Review: A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson

A Cursed Embrace
by Cecy Robson
Series: Weird Girls #2
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: July 2, 2013
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
My review of book one: Sealed with a Curse 

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twenty-something girls—with one tiny exception: They are the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that made them, well, a little weird… After Celia Wird and her sisters help master vampire Misha save his family, their powers are exposed to the supernatural community of the Lake Tahoe region. But fame comes at a price, and being “weird” isn’t always welcome. To make matters worse, Celia desires the love of Alpha werewolf Aric, but his pack is bent on destroying their relationship to preserve his pureblood status. And once weres start turning up dead—with evidence pointing to the vampires—she must face the prospect of losing Aric forever. But the chaos only masks a new threat. An evil known as the Tribe has risen—and their sights are set on Celia and her sisters.

With Cursed Embrace, Cecy Robson has been added to my favorite authors list and The Weird Girls series is one of my favorite urban fantasy series. Fans of Kim Harrison’s the Hollows series and Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series will devour Weird Girls. Robson delivered an action-packed tale with characters I instantly connected with. She took me on an emotional roller coaster ride and I want more! Three world review: Intense, heart-breaking and brilliant.

The girls are all recovering from the escapades of the last novel and attempting to return to normal. *Pfft* Things are looking good in the love department, except for Celia who isn’t sure where she stands with Aric. When a dead raccoonwere shows up on their door step things are about to get ugly and normal it is not! Told from Celia’s perspective the tale kept me enthralled as we fought evil and Robson toyed with my heart and emotions.

While Celia is the most fleshed-out character, I adore them all. Each has a unique voice and it is easy to keep this cast of characters sorted. Stand out characters would be Bren who in my opinion is a total smart-ass and loyal to the end. Of the sister’s Celia and Taran are my personal favorites. To the outside world Taran is a total bad-ass, and confident, but inside she is this big old ball of heart and I’d totally go into battle with her or shoe shop. Celia is brave, caring, tormented and gads do I adore her. In battle she is quick, smart and fearless even as her personal life resembles a vortex sucking out her very soul. The girl's love interests are adorable, smexy wolves and we see some tender moments. The relationship between Celia and Aric is one smoking hot mess! I am totally 100% for them but my emotions shifted from elated to hunt him down and kill him. Ha! I understood him, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! All I can say is I better get my HEA even if it takes twenty books!!!!  Ari is swoon-worthy and I one of the aspects I like about weres is their possessiveness. That whole, “mine” mentality curls my toes. Despite the whole alpha thing he is also tender, romantic and respectful. This was/ is a total turn on. *swoons* Misha is back, and he totally wants Celia and isn't afraid to say so. While he makes his feelings quite clear, I give him credit for respecting Celia’s wishes. We have the tribal leaders, villains and other characters that both aid the plot and toyed with my emotions. Grrr!

While we see plenty of action and the threat is fascinating, the central theme in this second novel is the relationship between Aric and Celia Whatever it was, it kept me flipping the pages and caught up in the action. I verbally engaged with the tale shouting my frustrations, oohing and ahhing it was totally crazy and I loved every friggin' minute of it. Robson introduces us to a serious threat and makes us privy to some diabolic violence. While I learned more about the girls, their boyfriends and life in Tahoe, I really want to know more about the different supernatural beings and different classes of weres. Hopefully those things are answered in the next book. The girl’s relationships talk, shopping trips and boyfriend issues had me giggling aloud as these moments helped me catch my breath between the non-stop action scenes. The relationship between Aric and Celia was one hell of a ride. We get some seriously hot moments and a few  romantic ones.  The climactic scene right before the ending had me reeling, making the cliffhanger ending more manageable. I understood it, but dang it I want more. I immediately searched out the next book's release date and I am now counting the days.

Fans of urban fantasy with kick-butt heroines and smexy weres and vampires need to check out Cursed Embrace and the Weird Girls series. Curse Moon a novella will be released in December and Cursed By Destiny book three will be released in January of 2014. *are we there yet?*

Four and half cups of coffee out of five

Review: The Bonded by John Falin

The Bonded
by John Falin
Series: Adriel's Legacy #1
Publication date: October 18, 2012
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

Vinculum. A word hastily scrawled on a scrap of paper left behind by his long dead parents, becomes much more than a mystery. It becomes Adriel’s world.  Adriel struggled with his life, travelling the world and searching for his place in it. His pale green eyes and snow-white hair instantly singled him out in a crowd, but that wasn’t what made him different. As he struggled with conformity, he also waged war with himself—never able to control the raging pressure that swelled deep within him, alluring him with dark desires, tempting him to think of unspeakable things. Things no human should ever think about. When he awakens from a vicious attack, he is reborn in a world where the unspeakable is real. And they are more terrifying than the one he has fought within himself for so long. Blood-sucking creatures, terrors with razor-sharp claws, and strategists with lethal plans lurk in the shadows, living in a world of darkness….And Adriel is one of them.

Wow, I saw this on a few blogs during a blog tour and expressed my interest in reading it. (OK..It was the cover..I mean look at it! Awesome.)  Imagine my delight when the author asked me if I’d like an ARC of The Bonded.  I knew from the synopsis that I was about to embark on an urban fantasy about vampires but I had no idea I was about to enter a dark and gritty world filled with so much more. Falin delivered a unique twist on the history of not only Vampires, but Wears and Fae too! I quickly consumed this tale with its heavy world-building and captivating protagonist.

We meet Adriel with his cocky loner attitude and his shocking white hair and transparent green eyes and we know that he is different. He has been alone in the world since he was sixteen and has traveled the world in search of something unknown; all the while controlling a dark beast that lies within him. All of that is about to change in a small Maryland bar when he encounters a beautiful woman named Percy and her two obnoxious ego induced friends. The tale that unfolds is captivating as Adriel begins a journey that is fascinating, centuries old and filled with danger.

Adriel is confident, snarky and at times obnoxious. He is highly sensitive to smell and his hearing is outstanding. He requires periods of solitude and has the ability to discern a lie. I found him to be fasinating and complex. The discovery of whom or what he is was a fascinating journey and one I look forward to continuing. While we witness growth throughout the novel in his character he is not yet complete. Percy is strong, brave, and loyal. Her connection to Adriel is fascinating. The relationship that develops or evolves is not really a romance but something bigger and deeper. Their banter was hilarious at times and their bond heartwarming. We meet clans of vampires and waers and their clan’s hierocracy and individual personalities were engaging. Quilici a clan leader of the waer was well fleshed out and I thought his insight and rational thoughts interesting. He made the tale feel genuine and the suspense come alive. Cassius is everything you will love to hate in a villain and I look forward to seeing him get his just desserts!  We catch a glimpse of the Fae and I am eager to discover more.

This dark, sometimes gritty urban fantasy had elements of high fantasy and lore. While this tale is just the beginning of Adriel’s Legacy the author did a splendid job of laying out the world-building. I finished reading with a strong sense of the main clans, and an understanding of Adriel and Percy’s role in the saga to come.  While the history and character’s kept me enthralled, the pace may be offsetting to some, but I assure you it is well worth it. While Adriel isn’t the most loveable protagonist I have ever met, he grew on me and I really appreciated the complexity of his character and felt it added to the believability of the tale. I am really excited about continuing this journey.

I recommend The Bonded to fans of dark urban fantasy, high fantasy, lore and sagas. Falin shares with us his clever imagination and I am anxious to see where he takes me.

I want to thank the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Four cups of bold Columbian coffee out of five

Laurie London ~Sweetblood/Iron Portal author {guest post-giveaway}

Today I am excited to have a guest post from Laurie London author of the paranormal romance series Sweetblood. She is going to share her new novella Assassin's Touch (Iron Portal series) and talk about things that go bump in the night. Enjoy and then be sure and enter to win a paperback copy of Seduced by Blood and an eBook copy of Assassin's Touch. 

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, which is probably why I write about vampires and things that go bump in the night. I’ve always been fascinated by what lies unseen just beneath the surface.

Those Thirteen Steps to Hell purported to be hidden in an old neighborhood cemetery. A secret tunnel joining two popular lakes, so when a person drowns in one, their body shows up in the other. A secret, whispered in a dream, that turns out to be true. A shadowy figure, warning you to take another road home, the same road where a fatal crash occurs just minutes later.

Yes, I’m fascinated by stories like these. That if only you knew where to look, you’d see a whole new world—either externally in our communities, or contained within ourselves.

Another world, separated by hidden portals is the focus of the Iron Portal series. For generations, horrible secrets have been kept from the public in order to perpetuate a long-running feud between the realms. Some believe that monsters slip through the portals to eat children from the other side. Others say these portals are just a figment of a world obsessed by the supernatural.

In ASSASSIN’S TOUCH, the first book in the Iron Portal series, an assassin captures a valuable member of the army. Soon, secrets between the worlds are exposed and everything begins to unravel. Unable to deny the intense chemistry between them that makes no sense in either of their worlds, Rickert and Neyla fall in love.

A world of vampires veiled within our own society is the premise of the Sweetblood books. These killers walk among us, are our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, but the average person has no idea that vampires exist…although a sweetblood human may have some inkling that their life is always in danger.

In SEDUCED BY BLOOD, the fourth book in the Sweetblood series, when a traitor threatens to expose their secrets, Santiago, the leader of a group of vampire enforcers, must work with the one woman he can’t read—the beautiful, mysterious Roxanne.

What are some of your favorite paranormal stories that involve secrets and hidden worlds? Do you have any real life ghost stories you want to share? ~Laurie

I love London's Sweetblood series and cannot wait to read Iron Portal. Take a moment to check them out. 


The Sweetblood series:

Bonded by Blood
Sweetblood # 1
Read my review

Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she's cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life. For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her….

Embraced by Blood
Sweetblood #2
Read my review

The second novel in London's dark, sensual vampire paranormal Sweetblood series. Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy--Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors. Alfonso Serrano is a hunted man. For months he's managed to elude the Darkbloods, vengeful foes who won't rest until he's dead. But he still craves one dangerous temptation: Lily DeGraff, the sexy Guardian agent he'll risk anything to protect. Lily is a wanted woman. Her talent for tracking Sweet—a rare blood type that's addictive to vampires—makes her a prime target for enemy capture. Her only hope is the stealthy vampire operative who stole into her bedthen left her in despair. Danger aside, Lily won't let Alfonso near her heart again—until an irresistible hunger threatens to draw them back together… and into an assassin's snare

Tempted by Blood
Sweetblood #3
Read my review

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two Vampire coalitions:Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors….He might be known for his effortless charm, but Guardian Jackson Foss is hiding a terrible secret. For months, he has battled the emergence of his dark nature—deadly urges that threaten to consume him. And those cravings only intensify when he meets Arianna Wells, the human he's been assigned to protect. Smart and perceptive, Arianna doesn't seem like a dangerous temptress. Yet she awakens in Jackson an unstoppable need that, if left unchecked, will brand him a traitor…a crime punishable by death.But soon their bond may be Arianna's only hope. For stalking her in the shadows is a merciless enemy—one who will stop at nothing to claim her completely….

Seduced by Blood
Sweetblood #4 
Read my review

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two vampire coalitions: Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors... Hot-blooded and hard-edged, Tristan Santiago has an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface-a power that serves him well as the Guardians' region commander. But when a deadly plot against his fellow vampires is uncovered, he must turn to the one woman he can't read: the beautiful yet mysterious Roxanne Reynolds, whose sensual presence soothes his tormented memories. Roxy had put love before duty once before, with devastating results. But to root out a dangerous traitor in their midst, she must put her faith in Santiago, the one man skilled enough to break through her defenses. Posing as lovers, Santiago and Roxy work side by side-and discover a powerful craving that threatens to consume them both...

Now check out Laurie's new book in the Iron Portal series:

Assassin's Touch 
Series: Iron Portal #1
Publication date: November 1, 2012
Genre: Paranormal romance
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon

Two worlds. Two enemies. 
Haunted by loss, Cascadian assassin Rickert D’Angelus is on a mission of vengeance. Determined to stop the Pacifican army from finding a portal to his world, he leads a group of warriors into New Seattle with one goal—to kill all Pacifican soldiers. Neyla Trihorn had the perfect life until a deadly accident revealed her latent para-abilities. Now, the former fashion designer is the Pacifican army’s hottest commodity in their fight against the invaders. When Rickert discovers a beautiful, unconscious soldier on a cold mountain ledge near the portal, he realizes she’s a Protection-Talent and cannot be killed. To prevent the army from using her skills again, he takes her as his prisoner instead. One fated touch…But when he pulls her into his arms, a sexy and compelling vision appears, awakening something inside him. Something he can’t ignore. Torn between duty and passion, Rickert must decide if the vision is a Talent trick designed to foil the enemy or the answer to his deepest desires..

Now for the Giveaway:

(open to US/Canada address)

Laurie is giving away a paperback copy of 

Seduced by Blood  and an eBook copy of Assassin's Touch

enter rafflecopter below:
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Blood by Moonlight by Jocelynn Drake, Terri Garey, Caris Roane {review-giveaway}

Blood by Moonlight
by Jocelynn Drake, Terri Garey and Caris Roane
Publisher: Avon/Harpercollins
Publication date: October 23, 2012
Genre: Paranormal
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon

Just in time for the scariest season of all, three popular paranormal authors come together to tell original tales of romance where anything can happen under a Halloween moon . . .
Tempers flare and passions rise in Jocelynn Drake's Of Monsters and Men as the local werewolf pack clashes with the Winter Court's Wild Hunt . . .
In Terri Garey's The Ghoul Next Door, a witch and a warlock battle it out for possession of a haunted house, but the ghost may have her own agenda . . .
And, in Trick or Treathen by Caris Roane, a master vampire struggles to stay away from the mortal woman who enflames his very soul.

I grabbed Blood by Moonlight a collection of three short stories surrounding All Hallows Eve for a number of reasons: 1. It’s the perfect way to check out an author I haven’t tried and 2. It’s perfect for bedtime, since the “just one more chapter” nightmare is guaranteed to end and I will get some shut-eye. I actually enjoyed all three tales and found them to be perfect reads for the spooky season.

All three books deal with a couple and so the paranormal tale is wrapped in a romance. Each has a crisis to be dealt with and all occur during the twenty-four hours surrounding all Hallows Eve. 

Jocelyn Drake’s Of Monsters and Men deals with The Winter Court’s Wild Hunt. The tale is a short As an Asylum short tale and features Trixie, and elf and Gage an ex member of the Winter Court. When a local wolf pack asks for help against the hunt their romantic evening gets turned upside down.  I enjoyed the tale, but it was obvious these characters are from an established series. It did peak my curiosity and kept me entertained.

The second tale, The Ghoul Next Door by Terri Garey was my personal favorite. In fact, I actually went searching for a series about the characters, but had no luck. GRR! The tale features a witch and a warlock. Cassie Holloway is the local witch and has been trying to get her families property back from James T. Falco. He refuses to sell it and it belongs to her family. On All Hallows Eve the veil between worlds is thin and she plans to evoke a spell to bring her grandmother forth to help her. The tale that unfolds was action packed, cute, romantic and had me begging for more.

The third tale, Trick or Treathen by Caris Roane was by far the spiciest tale and the pages sizzled. The tale features master vampire Treyne of the Prescott Territory in Arizona. In Roane’s vampire world, vampires are not a secret and live in communities. Many vampires now share a blood bond with humans and Treyne has been fighting his attraction to Jenna Shawe. Jenna is trying to locate her missing sister and the tale that unfolds is hot, dark and held me captive.

Blood by Moonlight is approximately one hundred pages long, but also includes two excerpts; The Forbidden Lady by Kerrelyn Sparks and Turn from Darkness by Jaime Rush. If you are looking for some easy bedside reads and want to explore new authors this collection is for you.

I want to thank HarperCollins/Avon for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this collection 3.5 coffee cups out of 5

Giveaway Time!!

I am giving one winner an eBook of

Blood by Moonlight

(from B&N or Amazon)

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The Twelve by Justin Cronin {review-giveaway}

The Twelve
by Justin Cronin
Trilogy: The Passage #2
Publisher: Ballentine Books
Publication date: October 16, 2012
Genre: Adult Dystopian
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

THE EPIC STORY OF THE PASSAGE CONTINUES
At the end of The Passage, the great viral plague had left a small group of survivors clinging to life amidst a world transformed into a nightmare. In the second volume of this epic trilogy, this same group of survivors, led by the mysterious, charismatic Amy, go on the attack, leading an insurrection against the virals: the first offensives of the Second Viral War. To do this, they must infiltrate a dozen hives, each presided over by one of the original Twelve. Their secret weapon: Alicia, transformed at the end of book one into a half human, half viral—but whose side, in the end, is she really on?

Ever since I devoured the Passage in 2010 I have anxiously awaited the release of book two; The Twelve. The post-apocalyptic world Cronin created captivated me and the ending had me screaming for more. I received an ARC of The Twelve and completely surrender myself to it. Cronin stepped up his game and delivered a tighter, breathtaking tale. While easily read as a standalone, I encourage you to read book one of the Passage trilogies. I am already yearning for final book in this spine-tingling epic trilogy.

The Twelve begins with a clever prologue. It was delivered much like scriptures and recaps the events from the Passage. This quickly reacquainted me to the world and the characters. As I read I imagined the Omen theme song in my head. The twelve are the original men turned viral when a military experiment “Project Noah” went wrong. They are linked and the parents of all the Virals created.  Five years have passed since Amy and her small team defeated Babcock. In this novel Cronin skillfully takes us from year zero to 97 A.V,-five years after book one ended. He masterfully fills in details and introducing new characters. The tale that unfolded sent shivers down my spine as I became fully immersed in the world Cronin created.

The characters in this trilogy have been superbly fleshed out. Amy while still a mystery evolves in this second novel. Peter is at a crossroads and is perhaps my favorite character. The underlying connection between them captured my heart. We reconnect with Lila, Wolfgast’s ex-wife. She is fractured, unique and has a significant role in book two. Grey who was a sweeper in book one, is back and attempts to change his life. Greer is imprisoned and becomes a seer. Guilder is a new character and straight from your worst nightmare. I still shiver thinking about him and what he is capable of. All of the key characters are reintroduced and become more fleshed out, as we go from past to present. We get a closer look and understanding of the Virals, otherwise known as Dracs, Glowsticks, Jumps, Dopeys, Smokes and Flyers. We begin to understand their hierarchy and what has become of their humanity. Then there is the twelve and there leader Zero. I can hear them in my head, “I am Morrison-Chavez-Baffles-Turrell-Winston-Sosa-Echolos-Lambright-Martinez-Reinhardt-Carter.” “Come to me.” *shivers* There is a very helpful guide in the back of the book that lists all of the characters and briefly describes them.

The world Cronin has created is horrifying, unimaginable and yet I believed. Cronin is in complete control of this masterpiece and I was spellbound. Not since Stephen King’s The Stand have I been so blown away. While the tale doesn't move in a linear fashion he skillfully takes us from past, present to future giving me a 3-D panoramic view of the world. It is quite clear he knows the terrain of the Midwest and with his pen; he brought its vast grasslands to life. He has crafted a tale, which completely enthralled me. It also scared the crap out of me.  It made me question the human mind, scientific advancements and mans quest for power. How would we survive this world? It also inspired me, and gave me hope as humankind survived, adapted and never surrendered. The Homeland and all that it stood for frightened me more than the Virals. I could not wrap myself around the horrors Guilder had created. This tale ended on a slightly high note, and felt complete. Cronin left us with the knowledge that a new battle would begin soon…Eep! I cannot wait.

Flyers! I really feel like my review does not even begin to give The Twelve and author the praise it deserves. Cronin is pure genius and I would love to have a coffee and a conversation with him. I honestly think, he sees the characters in his mind and knows exactly what they are doing, even when they are not present within the pages he is writing. He blurs the lines of reality, bringing this post-apocalyptic nightmare to life. If you know me, you know that I can literally consume novels when I begin them and could have easily read this in two sittings. This time, I spread it out over four days, savoring each word, each scene and each chill. Cronin is on my auto-buy list. The final book City of Mirrors is slated to publish in 2014.

I want to thank Random House for sending me an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. *Purchases made through buy links on this post result in a small commission which funds our giveaways.

I gave this novel 5 spine-tingling coffee cups out of 5. 

Giveaway Time!

Random House wants to help me share my love for this series

and generously agreed to give THREE US followers a paperback

copy of The Passage.

enter rafflecopter below:

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Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater {review-giveaway}

Pretty When She Dies
by Rhiannon Frater
Series: Pretty When She... Trilogy #1
Publication date: November 4, 2008
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon


*contains sexual content, violence and foul language
Not suitable for readers under 17 yrs of age.

Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...
... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...
Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.
All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.
But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?

Pretty When She Dies is a deliciously dark urban fantasy that quickly draws you in. Filled with vampires, necromancers, romance and kick-ass characters Frater took me on one heck of a ride. As a book addict, there is the high I constantly chase, that only an awesome, epic book can give me. Pretty When She Dies gave me that fix.

When we first meet protagonist Amaliya she finds herself buried in a shallow grave on her college campus. At first she cannot remember who she is, but stumbles her way back to campus and her dorm room. She gets sick and showers, but soon realizes she is very hungry. Making her way out to the parking lot, she hears music and smells food. Things get very bloody, very fast. When she awakens in the morning, her college professor is there and confirms her worse fears; he has made her a vampire. Naked and covered in blood he gives her his jacket, declaring that is the only help she will get from him. Amaliya quickly realizes she needs to flee. The tale that unfolds is action packed, funny, terrifying and filled with endearing characters.

The characters Frater has created are friggin awesome. Amaliya is sweet and bad-ass all at the same time. I quickly connected with her.  She is a natural blonde, but dyes her hair jet black, sports tattoos and piercings. She loves rock and roll, and is studying to be a psychologist. Her creator is one freaky ancient vampire who completely gave me the chills! He is bored and turned Amaliya for his own amusement. He stalks her, to watch how she handles the change. *shivers* Cain is a centuries old vampire also created by the same creator and he controls Austin, Texas. He is smart, oh so smexy and about to marry a human named Samantha. He lives in an apartment building he owns with his servant Roberto who cracked me up one minute and annoyed me the next. His fiancée Samantha is innocent, pure and completely annoying! Both Roberto and Samantha want Amaliya gone. This creates some interesting situations and double crosses. Amaliya’s grandmother was an absolute hoot and at times she and the other vampire hunters stole the show. I loved their shenanigans and her fearlessness.

The world building is fantastic. Frater brought this dark, gritty vampire world to life. There are no sparkly vampires here. While vampires act and behave like the vampires of old; sleeping during the day and living without reflection, Frater brought a new twist that blew my mind. I loved the history she provided regarding the Creator and Cain. The romance that develops is dripping with sexual tension and the dance was delicious, raw and hot. The relationship slowly developed into more and I enjoyed watching it unfold. The creator , known by some as “The Summoner”  can raise and control the dead. He is not at all happy with his new toy and when he discovers her strengths he sets out to control her. Frater created action packed scenes  and gave such detail that I had a HD Movie with surround sound playing in my head. The tale wraps up nicely without the dreaded cliffhanger. Frater has breathed life back into vampires for me, and I cannot wait to read more.

Fans of dark, gritty urban fantasy with kick-ass protagonist need to purchase Pretty When She Dies immediately. *just saying, can you tell I absolutely loved this book!*  Frater skillfully brought the vampires of old lore to present day Texas and it will literally blow your mind. Pretty When She Kills is the next book in the trilogy and I will be bringing you the review later this month.

*purchases made through buy links on this post result in a small commission which is used to fund our giveaways.

I gave this novel five coffee cups out of 5. 

Enter the rafflecopter to win an eBook copy of 

Pretty When She Dies (open internationally): 

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The Red Serpent Trilogy by Rishabh Jain {Excerpt~Giveaway}

Today I am sharing an excerpt of The Red Serpent Trilogy with Tribute Blog Tours:

The Red Serpent Trilogy
by Rishabh Jain and Delson Armstrong
Publisher: AJ International Press
Publication: August 14, 2012
Genre: Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon

The Red Serpent Trilogy presents a highly evolved vampire to fear: cold and callous, powerful and dangerous, possessed by mystic promises and destroyed only by silver. It is the year 2021 — the human world has degraded, its inhabitants unworthy of the supernatural gifts bestowed upon them. Compelled by ancient prophesy, an ancient vampire army takes the human race by force, sparing few lives. They await the second coming of their king, Anaxagoras, which will hurl the world into a final battle that will free the vampires from their infinite hiding. But by the hands of fate, there is one human who may save his entire race.
The Red Serpent Trilogy is a celestial fusion of science fiction and fantasy, unfolding conflicting intentions for the survival of both the human and vampire races. But in a world ruled by supernatural and mythological forces, there is only room for one race, and neither will go easily. The few survivors of the fatal vampire onslaught escape to an asteroid space station, Regnum, where they thrive as they keep an attentive watch on the vampires on the earth below. But unbeknown to himself or anyone else, Alex, half human half vampire, holds the keys to secrets that will help him realize his duties and cement his fate as either a human or a vampire.

Excerpt:
Chapter 1

Blessed Mother and Child

The year 2025

It was past young Alex's bedtime and his mother came by his room to tuck him in. He said to his mother, "Mom, since it's my birthday, will you tell me a story, please?"

"Yes, dear, I will," she said sweetly to him, patting his back as he lay down on his bed, and she tucked him in. "This is a legend about a world different from ours. It was a world filled with people like us, and was bigger than the Monolith of Faith, and had a great big round shape."

Alex's eyes widened; he had never known of anything bigger than the Monolith of Faith. It was the largest monument in his world.

"It had large amounts of water, which separated places as big as our world. The people there were many, who dwelled in peace and harmony, until one day flying humans, the vampires, killed them and took over their world."

"Mommy," interrupted Alex, "What are vampires?"

"They're these monstrous creatures, who have long teeth and—"

"As long as my teeth?"

"No, even longer." Alex was perplexed. Everyone at his school made fun of him because of his long teeth, but now he was amazed that there were people who had longer teeth than his. Unfortunately, such people existed only in his mother's myths and legends, not in real life. "Anyway, they also were able to use powers, which burned the trees, and kill humans by drinking their blood."

"Wait a minute, what are trees?" he asked in confusion.

"They are like O2s*," answered Minerva.

"Are they still alive?" asked Alex curiously.

"Yes, they are," said his mother, with anger and sadness in her eyes.

"What happened to the other humans?"

"Go to bed, it is too late now," she said in a hushed voice, and then kissed him on the forehead.

* In Alex's world, the trees were given a special name due to their extraordinary properties.

Rishabh Jain's:

Rishabh Jain was born in India. He is currently a mechanical engineering student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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I am very curious about the tale Alex's mom began and want to hear more. What do you think?