Burning Dawn (Angels of the Dark #3)

"I want to give her more."

Available at Amazon.com

Burning Dawn
Gena Showalter
Angels of the Dark, book three
ebook, 432 pages
Published April 29th 2014 by MIRA
ISBN 9781488709562

A tormented past has left Thane with an insatiable need for violence, making him the most dangerous assassin in the skies. He lives by a single code: no mercy. And as he unleashes his fury on his most recent captor, he learns no battle could have prepared him for the slave he rescues from his enemy’s clutches — a beauty who stokes the fires of his darkest desires.

Elin Vale has her own deep-rooted scars, and her attraction to the exquisite warrior who freed her challenges her every boundary. But Thane’s unwavering determination to protect her means she must face her greatest fears — and enter a world in which passion is power, and victory means breathtaking surrender.

I'm definitely enjoying the Angels of the Dark much more than I am the Lords of the Darkness. And this, Thane's story, just might be my favorite of the Angels.

When we first met Thane back in book one, he was the epitome of a cold-hearted bastard and it's almost traumatizing to see him fall so far as he becomes a mindless sex slave to Kendra, a twisted Phoenix who used her poisons (and sex) to bind him to her. At this point not even even his beloved friends, Xerxes and Bjorn, can save him. It eventually falls to Elin, fellow slave and human/Phoenix half-breed, to set him free.

And soon enough, Thane goes from a sadistic/masochistic bed-her-and-forget-her jackass to a besotted romantic, living for Elin's happiness.

He headed into town to buy chocolates and romance novels. Several hours ticked past as he selected the very best of both. A man devoted time to what mattered to him- to what he deemed worthy of his attention.
When he finished, he tracked down Merrick.
A man guarded what mattered to him.

Too bad when he finally gets the chance to prove his faith in Elin, Thane's devastating failure shakes them both and their budding relationship to the core. With Elin's qualms about being unfaithful to her dead husband's memory, she finds even more of a drive to cut ties with the Sent One when he, upon discovering her mixed heritage, shuns her, abandoning her to what would have been her Phoenix masters had Xerxes not intervened. In the end, she ended up at the mercy of demons. Luckily, it took just hours for Thane to come to his senses and he has the chance to play Hero once more.

Had the ending not felt rushed as it did, this was definitely five star material.

4 out of 5 stars


Previously in the series:

Beauty Awakened (Angels of the Dark #2)

Available at Amazon.com

Beauty Awakened
Gena Showalter
Angels of the Dark, book two
ebook, 384 pages
Published February 26th 2013 by Harlequin
ISBN 9781460306420

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with another captivating Angels of the Dark tale, as a tormented warrior is brought to his knees by the most delicate of humans....

His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary--and he lives only for vengeance against the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be eternally damned.

Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life--even if he has to sacrifice his own.

Previously in the series:

Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark #1)

"I am... How could... Love this."

Available at Amazon.com

Wicked Nights
Gena Showalter
Angels of the Dark, book one
ebook, 346 pages
Published June 26th 2012 by Harlequin
ISBN 781459233188

From the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld comes a dark, seductive new series featuring angels poised on the brink of destruction....

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless-and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions, at any cost...until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation-or her ultimate damnation?

Oops! Made the mistake of starting this one way too early. Being a spin-off of Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series, I wasn't sure where the two met. Apparently, it's sometime after The Darkest Secret (book seven), and I was so not there yet. (Recently finished book three.)

And yet, I enjoyed Wicked Nights far more than any of the LotU books I've read.

Annabelle Miller was merely eighteen years old when a demon staked a claim upon her. That same night, it murdered her parents and left her to be tried and pronounced guilty of their deaths. For the next four years, Annabelle suffered within the confines of an institution where lowly demons and humans alike continued to harm her.

Zacharel lost his twin brother centuries ago, and has lived each moment since shut away from emotions. His callousness and disregard for human welfare have led his betters to offer him one last chance before he's cast from grace.

As Zacharel leads his army of Heaven's less favored against a horde of demons scaling the walls of a human asylum, he is led into the presence of Annabelle as she lies restrained upon a medical bed, drugged and angry. And yet, despite discovering an angel before her, Annabelle does not plead or scream for help. Her response to his appearance leaves Zacharel equally baffled and intrigued. Even more so when Thane, a fellow angel on probation, proclaims Annabelle carries Zacharel's mark. Zach's never met the girl before, let alone touched her.

Curiosity, jealousy, desire... Emotions, he's long denied himself come raging to the surface once Annabelle enters his life.

I couldn't help but fawn all over Zacharel. And that first kiss... it was oh so good, until it went oh so terribly wrong. It was probably the hottest part of the book, including the smut scenes. The ending however really sealed the deal with its awesomeness as Anna confronts her demon, and Zacharel is left with the consequences of a very large, centuries old, screw up.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)

I have a feeling I will always come for you.

Available at Amazon.com

The Darkest Pleasure
Gena Showalter
Lords of the Underworld, book three
ebook, 308 pages
Published July 1st 2008 by Harlequin Books
ISBN 9781426818806


Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her--even defy the gods.

Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can't forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.

For a reader who just looooooves a tortured hero, it doesn't get much better than Reyes, a warrior possessed by the demon of Pain.

Reyes and Danika first became acquainted when the gods called upon Aeron to take the lives of four human females: A grandmother, her daughter, and her daughter's daughters. Danika was the youngest of the two daughters. The Lords captured the woman and held them hostage for their own safety. Of course, that little piece of information was neither shared or explained to the woman and, once freed, they ran and hid. From the lords, and each other. Reyes found a connection to Danika from the beginning. He wanted her, needed her, but was forced to turn away lest his demon's needs taint her and the sickness of the pleasure found in pain corrupt her.

Despite getting no pleasure from the act, Reyes challenges her to a kiss when she refuses to attack him. Hoping it would be different with Dani, disappointment rises when the gentle but passionate touch of her leaves him flaccid. When she punches him thereafter, the strike instantly arousing him, Reyes is forced to confess his secret shame. And when she asks if he wants her to hurt him, he refuses that as well. For the before-mentioned reasons. The entire scene was one of the hottest first kiss moments I've read in quite a while. Having your heart go from pounding to breaking in the span of seconds is quite the ordeal.

Finally, in this book, the reason for Danika and her family's death sentence comes to light as Danika confesses, much to her own doubts, that she can see into heaven and, very likely, hell. She is the Eye.

It was the ending that soured this one and dropped it from a perfect five stars. Spoiler alert: If all it took to save Danika from Cronus was her pulling Reyes into heaven, then that's something that should have happened the moment she was torn from his arms. Absolutely nothing changed in those five days they were apart that made her any more capable of doing so then than in the beginning. Sorry, I don't buy into it being any more than word filler.

4 out of 5 stars.

Lords of the Underworld still to come...
4: Sabin & Gwen (immortal)
5: Aeron & Olivia (angel turned demon)
6: Gideon & Scarlet (demon possessed immortal)
7: Amun & Haidee (demon assassin)
8: Strider & Kaia (harpy)
9: Paris & Sienna (possessed by Wrath)
10: Kane & Josephina (half-Fae)
11: Torin & Keeley (the Red Queen)
12: Cameo & ?

Previously in this series:

Revenant (Lords of Deliverance #6)

You have my ear.

Available at Amazon.com

Revenant
Larissa Ione
Lords of Deliverance, book six
Demonica, book eleven
ebook, 400 pages
Published December 16th 2014 by Grand Central Publishing
ISBN 9781455526994

HELL HATH NO FURY

For five thousand years, Revenant believed he was alone in the world, a fallen angel beyond any redemption. Now he finds he has a twin brother who had all the light and love Revenant was denied. Caught in a tug of war between Heaven and Hell, he must weigh his thirst for revenge against his desire for a mysterious female named Blaspheme—a female whose very origins could deliver him into salvation... or destruction.

LIKE AN ANGEL SCORNED

Blaspheme has a deadly secret: she's the forbidden offspring of an angel and a fallen angel. Hunted by both heavenly and satanic forces, she has survived only by laying low and trusting no one. When Revenant claims he can save them both, how can she possibly believe him? But the powerful angel is persistence incarnate and for Blaspheme, there's no place she can hide in Heaven or Hell where he won't find her.

Abandoned to Hell. Forgotten by Heaven. Rejected by all, Revenant's memory was wiped long ago of everything he truly was and is. With Reaver's discovery of his own identity being a Radiant, and memory returned, the same was mirrored by Revenant being his twin brother. And Revenant is now going through the motions of feeling abandoned, lost, and rejected all over again.

Hell wants to control him while Heaven won't even look his way much less grant him the oh so needed audience to finally put together the pieces of what his new rank in this crazy, mixed up existence we call life means.

So Satan, soon to be the father of the reincarnated Lucifer, summons Revenant for two reasons: 1) to bring to Hell a doctor capable of assisting in Gethel's pregnancy, and 2) to bring him the head of an angel. The second of which set to damn him once and for all. For Revenant is not the Fallen Angel he always thought himself to be. He never fell from grace.

Quite different from Reaver, who fell, rose, and fell again. Then, deemed a Radiant, could no longer fall, rise, or otherwise because well, he's just beyond that.

So, living eons in Hell, Revenant has become accustomed to being tortured by his masters and, when that's not happening, screwing any female who strikes his fancy. The latest of which to do so, is the Fallen Angel disguised as a False Angel, Blaspeme-who outright rejects his ever so eloquent offer to let her suck his dick.

And being turned down by a woman is so alien a concept to Rev that he's left flabbergasted. Perplexed. And more than ready to rise to the challenge of bedding the untouchable Blaspheme.

Moonbeams and sunshine, the clouds and the seas,
All part of the many worlds I want you to see.
Fear not the unknown, nor the depths of the night,
For nothing can harm you when I hold you tight.

Being the last of the series, at least until the spin off picking up with the next generation, I expected a lot from Revenant. I expected more from the Horsemen. And as always, expectations are a big No-No.

Honestly, I liked the idea of Revenant more than Revenant himself. I was more engrossed by what he could be than what he delivered. A guy whose default form of communication was sexual innuendos and sarcasm, Revenant only succeeded in endearing me to him when he was in pain. When he was serious. When he was tormenting himself about the past and the raw deal he got from fate.

I would have liked to see more action from the Horsemen and their mates. Would have loved more Reaver and Harvester. Although we did get a teensy bit of Reaver as he and Rev sought to build a brotherly bond.

What I would have been oh so thankful for was less in the sexual come ons. Yes, it made me laugh a time or two, but too much of a good thing is definitely a bad thing. And a total turn off. When we finally got down to the actual sex, it was wild... but lacked heat.

Don't let my little checklist of negatives turn you away from this book, especially if you're familiar with the Demonica, because it is a good read and a fine compliment to the series. For me, it was the least favorite of all the Lords of the Deliverance books and sadly, that is where I leave you.

3 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

The Fire Within (Nephilim #2)

Available at Amazon.com

The Fire Within
Dana Marie Bell
Nephilim, book two
ebook, 220 pages
Published June 30th 2014 by Carina Press
ISBN 9781306730181

She will set his world ablaze.

Detective Dante Zucco has been tasked with bringing a Shemyaza to justice. As a seris Nephilim, his inner fire comes in handy in battle, but not in love. He's been burned before, but maybe this time he'll find a blaze that matches his own.

One of the families of the human victims has hired Elizabeth Rand, PI, to investigate the murders. It's all Dante can do to keep his hands off the alluring, stubborn woman. A single glance from her gray eyes, and Dante goes up in flames.

Beth suspects Dante is one of the Nephilim, angelic warriors bound to hunt down the evil Shemyaza who haunt the night and feed off the innocent. If the murderer she's tracking is a Shem, then keeping a Nephilim close would be only logical. She agrees to work with the hunky detective, unaware of his growing feelings for her.

When Beth gets too close to finding out the truth behind the Shem kills, her life is put in danger, forcing Dante to protect her the only way he can: with fire.

Dante and Elizabeth's paths first crossed in book one and, since then, all they do is push each other's buttons. When a murdered woman and the scent of a Shem demon bring the two together to work one case, both manage to call a truce. Dante just wants to protect her. Beth just wants him to get off her back.

As the two settle into a comfortable partnership, Dante realizes rather quickly that he's crossing a dangerous line. He's falling for her. Elizabeth knows what he is, having found herself caught up in a Shem attack against Abby in the first book. She's the only human Dante has ever known to take down a demon, and live.

I love the romance of this series. The characters are mature enough to act cautiously but still allow matters of attraction and such to grow and develop naturally. They don't rush it. They don't hide from it. It is what it is and goes where it goes, and Bell unfolds it beautifully.

Piotr swept me away in the first book, and continued to hold me so comfortably in his palm throughout this. Shunned by many of the Nephilim, Piotr is the outsider of their group, having isolated himself for reasons only he, and Gabriel, are aware of. Andrea, his One, remains his most faithful defender even as he becomes a suspect in Dante and Beth's blackmail/murder case. I'm waiting oh so impatiently for his book. Although, Hell Hath No Fury, Damien and Sam's story, will be told first.

3 out of 5 stars.


Previously in the series:

Earth Warden

"Step aside, Hawk. Let the dog see the rabbit."

Available at Amazon.com

Earth Warden
Mina Carter
ebook, 68 pages
Published August 5th 2014 by Blue Hedgehog Press
First published 2009

What do you do when you’re magically inept in a world where your worth rests on your magical ability?

This is the question that has haunted magic-less Warden Lyssa all her life. So when injured Warrior Hawk mistakes her for a full Warden and claims sanctuary she agrees, thinking she can hide the truth for just one night.

Unfortunately it’s not so easy with a Warden execution squad on her tail and then a steamy encounter with her handsome warrior challenges everything Lyssa thought she knew about herself.

Although the daughter of Wardens, Lyssa was declared a null, having no magical powers herself. So she spent her life studying spells, wards, and so on while being shunned be her community. Now grown, she makes a living as a waitress at a diner where Hawk, a Warrior, happens upon after being nearly mauled to death by demons.

Hawk can be quite the top notch ass when the mood hits. Bleeding and weak, he and Lyssa don't share the greatest first meeting. She does her best to appear the ideal servant while his sentences are clipped and rude. The humor lies in the fact that he can read her mind.

When Hawk catches a glimpse of Lyssa's tattoo, the mark of the Wardens, he considers the idea that the fates might have finally smiled upon him after all these years. Wardens are a magical race sworn to aid the Warriors as necessary, although they consider them worse than vampires and pass on many a horror story about their kind.

She offers him a night of sanctuary and makes no further promises. Soon enough, they're being attacked by an execution training squad and Hawk is left reeling with questions he can't find the answers to. He senses the witching surrounding Lyssa but she makes no move to cast a spell. She's as stupid as they come when it comes to protecting herself, and he's left to scramble to get them to safety.

I had some problems with Lyssa and although the story is quick, she does find time to redeem herself. Hawk, despite the ass he portrays in the beginning, also redeems himself with his talent in the bedroom. The two come together in their time of need, his of healing and hers of finally releasing the power she doesn't even know she possesses. It's a happy ever after without any groundless pledges of love which is a winner in my book.

4 out of 5 stars.

A Devil Named Desire: Devil's Bargain #2

Available at Amazon.com

A Devil Named Desire
Terri Garey
Devil's Bargain, book two
ebook, 368 pages
Published January 31st 2012 by Avon
(first published January 24th 2012)
ISBN 9780062096289

Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest...

...and no one knows that better than Sammy Divine, High Prince of Darkness. Once an angel, now cast down, Sammy's out to prove he's not the only angel who can be led into temptation...

Hope Henderson's sister has disappeared without a trace, and Hope will do anything to find her--even make a deal with the Devil. An ancient text holds the key to unspeakable power, and it's the Archangel Gabriel's job to make sure it stays hidden, even if he has to become human to do it. Lives, love and the fate of the world hang in the balance, as Hope and Gabriel learn that when passion's involved, it may be impossible to withstand a devil named desire.

Hot Damn! This baby opened up with all kinds of promise... and sadly, fell a tad flat.

Gabriel, or Gabe as he calls himself in our human realm, has long been confounded by the ideas of love and lust. Unable to fathom what about them that drive men, and women alike, to destroy themselves for the sake of either or even both. His dearest friend, and brother, Samael, fell victim to lust with Eve in the Garden, thus introducing sin into the world. Then, Sammy fell in love with a woman who chose another over him. Today, Sammy is the devil. Lucifer himself. The King of Lies.

There are not many books that you'll open up only to find your heroine committing suicide. She's human. She's lost. She's pretty. I get it. These are attributes that bring Gabe to her door, convicted to save her. And for some reason, logic be damned, she becomes the one person in all of eternity that tempts him.

Gabriel, despite all, stays true to himself. He seeks his God, and even in the end, is loyal and willing to return to Him even though God had taken his wings and left him to play out where Fate was taking him. Gabe never broke his vows. He never fell from grace. Yays for that.

But Hope, and Charity, and Pandora... each and all brought this story to a mindnumbing level of blahness. And yes, even Sammy, too.

3 out of 5 stars.