Marcella Burnard

Darsorin Incarri, an incubus, has been content with his routine as a demon - every night, he brings in his quota of sexual energy from five satisfied women. It's a job he likes - power, females at his feet, and immortality - what more could he want? But when he meets Fiona Renee, a woman who just doesn't fall in his arms no matter how high he turns the charm volume - and demonic power - on, Darsorin knows he can't go back to what he's been doing for so long. Now, the two must find a way to be together and have their happily ever after - since they've been denied that all their lives. If only Satan, Darsorin's boss, was so willing to part with one of his best incubi...

OK, yeah, this sort of reminded me of Katie de Long's Inkubus at some parts, yet it was also so different in many others.

First of all, the similarities: we have an incubus male lead, who stumbles upon a lone woman that doesn't want him for her sexual needs only and seems resistant to his advances and powers - also, she sees him as HIM. His own face and body, not just a projection of what she wishes to see. Then, we have the incubus's higher ups not eager to let said incubus leave their employment. And finally, the seduction of a female lead that doesn't require just sex - turning the heat on with full blown romance and understanding and humor!

However, Darsorin was a pretty happy incubus up until he met Fiona. He loved screwing many and different women, and he enjoyed all demonic aspects of his nature. Fiona wasn't someone he fell for - she was a challenge. And once he got past that, he seriously rocked my world as a character. Such emotional growth, and the vulnerability that came with it, the protectiveness, the depth of personality! I was enamored with the guy and how flawlessly he kept changing and becoming a better man through the pages!

Now, off to talk about Fiona. Oh, boy, allow me this one moment of existential pleasure: AN ASEXUAL FEMALE LEAD!!! THERE IS A GOD UP THERE AFTER ALL, AND HE SO CARES FOR US SEXUALITY MINORITIES!!!

I mean, OK, I'm not asexual, but there was a good part of my life I actually thought I was - until I finally found out the brilliant term of "demisexual" and I saw the light! I feel for Fiona so much - all the pressure from her family to act as a "normal sexually" woman, to find someone, to try harder to change herself. I truly admire how she stood up for herself and didn't budge one bit.

Which makes the romance in this book so much better than most things I've read this year. We're talking about a couple that couldn't be physically intimate the way most couples do. Darsorin still had urges, but he soon learned to channel them to something else, and focused on truly romancing Fiona, in all the right ways - if you ask me. Using his humor, and understanding, and being beside her when she needed him the most. Being honest and protective in his own way - the dick pic to that creeper honestly had me howling with laughter - and he was plain adorable in his efforts to make this work for both of them.

That doesn't mean, though, that Dar was the only one working hard for the blossoming relationship. Fiona was busting her ass off, too. She was desperately searching for a way to free the man who had unconsciouly become so important for her, even going as far as challenging the devil himself, face to face. And the brief moment that she almost backed down was when she feared for Darsorin's safety. She was selfless, interesting, with many hobbies and things to do - it felt so real reading about her life and habits, like reconnecting with a good old friend. Plus, even when she knew she couldn't get any pleasure from sex, she still tried, if only to give some relief to her beloved incubus.

We're talking about a relationship starting from scratch, developing into something real, touchable, and quite honestly, idealistic. A relationship that should have been the IDOL of all relationships, fictional and real, that every couple should go after. And Marcella Burnard managed to show that, along with tons of supernatural stuff, funny dialogues, suspense, historical bits, and dramatic twists, in the span of a book.

I don't know about you guys, but since there's no series connected with this one, I'm content to say I'll be reading more of Burnard's work in the future. If she can do justice to romantic literature like this, you bet I want to know what more she can offer in the romance genre!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***… (más)

I have to say – this one surprised me. What a great concept, and unique world building.

Isa has magic, and can create Living Ink, although chooses not to do it, because it’s dangerous. Live ink is exactly what it sounds like. Whatever is tattooed on your body, is alive, and shares living space with you.

What she does do is bind ink on those who have live ink when it goes rogue and attempts to leave the body. How creepy is that? Especially for someone who has tattoos?

Someone is summoning all of the live ink off their host’s bodies, and it’s killing them and the host in the process. Isa may be one of them after a psycho kidnaps her and tattoos live ink on her, unless she can stop them.

Isa is an interesting character with an interesting back story, that slowly starts to come out throughout the book. She’s tough, and likable, and you can’t wait to see her kick some ass after what’s been done to her.

I couldn’t put this book down. It was action packed from the moment I turned the first page. There is a small love interest although it doesn’t really turn into much of anything until late in the book, I assume it will be full blown in the next book coming out November 18th.

Fans of gritty urban fantasy will love this one.… (más)