesn't like it), it certainly fits.
Dawn McCullough-White writes Cameo incredibly well. When you are introduced to her, she is aloof and emotionless, taking swigs from her flask while she watches the rather questionable activities that surround her each day. She is paid to do her job and not question, something she does well. She is the very embodiment of someone without a soul. Or so you think. What you find beneath Cameo's surface...well, I won't spoil it for you. But it's spectacular. And not the least bit ordinary.
As you read, you're drawn into the story, bit by bit, like a lazy fishing line slowly being reeled in. She paints a dark, yet lovely picture of a Victorian-era period with fine clothing, large egos and intrigue that makes you want to keep reading. Her supporting characters, Opal, Kyrian and Bellamy, are often delightful and amusing with their verbal repartee. It was a little difficult to keep up with the character jumps, but I attribute that more to the way it was formatted on my Nook than anything else, so it's easily overlooked. I definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys Steampunk, Dark Fantasy or Paranormal Fiction. It was a great read!… (mais)

Beware! This review contains spoilers from the first two books!
Cameo and the Vampire is the third and final installment in Dawn McCullough-White's dark fantasy following Cameo and her not-so-merry band of men as she travels with a severely injured Opal and Haffef’s new thrall, Jules, to find Kyrian. It is her hope - and Black Opal’s - that Kyrian the acolyte can heal Opal’s injuries and now that Haffef has her sister Ivy’s bones Cameo can be free of him.
Cameo has come very far by now. She’s realized she’s not just a thrall that can be ordered about. She still thinks, feels and knows she is capable of love, even as one of the undead. As this motley crew treks through the cold to find Kyrian, Jules and Cameo come to the realization that they may not hate each other as much as they thought.
Opal is still the finest dandy in all the land...and he doesn’t let anyone forget it, although his role in this story is greatly diminished compared to the first two. I attribute that to his injuries and Cameo having to travel without him several times.
In Cameo and the Highwayman, Cameo is bitten by Edel the Vampire (who was also created by the Vampire Haffef), so in this sequel, she begins to experience the changes that go along with that. I loved the initial internal struggle she had with these changes, and the details the author gives us each time Cameo feels the urge to consume...things. ;)
I also fell even more in love with Jules, if that is even possible. I thought he was just awesome from the beginning, but as this story progressed, he got even better and I was sorely disappointed that after he and Cameo shared that kiss, they didn’t end up together. I know most people love Opal the best, but I’m a die hard Team Jules fan and you ain’t gonna sway my mind! So I was REALLY sad when he died. However I guess she gets to keep him as a thrall so it works out.
Anyone who has read books 1 and 2 also knows by now that Haffef wants Ivy’s bones and can probably deduce that he was in love with her. What he tries to do with those bones and why he ever turned Cameo (aka Gwen) is so very interesting and goes to show just how much a vampire can truly love.
Overall, the plot felt more tightly woven together than the previous two and I think that is a by-product of the coming-together of the conclusion of the story of Cameo. The entire series is just done very well and I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys dark fantasy. It’s witty and well-written, the characters are charming and the world is beautifully dark.… (mais)