The Vampire’s Thirst (Blood Coven 4) by TM Smith-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 31, 2023

When Chiara Lopez was age ten, she was rescued from a fiery car crash by a vampire.

Now, enemies pursue a Firebrand warrior from his realm to Earth where they leave him for dead. Rescuing him, Chiara recognizes Dax as her savior from the crash long ago.

But he’s not the hero she dreamed of her entire life. He’s surly, aggressive, thirsty, and opposed to any relationship. While Dax sabotages their rocky romance, he and Chiara are on the run from his enemies and hers.

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REVIEW:THE VAMPIRE’S THIRST is the fourth instalment in TM Smith’s contemporary, adult BLOOD COVEN erotic, paranormal, fantasy romance series. This is Firebrand Warrior, vampire scion from the Bludclan Mortus, and Chiara Lopez’ story line. THE VAMPIRE’S THIRST can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

NOTE: 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 numerous third person perspective, following several paths, and a recitation of journal entries, THE VAMPIRE’S THIRST continues to focus on the search for the Blood Coven descendants. Having returned to Earth through a portal from Scath, Firebrand Warrior, vampire Dax has been left for dead by the group known as Arisen Dawn, and with the help of Chiara Lopez ,Dax is mended back to health but Chiara will remind Dax there is a mutual past between herself and the vampire, a past may have triggered the reveal of Chiara’s true nature. Chiara Lopez is a witch, and a direct descendant of the Blood Coven Witches. Trying to protect the woman with whom he will fall in love, Dax refuses to accept they are fated mates, as they journey towards the Firebrand stronghold. Meanwhile, Firebrand Tyr rescues another descendant Jace De Vries, but Jace is determined to find her friend who has been captured by Arisen Dawn.

The relationship between Chiara and Dax is one of rescue and recovery but Dax doesn’t do relationships, and in this, his treatment of Chiara is often heart breaking and sad. Chiara has been in love with Dax since he rescued her years before but Dax is determined to never fall for the woman that calls to his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

The world building is detailed, complex and multi-layered bouncing between several realms -Earth, Scath and Darque, the past and the present, good and evil, and numerous omniscient points of view. Once again, the Firebrands are but one of the groups searching for the Blood Coven Descendants, in an effort to take control of the portals between all three realms.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and powerful secondary and supporting character many of whom we have me in the previous story line. Each has an ongoing story and involvement with the Firebrand Warriors or Arisen Dawn, and with this, the story line continues to be elaborate.

THE VAMPIRE’S THIRST is a story of obsession, power and control, magic and mayhem, betrayal and vengeance, acceptance and love. The premise is long, detailed and somewhat complicated; the characters are numerous, energetic and edgy; the romance is provocative and seductive.

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

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)