Blood Curse by Ella J. Phoenix – a Review

 

Blood Curse
Dragon Heat series – Book #5
by Ella J. Phoenix
Release Date: April 29th, 2016

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / ITunes / Smashwords

Promotion:

On the launch weekend, from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1, the latest novel in the Dragon Heat series, Blood Curse, will be FREE on iTunes, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, ARE & Smashwords.

To celebrate the release of yet another book in the series, Dragon Heat (Book 1) is completely free of charge on iTunes, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, ARE & Smashwords, and it’s just 0.99c on Amazon.

 

Description:
Descendant of a Cherokee shaman, Dyam is one of the vampire king’s personal guards and closest advisors. He has seen the worst of mankind and has vouched to stay away from personal entanglements and focus on serving his king. Then his resolve is shaken when Naiah, the water witch, finds her way into the busy vampire castle’s life and straight into his heart. But before he can nurture his feelings for her, she is killed in battle, causing Dyam to return to his self-imposed seclusion for good. 

Little does he know that Naiah has been brought back to life by his kind’s most infamous enemies. She is their ultimate weapon in a final battle that will rupture not only the balance of the supernatural world, but Dyam’s loyalty to his race.

 

Review:

Let me start off with saying I love Ella J. Phoenix’s Dragon Heat series and the final installment Blood Curse did not disappoint. Yes Ms. Phoenix is ending this magnificent series, but don’t despair, she’s starting a new series that will be a continuation of this one, just some years later in the timeline, yay!!!  I’m so grateful I was allowed to find this author through The Reading Café, and be given the chance to read and review every addition to this series.  Ms. Phoenix has a talent for creating intriguing, sexy characters who carry the reader along on a paranormal journey that keeps the reader hanging on to every word uttered and action taken by these characters.  Her world building is magical and pulls the reader into a paranormal world of wonder, danger, intrigue, folklore and steamy romances.  Blood Curse was all that and then some for me. 

At the end of the last book Vampire Legacy my heart broke for the vampire Dyam and I had hoped he’d have a story of his own to find his HEA.  Well, I didn’t have to wait long because Blood Curse is Dyam and Naiah’s story.  Wait, Naiah, didn’t she perish in Vampire Legacy you say.  Yes she did, but thanks to some dark magic from our dastardly duo of the Draconian Vraijator and Desert Daemon Osmon, Naiah is brought back to life as the Phoenix.  Now I have always enjoyed the story of the Phoenix throughout literature, so I was thrilled to see Ms. Phoenix bring it into her own story.  Watching Naiah deal with this new entity the Phoenix inside her, all the while trying to come to grips with everything that has happened to her, and is still happening/changing within her, had my heart breaking for her.  Sweet, innocent Naiah who stole our hearts in Vampire Legacy being used as a pawn by evil in the war between the gods and other entities who don’t like Tardieh and Zoricah, so not fair.  Don’t fret, not everyone is against Naiah the Phoenix, and would rather see her destroyed then saved.  When Dyam learns the tale of the Phoenix and how Naiah was brought back to life with dark magic for that very purpose, he takes it upon himself to be her knight in shining armor, her protector and hero.  Can I just say swoooooon!!! Oh what a swoon-worthy hero Dyam is too.  I loved him and his protective ways towards Naiah, just so sweet and loving.  Their scenes together are precious, tender and sexy as hell when they get down to business, but at the same time it’s dangerous because Dyam and Naiah never know when the Phoenix will rear it’s dangerous beak so to speak and possibly try to kill him, and everyone he holds dear. 

The fight to save Naiah’s inma(soul), and keep her safe is nerve wracking and kept me on the edge of my seat.  The battle scenes at the end were well written and had me feeling as though I was a part of it, hoping I didn’t become one of the Phoenix’s vicitims.   Seeing Tardieh and Zoricah become parents to one very cute little Zoe, future heir to the vampire throne, and try to keep her safe through all this had me cursing at everyone who is against them.  Can’t they just leave well enough alone and let them be happy, nooooo.  Oh and let’s not forget the big reveal that Ms. Phoenix tosses at us just to add a little more tension to an already sticky situation for Tardieh and Zoricah.  She’s not a demigoddess, nope, she’s a full fledged goddess, born of Zmyzel goddess of life, and Ucidhere god of death.  To protect their daughter they made everyone believe, including Zoricah, that she was the product of an affair with a draconian aristocrat, because the gods/goddesses of Apa Dobry aren’t supposed to procreate.  So now not only is Zoricah in danger, but more so her daughter due to the Blood Prophecy.  Oh what a tangled web we weave Zmyzel and Ucidhere.  This is another thing I love about Ms. Phoenix’s writing, her multiple storylines within the main story.  It just adds so much more to the book that the reader doesn’t have a chance to catch their breath because events come at you fast and hard and you feel like you are running to stay caught up with everything.  It causes the story to fly by and before you know it you’ve read the whole book and you want more.  This is exactly what happened to me.  I was like, wait, what, they are sending their daughter off with strangers….no you can’t leave it like this Ms. Phonenix, I need more, now!!!!!  Thankfully, she had and excerpt for her new series at the end of Blood Curse.  The excerpt made me happy and answered a burning question/thought I had based on the last scene Tardieh has with his warrior Joel.  Let’s just say, if where her new series is headed like I think it is, I can’t wait to see Tardieh and Zoricah’s reaction to the news regarding their grown daughter. 

Ella J. Phoenix thank you for the totally awesome series Dragon Heat.  I’ve enjoyed reading and reviewing this series.  As sad as I am to see you ending it, I’m excited to see what you have in store for us with new characters and storylines in your next series Sons of Apa Sambeti.

Until next time, happy reading everyone.   

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Author

 

 

Ten things you didn’t know about Ella J Phoenix

1. I really suck at interviews
2. I love cheese more than I love chocolate
3. I love wine more than I love cheese… no, actually that’s not true.
4. I love a good debate
5. I hate politics
6. I truly believe in destiny
7. Mainly because I met my husband is a true destiny-knocking-on-your-door kind of situation
8. I’m a frustrated actress who found her spotlight in singing
9. I’m a frustrated singer who found her voice in writing
10. I’m addicted to awesome paranormal romance as much as you are

 

One Minute with Ella J. Phoenix

1. Where do you do most of your writing?

            In my guest bedroom/home office, away from everything else.

2. Who are your favorite authors?

Oh, they are so many! Jane Austen, Nalini Singh, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, and all the great indie authors out there!

3. What’s the one genre you absolutely will NOT write about? Why?

I never say never, but “Self Help” books are not my thing.

4. Do you use people you know as characters? And do you tell them if you do?

Maybe and maybe… but you’ll never know. 🙂

5. Have you had any creepy fan experience yet?

No, not creepy, but I’ve had a few fans contacting me on Facebook as they read my novels. It was awesome to experience their journey through the story with them. It’s the best compliment an author can have in my opinion.

6. Does your family know about ALL the books/stories you’ve written, or are you keeping a few hidden?

My immediate family are my biggest fans. But unfortunately, sex is still a taboo in many communities, including mine. Not everyone understands how liberating a good erotic romance can be. Maybe one day we’ll be able to share our stories without the fear of retaliation and hypocritical judgement.

7. Last, but not least, is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

I write because I have a million stories and characters in my mind. It’s my therapy, my escape from reality, my happy place. Without you, my fans, I would be just a crazy woman locked in a boring day job or in a mental institution. So, thank you for your support and I hope my novels bring magic into your days as much as they bring to mine.

To learn more about Ella, you can check the following links

Facebook  / Twitter /  Goodreads / Website

 

 

 

 

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