Nighlife; New York by Travis W Luedke

Synopsis     

The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

Vampires, strippers, escorts, night clubs, pimps and dirty cops – the Nightlife New York is never boring.

Aaron Pilan’s life is forever changed when he’s shot trying to rescue a drop-dead gorgeous woman on the streets of New York. Aaron is thrust into the shocking world of vampiric slavery when Michelle shares her blood to save his life.

Michelle's existence as a solitary vampire is also altered when she accepts this naive young man into her life. Bound by her blood, Aaron is subject to her authority. He walks a tightrope of strictly controlled feeding regiments and intense sexual adventures while catering to the neurotic control-freak tendencies of his new master. She vows to eliminate him if he proves too difficult to control.

This story is bold and evocative, infusing blood, sex, love and turmoil in an urban drama about two vampires battling evil outside and within themselves.

Review

Aaron is a quiet 22 year old who works in an Italian Restaurant, and at the end of a long shift he clocks of at midnight, intending to pick up a case of beer and head home. That is until he sees a drop dead gorgeous woman in the street, who has been stopped by a couple of corrupt cops for soliciting. As they try to arrest her, Aron goes to intervene and ends up being shot by one of the police men, leaving the woman with a decision that could change both their lives.

The drop dead gorgeous women turns out to be a vampire called Michelle, it is so refreshing to have a female vampire as the lead character instead of the traditional male. It adds a whole new angle to a book about vampires, but just as the male vampires in modern times are totally hot with a body to die for, Michelle is the female equivalent, being 5 foot with all the right curves in all the right places. Michelle turns Aaron into a vampire, and I really enjoyed watching his progression from a new vampire into a strong, self-assured male equivalent to her.

The book is full of characters who frequent the dirtier side of night life in New York, you have the pimp who is held to ransom by dirty cops along with strippers, hookers and the ‘escorts services’ all of whom provide the perfect backdrop for a vampire to feed, the author brings to life the seedier side of life in a city that never sleeps. His way of writing is concise, clear and original, he doesn’t need lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged, the burgeoning relationship between Michelle and Aaron does that for you.  Travis presents his readers with a well thought out novel in which he has a knack for blending erotica and violence with romance and action to keep me reading the book

Although there are erotic parts to the book, it isn’t gratuitous and it is appropriate to the story line, adding depth to the book. I also liked the idea of a living vampire who ages extremely slowly, but retains the superior strength, the feeding and the mind controlling stare of the more traditional undead and don’t forget the sleeping all day! I also liked the idea of short timed feeding from the cattle aka humans and the way they feed in public on nightclub dance floors adding to the underlying dangerous nature of a vampire.

I enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to others, especially if you want an easy read, that doesn’t depend on you having to concentrate hard to keep track of the characters and all the twists and turns you find in other books. The best recommendation I can give, is that I’ve just started reading the second book in the series Nightlife; Las Vegas, as I enjoyed the first so much.

I rate this book

 

Why do women like vampires in the books they read?

I personally love books with vampires in them, they are charming, sexy and deadly, and mix that with the bad boy image many women love, they’ve got us hook line and sinker. Look at Eric Northman in the True Blood series by Charlaine Harris or Jean Claude in the Anita Blake series by L K Hamilton, they definitely get my vote.

So what is that attracts us women

Vampires tend to be loners, they have no family or friends to worry about no work commitments to drag them away, and their sole interest in life is where their next meal is coming from. Is it that dark brooding image that attracts us ladies, or a tryst with no strings attached, that is if you leave alive! They can also live in groups with a hierarchy dependent on their strength and abilities, many books use this format for example, the True blood series or the Anita Blake series of books. In the Anita Blake books Jean Claude is the master of the city and he oozes power and sexual attraction, which he uses to draw in Anita Blake (and the readers) to him. If you capture the heart of a vampire, you know they will love you forever, and they will let everyone know you are theirs and theirs only, think about Bill Compton in True Blood, he left it in no doubt that Sookie belonged to him. Secretly some women love the idea of being loved, cared for and made to feel special by a strong man who caters to her every needs and leaves others in no doubt you belong to them. In their fantasy world women can have as much unbridled emotion, sexuality and sensuality as they like. He doesn’t want you just for sex, he tends to want to look after you completely, and a relationship with them doesn’t leave you feeling suffocated by their demands, you have all the day light hours to yourself. In a woman’s unconscious quest for love and forbidden pleasures, maybe some women are attracted to vampires who embody what we are missing in our lives, a life where she may be taken for granted, looks after the kids, works etc., and hey it’s nice to fantasise about a different life brought to you in a great vampire novel.

They have no need to rely on gadgets or to follow current trends, although in many books they use their wealth to increase their power base, whereas in others they tend to be minimalist needing little giving them the ability to move swiftly with little encumbrance. They are slick and have a very cool image, they have style wearing colours and clothes that never go out of fashion, think long black leather duster coat and sunglasses. You can imagine them wanting to spend their wealth on making you happy, whilst they can fulfil your dream of a life beyond what you currently have. They have a power and sophistication beyond your wildest dreams, and if anyone is bothering or hurting you they will take care of them for you, and we do like our men to know what they want and know how to get it. Having the ability to hold a conversation doesn’t hurt either,

One of the main fascinating things they have is their fangs, always hidden, only revealed when they move in for the bite. Lost in the vampire world in books, surely I’m not the only one imagining what it would be like to be seduced and bitten by a vampire, obviously in a good way not deadly. Let us not forget that the new wave of vampire novels portray them as very hot & sexy in a very steamy let’s get into the shower together way and so not like the Count Dracula portrayals of the past played by actors such as Christopher Lee or Bela Lugosi. Also centuries of practice, make vampires experts in the bedroom, and they know exactly how to please a woman. Along with their burning desire for you it’s no wonder ladies don’t mind being bitten, especially knowing what the old vampire bite can lead to. Sex and vampires are synonymous, and because they appeal to our innermost animalistic desires maybe this is why women readers are so drawn to the vampires they read about.

Fear can produce chemicals in the brain which can change into excitement, and sex mixed with danger can make for a heady cocktail, in a vampire romance. When vampires made their appearance in literature, think Bram Stockers Count Dracula, vampires were considered cold-blooded monsters. It isn’t until more recent times that they’ve evolved through books and film into the hot sexy vamps we have come to love, portraying them to look and feel more human and that they too can experience suffering and love like us. Also their inner fight of good versus evil make them the perfect candidates for many women who seek out partners who need fixing and secretly would love to be “the one” to save and tame the ultimate bad boy

The modern day vampires portrayed in books all have one underlying trait that catches women all the time, they are gorgeous, and the vampires you read about or see on the big screen and TV are always the embodiment of the perfect male, tall, strong with a physique to die for, think about Edward Cullen from The Twilight series, Eric Northman from True Blood or Jean Claude from the Anita Blake series of books. They will always stay fit and young for ever with the stamina to go with it, an option practically every woman would love to have.

The final fantasy for women readers is the vampire’s ability make you immortal and beautiful for ever with just a bite and the chance to live the dream forever! Who wouldn’t love to be an immortal stunning vampire!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I'm reading now

Synopsis 

Aaron Pilan’s life is forever changed when he’s shot trying to rescue a drop-dead gorgeous woman on the streets of New York. Aaron is thrust into the shocking world of vampiric slavery when Michelle shares her blood to save his life.

Michelle's existence as a solitary vampire is also altered when she accepts this naive young man into her life. Bound by her blood, Aaron is subject to her authority. He walks a tightrope of strictly controlled feeding regiments and intense sexual adventures while catering to the neurotic control-freak tendencies of his new master. She vows to eliminate him if he proves too difficult to control.

This story is bold and evocative, infusing blood, sex, love and turmoil in an urban drama about two vampires battling evil outside and within themselves

Fade to Black

Synopsis

 

 Book 1 of 5 in the epic paranormal suspense series. "Any minute now a hooded man will come barrelling out of nowhere and kill me. So that sucks. I know this because it has happened six times before. I wake up in this alley, hung from a post by a piece of rope lashed to one ankle, tied in a hangman's knot. After several minutes of work, I pry my bonds free, and about thirty seconds after I hit the ground, this guy in a black hooded robe gives me a pretty bad case of death. His hands are cold on my neck. And dry. I try to fight him, to claw at his eyes, but I can't reach, to scratch at his arms, but he's too strong. He's silent. I try to yell at him, but I manage more of a gurgle and some clicky noises. I don't even know what I'd say, I guess, but I can assure you that he seems like a real dick. Everything goes all fuzzy and fades to gray, then black. I die, and then I go... someplace else, I guess. I don't know. I can't remember that part just now." So it begins. One second JEFF GROBNAGGER is standing in line at the grocery store, and the next he's in an alley where a hooded figure strangles him to death. Sucks. This happens over and over again, every time Grobnagger has a seizure. Alley. Choking. Death. Repeat. What for? Why would anyone want to kill him repeatedly? Is it just a seizure dream? When a sniper's bullet shatters his apartment window, he realizes two things: he's in serious danger, and there's no way he's getting his security deposit back.

Review 

The story revolves around the character of Jeff Grobnagger, who's name is the best one I've come across for quite a while, and that he has seemingly random seizures which dissolve into the same scene where he relives his murder time after time. In the opening of the book, we find him having a seizure in a local grocery store, where he meets Glenn, in what appears to be a total coincidence. Jeff's character is great, he comes across as a loner who wants a quiet life with as little as possible interaction with others, where as Glenn has a cat with digestive problems and a missing daughter.

The book is well written, and the authors take their time to both build the characters and the story line. The use of two total opposite character traits in Jeff & Glenn, allows them to bounce off each other, which only adds to the great narration by Jeff. The story gently twists and turns, allowing the reader to enjoy and absorb the plot, unlike books with lots of twists, turns and red herrings.

I really like it when Jeff mulls over what is happening at the moment or what had previously happened, and the way in which he sees his situations and circumstances, even when he's being strangled. The way Jeff is pulled way out of his comfort zone only adds depth and humour  to his character. There is a lot of dark humour in this book, but as it came to a close, there was also a lot of sole searching. I also quite liked how the main focus of the story was Jeff and Glenn without loads of superfluous characters, that don't really add to the story, but the shadowy secrecy of an underground movement in the background of the book really adds to the depth of the storyline.

 I would recommend this tale of Jeff Grobnagger to those who like to read books a little out of the mainstream and would appreciate a fresh look at the basis of this book in a way that really hasn't been done before. One thing I will say though is that this isn't a standalone book, you will have to read the next book/s to find out what happens to Jeff, as the writers leave you hanging on at the end, wanting to know more.

I rate this book

The Void (Witching Savannah book 3)

Synopsis

An otherworldly energy runs through the city of Savannah, betraying its sleepy, moss-cradled charm. The old, beguiling streets look welcoming to most…but certain families know what lurks under their genteel surfaces. Families like Mercy Taylor’s, which has the most powerful lineage of witches in the South, know this all too well.

Mercy and her husband, Peter, are happily preparing to welcome baby Colin into their lives. But their excitement quickly becomes overshadowed by a gruesome discovery: someone has scattered severed limbs throughout the city. After a troubling visit from an old foe, Mercy learns dark magic is at play, and someone—or something—wants her and her unborn child out of the picture. To uncover the shocking reason why, the amateur witch must face a force beyond her power…or risk losing everything.

 The third book in J.D. Horn’s Witching Savannah series, The Void is a gripping adventure about the enchantment—and evil—that can lie just beyond sight.
 

Review

Well where do I start, it’s taken me a few days to sit and write this review, as I wanted to be a bit more rational about it, after I read the last page feeling ‘what the hell was that all about’. The book starts with the finding of different body parts strewn around Savannah, and the Taylors convinced there is a magical basis to it as they desperately try to find out what kind of magic is afoot. Evan Adam, who is investigating the ‘murder’ turns to them for help. Meanwhile Mercy & Peter are busy preparing for the arrival of their first child.

The first 50% of the book is how I would expect the story to go, as Mercy’s life starts to unravel around her. There is so much tragedy and death, along with family secrets being revealed. Then we hit the second part of the book, where I just don’t know what the writer was thinking. There are so many twists, turns & red herrings, which has the reader wondering what on earth is going on, and puts your head in a spin. \It’s so unexpected, when more deaths lead to a main character leaving, then Mercy is told her baby is an abomination and must be controlled, leading to yet another characters sacrifice. It seemed Mercy’s life was going to end in tragedy & she wasn’t destined for a happy ending nor too many of the main characters either.

She is tricked by her mother (still alive & has more lives than a cat) & Gudrun to try and bring down the line. Yet they didn’t reckon on Jilo making an appearance, I missed the character of Jilo in this book, so it was great to see her again even if it was for such a short time.

 The book was still making reasonable sense until 85% through, then I lost the plot and so did the author I think. Things started to be played out on different planes & timelines with characters who were dead coming back to life, whilst other dead characters came to Mercy’s aid and turned the readers beliefs on its head (about the story). Timelines were forced together, despite being very different, it just felt that what I liked about the whole story, were being altered into a completely different storyline that I didn’t recognise and could have been written by a different author.

 After all the twists, turns etc. the author still managed another twist to deliver the perfect happy ending that didn’t really fit with the story, and just felt like the author needed to tie up all the loose ends so everyone was happy. The main thing I felt after such an emotional journey to the end, that Mercy didn’t get the ending she deserved.  I'm still feeling very conflicted about it, even a few days after reading it, it’s a shame really, I know a lot of times the last book in a trilogy or series can leave readers feeling a little let down but it’s rare for one to leave you flabbergasted.

 I rate this book

 

Currently Reading

Synopsis

Book 1 of 5 in the epic paranormal suspense series. Book 1 of 5 in the epic paranormal suspense series. "Any minute now a hooded man will come barreling out of nowhere and kill me. So that sucks. I know this because it has happened six times before. I wake up in this alley, hung from a post by a piece of rope lashed to one ankle, tied in a hangman's knot. After several minutes of work, I pry my bonds free, and about thirty seconds after I hit the ground, this guy in a black hooded robe gives me a pretty bad case of death. His hands are cold on my neck. And dry. I try to fight him, to claw at his eyes, but I can't reach, to scratch at his arms, but he's too strong. He's silent. I try to yell at him, but I manage more of a gurgle and some clicky noises. I don't even know what I'd say, I guess, but I can assure you that he seems like a real dick. Everything goes all fuzzy and fades to gray, then black. I die, and then I go... someplace else, I guess. I don't know. I can't remember that part just now." So it begins. One second JEFF GROBNAGGER is standing in line at the grocery store, and the next he's in an alley where a hooded figure strangles him to death. Sucks. This happens over and over again, every time Grobnagger has a seizure. Alley. Choking. Death. Repeat. What for? Why would anyone want to kill him repeatedly? Is it just a seizure dream? When a sniper's bullet shatters his apartment window, he realizes two things: he's in serious danger, and there's no way he's getting his security deposit back.

The Top 20 Vampires in Books

Came across this article about the top 20 vampires in books, take a look and see if you agree here

I'm pleased to see Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse series  by Charleene Harris and Jean Claude from Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by L K Hamilton

Top Titles & Series 2014

This is a list of the top ten books that I read last year, before I started blogging, It will be interesting to see what my top ten will be next year, from all the books I will have reviewd!

1. A Game Of Thrones – G R R Martin
2. Redemption (Penton Vampire Legacy) – Susannah Sandlin
3. A Kiss of Shadows (Merry Gentry series) – L K Hamilton
4. Allegiance (Penton Vampire Legacy) – Susannah Sandlin
5. Divergent (Divergent Trilogy) – Veronica Roth
6. Allegiance (Divergent Trilogy) – Veronica Roth
7. Insurgent (Divergent Trilogy) – Veronica Roth
8. Among The Unseen (The Thin Veil Trilogy)
9. Eve of Darkness (Marked Series) – Sylvia Day
10. The Testing (The Testing Series) – Joelle Carbonneau


Here are my top 5 series from Last year, again were my own personal books to read, but not blogged.

1. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter – L K Hamilton
2. Merry Gentry sereis – L K Hamilton
3. Penton Vampire Leagacy – Susannah Sandlin
4. Divergent Trilogy – Veronica Roth
5. Marked Series – Sylvia Day

Next book i'm reading

Synopsis     

An otherworldly energy runs through the city of Savannah, betraying its sleepy, moss-cradled charm. The old, beguiling streets look welcoming to most…but certain families know what lurks under their genteel surfaces. Families like Mercy Taylor’s, which has the most powerful lineage of witches in the South, know this all too well.

Mercy and her husband, Peter, are happily preparing to welcome baby Colin into their lives. But their excitement quickly becomes overshadowed by a gruesome discovery: someone has scattered severed limbs throughout the city. After a troubling visit from an old foe, Mercy learns dark magic is at play, and someone—or something—wants her and her unborn child out of the picture. To uncover the shocking reason why, the amateur witch must face a force beyond her power…or risk losing everything.

The third book in J.D. Horn’s Witching Savannah series, The Void is a gripping adventure about the enchantment—and evil—that can lie just beyond sight.

The Source (Witching Savannah bk 2)

Synopsis      

Graceful trees and historic buildings fill Savannah, Georgia, but beneath the city's Southern splendor, its supernatural roots run deep. The members of local witch families grace the society pages...when they're not secretly protecting their magical work from dark forces.

Savannah resident Mercy Taylor may now be in control of the South's most powerful family of witches, but she's struggling to master her newfound magic. Pregnant with her first child and still reeling from a heartbreaking betrayal, she just wants to be able to use her supernatural abilities without accidentally destroying dishes or blasting the doors off buildings.

But when Mercy's long-presumed-dead mother suddenly returns, begging Mercy to keep her presence under wraps, the witch wonders how many secrets her family is hiding...and who she can really trust. And when the danger around her intensifies to deadly levels, Mercy knows she must discover the truth behind her family's magic—before it destroys her.

Review

What I will say from the outset this book is definitely an improvement from the first one. It feels like a more well rounded book, the story seems stronger & it's more entertaining. As the story unfolds, Mercy is pregnant and the anchor of the line in Savannah, but the other anchors are not happy about the fact. We see her mother Emily returning even though she was supposed to have died in childbirth, but she isn’t what Mercy had dreamed of. Throughout the twists and turns of the book I, along with Mercy end up wondering who to believe, which I think is what the author intended. Meanwhile Mercy’s main focus is to find her sister, and she asks Mother Jilo for help.

I really like the character of Mother Jilo, and it’s a neat way of portraying her speaking as the third person about herself. She is seen as a tough character but there is also a kinder softer side where Mercy is contained and this gives her character more depth. I must say though that Mercy is’nt as annoying as some of the main female characters in books I’ve read lately, and the author added another layer to her character, when her mothering instincts come to fore.

There were better twists and turns in this book, which kept you guessing as to who where good or evil characters, and some very imaginative secrets about Mercy and her family which are revealed throughout the book.  The background of the book, Savannah Georgia is a great base for the story as the witches vie for power and the upper hand, I really like books based in the south of America, as there’s always that hint of darkness and a hidden world there. Also the author pulled in different folk lore into the story, you have a Golum from jewish Lore, the Fae from Ireland and the Hoodoo from the deep south of America, which I think were a brilliant addition.

All that said, what I would say is read book one The Line and don’t let it put you off the next book. Stick with it and read this book, it’s well worth it. If you like darkness and grit in the books you read then this series isn’t for you, but if you like or are ready for a book that is easy to read, doesn’t tax the brain too much, then I would recommend it.

I rate this book

latest news

Check out an article in Esquire which is about how Genre Fiction became more important than literary fiction. Read it here...

Also love the vampire rd nose for Comic Relief

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

It's 18 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired on TV, I loved this show and can't believe it's been so long. Check out Metro newspaper article for 18 reasons why it was the best show on TV. Check it out here

Currently Reading

I'm currently reading book 2 of the Witching Savannah sereis - The Source. I hope this is an improvement on the last one, but as always I keep an open mind, until I've read the book. So watch this space, review coming soon.

Synopsis

Graceful trees and historic buildings fill Savannah, Georgia, but beneath the city's Southern splendor, its supernatural roots run deep. The members of local witch families grace the society pages...when they're not secretly protecting their magical work from dark forces.

Savannah resident Mercy Taylor may now be in control of the South's most powerful family of witches, but she's struggling to master her newfound magic. Pregnant with her first child and still reeling from a heartbreaking betrayal, she just wants to be able to use her supernatural abilities without accidentally destroying dishes or blasting the doors off buildings.

But when Mercy's long-presumed-dead mother suddenly returns, begging Mercy to keep her presence under wraps, the witch wonders how many secrets her family is hiding...and who she can really trust. And when the danger around her intensifies to deadly levels, Mercy knows she must discover the truth behind her family's magic—before it destroys her.

The second book in J.D. Horn's Witching Savannah series, The Sourcecasts a thrilling spell.   

The Line (Witching Savannah book 1)

Synopsis      

Mercy Taylor, the youngest member of Savannah’s preeminent witching family, was born without the gift of magic. She is accustomed to coming in a distant second to the minutes older, exquisite and gifted twin she adores. Hopelessly in love with her sister’s boyfriend, she goes to a Hoodoo root doctor for a love spell. A spell that will turn her heart to another man, the best friend who has loved her since childhood.

Aunt Ginny, the family’s matriarch, would not approve. But Mercy has more to worry about than a love triangle when Aunt Ginny is brutally murdered. Ginny was the Taylor family’s high commander in the defense of the bewitched line that separates humankind from the demons who once ruled our realm.

A demon invasion looms now that the line is compromised. Worse yet, some within the witching world stand to gain from a demon takeover. Mercy, entangled in the dark magic of her love spell, fighting for her sister’s trust, and hopelessly without magic, must tap the strength born from being an outcast to protect the line she doesn’t feel a part of...

In this riveting contemporary fantasy, Horn delivers the full betrayal, blood, and familial discord of the best of Southern gothic.

Review

The Line is a tail of a young women born to a family of witches, where her twin sister is the golden child with strong magic within in her, and Mercy has non. She has been rejected by her family & Great Aunt Ginny (who is the matriarch of the family ) as being ‘the disappointment’. After the murder of her great aunt, a web of lies tumbles as the story enfolds.

There are a number of small twists within the story line, but they are in a different league to some authors who’s twists and turns in their books keep you riveted to the end. Another issue I had with the book, is how Mercy came across as young, erratic and questioning, but in parts was made out to be a strong mature adult. I know the author probably wanted the character to have depth with many layers, but in parts these layers were conflicting.

I also wasn’t sold on the romantic element either the supposed love triangle between Mercy, Peter & Jackson, lacked any depth or substance. Jackson was a minor character with little substance, yet Mercy was supposed to have all these feelings for him. Yet towards the end of the book  the romantic element had a major impact on Mercy’s life (Spoiler so I won’t spoil it for you).

I was also annoyed with the end of the book that after all Maisy (Mercy’s twin sister) had done to her sister, Mercy was very ooohhh she didn’t really mean to hurt me – err yes she did, I’ve forgiven her so everything will be ok – err no it won’t that hurt and anger doesn’t disappear just because you ‘forgive’ her

On a more positive note , the story building was ok, and I really liked the Mother Jilo character who was one of those deep south black magic workers. Also the other 4 main characters were good, Aunt Ellen the lush who drank too much, Aunt Iris who put up with a bullying, cheating husband, Conner the bullying husband to Iris and Uncle Oliver who led a charmed unconventional lifestyle. The plot flowed nicely but the twists lacked depth and explanation, but did add to the story.

Unlike other series of books, this one didn’t leave me with a sense of wanting to read the next book to find out what happens next. I guess this may be, because the story ended neatly with no real cliff hanger. The book was a very easy read requiring little concentration to follow the plot, and could be read as a single book with no need to read the rest.

I rate this book

New Book to Read

My next book that i'm about to start reading is called The Line - Witching Savannah Book 1 by John

Douglas Horn. It's been on my to read list for a while and as I wanted a change from vampires, I thought witches where a nice change. Here's a taster;

Mercy Taylor, the youngest member of Savannah’s preeminent witching family, was born without the gift of magic. She is accustomed to coming in a distant second to the minutes older, exquisite and gifted twin she adores. Hopelessly in love with her sister’s boyfriend, she goes to a Hoodoo root doctor for a love spell. A spell that will turn her heart to another man, the best friend who has loved her since childhood.

Aunt Ginny, the family’s matriarch, would not approve. But Mercy has more to worry about than a love triangle when Aunt Ginny is brutally murdered. Ginny was the Taylor family’s high commander in the defense of the bewitched line that separates humankind from the demons who once ruled our realm.

A demon invasion looms now that the line is compromised. Worse yet, some within the witching world stand to gain from a demon takeover. Mercy, entangled in the dark magic of her love spell, fighting for her sister’s trust, and hopelessly without magic, must tap the strength born from being an outcast to protect the line she doesn’t feel a part of...

In this riveting contemporary fantasy, Horn delivers the full betrayal, blood, and familial discord of the best of Southern gothic.

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy 6)

Synopsis  

They come first.

My vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in. I swore it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: The world of the dead won't give you up a second time. Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri's face join Lissa's. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I loved most were safe, I could leave this world.

The dead could finally have me.


Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose - for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back...and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

Join Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, and Lissa in Last Sacrifice, the epic, unforgettable finale to Richelle Mead's international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series. (less)

Review

Well this is the last book in the Vampire Academy series, the books have been a mix of some good ones and some where I’ve though why am I reading this. This book was a good end to the series, but it was also littered with moments of annoyance and disbelief at what Rose was doing. The story began with Rose look away in a jail cell, accused of murdering Queen Tatiana, looking at the end of her life as there was no prison sentence for royal murderers only execution. The evidence was poor and circumstantial, yet believable by many who easily judged her as guilty. Abe came back into the series again, I love this character and the whole mobster feel to him. In his own inimitable style he works with Rose’s friends to devise a breakout for Rose and Dimitri.

The book revolves around solving the murder and finding a missing relative (I won’t say what etc as I don’t want to spoil things), but it also revolves around Rose and Dimitiri’s relationship. There are quite a few surprises in the book, twists that you wouldn’t believe, I especially liked how you were led to believe one of the characters was the murderer and right near the end you find their not, with a shock of who it really is!!

There is a very big surprise at the end regarding Rose and lissa’s bond, which I found a bit weird and to be honest wasn’t explained enough, and left me thinking this is too neat an ending. As with all last books there is a lot of tying up of loose ends, some of which leave you wanting to know more, but you find this with most end of series books. There are a lot of happy endings, and I must admit to reading the last couple of pages before reading the book, to find out what happens to some of the main characters. Richelle has a habit of twisting her endings on their head, leaving you with disbelief, (hence reading the end), but thankfully not with the main characters. Although I did feel really sorry for Adrian, how he’d been treated and his unahappy ending. There is no real tidying up at then for, but this may be that Richelle had him in line for the spin off series bloodlines

All in all this book was a nice end to the series, if you like warm fuzzy endings with a happily ever after ending. For those who prefer, devastation, or a “meatier” ending then this book would be too annoying for you. This series of books has been a mixture of ok and great action, it’s a nice read, especially for teens and young adults, but if you like your vampires meaner or your books grittier then this won’t be for you.

I rate this book                                                                                      I rate this series

                                         

A Kiss of Shadows (Merry Gentry Book 1)

Synopsis   

My name is Meredith Gentry, but of course it's not my real name. I dare not even whisper my true
name after dark for fear that one hushed word will travel over the night winds to the soft ear of my aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness. She wants me dead. I don't even know why...

I fled the high court of Faerie three years ago and have been in hiding ever since. As Merry Gentry, I am a private investigator for the Grey Detective Agency: Supernatural Problems, Magical Solutions. My magical skills, scorned at the courts of Faerie, are valued in the human world. Even by human standards, my magic isn't flashy, which is fine by me. Flashy attracts attention and I can't afford that.
 
Rumour has it that I am dead. Not quite. I am Princess Meredith NicEssus. To speak that name after dark is to call down a knock upon your door from a hand that can kill you with a touch. I have been careful, but not careful enough. The shadows have found me, and they are going to take me back home, one way or another.

So the running is over. But the fighting has just begun...

Rich, sensual, brimming with dangerous magic, A Kiss of Shadows is a dazzling tour-de-force where folklore, fantasy and erotically charged adventure collide.

Review

I started to read these books as I’d finished the Anita Blake series of books, I really like Laurell as an author, and I really wanted a new series to get into. One thing that I’ll say from the start is this series like the Anita Blake series has a lot of sex in it, it isn’t gratuitous nor is it just sex fluffed out with a minimal story line. So if you’re a bit of a prude or don’t particularly like books with lots of it in, then I wouldn’t recommend reading this series. On the other hand if it doesn’t bother you then what your waiting for.

Merry Gentry is the  Sidhe princess Meredith NiCessus who is on the run from her Aunt Andais Queen of Air & Darkness, who wants her dead. She’s been working as a private investigator in Los Angeles where she’s been hiding for the past 3 years. when her family finally catch up with her, and force her back to the Unseelie court, escorted by the queens darkness Doyle. To Merry’s surprise the Queen wants her to bed as many gorgeous sidhe men as she can, to produce a child and win the throne for herself, but there is a twist to the tail, she is in competition with her sadistic cousin Cel, there is a time limit and the loser could loose their life.

Laurell’s description and characters that feature in the book are great including some extremely handsome, sex starved male warriors. She is one of the best authors for creativity & characterisation and has a very fertile imagination! There are some similarities to Anita Blake and lots that isn’t. This first book is really an introduction to the world of Merry and the Sidhe world she belongs to, there’s some humour and some gross parts but that’s what you’d expect from Laurell’s books. I really like Merry and felt sorry for her that she is mortal in a world of immortals, but this doesn’t stop her.

I like the courts political intrigue and the dark secrets wound through the story, you never know where the next threat will come from. These faeries and the Faery world are so far removed from children’s tails and myths, they are not cute and the book is defiantly not for children!! What I would say to readers who are considering reading this series is to keep an open mind and be aware this is erotic fiction. Also I can’t wait for the next book.

I rate this book

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Guardian Article for World Book Day

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