Category: Vampires

A Paul B Review: Quentin Heart, Vampire Bounty Hunter by Amber Kell

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars               ★★★★★

Quentin Heart Vampire Bounty HunterQuentin Heart basically has no time for a social life. Between finishing up his wizardry degree and taking care of his mother who has had a relapse with cancer, life seems to pass him by. To make matters worse, bill collectors are demanding payment for his mother’s treatments, none of which seem to be working. Quentin spots a flyer advertising bounty hunting services for paranormals. As he is entering the wizardry lab at the university, his best friend Glenn calls him and demands that Quentin joins him at the club that evening. After several hours of research, Quentin leaves the lab building only to find a pack of bone wolves (werewolves made from the hides of dead animals) that lead him to the body of his friend Glenn. After dealing with authorities,

The next day, after guest lecturing for a class at the university, Quentin visits his mother at the hospital. She explains that his father was a fae who was part of the royal family. One of the wolves that has been following him around is actually his father trapped in a spell along with his uncles. Quentin next goes to claim the body of his friend to arrange for burial when he is informed that it is no longer in the morgue. It has walked away. Pissed that a reckless vampire turned his friend, Quentin decides to work for the bounty agency in the hopes of making sure no one else suffers Glenn’s fate.

His first assignment is to bring in the leader of the local vampire clan. Quentin marches into the clan’s mansion, casts a spell and transports the vampire to the local police station. The clan’s second, who has now become leader due to Quentin’s actions, thanks Quentin for getting rid of the leader nobody liked. Jakinson, the new leader, states that since the bounty hunter has done him a favor, he owes a favor in return. He gives Quentin a necklace that Quentin would later find out marks him as Jakinson’s mate. Quentin must now deal with a very possessive vampire on top of finding his wayward newly made vampire friend, the rogue vampire that attacked Glenn, and deal with his mother’s declining health and the bills that are associated with her care. If you throw in somebody who seems to be after him, life just got a lot more complicated for Quentin.

Amber Kell is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint me. She has a way with books about powerful wizards. Quentin Heart is your typically preoccupied nerd researcher that has his world turned upside down but circumstances that are beyond his control. He shows his strength in that he makes Jakinson realize that he will not be the submissive mate that most vampire leaders expect. He is faced with some tough decisions that involve his family but comes through them in the end. I also enjoyed the fact that the author has given Quentin enough possible enemies that there should be several more books in the series to come. I highly recommend the first book in this new series.
The cover art by Meredith Russell shows our hero wearing his glasses holding one of his spell balls with the city landscape in the background. It is how I would picture Quentin would look like. It is an excellent cover for the book.

Sales Links:  ARe  | Amazon

Book Details

EBook, 314 pages
Published: January 29, 2016
Edition Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-311-09104-8

A MelanieM Review: The Case of the Purple Pearl (End Street Detective Agency #5) by Amber Kell and R.J. Scott

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The Case of the Purple PearlAfter failing in a quest to win the Fae Queen’s approval, Halstein is locked in a world of stone. Forced to remain a gargoyle he spends his days on Sam’s desk pining for his lost love.

Prince Idris’s lover went missing and was presumed dead. Alone, Idris lives a life away from court, starved of energy but unwilling to sleep in the room he once shared with his beloved.

Can Sam and Bob save these fated lovers before it’s too late? And will Bob’s ultimate sacrifice be enough to free Hal from his prison?

The Case of the Purple Pearl  is the best of the End Street Detective Agency novels yet.  Interesting, with a case full of personal ramifications for everyone in Sam and Bob’s orbit, especially Sam and Bob themselves, this was at times funny,  quirky and heartbreaking.

Almost from the beginning, we found  out that the “gargoyle” that perched on Sam’s desk wasn’t exactly a gargoyle and that Sam was needed to explore exactly what and who that “thing” was.  But other cases always seemed to take priority,  children were kidnapped, nephews to Santa dropped out of the sky, busy, busy, busy.  But now, its time, no…past time to solve the mystery of the not so gargoyle and everyones lives are depending upon it.

I’m almost sorry that the blurb gave so much away because the revelation is amazing as are the heartbreaking turn of events that saw that gargoyle come to be.   To save the be-spelled lover, it will take blood, sacrifice and of course that purple pearl. RJ Scott and Amber Kell bring back so many of the beings from the past cases to help out/block the lovers from reuniting, that its a roll call of End Street Detective fascinating characters. Its also a case that plays into the heart of  relationships, trust, love, and what a soul mate is willing to do in the name of love.  In a shattering manner this pertains to more than one couple here.

Only the ending kept this book from a 5-star rating.  It was complicated, rushed, and left the reader without the needed narrative to explain the happenings taking place “off stage”.  There was also a bit of a cliffhanger for another character, one I’m hoping will be solved in the upcoming story.

Still, for much of this novel,  the drama, the characters, the mystery and the emotions will carry you away to a place where duplicitous Sirens calls, magnificent Dragons soar, scheming Elves are never quite what they seem and the End Street Detective Agency and its family is a group you never want to leave.

I highly recommend this story and this series if you are a lover of the supernatural, the paranormal, and lovers hoping to be reunited forever.

Cover artist  by Meredith Russell is terrific.  I love the tone and the models.

Sales Links:  ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 102 pages
Published November 20th 2015 by Love Lane Books Ltd
ASINB018BCB80O
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesEnd Street Detective Agency #5

End Street Detective Agency Series:

The first 4 stories are now coupled together in Volumes 1 and 2.

 

 

A Paul B Review: Dangerous Territory by Cari Z

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Dangerous TerritoryIn an alternate reality where shifter natives inhabit the Wild West, Carter Bly cannot believe how things have gone so wrong since his father’s death.  Having inherited half of the family ranch, Carter faces paying a dowry for his sister’s upcoming wedding.  Because of this and laws where the husband actually controls his wife’s property, Carter must face the fact that he is now a minority owner of the family ranch with no real say in how things are run.  Rather than live under these circumstances, Carter decides to buy himself out of the ranch.  However, his new brother in law is trying to make this impossible.  In order to pay for everything, Carter must get his part of the cattle herd to auction before his unscrupulous relative.

A family friend contacts the local shifter tribe to help Carter drive his herd through the canyon before the rains come.  The chief sends his son Rani as the man to help Carter.  The man states that he will walk his way, which will not be a problem with his shifter stamina.  As the two begin their two-week trek through the canyon, Carter becomes attracted to his guide.  However, Carter reminds himself it is better to be alone than to possible face rejection or worse from the man.  The men must survive the weather, snakes, and a crippling injury in their race to beat Carter’s brother in law to market.  But they must first survive the trip and each other in order to do so.

I found this to be an interesting twist on the shifter story.  This is not the old west as we know it.  The story is set in the late 1800’s in the Oklahoma Territory.  However, we have a Republic of Texas, a Dukedom of Louisiana and mentions the original thirteen colonies.  So it is definitely not our timeline.  The native tribes are all shifters.

I thought the pacing of bringing Carter and Rani was well done.  Carter tells himself that the feelings he beings to have for Rani are probably misplaced.  Rani on the other hand knows that Carter is attracted to him from the beginning but basically ignores the fact until later in the drive.  When Carter’s life if threatened is when Rani begins to show his feelings toward Carter.  The care Rani shows Carter gives Carter hope that there might be something more there than he realizes.  Cari Z once again comes through with this book.

The cover art by the author Cari Z shows a cowboy holding his lariat at sunset with a snake that appears to be coming out of the clouds.  It is a fitting cover for the book.

Sales Links:  Less Than Three Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Ebook, 56 pages
Published:  January 12, 2016 by Less Than Three Press
Edition Language:  English
ISBN:  9781620046937

A BJ Review: Mocker of Ravens (SPECTR 2, #1) by Jordan L. Hawk

Rating:  4.25 stars out of 5

Moker of RavensCaleb has spent the last six months adjusting to life possessed by the vampire spirit Gray. Unfortunately, after the events of Fort Sumter, the other agents of SPECTR view him more as a ticking time bomb than a co-worker.

The one bright spot is Caleb and Gray’s boyfriend, federal exorcist John Starkweather. But John has problems of his own. A supernatural killer is on the loose in Charleston, stealing the hearts of its victims to extend its own unnatural life.

With the help of a rookie agent, John, Caleb, and Gray must find the killer before it strikes again…or before they become the demon’s next victims.

Sometimes saving the world just isn’t enough… shakes head. After the events of the finale in series two, you’d think they guys would have found the respect of SPECTR. But no, it’s more like a tentative, tenacious acceptance, if even that. A new dickhead boss and more things for the boy to work though even as they are given a case up against a NHE with a seriously freaky power.

As I’ve come to do in the past books, its Gray the drakul who fascinates me the most. But the chemistry between all three partners in this unusual triad is palpable, vividly drawn, and sexy hot. They still have many things to work through, and we see some of them coming out nicely in this book. I never had noticed in the prior books that Gray’s parts are written in present tense and the rest of the POVs are in past tense. I believe I hadn’t noticed before because I read Hunter of Demons as a freebie, and there was not a great deal from Gray’s perspective in that one. The rest of the first ones were on audio. So noticing this point of view tense shift threw threw me a bit, but at the same time I do understand why its used. Gray is a creature that lives in the present rather than dwelling in the past or living in the future as humans do. Really rather cool when considered in that way.

Nicely paced with just the right amount of sexy times, action, and angst. The guys get a new partner, Zahira, and I absolutely adored her. Hope we will get to know more about her.

Beautiful cover featuring John that is different enough from SPECTR #1 to set it apart and yet similar enough to tie it in. Well done with that.

Sales Link:  Amazon   Buy it Here


Book Details:  

ebook, 95 pages
Published June 16th 2015 (first published June 10th 2015)
ISBN139781941230121
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSPECTR 2 #1

A Mika Review: Thorns and Fangs (Thorns and Fangs #1) by Gillian St. Kevern

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars 

Thorns and FangsNate is caught between two dangerously hot vampires who can compel people to do whatever they want and a ruthless necromancer who wants Nate for all the wrong reasons—and that’s only the start of his problems.

Escort Nate prides himself on two things: his ability to please his clients and his normality – living in the monster capital of the world, ordinary is rare. Hunter, a darkly charming vampire with more charisma than is good for him, decides Nate is just what he needs. Nate’s sympathetic nature and skill in the bedroom are put to the ultimate test. But Hunter wants Nate for someone else – his brother, Ben. Nate is immediately attracted by the control with which Ben holds his sensitive nature in force. Too afraid of becoming a monster to allow himself to feel, Ben struggles to resist Nate’s generosity of emotion. As a vindictive necromancer makes Ben his target of revenge, Nate discovers that making people feel good doesn’t compare to making Ben feel. As Nate’s normal world crumbles around him, and he desperately searches for a way to save Ben, Nate is unable to escape becoming the necromancer’s latest victim.

But Nate’s death is only the beginning. Coming back to life in the bathroom of Gunn, a Department Seven officer who hates the vampire family that Ben and Hunter belong to, Nate doesn’t know who to trust or even what he is. As the necromancer’s trap pulls tighter around himself and Ben, Nate is forced to let go of normal and embrace powers he doesn’t fully understand. In defiance of Ben’s vampire sire and hunted by Department Seven, Nate and Ben finally learn to trust and rely on each other. But when the necromancer succeeds in capturing Ben, Nate alone can come to his rescue.

  DNF at 69% **raises fist to the air** I tried!!! I tried so hard, I tried to read this book for 5 days. I got a little further and further. As I did get further, my frustrations got bigger and bigger. The writing was good. I liked Nate and Ben, I just didn’t understand the story. Honestly the writing was good for me, the dialogue, the conversation and back story is what is lacking.

In the beginning it was good, I kind of pushed through those “what does she mean?” moments. It was too many of those moments for me. I found myself trying to figure what happened, or what does it mean. A lot of the dialogue between the characters felt like they were abruptly ended. Most of the time, I felt like they were talking in code. It seems like it needed a prequel and maybe that might have worked for me. I honestly think the world building needed more sustenance. It needed to be explained a lot more for me.

I generally liked Ben and Nate together. Sure, I got tired of them trying to protect one another. I didn’t understand the references Nate kept making regarding his Dad. I’m glad he thought about them, but it didn’t make sense at all. It fell very flat to me and I liked the premise of where it was going. Though the blurb is a little misleading, I don’t think Hunter plays that big of character towards Nate. I think he was all about Ben. This just didn’t work for me.

 I like the cover, but I did feel like it was misleading, the whole m/m/m trope isn’t really how it happens, but I did like the feel of the world on the cover.

Sales Links:  Amazon  |   Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published January 18th 2016 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781911153184
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://ninestarpress.com/product/thorns-and-fangs/
SeriesThorns and Fangs #1