Good conclusion to the series if slightly anti-climactic in terms of the conflict. The relationship was pretty good, though.
This series would have beeGood conclusion to the series if slightly anti-climactic in terms of the conflict. The relationship was pretty good, though.
This series would have been a solid four star book if it had been made into a single book and edited for same. I think it was diminished by being divided up into novellas....more
3.5 to 4 stars. Also pretty good but too short. My complaints are the same, it's a good story that deserves to be a novel, not split up into parts to 3.5 to 4 stars. Also pretty good but too short. My complaints are the same, it's a good story that deserves to be a novel, not split up into parts to be sold at a higher rate. If the other two parts of this four part novella series are as good as this and the first then I would say piece it together and sell it as a book and it would be a solid four star PNR. The lore and worlds are quite good. A bit more time spent developing the characters would tie it all together wonderfully....more
4.5 stars. This was just what the doctor ordered. A fast and entertaining vampire paranormal romance wrapped in a medieval-esque fantasy (not urban) w4.5 stars. This was just what the doctor ordered. A fast and entertaining vampire paranormal romance wrapped in a medieval-esque fantasy (not urban) world with a different bit of lore. As is typical of Jill Myles the characters are engaging and easy to empathize with, even if it's it's not always clear who the good guys are at first. The relationship angst was "just right" for me, in that it wasn't over done, the reasons for it were plausible in terms of the story, and several characters grew a great deal through the course of the book.
Downgraded one star for the cliff hanger. If I hadn't know about the cliff hanger and was surprised by it I would have given this a 1 star on principlDowngraded one star for the cliff hanger. If I hadn't know about the cliff hanger and was surprised by it I would have given this a 1 star on principle. Since the first one ended on a cliff hanger and the second one I was warned about by friends, I knew what I was getting and opted in. Still, there was no marketing material that said "this is only part of a longer story and you will be dumped in the middle of a conflict" so without my being given a warning on the book, the blurb, or otherwise from the publisher I had to down grade a star for the cliff hanger. Cliff hangers are nasty tools that I am not amused by.
Other than the ending I liked this one better than the first one. Vlad's arrogance was dialed back a bit and easier to take, there was a bit more humor than I remember from the first book, both of the primary protags made huge strides in personal growth and baggage management, and the sex and romance was smokin' hot.
I really hated the ending, though. So far both of these books read like a piece of a longer book because of the endings. ************** Going to give this a shot based on my friends saying it's only a kinda/sorta/not really cliff hanger.
************** I'm disappointed that this series has turned to the unfinished, cliff hanger sorts of ending that I usually give authors up over. I used to keep Jeaniene Frost in my list of authors that don't do that because they don't have to.
It was an enjoyable, if a bit scattered, entry into the franchise. A good deal of the book was spent with many of the secondary characte3.4 to 4 stars
It was an enjoyable, if a bit scattered, entry into the franchise. A good deal of the book was spent with many of the secondary characters and "couples." It's reasonable to suspect that these will be primary relationship story lines for future books.
All though I loved being with Wrath and Beth again I have to admit that there are holes in the storyline that are becoming a bit more obvious as the story progresses.
(view spoiler)[How is it possible that people who want to dethrown Wrath because he may produce a "quarter breed" heir can dethrone him and then put someone in his place that it's not possible is full blooded given that Wrath is the last full blooded vampire alive?
How is it possible that Wrath is the last full blooded vampire alive when Payne and V are the children of the Scribe Virgin and the Bloodletter? Does this mean the Bloodletter wasn't full blooded? (hide spoiler)]
I have other bumps in reasoning that kind of jumped out at me with this book, but they aren't limited to this book alone. Rather, they are part and parcel of the story line that is a bit harder to suspend disbelief while reading this particular book.
I found myself still bordering on frustration with the vernacular and pop culture references that Ward leans so heavily on in this series. I actually called Ward a "Label Whore" to friends I was discussing the book with, and there were several instances in this book where Ward leaned on her own special verbal queues that made no sense to me at all.
Still, I have favorites and love-to-hates and hopefuls, so I guess I'm still completely sucked in. ************** March 25, 2014...more
Quite good, although Casper was shaping up to be a right jackass in this one. Still, I enjoy this series quite a lot. Nice taste before the release ofQuite good, although Casper was shaping up to be a right jackass in this one. Still, I enjoy this series quite a lot. Nice taste before the release of book 2.
I have to admit that I dragged my feet about getting to this installment because I don't really care for the female protag. That said, everyone who toI have to admit that I dragged my feet about getting to this installment because I don't really care for the female protag. That said, everyone who told me that they warmed up to her in the second half of the book were right.
Ultimately Harrison pulled it out and made a very unlikeable character pretty endearing and empathetic.
I blazed through this arc early, waited to write the review because it was too soon before release date, and then got side tracked with family emergenI blazed through this arc early, waited to write the review because it was too soon before release date, and then got side tracked with family emergencies and didn't think about writing the review until it was significantly past the release date and wouldn't have done the author much good.
I liked this book in the series a good bit. I enjoyed seeing a bit more into the vampire perspective of the world and getting a bit closer to the elite that are not "outcast." I look forward to reading the next installment. This really is a series I follow enthusiastically.
First time offering of a self published new author.
The story and world building is very engaging with lore that promises to be rich and full as it unfFirst time offering of a self published new author.
The story and world building is very engaging with lore that promises to be rich and full as it unfolds. I think it will make a very good series The characters were likeable but not perfect. The sex was pretty hot if a bit rushed. The romance and the non-romance storylines were pretty evenly divided so it could be placed firmly between PNR and UF. There was a touch of redundancy early on when both protags were repeating their wonderment at being so attracted so quickly but it passed.
The copy editing wasn't perfect, with a few things that could have been typos and a few things that were slightly awkward sentences, but I've seen worse in some books published by the big houses so I won't complain about that. In fairness I probably tend to be overly critical in this regard toward self published books and I should lighten up.
I would have given this book a solid four stars except it's too short and it ends on a heinous, ugly, bitch of a cliff hanger. It's as if she only finished half the book and decided to sell the first half while she worked on the second. I'm not talking about a set up for the second book, I'm talking about (view spoiler)[ "the love of his life fell through the rift in the middle of a war and was gone - he goes after her. (hide spoiler)] The end." They don't get any more "tune in next week" than that.
I have to give this a one star. There was no place anywhere in the description or on the cover that warned about a cliff hanger and the length of the book suggests that it's just unfinished. I will probably read the second book to see if the cliff hanger trend continues. If it does I will abandon this series. If it stops I will continue the series if there are no more of them.
Write an ending to the book arc, even if the long arc isn't finished, or it's not a finished product. No, I don't think it's sexy or exciting, I think it's manipulative and it pisses me off. It takes me out of the place I read to go to and therefore becomes antithetical to my preferred reading experience.
Over all I would say this is perhaps one of the better offerings in this series although I have to admit there were still a few things that were signiOver all I would say this is perhaps one of the better offerings in this series although I have to admit there were still a few things that were significant speed bumps in my suspension of disbelief.
Alexa continues to be a frustrating dichotomy of codependency and monster narcissism , with a driving need to save the world from monsters juxtaposed next to a driving need to tear throats out and revel in blood and lust. She continues to self destructively yearn for relationships with people who abuse her, leaving a distaste in my mouth that I can't quite rinse out with the understanding that there is something else very subtle going on that is barely alluded to.
The personal journey regarding the long story arc, finding out what Alexa is and how her relationship with Arys is a part of that, made significant strides in this book. There are also big happenings and reveals that will effect the long story line, life changing events.
That said, there were still plot pacing devices that were so transparent they were stumbling blocks. Don't spend half the book showing me that the bad guy is killing people in the protags life, making it so that finding and stopping the bad guy is the driving force of the story, and then when you find the bad guy go into the confrontation by choosing not to take the only weapon that will work against the bad guy because "you just want to talk this time." What? She just decapitated two of your people and promised to continue doing it until you cooperate and you want to TALK it out? Unbelievable.
It seemed as if the confrontation came too fast and so this implausible situation was written to extend the story. It was uncharacteristic and not a smooth part of the story at all.
Still, when the ultimate confrontation happened later in the book it was action packed and satisfying.
Mostly UF with a romantic secondary element. It's an interesting premise with a different lore and world that lays the foundation for w3.5 to 4 stars.
Mostly UF with a romantic secondary element. It's an interesting premise with a different lore and world that lays the foundation for what could potentially be a good series but I thought it a bit slow in spots, sacrificing pacing to world building.
I've read many books where the music in the characters lives was part and parcel of the story but the way the author wrote this story to enable embracing multiple genres and eras was pretty original and the story was dotted throughout with tasty music trivia.
I liked the characters and the world well enough to read the second one to see how it goes. I also appreciated the tight wrap up at the end....more
May 7 - Watch for review at Paperback Dolls blog as it gets closer to release date.May 7 - Watch for review at Paperback Dolls blog as it gets closer to release date....more