Review: Revelation by Erica Hayes + Giveaway

Hi guys, today I'm lucky enough to be part of the Bewitching Books Tour for Revelation by Erica Hayes. If you love dark and sexy angels, you'll love Luniel and the Tainted ;) At the end of the review there is a super tasty excerpt and Giveaway as part of the tour. Enjoy!

Title: Revelation
Author: Erica Hayes
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Release Date: 3rd January 2013 (UK) | 2nd October 2012 (US)
Series: The Seven Signs, book 1
Source: E-copy from the publisher as part of the tour.

Blurb from Goodreads:

A fallen angel with a mission and a medical examiner who’s lost her faith are fighting for their souls in a glittering, near-future Manhattan…
Blind faith is for fools. That’s what Dr. Morgan Sterling believes. And she’s going to prove it by curing the zombie plague ravaging her city’s slums. She’s certain it’s not a sign of the End of Days, but a nasty disease—until an angel appears in her morgue in a flash of glory.
Luniel is not just a fallen angel. He’s a powerful warrior sworn to fight evil in hopes of a chance at redemption. He’s after the demon princes who are stealing the seven vials of holy wrath which, when perverted, will unleash eternal hell on earth.
To stop the plague, Luniel needs Morgan’s help, and her faith. But Morgan believes science is their salvation. If the zombie plague is a demonic curse—and if Luniel is true—he’ll have to prove it. Even if he loses his heart to true love or his soul to Hell…

Review:
First Line: 'Today, of all days. It was Thursday. The world couldn't end on a Thursday.'
Yup, that's where we start, with our sexy leading man discovering that the world as they know it may actually be ending. Of course, as an angel, Luniel (Lune) had always known this was possible. There's just one problem. Heaven was supposed to control the apocalypse...and by the looks of it, right now, that isn't happening. So it's up to Lune and his fellow Tainted's to figure out what the hell (pardon the pun) is going on and fix it.
Set in a future New York City, renamed Babylon (yes, I have issues with the name, but I won't go into them here), unbeknownst to mankind, fallen angels, and demons alike roam the earth. There are seven signs of the apocalypse and here at the start of Redemption, Lune has discovered sign number 2 - oceans drowning in blood. However, there are supposed to be seven guardians keeping the seven vials of holy wrath safe and having not received a memo from above that He has given the apocalypse the go ahead, Lune and his fellow Tainted's deduce that all is not well and hell is attempting to start the apocalypse before scheduled. On top of all this, Lune has a second pressing problem. He hasn't been able to contact his twin brother for nearly a week. Putting that with the fact that there are probably two dead guardian angels around the city somewhere, and Lune has a base for his search for answers. Which leads him straight into the path of a rather sexy junior pathologist named Morgan.
About to unknowingly conduct an autopsy on Lune's twin, Morgan is surprised to say the least when this drop dead gorgeous angel appears from no where. Refusing to believe it's all not just some prank or weird dream, Morgan uses her scientific background as a shield against the magnificent specimen that is Luniel. Only Morgan was involved up to her neck before she even met the handsome angel. She's been investigating the Manhattan virus that's been plaguing the city, turning it's residents into basically zombies with a taste for human flesh. What she doesn't know is that this virus was the first sign of the apocalypse, and now her research will be key in the Tainted's search for patient zero, and thereby the demon princes that have let loose these plagues on the city.

Now to our hero and heroine. I have no problems with Luniel. He is a pretty awesome hero as heroes go. Dark, sexy and damaged...my kind of man. BUT Morgan is a little different. Admittedly  I have a problem generally with books where the two main characters are instantly attracted to one another. Sure in this case both of them are fighting it, but for two very different reasons. Lune's issue is a past horrific end to a relationship where his love got damned to hell for all eternity after being horrifically tortured in front of a chained Lune. Add to that the 800 years of self imposed celibacy and I can get why he's more than a little reluctant to jump feet first into a new relationship. However Morgan's problem seems to be herself. She's too much of a scientist to actually believe he's an angel, but she lets herself get caught up in the moment - and in one pretty steamy scene she was more than willing to go all the way, except Lune pulled back at the last second. Only then did she berate herself about how stupid it was. Rinse and repeat. It got repetitive to say the least. I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason I just did not connect with Morgan the same way I did with Lune. Whether that's because I want Lune all for myself or not I don't know ;)

He angled his wings, driving the air to breeze as he flipped and rolled. Blue light flashed. Blood splashed, black and fetid, and decapitated bat bodies flew, heads splattering the pavement. The creatures screeched, and speared for him, teeth gnashing, their leathery wings a blur.
One flew for Morgan’s face, cackling, wicked talons outstretched. She shrieked and swatted at it, shielding her eyes.
A neon- blue bolt seared her cheek, and the bat- thing dropped in two halves at her feet with a stinking squelch.

The premise of this book isn't exactly unheard of, however the way Erica Hayes goes about this makes it instantly more charming. Firstly, the secondary characters in the form of the band of Tainted's are absolutely fantastic. These men and women are warriors through and through, Dashiel, Trillium, Jadzia, Iria, Japheth and Luniel, they make one hell of a team. They have great chemistry and a lot of good natured teasing and fighting goes on...you know, warrior stuff. I'm a big fan of humour in my books and Revelation has just the right amount to offset the more gritty and serious aspects of the book, such as demons that are into pain, and certain Archangels who don't seem very Archangely...*cough* ..Michael ..*cough*. Speaking of the grittier aspects of the book, there are some scenes of violence that made me cringe a little. In some places they are used well to show exactly what they Tainted's are really up against, and to show Lune's loss of his last love some 800 years ago. However in others, I didn't think they were really necessary  Not that it detracted from the book's appeal once I got over the initial shock, but some scenes, like when we first meet the all powerful Archangel Michael, took me a re-read to understand why it was wholly necessary.

The second reason this team of rogues charmed their way onto my bookshelf is because some of the most unexpected phrases are used by this band of unruly fallen angels. The one that literally had me in stitches, purely because of the way it was used was this one:

Jesus Christ on a jelly sandwich. Lune tugged his hair, rough. Him and his bleeding heart. Michael would laugh his righteous blue ass off.

And trust me, there are many more like that. It's that offbeat sense of humour that had me falling in love with these characters and Erica's writing style as a whole.The story is pretty damn interesting, though I have read similar things reasonably recently. To me Revelation is almost a blend of Larissa Ione's Lords of Deliverance series and J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels. There's some awesome fight scenes, some gritty violent stuff, steamy sex scenes and a beautiful topping of fresh humour. Where the series will take us next I don't know, but I can't wait to find out. I did have some misgivings to begin with, what with the violence and Morgan's almost unbelievable instant attraction to Lune, but all in all, Redemption is most definitely a very promising start to the series, and I will most definitely be keeping up with the Seven Signs series.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Excerpt

White light erupted, brighter than any flashbulb.
She gasped, dazzled. Breeze ruffled her hair. Her elbow hit the trolley, and the camera jolted from her fingers.
A hand gripped her arm, steadying her. A man’s voice, deep and unfamiliar. “Sorry, lady. I didn’t think anyone would be here. Are you—oh, shit.”
Her vision cleared, and she scrabbled on the floor for her camera. “Jesus, you scared the hell outta . . . oh!” She looked up, and fell right back onto her ass, her nerves in disarray.
Whoa. Not just tall, or big. More, in every way compared to . . . well, compared to a normal man.
This guy wasn’t normal.
Black hair, blacker than soot and wilder than music. Blue eyes, hotter and deeper than summer sky, luminous pale skin, long dark lashes any woman would kill for. Arms thicker than her thighs in a dark shirt with no sleeves, strong wrists that made her weak, hands that could crush rocks. And his thighs in those jeans . . . long, powerful, rippling as he moved.
His face was familiar, she realized. Those carved cheekbones and, umm, luscious lips. The bird man. Only Birdy was blond, and this guy was dark and . . . tasty.
His gaze lasered onto hers, relentless, and she shivered. He looked dangerous. Driven. Not a patient man.
Morgan scrambled up, struggling to keep her mind on the issues. This was Babylon, the psycho-killer capital. Well-adjusted guys didn’t break into morgues after-hours. But how Mr. Huge-dark-and-oh-by-the-way-totally-hot had gotten in here was beside the point. So was how easy it’d be for a guy his size to tear her limb from limb, or worse.
He’d seen Birdy’s body. She couldn’t call security. Not yet. Not before she’d preserved the evidence.
She licked her lips. “Um. Hi. I was just . . .”
He strode up to the trolley, and his fingers clenched the edge, hard enough to dent the steel. On drugs. That explained the crazy swirl in his eyes. “You found my brother,” he said stiffly. “I guess asking how he died is redundant.”
“Umm . . . he’s . . . well . . .” Morgan stuttered, unable to keep it in any longer. “He’s a frickin’ bird man! Who the hell are you?”
He turned, and to her surprise, he laughed.
Her guts melted, like warm honey, and she shivered again. So beautiful. So smooth and melodic. She wanted to press her thighs together, feel his tingling warmth . . .
Or not. Her indignation sparked. He hadn’t answered her question. Who the hell was he?
The guy with the Rohypnol laugh shook his head. “Bird man. Christ. You people. Never believe what’s right in front of you.”
“Sorry, but I’m a scientist. I believe what I can see.” Morgan folded her arms, defiant, and edged closer to the wall where the alarm button was. Screw collecting more evidence. This guy was seriously creeping her out, and it wasn’t just because he had her thinking about sex instead of squirting him with capsicum spray.
“You do, do you?” His gaze flicked to the alarm button, and back to her, and swift as the flashbulb he dived forward and grabbed her arm. “Then believe this.”
Light shimmered again, dazzling. And glossy black wings burst from his shoulders in a rain of golden glitter.

Morgan’s heart catapulted, and she gulped for breath. The golden light glimmered, and dissolved.
But his lush midnight feathers didn’t. And he held her, his body close in the heady scent of altar smoke. His whisper rumbled through her chest. “I’m sorry. I can’t let you call your security. You never should have seen any of this, but it’s too late for that now. My name is Luniel. That’s Ithiel, my twin. He’s an angel. And so am I.”
Morgan struggled, her mind blanking. It couldn’t be true. Not possible. She must be dreaming. Yet . . .
She wriggled, beating at his massive forearm. “Let me go!”
He let go.
She stumbled away, rounding on him. More fool him. Whatever this guy was, he wasn’t to be trusted. “Sorry. Not possible. I don’t believe in angels.”
“Not my problem.” The man—Luniel—shrugged, feathers ruffling. His accent was elusive, a mixture of exotic and familiar, like he came from no place in particular.
“It’ll be your problem when I call the cops, you freak.” The dude still wore a shirt with no sleeves, and the wings—his wings—fit easily into the cutaway space. Blacker than black, like soot, broader than his massive shoulders, and long, the tips of the feathers reaching to mid-calf. It looked so real.
Morgan’s mind stuttered. She must be dreaming. But if this was a dream, surely he’d be wearing white robes and a halo? Instead of all dark and smoldering and . . . and sinful, like some insane Mardi Gras biker?
She sidled backwards, towards her desk in the cutting room. A girl didn’t grow up in Babylon without learning some self-defense. Her pistol was in the drawer. Maybe she could get away, lock him in, call security. 9-1-1 was a waste of time, despite her threat. Resources were stretched, and police response to anything short of a terrorist plot in progress just didn’t happen.
Luniel stalked her, midnight wings flaring. “Freak? Wow. I’m so pleased to meet you . . . I’m sorry, what didn’t you say your name was?”
“I’m Dr. Morgan Sterling. This is my mortuary. You’re trespassing.” Behind an autopsy bench, a few steps closer to the desk.
He circled, leaning over the bench on two hands, muscles flexing. “As they say these days, Dr. Sterling: whatever. Tell me where they found my brother.”
She fumbled against the desk, feeling behind her. “Screw you.”
“Is that an offer? I’m touched.” His hot blue gaze drilled her, magnetic. “But not distracted. Come on, Doctor, it’s important.”
She ripped the drawer open and grabbed the pistol, leveling it at him two-handed and thumbing the safety off. “So’s this. Back off.”
“No.” He vaulted the bench with ease, landing silently before her on wafting wings. Careless of her pistol. Unruffled, like a panther facing a hissing pussy cat, some small, insignificant creature who posed no threat.
His delicious scent paralyzed her, a rich toffee sweetness. Her mouth dried. He was luminous, dazzling, too perfect to be real. Certainly too perfect to be telling the truth. “Get away.”
“Wait, let’s see. Umm . . . no.” He cocked his head, and reached for her hair, stroking it with one finger. “You’re very pretty, Morgan Sterling. Pity if that got spoiled. Tell me about my brother.”
Now her gun was trapped between them. Her hands quivered, her memory of defensive moves a blank. “Get away! I’ll shoot!”
“No, you won’t.” He wrapped her hair around his fingers, and leaned closer, sniffing her. “You’re a doctor. You don’t hurt people.”
“Don’t bet on it.” She inhaled, and squeezed the trigger.


Giveaway!
As part of this amazing tour there is a tour wide giveaway! We all love giveaways I know so let me fill you in. The prizes are: 1 $25 bookstore gift card (winner's choice of bookstore), 1 a signed set of the Shadowfae series (4 paperbacks) and 2 Kindle copies of short vampire romance HUNTER’S BLOOD. All you have to do to enter is fill in the form below. GOOD LUCK!

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*V's Book Life is not the host of this giveaway and is in no way responsible for the allocation or distribution of prizes.

Review: Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowan

Hello! Well as promised I'm going to zip through all the reviews of every book I read during my week in Cyprus (I read 12 haha) and to start us off here's DARK KISS by Michelle Rowan.

Title: Dark Kiss
Author: Michelle Rowen
Publisher: MIRA Ink (UK) | Harlequin Teen (US)
Release Date: 1st June 2012 (UK) | 22nd May 2012 (US)
Series: Nightwatchers series, book 1
Source: I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb from Goodreads:
I don't do dangerous.  Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha-that's me. But I just couldn't pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me...something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It's like part of me is missing-and I don't know if I can get it back.
Then there's Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he's keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he's what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me....

Review:
First line: ' "This is going to hurt like hell." The grim thought was confirmed by the look on the Gatekeeper's face, but Bishop didn't want anyone's pity. After all, he'd volunteered for this.'
Set in the city of Trinity DARK KISS makes you wonder what could be lurking in the shadows of our world...and ensures you never look at a first kiss quite the same way. Angels, demons and soul sucking creatures known as Grays can be found here - and that can only mean one thing...a butt load of trouble for Samantha Day.
Sam was a normal 17 year old girl, that is until one kiss changed her life forever. Usually Cute guy + kissing = fun.... not Cute Guy + Kissing = becoming a soul sucking monster!! Well, that's what happened to Sam...and believe me, that was only the beginning. Suddenly Sam is always hungry but food can't satisfy her hunger, and she suddenly has the urge to kiss every boy she meets...including her best friends ex boyfriend.
The next day, Sam stumbles across Bishop...an angel sent from heaven to lead a team of angels and demons to find and deal with the Grays and their leader. There's only one problem, Bishop's head got messed up on the trip from heaven to earth. Now he can't see the searchlights to lead him to his other team members...and if he can't find them in the allotted time, they will be lost forever. So imagine his surprise when Sam can see the searchlights. Leading Bishop to the first member of his team (a demon called Kraven) Sam believes she has done a good thing. That is until Bishop pulls out a wicked golden dagger and stabs Kraven through the heart....and it only gets weirder from there! Family issues for both Sam and Bishop (yes, the angel does have family roaming the earth) along with one over excited team member and a corrupt angelic guard make sure this motley crew are always on their toes!

If I wasn’t feeling so flustered, I might have thought he was being cocky. I mean, please. A kiss that could change my life forever?But I kind of believed him. And after months of trying to be a perfect angel after the shoplifting incident, I wanted to push the edges of my comfort zone just a little bit.And this was special — a boy I liked who might like me in return. I couldn’t just walk away.This time I kissed him, tangling my fingers into his black hair and pulling his mouth toward mine as if I couldn’t resist. I hadn’t kissed many boys before, so I hoped I was doing it right. It felt right. In fact, it felt really right. My lips parted as the kiss deepened. His fingers dug into my waist. This felt like something out of a movie — one of the romantic ones I never watched because they made me feel uncomfortable. I didn’t want to try to relate to all of those emotions, those declarations of love and eternal devotion. I mean, spare me the drama.“You’re delicious,” Stephen whispered before he kissed me again and my heart felt like it was pounding right out of my chest.And then it got weird. *From Chapter 1*

Samantha is a good lead...despite her lack of a soul. Something has kept her from becoming like the other Grays, we have absolutely no idea what it is until about 50% of the way into the book. As it's often referenced (to the point where it began to get on my nerves), Sam is 'special'. Stephen says it (kissing guy), Natalie (leader of the Grays) repeatedly, Bishop and Kraven say it a lot too. All right, I got the point the first 3 times!! Until the kiss Sam was a normal girl, but apparently her soul was preventing her from reaching her full potential. Either way, she can now see the future, zap evil demons who get on her nerves...yes Kraven, I mean you...and many other cool things. The reason behind which is all explained and something I totally did not see coming. I was minding my own business, having a pleasant (if predictable) read and then WHAM! Curve-ball that shot the story way up. It certainly piqued my interest...and since it was not 100% resolved I'm now anxious to find out where that curve-ball will lead us! All I know is that Sam's life will never, ever be the same again!
Despite the fact that Sam makes some very stupid decisions, overall I was impressed by her character. Bishop you can't help but like, and Kraven...well...he's a mystery that I'll take pleasure unravelling ;)

In general I did quite like DARK KISS, but I'm going to take some points off for the overuse of the word 'special', that's the sort of thing that really bugs me. I'd still recommend it as it's a darn interesting last 50% and I certainly think this series has a lot of potential. As long as the word special doesn't crop any more...I think we'll get on just fine :)

My Rating: 3.5/5

Review: Sanctum Angels by Edenmary Black

Edenmary will be giving away a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour as well as to the host with the most comments on her stop (excluding the author's and the host's). So leave me a comment for your chance to win!

Hi again guys. Today I'm hosting Edenmary Black as part of her tour with Goddess Fish! Sanctum Angels is Book 1 in the Shadow Havens series.

Title: Sanctum Angels

Author: Edenmary Black

Publisher: eBookIt.com

Release Date: 3rd January 2012

Series: Shadow Havens, Book 1

Source: I received a e-copy of this book as part of the Goddess Fish tour in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:

Warning: The following work contains descriptive material and scenes of explicit sexual encounters between consenting male and female adults. It is intended for adult readers only. 

When Priana Grey walks into a bank, she isn’t expecting to be taken hostage by a violent thief; nor, is she expecting Detective Joe Cafaris to offer his life for hers. The stepdaughter of fallen angels of the Sanctum, she has concealed her true nature to move among humans for years, but Joe’s courage astounds her. Although she knows that falling in love with a human is a disaster, she just can’t ignore what she feels.

Joe is a tough loner, cool in the most dangerous situations, but he’s not ready for the scorching desire he feels for Priana. He has a million logical reasons to walk away, but his heart wants something else. 

Priana’s stepbrother, Keirc, warns that she’ll find only misery with Joe, yet he guards a perilous secret of his own. His lover, Iridea, is the daughter of Sebastien Galaurus, a ruthless vampire who leads the Demesne, a powerful supernatural haven quite unlike the Sanctum. 

When a stunning crisis forces Priana into the heart of the Demesne, a maelstrom explodes in the shadow of supernatural havens on the brink of war, where fallen angels, vampires, weres and daemons call the shots and humans are viewed as critically frail - a place where men and supernaturals can die.

Review:

First Line: 'Priana Grey’s hands and feet were freezing. Her arms felt like wood and a thin trail of blood was snaking its way down her palm from the fine wire binding her wrists. She wiggled her fingertips but couldn't risk moving more. The man with his fist in her hair would only yank her backward again and the gun at the end of his other hand looked as long as a bowling alley.' 

Sanctum Angels certainly gets off to a fast paced start. We meet Pria when she's been taken hostage by a psychotic bank robber who has a personal grudge against one of the Detectives on the local Police Force. Him taking Pria and 3 others hostage is the way he draws the Detective out into the open with the intent of shooting him. Pria can't let that happen. She can't let harm come to an innocent human so despite her hands being tied with wire and a gun to her head Pria kills the armed robber. How you ask? Well Pria isn't exactly human...she is the daughter of a fallen angel and a pureblood vampire, giving her certain gifts. Gifts she uses to save Detective Joe Cafaris. 

From the moment they lay eyes on each other both Pria and Joe feel an attraction. Heck, Joe even thinks Pria looks pretty in her hospital gown and I'm telling you...you have to work damn hard to make one of those ugly things look good! From there their relationship progresses in a believable manner...they have their hurdles but this couple seem set to overcome anything thrown their way! 

I loved Joe as a character, he's really sweet fumbling his words because he can't quite believe that Pria is talking to him. Joe is one of those steady, reliable guys who is loyal and honest to a fault. A man who also puts his life on the line in Pria's defence. She'd be blind to not notice what's right in front of her. Pria is also a very well written character...at no point did I hate her and I found her independence by living among the humans added to her character. She has the power of life and death in her hands but will only use it when she absolutely has to. Don't get me wrong she can be tough...and you don't want to be in her way if she's angry with you...But I don't think I could ever hate anyone who owns a bakery :)

Pria could easily bet that he’d never known anyone like her and by all the laws of sense, she should run from this, yet she couldn't. She just freaking wouldn’t. It had been years since she’d felt this way about a male, supernatural or not. Still, she needed him to know that she didn't consider relationships lightly. “I’m not casual with men,” she said quietly, hoping he’d get it. “I didn't think you would be,” he said quickly.
“I haven’t been with anyone in a long while, Joe, because sometimes men…look at me and think they see something that’s not there. Or they want to have some kind of relationship without heart and that’s not me.”
“No,” he assured her, seeing that Pria had probably looked like a fantasy to many men. “I don’t find sexual relationships like that easy. “Well, I mean I like sex, but that’s not what I had in mind.”
Fucking idiot…“Well,” Joe said, starting to backpedal. “What I meant to say was that I am not 

looking for a sexually casual relationship with you even though you are one of the 

most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”

As we journey through the world of Sanctum Angels we also meet a pair of lovers who seem doomed from the very start. Kierc and Iridea are one of the other couples in this novella and their relationship has a very Romeo and Juliet feel to it. Kierc is Pria's stepbrother and son of the founders of Sanctum whereas Iridea is the daughter of the leader of Demesne and his Mate. Sanctum and Demesne are two opposing supernatural havens and it is often referenced as to the undoubtedly negative reactions from their respective parents this relationship would receive...see what I mean? You know how that story ended...well you'll just have to read Sanctum Angels if you want to know more :)

I enjoyed Sanctum Angels from start to finish, Edenmary Black has created a new world full of angels, vampires and daemons that thrilled me from start to finish. Sanctum Angels is crammed full of goodies including a blossoming romance, a political war and naturally a all out battle between the forces of good and evil...all in only 178 pages! I would recommend Sanctum Angels to all lovers of Paranormal Romance who are looking to get stuck into a new authors work!

My Rating 4/5

Excerpt:

Ilea picked up the skirting of her gown and rushed through the richly carpeted halls of the elaborate underground Demesne haven she’d shared with her Mate for centuries. By the time she reached Sebastien’s study, her flaming hair had come undone from its tight chignon and her face had grown hot. Saan was dying and a tiny thought she’d kept buried for the past two nights would find Sebastien’s ear whether he wished to hear or not. Drawing breath, Ilea whipped the black double doors nearly from their hinges to stride to the dark, massive desk in front of her Mate. A small group of the Demesne’s vampire warriors were with him but they stepped swiftly from her path.

“Leave us,” she ordered.

The warriors of the Demesne were unused to taking orders from their leader’s Mate, whom they rarely saw, but left after Sebastien gave them a fast nod. Hearing his Mate’s pounding heart, Sebastien sat quickly, as if the air had been knocked from his lungs. “Has our son passed?” he asked quietly.

“He lives but he may well pass before the morning unless something is done,” Ilea gripped the edge of the desk and leaned over it, into her husband’s perfectly sculpted face.

“Call your brother at the Sanctum and seek his advice,” she commanded. “Ask him to send one of the angelic healers. It is the only thing that can save our son.”

Sebastien had thought this might be requested of him, but he had also expected Saan to recover, having his mother’s daemon blood and his own vampiric blood.

“Andrieu is not my brother. I cannot contact anyone at the Sanctum,” he said.

Ilea pulled her hand back and brought it forward in a mind-numbingly fast arc to connect with Sebastien’s jaw. Her Mate’s head bounced backward against the high back of his carved chair, yet he didn’t lift a hand. “You could not have heard what I asked,” Ilea said. “Call Andrieu and ask…no, Sebastien …beg him to send an angelic healer. Tonight.” Ilea’s eyes were changing to the silver swirls associated with strong emotion among daemons. “Do it,” she hissed.

(From the Prologue) 

About the author:

Edenmary Black has been writing since she could clutch a pencil. She has always been fascinated with the mysteries of the paranormal and loves the question all writers answer when they pen fiction. For her, it's all about that magical, "What if?” When not working her keyboard, she enjoys long walks with her golden retriever, reading and spending time with her family, all of whom are male. She spends far too much on lingerie and is very, very weak for chocolate. Visit her at www.edenmaryblack.com. 

Review: When Copper Suns Fall by KaSonndra Leigh

Hey all, my newest review is When Copper Suns Fall by KaSonndra Leigh. This dystopian fantasy is book 1 in the Copper Suns Trilogy.

Title: When Copper Suns Fall
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Publisher: TriGate Press
Release Date: 6th December 2011 (Kindle Edition)
Series: Copper Suns Trilogy, Book 1
Source: I recieved a copy of this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from the KaSonndra Leigh's website:
In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected. Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories?
With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease.

Review:
First Line: 'My brothers hand twitched. It was the first time he'd moved in almost a year. Micah was in a coma. He lay in his bed, sightless eyes staring upward. Tubes attached to his arms, legs, and head led to a life-support system. My chest ached, stomach rolled, and grief was a bomb waiting to explode inside me.'
This first few lines drew me right in, how did Chela's brother end up in a coma? This is the question that eventually draws Chela into a world most believe had been left in the past. The official story is that he was in an accident, (Micah fell from the top of a ride) but Chela is convinced that it was no accident. She believes the mythical Tainteds were somehow involved and being twins...Chela will not stop until she discovers the truth.

Unfortunately the incurable Glutovirus is rampaging through Micah's system and his Doctor wishes to use Micah's body for research purposes...because Micah and Chela share a secret. They have celestial blood running through their veins. With her celestial blood Chela could have thrown off the men who took her from her brothers room or done some serious damage to the doctor who threatens to tell the world what she is...but Chela knows she has to keep her blood hidden...otherwise she risks being arrested or shot like the others of her kind. Since the Great War the humans have been forbidden, by the governing tribuneral, to have any association with the Caduceans and Tainteds who where the beings at the centre of the war which changed mankind forever. Chela's journey to discover the truth about Micah takes her further than she had ever imagined and drags her in to a place where the Caduceans and Tainteds are anything but myths. Chela makes some life changing discoveries about her home and her celestial heritage. Lies will be uncovered and cracks begin to show in the perfect society, for those in power have been anything but honest. Chela's celestial blood brings her new discoveries about her heritage and the role she will play in a hidden war. With the help of her friends Chela will change the world and her future...forever.

As far as the characters go, I liked Chela, she's strong and protective of those she loves and will do all she can to make things right. She is human and makes mistakes...I find a flawed heroine more believable than a perfect one so this is a definite plus for me. However, I didn't always connect with Chela. In some places I can picture exactly what she sees and feels...but in a couple of other places I feel more like someone sat on the sidelines. The love intrest in the form of Faris certainly has some promise...and I love the scene where they first meet, my word Faris is certainly intriguing...my mind kept wandering back to him. However, 2 more love interests are inrtoduced in the form of Seth and Jalen. The love triangle...or maybe it's a square...I don't know that ensues is hard on Chela (though I was always rooting for Faris) and she loses herself briefly.

“They’ll call me, now, and make me a witness against you. I’m sorry, but I already have too many problems. So I—I have to tell the truth,” I said.
“That won’t be a problem.” Faris smiled, a catchy one that lit his face up. I couldn’t decide whether it was angelic or downright wicked. Just like I couldn’t remember where I’d ever heard an accent like his. What kind was it? Old southern? Old English? Irish? It sounded like a mix of all three, but with a deep timbre, making him sound god like. “In a few minutes, you won’t remember me or any of this.”
“Really? How do you figure that?” I asked, heart racing.
“Because my gift to you…” He moved his face closer to mine, pulling me into whatever was happening in his head. “My gift is to remove memories that cause you pain.”
“Okay, um, right.” Had I lost my mind? It probably wouldn’t have hurt to scream.
He held my gaze, locking me into something I couldn’t explain. A tear puckered up in his left eye, and slid down his cheek where it stopped on his top lip. Then he blinked, snapping us out of whatever place he’d taken us to, and glanced behind my head. “Here comes your dark knight,” he said, easing his arms away from me.

Seth, unlike Faris, creeped me out from the very beginning. He is just one of those characters you are always suspicious of, and for that I think he is absolutely great. He is the guy in this love triangle who whenever Chela spent time with him I was going 'NOO! FARIS, PICK FARIS, GIRL ARE YOU BLIND!?' I always enjoy trying to get characters to see what they, in my opinion, are doing wrong...though my housemates get creeped out when I start shouting at books haha.

When Copper Suns Fall certainly keeps you on your toes while you're reading it. KaSonndra Leigh has created a new world full of many types of people. It reads well and I rarely had to struggle through it. There is a lot of action and when you think you see where the story is going, KaSonndra Leigh throws a curve ball and you suddenly have no idea what will happen next! I loved that about it, predictable is no fun. The unique spin on angel myhtology was absolutely fascinating and the dystopian theme was woven really well into the mythology. The Seraphim, Cherubim, the Caduceans and the Tainted will keep you enthralled throughout.

The one fault I could find with When Copper Suns Fall was the lack of background information in one or two areas. Some area's are not fully explained and left me a tiny bit lost at times. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the read but I don't think I got as into it as I feel I should have done, I mean the story showed so much promise. I had to flick back occasionally to try and find explanations that weren't always there which spoilt it for me a little bit. An example is that we don't get an awful lot of information about the Great War, it is mentioned yes, but not to the level of detail that I would have personally liked.
BUT, and this is a big but, this series certainly has a lot of promise and I certainly will be keeping an eye out as the trilogy progresses.

My Rating 3.5/5

Review: Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh

It's sexy vampire Dmitri's turn today. This is the 4th instalment from Nalini Singh's epic Guild Hunter Series!


Title: Archangel's Blade
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Gollancz (UK) | Berkley (US)
Release Date: 8th September 2011 (UK) | 6th September 2011 (US)
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 4
Source: My personal copy


Synopsis from the back of the book:
The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past…but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.
Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality…the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.
As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting…and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more…

Review:

I'm a big fan of Nalini Singh, both her Guild Hunter and Psy/Changeling series' are amazing. Though at the moment I can't get enough of the Guild Hunter books. I was blown away buy Angels' blood and the world she has created, filled with Angels, Vampires and the Guild. The previous 3 books have been centred around the Archangel of New York Raphael and his consort, the Guild Hunter and newly made Angel, Elena. Archangel's Blade, however, is focused on one of my favourite characters of the series, the immortal Dmitri, as well as the haunted and scarred Guild Hunter Honor.

Dmitri is a 1000 year old vampire and Raphael's second.  The vampire that everyone fears and whose past is surrounded by shadows. The previous books portray Dmitri as a cold, callous vampire with very little humanity left. Someone who enjoys his job as executioner and wields his sensuality like a weapon, luring his prey. Dmitri is only loyal to Raphael, a loyalty we discover, extends back to a trauma in the young Dmitri's life. From there he became Raphael's Blade. A deadly weapon loyal only to Raphael and he will be wielded by no other.

Our heroine in Archangel's Blade is the Guild Hunter Honor. We find Honor struggling to come to terms with her abduction and rape at the hands of a group of vampires 10 months earlier. So naturally she's terrified when Guild director Sara says she'll be meeting with Dmitri to help solve the riddle of the tattoo on a severed head...interesting job these Guild Hunters have. Unbeknownst to Sara and Dmitri is that before her abduction, Honor had been strangely drawn to sexy Dmitri. However this is not enough to prevent Dmitri from terrifying her when they meet. Dmitri's callous behaviour does bring Honor out or her shell, even if it is only to throw knives and insults at him. Dmitri pushes her boundaries, making the timid Honor stronger, and helping her to heal. Something she would have never done on her own hidden in the Guild's library.

Archangel's Blade has a few story-lines that interlink. Dmitri and Honor hunt down the vampires responsible for Honor's abduction and, using threats and torture in equal amounts, the pair attempt to uncover the mastermind behind the abduction...before they strike again. Alongside this the pair solve the riddle of the tattoo, and find a link back to Dmitri's well hidden past. It is there we find the key to Dmitri's heart, a heart that last beat for only one woman, nearly 1000 years ago. Can Dmitri face his haunted past in order to save his future? 

We also find out more about Holly (from Angel's Blood) and how she's coping with her ordeal at the hands of bloodborn Archangel Uram. Needless to say she's not coping too well. When Dmitri introduces Holly (now called Sorrow) to Honor the two become friends and start sharing stories about their traumatic pasts, another step in the right direction for them both. The fact that Dmitri can see that these two can help each other proves that he has not lost all his humanity like he believes. Honor sees the man behind the armour and is determined to pull him to the surface. But Dmitri is more scarred than she realised, can this unlikely couple overcome their pasts and allow themselves to embrace the love they share? Or will the past swallow them whole?

I must say that this possibly the best in the series so far. Dmitri is such a complex character and his past...oh my heart broke for this strong warrior who has lost so much, I can't think about it for too long otherwise I'll cry. It's a testament to the calibre of writing that Nalini Singh produces that you can get so absorbed in the characters that you hurt when they hurt. I think the flashbacks to Dmitri's past were cleverly done, slowly revealing layer after layer of the man inside. I'm glad we got to see where Raphael and Dmitri forged their bond of loyalty. I had wondered what it had taken for Raphael to earn the unwavering loyalty of this independent and strong warrior, I won't spoil it...but I cried. I also thought she handled the delicate subject of Honor's recovery from her rape well. Honor stumbles through the relationship with Dmitri often taking a step back in her recovery if she is pushed too far. But Dmitri is always there for her to fall back on. The way Dmitri is written allows him to push her to her limits to make her stronger without seeming cruel, which only a few people could have done. I just love both these characters.

I love that we still see some familiar faces... Illium *sigh*... and of course Raphael and Elena. I can't wait to see what comes next! It is all in all an amazing read and a fabulous addition to the Guild Hunter series.

My Rating: 4.5/5