Tag Archives: Vampires

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Jabril

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I enjoyed this second book just as much as the first in the series. The old characters were more well defined and the new characters were pretty much brought in with full personalities that made you either like or dislike them immediately upon meeting them. You knew who was who and who could be trusted in a tense situation.

Jabril Karim is one of eight Vampire Lords and headquartered in Houston, Texas. While Raphael rules through loyalty and respect, Jabril uses fear and threats. Mirabelle is a young woman who was placed in Jabril’s care as a 15-year-old along with her 10-year-old sister. In order to get his hands on her money and control her, he turned her one day after her 18th birthday, but he still needs her because she does not get the bulk of her money until she becomes 25, but after that, he will not need her.

When Mirabelle’s sister runs away to avoid the fate of her sister Jabril hires Cynthia to find her, though he does not believe a woman can do the job. What he wants is to claim Cyn and rub it in Raphael’s face for not making her his. With her arrival in Texas Cynthia decides that what Jabril wants is something she will have to thwart in order to save her sisters who were given to a monster.

While the main story is good we have a secondary story that is just as good and compelling. Enjoy this book and be ready for the next which should prove just as good.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rumor has it Raphael used a private investigator, a very private investigator from what I hear, but one who resisted even that arrogant bastard’s charm.” “You would hire a woman?” “Oh hardly, Asim,” he said with a dismissive flip of his fingers. “Talk to the lawyers and find a proper man for the job. But call this woman of Raphael’s anyway. I want to meet her, and that bastard’s ego could use a good pricking. Do you think he would mind sharing?” “I think he would rather share with a snake, my lord,” Asim said with a sharp smile.

Jabril
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Raphael

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This is the first time I have read this author and I am very glad I had the fortune to find this book. While the plot starts out slow-moving, it is interesting from the beginning as we get to know the characters who will be important as the series moves forward. The prologue sets the stage for the story which will be told within the body. The characters themselves come across very well with personality quirks that make sense for the backgrounds they have been given. Then there are some who still have more time to have their personalities become more solid. The world they live in is very familiar to me since it is a place that I actually drive to or through on an almost daily basis.

Raphael is a Vampire Lord with the power of life and death over every vampire within his territory. He has the loyalty of thousands. A gang of humans attack his compound and kidnap a female vampire under his protection. Because humans are involved along with vampires he decides to hire a human investigator to help flush out his enemies. What he does not expect is to be drawn to that investigator so forcefully.

Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough, and sexy, she is also a private detective and former cop. When Raphael comes to her for help she is more than happy to oblige since she is tired of the cheating spouses and tracking bank accounts. Her work with the vampires may not always go over well with the human population but she can do things for them that regular law enforcement will not. Cynthia finds Raphael to be very magnetic but she wants to keep her distance because her heart is not a part of the bargain.

Loved this first book and had to read the next one immediately. I think it would be great for anyone who has a love of vampires and the culture they have established here. Highly recommend!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And yet as powerful as each of them was, none was so powerful as Raphael himself. Some were older, but age was not everything. Some claimed greater skill, but skill was no substitute for strength. These things were never spoken of; they were simply understood. Boundaries were observed, respect was paid. Anything else would lead to war. And none of the men in this room wanted another war. But someone did. Someone thought to use Alexandra against him. And that someone would pay dearly.

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Crimson Death

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I still love the Anita Blake series because I have come to really like and appreciate the characters. Yes, I know how they will react in some situations, just I know how my own family will react to certain things. This just makes it more a part of me. If I did not feel this way then I would not have stayed with it this long because 25 books is a lot. There are the characters who are well known and and though they may not change in major ways they have subtle changes in the way they think and do things. Then there are always new characters both alive, dead, and shifter who sometimes are interesting and sometimes bland, but most will not be seen again.

Damian, Anita’s vampire servant is in a state that she nor anyone else has seen for hundreds of years. He is not dying as the sun comes up but falls into a sleep that results in his having nightmares and waking to blood sweats so bad he seems to have bled out. Then a call comes from Edward/Ted from Ireland about vampire attacks. The thing is there are supposedly no vampires in Ireland, or at least none have been seen.

There is not a lot Anita can do when she is not wanted in Ireland, but if she goes she is planning to take Damian back into the sphere of She Who Made Him. That could be the worst idea she has ever had.

I know there are people who have read the series in the past and are now extremely critical because they don’t like the direction it took. I would say to those people, Do Not Read It, and then you cannot be disappointed. For those who still enjoy the series as it has progressed I would say that you will likely enjoy this just as much. For me things continue to move in a way that works for me and seems right for the characters. That is all I want, plus it entertains and draws me away for a time. Not to mention that I would not hate being in Anita’s place one bit.

My rating: ✮✮✮✮✮ of 5

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Rise of the Fallen

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I have to say that as soon as I started reading I was pulled directly into the world of Micah Black. Though I did not know who he was at first I knew that this was going to be someone I could like based on how dark and tortured he appeared because you know that he feels deep. The plot of this book is very straight forward and keeps moving at a good pace which allows you to follow the action without getting bogged down. There are no slow spots of weird changes to deal with, no shifts in time or tense to keep track of, you know what is going on every step of the way.

When you consider that most of the main characters are vampires, you can still relate to them and what they are dealing with as people. I could imagine knowing someone like Trace, a nice guy who is quiet and keeps to himself but is looking to make a friend of the guy everyone else avoids. I know sometimes the dialogue in these books can seem kind of stilted or forced, but that is not the case here. The dialogue seems to be very true to who each of the characters are, keeping in mind that some of them are quite old. 😉

Our main character is Micah Black who works at AKM (All the Kings Men) as an enforcer, he keeps the peace between the drecks (lower vampires) and upper level vampires. Micah has fallen into a dark place because of the lose of his mate and is looking for a way to continue living as he is or to die. Samantha Garrett is working as a stripper after leaving her abusive husband and simply wants to make enough money to get a new identity so she can feel free. They have nothing in common but when they cross paths it is salvation them both.

My favorite quote from Micah, “If they made a move on Sam, he’d fuck up their world so righteously the galaxy would shift from the gravitational pull of his wrath.”

Micah is not a man you want to get in the way of, he is fierce, passionate, and loyal. Who wouldn’t want a man to feel like that about them. You see these traits in all the characters, they are a group I cannot wait to find out more about! In this first of the series we get to meet Micah but in subsequent novels we will get more on the other enforcers at AKM. Each should be just as exciting and hot as this one. I will be reading them as fast as I can get them.

There is some talk of BDSM but it is fairly mild though some of the scenes are good and hot even without it. Also if M/M action makes you squeamish you may want to skip.

**I listened to this for my second time around and it was just as good or even better than my reading it. The narrator, Mikela Drew, does a fantastic job of bring this story to life. While the second book is available, and I plan to listen to it also, I can only hope that they soon bring the rest of the series to audio too.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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They Thirst

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I remember reading this for the first time and finding myself totally involved in the story. It was a vampire story that I could understand with people who did predictable and sometimes stupid things but the human thing to do. The vampires that are created are in a lot of instances the worst kind of people who can be found to begin. I like that time is taken to develop each of the main characters and it even gives a nice accounting for the side characters. This was even better for me because I lived/live in Los Angeles, though the earlier reading had me not knowing some of the areas mentioned because I had a limited knowledge of the city.

Andy Palatazin was a boy in Krajeck Hungary when the nightmare began for him and his mother. They fled into the night and snow to save their lives and found themselves in California where he grew to manhood. Andy has become a Captain with the Los Angeles police and is hunting a serial killer when things start to become familiar. Andy sees the same signs that befell his old village before it fell to the dark forces.

Prince Conrad Vulkan has come to Los Angeles to create an army of vampires in his quest to destroy the human race and become the ultimate ruler. His death in 1342 was only the beginning for this child of privilege who has visions of grandeur running through his head.

How do you save people who will not believe in the boogie man?

While I still enjoyed the story because it still packs a bit of a punch, I found myself wanting it to move a little faster. I never noticed until now that it seems to drag as we get toward the end, like he did not want to stop writing. But no matter I still recommend this because it is one of the good vampire novels that does not have any sparkling, sexy, love starved vampires. This is dark and evil from the old school way. This is also the audio version which is well done.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“We?” Vulkan shook free of the Headmaster’s grip. “We? Didn’t you hear them shouting? Whose name did they call? Mine! Prince Conrad Vulkan, King of the Vampires! They call me Master. They recognize me as the highest power!” “I have given you and your kind life. I have taught you the secrets of power, the sorcery of Aba-aner, Nectanebus, and Solomon. I have taught you what it means to be a king. But you’re not invincible, Conrad.…”

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Vampire for Christmas

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Vampire for Christmas

by Felicity Heaton

I liked this book a lot more by the end of it because it did not really start off very strongly. The characters started off doing a lot of internal monologues even though they were together and you really did not get a sense of who they were. The story moves fairly well though there is not a lot of action involved. I was really happy with the fact that Christmas was a fairly important part of the story and not just in the title.

Shannon is a demon hunter who wants to be transferred away from her current partner, who happens to be a vampire. Rafe is a vampire doing time with the agency for misdeeds in his past. He and Shannon have been partnered for two years and are going on their last mission before they are to be split up. Rafe wants to convince her that they should stay together.

When a demon threatens Christmas, the season of peace and goodwill, its the chance Rafe needs to show Shannon what is real.

Rafe is a little bit of a stalker, Shannon is a bit of a bi**h a good deal of the time, but they have a serious chemistry. This is a nice read for the holiday.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The demon began to bubble and melt into a big pile of ooze. Rafe looked confused, but he was staring at her, not the demon. “I saw you stick your fingers in its eye,” she said and ran her hands down her chest and legs, squeezing some of the slime out of her clothes. “That was disgusting.” He smiled and shrugged. “It was the only weapon at my disposal, and it weakened it enough for you to kill it.” Shannon frowned. “What do you mean by that? That I couldn’t kill it without your help?” He shrugged easily again. “I could have killed it… although, your distracting it by letting it play with you like a ragdoll was appreciated.” She smiled and then it fell away when she caught a flashback of how violently the demon had tossed Rafe around. “You okay?” He”

― Felicity Heaton, Vampire for Christmas

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All the King’s Men: The Beginning

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All the King’s Men: The Beginning
(All The King’s Men #6)
by Donya Lynne

This started from the beginning, though not from the very beginning with the Dacians, but after they had been ousted. It gave a background for all the things that are alluded to by other characters. It also gives a fuller more thorough background on what caused the hostilities between the Drecks and Vampires. It flowed perfectly and having read the previous books in the series it gave some good insight into what was happening outside of the pages we read earlier.King Bain is of course featured as the person who has most of the truth of things in his hands. We also get to meet his wife who understands how to handle him.

This is a novella which answers most if not all of the questions you may have after the first 5 books. It actually leads directly into the first book, The Rise of the Fallen. This series is really great and I think anyone who enjoys vampires and action will enjoy this.

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

“I’m not stupid, Malek,” he said softly. “I know I’m in trouble. Big trouble. Jackson…” He closed his eyes and took a heavy breath before continuing. “Mating Jackson has awakened everything I felt for Kat after she died. It’s like I’m feeling it all over again.” He slowly swirled his drink, making the ice clink the sides of the glass. “And he doesn’t love me. He never did. I can hear his thoughts and know there’s someone else. I see what they do with one another, but there’s nothing I can do to stop him, and yet I can’t walk away.” He lifted his gaze to Malek’s and saw complete and total understanding reflected back at him. Like any other male of their species, Malek knew Micah was between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Micah looked back down into his glass. “It’s just a matter of time, Malek.” A matter of time before his mental faculties short-circuited and tossed him like a rag doll into suffering so intense he’d be lucky to remember his own name when the end came. Malek’s”
― Donya Lynne, All the King’s Men: The Beginning

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Return of the Assassin

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Return of the Assassin
(All The King’s Men #5)
by Donya Lynne

This is the story of Malek and Gina.
This was one of the more densely packed books of the series, with the introduction of new characters and new plot lines. I was immediately pulled into the story partially because I had liked the characters from earlier books and partially because the story was a little darker than usual. The characters are so compelling and real for me as I read that I cannot stop even when I should because I need to follow where they are going.

Malek did not expect or want to ever find another mate after the death of Carmen centuries ago, but in walks Gina and he is immediately bonded to her. Gina was also mated once before and her mate Armand was a sadistic male who abused and broke her down so that she no longer fully trusts there are good males out there. The fates bring together these two lost and broken souls to heal each other, but first they have to get past all the baggage from their respective pasts.

Gina has tried to stay away from Malek and Chicago but when she blows an assassination of Dacian vampires it becomes a matter of survival. She and Trevor are being hunted and she decides to head to Chicago to stop Micah from emailing her and hopefully throw off the Dacian’s for a while. Bishop is still plotting even after losing his lab and best lab rat. The Dacian vampires decide to kill two birds with one stone since they are in Chicago and make a run on King Bain and the throne, and get Gina and Trevor.

There are a lot of emotional moments while reading this book and while a lot center around Malek and Gina, there are other characters who bring on a big emotional feeling. I will say that I actually cried at a few points, which made my son uncomfortable, but I told him that this is what you want from a good book. Something that makes you such a part of it that you cannot help but participate in whatever is happening. This can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend you start from the top and get here. Recommended to everyone!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“That’s Trevor. And he was about to tell us how it is he hitched a ride back here with Gina.” Micah settled into his chair, leaned back, and steepled his fingers in front of his chest. “And I’m practically creaming myself to hear this story.” “Look, it’s my—” Gina’s voice cut off when Micah’s hand jutted out, palm toward her. “No, I want to hear from Trevor,” Micah said, keeping his eyes on the strange male. “What brings you to my world, Trev. You don’t mind if I call you Trev, do you?” “What if I do?” “I’d tell you to get over it.” “Are you always like this?” “Only to my friends.” The two locked gazes for several seconds until Trevor chuckled and looked away. “I’m not sure whether I like you or hate your guts.” Micah grinned. “I get that a lot.”
― Donya Lynne, Return of the Assassin

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Vampire Sunrise

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Vampire Sunrise

by Tori Drake

This is a short story but it did not pull me in right away, I was not happy with the characters and the story itself was not very coherent to me. There were a lot of grammatical issues that made me stumble as I was reading and so took away some from the action. When I say action I do not mean anything very exciting but it is the vampire feeding. The concept was kind of interesting which is why I got the book, but the execution just left me less than enthusiastic, not to mention the fact that the blurb was different from what actually was going on.

Derek is not really a people person though he goes out to a bar regularly so he is not alone, then goes into a corner. He basically watches people and spots a woman that he finds fascinating one night and decides to follow her. When he discovers something sinister about her he brings his girlfriend into it and tries to distance himself. But it is to late for that and he finds out the hard way that stalking has consequences.

Not really my cuppa but someone else may like it.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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Midnight Rising

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Midnight Rising
(Midnight Breed #4)
by Lara Adrian (Goodreads Author)

This is finally Rio’s story. Rio was betrayed by the one person he would never see it coming from and it left him completely devastated. I was feeling so much for Rio from the time he got injured and all through his rehab that I was so happy to see him seeming to come out of his funk.

This is another great entry in the saga of the Breed Warriors and the mates who find them when they need them most. The story takes up a short time after the end of Midnight Awakening and continues in a way that makes it perfectly clear what is happening. The language is just what is expected from the varied characters as they have been introduced. The story is told from multiple points of view allowing you to get the full picture without wondering how the information came to be. Most of the characters are already well established with personalities that let you know who they are right away. The new characters also come out of the gate with full blown personalities which make it easy to see who they are and what they will be to the overall story line.

Rio stays in Prague after the other Breed Warriors return to Boston telling them he will destroy the cave which had been used as a stasis chamber. But months later and it still stands and he has become to weak to do anything. Dylan is on vacation with friends of her mother when she sees the ghost of a woman who leads her to Rio and asks for her help to save him. A new villain rises to take the place of the one thwarted and he has plans that will devastate not only the world of the Breed but that of the humans who have no idea what lies just outside their safe world.

There is some good action scenes along with a romance that is hard fought to exist.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

He had let Eva down and he knew it. But she had paid him back in spades. Her betrayal had rattled him on a soul-deep level. It had made him question everything, including why the hell he should be taking up precious space in this world.