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Showing posts with label Amanda Bonilla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amanda Bonilla. Show all posts
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Review: Crave the Darkness by Amanda Bonilla
Crave the Darkness
Author: Amanda Bonilla
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Signet
Shaede Assassin Book 3
ISBN: # 978-0451239556
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: NetGalley
About the book:
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Nothing comes easy for Darian. Her heightened powers make her indispensable to the Shaede Nation, but dangerous missions have driven her lover, Tyler, to his breaking point. Darian must salvage their bond, but a new assignment to protect Anya—a fellow Shaede and the first of their kind to become pregnant in centuries—stands in their way.
It doesn’t help that the two Shaedes are longtime rivals and share nothing besides mutual hatred. But when it becomes clear that someone—or something—is bent on destroying the expectant mother and her unborn child, Darian must put her feelings aside and track down Anya’s would-be assassin.
As she probes into Anya’s past, Darian digs up long-buried secrets—and a connection between Tyler and the mission that could destroy everything between them…
What B is talking about:
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Crave the Darkness is my favorite Shaede Assassin novel so far. As the novel opens, Darian has hit rock bottom: she’s apathetic about the impending punishment for her actions in the previous novel, Blood Before Sunrise, she’s drinking too much, sleeping too much, eating too little, and her beloved apartment is a pigsty. Although she had good intentions, she made some very bad decisions before, the worst of which cost her the love of her best friend, lover, and Jinn protector, Tyler.
Fortunately, after falling so hard, the only thing left to do is to climb back up and dust yourself off. And that’s precisely what Darian does, albeit with some help from her friends, and a new introspection that serves her extremely well. Trading her former solitary arrogance for a tentative self-confidence, Darian is less rash and more considerate, as well as more apt to analyze all the angles of a situation before rushing in and putting everyone around her at risk. Darian has suffered one hell of a growing pain, but the entire story is better for it.
That’s not to say Darian has gone soft. Despite her own self-doubt and second-guessing, she has surrounded herself with a lethal team of her fellow Shaedes, and she proves herself to be a good leader time and time again. Which is absolutely essential, as she has to set aside her rivalry with Anya in order to defeat a more insidious evil than anything she’s seen yet. She still makes mistakes, some of them deadly, but she shoulders her responsibilities and learns from them, then jumps into the next battle, refusing to quit until the job she’s undertaken is finished.
Ms. Bonilla has written a fascinating story filled with plenty of action and suspense going for it as well. There are sword-fights and magick, subterfuge and manipulation, and creatures both fascinating and terrifying. Darian is facing an enemy with astounding power, no conscience, and a vendetta he’s willing to slaughter for, and although she gives the fight everything she has, there are still heartbreaking losses that affect everyone in the story.
Having read this series from the beginning, I’m very happy that I’ve been able to continue with it to this point. Darian has become a wonderful heroine, surprising me over and over with both her regret and determination. She is beautifully imperfect; yet she’s truly deserving of the faith and love she’s given by those she’s allowed to get close to her. While Crave the Darkness has enough background information woven into it that it could be read as a standalone, I think there are too many references to previous novels to really understand the history behind many of the characters’ actions. Plus, Darian’s journey has been a painful, hard-earned one, and I highly recommend starting the series from the beginning in order to fully appreciate who she’s become.
B’s Rating:
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Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Labels:
4.5 stars,
Amanda Bonilla,
Bs-review,
Shaede Assassin Series,
Signet,
urban fantasy
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2
comments
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Review: Blood Before Sunrise by Amanda Bonilla
Blood Before Sunrise
Author: Amanda Bonilla
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Shaede Assassin #2
ISBN: # 978-0451237460
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): paperback (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
About the book:
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What you can’t see can kill you…
For months Darian and her Shaede guardian Raif have searched for the Oracle who attempted to overthrow the Shaede Nation—and kill Darian in the bargain. But now that they’ve finally found the half-crazed Oracle, for their efforts they are granted a possibility too painful for Raif to imagine, and too enticing for Darian to ignore.
Darian is determined to reunite Raif and the daughter he thought was dead, but her mission quickly proves dangerous when her lover Tyler is almost killed. And when a brooding and mysterious Fae warrior offers his guidance—at an extraordinary price—Darian finds herself willing to risk everything. As her single-minded hunt turns into an obsession, and she and Tyler grow further apart, Darian finds herself caught between the man she loves like a brother, and the man whose love she can’t live without…
What B is talking about:
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Many years ago, Darian became a creature of her own making through the tragedies of her human life, and was then betrayed by the one being whom she loved and trusted. Now fully awakened to a world filled with more creatures and magic than she could have ever imagined, Darian must once again find her place as the only one of her kind. She is unique and coveted, a potential pawn to those who would use her, and powerful beyond her own understanding. But, with trusted friends and true love on her side, this time she doesn’t have to be alone.
I’m of two minds about Blood Before Sunrise. On the one hand, it’s an urban fantasy novel filled with action, fascinating creatures, mystery, and even romance. The fight to save the world comes down to, literally, the last possible moment, and Ms. Bonilla never lets up on the tension that increases as the story progresses. Throughout the novel I was involved and on edge, tense and worried. Just not so much for Darian.
Darian is a loner by nature and circumstance, and she’s understandably built some serious walls around her heart, a history more fully dealt with in the previous novel in the series, Shaedes of Gray. But, in Blood Before Sunrise, she is no longer alone. She has the support of a good friend, as well as the love of a man who would gladly sacrifice his own life for hers. And nearly has. Unfortunately, Darian is incredibly arrogant and stubborn, and her refusal to trust those who have put their trust in her nearly costs them everything. Her mistakes are unnecessary and numerous, and they became increasingly difficult to read.
Another thing in the plus column, however are the fantastic secondary characters. Raif and Tyler are especially well-written characters, making Darian’s miscalculations and slights even more frustrating. Even Xander Peck, the Shaede king, who isn’t the most likeable fellow, shines in comparison, his own arrogance countered by a glimpse of the depth of his worry for those he cares about.
In terms of nail-biting tension and otherworldly visuals, Blood Before Sunrise is a wonderful story. Darian simply left me feeling frustrated and occasionally angry. She certainly didn’t leave me numb, though. Maybe that’s the only way for her to become whatever it is she’s destined to be: she has to fall before she can truly stand. While not a happy ending, it’s one I believe Darian deserves, even though my heart ached for her a little. I’m looking forward to the next novel in the series, not only for the chance to revisit some of the other characters who are part of Darian’s world, but with the sincere hope that she will finally find the strength within herself to deserve them.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it, but I had some issues - recommend (B)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Labels:
3 stars,
Amanda Bonilla,
Bs-review,
Shaede Assassin Series,
Signet,
urban fantasy
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0
comments
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Review: Shaedes of Gray
Shaedes of Gray
Author: Amanda Bonilla
Release Date: Dec. 6, 2011
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Shaede Assassin Series Book 1
ISBN: #978-0451235299
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Darian has lived alone for almost a century in the shadows of the night. Made and abandoned by her former love, Darian is the last of her kind—an immortal Shaede who can slip into darkness as easily as breathing. With no one else to rely on, she has taught herself how to survive, using her unique skills to become a deadly assassin.
Darian finds herself struggling to keep her employer, Tyler, at arm’s length, especially since his seductive smile makes her want to break her rules about love. The work he offers is necessary to protect the innocent—and a welcome distraction. But when Darian’s next mark turns out to be Xander Peck, King of the Shaede Nation, her whole worldview is thrown into question. Darian begins to wonder if she’s taken on more than her conscience will allow, but a good assassin never leaves a job unfinished….
What B is talking about:
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Darian has spent nearly a century as an eternal Shaede, and most of that time she’s been alone. Born an embarrassingly outspoken daughter in an era when women were only worth the connections they could ensure through their marriage, she’d lived most of her human life alone, at least figuratively, as well. Believing herself to be the last of her kind after the death of her lover and maker, Azriel, she learned to take care of herself, and remade herself into a deadly assassin.
So many things change for Darian from the very beginning. She starts out believing she’s the biggest, baddest thing out there, but that notion is immediately shaken, and once the shattering of the illusion she’s been living under begins, it doesn’t stop. Bonilla doesn’t spare her main character anything, yet Darian proves to be surprising and capable, not only to the other characters in the novel, but to me as a reader as well.
Bonilla uses the first person narrative to near-perfect effect and does an excellent job of opening up Darian’s world to the reader step-by-step through her eyes. Darian proves to be a methodical guide into her new world from her realization, through her acceptance, and finally, to her thorough immersion in it.
One other thing I very much enjoyed about Shaedes of Gray, was that there is real romance awakening throughout the novel. As with most other Urban Fantasy novels I’ve read, it is not the main focus or objective to the narrative, but it is woven into the rest of the story, and is prominent enough to soften the edges of the journey Darian must take to learn the truth of what she is.
There were one or two stumbling blocks I encountered during key moments of conflict, but they weren’t enough to keep me from being riveted by Darian’s story. I have to say I’m especially happy to have been able to read the first novel in this series. Bonilla is a gifted writer, and has gotten the Shaede Assassin Series off to a very promising start. If Shaedes of Gray sets the standard for the rest of the novels to follow, I’ll definitely be on board for the entire ride.
B’s Rating:
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Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)
Purchase Info:
Shaedes of Gray: A Shaede Assassin Novel
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