Review: Crave the Darkness

Reviewed by Jen
 

Shadow. That's how I started out; all I was again. A casting of mottled dark.  The real me, the me that knew happiness and light left with him.  

This was a tough book to read.  I mean, what can you expect with an opening like that?  The ending of Blood Before Sunrise was a real kick in the gut. And as we begin a new installment in the Shaede Assassin series, Darian is still feeling the burn.  Her beloved Tyler has left her and she has sunk into a debilitating depression.  But her friends refuse to let her wallow any longer.

Raif and Xander pull her back into the Shaede world, pushing her to lead a protection detail for Anya.  The two women have never gotten along, but Anya is pregnant and someone has been threatening her life.  Darian has to pull herself together to keep the woman alive, while working to identify and eliminate the threat to her life.

Meanwhile, Tyler returns.  But he's not alone.  Is the beautiful woman with him Darian's replacement?  Of course, that is Darian's immediate assumption.  She doesn't deal with her fears in any healthy kind of way, unfortunately.  I hated watching her suffer --and make unwise choices.  But though Darian is growing, she is still emotionally stunted and her reactions are in keeping with the experiences that have made her into who she is.

I know this all sounds like a giant downer and you may be asking why you should subject yourself to such torture.  Well, because it's delicious torture, that's why.  Well, mostly.  Darian has been through so much.  I am desperate for her to find some happiness.  And while I have never taken Xander seriously as possible contender for a love triangle, I actually found myself... softening toward him.  My love for Tyler has been seriously tested.  Whether intentional or not, he is the root of Darian's pain and he could take it away at any time.  So why doesn't he?  It fills me with so much angst.  Angst I could only feel about characters I have become utterly invested in.  I think if I were not able to read more of their story, my head would pop off.  Or implode.

Amanda Bonilla delivers a fairly big shocker in the story.  And despite all of the emotional turmoil, she keeps the story moving fast with plenty of action.  The ending... wasn't what I wanted and there is much left... dangling.  But Bonilla promises this won't be the end of the Shaede Assassin world, so I will try to remain calm.

If you haven't read this series, this is not the book to start with.  Go back to the beginning and pick up Shaedes of Gray.  It's good stuff.  If you're already a fan of the books, you won't want to miss this one, even if it's hard on your heart.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Signet Eclipse

Click to purchase: Amazon

Crave the Darkness

by Amanda Bonilla

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Publisher: Signet Eclipse

Review: The Djinn's Dilemma

Reviewed by Jen
 

This story started out really strong for me.  I am pretty sure it had a lot to do with the hero.  Rukh is a sexy half-djinn assassin who ends up falling for his mark.  Sarah is nothing like the scum he is usually hired to kill.  She is a good person with a bright aura. And he realizes that he must figure out why she has been targeted if he going to be able to save her life.

Ruhk is very, very sexy. He's also broody, with just the right amount of angst.  I like that Sarah is willing and able to not only accept her attraction to him, but to reach out and grab what she wants.  The sexual element between these two burns up the page and I was 100% on board until a little past the half way point of the story.  That's when I felt like it kicked into overdrive.

Once Rukh decided to come clean, the pacing started to feel too rushed. Sarah accepted everything so quickly and made arrangements so fast it made my head spin.  Then, the climax happened without nearly enough build.  And the big reveal on Sarah's heritage felt like it came out of nowhere.  I felt like this story could have been so much better if it had been more developed, especially in the second half.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did.  Especially the sexy times. I just think a little more of a build toward the events in the conclusion could have gone a long way to making it better.

Rating: B-

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

The Djinn's Dilemma

by Mina Khan

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Nocturne

Review: Lost to the Gray

Reviewed by Jen
 

What could be better than getting a first person POV story from one of your favorite heroes?

This novella in Amanda Bonilla's Shaede Assassin series gives us a closer look at Tyler than we have ever seen before. It's set immediately after the events of Blood Before Sunrise.  (So new readers, be aware this is not a story for you. Go back and read Shaedes of Gray. Now.) Ty is really hurting over what Darian did to him in the last book.  And through his narrative, we feel it too.  He's struggling over his anger and feelings of betrayal, all the while, still loving her fiercely.

In the meantime, Levi the bartender has gotten himself in a mess of trouble, and it's life or death. So Ty needs to put all that delicious angst on the backburner, while he helps Levi out of a jam.  It's a pretty interesting and fast moving plot.  But honestly, it's not why anyone is going to be reading the story.  We're reading it for that insight into Tyler, and we get it in spades.

Perhaps the best parts of the story for me, are flashbacks of Ty and Darian.  First and foremost are his memories of how they met and how he bound himself to her.  Great scenes, that both explained a lot and opened up a couple of new doors.  And then, we've got an awesome love scene from the time Ty and Darian were happy together.  In BBS, I wished for more opportunities to see them this way: happy, sexy, and in love. And it's even better with Tyler's thoughts and feelings front and center.

If all of that isn't enough to reel you in (what's wrong with you?) --then let me give you one more little tidbit.  The ending goes a long way to explain Ty's behavior in the upcoming Crave the Darkness. Yes, you could read the next novel and still understand what's going on, but this will you some perspective to help understand some things which are a little hard to stomach.

They say it's always darkest before the dawn. Read this one and bask in the memories! Tyler + Darian = 4eva!!

Rating: B+

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Lost to the Gray

by Amanda Bonilla

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Publisher: Penguin

Review: Blood Before Sunrise

Reviewed by Jen
 

If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy and you have not tried the Shaede Assassin books, you are really missing out.  These books bowl me over with fantastic world building and characters I care deeply about.  This book took me on a wild ride that kept me on the edge of my seat until the big emotional finish that left me shredded.

The story picks up several months after the events of Shaedes of Gray.  Darian is happy and in love with Tyler.  Together with Raif and Xander's men, they are searching for the Oracle who escaped at the end of the last book.  Things get more complicated once they find her and she reveals that Raif's daughter is alive and she knows where to find her.  Raif can't allow himself to believe it's true but Darian can't ignore the possibility.  So she makes it her mission to find the girl who has been lost for centuries.

At this point, a ton of stuff starts piling up on Darian's plate.  She starts having terrifying dreams and visions filled with cryptic prophesies she can't understand.  The Oracle gets placed in the custody of supernatural law enforcement, forcing Darian to make an unsavory alliance to get access to her again.  Plus, there is something seriously wrong with Ty.  He is flying into jealous rages, losing his self-control. And he says there is a problem with their bond.

It's really all too much for Darian to take on at once. She tries. But her actions merely accentuate her character flaws.  She is impetuous and over confident. She is unable to trust in others, to allow them to help her.  And it's in her inability to reach out and share her burdens that she makes terrible mistakes and some Very Bad Decisions.

I do believe Darian's heart is in the right place, though. So while she frustrates me, I still empathize with her.  I love, love, love Ty, even though he is batshit crazy at times.  I spent the entire book in constant fear that Darian would break her bond with him "for his own good."  --And Raif.  He's such an interesting character and I adore his relationship with Darian. I understand why she feels so loyal him.  Xander, eh, I could take or leave.

Amanda Bonilla opens up her world even more in this story, taking us inside the Fae world, and explaining more about what makes Darian so special.  It's... different.  Unique.  My only beef is one Darian shares toward the end of the book, which is Why the Hell didn't anyone tell her what she was?  If two relevant characters would have just taken a moment to explain things, it would have saved everyone a lot of pain and heartbreak.

Yes. I said heartbreak.  I feel hollow in my chest, dammit.  How am I going to wait until March for this all to be fixed?  (Are you listening Amanda Bonilla? This must be fixed. Or I am breaking up with you.)

Rating: A-

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Blood Before Sunrise

by Amanda Bonilla

Release Date: July 3, 2012

Publisher: Signet Eclipse

Review: Devil's Gate

Reviewed by Jen
 

I have read all of the novellas associated with the Elder Races series. I've enjoyed them, but they've always felt disconnected from the full length books in the series.  Until now.  "Devil's Gate" is kind of like a magnet that picks up a bunch of bits and pieces from just almost every novel and novella that's come before and successfully cashes in on the richness of the established world-building.  And I liked it.

Remember that Medusa medical examiner?  She's our heroine. And Carling's vampire lawyer dude?  That's the hero!  Seremela and Duncan now work for Carling and Rune in their new business venture. The two are friendly and each is attracted to the other.  When Seremela's niece goes missing, Duncan steps in to help her find the girl and bring her home.  As the trip throws them together, they finally stop hiding how they feel for one another.

The missing niece is the girl who lifted those tarot cards off of Claudia in "Natural Evil." And she has run off to "Devil's Gate," a magic infused area where humans and Elder Races are flocking to make a quick buck.  She gets in pretty big trouble, and some of the beings there are tied into the Dark Fae political plot from Storm's Heart and the djinn community of Oracle's Moon.  It all fits in together so smoothly. It really is a treat for fans who have read all the books.

Much of the focus is on the adventure, and the romance isn't too deeply developed. But knowing that these two already had an established relationship of a sort, it makes it easier to accept it when things move quickly at the end.  I like how Harrison maintains the "otherness" of her characters, yet makes them so easy to relate to emotionally. And the sex.  The lady writes some great sex.

Now I am hungrier than ever for Lord's Fall. More please.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Samhain

Click to purchase: Amazon

Devil's Gate

by Thea Harrison

Release Date: June 5, 2012

Publisher: Samhain

Review: Shaedes of Gray

Reviewed by Jen
 

I've seen mixed reviews on this book, but I want to start by telling you how much I really enjoyed it.  The story pulled me in from the beginning and I read the entire thing in one sitting.  I didn't want to put it down.

Darian is a Shaede and an assassin.  She knows very little about what she is. Her maker, Azriel, abandoned her decades ago. She only knows that she is fast, ageless, and seemingly invincible -- and at night, she can become incorporeal, at one with the shadows.  She works under Tyler, the middleman who sets up her jobs.  There is something between them, but she refuses to act on it.   Azriel told her she was the last of her kind. What hope could she have for a relationship with someone frail and mortal?

Anyway, her latest hit turns out to be more than she bargained for.  The job is a ruse to bring her face-to-face with Xander, the king of the Shaedes.  He wants to hire her to kill another supernatural.  To say meeting Xander changes her life would be an understatement. Suddenly, Darian's eyes are opened to a huge world she never knew existed.  And she must figure out where she fits in, now that she knows she is not alone.  This, while fighting off the creatures trying to kill her, training for her new gig, and figuring out her feelings for the two men in her life.

The story sets up a sort-of love triangle between Darian, Xander, and Ty, but I never really bought into it.  I loved Tyler from the first time I met him and I basically considered Xander little more than a mildly threatening foil throughout. (*mild spoilers*) In fact, one of my only complaints about the book is the fact that Xander allegedly falls for Darian and Ty actually takes him seriously as someone Darian could love in return.  But there is no basis for it at all in my mind.  Infatuation and curiosity, sure. But love, no way.

The world building in this book is fascinating, original, and easy to understand.  The plot was fast moving and action packed.  The story developments surprised me and kept me on the edge of my seat.  And I was very invested in the characters.  Much like Darian, I didn't even realize how much I cared, until the rug got ripped out from under me.  My heart broke right along with Darian's when the villain's plan finally came to fruition.

I know that not everyone likes Darian, but I had a lot of sympathy for her. She has had a really rough life and I think she has a lot of inner strength.  We've already established how I feel about Ty.  But there are some really great secondary characters too, like Raif. (*spoilers*) I find it fascinating that he may have inadvertently set this whole thing in motion. I can't wait to get started on Blood Before Sunrise.

Rating: A-

Click to purchase: Amazon

Shaedes of Gray

by Amanda Bonilla

Release Date: December 6, 2011

Publisher: Signet

Review: Oracle's Moon

If I won one of those multi-million dollar lotteries, after using a portion of my extensive wealth for good... and maintaining my harem of hot men... I would throw gobs and gobs of money at Thea Harrison until she agreed to come live next door and write me stories every day. This lady continues to completely knock my socks with her Elder Races series. And Oracle's Moon may be my favorite yet.

The super-sexy man at the center of this book is Khalil. As the last book ended, the djinn agreed to watch over the young children of the Oracle. And once he makes a vow, he is honor-bound to uphold it. Not for a day, but for life. Grace, the Oracle, isn't really thrilled to have him around. Her life is hard enough. She's only recently come into her powers. She is 23, dealing with injuries from a car accident, and raising her sister's kids. She doesn't have money. She doesn't have help. She is completely out of her depth. And a blustering, know-it-all djinn is the last thing she needs on top of all that.

But as Khalil begins to spend more time with the children, he begins to transform. He lets them into his heart, and somehow Grace comes along with them. For a being nearly as old as time, he is utterly clueless, but I loved watching him learn to open himself up and embrace human feeling and emotion. At the same time, Grace finds someone she can trust and lean on. This is more important than ever as she struggles to make the powers of the Oracle her own.

The thing I love most about the Elder Races books is the fact that Harrison never relies on the overused tropes of the genre. Khalil and Grace have to struggle and grow to achieve the relationship they're working toward. But they stay true to character as they do it. There's no big misunderstanding or eye-rolling roadblocks of their own making. Khalil is alpha and powerful without being a jerk to Grace; and she is pure of heart without being an untouched, unbelievable virgin.

This isn't a book that is filled with constant action and a big, epic external conflict. Though there is some action and danger, this is a love story. You actually get to see these characters fall in love. It's not fated. It's not instant. But it's captivating and wonderful and it feels... real.

I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book. From the uber-hot sex... to the romance... the action... the danger... the cameos... It was everything I wanted. And it provides a great set-up for the next book, which again focuses on Dragos and Pia. I can't wait. 5 stars.

*ARC Provided by Berkley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Oracle's Moon

by Thea Harrison

Release Date: March 6, 2012

Publisher: Berkley

Review: Perfection

In the world Kris Cook has created with his Eternally Three series, immortals live among us. But they need a certain sexual energy to sustain their life force. An angel must join with a jinn and a human in "tripling" and share energy. (By the way, a "tripling" is exactly what you think it is.)

This story follows Micki, a human woman who is searching for her missing brother. She knows something is wrong, thanks to a cryptic message he left her, asking her to bring his flash drive to a club and give it to a man named David. It turns out that the club is a hedonistic house of flesh. And once she arrives, she has trouble remembering her mission. All she can think about is her erotic attraction to the two men who remind her of the dirty sex dreams she's been having. --And wouldn't you know it? One of them is a jinn and the other, an angel.

Apparently, David's a big muckety-muck in the supernatural world and he has assigned Jared and Bradley to watch over Micki. And boy, do they ever. But the mind-blowing sex reveals there is something special about their tripling and the woman in the center of it. As the book progresses, we see Micki, Jared, and Bradley fight the agents of the Dark who hope to harness their power, search for Micki's missing brother, and have lots and lots of sex.

The menage action is seriously hot. Dirty, sweaty, slutty, look over-your-shoulder to-see-who's-watching-you-read hot. Micki is the clueless human, learning to embrace her carnal side... Bradley, the do-right angel... and Jared, the damaged jinn who is trying to redeem himself for past mistakes. It's a fun supernatural sexcapade, with a fairly straightforward conflict to anchor the dirty bits together. And they were good dirty bits --but I had a few nitpicks. One: You have to accept a lot of the supernatural parts of the story at face value, without a lot of world-building. Two: It bothered me a little how easily Micki jumped into the nasty with two strangers in a public place, no matter how hot they were. And three: As good as the sex is between among them, they all fell in love really fast.

It was fast, fun ride, though... as long as you don't try to take it too seriously.  A little more than 3 stars.

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Perfection

by Kris Cook

Release Date: September 1, 2009

Publisher: Siren

Review: Angelic

Reviewed by Jen
 

“Angelic” is like the Holy Grail for fans of Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series. It was released in January of 2010 as a limited release novella. If you didn’t order one of these in advance, you were out of luck. They were sold out before the release day.  But now, it’s available on ebook,  so most of us are getting our first look at the story.

It focuses on Eve, the ghost/angel who narrated Haunted. She is just coming off of a six month stint on angel duty, and expected to spend the next 6 months on the ghostly plane with her man, Kristof.  But the Fates tell her she needs to do one more job, tracking down a djinn problem. Eve is tired of getting jerked around by the powers-that-be. She’s always been a rebel, but she does a good job and she wants her due.  So she decides to do the job her own way –and even hopes to get “fired” from her job as an angel while she is at it.

I like Eve. She is tough and irreverent. We also get appearances from Kristof and several of the lesser characters we met in Haunted. I enjoyed the story and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it. I’m just as glad I’m not one of the folks who spent an exorbitant amount of money to get a copy on ebay.  4 stars.

Angelic

by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: January 8, 2010

Publisher: Subterranean Press