Runes, The Immortal Series, Book 1 by Em Petrova

Publisher:  Red Sage Publications
Pages:  171

From the Cover:

When immortals Will Cochran and Evangeline Mayer are thrown together by a phenomenon known as The Calling, they breech the barriers of a conventional relationship. By sharing their blood and bodies, their minds and souls are also entwined. But Evangeline has been yanked from the arms of her mortal love, Sean Livingston, and the echo of his touch never leaves her.

When she’s kidnapped by a sadistic immortal seeking revenge for the loss of his own mate, Sean is summoned as a means to torture her. Their reunion both titillates and torments her new mate, Will. He and Sean make a pact to share the woman they both love, and find new desires arising in the arms of each other.

Evangeline Mayer has had a hard life, she's been abused mentally, physically, and sexually by her father for years.  Her sister, Jessa, is the golden child, too perfect.  When she can't take the abuse anymore, she tries to commit suicide, but her sister's boyfriend, Will Cochran stumbles across her, and can't let her die.  He revives her with his blood, but at the same time makes her an immortal being.

When Evangeline awakes, it's with the picture of Will stuck in her mind.  She focuses on him, 'Calling' him, but he refuses her.  Soon though, Will can't get Evangeline out of his head, when he finally decides to answer her 'Call', it's too late, she already found Sean Livingston.  Now, she thinks she's going mad, needing both Sean and Will.

When she can't take the probing of her mind by Will any longer, she rushes to him, bonded and claimed, but she can't forget Sean.  Then she's kidnapped and it will take both of her men to save her.

Runes by Em Petrova is a different kind of vampire paranormal romance.  These vampire exist in the sun, aren't incredibly powerful, don't have fangs, and bleed easy.  They are pretty indestructible, only another immortal can kill an immortal.  They have bonded mates, which is kind of like extreme marriage but no divorce, to live without your bonded mate is a death sentence.  When a mortal becomes immortal, they gain tattoos of significance to their mortal life.  Will's tattoos are numbers, Evangeline's runes and stars, it's what was important to the mortal existence.  I liked this different take on the vampire virus and the bonded mates sounded interesting as well, one unable to exist without the other.  It was the last part of the book I had problems with, when the guys were fighting over Evangeline, but it wasn't the fighting, it was when they chose to fight.  She's been thrown into a hole dug into the ground, possibly with a head injury, tormented by her kidnapper, and the guys were having fist-a-cuffs and coming to blows, this I didn't understand.  The confrontation could have come later in the story.  When the guys finally quit struggling with each other, they come to an understanding, and decide to 'share' Evangeline.

Runes is hot little erotic story ending with the formation of menage a trois that develops into a permanent threesome.  Though at first it's not a pleasant combination, the men come accept one another, and it's a love story between the men and with Evangeline, and it ends on a happy note.  Evangeline is a troubled soul, and Will saves her only to realize, he can't live without her or she without him.  This book is really three stories contain in one book, a love story between Evangeline and Sean, a love story between Evangeline and Will, and finally with the guys compromise because neither can stand to hurt her and neither can stand the thought of being without her, it's a love story between Will, Evangeline, and Sean.  There's more than a little explicit language, so if that's a turn off, try something else.  Lovers of menage a trois with a different sort of twist, may like to give this one a try, as well as paranormal romance that conclude in a mortal/immortal union.  This was an enjoyable read, despite the few minor problems I had with the story events, once everyone accepted what was necessary for these lovers to unite.

Warning:  Menage a trois, explicit language all exist in this rapidly building story.


I received this ebook from Net Galley and Red Sage Publications for review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Building Magic by Lilly Cain

Publisher:  Red Sage Publishing
Pages:  112

 

From the Cover:

BUILDING MAGIC: When architecture student and summertime welder Tina Moreland develops a reputation as a peeping Tom, it isn’t the first time she’s been teased for being different. Catching a glimpse of the man of her dreams is worth the aggravation. But when she witnesses him doing something stranger than stripping in his hightower office, it’s enough to make her forget that when working unharnessed on the fifth floor, the first step is a long way down.

Working in the human world leaves Devin Ken’Draga frustrated and exhausted. Things aren’t going well. Devin is the Kenta – prime dragon – in a world not far from earth, only a magical breath of flame away. It is a world that is having problems, and he is expected to solve them. The question is how. Civil war has shattered his land and destroyed his home. He can’t come up with an Answer, and the Elders can only tell him he will find what he needs on Earth.

Devin doesn’t have time to rescue a damsel in distress. But since she is literally falling at his feet, he can’t help but to save Tina. Bringing her home wasn’t part of the plan, but once they fall through the magical portal together, there is no going back. It is only when he spreads his wings in his true dragon form that Devin realizes something he hadn’t anticipated – the woman is a virgin, a temptation no dragon can resist.

Tina Moreland is a frustrated iron worker and architect, frustrated because she's taken for granted by the men in her life, by the people who attend the university with her, even by her employer.  She's been largely ignored and overlooked.  She doesn't fit in, too tall, too smart, too hot tempered.  She was orphaned young in life, so if she should disappear, no one would really miss her.

Devin Ken'Draga is a seudo-business man sent to the Earth bound realm to find a way to stop the civil war ripping his world apart.  He's the Kenta of his clan and society, Dragon King, but war is ravaging his world.  If he can't find a way to stop it, there won't be a home to return to.  If only he can find the one thing he needs to stop the fighting, some magical source his for the taking.

When Tina spies Devin, as she's perched upon her skyscraper ironworks, in his daily ritual of escaping his clothing to reach out to his inner dragon and the magic surrounding him with fire at his fingertips, she has trouble believing her eyes.  With one missed step by the red-headed iron worker, she almost plunges to her death, until Devin releases his dragon....

Building Magic by Lilly Cain is a dragon shifting pararomance, which at first glance, the reader isn't sure if it's going to be a happy for now or a happily ever after, because being dragon and the Dragon King at that, can Devin afford to make this human woman his Queen?  When Devin saves Lilly, he drags her into his realm.  The only problem is he wasn't supposed to return without the magic symbol, and the only thing he managed to bring back is a human woman, a tiny wisp of a thing compared to dragons, and a virgin as well.  Her virginity alone can start battles, a source of magic by itself and much prized by his those of his world, and the last thing he needs is more fighting.  But, soon, he realizes that this tiny human woman is more than she appears, and he just might have to claim her for his own.

Building Magic is my first novel by Lilly Cain and from Red Sage Publications, but I plan to read more.  If I have any quibbles with this novella, it would be fleshing out the characters a bit more, because the characters are wonderful; powerful, sassy, engaging, and I would have liked to learn a little more, but that's also a quibble with novellas, short stories only reveal so much information.  I would have liked to know what exactly Devin Ken'Draga did in his office besides stripping out of his clothing to reveal his gorgeous body.  What was his cover story, so to speak?  And Tina Moreland was always so awkward as a human, and orphaned as a small child, did she really belong in the Earth realm?  But, not to worry, my imagination filled in the blanks, and not pertinent questions for this building romance.  I would like to read more about Lilly Cain's new world, an exciting dragon society filled with violence and love, dragons were never meant to be gentle beasties.  I definitely want more, I hope there's a Book 2!  I recommend this book to lovers of dragon shifting pararomance stories, urban fantasy fans, and those who like a hot little romance, it will fulfill your needs, both with excitement and an sensually told love story.

Warning: A little explicit language contained within this erotic love story.


I was offered this ebook for review from Net Galley and Red Sage Publications.  All opinions expressed are my own.