The Dark Desires Series 1-3 by Nina Croft-reviews

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BREAK OUT
(Blood Hunter/Dark Desires #1)
by Nina Croft
Genre: adult, sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Re release September 30, 2014

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous—or so fun.

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REVIEW: BREAK OUT is the first instalment in Nina Croft’s sci-fi/fantasy/ DARK DESIRES (formerly Blood Hunter) paranormal romance series. This is 2000 year old vampire Rico Sanchez and warrior Skylar Rossaria’s storyline. When Skylar commissions Rico’s space vessel-The El Cazador- to rescue her brother ‘Jon’ from the maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico suspects there is something more to her story than what she has told.

The focus of the storyline finds Rico and crew embarking on an impossible mission. No one has ever escaped the prison on Trakis One and no one has ever broken in. As the crew attempts to hunt for information about the facility, Rico and Skylar begin a sexual dance of attraction.

The attraction between Rico and Skylar is immediate. Rico is a vampire and his desire to claim Skylar is tempered by the knowledge that Skylar has kept hidden the true nature of her trek. Skylar’s identity and history is an unknown but Rico is a 2000 year old vampire with skills that even Skylar has not seen.

The secondary characters are colorful, exciting and play an active role throughout the storyline. We are introduced to the captain and her crew of misfits beings-all are humanoid but not quite human. The world building includes the Cybergenic Research, The Collective and The Corp. The Collective has discovered the secret to immortality and anyone standing in their way will be destroyed and The Church of Everlasting Light is determined to destroy anything that has been genetically modified.

Many of the scenarios are similar in nature to, and a combination of, both Star Trek and Star Wars technology, background and premises. There is action, romance and suspense; a little humor and a whole lot of sexual tension.

Nina Croft pulls the reader into a passionate, captivating and thrilling ride across a galaxy that we have yet to discover.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

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DEADLY PURSUIT
(Blood Hunter/Dark Desires #2)
by Nina Croft
Genre: adult, sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release November 1, 2014

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He craves his own freedom.

Jonathon Decker knows how to keep his enemies close—and his allies closer. But what about his women? Everyone wants a piece of the world’s sexiest werewolf, now that he’s been broken out of prison. Enter Alexia, the High Priestess of the Church of Everlasting life. Captivating and independent, Alexia is everything Jon could want in a woman. But can she be trusted? It will take more than one night of endless passion to find out…

And she is his to possess…

After twenty-four years of faithfully playing by the rules, Alex is finally ready take fate into her own hands. Her passion for Jon is a force to be reckoned with—and the way he makes her feel keeps her coming back for more. But their desire could lead them both down a dark path—one in which there’s no turning back. How much will each of them risk to be together…for all time?

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REVIEW: DEADLY PURSUIT is the second installment in Nina Croft’s adult, paranormal, sci-fi DARK DESIRES (formerly Blood Hunter) fantasy romance series. The continuing voyage of the crew of the space cruiser-the El Cazador-finds their most recent and reluctant rescue Jonathon Decker running for his life. Not only does the Collective want Jonathon dead but The Church of Everlasting Life is hunting for their wayward priestess- a young woman who now calls the cruiser her home. With two warring factions of interdimensional space on the attack against the El Cazador, our crew members are in for the fight of their lives. The Dark Desires (Blood Hunter) series takes place one thousand years into the future where Earth is no longer inhabitable and immortality can be bought-for a price.

The storyline follows a race against time and space. In the first storyline –BREAK OUT- the crew rescued space assassin Jonathan Decker from an uncertain future. As the newest member of the El Cazador cruiser, Jonathan finds himself in the unenviable position as the only ‘species’ of his kind still in existence. When the Collective demand the return of Jonathan, his rescuers find themselves on the defensive and protecting a man they know nothing about. But it is Jonathan’s attraction to another crewmember that has everyone concerned.

Alexia has been hiding in plain sight. As the youngest member of the El Cazador, Al as she has come to be known, is the High Priestess of The Church of Everlasting Life and wanted by the very people from whom she ran. But it is her unrequited attraction and love for Jonathan that will be the deciding factor in Alexia’s decision to return to her place within the Church. What follows is an assault and several attempts on her life leaving Alexia wondering where everything went wrong.

The relationship between Jonathan and Alexia is slow to build. Their attraction to one another is immediate although not welcome by Jonathan Decker. He is a man who likes to pursue but being pursued is not what he wants. As the storyline builds, so too does the animosity between our couple, one brought about by need, instincts and lust. It is only when each will sacrifice themselves for the other, does the reality of love and the possibility of a future together realize.

The world building continues with the inclusion of most of the previous storyline characters including all of the crew of the El Cazador. The Collective ( and their elite army Corps) as well as The Church play a major role in the control of space as we learn a little more about the personal cost for those seeking an unnatural immortality and its affects on the controlling elite. With the Collective controlling the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-known to bestow immortality on those who could afford the price-they now control most of the universe.

DEADLY PURSUIT (and the Dark Desires series) is very similar to the Star Trek and Star Wars franchise storylines including the concepts of technology, background and species. These are the stories of suspense, mystery, romance and love whereby the people or species who once called Earth home must struggle for acceptance in a new world order. The GMs (or genetically modified) are considered abominations by the Church and meant for extermination, and in this most of the crew of the El Cazador are wanted just for whom they are-GMs, vampires, werewolves and more.

Nina Croft’s ability to weave a tale of paranormal science fiction with romance is compelling and remarkable. You will be pulled into the action, the anxiety and their struggle to break free from the hold of those who consider themselves more superior and powerful. The DARK DESIRES series is addictive, intense and seductive. The storylines are heartbreaking, emotional and wondrous-the virtual reality of the storylines is intriguing and believable.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

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DEATH DEFYING
( Blood Hunter/Dark Desires #3)
by Nina Croft
Genre: adult, sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release November 25, 2014

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

Part snake, part human, and—some would say all bitch—Captain Tannis of the starship El Cazador has one goal in life—to earn enough credits to pay for the Meridian treatment to achieve the immortality she craves. And one last job will get her there. The assignment: protecting the most powerful man in the Universe.

Being leader of the known universe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it sucks big time. And after five hundred years, Callum Meridian, founding member of the Collective, is bored out of his mind. But as things are changing, he’s changing—into what, though, he isn’t sure. Callum is determined to discover the truth, and he’s employed the crew of El Cazador to help him do it.

Not everyone agrees with his plan, though. His own people will stop at nothing to prevent the truth coming out, the Church is taking advantage of the confusion and attempting a coup, and even the crew of El Cazador seem close to tossing him out the airlock without a space suit. But defying death has never been more dangerous, sexier, or more fun.

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REVIEW: DEATH DEFYING is the third installment in Nina Croft’s adult, paranormal, sci-fi DARK DESIRES (formerly Blood Hunter) fantasy romance series focusing on the crew of the space cruiser –the El Cazador. This is GM (genetically modified) captain of the El Cazador Tannis, and Leader of the Universe Callum Meridian’s storyline. DEATH DEFYING can be read as a stand alone story but for cohesion, back story and overall enjoyment, I would recommend reading the series in order.

Some background: 1000 years after Earth’s demise, the ruling Collective, and the self-proclaimed Church of Everlasting Life play a major role in the control of space. The Collective control the rights to the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-that will bestow immortality on those who can afford the price. The Church is in the business of exterminating the genetically modified beings-considering them abominations and a sin against God. These two ruling factions are currently at war with one another and will destroy anyone that gets in their way-the El Cazador and crew are number one on the most wanted list.

Told from third person point of view, DEATH DEFYING finds Callum Meridian in need of help. Having left the Collective council in search of answers about the progressive physical changes to the members of the Collective, he presents Tannis and her crew an offer she cannot refuse. In exchange for their help, Callum will bestow Tannis with the promise of procuring the Meridian element for her personal use. But reaching the outlying planet of Trakis Seven is becoming increasingly difficult when The Church targets the El Cazador, Callum and Trakis Seven for destruction.

The relationship between Callum and Tannis is slow to build as the crew must find a way to outrun The Collective and The Church. Tannis’s backstory and history are revealed-the abuse and experimentation at the hands of the Collective finds our Captain reflecting about the loss of family and the isolation she had to endure. Tannis considers Callum persona non grata when she discovers that Callum may have more of a connection to the abuse then she had realized. But there is a definite sexual attraction between our leading couple, one that does not go unnoticed by the crew members or one another.

The secondary characters include all of the El Cazador crew. There are heartbreaking moments of loss and death for the misfit crew of vampires, werewolves and more. The world building continues with the story behind how Earth’s inhabitants came to find new homes on several different planets as well as the continuing war for control of space.

Once again, the similarities between this series, and the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises cannot be denied-from technology, to species and beyond. There are hopes and dreams, loss and death, mystery and suspense, action, drama and romance. We follow the members of the El Cazador on their journey through time and space; from black holes to poisonous planets they will encounter both the good and the bad, but sometimes there is no difference between the two.

Nina Croft’s DARK DESIRES series is seductive, entertaining and compelling. There are moments of pure passion, terrifying destruction and inventive fun all blended into a romantic tale not only between two people but about the vastness of space exploration and what is beyond the stars.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviews by Sandy