The Satyr’s Guilt ( Blood Coven 3) by TM Smith-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 7, 2023

Denim Quinn is scarred…
She’s human, ex-military, ex-police, and now an ex-Alliance agent who has a bad history with men, most notably an abusive ex-husband whose brutal blows left her marked by visible and invisible scars. She’s not in the market for another man.

Ramirez is weighed down by guilt…
The satyr Firebrand warrior from Scath with spectacular looks, a bigger-than-life ego, and uber sex appeal is not in the market for a human female. His past taught him they’re fragile.

But when they meet…
Sparks fly and the action heats up. Ram and Denim partner to square off against Humans First, a paramilitary group bent on exposing the other realm’s Aeternals to the American army. If he survives being their target, maybe they can put their pasts to rest.

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REVIEW:THE SATYR’S GUILT is the third instalment in TM Smith’s contemporary, adult THE BLOOD COVEN erotic, paranormal/fantasy series. This is human, ex-military, ex-police, and now an ex-Alliance agent Denim Quinn, and satyr Firebrand Ramirez aka Ram’s story line. THE SATYR’S GUILT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Thousands of years earlier, a powerful group of witches and warlocks, in an effort to protect the human race, divided the world creating three realms: Earth, Scath and Darque. The Blood Coven series focuses on the fight to keep the worlds physically separated in the face of some powerful people hoping to control one or all. The Aeternals are the overarching collection of breeds and supernatural species that inhabit the Scath and Darque realms, and the Alliance are the group of humans that monitor all supernatural activity on Earth.

Told from third person perspective, following several paths, and a recitation of journal entries, THE SATYR’S GUILT follows in the wake of a new designer drug on the streets, a drug that is making its’ user stronger, faster and seemingly immortal but as the Firebrands continue their search for the descendants of the original members of the Blood Coven, Denim Quinn will find herself pulled into Scath, where her attraction to the satyr Firebrand Ram will manifest her powers as one of the descendants of the original Coven. All is not well during the Mardi Gras celebrations in NOLA, as the paramilitary group Humans First hunt those with supernatural powers, and Arisen Dawn begin to amass an army of humans addicted to the new designer drug. As Denim and Ram’s relationship crosses over to something more, the Firebrands find themselves at a disadvantage when one of their own is struggling to survive.

The relationship between Ram and Denim is one of palpable sexual attraction but like all of the Firebrand males, Ram is an alpha, and fears for the life of the woman with whom he is falling in love. Denim is an experienced solider, a former police officer and Alliance agent, and as such, struggles with Ram’s need to protect our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are erotic, passionate and intense.

The world building continues to be complex and detailed as the Firebrands proceed with their search for the Blood Coven descendants but the Firebrands are not the only group looking for anyone with Blood Coven Lineage as someone else is hoping to cross the thresholds between Scath and Earth.The back story about the creation of the three worlds is revealed through the reading of historical journals, journals that begin to take on a life of their own.

THE SATYR’S GUILT is a slow building, comprehensive and character driven story line of discrimination and speciesism; power and control, vengeance and determination, acceptance and love. The secondary and supporting characters are numerous, powerful, magical and dynamic-the author includes an index of characters, names, species and positions as well as terms and places at the beginning of the story. The premise is detailed, action packed and intriguing; the romance is fated and provocative.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Firebrand
The Demon’s Fire

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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A master’s degree in English and a doctorate in administration led me to education. After retiring from my career as a teacher and principal, I settled in to write something more creative than lesson plans on split infinitives and inner-school memos on noise in the hallway.

My first novel was the romantic mystery comedy romp Affection for Crime. My plans were to make this Maggie Hall book the first in a series about a quirky columnist and her friends and lovers. That may still happen, but interest in a different genre has changed my direction.

I am now living with vampires, demons, ylves, mages, and other magical beings who keep me awake at night with their tales of love and adventure. Taking great interest in their lives, I began a paranormal romance series with alpha males who aren’t always nice and females who have no problem keeping them in line.

I have learned much about the difference between writing a series and writing a stand-alone book. First, get a fantastic writing software program. Second, keep great notes. And third, do not think book one is complete until you have finished book five. These have been hard-learned lessons, but I am a hardheaded author.

Here are more orts, scraps, and fragments from my life. (Thank you, Virginia Woolf and Shakespeare.) I moved from sunny Las Vegas to the less-than-sunny Pacific Northwest. Here I have adventures with my daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters who also moved to the area. I also enjoy my membership at Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN), a local organization that supports the arts and offers classes and events with eleven different studios where a welcoming community of artists praise each other’s efforts. It was at BARN where my critique group began. With equal time given to in-depth comments on each other’s works, snarky remarks, and laughter, we have now been together over five years. (from the Author’s website)