Tag: vampire

Review: The Necromancer’s Dance (The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #1) by S.J. Himes

Fantastic world building and an interesting spin on vampires.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book.  Published February 25th 2016 by SJ Himes

Blurb:

In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new. Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother’s boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again pulled back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family’s death.

Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire’s attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.

Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead?

Death stalks the streets of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill….and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.

MATURE CONTENT Contains graphic violence, male/male sexual contact, a cranky necromancer, a sexy Irish vampire, and a pesky demon.

Likes:

  • The interesting spin on vampires and magic blood.
  • Hooked me fast.
  • Both Angel and Simeon were interesting characters.
  • The romance progressed at a nice pace.
  • Hot smut.
  • Milly.
  • The non-romantic plot.
  • This was everything I wanted from a vampire novel.
  • Angel didn’t know what being in love felt like.
  • The world building.

Dislikes:

  • Isaac.
  • The ending felt fast.
  • Loose strings about the Collins family and Daniel’s father.

I picked this book up on a whim. It was the necromancer aspect that called to me, more than the vampire one. I wasn’t disappointed.

I’m a huge fan of world building, and I generally like when authors take well-known creatures and put their own spin on them. The vampires in this book were typical, except that they couldn’t feed from anyone with magic. That was new, and it immediately hooked me. It was a simple tweak, but one that opened up a lot of new possibilities for the story.

Both Angel and Simeon were interesting characters. Angel’s past was revealed to the reader slowly, but that didn’t bother me. I liked that the men had known each other for years, because the foundation for their relationship was already laid when the book began. That let their feelings take center stage. I also liked that Angel had never been in love before, and he wasn’t sure what it felt like. For such a brave, powerful man, that was incredibly sweet.

The romance progressed at a nice pace, and there was some hot smut. Things between Angel and Simeon aren’t totally settled by the end of the book, but that’s fine because the next book is also about them. However, there were a few things that felt like they were being brushed under the rug instead of being tied up, like the Collins family and Daniel’s father. I hope it get addressed in future books, because they feel like loose threads.

The non-romantic plot was fantastic. Mystery and fighting and illegal magic. It was balanced really well with the romantic plot, melding into a seamless whole.

Milly deserves a mention as my favorite side character. She’s great and I already wish she had her own spinoff. Isaac felt like a childish asshole. As for the vampires at large, they were exactly what you’d expect from vampires – that combination of entitled elite and complete fucking asshole.

The final fight with the bad guy felt like it ended rather fast. It was satisfying, but I guess I’m used to long, drawn out fights.

I am eagerly looking forward to getting to the next book. I’m not entirely sure if the series is finished or not, but I’m glad I don’t have to wait to read more about Angel and Simeon.

Review: The Alpha’s Warlock (Mismatched Mates #1) by Eliot Grayson

A fast paced read with a snarky as hell main character.

4.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 172 pages. Published March 20th 2020 by Smoking Teacup Books

Blurb:

Cursed, mated, and in for the fight of their lives…

Warlock Nate Hawthorne just wants a cup of coffee. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. Because instead of precious caffeine, all he gets is cursed by a pack of werewolves who want to use him for his magic. Now the only way to fix the damage is a mate bond to a grumpy and oh-so-sexy alpha in the rival pack, who happens to hate him. This is so not how he wanted to start his day.

Ian Armitage never intended to take Nate as his mate. The Hawthorne family can’t be trusted. Ian knows that better than anyone. The fact that he’s lusted after the way-too-gorgeous man for years? Totally irrelevant. Ian’s just doing what is necessary to protect his pack. This whole mating arrangement has nothing to do with love and never will. That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

Nate and Ian will have to work together if they have any hope of staving off the pack’s enemies and averting disaster. That’s assuming they can stop arguing (and keep their hands off each other) long enough to save the day…

The Alpha’s Warlock is an explicit M/M paranormal romance featuring a snarky warlock, a brooding alpha werewolf, knotting, enchanted socks (long story), and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Likes:

  • Snark and sarcasm in spades.
  • Nate and Ian.
  • Charlie and Doran.
  • Quick, easy read.
  • Just the right amount of angst.
  • Hooked me and kept me interested.
  • The plot.
  • Hot smut.
  • The action and fight scenes.

Dislikes:

  • Not much about the Armitage pack.
  • Not much world building.
  • Nate and Ian’s relationship changed in a heartbeat.
  • Ending was abrupt and left me with a lot of questions.
  • The blurb for the next book has me uncertain.

Nate is the type of guy I love to read about – sarcastic, sassy, and lacking a brain/mouth filter. His first person point of view made the story come alive.

I put this book on my e-reader about a week before I got around to it, and didn’t bother rereading the blurb before diving in. That changed my reading experience a bit, because I was surprised when Nate and Ian ended up mated. They didn’t get along at all at the beginning. Or at least that’s what Nate thought. It caused more than a little angst on Nate’s part, because he genuinely thought Ian hated him.

But that’s one of the great things about romances – they always have a happy ending. There’s safety in the knowledge that, no matter how rocky a relationship starts off, it’ll always end well. Nate didn’t believe he’d get a happy ending, but there were enough hints about Ian’s true feelings that the reader was able to see what Nate couldn’t.

The interactions between Nate and Ian were a big part of why I enjoyed this book so much. It took them a long time to get to a place where they could be open and honest with each other, and once they did their relationship turned a corner. It was a fast turnaround, but it worked. Not to mention, the smut was hot.

This book was a fun, fast read that hooked me right from the start. The pace never slowed down – there was always something going on, always something pushing the story forward, and I stayed up much later than I should have to finish reading. The action and fight scenes were well written, and Charlie and Doran were so much fun. I hope they get a book of their own.

There weren’t many side characters, which was strange for a book mostly set on wolf pack territory. Especially since Ian was the pack second. The Armitage pack was basically nonexistent except for the leader, Matthew. There wasn’t much world building in general, and while I didn’t have too many questions while reading the book – a product of the fast paced plot – I’m aware of it looking back.

I was a little surprised at the abrupt ending, because a lot of things weren’t resolved, but I guess that’s what the next book is for. Unfortunately, the sneak peek for the next book made me a little hesitant. I thought Nate had a bad life, but Arik definitely had it worse. I’m okay with angst and traumatic pasts, but expecting to be raped because it had happened before is a little too intense for me. I’ll give the next book a shot when it comes out, and hope that Arik gets to spend most of it healing.

Review: Three of Hearts by Stephanie Park

Great novella with a trans main character. The blurb really didn’t do this novella justice.

5 out of 5 stars

Kindle Edition. 92 pages. Published June 15th 2019 by JMS Books LLC

Blurb:

Noah likes people watching, so when he notices a cute gay couple who don’t seem to have a reflection, he’s fascinated. They can’t actually be vampires, can they? 

As he learns more about the enthralling pair, he soon discovers his wild suspicion is more than correct. But Noah is hiding a secret of his own, and how could two men from decades or even centuries in the past possibly care, possibly understand, when they discover Noah wasn’t always Noah? 

That first hurdle is only the beginning, though. But Jack and Gabe are immortal vampires, so it’s hardly surprising Noah isn’t the only one who has a troublesome past. 

Likes:

  • A trans main character.
  • All the characters.
  • The plot.
  • The vampire’s reaction to being found out.
  • All the little bumps along the way.
  • Good smut.

Dislikes:

  • The blurb doesn’t do the book justice.
  • I wanted more.

This is the first longer story I’ve read with a trans main character. I think Park did a wonderful job with Noah’s character. Yes, he’s trans, but there’s more to him than just that. Noah is a great main character on his own terms, and I enjoyed reading about him, Gabe, and Jack.

Noah’s excitement at finding the vampires felt very real, in a millennial reaction sort of way. And Gabe and Jack’s fear at being found out was understandable. I liked that it took a bit for the relationships to get off the ground. It felt more realistic than just falling into bed, especially considering Noah’s gender dysphoria and the fact that there were three of them.

There were bumps along the road to working out their physical and emotional relationships. Bumps that worked well with the story. Everyone had their own issues. But in the end, they were able to be happy together.

The drama with Jack’s past added a nice bit of drama. It had just the right bit of danger, as well as a satisfying ending. Best of all, it brought the men closer together. I would absolutely have read a full novel about this trio, or even a sequel to the novella.