Tag Archives: vampires

A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

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A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

 

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Description:
The only one who can save Sera now is the one she spent her life planning to kill.

The truth about Sera’s plan is out, shattering the fragile trust forged between her and Nyktos. Surrounded by those distrustful of her, all Sera has is her duty. She will do anything to end Kolis, the false King of Gods, and his tyrannical rule of Iliseeum, thus stopping the threat he poses to the mortal realm.

Nyktos has a plan, though, and as they work together, the last thing they need is the undeniable, scorching passion that continues to ignite between them. Sera cannot afford to fall for the tortured Primal, not when a life no longer bound to a destiny she never wanted is more attainable than ever. But memories of their shared pleasure and unrivaled desire are a siren’s call impossible to resist.

And as Sera begins to realize that she wants to be more than a Consort in name only, the danger surrounding them intensifies. The attacks on the Shadowlands are increasing, and when Kolis summons them to Court, a whole new risk becomes apparent. The Primal power of Life is growing inside her, pushing her closer to the end of her Culling. And without Nyktos’s love—an emotion he’s incapable of feeling—she won’t survive her Ascension. That is if she even makes it to her Ascension and Kolis doesn’t get to her first. Because time is running out. For both her and the realms.

 

 

Review:

A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the 2nd book in her Flesh and Fire series. I am such a big fan of Armentrout, as she always gives us fantastic fantasy stories, and wonderful lead characters.  The Flesh and Fire series is a prequel to her wonderful Blood and Ash series, taking place thousands of years prior to that series. Refresher: Seraphena (Sera) Mierel, our heroine, was born to be an assassin, fulfilling her part in a deal made by her ancestor all those years before, as she has trained to be a powerful weapon. Nyktos saves her life, and he takes her to his home, to become his Consort. It is here where we meet all of Nyktos’s wonderful warriors that guard him, and when they get back home, we meet many more wonderful secondary characters. A Light in the Flame picks up where A Shadow in Ember left off, with Sera’s true mission was exposed.

Though at first, most of Nyktos’s people resent Sera, but as she realizes Nyktos was never her target, everything begins to change; especially her feelings toward him. Nyktos truly accepts that she was trained to enact her forced plans, but now Sera is free, determined to help defeat the real enemy. Sera had been trained all her life to kill Nyktos, and now she knows that everything she knew was false.  Sera and Nyktos were so great together, with their chemistry off the wall.  Nyktos continues to protect Sera, and slowly all his crew, begin to care for her too. I loved how Sera would not listen to others, when she wanted to train, as well as to help Nyktos; the warriors always gave in, and her wonderful abilities won them all over. 

Sera was an awesome heroine, strong, fierce, powerful, determined, a warrior, with amazing abilities and courage.  Soon she realizes that she loves Nyktos, even though he is unable to love, but she will also be protective of him.  Nyktos was also great, as we couldn’t help fall in love with him; especially how he protects Sera, as well of all in his realm.  They were so great together, both succumbing to their true feelings.

I enjoyed all the wonderful characters in Shadowlands, as they were lots of fun, and totally opening up and accepting Sera.  I loved Nektas, who was great with Sera, always offering advice.  But most of all I adored both Jadis and Reaver (Nektas’ baby drakens). I really loved how Sera would use her powers to bring back to life two important women, whom both would then ascend. As we get closer to the end, thinking all was well, the coronation happens, and Sera is crowned Consort.

There were many villains in this book, that had me hating them, and as we raced to the end, we learn how despicable many of them were.  Kolis, the King of the Gods (the false Primal of Life), was evil, especially when the truths are revealed about his knowledge of the past, changing the game.  Attes, who turned into a traitor, showing his true side. Veses, who blackmailed Nyktos, causing Sera to think he was having affair with her, but later she will learn the real truth.

What follows is an exciting, action filled, emotional, sexy, intense, and romantic adventure that had me holding my breaths so many times.  The last third of the book was mind-blowing, with heart wrenching, emotional and many surprising twists. Jennifer L. Armentrout once again gives us another intriguing story, with wonderful world building, and lots of action, suspense, violence, betrayal, passion and fantastic characters. Of course, as the norm for JLA, we are left open, with a cliffhanger at the end.  Now we have to wait to see Sera and Nyktos again. If you have not read the Blood and Ash series, I suggest you read that series, then start Flesh and Fire series.

Reviewed by Barb

Owned copy

 

 

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Hunted (Dhampyr Series 1) by VM Nelson-a review

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Hunted (Dhampyr Series 1) by VM Nelson-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 25, 2022

Tasi, an eighteen-year-old, head-strong, blood-drinking, dhampyr, has been hidden away in a small town in Maine since the death of her parents. Though she had trained to fight and kill vampires, she never believed those skills would be useful in her mundane life. That’s where she’s wrong.

In one moment, her life changes forever, and her aunt’s final words ring in her head.

They want your blood.

Now orphaned and charged with protecting her sister, Emily—a sister who doesn’t know what they are or that she’s about to endure a life-threatening change—Tasi has no other choice but to follow directions left for her. She is to find an ally who lives in New York City. This is the only way Tasi will figure out why she and Emily are being hunted before they end up drained of their blood.

•••••

REVIEW: HUNTED is the first instalment in VM Nelson’s contemporary, young adult DHAMPYR paranormal series focusing on eighteen year Dhampyr Anastasia ‘Tasi’ Vasile.

Told from first person perspective (Tasi) HUNTED follows eighteen year old Tasi and her thirteen year old sister Emily Vasile, as they navigate a world in which vampires are hunting the duo for their blood. Tasi and Emily are hybrid-part human, part vampire- known as Dhampyrs. Dhampyrs are stronger, faster and more powerful than most vampires something that threatens the vampire population. On the run in the wake of their parents’ murder, Tasi and Emily go to New York in search of a woman called Sonya, a woman whose secrets run dangerous and deep but Tasi and Emily will find themselves in the company of vampires, vampires who will become both friend and foe, leaving the sisters with no one to trust. As Tasi trains with the resident vampires to fight the enemy coming for their blood, she finds herself falling in love with a young man she is unable to trust. Emily will undergo the change, a change very few Dhampyrs ever survive; the sisters are about to face an uncertain future when betrayal comes at the cost of friendships and trust.

We are introduced to several vampires: Ethan, Austin, Cas, Lizzie, and their mentor/master Sonya, as well as the resident librarian/researcher Jelena.

HUNTED is a slow building story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and friendships, secrets and lies. Like all young adult story lines, there is the requisite love triangle, the mean girl and jealousy, the secrets, and the questionable adult care…but HUNTED is also a very familiar story line akin to The Shadowhunters Series, with a little side serving of Vampire Academy, and The House of Night series. The similar overtones are many and recognizable. The premise is entertaining and interesting; the characters are familiar but energetic and young (even though many are decades old 😉 ). HUNTED ends on a bit of a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison – a Review

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Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison – a Review

 

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Description:
Rory Morris isn’t thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it is temporary. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby’s father, and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she’d put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she’s attacked.

Rory survives, miraculously, but life begins to look and feel different. She’s unnaturally strong, with an aversion to silver–and suddenly the moon has her in its thrall. She’s changing into someone else–something else, maybe even a monster. But does that mean she’s putting those close to her in danger? Or is embracing the wildness inside of her the key to acceptance?

This darkly comedic love story is a brilliantly layered portrait of trauma, rage, and vulnerability

 

 

Review:

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison is a standalone novel.  Rory Morris, our heroine, is not happy to return to her hometown, but her twin sister, Scarlett is pregnant and estranged from the baby’s father; and Rory needs to be there for her sister. She has bad memories, and has been distant with her mother, who is out of town.  When meeting friends at the local bar, she leaves early to drive back to the house, only to accidently hit an animal with her car; when she checks to see what she hit, Rory is attacked.

Rory survives, and is treated at the hospital, with scratches (why have her deep bruises disappeared?), not to mention she suddenly has extra strength, craves meat, angry and feels so very different.  After reading up, she begins to realize that she was bitten by a werewolf, and now she is changing into one. Rory tries to learn more about werewolves, and how to lock herself up during a full moon.

While Rory deals with her transformation, she meets an old flame, Ian, who still professes his love for Rory.  Rory must also deal with her mother, whom she resents, since she had a bad childhood experience with a former boyfriend of the mother.  Rory can’t forgive.

Most of the characters were flawed, which included Rory and Scarlett. Rory was a great heroine, doing everything she can to help her sister, and still deal with the change in her life being what she calls “a monster”. Despite that, Rory was cool, charismatic, sassy and quirky; Scarlett was even more unpredictable.  The relationship between Rory and Ian was nice, but what happens when Ian finds out about Rory?

Such Sharp Teeth was a wild ride of a book, that kept me entertained, as well as tense at times. I did like most of the secondary characters. The closer we got to the end, was very exciting, with a satisfying finale.  Such Sharp Teeth was very well written by Rachel Harrison.  

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Devouring Darkness by Chloe Neill – Review & Excerpt

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Devouring Darkness by Chloe Neill – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
As the only vampire ever born, and the daughter of two very powerful Chicago vampires, Elisa Sullivan knew her life was going to be…unusual. But she wanted to make her own way in the world, preferably away from her famous family. Then supernatural politics—and perhaps a bit of destiny—intervened, and Elisa had to steady her nerves and sharpen her steel to fight for the city of Chicago. Luckily, Connor Keene, son of the North American Central Pack’s Apex wolf, is right by her side.

When Elisa and her Ombudsman colleagues agree to escort a troubled sorcereress to Chicago, they inadvertently set in motion a scheme of long-awaited magical vengeance. The city may pay an arcane price it can’t afford unless Elisa and her allies rise to the challenge.

 

 

Review:

Devouring Darkness by Chloe Neill is the 5th book in her fantastic Heirs of Chicagoland series.  Refresher:  Elisa Sullivan, our heroine, is the only vampire child ever born, and her parents (Ethan & Merit) are the powerful leaders of the vampires that lead Chicagoland.  Connor Keen, our hero, is a werewolf and the heir apparent to the North American Central Pack Apex (Alpha). Connor and Elisa have become a wonderful romantic couple, as the chemistry between them is sizzling.

When Elisa and her Ombudsman colleagues agree to escort a troubled sorcerer to Chicago, they quickly learn that the woman they were trying save was a demon. With the demon loose, Chicago is under siege with chaos wreaking havoc.  The stakes are high, as Elisa tries to find the demon, and stop her from destroying Chicago; Connor always shows up to be by her side throughout.  Things become worse when Elisa’s family home disappears, which includes her mother, father, Connor’s mother, father, and many others we knew from previous books.  Time is of essence, as they only have a few days to stop the demon and save the family.  Connor is also under pressure from an out-of-town pack that plans on taking over his pack and challenging him.

I love how Elisa and Connor were so great together, with both of them always supporting each other, constantly being by their side whenever needed; even though she was a vampire and he was a werewolf.   They were both independent, strong, savvy and very much in love, with awesome chemistry. It was also nice to see many of the recurring characters in this series, such as Lulu, Alexi, Theo, Petra, as well as many of the originals from Chicagoland.

What follows is an exciting action filled adventure, especially in the last half of the book as the danger escalates, with threats are escalated. Devouring Darkness was very well-written by Chole Neill, with lots of action, romance, fun and intense. Once again, I thought Elisa was a fabulous heroine, and we got a glimpse of the monster inside of her, who would help her when the danger escalated, adding the strong element of a berserker. Only Connor was aware of the monster.

Chloe Neill gives us another great story, with a wonderful couple, great secondary characters.  Devouring Darkness was an exciting, tense, nonstop action filled addition to this wonderful series.  I wholly suggest you read this series.  I can’t wait for more.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

                             Excerpt

A human approached us-dark skin and dapper suit, trimly fit around a strong body. He smiled tentatively at me, then Lulu. “Lulu Bell?”

“That’s me,” Lulu said. “Hi.”

“I’m Clint Howard,” the man said, offering her a hand.

“Oh my god, sure!” Lulu said brightly, shaking and then gesturing to me. “Elisa, this is Clint. He owns the gallery.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “You’ve got a lovely space here. And . . . an eclectic collection.”

His grin was wide and a little sly. “We’re a space for emerging artists. And speaking of which, I saw your piece on Halsted. I’d love to talk to you about an installation.”

Lulu’s eyes went wide. She was a muralist and specialized in outdoor projects; her brightly colored creations covered at least a dozen brick

 

 

 

 

 

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Hot Enough to Burn/Slow Burn by Cynthia Eden-reviews

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HOT ENOUGH TO BURN/ SLOW BURN (Phoenix Fury 1 & 2) by Cynthia Eden

HOT ENOUGH TO BURN
Phoenix Fury 1
by Cynthia Eden
Re-release Date: January 20, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance

FREE ebook Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play /

Do you believe in monsters? You should, they walk among humans every single day. Reporter Eve Bradley has known the truth about paranormals for a while, and her latest story has taken her inside the mysterious Genesis facility. It’s at Genesis that Eve first meets Subject Thirteen, Cain O’Connor. Big, gorgeous, and truly, truly HOT.

Cain is a phoenix shifter. Every time that he dies, he rises from the ashes…stronger, deadlier, and another step closer to losing his control. And what happens when a phoenix loses control? Welcome to hell on Earth.

Cain feels an instant connection with Eve, a woman who swears she wants to help him. The attraction between them burns hotter than his flames, and soon, Eve is the only link to sanity that Cain has as the world turns to fire around him.

Eve isn’t human, despite the cover she’s used for years, and she is more than capable of withstanding a little heat. But as their enemies plot to trap them, Eve and Cain will be forced to trust each other completely. Be forced to surrender to a desire that cannot be controlled, and soon, if they are not careful, it’s a desire that might just have the power to destroy them both.

If you want something too badly, if you want someone too much…you will never even see the fire coming, not until it’s too late. Be careful. You don’t want to get burned…

•••••

REVIEW: HOT ENOUGH TO BURN is the first instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult PHOENIX FURY erotic, paranormal romance series. This is phoenix Cain O’Connor, and reporter Eve Bradley’s story line.

NOTE: HOT ENOUGH TO BURN is the re-release of the 2014 BURN FOR ME.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately ten years earlier the existence of the paranormal, the supernatural was revealed to the world. A group calling themselves GENESIS is capturing, torturing and performing unsanctioned experiments on the supernatural. These are their stories.

Told from third person perspective HOT ENOUGH TO BURN follows reporter Eve Bradley as she investigates the Genesis facility, a facility performing unsanctioned experiments on the supernatural. Eve will witness the torture and murder over and over of Subject Thirteen aka Cain O’Connor, a man whose inner beast is soothed by our story line heroine. On the run together, our couple have been targeted for their ‘magical powers’, powers when combined reveal a secret our heroine can no longer contain. Determined to take down the people responsible, Cain and Eve find themselves facing off against vampires, super charged werewolves, demons and more. What ensues is the building relationship between Eve and Cain, and the potential fall-out as lives are lost, and Cain struggles with Eve’s need to save the world.

Eve Bradley isn’t quite human but our heroine has the ability to withstand the fall-out from the man with whom she will fall in love. Hoping to reveal the atrocities taking place at the Genesis facility, Eve discovers the experiments are meant to create the ultimate supernatural, an immortal killing machine impossible to kill.Cain O’Connor has only one mission for the foreseeable future-taking down the man betraying the supernatural community but Cain never expected to come face to face with the woman that calls to heart, the woman that calms with beast within.

The relationship between Cain and Eve is one of immediate attraction but Cain fears hurting the woman with whom he will fall in love. Eve has no idea about the who and what of our story line hero but Eve is the only person capable of surviving Cain’s return to the living. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and hot, without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to vampire Ryder Duncan, werewolf Trace Frost, and scientist Dr. Richard Wyatt. Ryder’s story line is next.

HOT ENOUGH TO BURN is a story of betrayal and vengeance; power, obsession and control; love and acceptance. The premise is enchanting and intense; the romance is erotic and seductive; the characters are magical and charismatic.

 Cynthia Eden

Own a copy

_______

SLOW BURN
Phoenix Fury 2
by Cynthia Eden
Release Date: March 24, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance

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The king of the vampires is in hell…and he will do anything to get his freedom.

Ryder Duncan has been a prisoner at the Genesis facility for far too long. Trapped, starved, tortured—he is ready to do anything necessary in order to escape. If Genesis wants a monster, he will show his captors just how deadly he can be…

Then an angel is tossed into his cage. A beautiful angel who burns hell-hot and wrecks his world.

With one taste of Sabine Acadia’s blood, Ryder is hooked. Her taste is like no other and the flood of power he gets from her is a supernatural rush. He knows what she is—even before he is forced to watch the flames consume her. Beautiful, magical, more than a myth…Sabine is a phoenix, and when she rises, he vows that she will be his.

Thrown together in an alliance born of blood and passion, they have to trust each other.

Escape is their goal. Freedom their dream. Ryder vows to make their captors pay—in blood—even as he plans to keep Sabine at his side. He’s roamed this earth for centuries, and he’s always searched for his perfect mate. He just never expected his desire for her to burn so hot.

But that’s the thing about fire…even a slow burn will eventually consume you.

•••••••

REVIEW: SLOW BURN is the second instlament in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult PHOENIX FURY erotic, paranormal romance series. This is vampire Ryder Duncan, and phoenix Sabine Acadia’s story line. SLOW BURN can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order.

NOTE: SLOW BURN is the re-release of the author’s 2014 ONE BITTEN, TWICE BURNED. Some of the event of SLOW BURN cross over with, and run parallel to book one HOT ENOUGH TO BURN.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately ten years earlier the existence of the paranormal, the supernatural was revealed to the world. A group calling themselves Genesis is capturing, torturing and performing unsanctioned experiments on the supernatural in an effort to create the perfect soldier. These are their stories.

Told from third person perspective SLOW BURN follows ancient vampire Ryder Duncan and phoenix Sabine Acadia’s escape from the group known as Genesis. Ryder Duncan is an ancient vampire, believed to be the first vampire, and as such his powers are beyond that of which anyone knows but Ryder’s blood has been used by Genesis in an effort to create the perfect soldier but the power within the blood is more than anyone can handle. Enter phoenix Sabine Acadia, a young woman who knows nothing about her powers or the existence of the supernatural but a woman who is about to find herself front and centre in the unsanctioned experiments at the Genesis complex, experiments that match Sabine and Ryder together in an effort to merge their powers. Upon their escape, Sabine is desperate to return home to her family but her returns brings chaos and death to the people she loves. What ensues is the building relationship between Sabine and Ryder, and the potential fall-out as betrayal and vengeance target our story line couple.

Sabine Acadia is an innocent, naïve to the world of the supernatural but Sabine’s past is mired in secrets and lies, and our heroine is about to discover how truly deep goes the betrayal. Ryder Duncan is the king of all vampires, and as such, he is impervious to most of the ‘usual’ things used to kill a vampire including fire and our story line heroine but one taste of Sabine’s blood, and Ryder is unable to stay away, blood that calls to our hero’s heart.

The relationship between Sabine and Ryder begins as an experiment that goes horribly wrong for our story line couple. Ryder is starved of blood for months at a time, and Sabine is ripe for our hero’s lust. Sabine believes that Ryder only wants her for her blood but her memories reveal a bite that is both deadly and arousing. The $ex scenes are intimate and erotic without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Cain Connor and Eve Bradley (Hot Enough to Burn #1), scientists Richard Wyatt and Cassandra Armstrong, phoenix Dante, vampires Julia and Grayson; Sabine’s father and her brother Rhett; Rhett’s cousin Vaughn and his father Keith Adams; and Ryder’s brother Malcolm.

SLOW BURN is another story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, desperation and manipulation, torture and abuse, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is dramatic and passionate; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are energetic and strong.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Nightslayer by Zoe Forward -a Review

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The Nightslayer by Zoe Forward -a Review

 

Amazon

Description:
A prophesy prohibiting him from biting her… and one hot connection that can’t be denied…

Gemma Leight doesn’t believe in magic, not after years of witnessing senseless tragedy as an ER nurse. But the sexy vampire anti-hero in his medievalesque TV show speaks to her. As in, he said her name while looking at her. Just when she’s convinced she hallucinated the whole thing, she gets sucked into the TV.

For over a century, Skarde Blackmann has roamed as a hunter-for-hire against evil creatures. The moment he begins to believe the prophesy about him is bogus, Gemma comes through a mirror. HIs life depends on it. One slip up, one bite to the sassy woman who makes him laugh, and she’ll become a vampire like him and condemn his soul to damnation. Not a problem. Until he has no choice.

 

 

Review:

The Nightslayer by Zoe Forward is a stand-alone novel.  We meet Gemma Leight, our heroine, an ER nurse, who is tired of seeing terrible tragedies over the years.  She has a witch friend, Val, who is always there for her, including giving her some potions.  Gemma goes home each night to watch TV, and comes across a show, with a hunk of a hero, and her rooting for him.  The surprise comes when Gemma shouts to the TV for him to watch out from a possible attack, and he turns and hears her. 

Skarde Blackman, our hero, is a vampire, who is sent to fight against evil witches/creatures. When Skarde turns around at the shout he heard, he sees Gemma and is immediately enthralled by her sexy beauty.  Gemma thinks that Val gave her something that causes these hallucinations, until she is pulled into the TV/Mirror alongside Skarde.   In a short time, both Gemma and Skarde are sexually attracted to each other, with their chemistry off the wall. Gemma learns that she is in another realm, meeting others along the way, (Cade, Skarde’s brother; VanClief, former friend and possible enemy, a dwarf, with magic ability). Though she knows he is a Vampire, he protects her and promises he will not bite her, and after switching between portals, Gemma, despite the danger, wants to stay with Skarde.  He worries that she is not safe, especially with a prophecy that may revolve around both of them.

What follows is an exciting, action filled story that holds our attention throughout, and the relationship between Gemma and Skarde is wild and sexy.  To say too much more would be spoilers. Will Gemma survive the attempts from those who want to kill her for the prophecy?  Will Skarde push Gemma away in order to keep her safe?  You will need to read this book to find out.

The Nightslayer was a fun read, and very well written by Zoe Forward. I suggest you read The Nightslayer.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review

 

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The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

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The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

 

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Description:
From the desperation of golden crowns…

Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.

And born of mortal flesh…

Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.

A great primal power rises…

Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.

As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.

 

 

Review:

The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the 4th book in her fantastic Blood and Ash series. When we last left off, in The Crown of Gilded Bones, Cas is now a prisoner, being tortured by the evil Blood Queen, and her handmaidens and a powerful Revenant. Poppy, our amazing heroine, is determined to find a way to rescue Cas, with help from Kieran, the Wolvens, Drakens, and the Primal of Life guards. But in order to take back control of the territories that are part of the Blood Crown, Poppy must convince all the Atlantians, including her father-in-law (Valyn) to join forces, as they make their way to Carsononia, and the war to destroy the Blood Crown. I did like how Valyn was supportive to Poppy.  Poppy wanted to prove to the mortals in those Blood Crown lands that she wanted peace, and was not The Harbinger.

Poppy’s powers continue to increase, as she nears the culling; something Reaver (Draken) explains more about. I loved Reaver, not to mention Kieran and the fantastic wolvens loyal to their Queen, Poppy; the secondary characters were all awesome, Vonetta, Delano, Emil, Naill, Hisa, Tawny, just to name a few. 

For at least more than half way through this book, we only saw through Cas’s POV during his imprisonment, and the things they did to him to try and force Poppy to rescue him.  I love their heartmate dreams between them, that was great, as his devotion to Poppy was awesome. It was also interesting to see Malik, learn more about Millicent, and who she really was.  I also got a kick out of Kieran and Reaver’s bickering between them.  Fun. 

What follows is an intense, exciting and wild almost last half of the book, especially once Cas was freed and back with Poppy, Kieran and their wonderful team. The mind-blowing action in the last ¼ of the book was heart-wrenching, with lots of violence, danger, deaths that had me holding my breath, unable to put the book down.  Isbeth (Blood Queen) was truly evil, and the twist she threw at them was a surprise, but Poppy was as equally as strong as she was, which led to an amazing twist.  To say too much more would be spoilers and I do not want to spoil anything for you.   I so look forward to how the next book will have Poppy and Cas, and Sera and Nykos.   Should be amazing.

I will note that the terrible reactions from people (are they really fans?) crucifying JLA for the Joining, was very disrespectful.  JLA created her story line, how she saw it fit. It was her creativity, her characters, her story; however, she imagined it to be. 

The War of Two Queens was another intriguing continuation to this fantastic series, with wonderful world building, and lots of action, suspense, violence, passion and fantastic characters.    As we race to the exciting heartbreaking, shocking, mindboggling climax, there are some amazing revelations.  The War of Two Queens was very well written by JLA, and also a romantic and intense story line that had a bit of everything.  I can’t wait for the next book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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The Blood is Love (Dark Eyes 2) by Karina Halle-Review tour

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The Blood is Love (Dark Eyes 2) by Karina Halle-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 1, 2021.

From the fog-shrouded bay of San Francisco to the dark cobblestone streets of Helsinki and all the hidden places in-between, The Blood is Love takes the reader on a sensual and twisted journey deep into Lenore and Solon’s lush vampire world in this thrilling sequel to Black Sunshine.

When Lenore Warwick turned twenty-one, she expected lots of bar-hopping, parties with friends, and the occasional hookup. What she got was the realization that she’s both a witch and a vampire, and that there are things in this world that want her dead. Thank god she has her enigmatic vampire lover, Absolon Stavig, to help show her the ropes. But while Lenore struggles to fit into her new topsy turvy world, full of blood, sex, and magic, she also has to contend with her messy and complicated love for a vampire who isn’t always what he seems.

To make matters worse, her real father, Jeremias, a powerful warlock from the dark side, has professed an interest in her, while Solon’s father, the depraved vampire king Skarde, is intent on destroying everything she loves. When Solon and Lenore have to travel to Finland to work alongside Solon’s charming and vicious brother, Kaleid, in an attempt to defeat Skarde once and for all, the two of them enter a bloody new world that neither of them are prepared for. Even if their love survives the carnage to come, the chances of them getting out of there alive are slim.
Good thing they like to take their chances.

••••••••

REVIEW:Your advised to read the description and trigger warning before going ahead with this book….

Second book in this series, and you really should read the first book before diving into the next one, otherwise most of the book won’t make sense.

It’s been a little while since the first book (oh all right, just four months!) and not that I needed an excuse to read Lenore and Absolon’s first book, I just wanted to visit again ?

So……
This book starts where the last book finished. And I’m going to try not to give anything away. We spend the first half of the book watching the couple build a bond, it’s kinky, freaky and romantic all in equal parts.

Second part of the book is a non stop rollercoaster of emotions, fights and parental blowups!

Lenore is trying to manage her new skills as a witch/vampire, her parents are doing their best to help her, but they are also keeping their distance. Solon is also trying to help, but he can only help with the vampire side, to control her thirst, and getting to grips with her strength. And then her biological father shows up and tells her he can help her tap into her potential! (But why do I get the feeling her father isn’t going to be a great role model!)

Absolon is also trying to come to terms with his relationship with Lenore. He honestly never thought he’d love someone as much as Lenore, but he also worries for her and about her….His beast is trying to make its presence known, and if Solon doesn’t keep a hard hold on it and the beast breaks free, it could take the one thing Solon truly loves…..

We also get to see new and old characters, and so there should be plenty of spin-off’s Solon’s siblings, Lenore’s and Solon’s friends Amethyst and Wolf (there was some series vibes going on between these two) these added vibrancy and much needed relief and help in places.

The ending did grab me by the throat! I did not see that coming!!

It’s all about fighting the darkness and evil within oneself. It’s love and hate. Betrayal and redemption. Family doesn’t have to be blood. And friends can turn into family. Solon’s brother was great, his father King Skarde was one mean SOB! I couldn’t put the book down, it had me riveted to the pages. There will be moments that will have you cringing, parts that will have you almost throwing your kindle to the wall! But there is also moments that will bring a tear to your eye. It’s so cleverly written, it flows seamlessly from one chapter to the other.

It’s a great book, it’s dark, it’s disturbing and it’s a highly recommended book from me.

Click HERE for Julie’s review of book one BLACK SUNSHINE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

Karina Halle is a former travel writer, music journalist & screenwriter, and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author of over 55 bestselling novels, ranging from horror and suspense to contemporary romance. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband, and her adopted pitbull Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Root Literary Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster, Hachette & Montlake. Her work has been translated and published in 20 languages.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

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