Review: Dead Man's Deal

Reviewed by Jen
 

I liked Angel's Ink, as well as the two novellas published so far in this series. But I'll tell you, this story is where the series really hits its stride.  Maybe it's because we've gotten past all the introductions and establishing the characters.  But more than that, it features a fast moving plot and unpredictable course of events.  With great world building and a fantastic sympathetic hero, it's a book I didn't want to put down.

As the story begins, Gage is being forced to work for Reave, the Dark Fae crime boss. Reave knows Gage is a warlock and is using the information to blackmail him.  That's problem number one.  Problem number two: the Summer Court is in town, putting Trixie in danger. The Light Fae king still wants her as his consort; now the Queen is demanding a meeting.  Problem three: someone has figured out the locations of the Dark Towers, putting the warlocks in kill-mode, and painting a huge target on Gage, a rouge who knows all their secrets.

All three problems not only put Gage in great danger, they threaten the people he loves as well.  Reave uses Bronx as leverage.  The Fae are a threat to Trixie.  And the Towers, well... the Towers are a threat to everyone.  Poor Gage is being pulled in so many directions, it's a wonder that he can remember his own name, yet he rises to the challenge.  He makes tough decisions.  He shows he is resourceful, loyal, powerful, fallible, and brave.  You couldn't ask for a better hero.

One of my biggest issues with Angel's Ink was that I found the romance too easy --kind of anticlimactic.  I worried the Gage/ Trixie relationship would be a lame plot point this time around.  Jocelynn Drake avoids this by not making it a plot point at all.  Gage and Trixie simply are a given.  And making it a non-issue was the best possible course of action. So many other things were going on, I didn't have time to bemoan a lack of romantic tension.  The book is filled with too many other kinds of tension.   The kind that kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what life would throw at Gage next.

Beyond that, I really enjoyed learning more about Gage's backstory and his family.  I loved, loved, loved Gideon. (What a treat to see how his character has developed!)  I think my female hormones went in overdrive reading about Gage and his connection to the baby Squall.  I suffered watching him struggle with all he had to sacrifice for the greater good.  And the ending --while not really a cliffhanger-- has me itching to see where the story will go next.

Very well done. Would definitely recommend.  (While this may work ok as a standalone, it would be better if you read Angel's Ink first, if you haven't already.)

Rating: B+

*ARC Provided by Harper Collins

Click to purchase: Amazon

Dead Man's Deal

by Jocelynn Drake

Release Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Review: Blood by Moonlight

Reviewed by Jen

This anthology features three PNR/UF stories all loosely tied to Halloween.  The stories are pretty short... the total number of pages was a little over 100 pages.  Here's how they break down:

Of Monsters and Men - Jocelynn Drake takes us back inside her Asylum world for a new adventure of Gage and Trixie.  This short story is set after the events of Angels Ink.  And it's really designed to show just how deeply Gage has fallen in love.  Jack --the werewolf who Gage turned in a chihuahua in the novel-- is in need of help.  The Winter Court of the Fae is about to unleash the Wild Hunt on his pack.  He knows Gage has the juice to stop them. But when Trixie is threatened, we see just how far Gage will go to keep her safe.

I enjoyed revisiting this series and I like seeing this edge to Gage.  I'm not completely invested in the romance, but I really like the world building --and the fact that hero is not all black or white.

The Ghoul Next Door - This short is from new-to-me author Terri Garey. It follows the efforts of an angry witch (Cassie) as she tries to drive the new owner out of her family home.  She has no idea, though, that James has his own powers and his own reason for living there.  And it doesn't take long before she realizes that there is a thin line between love and hate.

I liked the writing in this one and the story was pretty good. My only beef is the speed that these two go from enemies to soul mates... and that is saying nothing about the make-out sessions while being held hostage.   The romantic resolution is just too rushed to really satisfy.

Trick or Treathen - Jenna is a human, desperate to rescue her sister --who has been kidnapped by a sadistic master vampire. Her only hope for help is through another master vamp, Treyne, who has she has become friends with over the past several months.  Now, she's tired of waiting, so she tries to force Treyne's assistance. What ends up happening instead, is that she lights the powder keg of sexual attraction that has been brewing between them since day one.  They are on the verge of sealing a bond between them that neither wants... or do they?

I had a couple of problems with this one.  First of all, I felt like I was jumping into an established series, the way the past between the hero and heroine was characterized.  I'm glad they have a history --don't get me wrong-- because it gave a basis to all the feelings these two have over a short number of pages.  The quick about-faces they do would have been even worse without it.  I didn't like the small time jump at the end.  But on the plus side... the sex was well done in this story, IMO.  And while it was a different vampire world, it felt similar in tone to the first Blood Rose book I read from Caris Roane not too long ago.

Overall Rating: C+

*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

Blood by Moonlight

by Jocelynn Drake, Terri Garey, Caris Roane

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Publisher: Avon

Review: Angel's Ink

Reviewed by Jen
 

I like this new Urban Fantasy world from Jocelynn Drake.  It's different.  Supernaturals live openly among humans, but the magic-wielding witches and warlocks are set apart from everyone else.  They are powerful, ruthless, and consider themselves gods.  No one can stop them.  No one even dares to question them.

Gage changed that.  Primed to be a warlock from childhood, he turned his back on it all.  He refused to look at humans as chattel and left the Ivory Towers behind to become a tattoo artist.  Of course, he's not only pushing ink, his tats are imbued with special potions that give the recipient a little something extra, from good luck to love spells and beyond.  He remains under the watch of the warlocks, though. If he uses his magic for anything other than self-defense, he's a dead man.

Gage has a little trouble clamping down on his gifts, but he tries. He wants to keep the new life he has made for himself: his tattoo parlor and his two employees and best friends Bronx and Trixie.  Of course, to call Trixie a friend may be a little bit of an understatement. He is head over heels for the beautiful elf in hiding.  He knows she has secrets, but as he learns why she is on the run, the two of them become closer and closer.

Things are going on along pretty well for Gage until a woman dying of cancer comes into his shop, asking for a special tattoo. She tells him she wants wings on her back, saying it may be closest she ever comes to being an angel.  Gage is touched by her story and ends up mixing a powerful potion that inadvertently makes her immortal.  He must spend the rest of the book trying to clean up his mistake, all while trying to help Trixie out of her problems, and staying away from his old warlock mentor who is hellbent on killing him.

If it sounds like there is a lot going on, that's because there is. The book is faced paced and kept me engaged from beginning to end.  I love how easily Drake slips in the details of the world-building. There are no big info dumps, but I always felt like I understood what was going on.  I liked Gage, and though I am not used to a male first person POV in my Urban Fantasies, it was easy to slide into his head.  He is a good guy, but he's not a perfect guy. He's powerful but he's not infallible.   He is impetuous and he makes some bad choices, but I think that's part of why I like him.

I felt like the relationship between Gage and Trixie was a little... easy.  I think I would have liked the chance for a little more tension to grow between these two.   But romance and deep feelings take a backseat to the action in this book.  It's not superficial, but it's not emotionally gripping. It's fast and exciting.

When all is said and done, I feel like we got a solid resolution, but the door is left wide open for the future of Gage and his crew.  I look forward to see what is coming for them next.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Harper Collins 

Click to purchase: Amazon

Angel's Ink

by Jocelynn Drake

Release Date: October 16, 2012

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Favorites From... Jocelynn Drake

Jocelynn Drake

When I was invited to take part in this blog, my first thought was “I don’t have to pick just one, do I?” Impossible. How do you pick just one favorite book? Or even one favorite author? When I read, the book has to match my mood, so I am going to provide some of my favorites according to my mood.

As an Urban Fantasy/Vampire author, I tend to have read a lot of Urban Fantasy and I try to sneak back to some of my favorites when I am between projects.

When I am in the mood for urban fantasy, but need lighter reading I generally turn to one of two favorites: Kerrelyn Sparks (Love at Stake series) and Lynsay Sands (Argeneau series). Both series are centered on vampires, but it’s the lighter side. Both are firmly in the paranormal romance genre and both wonderful authors have made me laugh out loud when I was reading them. For the Love at Stake series, I love her Scotsmen and I am so looking forward to her new book coming out this fall featuring a were-bear named Howard. For the Argeneau Series, I think Lucian might be my favorite, but all the guys are pretty cool.

When I’m in the mood for dark, brooding, angry vampires, I fall to J.R. Ward and the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I am still getting caught up on the series, but these men are seriously sexy, damaged, and addictive. Also, Christine Feehan can spin a great dark vampire in her Carpathians series. Favorites males: Rhage or V for Ward and Gregori for Feehan.

For just straight urban fantasy (minus the romantic elements), it is Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series. Kadrey’s writing is dark, gritty, and highly addictive. The Sandman Slim series centers on a character back from Hell and ready for revenge. The fourth book in the series (Devil Said Bang) just came out on August 28, so you’ve got plenty to read. Do yourself a favor – check out this series! For another great urban fantasy series, look to Simon R. Green’s Nightside series. This is some seriously strange but awesome reading. Nightside is a world unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

When I need a break from the weird, I will occasionally dip over into historical romance. I don’t do a lot of reading in this genre, but I tend to fall back on some old favorites. I love Johanna Lindsay, Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series, and Amanda Quick. I also love to pick up the odd Pride and Prejudice spin-off book (love Elizabeth and Darcy).

When I need a shot of epic fantasy, I turn to Raymond Feist. He is the first author to ever make me cry while reading, and when I re-read the book 20 years later, I cried again. He creates characters that live and breathe.

And when I need some saving, I go to my enormous stack of Batman graphic novels. When the world gets ugly, just cuddle up with Bruce Wayne. Trust me, Bruce can fix it all.

A big thanks to Jocelynn Drake for sharing all of these fantastic recommendations! I asked Jocelynn to be a part of this feature because I loved her Dark Days series (and the finale, Burn the Night, was one of my favorite reads last year.)  The books follow an ancient Vampire named Mira with the unique power to control fire... and her love/hate relationship with the fascinating vampire hunter Danaus. Jocelynn is also launching a new series this month called the Asylum Tales.

Here is you chance to win one of her recommendations. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter to win a signed copy of Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt. US only please.

Be sure to check out all of the Favorites From My Favorites posts and giveaways this month, by clicking here.
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Review: The Asylum Interviews: Trixie

Reviewed by Jen
 

With this novella, Jocelynn Drake gives us a short slice of life for Gage Powell, the narrator and main character of her new Asylum series. Much like "Bronx," this story shows us the events that help set up the  full length novel, Angel's Ink.  The first novella showed us how Bronx entered Gage's life and came to work at his tattoo parlor. This one shows how Trixie does the same.

Let me backtrack a bit. Gage is a tattoo artist who creates magical tattoos for his clients. He was once a warlock in training, but he had to give up his magic to escape from the shady life that was waiting for him.  I tell you this, but the background info plays very little into this story. It's basically about Gage's attempts to save an old girlfriend from the master vampire who is abusing her.  Trixie is friends with his ex --and just like that, a connection is born.  Despite the title, this book is not about Trixie - just the events that bring her into Gage's world.

I read this one after reading Angel's Ink (out of order... bad Jen.)   But I liked seeing the origins of Gage's relationship with Trixie.  I enjoyed revisiting this world. And I like Gage's voice. It's not all that often I read an Urban Fantasy in a male POV.

The story starts out strong, with a little romp in the closet and keeps good pacing throughout.  It was fun and entertaining.  It also works as a standalone.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Harper Voyager

Click to purchase: Amazon or Enter to Win

The Asylum Interviews: Trixie

by Jocelynn Drake

Release Date: September 4, 2012

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Giveaway & Chat with Jocelynn Drake

I loved her Dark Days series. Now Jocelynn Drake is back with a new story to tell.  Today she is here to talk about her new Asylum series and its latest novella, The Asylum Tales: Trixie. Please help me welcome Jocelynn to the blog.

Jen: Give everyone a little rundown on the premise for the Asylum series.

Jocelynn: The Asylum Tales series focuses on the adventures of a former warlock-in-training turned tattoo artist, as he tries to help his friends and loved ones without getting killed by the witches and warlocks who inhabit the Ivory Towers. In this new world, everything is out in the open and none of the creatures are hiding. With creatures like werewolves, vampires, elves, and minotaurs as your next door neighbor, poor humans need a little help at times to get ahead. This is where the tattoo artists can give you a hand. With the addition of a potion to the ink, the tattoo artist can improve your love life, give you good luck, or maybe help hex a cheating ex.

Jen: This is a first person male POV. That's not unheard of in Urban Fantasy, but not nearly as common as a female lead these days. Tell me about the decision to base the series around a guy.

Jocelynn: When I started to think about creating a new series, my first rule was that it had to be completely different from my Dark Days series. With that in mind, some of the first decisions were easy: open world (versus Mira’s hiding vampires) and lighter tone (Dark Days was understandably dark). Once I decided that I was moving away from vampires, Gage immediately came to mind. My storyteller, in my mind, has always been a male. I love the female-lead stories and they are great to write, but I think using a male POV was partially about stretching my own storytelling skills and partially about leveling the playing field. The majority of first person Urban Fantasy stories are from a woman’s POV and I am getting worried that they guys are starting to take it too easy. It’s time for guys to get back into the game and kick a little butt. Can’t leave it to the women to clean up all the messes of the supernatural world! 


Jen: I know a male POV isn't really new for you. (I loved Danaus's book.)

Jocelynn: When I started writing the Dark Days series, my plan was to tell at least one book from Danaus’s POV. I always saw the series as having two lead characters and it was natural for Danaus to get a book. I hadn’t initially intended to wait until book 4 (PRAY FOR DAWN) for it happen, but I had to get a few things in the series settled before I could tell his story. Danaus’s book was hard to write, but not because he’s a guy. Danaus just doesn’t like to talk much and doesn’t like to show what he’s thinking so it wasn’t easy to get into mind. But it was interesting seeing the world through his eyes.

On the other hand, Gage has been so much fun to write! I can see him in my mind. He’s got my brother’s smirky grin and the same sarcastic, dirty sense of humor that most of my male friends have. Working with him is a lot like sitting around with my friends and listening to them talk. He is very much an open book to me and his mouth frequently gets him into trouble.

Gage is similar to Mira in that they have some impulse control issues when they are angry or their friends are threatened. But where Mira was ready to burn or kill anything in her path, Gage just wants to knock heads and scare. Gage isn’t a killer by nature and he’s paying for some of his hesitance in his dangerous world. Unlike Mira, Gage also has a close network of friends that he relies on. This gives him a stronger foundation to stand on when things get ugly.

Jen: Let's talk a little about the novellas. What was behind the idea of kicking the series off this way?

Jocelynn: The decision to lead with some prequel novellas is actually two-fold. With the growing popularity of e-readers, e-novellas can be put out relatively quickly and at a relatively low expense for the publisher. As a result, we can keep the prices low for readers. Each novella comes in around 80-ish pages (at least they do in my Word Doc) and includes an excerpt for the first full-length novel, ANGEL’S INK. These inexpensive novellas are a great way to allow readers to try a new series and/or author without hurting their wallets. For $2, a reader gets about 100 pages that are a fantastic introduction to brand new, crazy world. Hey, everybody loves a bargain!

The real selling point for me when my publisher suggested it was that it gave me a chance to ease readers into this new series. The Dark Days series was very similar to the real world, except that it contained vampires and werewolves. The Asylum Tales is … really different. By creating two prequel novellas, readers get the chance to meet Gage, learn about his world in nice bite-sized chunks, and learn how he meets and hires his two friends Bronx (a troll) and Trixie (an elf). The novellas are not only a way of easing readers into this new world, but they also let me show little portions that I might not be able to touch on in the main novels.

Jen: The tattoos and the magic behind them play a huge role in the series. Tell us a bit more about how that all works.

Jocelynn: There are two types of magic in this world – at least in how it relates to how humans use magic. The first kind are the spells, enchantments, curses, and hex that use words, hand motions or wands, and a good dose of magic energy out of the air. If you are a human and you use the first kind of magic, then you are a witch or warlock. When you first exhibit this ability, you are taken from your home and thrust into training with a mentor in the Ivory Towers. This is NOT Hogwarts. You don’t make friends, live in houses, or play games while riding a broomstick. You learn magic or you die. Life is hard, ugly, and painful here. Only the strongest and smartest survive, but the end result is that you become one of the most powerful creatures on the planet. The world lives in constant terror of you and for good reason. 

(If you are a non-human and can do this kind of magic, such as an elf, then you keep your head down and don’t catch the attention of the Towers, or you will be killed.)

The other type of magic falls in the potion category. Anyone can do this kind of magic because it doesn’t require an external magical force. All the magic lies in the ingredients. Housewives, doctors, your next door neighbor the trash collector can all do potions. If you can mix the ingredients correctly, then you can do a potion. Some potions can be eaten or drunk, but most need to be added to the bloodstream, which is why they are generally the domain of tattoo artists. A good potion added to some ink can help improve your life. Most potions have a shelf-life of either months or a few years before the effects wear off. All tattoo artists are trained and licensed in both tattooing and stirring potions. They are also tested and monitored by the Tattoo Artists and Potion Stirrers Society (TAPSS).

Warlocks and witches also use potions, but not to a heavy degree. They have no love for tattoo artists and see them as the dregs of society. Meanwhile, tattoo artists in Gage’s world have a somewhat higher place in society. You would keep your favorite local tattoo artist on speed dial like you would maybe your doctor or dentist.

Jen: Without spoiling too much, what can you tell us about the Ivory Towers?

Jocelynn: The Ivory Towers represent the true horror of Gage’s world. There are still countries and wars between these peoples, but those wars seem small compared to the things that the warlocks and the witches are capable of. The Ivory Towers are home to the warlocks and the witches. It is where they live, study, train, and plan. There is one on every continent and they are hidden from everyone that doesn’t live within the Towers. The warlocks and witches devote their lives to the study of magic, removing themselves from the rest of society so that they can’t be tainted. They see themselves as above the rest of the world, believing themselves to be an entirely separate, evolved race than regular humans.

When you see a warlock or witch, you don’t speak to them. You run. You hide. You pray. If you get in their way, they will kill you. If you try to stop them or question them, they will kill you. And there is no punishment for them. No one can stop them.

And so far, Gage is the first one to ever try to leave. He’s escaped, but there is a price to pay.

If you would like to read more about the rise of the Ivory Towers, click here to read the essay that Gage has written. (It is a PDF)

Jen: And Trixie will play a big part in the stories to come, yes? 

Jocelynn: Trixie will play a somewhat large role in the story. When the first novel ANGEL’S INK opens, she has been Gage’s friend for a couple years and has worked for him at Asylum during that time. In the first novel, you’ll learn more about why she is hiding the fact that she is really an elf and learn why she had been on the run. I’m also happy to say that she is quite fond of Gage and Bronx. 

Both Trixie and Bronx have a wonderful grounding effect on Gage. They help to keep him calm and centered when things are going crazy. They are there to watch his back when things go bad. They are there when loneliness threatens to swallow him up. And they are there when he’s feeling lost in a world he is trying so hard to be a part of.

No matter how hard Gage tries, he is an outsider on all sides. The Towers hate him because they see him as a traitor. If the rest of the world finds out he is a former warlock, they will try to kill him because they will only see him as one of the group that has been persecuting them for centuries. Trixie and Bronx simply see him as Gage, a tattoo artist with a knack for getting into trouble.

Jen: How many books are you contracted for in the series? Will there be any more novellas?

Jocelynn: At the moment, I am contracted for two full-length novels, two novellas, and one short story that will appear in an upcoming Halloween-themed anthology. The current release schedule is:

July 3 – The Asylum Interviews: Bronx (novella) 
September 4 – The Asylum Interviews: Trixie (novella) 
October 16 – Angel’s Ink (novel) 
Later in October – Halloween Anthology short story 
Summer 2013 – Book 2 in The Asylum Tales series

The door is wide open for more novels and novellas if the series proves to be popular. I would definitely like to write more novels for the series and I wouldn’t mind writing a novella for Gideon or Jack – two characters you will meet in the first book.

Jen: Can you give us a little snippet from Trixie to whet our appetite?

Jocelynn: Sure! This snippet is actually the opening for The Asylum Interviews: Trixie novella. To set this scene and novella up a bit: Gage gets a call from his ex-girlfriend Jo and is invited to see her band play. Now that Jo has moved back to town, it seems that she’s gotten herself into a bit of trouble but she doesn’t want to involve Gage. However, he is more than happy to jump in with the help of Jo’s friend Trixie when it looks like Jo has more trouble than she can handle.

   This woman could kiss. Her lips were lush pillows and the things she could do with her tongue made my toes curl. Even the nip of her fangs made the blood roar in my ears. I would have paid anything at that moment to be in a bedroom rather than a cramped, stuffy coat closet.

   I reluctantly pulled away from Jo after I hit my head on the closet rod for the fourth time. Her lean body was molded against mine as I pressed her against the back wall. She shifted, rubbing her pelvis against my groin. My eyes rolled back into my head as a fresh wave of pleasure/pain swept through my body, briefly wiping away the thought that had me pulling away from her in the first place.

   “Don’t stop, Gage,” she murmured. Her hand slipped up from my shoulder to cup the back of my head. As she tried to pull me back down, I released her ass and slammed my right hand against the wall beside her head, bracing myself so that she couldn’t recapture my mouth.

   “If we keep going, you’re going to find your pants around your ankles in another minute,” I threatened through clenched teeth. On second thought, it wouldn’t take as long as another minute.

   “Mmmm … a quickie.” Her voice was a delicious purr as she ground her body against mine.

   “Jo, sweetheart, there’s no such thing as a quickie between us.”

   Why the hell did we stop dating? With her sweet body pressed against me, her hands trailing over my chest and down to my ass, I really couldn’t think of the answer to that question. Sex with Jo had always been surface-of-the-sun-hot and we rarely argued. She also didn’t ask a lot of questions, which was perfect with me. So she was a blood-sucking predator. I was a former warlock-in-training. No one was perfect.

Jo’s hands stopped their roaming and I could feel her sigh. “True. And we’re going on soon. The guys wouldn’t appreciate it if I held them up.”

   The guys. That would be the reason why we split. The band—Dead Playthings—had gotten popular and they started traveling farther and farther away for gigs. Jo and I had started seeing less of each other and neither one of us had been so enamored that we felt the need to try to make a long-distance relationship work. So with a hug and a wish of good luck, we had gone our separate ways roughly two years ago.

   “Besides, I thought this was just a quick ‘hello.’ Nothing complicated,” I said.

Jo gave a little snort. “Since when has sex between us been complicated?”

   “True.”

   “No hard feelings?”

   I leered at her, knowing she could see it despite the fact that it was pitch-black in that tiny closet. Her excellent night vision had come in handy on more than one occasion. I felt her hand creep down my chest to slide between where our groins were pressed together. Her long fingers slipped along my rock-hard dick, squeezing a groan from my throat.

   “Well, I don’t mind a few hard feelings,” she said with a chuckle.

   “You’ve got them.” I leaned forward to capture her mouth again , when someone knocked on the door. I tensed, waiting for the door to be jerked open and bright light to wash over us, but it never happened.

   “Jo, we go on in ten,” announced a deep voice. I thought it was Royce, the lead singer, but I couldn’t be sure. I hadn’t talked to the man in more than two years, but if it was him, I had a fresh reason not to like him.

   “Fuck,” we grumbled in unison.

   “Jinx! You owe me a pint,” Jo giggled.

   “Ha. Ha. We better get going.”

   Jo grabbed my shirt, keeping me from pulling away from her. “Are you sticking around for the show? We could talk afterward.”

   I grinned, grabbing her ass again. “I’m all for that.”

   “No, I mean talk-talk, not talk-fuck.”

   I stiffened, squinting in the darkness as I tried to see her face. “Is something wrong?”

   “No! Why does something have to be wrong for me to want to talk to you? We talked while we were dating. Besides, we’ve hardly talked in two years. I thought we could catch up.”

   I stared at her for a couple seconds, wishing I could see her expression but it was lost in the blackness of the closet. “That’s fine. I’ve got a friend here with me. I’ll introduce you.”

   “Sounds good. Now, get out of here. I’ve got to fix my makeup,” she said, pushing me away from her and toward the door.

   I stepped out of the closet, squinting against the bright light. Her band mates glanced up at me for only a second before returning their attention elsewhere. I turned and gave her one last kiss before heading out of the backstage area to the front of the venue. Pausing before a mirror for a second, I wiped off the last remnants of her lipstick and straightened my clothes. Luckily, my current hairstyle was already short and messy. There wasn’t much I could do about the bulge in my pants, but that would pass.

   Bronx was still sitting at the high-top table we had procured before someone had come out to fetch me. The troll gave a knowing little smirk and raised his glass to me as I approached like some conquering hero. I shook my head at my coworker and friend, but I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face to save my soul. But then, Jo always had had a way of putting the grin on my face. 

Sound good?? Jocelynn is giving away three copies of The Asylum Tales: Trixie. This is the second novella, but it absolutely can be read as a standalone.  To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  A big thanks to Jocelynn Drake for taking the time to chat with me today!


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Review: The Asylum Interviews: Bronx

Reviewed by Jen
 

Jocelynn Drake gives us our first look into her new Urban Fantasy world of the Asylum Tales with this engaging novella. Our main character is Gage, a tattoo artist and wielder of magic, who shares his story in the first-person.  It all begins as he wakes up on the floor of a nasty bar bathroom, shaking off the effects of a mickey.

He soon discovers he was drugged by his own friend, an incubus named Parker, who dosed him so he could go, er, recharge his energies.  A troll named Bronx helps him track down his wayward friend.  After too many drinks together, the three of them engineer a misguided plan to give him a magical tat to help him get the energies he needs without having to cheat on his girl.  Things only go downhill from there.

I liked the story.  The world-building is clear and easy to understand... and incorporated seamlessly into the storytelling.  Even in roughly 60 pages, Drake gives us a clear look at her protagonist and the ongoing problems he will face as he struggles to suppress his magical urges and duck the close eye of the Ivory Tower council.

I look forward to getting to know him better and I hope we see more of secondary characters Parker and Bronx. I have a feeling we're in for a fun ride with this series.

Rating: B+

*ARC Provided by Harper Voyager

Click to purchase: Amazon

The Asylum Interviews: Bronx

by Jocelynn Drake

Release Date: July 2, 2012

Publisher: Harper Voyager

5 for Friday - June 29

Happy Friday, everybody! Or perhaps, a more appropriate salutation Happy Magic Mike Day!!  But I'll get back to that in a minute.  First, I have to say it's been a real hit and miss week for me in bookland. I read the first novella and full-length book in Jocelynn Drake's upcoming Asylum Tales series.  I liked those, but everything else I read just kind of fell flat. I guess it was because I was coming off the high from all of those fabulous June 26th releases.  Who knows?  Now I'm feeling a bit uninspired to pick up anything new.  Ever have one of those weeks?  Anyway... I know something that will cheer me up...

5. At long last, the wait for Magic Mike is over.

Believe it or not, I will not be going to see this tonight. One of my buds is working, so we can't go until tomorrow.  (*tears*) But Saturday night, we are hitting the theater, and I for one, am going with a blood alcohol content of at least .05.

And to show you my level of commitment to Joe, Matt and the boys, you should know that I am braving the displeasure of family members by missing an out-of-town birthday party on Saturday. Mr. Red Hot Books knows how much I've been looking forward to the movie and he has offered to take the kids for me! (That's love, people.)

4. Hot on the heels of her Once Burned release, Jeaniene Frost is already talking about the next Vlad book.  The second installment in the Night Prince series will be titled Twice Tempted.  It's scheduled for release March 19, 2013.  How am I going to wait that long?

3. Sherrilyn Kenyon has revealed the cover for her next League book. Check out the deets on Born of Fury:

Counted among the fiercest Andarion warriors ever born, Hauk is one of the five founding members of the Sentella- an organization that has declared war on the League that rules the Ichidian universe with an iron fist and terrifies it with an army of well-trained assassins. Hauk’s enemies are legion, but he fears nothing and no one. He will do whatever it takes to survive and protect his Sentella brethren.

Sumi Antaxas is one of the best assassins the League has ever trained. In her world, failure is not an option and she has never met a target she couldn’t execute. So when she’s assigned Hauk, she believes it’ll be a quick and easy mission.

But nothing is ever as simple as it seems, and Hauk is far better trained...

Born of Fury is out April 1. But if you don't want to wait until 2013 for your next dose of the Ichidan universe, remember Maris' story, Cloak & Silence, will be out December 15.

2. Everybody is talking about Sylvia Day's Bared to You these days. I've heard many people call it the better alternative to FSoG.  I haven't read it. Honestly, the 50 Shades comparison turned me off, but now I am wondering if that was a mistake.  (*sigh*)  Anyway, the cover for book two is out:

Reflected in You is out October 2.  The final book in the trilogy will be out in December.

1. Finally, with The Avengers and Magic Mike premieres moving into the rear-view, I'm wondering what I can look forward to next at the theater.  I'm leaning heavily toward the Total Recall redux.  I'm as sick of remakes as everyone else, but I have to admit, this looks pretty bad-ass.

After this, I will begin to fixate on Ryan Reynolds as Connor MacLeod in the Highlander reboot, FO' SHO!I am picturing him in the kilt already!!


Have a great week... remember AAD in NOLA is less than six weeks away!!! If any featured authors want a last-minute spotlight, just let me know and I'll be happy to host you here.

XOXO
Jen

Review: Bound to Me

Reviewed by Jen
 

Parting from Mira and the Dark Days universe was bittersweet when I finished Burn the Night.  It was a great swan song for the series, but I hated letting go of the characters.  Now, Jocelynn Drake is giving us one more chance to say goodbye with this small peek into Mira's past.

The story takes place many years before the events of Nightwalker and shows us a little of Mira's relationship with Valerio.  Their history was referenced in the novels, but here we see them together firsthand; we get just a taste of what their years together were like.

They were, in a word, HOT.  Of course, there will never be anyone but Danaus for Mira in my eyes, but I sure can see why she has a soft spot for Valerio.  I'm not really surprised at the sexual nature of their bond, but it was interesting to see that there were deeper feelings there too.

The story also did a lot of foreshadowing about the dynamic between Mira and Jabari.  There's a little plot about a warlock killing vampires.  But it really only serves as a way to shed light on Jabari's machinations and to help Mira realize the depth of her relationship with Valerio at the time.

I don't know how much this would mean to someone unfamiliar with the series.  But it's a great treat for those of us who miss Mira and her world already. 4 stars.


*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

Bound to Me

by Jocelynn Drake

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Publisher: Avon

Dark Days Chat with Jocelynn Drake

Burn the Night, the final chapter in Jocelynn Drake's Dark Days series, is just one week away. And I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek. Let me tell you, it was awesome. You can read all about it in my gushing review.  If you have never read this fantastic series and you are a fan of dark Urban Fantasy, I urge you to check out the first book Nightwalker.  In the meantime, for those of us who are already fans, Jocelynn was kind enough to sit down, chat about the books, and answer some of my burning questions.

Jen: We’ve seen Mira lose a lot of people who were close to her over the course of the series. But the hardest to bear was Tristan. Was it always your plan for him to die?

Jocelynn: Tristan was always a difficult character for me, which is probably why I loved him so much. He was never supposed to live in the first place. He was one of the rare characters I created purely as a writing technique. I needed to give more depth to Sadira and one way to do that was to show how she acted with Tristan and his reaction to her. When I finished Nightwalker, I did a quick body count and was surprised to find that he was still alive. I kind of scratched my head and thought that maybe there was something more to him than I initially seen.

With time, Tristan became more to Mira. He was family. He was the closest thing she would ever have to a brother and he also had the feeling of being a son. He was someone that she saw as having a lot of potential if only he could get over his past with Sadira. In him, I think Mira saw a lot of what could have happened to her.

I’ve seen that a lot of people don’t care for Tristan. It’s my impression that they see him as weak. In my mind, he was simply broken. He was what Mira was 500 years before Nightwalker. He simply needed time and encouragement to grow.

Tristan’s death was not in my original plot outline. However, as I got near the end of the book as I was writing, I realized that I needed something else to twist the knife in order to set Mira off in a blind rage. I think, in my gut, I knew what needed to be done but I just wasn’t ready to accept it. Tristan’s death was one of the most painful I’ve ever written. I had known him for a long time and I believed in him. I didn’t want to let him go, but I did. And I cried.

Jen:  I always felt like something more was going to happen with Michael’s body. Did you ever intend to pursue that or did I make it all up in my head?

Jocelynn: Lol. That one, I fear, is going to haunt me for the rest of my life as I failed to tie that one up at the end of Burn the Night.

Yes, I will admit that I had plans for Michael. That was back in the early planning stages of the series and I had some things I wanted to get done with the series and Michael was going to be a launching point. In retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t go in that direction, but I also wish I had had more time to go back and deal with Michael.

My original plan was to send Mira and Danaus on what I was personally calling “the date book.” Mira’s friend from Dayhunter – Alexandre – was going to invite her to her wedding in Portland. At the same time, werewolves would be disappearing from her pack. Agreeing to help, Mira and Danaus would go investigate as well as attend Alexandre’s wedding. Chaos and tenderness would ensue. At the end of the book, Mira would be alone and feel a tap on the shoulder. She would turn and see Michael. Alive! And then there would be Aurora, queen of the naturi. The book would end with her being kidnapped.

The next book would focus on Danaus and Jabari trying to free her, while Mira tried to escape Aurora. The story behind Michael was to be that the naturi found his body before his soul escaped, so they captured his soul and stole his body. Aurora would reanimate him while holding his soul captive. Mira would have to find a way to kill Michael in order to save him from a lifetime of servitude to the naturi.

In the end, I dumped the entire plotline because it interfered with other plans I had as well as I couldn’t properly reconcile all the conflicting points of view I would need to tell the story. I am currently thinking of writing a short story to deal with the question of Michael.

 

Jen: We waited a very long time for Mira and Danaus to act on their feelings for each other. But now that they’ve crossed that bridge, we’re entering into some great new territory with the love scenes. How do you feel about writing those? (You do a great job with them, by the way.)

Jocelynn: Thank you so much! I know a lot of readers were unhappy with me because I took so long to get them together. And then more were unhappy when Mira had sex with someone other than Danaus. I’m evil like that.

I will admit that I had always planned it that way. These were two very old and very stubborn characters. It takes time to build trust and to tear down old beliefs. I didn’t want them jumping into bed too quickly or it would have just seemed unnatural and forced. I think there is one thing that always reassured me. Back when I was just getting into paranormal fiction, I read a great series in which the author built up the love affair. The main character didn’t finally have sex until the sixth book!! By that time, I needed a cigarette when they were done. I liked the long, natural lead up to that moment. It had been worth waiting for.

I like writing those scenes. It’s actually not too different than writing a fight scene as everything needs to be carefully choreographed. It’s always a little odd to find myself staring off into space, trying to think of new, interesting positions, and then realizing “Gee, I’m getting paid to think about sex.” So far, my editor hasn’t had any critiques for those scenes (for which I am grateful) and I just try not to think about my parents reading those scenes.

Burn the Night was definitely my favorite book to write. While I enjoyed the heavy tension that built up between Mira and Danaus, I think by book six I was just glad to finally put in those tender moments between them. I liked that they were finally comfortable with their feelings for each other and were willing to show it through a comforting touch, a caress, or a kiss to the temple.
 

Jen: I read somewhere that you said Mira’s story would have had a less happy ending, had the series continued. Would you reveal any of what you had planned?

Jocelynn: Wow! I’ve got to learn to keep my big mouth shut. No, just kidding. Since I have no plan to write those books, I guess I can spill. In Pray for Dawn, I set out what I thought Mira and Danaus needed to be happy. Danaus needed his soul and Mira needed a family.

The plan was for the seventh book to focus on the struggle following the Great Awakening. At the end of that book, Mira and Danaus would hug while standing in a crowd of people. Danaus would jerk in her arms and Mira would feel something sharp in her chest. She would pull away to find a long knife sticking out of Danaus’s chest. A human had approached from behind and stabbed Danaus through the heart. Despite Mira’s offer to turn him, Danaus refused and he would die in her arms. Book seven would close with Danaus dead and Mira burning the city.

In the eighth book, Danaus is back but different. Mira is just blindly happy that he is back and doesn’t question it, but her friends do. It turns out that the bori that holds part of his soul has stolen his body. He’s manipulating Mira so that he can take control of the city and the nightwalkers. After nearly killing Knox, Mira finally believes that it’s not Danaus’s and destroys the bori and Danaus’s body. This book was simply going to be a study in how dark Mira could become in the name of love and whether she could come back from it. Mira would get some final closure as she would see Danaus’s ghost one last time and know that he was at peace.

For the final book, Mira had to face her father (who I wasn’t going to deal with until now). As she begins to research her own family roots and what happened to the gods, she very reluctantly begins to fall for a human. During the final fight with her father, Mira loses her powers and turns back into a human. Eager to live a “normal” life, Mira marries the human and leaves Savannah. The book closes with her sitting in the same Crete cemetery you see in Dayhunter where she spoke with Jabari and Danaus. She meets with Valerio, who begs her to let him turn her back into a vampire. She says no. Not only does she have a happy life with her new husband, but she’s already with child. She had her family. Valerio accepts her wishes and leave. The book closes with Mira smiling as she snaps her fingers and a little teardrop of fire appears. It’s a happy-sad ending. Mira finds love and happiness, but it’s sad because it’s not with Danaus.
This closing would leave the door open for a 20-years-later story that would focus on her kids.

Jen: Do you have any plans to pursue another story in the Dark Days world, featuring another character?

Jocelynn: I will admit that notes exist. Scenes have been written. But will the book ever be completed and published? I don’t know. A part of me has always wanted to do something with Nicolai. I’ve just had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that ever since he was moved to Savannah, he just didn’t fit. I don’t know if we were both restless or what, but he definitely needs his own story and his own mate. I would also love to do something with Valerio. He’s such a sexy character. Stefan is even a temptation, but we will have to see. My year is currently booked with a new series so it might take me a while to circle back around if I ever have the chance.

Jen: Now that the series is over, what’s next for you?

Jocelynn: Burn the Night is the final book in the Dark Days series. However, I’ve got a couple things in the works at the moment. The first proved to be a surprise to me as it seems that I wasn’t quite willing to say good-bye to the Dark Days world just yet. I have finished a novella that is actually a prequel to the entire series. The Dark Days series mentioned an intense relationship that Mira had with Valerio a long time ago before she met Danaus. In the books, it’s obvious that there is a lingering tenderness between them and a number of my readers request a look at Mira’s past with Valerio. The novella is set about 200 years before Nightwalker and details a short adventure between Mira and Valerio, which I think gives a good insight into their relationship. I don’t have a release date yet, but it will be available only as an e-book. Keep tuned in to my blog and Twitter for updates on its release.

I am also hard at work on the first book in a new series. This is a totally new and exciting world. After working in a closed/hidden world, where humans were in the dark, I decided to throw the doors open on this one. In this world, magical creatures live along side of humans, but they are all lorded over by powerful witches and warlocks. In an effort to get ahead in this world, many people will turn to the tattoo artists, who, for the right price, can give you love, luck, or revenge with the right tattoo and potion. The series centers on a skilled tattoo artist and his co-workers as they struggle with their hidden pasts and the interesting customers that come through the door.

Before I go, I want to acknowledge that we were supposed to do a phone chat with Jocelynn over the weekend but we canceled with very little notice. She was so very gracious and understanding. She's a very classy lady and fabulous author.

Thank you so much, Jocelynn, for taking the time to chat with me! I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks of Burn the Night!

Review: Burn the Night

Reviewed by Jen
 

When I first started this book, I experienced a moment of panic. After five books, I've become deeply invested in the vampire Mira and I was so excited to finally learn the conclusion of her story. Only, instead of reading Mira's story from her first person narrative, I was getting the perspective of the barely-mentioned side character Nyx. A dozen thoughts flashed through my mind as I realized this. Not the least of which was, "How am I going to get any more love scenes with Mira and Danaus if Nyx is telling the story?" Fortunately, a few chapters in, we switch to first person Mira, and the rest of the book bounces back and forth between the two women's perspectives.

Nyx is a princess of the naturi, younger sister to Aurora, the naturi queen who has been trying to extinguish humanity and the nightwalkers. But Nyx wants to help her younger sister Cynnia become queen, so their kind can live in harmony with the races already on Earth. So she goes on a quest to find allies for her sister. Primarily, she wants to enlist Rowe, Aurora's old consort (and longtime enemy of Mira.) Not only is Rowe an incredible warrior, but Nyx has been nursing a major crush on him for centuries.

In the meantime, Mira is still recovering from the events of the last book and the death of (*spoiler*) her beloved friend Tristan. She and Danaus are very much together... and he has left Themis to live in Savannah. Mira hopes to finally get her life back to normal, when members of the Daylight Coalition attack the local werewolves. She gets drawn into that and shortly after, she is also approached to join Cynnia's cause. If all that weren't enough, her father (who is essentially Satan) is back, demanding she continues developing her powers so she can kill her old mentor Jebari.

(I would imagine all of this sounds confusing to a new reader and there's a reason for that. The Dark Days books are not meant to be stand-alone books. You need to read them from the beginning for it all to make sense and for you to truly appreciate the story developments.)

This book has a different feel from the ones before it. Maybe it's the two narratives, though I didn't think it was confusing and actually enjoyed Nyx's story once I realized I would get Mira's too. Maybe it was all the lovin' in the first half. Because Lord knows, it felt like we had to wait through several books for any kind of love scene. Now we get all kinds of groping, nudity, and sex. And let me say, it's done well.

Drake has a lot to resolve to close the series and she does an admirable job. We have closure on Nico, Barrett, Jebari, Our Leige, Nick, the Great Awakening, Rowe, Aurora, Nyx, Cynnia, Amanda and Knox.... as well as, of course, Mira & Danaus. I was satisfied for the most part. But the very last couple of chapters felt rushed and I didn't entirely understand why Drake went the route she did to resolve the Nick storyline. In the grand scheme of things, this is just a very small issue, though. Mira has grown so much and (*spoiler*) she gets the ending she deserves, with the man she loves.

My only other, very small peeve is What happened to Michael's body? I was so sure that something more was going to come out of that. I felt like it was foreshadowed, but maybe that was all in my head.

5 stars. A satisfying conclusion.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Burn the Night

by Jocelynn Drake

Release Date: June 28, 2011

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Review: Wait for Dusk

Porn-style Cover

Reviewed by Jen
 

The fifth installment of the Dark Days series is Wait for Dusk, or as I like to call it (*spoiler*) The One Where Mira & Danaus Finally Have Sex. And I have got to say, this is the best one yet.

As our book begins, Mira is being tortured by the entity who kidnapped her at the end of Pray for Dawn. But it's not an old witch woman kicking her ass... It turns out to be her "real" father, who claims to be Satan himself. Daddy's got a mission for Mira. He wants her to learn to take control of Danaus and Jebari's powers. And he gives her a power-upgrade so she has the ability to do it. This is a bit of a mixed bag for our vampire heroine. She finally has the juice to turn the tables on the two men who have been pulling her strings over the course of the last few books. But she's not completely on board with the idea because 1) she is sort-of in love with Danaus and 2) she is scared Jebari will wipe the floor with her. Dad's not giving her much of a choice in the matter.

Mira is summoned back to Venice to be officially indoctrinated into the Coven. And she brings Danaus as back-up. She knows she's facing the threat of death from fellow coven-member Macaire. And sure enough, he orchestrates a trip for her to Budapest, where he has set the wheels in motion for her death to occur. Of course, Mira's smarter and tougher than anyone gives her credit for. And not only does she have Danaus at her back, she's got Valerio and Stefan with her too. There's a fairly good plot arc about the intrigue in Budapest. But to me, the most interesting is the subplot surrounding Mira and Danaus' evolving relationship. And now that her allegiance to him is clear in the vampire world, he is becoming her Achilles heel. Mira's emotions are so fragile where he is concerned. And there was more than one time in the story where, I too, thought he abandoned her.

But holy cow, when these two finally get their act together.... I think I read (*spoiler*) their sex scene at least 5 times. In a row. Then when the book was over, I went back and read it again. It was that hot. Plus, I needed the distraction from the heart-wrenching ending. For as high as I got on the romance action, Jocelynn Drake shredded me utterly with (*spoiler*) Tristan's death. Even when Mira finally wins one, she still loses. 5 stars

Review: Pray for Dawn

Reviewed by Jen
 

Jocelynn Drake really shakes things up with the fourth installment in the Dark Days series, by changing the first person narrative from vampire Mira to vampire-hunter Danaus. I have to say, I loved it. Having Danaus tell the story, allowed us to finally find out what's going on inside the stoic warrior and it helped heighten the tension and mystery of the storyline.

Our story begins with Danaus fighting vamps and the naturi solo in Europe. But for the first time, he comes face-to-face with the entity that controls part of his soul. That bori now wants to cash in on his investment in Danaus by inhabiting his body fully. Of course, Danaus is not on board with the plan.

Themis summons him back to Savannah to help solve the mystery of a murdered senator's daughter. She was killed by some other-worldly creature. So he teams up with Mira to figure out who and what killed her --and why. In the course of the story, we see Mira start to fall apart. (And by that, I mean she goes bat-shit crazy.) Yet, in her moments of clarity, she is pulling Danaus more and more into her life. We finally get some movement on the chemistry between them. But due to Danaus' lingering reticence, they still don't seal the deal. (Grrr.) So Danaus must figure out what is wrong with Mira, while he slowly faces the truth about who killed the senator's daughter. Oh, and did I mention he sort of adopts a street kid in the middle of all this?

So, like I said, I loved finally hearing Danaus' voice in this story. I loved that he and Mira finally started moving towards each other. There were some hard knocks for Mira before the book came to a close. Namely, (*spoiler*) the street kid Lily is killed by poor Tristan... and Tristan is nearly killed by Danaus. Oh yeah, Mira's friend Emma is killed too. It really sucks to be Mira . I didn't see any of it coming and I'm sad and kind of pissed off to see Mira kicked in the teeth yet again. The book ends on a pretty substantial cliffhanger, so be prepared. Have Wait for Dusk on hand to start as soon as this one is finished. 4 stars.

P.S. I freaking-love this cover!

Review: Dawnbreaker

Reviewed by Jen
 

The third installment of the Dark Days saga picks up a couple of months after the conclusion of Dayhunter.  Mira has returned home to Savannah with Tristan in tow and she is ready to expand her vampire family to her favorite minions Knox and Amanda.  But the naturi have no plans to let her live in peace. They’ve followed her back to the States and they’re trying to kill her before she stops their queen from returning to Earth.  Vampire hunter Danaus comes back into her life, just in time to join her for the latest big battle against the naturi… back in Machu Picchu, the same place where they tortured her all those years ago.

We don’t see much of the secondary characters featured heavily in the first two books. Tristan stays in Savannah during Mira’s trip.  We don’t see Nico or Ryan. And we only get small cameos from Jabari and Sadira.  But we do pick up some new faces, including Nia, the naturi princess, and Stefan, a vampire with aspirations to join the coven.

So here’s what I got out of this book: It really sucks to be Mira.  She is proving time and time again that she’s a pretty stand-up gal.  She takes her duty very seriously. She is willing to put herself in harm’s way to protect those she is loyal to.   And she knows that her attempts to save humanity (and the nightcrawler race) will likely end in her death, and she does it anyway.  But all this comes at great personal expense.  Her mentor, Jebari, is a rat-bastard.  Rowe, the naturi leading the effort to free the queen, relentlessly pursues her. And perhaps worst of all, she must acquiesce to being a puppet, to the whims of both Jebari and Danaus.

And speaking of Danaus.  Why the hell can’t these two recognize what they have together? We see over and over, through Mira’s thoughts and actions that she cares deeply for Danaus.  And he seems to have to remind himself that she is the enemy.  These two need to get it on already… in a big way.  Three books is plenty of time for me to wait. I definitely need some payoff. (And not just physically, by the way.  These two have a deeper connection.)

So when all is said and done, we get our big battle, more reveals about what Danaus is, and big questions about the future of the naturi.  And while the book may be over, there is obviously plenty of story left to go. 4 stars.

P.S. If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, you don’t want to start with this one. It won’t make sense and you won’t have the same investment in the characters. This is not meant to be a stand-alone. Trust me.

Review: Dayhunter

Reviewed by Jen
 

If you sit down with the first two books in the Dark Days series, they read just like one long story. Dayhunter picks up just moments after where Nightwalker left off. This book is not a standalone. Each installment of the series (including those that follow this one) is just a piece in a larger story. Personally, I love serialized books, but it can be frustrating to wait between each installment. Fortunately in this case, you can sit down with a stack of these and read them from beginning to end, if you're so inclined.

Mira is a vampire, who is now working with vampire hunter Danaus to stop a race of fae, called the naturi, from destroying humanity and nightwalkers alike. Not that Danaus is all that interested in protecting vamps, but he does realize that he needs their help to deal with the naturi threat. At the end of the last book, we learned that Mira is really a weapon, whose fire-starting abilities can be manipulated by her old mentor Jabari --and now Danaus. (The whys are complicated, but let's accept it and move on.) She hates the idea of being at anyone's mercy, but she really has no choice in the matter.

The story follows her journey with Danaus across different parts of Europe and the Mediterrean as they try to figure out how to stop the threat. Things get more complicated as they realize that members of the vampire coven are in league with some of the naturi. It's not clear where anyone's loyalties lie. And more and more, it seems like the only person Mira can count on is Danaus. That makes it so much worse, every time we are reminded that the two are really enemies. It's clear they feel something for each other, but only when Danaus can make himself forget what Mira really is. We're also learning more about what Danaus is and why the ideas of good and evil are so important to him.

Mira is stepping outside of her comfort zone in so many ways. But the most fulfilling way, to me, is seeing her willingness to extend herself to protect others. She brings Tristan and Nico into her fold, building a family that will continue to grow as the series progresses. She is the rock to them that she always thought Jebari was to her. Now she is dealing with his betrayal on top of the staggering responsibilities she has to face.

Mira's character development and her relationships with Danaus and Tristan are (to me) the best parts of the book. This series is not a casual read. Each book intertwines with the next; It's layered and it's complicated. There are a lot of characters and a lot going on. It's all topped off with a healthy dose of violence and a dollop of sex. 4 stars.

Review: Nightwalker

Reviewed by Jen
 

Jocelynn Drake has created a dark and fascinating new vampire world with this first installment in her Dark Days series. It features Mira, a 600 year old nightwalker. She is special among her people because she can wield fire and is impervious to its effects. She lives in Savannah and serves as the de facto head-vampire in the United States. As our book opens, there is a mysterious vampire hunter in her territory. She is fascinated by the man and finally meets up with him. She realizes that there is something unique and powerful within him. Danaus is not there to kill her, but instead is seeking her out to help deal with an even greater threat to humanity than the vampires.

There are two ancient forces once thought eradicated from the world: the naturi and the bori. And it looks like naturi, which are something like an evil version of the fae, are trying to make a comeback. Mira has stood against them once before and survived... though barely. So Danaus is hoping she can help stop the new threat. Together, they venture to the Old World, seeking ancient vampires to help with their cause.

The very best thing to me about this book are the two main characters. Mira is strong, sexy, and smart enough to know her place in the world. And Danaus is the perfect blend of smoldering power and mystery. The sexual tension between these two is off the charts. Every time they got close to each other, I gripped my book a little tighter, waiting to see if this would be the moment they would give in to temptation. Don't misunderstand. This isn't a romance novel. It's firmly Urban Fantasy, but what's going on between these two characters can't be ignored.

I also found myself very interested in the secondary characters. Jabari is an enigma, showing fatherly instincts one minute, passion the next, and then later cold calculation and fury. Who is he really? Then, there is fragile vampire Tristan, the self-serving warlock Ryan, and the evil naturi Rowe. Each was clearly fleshed out and left me wanting to know more about them.

The book's not perfect. There is a little too much exposition for my taste. I could do with fewer words to describe the setting and background. --Another small peeve was serious overuse of the word "angels" when Mira refers to her bodyguards. Yeah, I get the reference... Michael and Gabriel... but it just felt forced and the more often the word was used, the more it annoyed me.

Drake's not afraid to make bold choices with the course of events. There's a surprising death before the story is over --and there are other heartbreakers as the series progresses. But it says something about the author's abilities to draw me into the world, that the events weigh so much on me as they unfold. In all, it's a solid book and worth reading, because it kicks off a unique and powerful series. 4 stars.