When Darkness Falls (The First Vampire Redemption Story)

Lexie Miles, a strong-willed Southern woman with a raw vocabulary and a taste for sex, is living her dream life in Paris. She is devastated when her best friend Emma is brutally murdered by vampires. From that moment Lexie's "perfect world" begins to crumble. She discovers her entire life has been a sham and everyone she cares about has been lying to her. Angry doesn't begin to describe her reaction to the news.

Plunged into a two-thousand-year-old war between good and evil, she is propelled into a world of blood, lust and dark secrets. She must embrace her birthright to fight an ancient threat to humanity. Bequeathed with the dubious gift of being the "Chosen One," Lexie meets the enigmatic Etienne Benoit. She falls hard for him and when he betrays her, she vows to get revenge. After all, she is a vampire executioner and killing vampires is what she does.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Ellen Chauvet explores the world of good and evil in her novel, When Darkness Falls. After the death of Emma, Lexie is pulled into a world she thought of as fictitious and learning it's in her blood is a whole other betrayel. This book revolves around Lexie as she tries to come to terms with her heritage and her innate career of vampire hunting. 

Lexie Miles is nearly thirty and almost ready for a husband and a white picket fence. That is, until she learns that she was born in to a family of vampire hunters. This southern belle is forced (not really but kind of) into giving up her fluffy dreams of happily ever after and handed a stake to drive into any hearts she feels need breaking. There's no doubt that Lexie is a strong character. She deals with the death of her best friend and decides to really take on this 'calling' of being a vampire hunter with little to no idea what she is truly getting into. That strength of character goes a long way, as I wasn't really a fan of Lexie's personality or southern mannerisms. To me, Lexie is a bit naive in terms of romance, trust, and love. If I were her, I feel like I would have been overly cautious. And she definitely should not have jumped into bed with a vampire. No matter how cute or whatever he was. However, that wasn't even the worst thing. The thing that bothered me the most was Lexie's dialogue. Her character is from Atlanta and, as I actually know people from Atlanta, I don't think they use as many "southernisms" as Lexie did. On the other hand though, catching culture in dialogue is a tricky thing to do for any author and I do give Chauvet props for leavin' off the 'g's and spelling out Lexie's southern drawl. 

The plot of this novel was pretty interesting and I think it's what kept driving me toward the end even though I didn't connect with the main character. Emma, Lexie's friend who is murdered, is a scientist who developed some sort of antiserum to protect the human race from being turned into vampires. Francois and Marielle are two very old vampires who have been building an army for about five hundred years. Needless to say, they want this antiserum, the formula, and something called 88p, which from what I could gather would make them basically unstoppable. Before her death, Emma hid the information and left a trail of clues for Lexie, Tom, and Etienne (members of the Society). Time is running out, and they must finish this treasure hunt before Francois and Marielle attack. Très divertissant! Oh, did I forget to mention that there is French sprinkled throughout the book? That was my favorite aspect of the novel. However, one other thing I need to mention about this book is that there are quite a few erotic sections. I thought these sections detracted from the storyline because it's written with such a 'time is of the essence' sense. So, I do want to recommend this book for the storyline because it really is interesting. However, the erotic sections make it inappropriate for some readers.  

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

One Kill Away

Halifax homicide detective Allan Stanton's walked away from his job to reconnect with his young son, until a killer starts methodically carving his way through the city's underbelly. His ex-partner needs help, and Stanton reluctantly returns.

The killer is definitely working through a list of victims, and he's leaving cryptic clues at his grisly crime scenes. Are they there to confuse the police? Or is there something more to them? As Stanton unravels this shocking central mystery, he becomes the target of an unexpected enemy--those next on the killer's list.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Halifax detective Allan Stanton is back in Alex MacLean's novel, One Kill Away. Stanton has no doubt earned his right to time off and visiting his son Brian is exactly what he needs. While on a little vacation, a hideous murder takes place and Alex's partner Audra is called to the scene. 

Because of the vacation time, readers are introduced to both Detective Audra Price and a new side of Detective Stanton, the side that loves his son more than anything in the world. The bond that initially formed between Stanton and readers will solidify when they witness Allan in family mode. It's obvious how much he adores his son. Detective Audra Price is another officer that readers will respect and sympathize with. Audra is strong, intelligent, brave, with a side of hotheadedness. As the murder case sets up, it's Audra's responsibility to move it forward. However, heartbreak arrives for the Price family when Audra's daughter attempts to take her own life after experiencing how cruel teenagers can be. Thus, Audra is off the case and Allan is called back from Toronto to finish the puzzle. 

The plot of One Kill Away has two sides, just like every story. The first side is Seth. He's immediately depicted as the murderer. He's a broken man who is full of rage and regret, looking for revenge. The other side of the story involves the detectives, their suspects, and their families. With the first murder, the police hit a solid dead end, but with the second murder everything starts to fall into place. Will Seth finish his revenge or will Stanton put the clues together leaving Seth one kill away from success?  

This novel was just as thrilling as MacLean's first. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The story is so fast-paced with many different things happening to both main characters and supporting characters. It's hard to find a stopping place, not that I was looking for one. The new murder mystery is meticulously pieced together. Very impressive how MacLean linked the present to Stanton's past. The little twist at the end blew me away and changed my perspective completely. Funny how a single detail can do that... One Kill Away is gunpowder after the spark, definitely recommended for mature murder mystery lovers. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Duplicity (Spellbound #2)

"If Graylee Perez thought sharing a body with her twin sister was bad, dealing with a duplicate of herself is two times worse. Gray the second doesn’t seem to get that Lee’s boyfriend, Raj McKenna, is off limits. Then there’s the problem of Adrian Montez. He expects one of the Grays to be his.

Nearly a year later, the council is onto them for past misdeeds; Lee, along with the rest of the coven, has lost control of her powers; and Gray is being stalked by what looks like the Grim Reaper.

If they work together, they may stand a chance of setting things right and making it out alive."

*May Contain Spoilers* 

And then there were two. At the end of Nikki Jefford's first novel in the Spellbound Trilogy, Entangled, Gray had just been purged from her twin sister's body. In spirit form, Gray went to Stacey Morehouse's body (who was in a coma) and claimed it. And, readers find out in Duplicity, she then went to Charlene's body in France, six months later, and claimed her body as well. 

"Lee," Graylee's name for herself in Stacey's body, has been living her life for the past ten months, loving her family, her newly acquired father (Stacey's), and her boyfriend, Raj. 

But to "Gray," the Graylee that took over Charlene's body, no time has passed. It was just last week when Adrian Montez saved her from her sister's murderous attempts. When Gray comes back home (after waking up in France), someone has a lot of explaining to do. 

But according to everyone, there can only be one Graylee Perez. The main problem being: which one is the real Graylee and which is the duplicate? 

In the first novel, Entangled, readers had a chance to connect with Graylee. The connection remains strong as readers are introduced to two versions of their favorite character. As the plot continues to twist, readers will find themselves choosing sides with one of the versions of Graylee, hoping their version is the one that survives. 

Raj is back and he's sweeter than ever. :) But how does he know which Graylee version is the real one, the one that he loves? The love triangle between Raj and the two versions of Graylee adds to the already amazing plot (i.e. magic gone awry, vengeance, a grim reaper?!, and betrayal) that Nikki Jefford has written in Duplicity. Readers beware, you won't be able to take a break from this book until it's finished either. Perfect sequel to Entangled. 

Duplicity 

on Amazon

rating: 4/5 

A Storm of Swords

Scottchan

"Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall.

Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons left in the words.

And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable.

As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords..."

* *

Over one thousand pages makes up this amazing novel, the third installment in the series A Song of Fire and Ice, A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. 

Dreamstine

The characters who offer their point of view, have changed again from the first and second book. This creative angle is an effective method to draw the reader in by allowing them to see some events from various perspectives to better understand the underlying motives of the characters. It serves to bridge the reader to different characters throughout the series, changing the way the readers perceive them.
And where their loyalties lie...

However, I found myself stopping to consider how the characters had gotten to where they were. The ever changing perspectives creates the problem of forgetting where certain characters were while simultaneously offering the aforementioned understanding. 

The plot, which I just have to mention briefly, literally had my mouth hanging open, the word "what" perched on my tongue. It was completely unpredictable! So many things happen constantly: characters die, known plans fail while secret plans succeed, and betrayal is everywhere. Loyalty a hope lost on the raven's wing. 

I was a little disappointed, okay more than a little, when three of my favorite characters "died." I put the quotations around the word because more and more people who die in these novels are re-appearing as... I'll let you figure that our for yourself. 

And not to spoil anything, but the last page will blow every reader away. It makes the previous 1126-ish pages totally worth it.

A Storm of Swords 
on Amazon

rating: 3/5 cups

To Their Kingdoms or Their Graves

"For when kings clash, the whole land trembles."

When the blood of the comet cuts through the sky, everyone feels it's a sign. But interpretations vary to the six people who fight for the right to call themselves King... or Queen. Those who worship the old gods, the new gods, and the Lord of Light, among others, all know that this comet has come to show them the way.

Zirconicusso

To their kingdoms or their graves.

The second novel in the series A Song of Fire and Ice, A Clash of Kings picks up where A Game of Thrones ended, revealing betrayal, war, magic, history, loyalty, and revenge. When each action claims several consequences, the throne isn't as easy to sit upon as some would like to think.

* *

George R.R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is a novel that shows no favorites and deafens to the sound of mercy. The struggle for the kingdom is chaos and everyone fighting for the land believes they're the one who should sit The Iron Throne. And all of them have good reason. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, although I found myself getting a little lost at times, trying to keep up with the various plot lines that carry through the novel. The world that Martin creates is so multi-dimensional that it's histories, characters, and motives are more than relatable. They're understandable. 

I was able to form a bond with various characters, whether I had sided with their cause or not. Martin makes it difficult to choose one ally and remain loyal throughout the entire story. The people I thought were villains at the beginning, had my understanding and respect by the end. (I'm still all for Winterfell, though, so don't worry)

But winter is still coming, and the Iron Throne is the fire that promises warmth.

       
        A Clash of Kings
                               on Amazon
                 
                            rating: 3/5 cups

You Either Win or Die

It's a game unlike no other. A gamble with the roll of a dice.
"When you play the game of thrones, you either win or die."

The games take hold when an unexpected death breathes whispers of murder, revolt, and war.

Podpad

Lord Eddard Stark is asked to become the King's Hand, a respected position whose main responsibilities are counseling the King, carrying out his orders, and ruling the kingdom when he's away. Lord Eddard, who loves King Robert like a brother, cannot refuse the request, even though he knows the last King's Hand was the one murdered...

With the story centering around the Stark house, the family members take the main perspectives of the novel. (Though not the only perspectives as other characters are also given a chance to tell their tales.) With each chapter covering a different view of the Seven Kingdoms, everyone plays a part in this chess match, where one wrong move can mean death, while Eddard tries to discover why the last Hand was murdered before it's too late.

Meanwhile, across the sea, the last members of the dragon born are awaiting their chance to take back their land, the Seven Kingdoms. Before the current King Robert, the dragon born ruled. A war brought their end, with only two children surviving to carry on the name. And they seek their revenge.

Above the wall, the northern boundary of the Seven Kingdoms, men are dying, only to come back to life and fight. With black hands and ice blue eyes, the Others, a mere fairy tale, seem to be re-appearing, if they ever existed at all...

* *

Throughout the first installment of George R.R. Martin's series, A Game of Thrones, various characters take the role of main character. Each character carries the plot forward with different perspectives, showing the reader what they need to know, and allowing them to draw their own conclusions.

The entire novel was a joust with lies and betrayal battling honor and loyalty.

Podpad

The best and worst part of this novel was the amount of detail. A detail from chapter two made all the difference in chapter ten. Remembering every minute piece of information was a bit tedious, but it made the novel all the better. It made each motive understandable. Each event believable. And each character relatable. 

The amount of detail also makes the characters true to life. They have flaws and their own reasons behind their actions. Martin gives the reader a glimpse into their role of the game without allowing the reader to accurately predict their next move. Interesting and intriguing.

Of course I had my favorite character, Arya. Who I like to refer to as, the little-ninja-trouble-making-girl. A character of my own heart. And the one I'm most worried about for the second book.

A Game of Thrones 
                           on Amazon
               
                        rating: 4/5 cups

A Tale of Wicked Intentions

A friend lent me the book Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt, and I'm sure as hell glad she did. It was a complete thrill ride, with more than just wicked intentions.

Temperance and her brother Winter run a foundling home for orphaned children in the worst part of London, St. Giles. The orphanage was opened by their father and the two siblings decided that they would take over the home when he passed. But now the home is running out of money. Quickly. Soon they will be evicted from their home and their father's dream will be nothing short of a failure.

Lord Caire has slightly unusual ... bed habits, and his reputation definitely precedes him. When his mistress is murdered, Caire vows that he will find whoever killed her and seek his revenge - in St. Giles. He seeks out Temperance as a woman who will help him uncover his mistress' murderer. And he will pay her - handsomely.

This man and this woman, both with horrifying secrets, strike a bargain, but are they able to keep their desire for pleasure away from that of business? 

Tracking down a murderer, saving orphaned children, seduction under the bleak stars of St. Giles... Needless to say, I read this novel in less than 24 hours.

Wicked Intentions on Amazon

Allied Revenge

Can revenge heal the scars of a man once believed to be a hero?

In Traci Hall's novel, Love's Magic, Nicholas has been used his entire life, the puppet to an unknown plan. Raised as an orphan by monks. Sent to the Crusades to have everyone around him killed. Tricked into believing that there are people in the world worth trusting. With the truth slowly revealing itself, all signs point to Baron Peregrine. His father. 

With vengeance in his heart, Nicholas swears that he will win back his soul by killing Baron Peregrine. Until he is ordered to marry Celestia Montehue, a well-known healer. 

As Celestia battles with her own hopes that this man could be her destiny, she fears that she'll lose her healing powers if he isn't. Can she be the one to heal his scars and set his heart free to love and trust once again? Or is revenge his only ally? And as people do we always focus on the pain rather than rising above it?