Review- Lucas by D.B. Reynolds

Title: Lucas (#7 Vampires in America Series)

Genre: Vampire Romance/Thriller

 Author: D.B. Reynolds

Publisher: ImaJinn Books, October 2012

Source: Free for review from the author

Rating: 5

Sexy Rating: 5+

Description from amazon.com:

THE BADLANDS of SOUTH DAKOTA . . . haunting landscapes, legendary outlaws, and . . . vampires? LUCAS DONLON, Vampire Lord, is one of the most powerful vampires in North America and beyond. Charming and irreverent to his friends and lovers, he enjoys everything about his life as a vampire. But when a neighboring lord makes the mistake of declaring war, he quickly discovers that Lucas is every bit as lethal as he is charming. KATHRYN HUNTER doesn’t care about powerful vampires or their wars. Her baby brother is missing and she will do anything to find him, even if it means going against both her FBI bosses and the local vampire lord. But Lucas Donlon has other plans for the lovely FBI agent who’s landed on his doorstep. Waging war against their enemies and each other, Lucas and Kathryn will risk everything to keep the most deadly vampire war in hundreds of years from engulfing every vampire, and human, in North America

 

**

I don’t think it will come as a surprise if I tell you that this is my favorite vampire series.  I have been a fan since D.B. Reynolds published her first book, RAPHAEL.  There are other series that are good but this one has everything I look for in a vampire genre.  The vampires are mucho dangerous, intelligent, thoughtful, violent, sexy and loving.  The bad vampires are truly dastardly but the good vampires triumph and get the girl, or guy as the case may be.  This series reads best from the beginning but you can jump in on any book and not be lost.  You will be a fan too if you like your books with lots of action and steamy sex.  Yes I did make up a new genre designation for this series because it is in a class by itself.  Now onto my thoughts of LUCAS, number 7 in the series….

Action and then more action.  Sexy and steamy.  This gripping novel is everything you could want in a romantic thriller.  The heroine is a no-nonsense FBI agent and the hero is another of D.B. Reynolds’ hot sexy Lords of the vampire nation.  The finding of Daniel, her brother, is the catalyst that initiates the “cop” and the vampire’s interaction but then fate intervenes and combines the two into the most satisfying sizzling chemistry. This lust quickly becomes a more intense emotional devotion.  She is no delicate human and she is more than willing to help him in his vampire war.  But never does she think their chemistry will mean more than a temporary involvement.

Reynolds can write circles around most authors.  Her character development is flawless and the swift pace of the action along with the heated encounters of the protagonists kept me turning pages relentlessly.  The epilogue gives us a hint as to what is to come in the next installment of this top-notch series.

 Vampires In America Series:

1. Raphael
2. Jabril
3. Rajmund
4. Sophia
5. Duncan
6. Betrayed (e-book novella, prequel to Lucas)
7. Lucas
8. Aden (coming in 2013)

 

 

 

Review- Betrayed: A Cyn and Raphael Novella by D.B. Reynolds

Title: Betrayed: A Cyn and Raphael Novella

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy Romance

Author: D.B. Reynolds

Publisher: Amazon Digital, Paperback coming soon

Source: Free for review from the author

Rating: 5

Sexy Rating: 5+

Description from amazon.com:

Love, the ache in your heart when you meet the one. It can take you to soaring heights; and it can leave you bleeding in the wreckage. Loyalty, the thing which binds a Vampire Lord to his children for eternity . . . unless it rots from within, birthing hatred. Betrayal, it comes in many forms and from many sources…love…loyalty…betrayal. War has come to the North American vampires, and Vampire Lords are reaching across territorial lines to strengthen allies and weaken enemies. The most powerful Lord of them all, Raphael, could change the course of the war and determine who raises the final banner of victory. But at what price? And will his mate, Cyn, be the one to pay it?

 

**

I have followed this author and her Vampires In America series from the beginning.  I still consider her first book in the series RAPHAEL to be one of the best I’ve ever read in this genre, with the follow-up JABRIL another best.  My view is, once you are introduced to Raphael and Cynthia Leighton you just can’t get enough of them.

 

For all of us Raphael and Cyn junkies this novella is like the snack before the next book in the series (LUCAS coming this Fall).  In BETRAYED we are introduced to Jared, the vampire who will take Duncan’s place as Raphael’s aide-de-camp.  We also meet the vampire lord Lucas who was sired by Raphael.  The evolution of the impending vampire war is introduced.  Cyn and Raphael have a few moments of mistrust and several very, very hot sex scenes that last longer than a few moments.  No one writes hot and steamy better than D.B. Reynolds.  No. One.

 

This is a genre bending series.  Often billed as Paranormal Romance it is in my opinion more Urban Fantasy Romance and in more recent books in the series Erotic Romance.  The vampires are scary and not sparkly, the women they fall in love with are strong and confident.  The setting is contemporary and the vampires are known to humans.

 

This novella can be read as a stand-alone but I suggest that if you are new to the series you start with RAPHAEL and at the same time get JABRIL.   Trust me you will want both books!  And while you are at it get BETRAYED.

 

Vampires In America Series:

1.RAPHAEL

2. JABRIL

3. RAJMUND

4. SOPHIA

5. DUNCAN

5 ½. VAMPIRES IN AMERICA: THE VIGNETTES, VOL.1

5 ¾. BETRAYED

6. LUCAS (COMING SOON)

 

 

 

Book review- DUNCAN by D.B. Reynolds

Title: Duncan

Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance

Author: D.B. Reynolds

Publisher: ImaJinn Books, November 2011

Source: purchase, Kindle, Amazon.com, available in paperback

Rating: 5

Sexy Rating: 5, explicit

Description from Amazon:  Washington, D.C. … capital of an empire. Powerful. Exhilarating. Corrupt. And in the shadows … vampires far older than the nation itself.

A power unto himself, Duncan has served at Raphael’s side for a hundred and fifty years. But long laid plans have finally borne fruit, and the time has come for Duncan to leave Raphael and tackle the greatest challenge of his life. He will face treacherous vampires and murderous humans. He will rock the halls of human power if necessary. But Washington, D.C. will be his.

Emma Duquet cares nothing for vampire politics. She just wants to find her missing roommate and best friend, Lacey. But Lacey’s been playing with vampires of a particularly dangerous kind, and Emma will have to deal with the new vampire in town if she’s going to find her friend.

Battling powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets, Duncan and Emma will dig beneath the corruption and depravity that is Washington, D.C. and uncover the most heinous conspiracy of all…

**

Every novel in this series leaves me breathless and I have to admit this was my most anticipated book.  From the very beginning of the series we know that Duncan is not just any vampire but a trusted second only to Raphael.  In this book Duncan comes into his own.  He takes over as Lord and Master of the territory of Washington DC and the surrounding states.  We learn just how powerful he is and just how good he is; for although he is a dangerous, violent vampire he is a moral and upstanding man.

Emma, falls head over heels for him and not one of us can blame her.  He is handsome, hot and so sexy.  Emma turns out to be a most helpful accomplice in bringing the bad guys to justice.  That Duncan has found a mate and love after over a hundred years gives us a warm and satisfying feeling.

There are surprises and fast paced action, breath-holding suspense while justice is being served.  This is not your sparkly rendition of vampires.  Duncan’s second, Manuel, is ever present to protect his master and Louis is the geeky brains of the territory.

Reynolds takes us on a roller coaster of emotions and delivers reading satisfaction.  She can write rings around so many of today’s authors.  She develops her characters to the point where we live in their skin. She doesn’t leave us wondering about her vampires, she tells all about how they live, think and react.  We are given a facinating back story of how Duncan became a vampire.  She writes a love scene where we can feel the steam being generated.  Her action sequences are movie quality.

The only down side is waiting for the next book to be published (LUCAS in 2012)

Coming Tuesday, Nov. 15th… DUNCAN by D.B. Reynolds

YAY! It is finally here!  Well almost here.  Next Tuesday it will be here.  DUNCAN is the 5^th book in D.B. Reynolds’ Vampires in America Series.  I am a huge fan of this series and I encourage all of you who think you don’t like vampire stories to read this series.  It is chock-a-block full of romance, action and adventure.  There are good guys and bad guys and it is definitely a can’t-put-it-down read. 

D.B.’s vampires are not your sparkly kind.  They are dangerous, sometimes violent but always so-o-o-o sexy.  Each book follows a vampire lord and his followers as they try to maintain their vampire society in the midst of humans.  Each Lord rules a section of America.  There are political maneuverings and sometimes war amongst themselves or some criminal elements.

 RAPHAEL (Book 1 Vampires In America Series) is available on Amazon.com here:  http://tinyurl.com/cuvbxhr   (the Kindle edition is only $2.99- a steal) I guarantee that once you read RAPHAEL you will want to read the entire series.

Now for the latest book in the Series:

 

 BACK COVER BLURB

Washington, D.C. … capital of an empire. Powerful. Exhilarating. Corrupt. And in the shadows … vampires far older than the nation itself.

A power unto himself, Duncan has served at Raphael’s side for nearly the entire two hundred years of his existence. But long laid plans have finally borne fruit, and the time has come for Duncan to leave Raphael and tackle the greatest challenge of his life. He will face treacherous vampires and murderous humans. He will rock the halls of human power if necessary. But Washington, D.C. will be his.

Emma Duquet cares nothing for vampire politics. She just wants to find her missing roommate and best friend, Lacey. But Lacey’s been playing with vampires of a particularly dangerous kind, and Emma will have to deal with the new vampire in town if she’s going to find her friend.

Battling powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets, Duncan and Emma will dig beneath the corruption and depravity that is Washington, D.C. and uncover the most heinous conspiracy of all …

D.B. reynolds Vampires In america Series:

Book #1- RAPHAEL- (from my amazon .com review)” I read this book, reread it, and think it may get read again when I go through those desperate-for-a-good-read times. Reynolds delivers in RAPHAEL on all of those points that I look for in a vampire romance; a bad boy vamp, a strong heroine, sizzling sex, a plot that is actually a plot, interesting side characters, facinating back story.”

Book #2- JABRIL- (from my Amazon.com review) “This follow up to Reynolds’ “Raphael” does not disappoint. We are treated once again to tough, beautiful P.I. Cynthia Leighton and to die for vampire, Raphael. Cyn is on the outs with Raphael and takes an offer from an evil Texas vampire lord, Jabril, to find his missing ward. The action rockets from Texas to California and back to Arizona in this fast read. I couldn’t put it down. The love scenes between Cyn and Raphael sizzle (yes they kiss and make up in one of the best written declarations of love ever written in a romance novel). “

Book #3- RAJMUND- (from my Amazon.com review) “D. B. Reynolds writes such delicious bad boys. They are truly bad not sparkly but they are also the kind of guy you want covering your back in a tough situation. Her prose is such that the world of these vampires is vivid, so vivid that you can see the environment and feel the dark. The romance is tortured and long time developing and oh so sexy. There is mystery, action, suspense, sleazy characters to contend with, did I mention romance and sex? Another winner in the Vampires In America series.”

Book#4- SOPHIA (reviewed here on La Deetda Reads on May 16,2011)

Book#5-DUNCAN ( book release on Nov. 15, 2011)