Nightlord: Sunset by Garon Whited

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sunset brought a hangover, a beautiful woman, and the thirst for... blood?

Eric didn't ask to be a vampire.

In fact, he didn't even believe in them. Then he meets a beautiful woman, wakes up with a hangover, and bites his tongue with his own fangs.

Which pretty much settles the question.

Now he's trying to hold down his day job while learning the rules of the Undead -- the most important being that bloodthirsty urges and predatory instincts are a real bitch.

Upside; Eric has the beautiful Sasha to teach him the ropes, including the magic he'll need to survive.

Downside; it turns out being a vampire is the least of his problems.

When Sasha is killed, Eric is thrust into an alternate world in his quest to avenge her death. There he becomes a Nightlord, fights a dragon with the help of his magical steed, Bronze, and upchucks a sword named Firebrand.

But things get really interesting when Eric finally finds Tobias, head of the Church of Light. Soon Eric finds himself at the center of an epic battle at the literal edge of the world in a fight to keep a terrible darkness at bay.

"When you fall off the Edge of the World into hordes of demonic THINGS from the Outer Darkness, you really start to wonder about your life choices."

--Eric, part-time undead, expectant father, and short-term astronaut.

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REVIEW

Eric's tale starts after meeting a beautiful woman in a bar and having a one-night stand. Sasha quickly confesses to Eric that he is the reincarnation of her lost love, and she has gifted him with the power of a Nightlord. Sasha's death leads Eric to track down her assassins. Eric locates their stronghold in a far-off land and jumps through a portal to exact justice for her death.

Eric apprises the reader of the world around him through his journal writings. Eric is entertaining. He is a bit self-deprecating while being witty. I often found myself laughing aloud at his quips. We see the unfamiliar world through his modern eyes, which helped me connect to it.

Eric provides insights into his experiences, detail on occurrences such as how he feeds and how his magic spells develop. I found these descriptions comprehensive and fascinating. Eric explains his changes on a biological level. He attempts to make sense of it rather than explaining it away as the supernatural. He contemplates things like his aversion to the water brought on by his metamorphosis or why his species may live a nocturnal existence. I appreciate the attempt to find the logical evolutionary cause of his inherent abilities. The mythos of a vampire is a common one, but the uniqueness in Nightlord is an engaging change.

The journey Eric has is a long and epic one. The reader follows while he learns a new language, meets the barons of many territories, and becomes a skilled magic and weapon user. During this, Eric gains loyal companions by being kind to commoners, freeing slaves, and battling among great knights. At times I found his explorations to be a bit too extensive. I stopped the story repeatedly in frustration feeling nothing of import was happening. Then at the culmination of his tale, the story abruptly ends. I understand the idea of a multi-book chronicle. But without a satisfying climactic ending, the cliffhanger felt like a ploy to pick up the subsequent book. Due to that, I am uncertain about moving forward with this series. I am eager to see what adventures lie ahead. However, I do not know if I can handle another story with more lengthy character interactions than plot resolutions. 

Heartaches: Bad Boy Vibes Part One by H.R. Irwing

Overall, Anna and Rafe's journey is compelling.  I finished it in nearly one sitting. This book is a good fit for those who enjoy a dark romance. The story-line, however, could have an adverse effect on those sensitive to sexual violence. Both main characters are victims, with the subject matter described in full.

While attending a vocational college, Anna feels like an outsider. She begins dating Matt Preston, and he makes her feel less like an outcast. Six months after their relationship begins, the couple attends a rave with Matt's brother Jason. Dosing Anna with an aphrodisiac date drug, the Preston brothers rape her, take her home, and continue the act with their father.

The assault on Anna comes out of nowhere. The scene begins to play out like an exhibitionist threesome. When it is clear the brothers drugged, and are violating Anna, the sensuality still lingers. I don't mind erotica, I prefer it to the euphemisms in other novels, but the narrative here was uncomfortable. If the author's purpose was to place the reader in the lead's shoes, bravo to the method, it worked well. I understand how making the reader experience both passion, and degradation in the act could help them empathize. I know taboo fantasies exist, but a deed this far from the safe zone isn't anything but distressing.

Anna isolates herself for weeks. Hoping to coax her out of the house, her mother takes Anna to see some old family friends. During the outing, Anna and Rafe reconnect. Her behavior indicates to him she is an abuse survivor. When questioned, Anna shares with him details of her attack. Rafe promises to help her receive legal justice, something he never had after his sexual violation.

Tess, who heads the police investigation, treats Anna like she doesn't deserve support or due process. She doesn't care about Anna, which draws Anna deeper into her anguish. Even though Rafe has no interest in her, Tess acts like a jealous girlfriend. If nothing else, the way Tess treats Anna is unprofessional. When not behaving like Anna is a threat to her romance, Tess belittles her. It is infuriating, and her character's actions are appalling.

Hired on at a military school several hours away, Rafe asks Anna go with him to make a new start. She agrees, eager to put her ordeal behind her. Anna, with Rafe close by, feels safe as she learns to defend herself. From the beginning, it is clear Anna and Rafe have strong feelings for one another. The lust Anna continues to have for the Prestons prevents her from being honest with Rafe.

A few weeks later, Matt and Jason enroll in the military school. Anna rushes to Rafe, explaining her belief that if they are together, she will no longer feel any desire for the Prestons. Anna's thoughts on the matter are reasonable, but perhaps not healthy. Rafe is in no position to give her the mental peace she needs. He can barely keep his own emotions in check. They begin a string of sexual encounters as angry as they are passionate.

Rafe's abuser arrives at the school as well. His superior during his tour in Syria, Eric seems determined to keep Rafe under his thrall. Eric desires Rafe, and he won't give him up peacefully. With Eric's declaration of this to Anna, the book ends.

Written in a third person omniscient point of view, it is insightful seeing inside Anna and Rafe's psyche.  However, at times, their thoughts become jumbled, and it is hard to tell one from the other. I was still able to enjoy the book, despite the occasional confusion. The Heartache novels contain a continuing narrative. I find myself curious to see how the relationship turns out, and anticipate continuing with the series.

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Purgatory's Angel by B. Huges-Millman

Jamie is, what she refers to as, a Dark Angel. She volunteers to defend humans from demons, and Jamie's battlefield is our dreams. During sleep, Jamie will transport to a demon hunting in nightmares, to stop them from murdering the dreamer. The concept of Purgatory's Angel by B. Hughes-Millman is an imaginative one. Being in mortal danger, while one is so vulnerable during sleep, is a truly terrifying scenario.

While in the dream realm, Jamie usually remembers every aspect of her fight. Upon waking one day, the details of the dream she was defending in are frustratingly vague. Most of what Jamie retains is her friend Sarah, and a man Jamie has never met before, are present for whatever occurred. Disturbingly, the day after this dream, Jamie meets the man, Collin, in the waking world. The significance of the scene is more than it appears. When Collin and Jamie finally address this encounter, a twist in events reveals itself that I had not connected. I enjoy when a situation surprises me.

Instantly, Jamie feels a connection with Collin, although she worries he is a demon and means to harm her. Soon, she discovers the connection she feels is mutual, but the couple remains suspicious of one another. The downfall in this story is with the romance. Jamie and Collin possess fantastic chemistry. However, deception surrounds the couple. It was difficult for me to support their union, after witnessing the manipulation Jamie and Collin experience, and do to one another.

Jamie speaking of pre-existence, what I assume is the realm, or time, when she fought against Lucifer, always leads to more questions than answers for me. Jamie states Dark Angels heal fast, as an explanation to why she appears younger than her ninety years of age. Demons kill Jamie's parents and grandmother, proving they are not immortal. Assuming this is her first lifetime, and the author never gives reason to believe anything different, it does not seem possible only ninety years passed since Jamie fought against Lucifer. It seems the battle would have been, well, a very long time ago. The matter of her existence before being a dream warrior causes great frustration for me. I do acknowledge that future clarification on these points is possible. Being the first novel in a series, some of the explanation I am looking for may come later.

Aspects of Purgatory's Angel I enjoyed, it was unique and engaging. The relationship between Jamie and Collin, however, was a bit difficult for me to get behind, which took away from this enjoyment. It makes me question if reading the series, in its entirety, would be worth it for me.

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Concealment by Rose Edmunds

Amy is a part of the Blue Skies Brainstorming Group at Pearson Malone, whose focus is on tax law. This company is currently brokering a big sale for one of the firm's major clients. In the beginning of Concealment by Rose Edmunds, a lot of tax jargon was present. The explanations of tax law are relevant clues relating to the plot. I, unfortunately, realized early that this did not hold my attention. It was difficult for me to push my way through to get to the action. A member of Amy's advisory group is found murdered. Through an unlucky chain of events, Amy becomes entangled in the investigation. At one point, she even becomes a suspect.

The reveal of Amy's psychological condition seemed to take a while, so long that not knowing became an annoyance for me. Amy is clearly delusional. She sees, and often converses with, a manifestation of her teenage self. Learning, finally, that her mother is a hoarder, I had the thought that it could not be as traumatic as she leads it out to be. When the character soon references derision from others that mirrors my own thoughts, it gave me pause. Amy's mother blames her for the urges she fights. The suffering from that alone would likely leave Amy with severe self-esteem issues if nothing else. Amy inwardly berates herself about her weirdness. She considers herself masquerading as someone she is not, lending credibility to that theory.

The stress on Amy increases, due to the murder investigation and her responsibilities to her firm's client, and she experiences a mental break. Here, I found myself reevaluating the plot thus far, and I began to suspect Amy was an unreliable narrator. The people disagreeing with her explanation of events seemed reasonable. Amy's scenario, suddenly, appeared to be ludicrous. I don't know if this was intentional on the author's part, but Amy's instability gave an extra layer of suspense to the action. The indecision continued until I convinced myself Amy was completely irrational. When deciding if Amy was seeing and concluding things correctly, or if her delusions got the better of her, it was an intriguing inner battle to experience. One I enjoyed as much as I became frustrated by it. The bonus came when a plot twist vindicates Amy.

I have mixed feelings about Concealment. The mystery aspect held my attention. I did not see the resolution coming, which is a significant allure to me. Admittedly though, I did not like Amy. She was not a sympathetic character to me at all. Arguably, that doesn't matter. In the end, her detachment to those around her is explained through her illness. My focus on her journey was how her mental abuse hindered healthy adult relationships in her life. I encourage all readers to draw their own conclusions.

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Devilish by Tricia Barr

Devilish by Tricia Barr is an erotic paranormal romance and will be enjoyable to fans of the genre. The Devil as an anti-hero makes the basis of his myth tragic. A spin on the fallen angel's mythology kept me interested and engaged. In the love story, the Devil was appealing and highly seductive.

The Devil found his way out of hell and to the world of man. He crash lands in New York City and the world's reception is wary. Felicity meets with the Devil representing the New York Times to obtain an interview about the reason for his presence. The Devil, or Lucifer as he prefers, gives minute details of his story to Felicity over the course of several dates that they share. In addition to sharing his tale, he vows to Felicity that he will win her affections.

Hearing the lore of Lucifer's existence is what you would expect it to be with a few embellishments. A lot of thought went into keeping the Devil in a familiar position while making him empathetic. We discover Lucifer is not the epitome of evil. Instead, he is charming and sexy with some roguishness that pairs well with the bad boy aura. Lucifer is often mischievous, but he never takes on a demonic guise. In a nice twist, we discover Lucifer's downfall was caused by an expected force. Devilish inserts unique touches on the Devil's legend that maintains the intrigue. The interpretations of hell itself and Lucifer's method of escape aided in substantiating his humanity. I was charmed by this version of the Devil.

Felicity, I had a hard time respecting as the heroine. Felicity is a virgin at the start of the story. There is nothing wrong with that in reality although I find it overused as a romance trope. Her lack of desire for the men she has met is the self-professed reason for abstinence. Felicity immediately gains a spark with Lucifer and subsequently fights it. At one point it even occurred to her Lucifer forcing the issue would be preferable to giving in to her need for him. I interpreted she was not afraid of Lucifer only of the desire she felt, but it was admittedly a bit unclear. I typically enjoy stronger female characters who are firm with what they want, or what they don't and that remain true to themselves.

Felicity gives in to her desires and sleeps with Lucifer. On the day that occurs, she uses sexual guile to seduce another man for information. This scenario is wrong for several reasons. She has a deadline but the decision is dangerous, and that fact never occurred to her. That man could have ended her life without a second thought, and no one knew what she was doing. Her decision to obtain a goal through sex was a discredit. They did not fully procreate, but it felt wrong considering her feelings toward sleeping with Lucifer and the fact she just lost her virginity. Even with the issues I had, I found the book immersive and there existed astonishing chemistry between the characters.

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Pancake Money by Finn Bell

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Pancake Money by Finn Bell centers on Bobby and Pollo, detectives attempting to solve the savage murder of a priest. Over the course of a few days more grizzly deaths occur, and the detectives face what seems to be an unsolvable case. Pancake Money is highly engaging. Where the story succeeds most for me is when it focuses on the detective's relationships and deductive processes. Worth noting, the entire book takes place in New Zealand. I have never visited New Zealand and was glad to realize this was not a problem. The author delivers the necessary descriptors to paint the background picture with clarity.

The story begins with a gruesome murder as seen through the eyes of the executioner. The scene's perspective seems more about the intimacy of the act then the brutality of it. Despite being brief, this scene is an effective way to set the mood. It consumed me with dread and sadness, although I am still unsure if the sorrow was for the victim, the killer, or both. I experienced a full spectrum of emotion reading this book, and I loved it.

The methodology the characters use to identify the perpetrator is fascinating. Bobby is attending a forensic psychology class throughout the plot. These lectures further foreshadow with topics such as pain motivating individuals to fulfill any task. Throughout this investigation, the detectives examine the reasons that drive a murderer.  Bobby and Pollo discuss which would apply to the killer and why the crimes represent one motivation over the other. Gaining knowledge in the context of the novel made me a part of the examination. I received insights along with the characters by understanding how they were drawing their conclusions.

It is clear from the beginning Bobby and Pollo are close. They respect each other, keep each other safe, spend time with one another's family, and have meaningful interactions. The relevance of the title, Pancake Money, comes from a poignant tale Pollo discloses to Bobby towards the beginning of the story.  Believably in this relationship is a motivational key in the third act. It was necessary to connect them as a family, and I did not doubt this fact at any time.

Being fond of a decent mystery novel I frequently read from this genere. Going in, I hold onto the hope that the book's resolution is not glaringly evident. The big question here is, did I figure out the end before the reveal? The answer is an emphatic no, and for me, that is a huge deal. I consistently try to anticipate the resolution in anything I read. In Pancake Money, the full story was not entirely evident until the crime solver dictated the clues, and solution, at the end. I was then able to pinpoint the evidence referred to and found it entirely believable. It was quite a ride getting there. I would highly recommend Pancake Money to anyone who enjoys a great murder mystery.

Murdered by James Schannep

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Murdered by James Schannep is a Click Your Poison book. By design, the reader places one’s self in the story-line and dictates the narrative. The premise of Murdered is the reader is on vacation in Brazil for the annual celebration of Carnaval. After separating from friends, you find a murdered woman and the possible killer who flees the scene. At this point, the reader becomes the primary navigator of the plot.

A common problem I find in mysteries is the foreshadowing that reveals the endgame before it is time. This issue was not a problem for me while reading Murdered. Every pathway my choices revealed enough clues to keep me eager for more. My addiction to this book occurred from the beginning. The short chapters spurred the action forward and did not reveal so much it was easy to achieve resolution. I found the way to a fulfilling ending but never became bored on the journey.

It is likely the first read through will not reveal the whole story, I would suggest multiple tries. I made my way through the full story three times before I found all the details of what happened. I had to backtrack more times then I can count after going down a wrong path, or when I died, which I did, a lot. I never did feel like I was wasting my efforts revisiting where I had already gone, I always found a better path. Resolving what worked with each character to get to the truth, or how to defeat them when necessary, was gratifying and entertaining.

It might help to suspend one's disbelief during a reading. How likely would it be for the Brazil police, or the Diplomatic Secret Service, to bring a random American tourist in on a murder investigation? Not to mention give said tourist a weapon, or depend on them in a firefight? These were however minor things. Once engaging in the action of the story it did not concern me much, I just went with it.

I would highly recommend this book to mystery fans. Just remember it is a unique format. I remember reading choose your own adventure stories when I was younger. This book is reminiscent of those novels. Murdered does have a more adult audience in mind than the young adult books I read in junior high, but the essence is the same. I loved them then and find I have just as much fun with them now.