Review: Primal Sin - Ariana Nash

Fallen for love. Risen for revenge.

Severn knows love. He knows how it feels to fight for love, and have it torn from his reach. He knows that when the killing fields are strewn with the dead, and love is all gone, only one thing keeps his demon heart beating:

Vengeance.

His life is now a web of lies. His act, a perfect one. His enemy, the guardian angel Mikhail, sits beside him, turns to him for guidance, and even loves him.

The time has come to make all the angels fall, beginning with the most powerful of them all.

Severn thought he knew love. But he’s about to discover that love takes no prisoners, and as demons and angels clash over London’s battle-weary streets, love will claim the souls of two destined enemies.

Primal Sin is a dark gay fantasy with a strong love-story. The series is brimming with savage desires, relentless lies and the bite of vengeance and is not for anyone easily disturbed by graphic scenes.

Primal Sin Series:
Primal Sin

Visit Ariana Nash's website or Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
For decades angels and demons have waged war on the streets of London and the killing fields have left it unrecognisable. Angels live in the aerie, a huge towering structure ruled by Guardian Mikhail, and they consider themselves protectors of humans. Below the Aerie is the Cauldron, a dark and dangerous underworld where demons prey on the unsuspecting and anything can be purchased for the right price.

Severn is Mikhail's right hand man, a fierce warrior respected by the rest of the angels and feared by demons, even though he lost his wings in battle and can no longer fly. But while Severn is seen as an ally he has ulterior motives and has spent the last decade planning is revenge against the person he blames for ruining his life. After Severn is brutally injured in battle once more Mikhail takes surprising steps to save his life and the bond that forms between them could be enough to doom the world.

Ariana Nash never fails to rip out my heart and stomp it into teeny tiny pieces and I love it so much that I just keep coming back for more! Love, revenge, betrayal and heartbreak this book has it all and then some, I was hooked from beginning to end. We're only just starting to explore this world but already I want to know more and I enjoyed getting to know the characters too. Mikhail initially comes across as quite cold and unfeeling but under the surface he's a boiling pot full of emotion and in the end that might just be his downfall. Severn on the other hand is full of rage and hatred, and with very good reason, but he is also more than he originally seems and as his hate and lust combine his attitude completely changes.

I honestly can't wait to see what happens next between these two, especially now a certain new character that appeared at the end of the book has been thrown into the mix. I know for sure that this is going to be a bumpy ride for everyone but I can't wait to enjoy the rollercoaster.

Source: Received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Angel Mage - Garth Nix

More than a century has passed since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite, fleeing the Fall of Ystara. But she emerges from her magical sleep still beautiful, looking no more than nineteen, and once again renews her single-minded quest to be united with her lover, Palleniel, the archangel of Ystara.

A seemingly impossible quest, but Liliath is one of the greatest practitioners of angelic magic to have ever lived, summoning angels and forcing them to do her bidding.

Liliath knew that most of the inhabitants of Ystara died from the Ash Blood plague or were transformed into beastlings, and she herself led the survivors who fled into neighboring Sarance. Now she learns that angels shun the Ystaran’s descendants. If they are touched by angelic magic, their blood will turn to ash. They are known as Refusers, and can only live the most lowly lives.

But Liliath cares nothing for the descendants of her people, save how they can serve her. It is four young Sarancians who hold her interest: Simeon, a studious doctor-in-training; Henri, a dedicated fortune hunter; Agnez, an adventurous musketeer cadet; and Dorotea, an icon-maker and scholar of angelic magic. They are the key to her quest.

The four feel a strange kinship from the moment they meet, but do not know why, or suspect their importance. All become pawns in Liliath’s grand scheme to fulfill her destiny and be united with the love of her life. No matter the cost to everyone else. . .

Visit Garth Nix's website for more information

Review:
I've been a fan of Garth Nix since I first read Sabriel more years ago than I care to remember so of course I was ridiculously excited to read his new stand alone fantasy novel, Angel Mage. This story was inspired by his love of The Three Musketeers but with added magic. He has created a world where certain people are able to interact with angels with the help of icons and can summon them to do their bidding. Each angel has its own icon design and a different ability but the more powerful the angel the more it takes out of the summoner each time they call on them. Some of the angels can be used for things like healing while others can provide light or offer all kinds of other forms of help. While summoners are rare and have varying levels of ability the icon creators are rarer still, it's a specialist art form to imbue the icons with the power to summon an angel and it's a much sought after skill.

This story is told from five different points of view which can sometimes make a story a little hard to follow but I found each of these characters distinct enough that I didn't have an issue. You have four friends: Agnez, a confidant young woman who is focused on her goal of becoming a Musketeer so she can help protect the queen like her mother did; Simeon, a trainee physician who is incredibly skilled with his hands; Dorotea, who is a talented but slightly ditzy icon maker with abilities that she's spent years trying to hide; and Henri, a boy who has spent years dreaming of becoming wealthy who just wants to prove himself to his family. Then you have Liliath, someone who is obviously hiding a lot of secrets and who definitely has a plan but who is only thinking of herself and her own goals and doesn't seem to care what it costs the people around her.

Angel Mage is one of those books that sucks you in and even though its a large book with over 500 pages I ended up flying through it because I desperately wanted to know what would happen next. I really loved Dorotea, Agnez, Simeon and Henri, they all have very different personalities but they worked well together as a team and drew on each other's strengths to do what needed to be done. Liliath was a harder character to like because she was so ruthless but I found her chapters so interesting because you never knew quite what she'd do next. What I loved most about the world was the way men and women were completely equal with lots of women in high ranking jobs and no signs of misogyny, there was also no sign of racism in spite of the fact that we had characters of all different colours and it was treated as completely normal for people to have same sex relationships.

The story works perfectly as a stand alone but I really do hope that Garth Nix decides to revisit this world in the future, there seems to be so much more to explore in the world and I'd be really interested in both spending more time with these characters but also in seeing the fallout of events in the final few chapters.

Source: Received from Gollancz in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Reaper - Larissa Ione

THE DEMONICA SERIES RETURNS…

He is the Keeper of Souls. Judge, jury, and executioner. He is death personified.

He is the Grim Reaper.

A fallen angel who commands the respect of both Heaven and Hell, Azagoth has presided over his own underworld realm for thousands of years. As the overlord of evil souls, he maintains balance crucial to the existence of life on Earth and beyond. But as all the realms gear up for the prophesied End of Days, the ties that bind him to Sheoul-gra have begun to chafe.

Now, with his beloved mate and unborn child the target of an ancient enemy, Azagoth will stop at nothing to save them, even if it means breaking blood oaths and shattering age-old alliances.

Even if it means destroying himself and setting the world on fire…

The Demonica Series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Eternity Embraced (Novella)
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 1)
Vampire Fight Club (Novella in the Supernatural anthology or as a separate ebook)
Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 2)
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 3)
Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 4)
Reaver
Azagoth (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 1)
Revenant
Hades (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 2)
Base Instincts (Novella)
Z (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 3)
Razr (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 4)
Hawkyn (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 5) (March 2018)
Her Guardian Angel (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 6, also part of the Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection)
Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe (Short Story Collection & Recipe Book, Demonica Underworld book 7)
Cipher (Demonica Underworld book 8)
Reaper (Demonica Underworld book 9)

For more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Review:
I've been a fan of the Demonica series for years now and it's always exciting when I get a new book in my hands. After a few years of shorter novellas I was really looking forward to reading a full length novel again and Larissa Ione didn't disappoint, let's just say that Reaper is a game changer in SO many ways. This is the first time we've had a whole extra book about a couple who are already living their HEA but considering Azagoth and Liliana have had so much going on as side characters in the Demonica Underworld stories I was really glad that we got to revisit them, especially with the way things played out in this story.

This is a really difficult book to review because it would be far too easy to give spoilers but there were some absolutely shocking things happening that completely threw me for a loop. Unexpected betrayals, surprising allies, answers to questions that have been building for several books and although this book was in some ways an ending it also opens the world up for a whole new spin off series which I'm REALLY looking forward to!

Fans of the series really don't want to miss this book but if you're new to the world please don't start here, you'd be missing out on so much that it really would be a waste. This is a series that has been building up for years and there is so much to explore as you get to know all the characters involved, there are a lot of appearances from the earlier couples in this book that are fantastic because we already know them so well. In fact this made me nostalgic and has left me seriously tempted to start a series reread. Reaper is a highly recommend instalment in the Demonica world and it's as series that all paranormal romance fans should be reading.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Archangel's War - Nalini Singh

UK Cover

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, faces a new challenge that threatens the balance of the world.

Wings of silver. Wings of blue. Mortal heart. Broken dreams. Shatter. Shatter. Shatter. A sundering. A grave. I see the end. I see . . .

The world is in chaos as the power surge of the Cascade rises to a devastating crescendo. In furiously resisting its attempts to turn Elena into a vessel for Raphael's power, Elena and her archangel are irrevocably changed . . . far beyond the prophecy of a cursed Ancient.

At the same time, violent and eerie events around the world threaten to wipe out entire populations. And in the Archangel Lijuan's former territory, an unnatural fog weaves through the land, leaving only a bone-chilling silence in its wake. Soon it becomes clear that even the archangels are not immune to this deadly evil. This time, even the combined power of the Cadre may not be enough . . .

This war could end them all.

The Guild Hunter Series:
Angels' Dance (ebook novella that is also included in Angels' Flight)
Angels' Judgment (novella included in Angels' Flight and the Must Love Hellhounds anthology)
Angels' Pawn (ebook novella that is also included in Angels' Flight)
Angel's Blood
Archangel's Kiss
Archangel's Consort
Angel's Wolf (novella included in Angels' Flight and the Angel's of Darkness anthology)
Archangel's Blade
Archangel's Storm
Archangel's Legion
Archangel's Shadows
Archangel's Enigma
Archangel's Heart
Archangel's Viper
Archangel's Prophecy
Archangel's War

Visit Nalini Singh's website for more information

Review:
I honestly don't know how to review this book without giving spoilers so I'm deliberately going to keep this quite vague. What I will say is that Archangel's War was everything I could possibly have wanted after that killer cliffhanger ending to Archangel's Prophecy! Elena and Raphael are both changing in ways they never could have imagined but they are still the power couple we know and love who are more than capable of kicking butt and taking names.

You can probably guess from the title that war is coming and all I'm going to say about that is when it arrives it is EPIC. Her creepiness from China has levelled up in all kinds of horrific ways and it's going to take the entire Cadre, along with a few new and surprising allies who have awoken from sleep, to put a stop to her madness.

Archangel's War is fast paced, full of action and an edge of the seat sense of foreboding. There were fantastically sweet moments between some of my favourite side characters but I also shed a few tears too. This is the book we've all been waiting for since the beginning of the series, we've been building up to this moment for such a long time and I just can't wait to see where Nalini Singh takes us next. I love this world as well as all of the characters and I'm so glad we don't have to say goodbye to it anytime soon!

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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US Cover

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Review: Avenged by an Angel - Felicity Heaton

Duty should mean everything to the Fourth Commander of the Echelon angels. It did before he met her. Now, the only demon he wants to slay is the one that haunts the enchanting mortal huntress, and the temptation to hunt him in Hell, a realm that might kill him, is becoming impossible to resist.

Held captive by a dragon shifter in Hell, Emelia survived a torment that changed her in ways she hates. She wants her strength back. Her life back. To do that, she needs closure. To get that, she might have to trust not only a man again, but an immortal.

But when the price of vengeance is the soul of the angel bringing her back to life, will Emelia be willing to pay it?

Eternal Mates Series:
(This series is set in the same world as the Vampire Erotic Theatre series but can be read completely separately)
Kissed by a Dark Prince
Claimed by a Demon King
Tempted by a Rogue Prince
Hunted by a Jaguar
Craved by an Alpha
Bitten by a Hellcat
Taken by a Dragon
Marked by an Assassin
Possessed by a Dark Warrior
Awakened by a Demoness
Haunted by the King of Death
Tuned by a Tiger
Tamed by a Tiger
Treasured by a Tiger
Unchained by a Forbidden Love
Avenged by an Angel
Seduced by a Demon King

Vampire Erotic Theatre Series:
Covet
Crave
Seduce
Enslave
Bewitch
Unleash

Cougar Creek Mates Series:
(Set in the same world as Vampire Erotic Theatre & Eternal Mates series but can be read completely separately)
Claimed by her Cougar
Captured by her Cougar
Courted by her Cougar
Craved by her Cougar

Black Ridge Bears Series:

(Set in the same world as Vampire Erotic Theatre, Eternal Mates & Cougar Creek Mates series but can be read completely separately)

Stolen by Her Bear

Visit Felicity Heaton's website for more information

Review:
Fans of the Eternal Mates series will already be familiar with Emelia, she was captured in battle in one of the first books and rescued from the dragon who has been tortured ever since in Taken by a Dragon. As a member of Archangel she's cropped up in other stories since then including Talon's story Turned by a Tiger. Now it's her time to find her own happily ever after in Avenged by an Angel. Emelia is matched with the Fourth Commander of the Echelon and their paths cross when he is sent to bring Sable to heaven to fight alongside the rest of the Echelon. Since she's mated to a demon king heaven is the last place Sable intends to go and Emelia helps her stay out of the Fourth Commander's reach.

I've been a fan of this series since the first book published back in 2013 and I always enjoy the romances that Felicity Heaton writes so it pains me to say that I struggled a bit with this one. I found the first half of the book was very slow going and it took me far longer to read than it should have because it just wasn't holding my interest. I liked the slow burn on the romance side but I think where this series is starting to fall down is on the overall story arc.

I like my paranormal romances best when there is some kind of ongoing plot in the outside world that is constantly changing from book to book and while the Eternal Mates series does kind of have something going on in the background it is taking far too long to actually go anywhere. The main issue is probably that we're 16 books in and yet we've been seeing the same period of time again and again and again. This starts not long after Emelia was rescued (which actually happened in book 7) and it covers several events we've already seen before in books since then like Talon going back into Archangel to rescue other captives (which happened in book 12!). Too much recapping and not enough forward motion made this story feel repetitive and a little boring.

I don't want to come across as too negative though because I have a lot of love for this world and for previous books in the series. Avenged by an Angel was enjoyable even though it didn't reach the heights I expect from this author, I liked both Emelia and the Fourth Commander's characters and the slow burn romance was a nice change since there are so many insta-love stories out there these days. The second half of the book was definitely far more action packed and the way it ended did give me hope that the overall story arc is going to start moving forwards soon so I'm hoping the next story won't have the same issues that I experienced with this one. It's still a series I'm happy to recommend and I'm looking forward to seeing where things are going from there but I definitely need things to keep moving so that the series doesn't start to stagnate.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neill Gaiman

'Armageddon only happens once, you know. They don't let you go around again until you get it right'

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, Judgement Day is almost upon us and the world's going to end in a week . . .

Now people have been predicting the end of the world almost from its very beginning, so it's only natural to be sceptical when a new date is set for Judgement Day. But what if, for once, the predictions are right, and the apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea?

You could spend the time left drowning your sorrows, giving away all your possessions in preparation for the rapture, or laughing it off as (hopefully) just another hoax. Or you could just try to do something about it.

It's a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon now finds themselves in. They've been living amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse.

And then there's the small matter that someone appears to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

Visit Terry Pratchett's website or Neil Gaiman's website for more information.

Review:
With less than a week to go before armageddon hits, this is the story of an unlikely pairing between the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley, who have both decided that they quite like living on Earth and that perhaps, there might be a way to prevent it from being totally destroyed. They've spent the last eleven years guiding the antichrist so he won't be evil enough to bring about the apocalypse but unfortunately with only days to go until the big day they realise they've been monitoring the wrong child. But where is the real antichrist and just what kind of trouble is he about to bring down upon us all?

I've been a huge fan of Terry Pratchett's since I was a teenager but this was my first introduction to Neil Gaiman and I think their writing styles meshed perfectly together to create this story. I've actually lost count of the number of times I've read Good Omens over the years and each time I appreciate the clever humour and insights into human behaviour even more. Unless you've been living under a rock you must be aware of the recent TV adaptation of the story with the screenplay written by Neil Gaiman fulfilling a wish that Terry Pratchett had made before he died. With the all star cast and fabulous trailer I've been dying to watch the show but I wanted to reread the book first so I could fully appreciate the adaptation.

It's hard to review a book that you've read multiple times, and to be honest there are already so many reviews floating around for Good Omens that I hardly need to bother adding my own, but there are always going to be people out there that haven't discovered the story yet and I want to encourage them to give it a try. There is so much fun to be had reading this book, you have an angel who perhaps isn't quite as good as he could be, a demon who is actually a pretty nice guy but don't you dare tell anyone his secret, a witch whose ability to see the future set a whole lot of trouble in motion for future generations of her family, witchfinders, satanic nuns, a gang of unruly eleven year olds and let's not forget the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

It has all the humour you'd expect from these authors as well as their clever observations about the world around us. There are a lot of reasons it holds up so well on multiple rereads and a few of my favourite quotes will probably do more than anything I can say to convince you:

It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.

________

Anyway, if you stop tellin' people it's all sorted out afer they're dead, they might try sorting it all out while they're alive.

________

People couldn't become truly holy, he said, unless they also had the opportunity to be definitively wicked.

I'm so excited to start watching the TV series now, everything I've seen and heard about the show makes me think I'm going to love it!

Aziraphale & Crowley as played by Michael Sheen and David Tennant

Source: Purchased

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Review: Cipher - Larissa Ione

It’s been seven months since Cipher, an Unfallen angel who straddled a razor thin line between good and evil, woke up in hell with a new set of wings, a wicked pair of fangs, and a handler who’s as beautiful as she is dangerous. As a laid-back cyber-specialist who once assisted guardian angels, he’d been in a prime position to earn back his halo. But now, as a True Fallen forced to use his talents for malevolence, he must fight not only his captors and his sexy handler, but the growing corruption inside him…before the friends searching for him become his enemies and he becomes his own worst nightmare.

Lyre is a fallen angel with a heart full of hate. When she’s assigned to ensure that Cipher carries out their boss’s orders, she sees an opportunity to take revenge on those who wronged her. All she has to do is appeal to Cipher’s burgeoning dark side. But the devastatingly handsome fellow True Fallen has other ideas — sexy ideas that threaten to derail all Lyre’s plans and put them in the path of an approaching hell storm.

Danger and desire explode, even as Cipher and Lyre unravel a sinister plot that will fracture the underworld and send shockwaves into Heaven itself…

The Demonica Series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Eternity Embraced (Novella)
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 1)
Vampire Fight Club (Novella in the Supernatural anthology or as a separate ebook)
Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 2)
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 3)
Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 4)
Reaver
Azagoth (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 1)
Revenant
Hades (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 2)
Base Instincts (Novella)
Z (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 3)
Razr (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 4)
Hawkyn (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 5) (March 2018)
Her Guardian Angel (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 6, also part of the Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection)
Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe (Short Story Collection & Recipe Book, Demonica Underworld book 7)
Cipher (Demonica Underworld book 8)
Reaper (Demonica Underworld book 9)

For more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Review:
As someone who has loved the Demonica series for years I'm always extremely excited when a new book is released and we get the chance to dive back into this world. We already know Cipher, he was Hawkyn's best friend who was captured in one of the previous Demonica Underworld books and dragged into Sheoul by Faile. Now one of the True Fallen Cipher is just trying to hold onto his sense of self as long as possible before evil takes over and he willingly gives up his friends to the demons who are holding him prisoner.

Lyre is one of Cipher's handlers and she's been tasked with getting information from him for her boss Bael. She chose to become a true fallen angel in order to get revenge on the angels who cost her both her wings and her place in heaven but even though that's been her main purpose for so long she has never quite become immune to the evil that she's now surrounded by. When she realises exactly what information Bael is looking for and what he plans to do with it suddenly her revenge doesn't seem quite as important as it did before and Lyre starts to realise that the cost may be too high.

I don't want to say much more about what happens in this novella but it's just as action packed and full of romance as you'd expect from a book in this series. Although the 1001 Dark Nights novellas are designed to work as standalone introductions to the authors I actually think this story will work far better for readers who are familiar with the Demonica Underworld books. There is a lot here that you wouldn't appreciate as much without familiarity with characters like Hawkyn, Azagoth and Lilliana and this also leads on to the next full length book in the series, Reaper, which will publish later this year. I'm such a huge fan of this world though so I'd highly recommend the entire Demonica series to anyone who loves paranormal romance.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Dining with Angels - Larissa Ione & Suzanne M Johnson

In a world where humans and supernatural beings coexist — not always peacefully — three things can bring everyone to the table: Love, a mutual enemy, and, of course, food.

With seven brand new stories from the Demonica universe, New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione has the love and enemies covered, while celebrity Southern food expert Suzanne M. Johnson brings delicious food to the party.

And who doesn’t love a party? (Harvester rolls her eyes and raises her hand, but we know she’s lying.)

Join Ares and Cara as they celebrate a new addition to their family. See what Reaver and Harvester are doing to “spice” things up. Find out what trouble Reseph might have gotten himself into with Jillian. You’ll love reading about the further adventures of Wraith and Serena, Declan and Suzanne, and Shade and Runa, and you’re not going to want to miss the sit down with Eidolon and Tayla.

So pour a glass of the Grim Reaper’s finest wine and settle in for slices of life from your favorite characters and the recipes that bring them together. Whether you’re dining with angels, drinking with demons, or hanging with humans, you’ll find the perfect heavenly bits and sinful bites to suit the occasion.

Happy reading and happy eating!

The Demonica Series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Eternity Embraced (Novella)
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 1)
Vampire Fight Club (Novella in the Supernatural anthology or as a separate ebook)
Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 2)
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 3)
Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 4)
Reaver
Azagoth (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 1)
Revenant
Hades (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 2)
Base Instincts (Novella)
Z (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 3)
Razr (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 4)
Hawkyn (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 5) (March 2018)
Her Guardian Angel (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 6, also part of the Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection)
Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe (Short Story Collection & Recipe Book, Demonica Underworld book 7)
Cipher (Demonica Underworld book 8)
Reaper (Demonica Underworld book 9)

For more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Review:
Dining with Angels is a collection containing seven short stories, or slice of life snippets from characters who have previously starred in Larissa Ione's Demonica or Lords of Deliverance series. It also contains a whole collection of recipes from Suzanne M Johnson that fit the theme of the stories.

As a huge fan of the Demonica world I had so much fun catching up with previous characters and seeing how their families have grown and changed over the years. To be honest I don't think this really works as an introduction to the Demonica world because the whole fun of reading this series is getting to see the couples meet and fall in love so you really don't want to start off at the HEA and miss all the fun stuff that got them there. In a way I was kind of disappointed that the stories have been toned down (fade to black sex and all the swearing has been censored out) because people who love this world aren't going to be put off by any of those things and I don't think people new to the series are very likely to start here. That wasn't a major issue though, just more down to personal preference.

The book features stories about Declan and Suzanne (from Her Guardian Angel) with a selection of breakfast food recipes perfect for the morning after; Wraith and Serena (from Passion Unleashed) with recipes for a romantic night in; Harvester and Reaver (from Reaver) whose recipes are all extra spicy; Shade and Runa (from Desire Unchained) with family friendly recipes; Reseph and Jillian (from Rogue Rider) with comfort food recipes; Ares and Cara (from Eternal Rider) with celebration food and snacks; and last but not least an interview with Eidolon and Tayla (from Pleasure Unbound) with some demon adapted recipes and treats for your very own family hellbeast. You'll get to see plenty of other characters along the way though so don't worry if that list doesn't include your personal favourites because the chances are they'll make an appearance in here too.

I loved the way the stories are all linked together and building towards a certain baby shower at the end, they also continued the relationship developments between Azagoth and Lilliana that started in the recent Demonica Underworld series which was fun. I definitely can't wait to get my hands on the next book, Cipher, to see how things turn out for the couple! It was also nice that all of the recipes fitted in with the stories that were told and often linked back to things mentioned in previous books throughout the series.

I have to confess I wasn't really that interested in the recipes but I did skim through them and there were plenty of different flavours to choose from so I'm pretty sure there's something for everyone in here. The recipes seem easy to follow and fairly simple so I think even I could probably get some decent meals out of them. I may not like cooking much but I love baking so I was excited about the cake recipes and disappointed that a lot of them tell you to just use a basic cake mix and then add a few additional ingredients. I guess that does make them simple and fast options so will probably be perfect for some but for me it takes all the fun out of baking something and made me far less interested in trying any of the cake options. The recipes are very much American based too so if you're an international fan like me you'll probably have to adapt them a bit to avoid ingredients that may be harder to find outside the states.

Overall I think this is definitely worth buying just for the short stories if you're a fan of this series but I wouldn't recommend reading it until after Her Guardian Angel or you'll potentially end up spoiling yourself for previous books. I think it's highly unlikely I'll be making any of the recipes myself but I'm definitely not in the target audience for a cookbook so you can take my opinion on that with a grain of salt! I expect there are plenty of people out there who will love getting to try out all of the meal options and there are a LOT to choose from.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Archangel's Prophecy - Nalini Singh

UK Cover

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, is thrust center stage into an eons-old prophecy....

Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind…and now they’re failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before it’s too late and Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering in New York and across the world.

In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.

This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.

The Guild Hunter Series:
Angels' Dance (ebook novella that is also included in Angels' Flight)
Angels' Judgment (novella included in Angels' Flight and the Must Love Hellhounds anthology)
Angels' Pawn (ebook novella that is also included in Angels' Flight)
Angel's Blood
Archangel's Kiss
Archangel's Consort
Angel's Wolf (novella included in Angels' Flight and the Angel's of Darkness anthology)
Archangel's Blade
Archangel's Storm
Archangel's Legion
Archangel's Shadows
Archangel's Enigma
Archangel's Heart
Archangel's Viper
Archangel's Prophecy
Archangel's War

Visit Nalini Singh's website for more information

Review:
I have been a fan of Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series for a long time now and I always look forward to every new release, especially when I know it's going to be a book about Elena and Raphael (although I'm desperate for Illium or Aodan to take the spotlight too!). The blurb for Archangel's Prophecy had me slightly nervous though, that mention of Elena's angelic powers regressing and her starting to loose the immortality she has been gaining was pretty worrying and there was definitely an underlying sense of fear throughout this story.

The weirdness caused by the Cascade is increasing, with more natural disasters occurring around the world, many angels attaining new powers and poor Elena who seems to be losing everything she gained when she became the first angel made. It's a worrying time for everyone and nobody is sure what is happening to Elena or why and she's the first of her kind so it's not like there is anyone to ask for advice either. I love seeing how far Elena and Raphael have come since the first book, they are such a strong couple now and it is clear that Raphael would risk everything to keep Elena safe but no matter how powerful he is as an archangel what's happening now seems to be completely beyond his control so it's really interesting to see him trying to deal with that.

Elena may be worried about her own failing health but when her brother-in-law is attacked she puts her own fears aside to protect her sister's family. If she is running out of time then the one thing she is going to do is make sure the people she loves are safe before she dies. I always enjoyed seeing Elena work with her allies to solve a case and that was no different here, especially given the ever increasing danger caused by the Cascade and a mysterious new watcher who appears to be stalking Elena's every move. We see plenty of all of our favourite characters and I found the scenes between Elena and her father particularly interesting, he's been such an awful father to her but then we get these tiny moments when he hints that he actually cares. It's hard to know what to make of him really.

The last few chapters of this book were devastating in a lot of different ways, there are some huge changes coming and things take a really shocking turn so I was left desperate for the next instalment. I can understand why some people aren't happy with that ending because we are left with a LOT of unanswered questions but at the same time I think we were given enough to ease some of our fears and no matter how much I want the next book I still loved every minute of this one. This series remains one of my all time favourites and I can't wait to see where Nalini is going to take us next because it's guaranteed to be one heck of a ride!

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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US Cover

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Review: Darkest Heart - Juliette Cross

Wrong side of heaven...right side of redemption.

Anya—a stoic, blue-winged angelic warrior— was bitten by a demon prince in battle, and now she has precious little time to find a cure for his deadly venom. But the only archangel with the power to stop the dark poison from corrupting her body and soul is missing. She’ll have to trust her guide, the outcast high demon Dommiel, who is as handsome as he is dangerous if she has any hope.

An outcast of his own kind, high demon Dommiel stays under cover while the war between angels and demons rages on. But when the only person who ever showed him kindness asks for his help, he has no choice but to try to save the angel. Venturing back into the dens he has avoided for so long, Anya makes him want and feel things he never thought possible.

But Dommiel knows there is no way an angel can ever love a demon…

Dominion Series:
The Deepest Well
Darkest Heart

Visit Juliette Cross' website for more information

Review:
Anya is an angel on a mission to save the missing archangel Uriel and if that means she has to pair up with the demon Dommiel, a very unlikely ally, then she's willing to take that risk. The journey to find Uriel is fraught with danger but Anya is on a deadline and she knows that failing to find him quickly will have devastating consequences.

I didn't realise when I requested Darkest Heart that this is a spin off from Juliette Cross' Vessel Trilogy and to be honest there were times, particularly at the beginning of the story, that I was a little lost in this world. I think if I'd already read the previous trilogy I would have found this story much easier to get into but as it stands I still have a lot of questions about how angels and demons ended up using earth as a battleground. I got a bit lost when it came to the different groups of fighters and who was fighting for which side. This did get easier in the second half but it made the first half of the book lag a bit while I tried to figure things out so I definitely think people who are familiar with the earlier books will appreciate this one more. Having said that I did enjoy the story enough that I want to go back and read the earlier series and I'm definitely hoping that we're going to get a book about Uriel soon!

Anya and Dommiel are total opposites which isn't surprising when you consider one is an angel and the other is a demon. Anya was a little too innocent for my tastes but she was a very skilled warrior in her own rights and I liked that she was willing to accept her own feelings quite quickly, we didn't have a pages of her doubting herself and Dommiel and instead she was focused on making things work. Dommiel is a reluctant ally at first, once an angel he was stripped of his wings when he fell and became a demon and he now seems to play both sides off against each other. I wish we'd been given more information about his background and what happened to make him fall, he seemed to believe he was betrayed by his brother but I'm still a little hazy on why that is or how it all happened. He may be a demon but Dommiel has his own moral code and there are lines he isn't willing to cross, make no mistake he admits he's done terrible things, but he's not an all out evil character and I think we probably would have seen some of his struggle in previous books.

This is paranormal romance so the attraction between Anya and Dommiel is pretty instant but as far as relationship building goes they did take a little time to act on it. I enjoyed spending time with them both the banter between them was fun and there was a nice amount of flirting as things started to heat up. I'm definitely interested to see where this series goes, especially if we're going to get a book about Uriel, but I think I'll try to read the Vessel Trilogy and the connected novel, The Deepest Well, before I continue reading. Hopefully that will give me a better understanding of the world and help me avoid the sense of confusion I felt reading this one.

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Her Guardian Angel - Larissa Ione

After a difficult childhood and a turbulent stint in the military, Declan Burke finally got his act together. Now he’s a battle-hardened professional bodyguard who takes his job at McKay-Taggart seriously and his playtime – and his playmates – just as seriously. One thing he never does, however, is mix business with pleasure. But when the mysterious, gorgeous Suzanne D’Angelo needs his protection from a stalker, his desire for her burns out of control, tempting him to break all the rules…even as he’s drawn into a dark, dangerous world he didn’t know existed.

Suzanne is an earthbound angel on her critical first mission: protecting Declan from an emerging supernatural threat at all costs. To keep him close, she hires him as her bodyguard. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that she’s in over her head, defenseless against this devastatingly sexy human who makes her crave his forbidden touch.

Together they’ll have to draw on every ounce of their collective training to resist each other as the enemy closes in, but soon it becomes apparent that nothing could have prepared them for the menace to their lives…or their hearts.

The Demonica Series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Eternity Embraced (Novella)
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 1)
Vampire Fight Club (Novella in the Supernatural anthology or as a separate ebook)
Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 2)
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 3)
Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 4)
Reaver
Azagoth (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 1)
Revenant
Hades (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 2)
Base Instincts (Novella)
Z (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 3)
Razr (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 4)
Hawkyn (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 5) (March 2018)
Her Guardian Angel (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 6, also part of the Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection)
Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe (Short Story Collection & Recipe Book, Demonica Underworld book 7)
Cipher (Demonica Underworld book 8)
Reaper (Demonica Underworld book 9)

Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection:
Close Cover - Lexi Blake
Justify Me - J. Kenner
Say You Won't Let Go - Corinne Michaels
His to Protect - Carly Phillips
Rescuing Sadie - Susan Stoker
Her Guardian Angel - Larissa Ione

For more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Review:
Her Guardian Angel is a crossover that mixes Larissa Ione's Demonica Underworld with Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries world, it's actually part of a collection of crossover novellas in the Masters and Mercenaries world that is designed to introduce readers to a range of new authors and worlds. I have to confess I've only recently discovered Lexi Blake's writing so I'm new to the Masters and Mercenaries series (it's DEFINITELY on my radar now and I plan to check it out asap!) but I love the Demonica world so I couldn't miss this story and I think it works well as an introduction to either series.

Declan is a professional bodyguard who works for McKay-Taggart, the company I believe is central to the Masters and Mercenaries series. He takes his work seriously and prefers more dangerous jobs so when he's tasked with babysitting a rich socialite he's not exactly thrilled with the idea. Suzanne isn't what she first appears though, she's actually one of the memitim, an earthbound angel who is tasked with protecting important humans until she can earn her place in heaven. Declan is being targeted by a demon and needs her protection so the easiest way for her to keep an eye on him is if she's around him all day long.

I'm not going to say much more about the plot but this was another fabulous paranormal romance from Larissa Ione. I think she did a brilliant job of introducing new readers to a few characters from each series, she definitely did enough to make me curious to check out the Masters and Mercenaries books and I enjoyed catching up with characters I already know from the Demonica Underworld. As a Demonica fan I'm excited by the direction this series is taking and I can't wait to read more about Suzanne's siblings. Suzanne and Declan were a great couple who went through a lot together in a short space of time and that baptism of fire created a strong bond between them. They had brilliant chemistry but also worked well together as partners and I'm sure we'll see more of them as the series continues.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Hawkyn - Larissa Ione

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Larissa Ione comes a new story in her Demonica Underworld series…

As a special class of earthbound guardian angel called Memitim, Hawkyn is charged with protecting those whose lives are woven into the fabric of the future. His success is legendary, so when he's given a serial killer to watch over, he sees no reason for that to change. But Hawkyn's own future is jeopardized after he breaks the rules and rescues a beautiful woman from the killer's clutches, setting off an explosive, demonic game of cat and mouse that pits brother against brother and that won't end until someone dies.

Aurora Mercer is the half-wytch lone survivor of a psychopath who gets off on the sadistic torture of his victims. A psychopath whose obsessive psyche won't let him move on until he kills her. Now she's marked for death, her fate tied to that of a murderer…and to a sexy angel who makes her blood burn with desire…

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it's an introduction to an author's world. And for fans, it's a bonus book in the author's series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

The Demonica Series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Eternity Embraced (Novella)
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 1)
Vampire Fight Club (Novella in the Supernatural anthology or as a separate ebook)
Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 2)
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 3)
Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 4)
Reaver
Azagoth (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 1)
Revenant
Hades (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 2)
Base Instincts (Novella)
Z (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 3)
Razr (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 4)
Hawkyn (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 5) (March 2018)
Her Guardian Angel (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 6, also part of the Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection)
Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe (Short Story Collection & Recipe Book, Demonica Underworld book 7)
Cipher (Demonica Underworld book 8)
Reaper (Demonica Underworld book 9)

For more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Review:
Hawkyn is a memitim, a special kind of guardian angel who was raised by humans and whose sole purpose in life is to help protect primori, humans who have an important role to play in heaven's plans for humanity. His main goal in life is to do enough to earn his place in heaven so that he can have a role in improving the lives of his fellow memitim siblings and if that means protecting a serial killer until he can complete his destiny then no matter how distasteful he finds his duty he will do it to the best of his ability. That is until the day his charge targets Aurora and Hawkyn finds himself compelled to step in and save her. Now Aurora has a target on her back and Hawkyn is torn between duty and desire and forced to make an impossible choice.

I've been a huge fan of Larissa Ione's Demonica series for years now and although you don't have to read the entire series to enjoy the Demonica Underworld books I'd highly recommend them all. No-one creates demons quite like Larissa does and I love the way she blurs the lines so her demons aren't always quite as bad as you'd think they should be and the good guys aren't perfect either. She has a knack for building a great connection, both emotionally and physically, between her characters in a short space of time too so even with her novellas I never find her relationships are rushed or unbelievable.

Hawkyn and Aurora are a great match, he is driven by duty and wants to make life better for his memitim siblings but at the same time he is fighting an overwhelming need to keep Aurora safe. Aurora is a wytch - kind of like a cross between a witch and a succubus - and quite a powerful one at that. She's spent her life trying to be independent from her family and forge her own path but she never expected to attract the attention of a serial killer. She's a fighter though and no matter what life throws at her she does her best to roll with the punches and protect herself. Aurora and Hawkyn fit together really well and I enjoyed getting to know them both. We also get to spend some time in Azagoth's realm and see just how certain changes have been affecting Azagoth and Liliana since their book which I found really interesting. This series is one I'll never tire of, I love diving back into a familiar world, meeting exciting new character but also catching glimpses of old favourites and I'm already looking forward to Her Guardian Angel which luckily releases next month!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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