Vampire Fight Club
By Larissa Ione
4/5
()
About this ebook
Vladlena Paskelkov, a shapeshifter and underworld nurse, knows how to get herself out of almost any situation. When a wave of violence hits close to home, she's forced to go undercover. And her first stop is a haven of vice—with a dangerously sexy vamp in charge.
Legendary, jaded, Nathan Sabine is the manager of Thirst, a wildly popular vampire club—and secret underground blood arena. A rare daywalker, Nathan possesses other, even more explosive secrets—as does his beautiful new medic, Vladlena. But the one thing they can't conceal is the lust that simmers between them . . .
Now, in an underworld divided by revelry and violence, debauchery and vengeance, Nate and Lena will discover which risks are worth taking—and which desires demand surrender . . .
Previously published in the anthology Supernatural.
Larissa Ione
Larissa Ione is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the Demonica and connected Lords of Deliverance series, as well as the MoonBound Clan Vampire series and other contemporary novels. An Air Force veteran, she traded in her career in meteorology to pursue her passion for writing. She lives in Wisconsin with her US Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, Hexe. Visit her at LarissaIone.com.
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Blood Red Kiss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Supernatural Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eternity Embraced Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Vampire Fight Club
84 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasyDon’t let the cover fool you, this is a super sexy anthology featuring demons, witches, vampires, and dragon shifters determined to claim the ones they love. All four stories tease and tantalize readers to delve deeper into their paranormal romance series, and in two of the four stories, they succeeded."Vampire Fight Club " by Larissa Ione (Lords of Deliverance #1.5)Set in the same word as Ione’s Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series (and featuring character cameos from both series), “Vampire Fight Club” follows a young shifter who infiltrates an underground supernatural fight club in order to avenge the death of her brother. She ends up working for the jaded and detached manager and vampire, Nathan, who has his own vengeance to deliver. Sparks fly fast and hot between these two while still allowing the motives of each character to stand on their own. The obstacles to their relationship are genuine and kept the romantic tension sizzling throughout the story. Newbies to this world will definitely want to plan a longer trip while series fans will enjoy this deeper look into Nathan’s life. Sexual Content: Scene of sensuality. Graphic sex scene Rating: 3/5"Darkness Eternal " by Alexandra Ivy (Nightwalkers #1.5)“Darkness Eternal” is sort of a supernatural Snow White story where the prince is a vampire and Snow White is a centuries imprisoned witch. The two end up in running from a demon in the underworld which consisted mostly of sex scenes and just a little running and fighting right at the end. The characters had whiplash inducing mood swings that had them insulting, comforting, and declaring eternal love for each other all within hours of meeting. It was jarring and had me rolling my eyes several times. While the writing was good, and the worldbuilding had potential, the characterizations and flimsy-even-for-a-novella storyline kept “Darkness Eternal” from sitting well with me. Sexual Content: Several graphic sex scenes Rating: 2/5"Kane " by Jacquelyn Frank (Guardians of Eternity #7.5)“Kane” is the perfect example of what a good novella should be. It established a very cool demon/druid mythology with lots of subtle nuisances and a real sense of the worldbuilding without dragging down the story, and made me want to read the rest of the Guardians of Eternity series. Kane, a demon, becomes consumed with a human, Corrine until one night he touches her. His punishment—and consequently hers—is swift and brutal, until it is revealed that Corrine is Kane’s mate and their separation nearly kills her. For a story that takes place almost entirely in a bed, I found “Kane” to be the most romantic story of the bunch. Yes, it gets very steamy, but the romance builds beautifully and makes those steamy scenes truly satisfying. The writing is top notch too. My only complaint is that it wasn’t long enough. Sexual Content: Scenes of sensuality. Graphic sex scene Rating: 4/5"Dragon on Top " by G.A. Aiken (The Dragon Kin #4.5)“Dragon on Top” is all about role reversal. The uber alpha dragon warrior is the female and the quiet, peace-seeking character who needs protecting is the male. I tend not to enjoy these type of stories anyway, but I found this one to be especially off. Ghleanna is so alpha she practically pees standing up, and Bram is beta with a lowercase ‘b’. It was almost like someone went back after the story was written and just switched all the pronouns. It didn’t help that Ghleanna was constantly bickering with her equally annoying brothers. This was my least favorite story in the anthology.Sexual Content: Several graphic sex scenes Rating: 2/5
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I read this paranormal book for G.A. Aiken and felt her story about Ghleanna and Bram was a good addition to her dragon series. I also enjoyed Ione's story about Nathen and Lena but I couldn't get into the other two stories. The plot in Ivy's story was too erratic – despise or love, dead or not. Frank's story had too many thoughts and I didn't finish.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quick & Dirty: This anthology delivers four very steamy stories from some very talented authors. The Review: I originally read this book for one story, “Vampire Fight Club” by Larissa Ione. I can’t seem to get enough of the Lords of Deliverance series. Those guys plus the Sem brothers, originally from the Demonica series, equals supernatural sexiness. I suppose there is nothing wrong with reading only one story in an anthology. In this case, I must request that you try all of them on. Well worth your while. You may even find a new favorite series out of it. “Vampire Fight Club” by Larissa Ione (Demonica Book 5.5/Lords of Deliverance Book 1.5) What would you choose to do if you knew you had only a short time to live? Why, solve the mysterious death of your brother and then avenge him, obviously! Vladlena, known to her friends as Lena, is a shapeshifter that cannot shift. She’s tried everything, knowing that if she can’t shift, she will die in a matter of weeks. After the body of her brother is found in an alley by a well-known night club, and a not so well known fight club, she decides that she will discover who killed him and why in the short time she has left. She gets a job at the club, as a medic, so she can snoop around. She finds Nathan. Nathan is the manager of the club, and one sexy vampire. He too once sought revenge against the club owner, but finds that he no longer cares. Let’s just say that Lena and Nathan have a lot in common, and it’s not just sexual chemistry. Will Nathan be able to shake off his lethargy when Lena’s life is at stake? Will Lena finally find something worth living for other than revenge? This novella does not require you to know the series before hand. It may, however, entice you to pick it up. Rating: 5/5 “Darkness Eternal” by Alexandra Ivy: (#7.5 of the Guardians of Eternity series) This is Uriel’s and Kata’s story. Uriel is charged by Victor, his vampire king, to find and retrieve Laylah’s missing gypsy mother, Kata. Little did Uriel know all that awaited him on this seemingly simple assignment. Kata is the twin to Marika, evil vampire extraordinaire, and has been held captive for the last two centuries. Now that Marika is dead, she is free from the spells that held her, right? Wrong. Marika has bound their twin souls together so that when she dies, so does Kata. By the time that Uriel finds Kata, the two of them are transported to Hell to await the pleasure of Marika’s madness. In the midst of all of this drama, Uriel and Kata fall in love. Will their past prejudices get in the way of their future happiness? But how long will they be allowed to enjoy their new-found love when they are being hunted by the invincible Marika whom wishes to see them both suffer for eternity in hell with her? I have yet to read the Eternity series, but this novella is a great read on its own. Rating: 4/5 “Kane” by Jacquelyn Frank (#1.5 of the Nightwalkers series) Kane is a mind demon that has broken one of his race’s greatest laws, he wants a human. His desire to make Corrine his own has overwritten his better judgment. In his world, demons don’t mate with humans; they are not even allowed to interact with them. So when Kane finally approaches Corrine and goes to claim her, the punishment for violating the laws is immediate. Kane is erased from her mind and taken away, and Corrine will be left alone. But by Kane touching her, Corrine’s dormant druid DNA is awakened and the two Imprint on one another. Imprinting is a phenomenon that makes the two parties part of a symbiotic relationship where one can no longer live without the other, literally. Corrine’s separation from Kane is now the reason she is dying. They are brought back together but it’s during a dangerous time for demons. It’s a time when demons are savage in their lovemaking and unable to control themselves with their mates, something that a fragile female could die from. There is a bunch of back story included but it boils down to two unlikely people forced together and then fall in love. I hate to say this, but this is my least favorite of all the stories. Even though it gives a tantalizing glimpse of the Nightwalkers series, the whole story mostly takes place in a bed. With Kane tied up. I know; yum right? Corrine, on the other hand, vacillates between being afraid of Kane and trying to ravage him. I don’t know, maybe I would like the books more because they are longer and have to ability to add in more stuff, like a plot. Rating: 3/5 “Dragon on Top” by G.A. Aiken: (#4.5 of the Dragon Kin series) Oh my, I’m going to need to read this series, like, right now. Dragons and fighting and loving, what a combination! Captain Ghleanna Cadwaladr is not a she-dragon others are willing to mess with. She’s strong, ruthless, and has the training to back up her loud and tactless mouth. After getting dumped and humiliated in front of her troops, her queen assigns her to accompany and protect a group going to negotiate a treaty with a neighboring dragon clan, the Sand Dragons. Bram the Merciful is the queen’s top negotiator and more known for his brain than his brawn. But when his queen tells him he will have an escort to the Sand Dragon’s domain, he is torn. Bram has been in love with Ghleanna for years but she doesn’t even know he exists. Can he take the chance of being distracted by her when he has such an important job to do? But when Ghleanna is mortally wounded by a band of traitors, Bram must decide if the life of the one he loves is worth the risk to go to the one place he’s vowed never to return. Can the gentle male tame the fierce, but oblivious, female and make her his own? Can two so very opposite dragons make it work? Rating: 5/5 FTC Advisory: Kensington Books provided me with a copy of the Supernatural Anthology. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only things I receive for payment are hugs and kisses from my little boys.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5*This review is only for the Dragon Kin portion of this anthology at this time.*
I found I really liked Bram's character in this novella. The gender reversal was appealing to me...having a male pining for the female instead of the other way around. Having the female be the mighty warrior. I enjoyed that. I also enjoyed reading about the sea dragons and learning some of the dynamics of the other classifications of dragon shifters. All in all a great read!
Book preview
Vampire Fight Club - Larissa Ione
Cover copy
Previously published in Supernatural
New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione tempts you into the darkly irresistible world of Demonica, populated by angels and demons, shifters and humans, all with a thirst that must be quenched...
When a wave of violence that hits too close to home forces shapeshifter and underworld nurse Vladlena Paskelkov to go undercover, her first stop is a haven of vice—with a dangerously sexy vamp in charge...
Legendary, jaded, Nathan Sabine is the manager of Thirst, a wildly popular vampire club—and secret underground blood arena. But Nathan, a rare daywalker, possesses other, even more explosive secrets, as does his beautiful new medic, Vladlena. The one thing they can’t conceal is the lust that simmers between them...
Now, in an underworld divided by revelry and violence, debauchery and vengeance, Nate and Lena will discover which risks are worth taking—and which desires demand surrender...
Also from Larissa Ione
~ DEMONICA/LORDS OF DELIVERANCE SERIES ~
Pleasure Unbound (Book 1)
Desire Unchained (Book 2)
Passion Unleashed (Book 3)
Ecstasy Unveiled (Book 4)
Eternity Embraced ebook (Book 4.5)
Sin Undone August (Book 5)
Eternal Rider (Book 6)
Supernatural Anthology (Book 6.5, Vampire Fight Club)
Immortal Rider (Book 7)
Lethal Rider (Book 8)
Rogue Rider (Book 9)
REAVER (Book 10)
AZAGOTH (Book 10.5)
REVENANT (Book 11)
HADES (Book 11.5)
Base Instincts (Book 11.6 – M/m sequel to Vampire Fight Club)
Z (Book 11.7)
RAZR (Book 11.8)
HAWKYN (Book 11.9)
~ MOONBOUND CLAN VAMPIRES SERIES ~
Bound By Night (book 1)
Chained By Night (book 2)
Blood Red Kiss Anthology (book 2.5)
VAMPIRE FIGHT CLUB
Larissa Ione
LYRICAL PRESS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
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Copyright © 2017 by Larissa Ione
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First Electronic Edition: November 2017
eISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0786-5
eISBN-10: 1-5161-0786-1
Printed in the United States of America
Chapter 1
Blood. Violence. Sex. Cheering crowds.
None of it fazed Nathan Sabine anymore. If someone had told him a hundred years ago that he’d be completely numb to the gladiatorial battle taking place in the hockey rink-sized arena below his VIP booth, he’d have ripped out their throat with his teeth.
Hell, that still sounded like a good plan.
Instead, he was watching a hyena shifter rip out the throat of another hyena shifter. Should have been the same-old, same-old, but one of the males hadn’t shifted out of his human form.
Which was why the male had been at a serious disadvantage, and why he was now bleeding out in the sand.
Nate didn’t give a shit why the guy had wanted to fight this battle, but he had to have known he couldn’t win. The fool. No amount of money was worth dying for. Nothing was worth that.
Turning his back on the bloodthirsty roar of the spectators, Nate strode out of the private viewing box reserved for club personnel and wondered if it was possible to hate himself more than he did right now. Doubtful. He might be anesthetized to everything outside his body, but inside, he was a seething cauldron of self-loathing. Sometimes he thought that if he wasn’t a daywalker, a rare vampire who could tolerate natural light, he’d step out into the sun and end it all.
And wasn’t he a hypocrite of epic proportions, given that he’d just wondered why the hyena non-shifter had given up his life.
He took the stairs down into the commons, where people sought refreshments and placed bets while they waited for the next death match. At one time, the sour stench of their excitement and greed had turned his stomach. Now it was like any other unpleasant odor the nose learned to ignore. Lately, though, the stink was stronger, the result of a command from the big boss to step up the number of fights—and the brutality—in order to maintain pace with the unrest in the underworld. Fade was desperate to keep paying spectators coming to the club instead of enjoying the violence elsewhere for free.
The crowd parted for Nate, some whispering his name as he passed. An ugly-ass, gray-skinned demon male near the pit railing asked when Nate was going to fight again, and Nate swung around, his black hair snapping about his shoulders, his fangs bared.
You volunteering to get in the pit with me, demon? Because I’m itching to put another set of antlers on my wall.
The normally inaudible beat of music from the dance club upstairs rang clear enough in the sudden silence to identify the artist.
The demon cleared his beefy throat as Goldfrappe Ooh La La’d its way to the end of the song. Another time, perhaps.
That’s what I thought.
Nate hadn’t been in the arena in nearly seven decades, and these morons still wanted to see him fight—as long as he fought someone else. No one ever volunteered to step into the pit with him.
He sliced through the throng and slipped past the two guards who kept the general public out of the tunnel separating Gladius from Thirst, the respectable half of the club complex. He’d only gone about ten yards and taken the first corner when he heard footsteps behind him.
Boss.
Nate stopped but didn’t turn around. What, Gunnar?
The body, sir.
The hulking werewolf ’s voice was little more than a rumble in the shadowy hall.
Why are you asking me? Where’s Budag?
He went out.
Budag, who had once been Attila the Hun’s right-hand man, was the only person besides the club owner who outranked Nate, but the asshole was hardly ever around. Nate had no idea what the demon in human clothing did in his spare time, but he certainly seemed to have a lot of it.
Exhaling on a curse, Nate looked up at the flickering fluorescents on the ceiling. The male is a shifter. You know the rules.
Usually the dead were fed to the creatures that were kept either as bait for training or for actual gladiatorial matches, but a few species, including most shifters, could bond so strongly to a mate that after death, the surviving partner would be driven to find them. The club couldn’t afford for some grieving, pissed-off female to track down the male’s remains and cause trouble.
Yes, sir.
Nate continued down the hall and up a flight of cement stairs. A casual observer who arrived at the narrow landing would see only a monitor mounted on a textured black wall. Nate checked the grainy screen, and after he’d ensured that no one was inside his office, he pushed on the wall, opening a hidden doorway.
From the office side, the door appeared to be nothing more than a sturdy wine rack, and it made a whisper of a click as it closed. Only Thirst’s top management knew that this was one of two entrances from the dance club to the fight club. Most of Thirst’s employees weren’t even aware that behind and underneath the most popular vampire bar in North America, was the most popular blood arena in the human realm.
Nate had known for over a hundred years. He’d known, and he’d planned to take it down. And he would, when the time was right.
Self-loathing slithered through him again, because he’d been singing that tune for decades. So many right times had come and gone, and he’d done nothing. His interest had been as dead as his heart.
Cursing himself, he slammed out