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League of Vampires #1
Redemption
A vampire slayer by necessity.
Anissa Garnet is a vampire. She’s also a slayer. Anissa is no stranger to taking out the enemies of her clan leader. Her assignment is simple. Jonah Bourke is not to attend the League of Vampires. Ever. It should have been an easy kill. It should have been one and done. It would have been, if Jonah Bourke hadn’t saved her life.
An assignment like no other.
Vampire clan leader Jonah Bourke is that one. He didn’t plan to be a hero. He didn’t want to save the life of the slayer that was sent to kill him. Maybe he wouldn’t have, if he’d known.
Too late now.
Anissa just compounded his problems. Not that he didn’t have plenty: A rebellious twin who wants to claim leadership of their clan and a litany of supernaturals that want him dead.
So what’s a vampire to do when he saves the life of the vampire girl sent to kill him?
Anissa Garnet is a vampire. She’s also a slayer. Anissa is no stranger to taking out the enemies of her clan leader. Her assignment is simple. Jonah Bourke is not to attend the League of Vampires. Ever. It should have been an easy kill. It should have been one and done. It would have been, if Jonah Bourke hadn’t saved her life.
An assignment like no other.
Vampire clan leader Jonah Bourke is that one. He didn’t plan to be a hero. He didn’t want to save the life of the slayer that was sent to kill him. Maybe he wouldn’t have, if he’d known.
Too late now.
Anissa just compounded his problems. Not that he didn’t have plenty: A rebellious twin who wants to claim leadership of their clan and a litany of supernaturals that want him dead.
So what’s a vampire to do when he saves the life of the vampire girl sent to kill him?
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
September 21, 2018
Redemption reminds me of every single book I used to buy and read in late 2006, when vampires and wherewolf were a must, insta-love was lurking around every page corner, and urban/paranormal fantasy was basically the genre I preferred over anything else.
It had the City of Bones kind of vibes mixed with a hint of Laurell K. Hamilton, if you get what I mean.
It surely didn't move me in any way, but it was at least a pleasant and nice walk on memory lane.
The writing is simple -a little too much for my tastes, but better than nothing, I guess-, and the presence of many dialogues gives the story a fast rhythm. And when I say fast, I mean real fast. It's a chain of events that are flat out presented to the reader without tip-toeing around things too much. A little confusing if you're looking for details, and a tad bit too effortless if what you need is quality, but I still think it's better this way. It would have been painful to go through a mediocre book where you have to wait ages for something to happen.
The alternating POV is kind of useless, in my opinion. Without the names on top of the page, you couldn't tell who's saying/thinking what, and I can tell it only serves its purpose as a window to the heart-clenching (read: cheesy as fudge) feelings the main characters have for each other.
And don't let me start about the villains. Laughable, bland and sort of randomly there, like dark-ish wallflowers.
I wanted there to be mean vampires and werewolves so bad. I only got stupid Marcus.
Sigh.
Anissa is an okay character. She has white-blonde hair (they keep saying it in the book so I guess it's something worth mentioning lol) and the love she has for her sister is really sweet, but she's also better on paper than in practice. An example of what bothers me is the fact that the story keeps implying she is a slayer, an admirably strong fighter, but they remain just words since we see very little of it through the whole book.
All she does is getting kidnapped, swooning over how hot Jonah is, mentioning her white-blonde hair and pissing people off.
Like I said, very 2006.
Oh, and did I mention she has white-blonde hair? She does.
Jonah, on the other hand, I couldn't stand. Okay the insta-attraction, okay that you're a bit on the rebel side, okay that your twin brother is an arse, but putting your family aside and in danger to go chase after a pretty girl you've just met is just plain stupid. And hella selfish. The only positive thing I can say about him is that, at one point, Anissa had repeated ad nauseam how incredibly hawt omggggg our red-haired clan leader is, so I started believing it myself. And that's it, that's the best I can do.
They also are both incredibly immature if you consider they've been around for a long time. Now that I think about it, though, all the characters are a bit like this, who more and who less. You know what? I've already established this book has its flaws so I'll put it on the list of things that gave me a brain hitch and move on.
If your tolerance to romance is not set really high, Redemption is not your kind of book.
I went into this knowing fully well that there'd be romance, I just didn't expect how much of it I'd have to endure in order to get some vampire action.
Man, it was a lot. And right from the start. Kind of off-putting if you ask me - the eye-rolling hit levels it never reached in the last 12 years.
I also thought the author would go with the enemies to allies to lovers route, but Rye Brewer and I apparently have different ideas of what makes a bookish love story enticing, because the Jonah/Anissa idyll skips a few steps, and jumps straight for the wedding bells without much dancing around the important stuff.
Such as an upcoming vampire war, for example.
Redemption is an average read, something a bit cringey and trite you might want to read if you're having a light book slump and need a short and unpretentious book to bring you out of it.
I wish it focused less on the romance and more on the action the premise suggests, but oh well, I guess you can't always get what you want.
Give it a try if you're not too demanding over your paranormal novels.
Oh, and I almost forgot: THAT COVER. Hooooooly moly. It deserve a rating of its own.
It's the reason why I put this book on my tbr in the first place. It seems like I have a cover type, now.
I might haven't enjoyed the actual book that much, but at least I had something extremely pretty to look at.
Shush, I'm kidding. Of course I've read this for the plot.
ACTUAL RATING 2,5/5
It had the City of Bones kind of vibes mixed with a hint of Laurell K. Hamilton, if you get what I mean.
It surely didn't move me in any way, but it was at least a pleasant and nice walk on memory lane.
The writing is simple -a little too much for my tastes, but better than nothing, I guess-, and the presence of many dialogues gives the story a fast rhythm. And when I say fast, I mean real fast. It's a chain of events that are flat out presented to the reader without tip-toeing around things too much. A little confusing if you're looking for details, and a tad bit too effortless if what you need is quality, but I still think it's better this way. It would have been painful to go through a mediocre book where you have to wait ages for something to happen.
The alternating POV is kind of useless, in my opinion. Without the names on top of the page, you couldn't tell who's saying/thinking what, and I can tell it only serves its purpose as a window to the heart-clenching (read: cheesy as fudge) feelings the main characters have for each other.
And don't let me start about the villains. Laughable, bland and sort of randomly there, like dark-ish wallflowers.
I wanted there to be mean vampires and werewolves so bad. I only got stupid Marcus.
Sigh.
Anissa is an okay character. She has white-blonde hair (they keep saying it in the book so I guess it's something worth mentioning lol) and the love she has for her sister is really sweet, but she's also better on paper than in practice. An example of what bothers me is the fact that the story keeps implying she is a slayer, an admirably strong fighter, but they remain just words since we see very little of it through the whole book.
All she does is getting kidnapped, swooning over how hot Jonah is, mentioning her white-blonde hair and pissing people off.
Like I said, very 2006.
Oh, and did I mention she has white-blonde hair? She does.
Jonah, on the other hand, I couldn't stand. Okay the insta-attraction, okay that you're a bit on the rebel side, okay that your twin brother is an arse, but putting your family aside and in danger to go chase after a pretty girl you've just met is just plain stupid. And hella selfish. The only positive thing I can say about him is that, at one point, Anissa had repeated ad nauseam how incredibly hawt omggggg our red-haired clan leader is, so I started believing it myself. And that's it, that's the best I can do.
They also are both incredibly immature if you consider they've been around for a long time. Now that I think about it, though, all the characters are a bit like this, who more and who less. You know what? I've already established this book has its flaws so I'll put it on the list of things that gave me a brain hitch and move on.
If your tolerance to romance is not set really high, Redemption is not your kind of book.
I went into this knowing fully well that there'd be romance, I just didn't expect how much of it I'd have to endure in order to get some vampire action.
Man, it was a lot. And right from the start. Kind of off-putting if you ask me - the eye-rolling hit levels it never reached in the last 12 years.
I also thought the author would go with the enemies to allies to lovers route, but Rye Brewer and I apparently have different ideas of what makes a bookish love story enticing, because the Jonah/Anissa idyll skips a few steps, and jumps straight for the wedding bells without much dancing around the important stuff.
Such as an upcoming vampire war, for example.
Redemption is an average read, something a bit cringey and trite you might want to read if you're having a light book slump and need a short and unpretentious book to bring you out of it.
I wish it focused less on the romance and more on the action the premise suggests, but oh well, I guess you can't always get what you want.
Give it a try if you're not too demanding over your paranormal novels.
Oh, and I almost forgot: THAT COVER. Hooooooly moly. It deserve a rating of its own.
It's the reason why I put this book on my tbr in the first place. It seems like I have a cover type, now.
I might haven't enjoyed the actual book that much, but at least I had something extremely pretty to look at.
Shush, I'm kidding. Of course I've read this for the plot.
ACTUAL RATING 2,5/5
Want to read
May 9, 2021this book is free on amazon!
August 8, 2017
2 Story Stars, 5 Total Cover Porn Stars
Ok, it was almost gratis and the cover is sooooooooo pretty...impulse purchase, guilty!
I am not sure if there is much to say about this story at all, nothing really stuck, I am struggling to remember any strong opinion about it. Vampires, werewolves, witches, faes, obviously hating/despising/fearing each others, a quick read with lot of action and lots of twists but which at the same time felt too familiar. There are some interesting things that could have really elevated the whole story, I'm always interested in the exploration of half-breed possibilities - the main character Anissa turns out to be a vampire-fea mix - and the whole Romeo and Juliet romance scenarios, but there was not enough depth to it all.
The world building is weak, incomplete, I needed to know more of the clans, the war, the accords and less on the magical interior of the mansions; the explanation of what coursing is and its effects on vampires is repeated ad nauseam, it adds nothing to the story, while what really needed work were the stilted dialogues and the characters development. You know I can take a lot in romance and I liked Jonah and Anissa together, of course I am going to ship two people who are supposed to hate each other, but my oh my, they sounded and felt too often like inexperienced teen-agers. I didn't buy their instant connection at all. I wanted them together, but there was no real progression in their feelings. I also didn't believe their roles - unstoppable slayer and charismatic leader of a clan- due to the poor development, some of the worse dialogues were between Jonah and his brothers. He gets bonus points for being a redhead. I appreciated the bond and sacrifices Anissa made for her sister, but she also had some truly TSTL moments that seriously made me consider not finish this, Jonah had some stupid moments too, both walking into traps anyone could see a mile away. My eyes hurt from all the rolling. And let's not start about Anissa's real father...I'll save you the spoiler. Even the villains could have been so much more evil, with all those secrets and political plots.
I have waited for the second book's price to drop and I will read on, because I'm curious anyway to see how our couple will fair now that they are both outcast. I am sure the plot will have even more twists. Probably the most convincing element for me was related to time, the age each vampire had been turned, how it was relevant to how they were shaped, to the vision of the world they had, to their need to be schooled and kept up to date with the changing world. Eternity and contact with reality are not a given pair, forgetting your previous life an inevitable process with the passing of time and with that, it's also farewell to the remnants of your humanity. Sigh. If only all of this was not so superficial. And no sex at all!
Ok, it was almost gratis and the cover is sooooooooo pretty...impulse purchase, guilty!
I am not sure if there is much to say about this story at all, nothing really stuck, I am struggling to remember any strong opinion about it. Vampires, werewolves, witches, faes, obviously hating/despising/fearing each others, a quick read with lot of action and lots of twists but which at the same time felt too familiar. There are some interesting things that could have really elevated the whole story, I'm always interested in the exploration of half-breed possibilities - the main character Anissa turns out to be a vampire-fea mix - and the whole Romeo and Juliet romance scenarios, but there was not enough depth to it all.
The world building is weak, incomplete, I needed to know more of the clans, the war, the accords and less on the magical interior of the mansions; the explanation of what coursing is and its effects on vampires is repeated ad nauseam, it adds nothing to the story, while what really needed work were the stilted dialogues and the characters development. You know I can take a lot in romance and I liked Jonah and Anissa together, of course I am going to ship two people who are supposed to hate each other, but my oh my, they sounded and felt too often like inexperienced teen-agers. I didn't buy their instant connection at all. I wanted them together, but there was no real progression in their feelings. I also didn't believe their roles - unstoppable slayer and charismatic leader of a clan- due to the poor development, some of the worse dialogues were between Jonah and his brothers. He gets bonus points for being a redhead. I appreciated the bond and sacrifices Anissa made for her sister, but she also had some truly TSTL moments that seriously made me consider not finish this, Jonah had some stupid moments too, both walking into traps anyone could see a mile away. My eyes hurt from all the rolling. And let's not start about Anissa's real father...I'll save you the spoiler. Even the villains could have been so much more evil, with all those secrets and political plots.
I have waited for the second book's price to drop and I will read on, because I'm curious anyway to see how our couple will fair now that they are both outcast. I am sure the plot will have even more twists. Probably the most convincing element for me was related to time, the age each vampire had been turned, how it was relevant to how they were shaped, to the vision of the world they had, to their need to be schooled and kept up to date with the changing world. Eternity and contact with reality are not a given pair, forgetting your previous life an inevitable process with the passing of time and with that, it's also farewell to the remnants of your humanity. Sigh. If only all of this was not so superficial. And no sex at all!
August 21, 2017
Excellent
This was an excellent book, I look forward to reading this series. I think book two is going to get things rolling even more.
This was an excellent book, I look forward to reading this series. I think book two is going to get things rolling even more.
November 17, 2016
Not sure what to say
No world building. I am not sure I understand how these vampires work. How often do they feed, how do they feed, what are their weaknesses? Nothing was explained. I had to skim after 45% of the book. Both characters are so flat and one dimensional. There was absolutely nothing redeeming about either one. Both of them act very immature throughout the book. Really disappointed.
No world building. I am not sure I understand how these vampires work. How often do they feed, how do they feed, what are their weaknesses? Nothing was explained. I had to skim after 45% of the book. Both characters are so flat and one dimensional. There was absolutely nothing redeeming about either one. Both of them act very immature throughout the book. Really disappointed.
May 1, 2023
Character felt a bit flat, and that made this quite dry to read. And that made it impossible to relate to main character's insta-love - that is so hard to make work and impossible if your characters aren't relatable otherwise either.
Setting & descriptions were also lacking something and even though there was action and adventure it was so hard to dive into those scenes because surroundings hadn't come alive.
Plotwise this had several good twists and there happened something all the time. Too bad it isn't enough if the story feels dead.
Setting & descriptions were also lacking something and even though there was action and adventure it was so hard to dive into those scenes because surroundings hadn't come alive.
Plotwise this had several good twists and there happened something all the time. Too bad it isn't enough if the story feels dead.
August 1, 2020
1.5/5 Stars
This was one of those weird books where the author's voice really grabs you but the further along you make it into the book the characters ruin it for you.
The main plot pulled me in. Girl sent to assassinate guy but he ends up saving her life and they fall in love. Yes.
But the issue I had is we are told she's amazing and a crazy good assassin but gets bested every few chapters.
Anissa's motivation to be an assassin is in the hope that she will one day free her sister from prison. They were in one of those situations where society wouldn't let them grow so they did what they could to survive. Anissa's sister illegally sold her blood to make ends meet and she got caught and imprisoned. Anissa now assassinates who she's told to, to pay for her sister's food in prison. Otherwise they would starve her and let her go insane.
This was probably the best written part of the entire book. Crushed between a rock and a hard place.
As for the romance, hated it. Insta love annoys me. I want growing attachment, a reason for them to give up everything they've lived for, for each other. Jonah practically gives up his entire family for her, for absolutely no reason.
There's also the subplot(?) of Anissa's father. I think this should have been drug out into further books. Tease the reader with her mysterious abilities and origin. This book's focus really should have just been Anissa's sister and the attempted assassination. Jonah could have blackmailed her into helping him instead with the promise of freeing her sister from prison. She could have played the mole. And then they would have grown closer by the end of the book.
I digress.
Even though I didn't really like this book I'm still intrigued. I could honestly see myself reading future books. There's potential from the author, they really have a nice voice.
~*~
July 28 2020:
Initial Thoughts: I think the main issue was the motivation for the two main characters was their love for each other that didn't have any basis. It was insta love and they barely spent time together. All of their scenes would have hit harder if there had been development. And most of what they went through felt like something that would happen in a third or fourth book. But, I heard this author gets better so I might continue the series despite not being impressed by this first one.
This was one of those weird books where the author's voice really grabs you but the further along you make it into the book the characters ruin it for you.
The main plot pulled me in. Girl sent to assassinate guy but he ends up saving her life and they fall in love. Yes.
But the issue I had is we are told she's amazing and a crazy good assassin but gets bested every few chapters.
Anissa's motivation to be an assassin is in the hope that she will one day free her sister from prison. They were in one of those situations where society wouldn't let them grow so they did what they could to survive. Anissa's sister illegally sold her blood to make ends meet and she got caught and imprisoned. Anissa now assassinates who she's told to, to pay for her sister's food in prison. Otherwise they would starve her and let her go insane.
This was probably the best written part of the entire book. Crushed between a rock and a hard place.
As for the romance, hated it. Insta love annoys me. I want growing attachment, a reason for them to give up everything they've lived for, for each other. Jonah practically gives up his entire family for her, for absolutely no reason.
There's also the subplot(?) of Anissa's father. I think this should have been drug out into further books. Tease the reader with her mysterious abilities and origin. This book's focus really should have just been Anissa's sister and the attempted assassination. Jonah could have blackmailed her into helping him instead with the promise of freeing her sister from prison. She could have played the mole. And then they would have grown closer by the end of the book.
I digress.
Even though I didn't really like this book I'm still intrigued. I could honestly see myself reading future books. There's potential from the author, they really have a nice voice.
~*~
July 28 2020:
Initial Thoughts: I think the main issue was the motivation for the two main characters was their love for each other that didn't have any basis. It was insta love and they barely spent time together. All of their scenes would have hit harder if there had been development. And most of what they went through felt like something that would happen in a third or fourth book. But, I heard this author gets better so I might continue the series despite not being impressed by this first one.
September 2, 2020
After reading sooo many books which showcase instalove... I literally started thinking that it exists......
This one had awesome POTENTIAL characters, but lack of character and world building ruined the experience...
Will not continue with the series...
This one had awesome POTENTIAL characters, but lack of character and world building ruined the experience...
Will not continue with the series...
March 25, 2021
That cover is pretty, I don’t care what anyone says.
That being said, this book is very… 2006. If you don’t know what that means, well, you just had to be there. (Or you can just read any YA series from the era)
That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book, it just means that it’s very formulaic. Vampires, werewolves, fae, witches, insta-love, and a kick-ass heroine who is a ‘special snowflake’. I don’t really want to call Anissa a snowflake though, because she doesn’t act like one. Her motivations are sympathetic, and she didn’t frustrate me so much. That’s a lot more than I can say from the other books of this formula.
The story focuses on Anissa, an oddball vampire who has become a “slayer” for the leader of her clan. She does this in exchange for help to be given to her sister, Sara, who was locked up for illegal doings. It is told that Anissa and Sara lost their parents at a young age, and struggle to provide for themselves.
Anissa is sent on a mission to kill the leader of an enemy clan, Jonah. After the plan is foiled by a third party, she and Jonah are taken hostage, and she is surprised when he protects her. After this, she second-guesses her mission to kill him.
Despite being very fast-paced, not much happens in this book. It’s just a series of staged escapes. From dungeons, werewolves, witches, etc. It’s more so an introduction to the world, characters and their abilities.
The story is told in first person, with alternating POV every couple of chapters. Helpfully, the name of the POV is given at each chapter.
My biggest gripe, or the reason it’s not a 5 star read, is because the writing is extremely simple. We are explicitly told what is happening, there’s not much description or ambiance. Also, the characters are extremely childish. Despite being vampires in teenage bodies, they’re supposed to be way older than that. Especially Jonah, who is a clan leader but throws everyone into danger because of impulsive decisions, much like an immature person would do.
May 26, 2022
This book was awesome! I couldn't put it down and it was clean from swearing and sex scenes. Which are two things I appreciate!
Anissa is one vampire who has strength after her mom died to help her and her sister Sarah going with their vampire clan. Sarah made a mistake and was put into the dungeon. Anissa went to the evil leader to see what she could do to help her sister out. She turned into the assassin for the evil clan leader. Anissa knew she was different but didn't know she half Fae.
Jonah is a vampire leader to another clan. He goes to help Anissa get away from werewolves who took her away in an alley. He didn't know then Anissa was there to kill him.
This is a very good book! There's mystery, action, secrets, betrayal, and many more.
Anissa is one vampire who has strength after her mom died to help her and her sister Sarah going with their vampire clan. Sarah made a mistake and was put into the dungeon. Anissa went to the evil leader to see what she could do to help her sister out. She turned into the assassin for the evil clan leader. Anissa knew she was different but didn't know she half Fae.
Jonah is a vampire leader to another clan. He goes to help Anissa get away from werewolves who took her away in an alley. He didn't know then Anissa was there to kill him.
This is a very good book! There's mystery, action, secrets, betrayal, and many more.
February 10, 2018
This book is mostly about vampires and fae. I enjoyed this book but am not sure if I will continue the story even though I am curious what happens next. I'm not sure why, but this book just didn't give me a huge pull. It has a great group of characters but I feel they needed a little more development.
September 1, 2020
Cute vampire story with a different slant.
February 4, 2017
Out of the 500 plus books I've read this is the ONLY book that the cover completely matches the book. Amazing!
With that said this was the same tired story of the stupid heroine sneaking off to do the impossible all by herself. The mentions of Anissa's expert assassin abilities were never really confirmed by any action. Weak storyline.
Story 2 stars, COVER 10 plus stars! Okay read.
With that said this was the same tired story of the stupid heroine sneaking off to do the impossible all by herself. The mentions of Anissa's expert assassin abilities were never really confirmed by any action. Weak storyline.
Story 2 stars, COVER 10 plus stars! Okay read.
May 16, 2024
DNF cringeworthy
- One dimensional characters
- No world building or explanation
- No buildup at all for a romance
- Only being told Anissa is an awesome assassin, without any actual action showing it
+ pretty cover
+ liked the sibling connection
- One dimensional characters
- No world building or explanation
- No buildup at all for a romance
- Only being told Anissa is an awesome assassin, without any actual action showing it
+ pretty cover
+ liked the sibling connection
Want to read
August 10, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/10/2020)! 🎁
October 31, 2022
Neither of these characters can walk across a room without being abducted. Yet, we're supposed to believe that one is the leader of a vampire clan and the other is an assassin with a kill count too high to keep track of. They both trip on nothing and land in handcuffs.
Firstly, Anisse sets out to assassinate Jonah. It's the kick off of the whole plot. She watches him for a single night and decides to do it the following night, while he's out on the town. He'd be at a club, full of blood and power, and surrounded by his family. It makes zero sense. Why is Anisse attacking Jonah when he'd be at his strongest? And why only after following him for a single night? Yes, night. She has school in the morning. Fortunately, I am wrong and she would have succeeded if only they weren't both abducted by werewolves.
Let me repeat that. She is 100% laser focused on everything around her, making certain to get the jump on this powerful figure, and three massive werewolves sneak up on her. [cheesy face palm gif here]
They fight them off. They escape. Cut to: Anissa is stalking Jonah once again. She still needs to kill him. She's waiting outside a building and... she's abducted again. Some of his family noticed her stalking him. She didn't notice the people she's been stalking for hours noticing her stalking them. How many people has she killed again? How long has she been at this? Years? Okay. Maybe she'd have noticed something if she had skipped school.
Abductions in this world are a huge wave: impossible to fight off and sweeping everyone away. Other plot lines, however, are an incongruent walk in the park. Later on, Jonah and Anisse team up to break someone out of a dungeon. They enter through a super secret hidden entrance and hike through magical miles and miles of hallways and staircases completely unseen. There is a single cell and a single guard for that cell. Anisse kills the guard easily and no more appear. They grab their prisoner and leave without a problem. This isn't a trap or clever ruse. They walked in and left with a prisoner with barely any effort. The person they just robbed is the Big Bad of the book. [a cheesier face palm gif here]
Now, Anisse and the person have to get out of the area while Jonah goes back to his normal life as the leader of a vampire clan. The break out was impulsive and done within hours of deciding to do it. No one planned for what to do afterwards. Jonah, the rich and powerful leader of an entire clan, doesn't give them money, food, or a semblance of a plan. They have to wander the world with the clothes on their backs as fugitives from this powerful Big Bad. Meanwhile, the story keeps hammering in how powerful Anisse and Jonah's feelings for each other are. His beautiful golden blue eyes can't stop looking at her pale waify form. So perfect. So lovely. What pure hearts they both hold. Too bad Anisse has to go on the run. He, the leader of a vampire clan, can't take her to a safe house or hand her a wad of money or a shirt that doesn't smell like her. Nope. Fly free little birds. Take care.
Can you believe they are abducted immediately?
IMHO, Rye Brewer writes books as fast as possible and publishes them just as quickly. Not only that, but the plot has to be equally fast. The content doesn't matter as long as the story keeps moving. If characters stop to think or if there are actual, real consequences to each action, the plot lingers too long in one spot. (Confusingly, despite that, the book is mostly dialogue.) This leads to the worst TSTL moments and I-can't-believe-they-survived moments and, ultimately, I-wish-they-hadn't. If that's your thing, have at it. It isn't mine.
Firstly, Anisse sets out to assassinate Jonah. It's the kick off of the whole plot. She watches him for a single night and decides to do it the following night, while he's out on the town. He'd be at a club, full of blood and power, and surrounded by his family. It makes zero sense. Why is Anisse attacking Jonah when he'd be at his strongest? And why only after following him for a single night? Yes, night. She has school in the morning. Fortunately, I am wrong and she would have succeeded if only they weren't both abducted by werewolves.
Let me repeat that. She is 100% laser focused on everything around her, making certain to get the jump on this powerful figure, and three massive werewolves sneak up on her. [cheesy face palm gif here]
They fight them off. They escape. Cut to: Anissa is stalking Jonah once again. She still needs to kill him. She's waiting outside a building and... she's abducted again. Some of his family noticed her stalking him. She didn't notice the people she's been stalking for hours noticing her stalking them. How many people has she killed again? How long has she been at this? Years? Okay. Maybe she'd have noticed something if she had skipped school.
Abductions in this world are a huge wave: impossible to fight off and sweeping everyone away. Other plot lines, however, are an incongruent walk in the park. Later on, Jonah and Anisse team up to break someone out of a dungeon. They enter through a super secret hidden entrance and hike through magical miles and miles of hallways and staircases completely unseen. There is a single cell and a single guard for that cell. Anisse kills the guard easily and no more appear. They grab their prisoner and leave without a problem. This isn't a trap or clever ruse. They walked in and left with a prisoner with barely any effort. The person they just robbed is the Big Bad of the book. [a cheesier face palm gif here]
Now, Anisse and the person have to get out of the area while Jonah goes back to his normal life as the leader of a vampire clan. The break out was impulsive and done within hours of deciding to do it. No one planned for what to do afterwards. Jonah, the rich and powerful leader of an entire clan, doesn't give them money, food, or a semblance of a plan. They have to wander the world with the clothes on their backs as fugitives from this powerful Big Bad. Meanwhile, the story keeps hammering in how powerful Anisse and Jonah's feelings for each other are. His beautiful golden blue eyes can't stop looking at her pale waify form. So perfect. So lovely. What pure hearts they both hold. Too bad Anisse has to go on the run. He, the leader of a vampire clan, can't take her to a safe house or hand her a wad of money or a shirt that doesn't smell like her. Nope. Fly free little birds. Take care.
Can you believe they are abducted immediately?
IMHO, Rye Brewer writes books as fast as possible and publishes them just as quickly. Not only that, but the plot has to be equally fast. The content doesn't matter as long as the story keeps moving. If characters stop to think or if there are actual, real consequences to each action, the plot lingers too long in one spot. (Confusingly, despite that, the book is mostly dialogue.) This leads to the worst TSTL moments and I-can't-believe-they-survived moments and, ultimately, I-wish-they-hadn't. If that's your thing, have at it. It isn't mine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2023
I loved this book, and having said that I was so surprised when I read all these average; even bad reviews.
I do know that I'm going straight to book 2 in the series, that says it all I hope.
I suppose all those people out there saying that love at first sight is "out of vogue" or "so 2006" (whatever that means) or "impossible to happen" are just cynical.
Just because you never experienced it yourself doesn't mean love at first sight doesn't exist.
It makes no sense but yes, it exists and it happens to very few lucky people. Especially if it endures.
No one ever said it has to end "and they lived happily ever after". It happened to me and the craziest part is that I fell head over heels for a guy I had absolutely nothing in common with which all became more and more evident with time. Of course, I broke his heart when I ended the relationship. To this day I can't fathom it, it must have been some crazy chemistry in the air that night lol. But it was real, the love was very real, and everything was real until it wasn't anymore, for me, unfortunately.
Now, I'm still in a relationship that has real true love in it, it's still there after 16 full years. All with a guy I never even considered dating material but a friend. I guess life is a bit crazy like that.
This book was different to me on so many levels. Yes, it has all the usual things we are familiar with in this genre. Yes, nothing very new. I'm guessing, no hoping the world-building will keep developing, the plot too... I feel it has potential.
It was very nicely written, and the pace was consistent throughout the book. It kept my attention the whole time. I started reading it last evening and it's 4 a.m. now, I just had to finish it.
A few times I expected it to be over, to be ending with a cliffhanger especially since I bought the boxset with the first 3 books in this series. But no, everything was nicely brought together to a great ending from start to finish.
I really can't wait and see what's in store for all the characters.
And I do hope the ratings will improve lol
I don't even want to have a look at any of them, not even the plot. Let me be surprised once for a change.
Finally, I love the cover, if just for a fact that whoever drew it has read the book. It captures one of the moments in the book when the main character is wearing some borrowed clothes, is finally safe but very worried about the future, all the while looking at the city beneath from the top of the building.
I do know that I'm going straight to book 2 in the series, that says it all I hope.
I suppose all those people out there saying that love at first sight is "out of vogue" or "so 2006" (whatever that means) or "impossible to happen" are just cynical.
Just because you never experienced it yourself doesn't mean love at first sight doesn't exist.
It makes no sense but yes, it exists and it happens to very few lucky people. Especially if it endures.
No one ever said it has to end "and they lived happily ever after". It happened to me and the craziest part is that I fell head over heels for a guy I had absolutely nothing in common with which all became more and more evident with time. Of course, I broke his heart when I ended the relationship. To this day I can't fathom it, it must have been some crazy chemistry in the air that night lol. But it was real, the love was very real, and everything was real until it wasn't anymore, for me, unfortunately.
Now, I'm still in a relationship that has real true love in it, it's still there after 16 full years. All with a guy I never even considered dating material but a friend. I guess life is a bit crazy like that.
This book was different to me on so many levels. Yes, it has all the usual things we are familiar with in this genre. Yes, nothing very new. I'm guessing, no hoping the world-building will keep developing, the plot too... I feel it has potential.
It was very nicely written, and the pace was consistent throughout the book. It kept my attention the whole time. I started reading it last evening and it's 4 a.m. now, I just had to finish it.
A few times I expected it to be over, to be ending with a cliffhanger especially since I bought the boxset with the first 3 books in this series. But no, everything was nicely brought together to a great ending from start to finish.
I really can't wait and see what's in store for all the characters.
And I do hope the ratings will improve lol
I don't even want to have a look at any of them, not even the plot. Let me be surprised once for a change.
Finally, I love the cover, if just for a fact that whoever drew it has read the book. It captures one of the moments in the book when the main character is wearing some borrowed clothes, is finally safe but very worried about the future, all the while looking at the city beneath from the top of the building.
March 31, 2020
Fu*k what a horrible book ...I just wasted my damm time reading this ...lucky for me I’m in quarantine so I have a lot of time but ... affs when I can beginning saying what I hated so much about this book ??
1– everything is so damm easy , every fuc*ing problem just puff!! get solved the same way ...when I say the same way I mean it really.
2– the characters... OMG I never ...ever read a book with such a horrible leader like Jonah ...he’s so irresponsible and nonchalant... he just put in his head that what ? He’s in love with a girl he doesn’t even knows !!! And guys I’m not saying something like fated mates doesn’t have it in this book , he just put all his clan in dangerous and he doesn’t even care !!! SO WRONG.
3– Now Anissa ... argh she isn’t really bad but she isn’t good enough too , like something is missing in her personality to make we bond with her ...
4– the main characters are a shi* but the seconds are good enough I like Jonah siblings and Anissa sister too ...but even better I like Anissa father Gregor I loved him and his history with her mother ,everything made sense in their history and he has a duty with his people he’s a leader and a leader has to put his people before everything...Jonah has no idea what it is to have a duty he is a asshole guys really I hate him .
5– in the end ...just doesn’t make sense I got that has other books but ... the problems created in this one are so dumb ... Marcus is a horrible villain that’s almost laughable and like she can’t be with her father ...why ? She can’t go there and came back every time she wants so why so much drama ??? And Jonah ...he just ...I have no words for what he did really he with her could unity his clan and her kingdom and be so fuc*ing strong but no ...they are so dumb ...
1– everything is so damm easy , every fuc*ing problem just puff!! get solved the same way ...when I say the same way I mean it really.
2– the characters... OMG I never ...ever read a book with such a horrible leader like Jonah ...he’s so irresponsible and nonchalant... he just put in his head that what ? He’s in love with a girl he doesn’t even knows !!! And guys I’m not saying something like fated mates doesn’t have it in this book , he just put all his clan in dangerous and he doesn’t even care !!! SO WRONG.
3– Now Anissa ... argh she isn’t really bad but she isn’t good enough too , like something is missing in her personality to make we bond with her ...
4– the main characters are a shi* but the seconds are good enough I like Jonah siblings and Anissa sister too ...but even better I like Anissa father Gregor I loved him and his history with her mother ,everything made sense in their history and he has a duty with his people he’s a leader and a leader has to put his people before everything...Jonah has no idea what it is to have a duty he is a asshole guys really I hate him .
5– in the end ...just doesn’t make sense I got that has other books but ... the problems created in this one are so dumb ... Marcus is a horrible villain that’s almost laughable and like she can’t be with her father ...why ? She can’t go there and came back every time she wants so why so much drama ??? And Jonah ...he just ...I have no words for what he did really he with her could unity his clan and her kingdom and be so fuc*ing strong but no ...they are so dumb ...
September 1, 2018
What did i just read!!?
Anissa is supposed to be a vampire slayer and yet we don't see her doing any slaying in the entire book.
All she did was get captured over and over again because her blood is "special" and waited around for Jonah to rescue her even though she is supposed to be this badass vampire slayer.
Also she's known Johan for shut a short time....she meets him twice ...(where he ultimately ends up rescuing her) and then they end up kissing....cue in to a day later where she whines about him ignoring her and not talking to her with a special mention about how he is not kissing her
I mean his brother was kidnapped and then betrayed him and left him, cut him some slack.
Also m completely not over how Johan just picks a random chic
who was supposed to kill him over his entire clan......like helloooo ....Isn't he supposed to be
a leader......but no he decides that anissa is more important than his clan so he can just leave.
I don't usually write reviews but damn this book annoyed me enough that I had to put this out somewhere.
P.S the pnly character i liked was Phillipa
Anissa is supposed to be a vampire slayer and yet we don't see her doing any slaying in the entire book.
All she did was get captured over and over again because her blood is "special" and waited around for Jonah to rescue her even though she is supposed to be this badass vampire slayer.
Also she's known Johan for shut a short time....she meets him twice ...(where he ultimately ends up rescuing her) and then they end up kissing....cue in to a day later where she whines about him ignoring her and not talking to her with a special mention about how he is not kissing her
I mean his brother was kidnapped and then betrayed him and left him, cut him some slack.
Also m completely not over how Johan just picks a random chic
who was supposed to kill him over his entire clan......like helloooo ....Isn't he supposed to be
a leader......but no he decides that anissa is more important than his clan so he can just leave.
I don't usually write reviews but damn this book annoyed me enough that I had to put this out somewhere.
P.S the pnly character i liked was Phillipa
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2020
It was okay. Uninterested.
2.5/5
The plot was fine, I suppose. There was always a lot of action; stuff almost constantly happening. But the style of writing honestly made it so I wasn't very interested in it. I didn't get sucked in, didn't feel invested at all. That considered, it was still a decently quick read.
I'm not saying the writing was bad at all. It was fine. It was just how it was done, I guess the story telling itself just didn't catch my interest.
Also not a huge fan of insta love type stories, but they honestly weren't together much in this book, and since it wasn't constantly in my face I didn't mind much.
I would not say the book ended on a cliffhanger, but maybe that's because I wasn't interested. It left room for the next one, but had kind of wrapped up its portion of the story.
2.5/5
The plot was fine, I suppose. There was always a lot of action; stuff almost constantly happening. But the style of writing honestly made it so I wasn't very interested in it. I didn't get sucked in, didn't feel invested at all. That considered, it was still a decently quick read.
I'm not saying the writing was bad at all. It was fine. It was just how it was done, I guess the story telling itself just didn't catch my interest.
Also not a huge fan of insta love type stories, but they honestly weren't together much in this book, and since it wasn't constantly in my face I didn't mind much.
I would not say the book ended on a cliffhanger, but maybe that's because I wasn't interested. It left room for the next one, but had kind of wrapped up its portion of the story.
May 16, 2020
I’ve only given it 3 stars because I thought the plot had potential. It was a good story to tell, it just wasn’t told properly. Everything was sudden, rushed and a little flat. It was different to comprehend when this was taking place, right now, later in the future, in the past? I lowkey thought Jonah was stupid. There are things we have to do, it’s our job, our destiny. I’m not giving it away, when you read it, you understand that he’s making no sense.
Moreover, the author Kees mentioning silver hair, some powers I don’t even understand. I don’t understand why. Also, so much explanation when it wasn’t needed.
I’ve got to admit, the book covers got me to this series. That’s right, we all fell into the trap. Cover porn alert.
Moreover, the author Kees mentioning silver hair, some powers I don’t even understand. I don’t understand why. Also, so much explanation when it wasn’t needed.
I’ve got to admit, the book covers got me to this series. That’s right, we all fell into the trap. Cover porn alert.
April 30, 2024
These are supposed to be vampires who've lived longer than a human lifespan, yet their intellect, actions, thoughts, interests, emotions and conversations are those of kids in their early teens.
I couldn't finish this book. It was like watching children playing with barbie dolls, for so lacking of any finesse, maturity or intellect the writing was.
The exact point where I quit was where the leader of a vampire clan allowed himself to be bulldozed by his siblings over whether to take someone captive or not. This peer pressure situation was lamer than real peer pressure among children. Truly, being a wet noodle and being a supposedly formidable vampire clan leader are mutually exclusive. Utterly ridiculous. These characters are a joke.
I couldn't finish this book. It was like watching children playing with barbie dolls, for so lacking of any finesse, maturity or intellect the writing was.
The exact point where I quit was where the leader of a vampire clan allowed himself to be bulldozed by his siblings over whether to take someone captive or not. This peer pressure situation was lamer than real peer pressure among children. Truly, being a wet noodle and being a supposedly formidable vampire clan leader are mutually exclusive. Utterly ridiculous. These characters are a joke.
June 2, 2020
Beautiful Book Cover
Somehow I get the feeling that I read Underworld, sure the storyline is different, but why choose the same names. It pulled me off a bit.
And the grammatical should be checked over.
I found the main character a bit to shallow, there is something missing in this storyline to get my attention, just not that interesting as I thought.
Sure there is a bit actions but it lacks on details to feel the struggle and the excitement. I can't feel the emotional impact on the characters because it's not detailed enough.
Sorry the book is not my thing.
Somehow I get the feeling that I read Underworld, sure the storyline is different, but why choose the same names. It pulled me off a bit.
And the grammatical should be checked over.
I found the main character a bit to shallow, there is something missing in this storyline to get my attention, just not that interesting as I thought.
Sure there is a bit actions but it lacks on details to feel the struggle and the excitement. I can't feel the emotional impact on the characters because it's not detailed enough.
Sorry the book is not my thing.
September 23, 2017
Redemption
It's all about your clan and who and what you are, or is it? As Anassi shows us with the vampire of an enemy clan find romance as well as battles for their lives. With her sister and later his brother are captured and tortured my Marcus just before the League of Vampires meet. Will they find and gain justice or not. When will the running end? You get all the questions answered in this active thrilling adventure. I Loved it!!
It's all about your clan and who and what you are, or is it? As Anassi shows us with the vampire of an enemy clan find romance as well as battles for their lives. With her sister and later his brother are captured and tortured my Marcus just before the League of Vampires meet. Will they find and gain justice or not. When will the running end? You get all the questions answered in this active thrilling adventure. I Loved it!!
October 30, 2017
I downloaded Redemption as a free book from Amazon. From the cover and some references, this book seems to be an expanded fan fiction of the Underworld movies, but there are enough fresh, unique layers to not be a total knock-off. I enjoyed the story line, for the most part, but found the characters one-dimensional. A good read, but I couldn't get the Underworld comparison out of my mind, especially every time Anissa referred to Marcus-- and then added Lucien (a vampire, instead of a lycan).
July 16, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Yes, it seemed to be a remake of the Underworld movie series, but it was still an engrossing read! I was super surprised! LOL
I'm excited to read more books in the series. I love the unexpected sister and the fae... Noah's part in the end - what a plot twist! Really this book was SO much better than I anticipated!
Do not open this book expecting depth. If you take it as a fun, adventurous way to pass a couple hours you'll be pleasantly surprised! 🙂
I'm excited to read more books in the series. I love the unexpected sister and the fae... Noah's part in the end - what a plot twist! Really this book was SO much better than I anticipated!
Do not open this book expecting depth. If you take it as a fun, adventurous way to pass a couple hours you'll be pleasantly surprised! 🙂
January 5, 2019
As the first book in what seems to be a long series I think it is pretty good. if it keeps up its impetus I think I will enjoy the series I will decide after I have read the next book. The main characters have a lot of potential so I am living in hopes it will turn out to be enjoyable. I do love my old fashioned vampire tales immensely and I hate it when something that at first looks promising fizzles out. So folks, on to book 2 and here's hoping!
March 22, 2021
I love the cover but story wise there was very little character development and the romance was so sudden and shallow, I wasn't buying it. But probably the most annoying part was all the impulsive and poorly thought out decisions the characters, who were supposed to be hard-core badasses, were making. It's made abundantly clear that these people are supposed to be some of the best of the best and they're bumbling their way from one situation to another. I didn't even finish it.
August 6, 2021
Writing isn't very strong but I'm interested in the world and where the characters could go. I'm not sure that I'm interested enough to finish this series, but if I have the spare money for the ebooks, I may invest. Maybe the writer gets stronger as time goes on and hoping there would be more depth, but ultimately it does hold my interest as much as other things I'm reading. I didn't dislike it, so it got more than 2 stars.
December 27, 2021
So Good
This was so action packed from beginning to the end. I enjoyed the characters some good and bad. The shock of what Anissa was I did not see coming. I love how Jonah fell so hard for Anissa and went in protective mode was awesome.
If you like Vampires and Fae, then you will really like this book. Family, loyalty, and Love is what this book has. Enemies to Lovers. Just read it and enjoy off to book 2. Gina Clabo.
This was so action packed from beginning to the end. I enjoyed the characters some good and bad. The shock of what Anissa was I did not see coming. I love how Jonah fell so hard for Anissa and went in protective mode was awesome.
If you like Vampires and Fae, then you will really like this book. Family, loyalty, and Love is what this book has. Enemies to Lovers. Just read it and enjoy off to book 2. Gina Clabo.
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