Angela Dennis

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A dark paranormal “Romeo & Juliet” type romance with action, intrigue and even a murder mystery. There were things that I liked and didn’t like about it but overall it was a good read.

Opening Sentence: It was half a degree past freezing as Jillian stumbled across the snow-covered pavement.

The Review:

Dance with the Devil is the first novel in the Soul’s Harbor Pride series. This paranormal romance series has an intriguing twist on paranormal creatures that I really want to see more of in future books. This book has a dark back story, a sexy romance and action.

Dance with the Devil begins with Jillian feeling the supernatural tug that is forcing her to go back home, but before she can do that she must clean up some loose threads. Jillian wants to cover up that fact that she has spent the last couple years working at a bar before she leaves. Her boss, Carrick, won’t let her leave so easily, especially after her big secret is revealed. She’s a lion shapeshifter! Then another bombshell! So is he.

Jillian’s father has killed Carrick’s father so the two packs that share Soul’s Harbor Island are in a tizzy. One pack is only accepts pureblood shapeshifters while the other accepts all but is very violent towards its members so it isn’t a very healthy pack. The packs must decide on a new leader and they must go through a mating ritual to do so. But not just the potential leaders have to go through with the ritual, all pack members have to take part in the hope that the two packs will combine into one.

My only real complaint about the novel is that I didn’t really care for the whole mating thing being forced on the entire pack. Because to me it seemed like whoever you had sex with during the mating ritual would be your mate whether you liked them or not. Or you’re just forced to have sex with as many people as possible until matching tattoos showed up on you and your mate. Yes, matching tattoos is how you know you are compatible.

This novel was quite action packed and then an added murder/mystery is in store while the packs are trying to determine their mates and the future of the packs.

Jillian starts off the novel knowing exactly what she wants but when her plans change she has no idea what she wants to do and she has a hard time making decisions. She is willing to forgo her own happiness. For the most part, I did like Jillian I just wish she would have stood up for her feelings a little bit sooner. Jillian was quite badass when it came down to it.

Carrick was quite the hottie that knew what he wanted and he definitely wasn’t going to let Jillian forget about him. He was persistent and passionate.

I really enjoyed the side characters in this novel. Jillian’s two best friends are hilarious and fun, even in their tension filled moments. I can’t wait to find out what more is in store for them.

The one thing I would really like to see more in this series is in the power of the mixed supernatural species. I felt like we didn’t get to see much of the magic side of Jillian after the beginning of the novel. I don’t think we ever got to see it in Carrick. They mention they are stronger than purebloods because of the mixing of species. I especially want to see the cross of lion and vampire.

Overall, Dance with the Devil is a decent start to a paranormal romance series. The ending was quite abrupt but I really do want to see what is next for this pack.

Notable Scene:

Carrick rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “What we have comes once in a lifetime. Why not give it a chance?”

She blew out a hard breath. He still didn’t get it. “Maybe I will. I have to weigh the pros and cons.” She held out her hands like the halves of a scale. “My happiness versus the lives of my Pride.”

He sat up with a shake of his head. “You’re thinking about it wrong. You need to balance our shot of surviving the Conclave, combined with our happiness, against maintaining the farce that will be the Pride if you choose Lucas.”

Her frustration quickly turning to anger, she stared at him. “What are you getting at?”

“You choose Lucas and you’re not just turning your back on me, you’re turning your back on our laws. You and Lucas will have to lie to maintain your positions. If the Pride finds out, pure-blood or half-blood, they’ll rebel against you.”

FTC Advisory: Samhain Publishing provided me with a copy of Dance with the Devil. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.… (más)

Shifters, a reluctant alpha, mystery, danger and forbidden love all wrapped up in a new series from Angela Dennis.

Jillian left her pack long ago and had no intentions of going back, but when she's called home she finds herself back and in the middle of pack politics. As a half-breed she has always been an outsider and now that she finds herself in the position of needing to take over the Pride she looks at everything with a new sense of purpose. Carrick left his pack to make things easier for his brother who would be the next alpha (and because he has a secret that no one can find out). When he finds himself called back home he would rather do anything but go, but he has no choice and wants to be there for his brother. When he gets there he finds out that the woman he just found to be his mate is expected to marry his brother.

Jillian and Carrick's romance starts off with a bang before either even truly knows who the other is. When Jillian finds out who Carrick truly is she flees and heads home. Carrick had no clue who Jillian was until he goes home and sees her on the neighboring packs land. He wants her and Jillian wants him, but Jillian wants to do what is best for her pack so she is conflicted. Carrick refuses to give up and when they are finally on the same page, things move pretty nicely in the romance department.

I really enjoyed the storyline in DANCE WITH THE DEVIL, but I did have a few minor issues. There are multiple POVs throughout the book and there was a bit of a flow issue that made it so that I had to re-read a few paragraphs to catch up multiple times to figure out who's head I was in. And finally I was really sad when DANCE WITH THE DEVIL ended, it didn't feel long enough and there are still so many things that need to take place. I will be picking up a copy of book two when it's available.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.… (más)

It was very easy for me to get into this series. Both book one and two covered the present, but I felt SHADOWS OF FATE covered Brenna and Gray's past and FADING LIGHT really focused on moving them towards their future.

FADING LIGHT really brings out the action. There are several huge fights and lots of loss involved. You can't help but love Brenna and Gray together and FADING LIGHT definitely brings them closer than they were. Brenna has a lot of trust issues that she has to overcome and Gray does a good job of being patient with her. There are still things that they need to work out between the two of them but I think they are off to a great start.

You'll have no problem wanting more after book 2. I'm not sure how many books are planned for this series, but I am positive the story is far from over.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.… (más)

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Overall, Shadows of Fate has all the elements of a great read. Dennis definitely shows promise and her Shadow Born series could become a strong new series for other readers of Urban Fantasy.

Opening Sentence: Rotting wood crunched under Brenna’s weight as she stepped into the shadows beside the deserted storefront.

The Review:

An indeterminate amount of time has passed since The Fall, the human war that forced survivors underground and ripped opened the Veil between worlds. Vampires, demons and other countless creatures flooded the Earthly plane, fighting to control the last disjointed pockets of life and literally placing humankind at the bottom of the food chain. Now, only the Interspecies Relations Taskforce (IRT) stands between these factions and the extinction of humankind.

Banished from her own homeworld and forced through the Veil, Brenna Baudouin’s Shadow Bearer magic is one the most powerful weapons the IRT has in the fight to maintain order. She’s smart, beautiful and utterly deadly. She’s also been the only one of her kind on Earth for close to a century. So it’s understandable that she’d have some conflicting emotions after walking into her office and finding Gray Warlow at her desk. Though she suspects Gray has been sent to Denver to kill her on her father’s orders, she can’t help being drawn to the attractive male Shadow Bearer with strangely familiar eyes and dangerous secrets. Things between the two of them become even more complicated when Brenna is linked to a string of gruesome murders. As their investigation uncovers the truth behind the plot to frame Brenna, they discover that they have no choice but to combine their powers to stop a killer from her past.

Normally, I have a pretty good sense of how I’m going to rate a book as soon as I get to the blank page (or screen) at the end. Not so with Shadows of Fate, the first book in the Shadow Born series. I’ve flip-flopped between 3-and-4 Skulls for a couple of days, trying to decide how to write the review when I have such a torn response.

Dennis created an interesting post-apocalyptic world and I especially enjoyed her mythology. The idea that paranormal creatures aren’t from Earth, that they live in parallel dimensions distinct from each other, is one of the most unique explanations I’ve read for their origins. This concept provided an explanation for why things were happening and demonstrated the need for the IRT.

It’s difficult for even the most experience writer to create an in-depth urban fantasy without overwhelming the reader though. Dennis walked a thin line between giving too much information and keeping me interested. There were definitely times when I felt like Shadows of Fate veered more into a science fiction story. There were also times when things just didn’t add up. Why didn’t the Guardians, immensely powerful beings with the ability to prevent anyone from traveling through the Veil, stop the influx of creatures into the Earthly realm in the beginning? If Brenna could banish demons back to their own realms, why couldn’t she do the same with other creatures fighting for power? If vampires and the like are from another plane of existence, where do human ghosts come from?

Probably the biggest issue, though, was the relationship between Brenna and Gray. Whether done intentionally or not, Brenna weakened as the story progressed. It almost felt like she immediately fell into the “damsel in distress” role as soon as Gray arrived. She had every right to demand the murderer be dealt with on Earth, especially considering her past. Yet she barely showed any anger or doubt when Gray basically bullied her into doings things his way. Her seemingly easy acceptance of Gray’s secret was another big sticking point for me. Dennis created an excellent sense of anticipation for the Big Reveal, building the sexual tension and emotional struggles between Brenna and Gray until that moment. Yet the story fell flat right when it should’ve exploded and the conclusion left me feeling slightly cheated.

There were several things I truly enjoyed about the story. Dennis’ world-building was original and her explanation of the existence of paranormal creatures was unique. Unfortunately, there were also a lot of things I didn’t like. The lower rating is ultimately due to the fact that the characters and story seemed to run out of steam long before the weak ending. I have a mild interest in the unanswered questions this story raised but probably won’t continue with the series.

Notable Scene:

“Gray.” He took her hand. It was too cold, making him wonder how long it had been since she had fed. “Are you going to try to kill me again or are we good?”

Mira shrugged. “Can’t make any promises about tomorrow, but I’m not an idiot. I’m no match for you. Sam may be, but you’re strong enough for our purposes.”

“And those are?”

“Protection. You never know when a demon is going to attack, especially lately. We have only one another, and we have no use for anyone who is not powerful enough to keep up.” Sam settled into a wide legged stance next to Mira. “The war may be over for the humans, but it’s not for us.”

“I know.” Gray took a deep breath. “I just moved here, but I thought this was a safe haven.”

Mira snorted. “If you want safety move east. You won’t find it here.”

FTC Advisory: Samhain Publishing provided me with a copy of Shadows of Fate. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.… (más)