Shadow Bound

Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent

This is a best book ever! 

This story is darker than Rachel Vincent's other stories and she may have even felt a bit filmy when she was done, but she did a great job. I loved the story, the good guys and even the bad guys. She kept me guessing up until the very end - awesome. 

This is a world with those who have special skills and those who don't. Organized crime rules the country and if you have a Talent and are not associated with a syndicate your life expectancy is very short. When you do pick a side and join a "Company" you sign away your life for the term of your contract... Interested yet? Kori Daniels is a trained assassin who works for the Tower syndicate. Ian Holt is someone with a powerful Talent who managed to keep himself hidden from the rest of the world until he decided to make himself known. Jake Tower, the boss, gives Kori the task of recruiting Ian and the story takes off from there. This story is filled with deception, lust, and action. 

I liked that Kori and Ian fell in love right away but still tried to keep themselves in check because of their individual agendas. Oh and... Ian is trained as special forces but really didn't need to help Kori with her battles because she could hold her own - badass chick. I loved this story from beginning to end. This is a must read and it goes on my Best Book Ever Shelf - 5 stars all day long!


Overview...

Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she's ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if it means taking it from someone else.…

The job? Recruit Ian Holt—or kill him.

Ian's ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he's on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower's top Binder: Kori's little sister.

Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they'll have to choose between love and liberty….

Dark Lover

Dark Lover by J. R. Ward

If you're looking for a paranormal romance with a kick this one is for you. This is the first novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
 
A Best Book Ever!

So humans and vampires existing together... nothing new here. Then I read on to see that in order for a vampire to feed and get the nutrients he needs to survive he must feed off the opposite sex of the vampire species... Hmm, Interesting. They still like the taste of human blood too but our blood is more like junk food to them – filling but no real nutritional value. Here's where it gets even more interesting they also reproduce... what? They live in family units... get out! And they have a large population living in Northeastern United States. The weaker vampires are hunted by the Lessening Society who are a soulless group of humans who's sole purpose is to kill off the vampire race... very interesting. The Black Dagger Brotherhood series is about a team of assassins who were bred and trained exclusively to protect the vampire community from the Lessening Society.

The brothers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood are all bigger, badder, and scarier then any vampire alive. Yeah, I'm still dealing with the undead aspect that we are used to. They are more connected then the strongest families of the community because they were born for the job, funded to the extreme and connected to a goddess. This group of assassins even frighten each other but when they fight against the Lessening Society members they fight as a kickass team. Each member has his own strengths and weaknesses to bring to the team which makes him a force to be recognized.

The first book in the series is about Wrath and Beth. Wrath and Beth has an instant attraction that starts out hot and never cools down. But then there's the head of the Lessening Society who is insane and of course gets himself into trouble with the assassins. The minor plots were well done and kept the story interesting.

I had this book on my To-Be-Read list for a long time and moved it to the top of my list only when I noticed that I was one of the few of my reading friends left to read it. Why did I wait so long? Why didn't someone tell me to stop reading around it and take a look. Well, I read it and loved it... simple.

I devoured the book in a day because the story was so good I couldn't put it down until I finished it and did I tell you that the pacing was perfect. I didn't get bored or hit a point that tempted me to skim over it - unless I count the parts about the Lessors only because I wanted more of the brothers. I even liked the vampire world that Ward created for us and the relationship between both our world and theirs because it wasn't the usual humdrum. If you like reading a paranormal romance with a kick this one is for you - Ward did not disappoint. This book is not for kids or those who like to read romance with a lot of teasing and triangles! I give it 5 stars and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Oh, and just so you know I downloaded book two before I finished this one - I am a new fan of J. R. Ward.

Overview...

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.