Review: Blurred Nights by Kallysten

Title: Blurred Nights
Series: The Demons Age, #5
Author: Kallysten
Published: First published, 2008.
Format: Ebook provided for review

In a future world shattered by the invasion of beast-like demons, humans are fighting back as well as they can, using ancient weapons along with magic to defend their cities. Next to them, vampires are fighting too – some for the thrill of it, others to hold on to age-old Pacts, which demand that they protect humans.

When Kate’s squad of fighters meets vampires Marc and Blake, she is torn. Her squad could use their help, but the two men are distracting her from her duty. Night after night, they search together for the breach between realities that allows the demons’ invasion. They search, also, for the equilibrium that will allow Blake to forgive his Sire, Marc to accept Blake as he is – and Kate to admit she is attracted to both of them.

Can they find that delicate balance before the demons destroy the squad?

I think before I began Blurred Nights I was expecting a high heat ménage type of vampire story, perhaps similar to the On The Edge series, also by Kallysten.  If I had to classify this book, I would say straight up Urban Fantasy with just a hint of romance.  To be honest, it took me quite a few chapters to not look for sex around every corner, behind every fleeting glance.  And that is totally on me and my dirty brain.   This book is also number five in The Demons Age series, which I have read none of them previously.  I did not feel as if I were lost, but I do wish that maybe I had read other so that I could learn more about the demons themselves.



In Blurred Nights we have Marc and Blake, Sire and Childe.  Friends and lovers.  I liked both of these men quite a bit and found their personalities complimented each other well.  Where Marc is by the book and strict, Blake blazes his own path and makes the rules as he goes.  Apparently there are issues in their past, and I don’t know if that is covered in another book or not.  But this has definitely caused some trust and abandonment issues between them.   While they are out hunting demons, they happen upon a group of people, and they end up going back to their compound with them.

In this group is Daniel, the leader, Simon, the mage, and Kate, a soldier of sorts.  There are others, but their parts are generally smaller.  The main issue of focus here is Kate, and she sort of finds herself in a bit of a triangle with the vampires, Marc and Blake.  I liked Kate enough.  She is a strong woman, stubborn in her ways, and when she loves, she does it all the way.  What I would ultimately like is for Marc, Blake, and Kate to be thrown in a room with no doors to figure their hearts and wants out without escape.

Like I said, I would consider this book Urban Fantasy.  There were some romantic kissy moments, and there was even some sex (of the Marc & Blake variety). It was mostly about the war with the demons.  Now the demons… that is where I think I could have benefited from reading previous books.  Were they mindless killing machines, or were they intelligent killing soldiers from another dimension?  Did they think for themselves, or were they driven by a singular command?  I’m still not entirely sure.  One thing I do know is that they are pretty badass and just bad. I definitely wouldn’t want to meet them in a dark alley.

So did I like this book?  Yep.  I sure did.  After I got out of the mindset that it wasn’t all about the nookie.  That took me a moment. Would I recommend this book?  Absolutely.  Kallysten always has this free flowing familiar style to her writing.  It’s always easy to follow and very descriptive.  She creates these whole worlds around these characters, and you feel like you are right there in the deserted and foggy streets with them.  Add that on top of compelling characters and the drama she injects into every story, and you’ve got yourself a hell of a book.

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Previous Kallysten Posts:
Demons & Lullabies Excerpt
The Edge for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Review - Bodyguards

Review - Ward Of The Vampire 

Review - On The Edge

Review - My Reluctant Warden

Review - Awkward Holidays

Review: Blurred Nights by Kallysten

Title: Blurred Nights
Series: The Demons Age, #5
Author: Kallysten
Published: First published, 2008.
Format: Ebook provided for review

In a future world shattered by the invasion of beast-like demons, humans are fighting back as well as they can, using ancient weapons along with magic to defend their cities. Next to them, vampires are fighting too – some for the thrill of it, others to hold on to age-old Pacts, which demand that they protect humans.

When Kate’s squad of fighters meets vampires Marc and Blake, she is torn. Her squad could use their help, but the two men are distracting her from her duty. Night after night, they search together for the breach between realities that allows the demons’ invasion. They search, also, for the equilibrium that will allow Blake to forgive his Sire, Marc to accept Blake as he is – and Kate to admit she is attracted to both of them.

Can they find that delicate balance before the demons destroy the squad?

I think before I began Blurred Nights I was expecting a high heat ménage type of vampire story, perhaps similar to the On The Edge series, also by Kallysten.  If I had to classify this book, I would say straight up Urban Fantasy with just a hint of romance.  To be honest, it took me quite a few chapters to not look for sex around every corner, behind every fleeting glance.  And that is totally on me and my dirty brain.   This book is also number five in The Demons Age series, which I have read none of them previously.  I did not feel as if I were lost, but I do wish that maybe I had read other so that I could learn more about the demons themselves.

Whirl (Ondine Quartet #1) - Emma Raveling

Title: Whirl - Ondine Quartet Book 1
Author: Emma Raveling


Published: September 2011


Format: Ebook provided by author for purpose of review


Available for purchase at: Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple iBookstore




Links:
Whirl


From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Kendra Irisavie is an ondine, a water elemental caught in the middle of an ancient war with the Aquidae, immortal dark demons who will stop at nothing to destroy the fragile balance of the Elemental world.

Fierce and independent, Kendra has always played by her own rules. Gifted with the powerful magic of Virtue and trained to be a deadly fighter, she has spent her life breaking hearts and getting into trouble.

When her life explodes one violent night in a northern California city, a dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past. Alone and with no one to trust, she must now navigate through a dangerous new world, face the temptations of a forbidden romance, and remain true to her duty and destiny.

All while the Aquidae continue to hunt her down, in the hopes of eliminating her forever…

An edgy urban fantasy/paranormal romance, Whirl is recommended for older teens and mature readers due to strong language and mild sexual situations

In the beginning of this book I was a little put off by all of the customized terms that seemed to have little to no definition.  As the story went on, more definition was provided, and it became easier to follow.  As it turns out there was a glossary of terms at the end of the book.  In an ebook it is not as easy to flip pages, I would have really liked to see this at the beginning.

This book is about an ondine (a water elemental) named Kendra, who has been living a rogue life with her mother, outside of the community of other water elementals.  Her mother has taught her to be strong, independent, and to take care of herself.  Suddenly her mother is gone, and Kendra is alone.  A gardinel named Tristan shows up to bring her back to Haverleau – an elemental community.  There she will attend school and develop her magic.  But this ruffles Kendra’s feathers, as she has always led a very different lifestyle.  The elementals are in a war with the Aquidae, the soulless demons who hunt her and others like her.

While I really enjoyed the story, and meeting all of the characters, I feel the main character Kendra Irisavie, seemed a bit arrogant.  It seems to me that she really felt everyone in the elemental community was below her for one reason or another. She feels she is the smartest, the toughest, the strongest, most cunning… A couple characters even broached the subject with her.  She needed to be part of a community, a family in a broad sense of the word.  This is the ultimate goal in her story, she needed to learn that she was a part of something bigger than herself and that she didn’t need to do it alone – that she couldn’t do it alone.

There were a lot of people in this book to meet.  I enjoyed all of them, for different reasons.  Kendra’s friends, mentors, family, and rivals all gave a unique flavor to the story.  I do feel this is a book worth reading.  I don’t have any real complaints about it at all.  I would enjoy seeing more history on Tristan, he seems to have a rich past and there is something happening in his future that sounds interesting.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read.  I do recommend it to anyone interested in urban fantasies involving elementals.  

Here is the trailer for Whirl, which is terrific.  I love the imagery and music