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I’ll be completely honest; I had absolutely zero interest in The Immortal Conquistador until I read the short story Conquistador de la Noche in Kitty’s Greatest Hits. I liked Ric as a character, but I was never a huge fan of him. Normally I feel drawn to vampires and want to know more about them, especially their history, however, Ric is such a private character that he never piqued my interest. He was created purposely not to be a typical vampire, and while I can appreciate that he just always felt a little flat to me. That was until we finally got his story in Conquistador de la Noche and I was able to appreciate that my issues with him were a lack of information rather than character faults.

Once I’d finished the two short story collections the only book left unread was The Immortal Conquistador; the Ric novella. I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting it actually was, and enjoyed reading about historical periods and places that I (as a Brit) know nothing about through Ric’s eyes. All those times he teased Kitty with comments and looks where she just knew he had a lifetime of juicy stories just waiting to be told, and yup, he does. This is the story that Kitty might just very well kill to get her hands on.

It can be read by readers who have never read the Kitty Norville series, however, you will probably get much more from it if you have read the series. This is an additional story for fans and ties in with the series. ( )

Overall, an enjoyable novella, filling in Rick's back story and answering many questions about how his particular personality handles his vampirism. I didn't realize until the end of the ARC that this is closer to a collection of short stories than a full, standalone work, but I can also see how it might be transformed before publishing to a more polished piece. I really liked the storytelling, however, and I enjoy Ricardo's stubborn refusal to acquiesce to the status quo.

Advanced readers copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )

Great collection of stories following Rick the Vampire: Conquistador de la Noche, El Hidalgo de la Noche, Dead Men in Central City and El Conquistador del Tiempo. Can be read at any time throughout the series as the short stories mostly take place before the series starts, but is probably best read after book 11, Kitty Rocks the House.

Longer review to come closer to release.

I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Carrie Vaughn, Tachyon Publications, and Edelweiss for providing the opportunity to review this copy!

To read more reviews in this series and others, check out keikii eats books! ( )