Wednesday, May 1, 2019

#Review - A Vampire's Bane by Raven Steele, Ava Mason (#Urban #Fantasy)

Series: Rouen Chronicles #4
Format: Kindle, 336 pages
Release Date: March 11, 2019
Publisher: Amazon
Source: Amazon

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance

“The monster isn’t under my bed. It’s screaming inside my head.” 
 

Cursed by the Kiss of Eternal Night, Samira lives her life as an ancient and powerful vampire, guarding her emotions carefully. One slip up and the darkness inside her could send her on a rage-filled, bloodlust path of death and destruction. It’s happened once before, and it could easily happen again. 

For over a century, she’s managed to keep the beast inside her at bay, but when someone from her past shows up unexpectedly, her emotions hang by a thread. Especially when she finds out they are working with the Phoenix, the source of the growing evil in Rouen.

Maybe it’s time she stops controlling the monster inside her. It may be the only way she can save those she loves.




A Vampire's Bane, by co-authors Raven Steele and Ava Mason, is the fourth installment in the Rouen Chronicles. This is a story that takes place in the fictitious town of Rouen, Louisiana where something evil is brewing and a group of vampires, witches, and shifters stand guardian. While the first three stories of this series focused on Briar, this book focuses on Samira Chevoky. Samira is a centuries old vampire who is roommates of Briar (Alpha shifter) and Lynx (Witch). 

She's a vampire who holds something very dark within her. If she let's it out, there could be major repercussions for everyone. To make things even more twisted, Samira's maker, Korin Khalid, shows up in Rouen and he's not to be taken lightly. Neither is the Phoenix who readers met in A Shifter's Revenge. The Phoenix is portrayed as a man throughout this book, but who is in fact a woman who can shift at will into anyone she wants. Truly makes who you trust with your life even more important now.

The authors reveal a prophecy that Samira, Briar, and Lynx are apparently part of. If the prophecy is taken seriously, it would mean Trianus will be summoned from the Underworld and subjugate humans as well as supernatural who stand against it. Samira has had relationships with Mateo, as well as other more interesting characters who come out to play in a major way in this story. Since I mentioned the evil that has arrived in Rouen, I would suggest that you read, at least, the final book in Briar's story so that you can understand what has happened. 

Even though Samira is main character in this book, don't forget about Briar or Lynx since they help out with pretty much all of the trouble that is faced in this story. Samira has some unusual friends which include Mateo, but also several others who we finally discover have been in Rouen for a very long time. Yes, I am talking about the Fae. There are several key Fae characters who join with Samira, Lynx, and Briar to keep the villain in check. Good luck with that! 

I understand that the authors have chosen to write several books featuring a character who doesn't appear in this book, but has connections with Samira and a group known as Ames de la Terra. Not sure why they didn't finish Samira's trilogy first, but it is what it is. Especially if this particular character isn't going to show up in Samira's story.  

I am more curious about Lynx now, than I was during Briar's books. Lynx is thought of as being part of the prophecy with Samira and Briar, no spoiler, yet we know next to nothing about Lynx's magic or her abilities. She does shine a bit brighter in this book, but she also is prone to trying to prove her self by overextending herself.  In case you were wondering, Briar has reverted to someone I didn't recognize for much of the story. Samira pretty much has to play social worker to her in order to keep her emotions and her attitude in check and not letting it get the best of her which at times it does. I am also tired of the triangle between her, Angel and Luke. She is obviously in love with both of them yet doesn't have any idea what to do about it.

I can't say whether or not I will read Aris Crow's books unless they somehow connect to this story.  If they do, then, of course I will read it.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43567390-a-vampire-s-bane#other_reviews



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