urban fantasy – Page 8 – Past Midnight Book Reviews & More

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Title: The Tainted (Dominion of Ash, Book 1)

Author: Frost Kay

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages:292

Categories: Dystopian, Urban Fantasy, YA

I never should’ve taken the dare.

In a destroyed world plagued with pestilence, assassins, thieves, and the Tainted–mutated fae-like humans with a penchant for abduction–nothing is easy. It’s brutal, deadly, and most often, short.

My father has three rules to survive the apocalypse; keep your head down, work hard, and never leave the safety of Harbor. Following his rules isn’t as easy as it seems–especially when tricked into breaking them.

Blackmailed into attending at party outside of the walls didn’t seem so bad–until all hell broke loose and I was left in the clutches of a dragon lord. I thought I knew who my enemies were: starvation, infection, and the Tainted.

I was wrong. That’s why I never saw it coming.

The death. The lies. The complete betrayal.

No one said love wouldn’t destroy you.

The Dominion of Ash series takes on a dystopian, urban fantasy theme. Earth has been ravaged bay a virus that has mutated the DNA of humans. Hazel lives in a compound where no one has been “tainted” by the virus but outside of a world is a one where many Tainted consider their mutation a gift. So there is a VERY clear divide between the two human species. We follow Hazel who is thrown, literally, into the world of the tainted and it’s frightening. She fights for her survival as she Noah who is the leader of the tainted compound she is being held at.

I like the world building and the idea of virus mutating our DNA, I mean anything is possible! She comes across animals who are trained as well. There is a lot of action as Hazel is trying to survive the desert and trying to get back home. Hazel is a sheltered girl who gets a big wake up call when she is left to die.

A lone girl in a dangerous world shows how women are prey for predators and she comes across a few from both the Untouched she lives with and the Tainted as well. The books in this series are short, so it is a very quick read, and I found Hazel’s journey from sheltered girl to meeting a whole community of Tainted interesting because she has to self-analyze her prejudices and yet survive.

There are a bunch of triggers in this book: sexual assault and violence being the main ones.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Title: The Exiled (Dominion of Ash, Book #2)

Author: Frost Kay

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 217

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dystopia, YA/NA

She got caught. Again.

After a disastrous second escape attempt, Hazel finds herself blood indebted to her savior – Noah – but he’s no saint.

Desperate to repay her debt, she begrudgingly offers her skills as payment if she’s allowed to visit home one last time. Her wish is granted but at a steep cost. What is supposed to be a saving grace turns out to be a nightmare.

The monsters are right. Ignorance means death and blood ties are worthless.

Be careful what you wish for.

Okay so I read these two books in one night because like I said, they are SO short…this one being only 217 pages!

Hazel is with the Tainted and she is basically wanting to die than live with them. I’ll say one thing about her – she’s a fighter. Frustratingly so…to the point of harming herself. Hazel learns more about the tainted that have gone out of their way to keep her alive but her main goal is to escape and go back home to her family. She fights, she schemes, she get’s under Noah’s skin and finally – finally we get to see more of the attraction between them, because we know it’s gonna be good between them, right?

My favorite part of this series so far is watching Hazel have more women figures in her life, like Noah’s abuela (grandmother), she is awesome. Hazel hasn’t had a mother and was raised by men so this girl really needs a female figure in her life. When Hazel finally gets her wish and leaves the compound she finds out more hard lessons back out in the wilderness and about a new threat and new war about to start between the Untouched and Tainted. Who’s side will she be on? This one ended in a major cliffhanger and I can’t believe I have to wait to see what happens. 😫

More triggers in this one: assault, violence, self harm

Hi Everyone! So I read this one back to back and book three comes out in March, so these will be a mini review.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Blood Trial (Vampire Towers #1)

Author: Kelly St. Clare

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 475

Categories: Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Adult Fiction

The dice are rolled at midnight.

As the twenty-one-year-old heiress to the Le Spyre fortune, my life should consist of strawberry mojitos and golf carts. Right?

But I’m determined to forge my own path.

Desperate to escape the meaningless games of the rich, I flee my family’s estate.

Secret alias—check.
Place to sleep—uh, kind of?
Job—crap!

I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, but that’s the least of my worries.

My city is a giant board game. The players are supernatural— freakin’ vampires—including an overbearing crown prince whose unwanted attention could spell my demise.

Now, I must play their deadly game, or my grandmother and best friend will pay the ultimate price.

This is another Kindle Unlimited title by indie author Kelly St. Clare and I have to say I was in the mood for some vampire urban fantasy novel.

What I Liked:

It’s a different take on a vampire novel…there are two old, wealthy vampire families competing and playing a game, think Monopoly. Yes, they roll dice when it is their turn and buy property. Sound confusing? Oh I’m still a little confused, two books in, but I’m rolling with it because it’s different! The winner gets to live, the losing family…DIES. The city they are playing for IS real…and human and heiress Basilia, or Basil to some, and Bas to others…lives in. She gets caught in the middle of this crazy game.
The vampire prince, Kyros, is a hottie of course with major alpha male tendencies. And yes they are attracted to one another but Bas and Kyros go through blood exchange that has a consequences, three days of a thrall, which makes them lust for each other on a crazy level. It’s hot…but also…kinda weird because his vampire siblings has seen Bas naked…A LOT. 🤣 But she doesn’t care.
Bas is…young, so she can be naive due to how she was brought up – filthy rich. I mean she’s twenty one, she’s just been really sheltered. And thank goodness for her best friend Tommy. Love her! Tommy is real with Bas and Bas doesn’t have many people in her life. I love how close they are.
Super fast read and entertaining if you like urban fantasy stories. Hot, slow burn attraction between Kyron and Bas. And it’s a cliff-hanger ending but book two is published so that’s good!

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:

Kyros’ alpha male can be a but much at times – but he’s a vampire…so you kinda gotta let the guy be.
The dice game is a bit confusing, it supposed to be high stakes and I get that. But as long as I remember it is like Monopoly, then I just go with the flow.
What is up with Kyros’ family always seeing Bas naked during a thrall? LOL…vampires! 🤦🏻‍♀️
I didn’t get some of the lingo in the book, only because I thought it was British or Aussie slang, but I see the author is from New Zealand, so it’s probably slang from there? Which I am clueless about.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Vampire Debt (Vampire Towers, #2)

Author: Kelly St. Clare

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 412

Categories: Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Adult Fiction

Vampire royals strategise at 2 a.m.

Last week, I inherited every cent of the multi-billion-dollar Le Spyre estate.

But tequila is far easier to swallow than the coincidence of my beloved grandmother’s death.

I’m over this supernatural game, yet walking away from Kyros isn’t simple with the damn mate thing on the cards.

The Indebted need my help. My grandmother deserves justice. And, uhm, the third blood exchange did something to me.

It’s official. I’m done playing by paranormal rules. I’m making my own–and playing to win. Because if I enter Ingenium on my terms, there’s no turning back.

Winning is the only option.

What I Liked:

Bas and Kyros finally hook up – I mean, I’m all for the slow burn but their moments in thrall was putting them over the edge and when they finally have sex I was like, okay, glad THAT’S out of the way now. 😅
We learn more about Bas’ grandmother and we move into her former life as an heiress. We get insight into where Bas grew up and how she grew up.
Kyros’ siblings are interesting characters. It was funny to see how they try and do matchmaking between Kryos and Bas by irritating Kyros.
Bas shows she has more power now that she is back in charge of the Le Spyre wealth and out from under Kyros’ thumb. She has an ulterior motive but it’s nice to see her in charge for a change. I like that she is the championed of the Indebted (basically vampire slaves).

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:

Bas is in charge but she was also kind of whiny and irritating. I get that her relationship with Kyros is mostly because of the thrall and he’s done some shady things but it’s a lot of back and forth between them. I kind of want her to make up her mind already.
The story lagged for me in the middle – but maybe because I read the books back to back so I felt like I was reading 800 pages instead of just 400? LOL…maybe I just needed a break from Kyros and Bas’ crazy relationship.
I’m pretty sure Bas is going to fall in love with Kyros and turned into a vampire. I mean…it’s heading there right?! As for who wins this Monopoly game (which at times seems silly to me haha), we shall see in the next book.

Triggers:

Blood, violence, alpha male losing his temper.

So far, I liked the first book better than the second, yet I liked seeing Bas get some control back in the second book. It’s an entertaining take on vampires playing Monopoly (I know that sounds weird) but just go with it. We shall see what happens in the third book!