Category Archives: 5 Flames

Sin Undone
A Demonica Novel #5
Author: Larissa Ione
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
 (August 24, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0446556811

Oh my goodness! This author sure knows how to keep a reader engaged in a story!  After finishing the last book in the series, I was anxious to find out how Sin was going to adjust to not only having more siblings, but she was going to have to deal with being the only girl as well.  On top of that, she is also the new leader of an assassination team.  Talk about having too many things on your plate at once.  Add in a very sexy dhampire, and a horrendous disease, stir until boiling over and you have Sin Fever that can be taken several ways!

When Sin unknowingly unleashes a disease that is threatening the werewolf community and it is wreaking havoc on the whole demon world.  Con, who is half werewolf / halfvampire, must try and figure out a way of stopping the virus while trying to keep Sin from being killed.

After Con has sex with Sin after a bet, they both try to put on the front that they despise each other.  They loathe working together but they both feel the sexual tension that is building between the two.  Con also has to fight the fact that he is getting addicted to Sin’s blood which could send him over the edge as well.

I so enjoyed this book.  I might have to say that it is possibly my second favorite of the series only because Wraith’s book is still my favorite.  He will always hold that number one spot I think.  This book though, I found myself  laughing, cheering, and crying right along with the characters.  There were so many emotions that I went through due to this story that just proves the wonderful skill that the author has with her writing.  This was the last book in the series, as far as I know, but I do understand that she has a spin off series that intertwines with the Demonica Series.  We are even introduced to a few characters that are going to be portrayed in the spin off in Sin Undone.  I personally can’t wait to dive into those stories as well. What a ride these books have been and one I don’t want to stop!

“Sort of. I can feel the arrangement of the virus or bacteria or whatever. And once I learn it, I can replicate that specific disease.” She shot Conall a smirk. “Khileshi cockfire is a favorite.”
Wraith laughed. Conall paled. Eidolon looked at her like she was responsible for every case of the excruciating, dick-shriveling venereal disease he’d ever treated. The guy was so freaking uptight he probably starched his freaking underwear.

“Yeah, I need sex or I die. So stop with the obnoxious chaperone shit, because I really don’t want you anywhere nearby while I’m doing it, and I don’t think you want that either.”
She gave them the sweetest smile.
“And know that the second you’re gone, I’m going to ride Con until he begs for mercy.”
Eidolon sighed. Shade swore. And Con muttered something that sounded strangely like “Mercy”. 

“Kiss me again without my permission, ” she whispered against his lips, “and I’ll geld you and sell your balls to a Ruthanian specialty meats shop. Understood?”
“You won’t do that,” he whispered back. “You’d miss them too much.”
Sin snorted and made the blade disappear into her pocket as she stepped back.
“Men are always overestimating the worth of their genitals.”
~Sin to Con

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

Passion Unleashed
A Demonica Novel #3
Author: Larissa Ione
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Forever
 (March 31, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0446401050

FORBIDDEN TEMPTATIONS 


Serena Kelley is an archaeologist and treasure hunter-and a woman with a secret. Since she was seven, she’s been the keeper of a powerful charm that grants her health and immortality . . . as long as she stays a virgin. But Serena isn’t all that innocent. And when a dangerously handsome stranger brings her to the brink of ecstasy, she wonders if she’s finally met the one man she cannot resist. 


FATAL DESIRES 


Wraith is a Seminus demon with a death wish. But when an old enemy poisons him, he must find Serena and persuade her to give him the only known antidote in the universe-her charm. Yet, as she begins to surrender to his seductions and Wraith senses the cure is within his grasp, he realizes a horrible truth: He’s falling for the woman whose life he must take in order to save his own.

I have been waiting for Wraith’s book since the beginning and I had a hard time not skipping to his book!  When a bad boy hero can get under your skin within the first few chapters of the first book in a series,  it is hard not to want to read about his story right away.  This was definitely worth the wait!

When Wraith becomes infected with a demon virus with no cure, he doesn’t have much time to seek out the only option he has left.  He must find a charm that will protect him from the disease.  One problem he doesn’t expect is finding it securely around the neck of an irresistible female who happens to be human as well.  Wraith has never craved human women for sexual pleasure or food.  Now that he has met Serena, he has fallen under her charm though.  He craves her and doesn’t want anyone else to come near her.  As his feelings grow for Serena, he must decide to if he really wants to take the charm — and doom her to death — or if he will sacrifice himself for the love of a human female.

Up until this book, Wraith has always been the bad boy vamp/demon that you grow to love.  He is irresponsible, deadly at fighting, and all around bad as they get.  He instantly captures your interest and demands your attention when he appears on the pages.  I loved Wraith in this book because not only did we get his usual personality, but we also got to see a tender and protective side of him as well.  He has to fight his natural instincts and decide who is of greater importance — Serena or himself.  This book again takes your heart on an emotional roller coaster not knowing what exactly is going to happen.  The author likes to tug at your heart strings until the very last possible moment.  Again another great book in the Demonica Series that is quickly becoming one of my favorite series ever!

“You’re been out a few hours. E and I have been taking turns staying with you. Tayla’s here. And Gem. Luc. Kynan. Reaver. Our other brother, but he’s in chains. He’s also a total dick. You’ll like him.”
—(Shade telling Wraith)

“No. It was because it was the first time I made love to anyone. You can call me a liar or anything else, but do not doubt me on this. And I swear to you that you were the first, and you will be the last.”
—Wraith

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

The Alchemy of Forever
Author: Avery Williams
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books
 (January 3, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1442443167

After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world’s riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human’s life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she’s done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again. 


Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she’s inhabiting–and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she’s his again, and every moment she stays, she’s putting herself and the people she’s grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that’s eluded her for centuries: true love?

Whew! Talk about a book that can force you to forget about daily chores!  Seriously, when I first received this book, I just thought it was going to be another young adult paranormal to add to my list of reads without any more thought.  However, once you start reading about Sera and Cyrus you forget everything else just to find out what is going to happen.

The first part of the book features Sera and Cyrus.  It goes into detail on how the two met and how they have come to be immortal.  Cyrus learned of a way to become Incarnate through the study of Alchemy.  Science is his passion and belief with no interest in anything spiritual.  What started out as love between the two, has now evolved into ownership and control.  Sera is desperate to escape the clutches of Cyrus and their fellow Incarnates and has even been hoping for a chance to come along.  When the body starts to die out after 10 years or so, they are forced to find another lonely soul to claim.  They take a life to save their own and Sera has grown tired of it.  She is feeling remorse and just wants to finally move on to the next step of Heaven or Hell.  When she gets her chance to escape she takes it.  While on the run from Cyrus and the group, she decides she is going to do one last redeeming thing in the hopes to at least show how sorry she has been for taking souls.  She tries to save a girl who is near death, but ends up taking her body and soul in mistake.  Now she is forced to live as Kailey and pray that Cyrus cannot find her.

I really enjoyed this story of Immortality.  It is based on something scientific but it also has some paranormal touches to it as well.  I did feel sorry for Sera in this book as she comes to terms of what she has done.  She is also trying to figure out how Kailey lived as well.  She finds herself enjoying the life Kailey had at home and finds out that she wasn’t always the best person to some people.  She tries to change Kailey into a person that everyone could like and in turn falls for her childhood friend.

If you are looking for a new read in this genre and topic, then this is a fresh new read that will keep you in suspense.  Be prepared for an ending that will frustrate you, but also leave you anxious for more.  I personally can’t wait for the next book in the Incarnation series by this author.  I still can’t believe the ending was left the way it is, but it definitely leaves you craving more!

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Pleasure Unbound
A Demonica Novel #1
Author: Larissa Ione
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Forever
 (June 20, 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0446401036

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . . 


She’s a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life. 


Two lovers will dare to risk all.


Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul . . .

Oh my gosh! What rock have I been under?  I have heard so many great reviews on this series but for some reason or another I kept putting it off.  Now I am smacking myself every single time I finish one of these books in the series and wondering why I haven’t read them sooner!

I am in love with these Demons!  Not only are they sexy, smart, gifted and fighters, but did I mention how hot they are?!  When Tayla is first brought into the Demon Hospital where Eidolon works and owns, there initial exchange was funny, sexy and sucked me into the story right off the bat.  The relationship between the two was hot and tension filled with them being on the opposite sides of good and evil — or so you think.  When you realize that they are both wanting the same thing, whether from different species or not, they both have a lot of issues to work through to figure out their future.

I also enjoyed the side stories from the secondary characters.  Kynan and Gem are going to be fun to read about and I can’t wait to see where that story is going to go.  I wasn’t a big fan of Shade yet, but hopefully he will grow on me since he is Eidolons brother.  Then there is Wraith. Insert a dreamy swoon for this bad boy!  His history is going to be just as exciting to read about as this one was!

I loved the Demon lore and the abundance of characters that the author included.  They all have a reason for being in the story and made it even richer with excitement and suspense.  The Demon world is set up and ready to go for me to continue on in this world and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen in future novels in the series. Who knew Demons could be so hot?!

“So,uh, where am I, exactly ? And what do you plan on doing with me ?”
“You’re at Underworld General Hospital. As you can probably guess, we specialize in nonhuman medical care. Our location is secret, so don’t ask.”
“UGH ? Your hospital is called ‘ugh’ ? Oh, that’s precious.”
–Tayla and Eidolon

“The pretty nurse had just injected her with something that totally rocked, and if she wanted to think about boinking a bronzed, tattooed, impossibly handsome doctor who was so far out of her league she need a telescope to see him, then screw it. Screw him. Over and over.”
–Tayla

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia
Publisher: HarperCollins
  (January 3, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0062072030

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction. 


As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions. 


They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love – one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

What first captured my attention with this book was the title.  I wanted to know what the Never Sky was.  What did the author mean by it?  Then as I started to read this book and grasp what the title meant, I fell in love with the world and characters that author Veronica Rossi created within the covers of Under The Never Sky.

When Aria is forced into the outside world called The Death Shop, she is certain she is going to die.  She is use to her perfect life in the Pod being a Dweller among her friends and family.  Within the Pod, Aria can explore life through the Realms which is basically like a Virtual World system.  She is a part of what the Realms are showing, but she never really realizes the difference that the real world has.  She has grown up basically sheltered and forced to believe that this is how life should be for the better.

When she realizes she has been betrayed by her Pod and forced into the outside world, she thinks with each breath she takes she is going to die a slow and agonizing death.  When she decides to journey back to the Pod and try and find her missing Mother, she encounters a Savage — or outsider — and realizes he was there when things went bad for her in the Pod.  At first she is scared of him and wary to be around him, but she can’t forget how he saved her life in the Pod and how he is helping her now.  Granted, Perry the Savage has ulterior motives for helping her back to the Pod, but you can see the gentle side of Perry as well.

Perry is trying to rescue his sick nephew from the Dwellers.  The Dwellers came and captured his nephew while he was out hunting with Perry.  Perry feels guilty for not being able to stop them and wants to find him not only to bring him back to his family and tribe, but because of the bond the two have formed.  He truly loves the boy and wants what is best for him unlike his real Father who happens to be the leader of their tribe.  Perry has always wanted to challenge his brother for the rank of Blood Lord.  With secrets that are revealed in the journey with Aria, Perry has to decide on some pretty serious things along the way.

I fell in love with Perry. While he was fierce, deadly, and loyal, he was also sweet, tender, and showed his determination with each small thing he did.  Unlike other books, the romance was slow building starting from dislike of each other, to friendship and eventually love.  This is one of those books that keeps you interested with so many different things that it is very hard to put down to get daily chores done in real life.  It has suspense, love, family and friendship along with action falling between all of those.  The ending to this book left me feeling sad because I didn’t want it to end.  It is left in a small sort of open ending, but it also leaves you excited for the next book!  A wonderful story of sacrifice and survival.

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*