I've said this before and I'll say it again: World building is nothing without decent supporting characters. I knew this book and I would have a hard time getting along when I realized it was written in exhausting, unfunny "snarky" first person, but look at the world Suzanne Collins managed to built through the eyes of one character. In terms of the world building, there is none.
If world building were food, this book would be starving. There's this glassy castle and a smoky district and then the nasty Stilts, but it's so skimpy, guys. There's no depth to it at all. And this book tries to do the biopunk thing with the silver blood and the inherited powers but it's all just drugs and magnets, isn't it? The fact that anybody believes the ruse around Mare is proof that these people might be powerful, but there's nothing but cobwebs between their ears. Red Queen was not a letdown for me, though.
I didn't have high hopes to begin with, so I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. I suppose that's the best outcome from all of this: I gained and lost nothing. View all 41 comments. Yes, I all-caps that. Because I have come to trust your reviews. You have excellent taste. Kiki Thanks so much Mauna! And tbh I have a really bad habit of peeking behind the spo Thanks so much Mauna!
Surprises are good but bad books suck. A lot of people were mentioning that this was like a lot of different dystopian books and while I agree, I still think this is worth the read. I enjoyed the world, the magic system I definitely saw parts of the ending coming but it was still entertaining! Will be continuing the series! View all 7 comments. Dec 17, Adam Silvera rated it it was amazing Shelves: Finished my reread on audio! And this read was extra fun since I knew all the major twists and got to watch the characters barrel into danger and deception.
Here's a review I wrote back in for Shelf Awareness: Victoria Aveyard's thrilling debut throws readers into a futuristic fantasy world of clashing countries, segregation and a rebellion that depends on a young thief. In the country of Norta, the Fe Finished my reread on audio! In the country of Norta, the Feats of First Friday are held every month in city arenas. Champions with Silver blood compete against one another using their supernatural abilities to entertain audiences of other Silvers and the lowly, powerless Red bloods that serve them.
Mare Barrow, a year-old Red, knows these fights are meant as a reminder that any act of rebellion will lead to punishment or execution via the Silvers' many abilities--mind control, telekinesis and super strength among them. To save herself and her war orphan friend, Kilorn, from conscription, Mare is pickpocketing Silvers in the small city of Summerton. There, a group of insurgents called the Scarlet Guard rise up against the Silvers, bombing a castle in the capital in the hopes of eliminating the Royal Court. She fails at her mission due to the ensuing riots, but an attempt to pickpocket a boy named Cal serendipitously lands her a job as a serving girl at the summertime castle of King Tiberias.
Mare learns Cal is the crown prince, set to marry another Silver girl, but that surprise is superseded by Mare's discovery that she possesses lightning talents that no Red has exhibited before. The court covers up her talents by posing Mare as a long-lost daughter of a Silver war hero, to be engaged to Cal's brother, Maven, which they hope will placate the rebels. But if one lie from the king can save her life, another lie may take it. Class tensions run exceptionally high in this serie's first installment. Mare's suspicions keep her sharp throughout; even when she's aiding the Scarlet Guard in taking down the king, she remains wary of the rebels.
She commits to the charade of Lady Mareena not for her own life, but to save her three brothers and Kilorn. Cinematic fights aplenty and deception amongst characters propel readers deeper into this world of power struggles. For the players who survive this first round, Aveyard sets the board for the sequel. A gripping, high-stakes game of power and betrayal, Red Queen is an easy pick for those seeking electrifying action and royal settings with a touch of romance.
You've been warned, friends. View all 5 comments. Yet another morally ambiguous character and I am sold. Red Queen took the best elements from all our favourites and our not so much tales and smushed them into one phenomenal book with an equally addictive storyline. Yes, this is indeed an Xmen high fantasy and yes, my heart did stop. Aveyard has ticked all the right boxes for me. Yes, that does sound mildly sarcastic. But you know what? It feels like a genre requirement at this stage and who am I to complain when a hundred and one others do the exact same thing.
Mare Barrow is a highly agile pickpocket. But time is running out. Like her brothers, she sees a future of conscription for herself. Her eighteenth birthday is looming and without a job to pardon her, she is set to enter the frontline. And it scares her. The thought of war, the thought of leaving her sweet, innocent sister behind, the thought of waving goodbye to her parents, yet another member of the family unable to support them.
However as life may have it, her seventeen years of familiar suffering are about to take a different turn. You see, Mare is discovered to be an impossibility, the secret that could topple an already precarious hierarchy. Society is ruled by the silvers. They are a race seemingly set apart by God. They themselves have usurped the title. As abnormalities defying the mundane genetic makeup, they are creatures to be feared.
You can go either two ways with that—to the ditches or raised up on a throne. The Silvers are blessed with the latter. They are Gods in the arena of life. Destroyed by the greatness of others, losing the battle for our right to exist because we are not special. We did not evolve like them, with powers and strengths beyond our limited imaginations.
Reds however bleed red. They are mortals, cursed to a life of servitude. As a Red with a Silver aptitude, Mare is dropped into a dangerous game. It is a political desire that keeps her alive. While her days are limited to however long she can keep in line, Mare is given a route out of the slums, away from her fate of war.
From there on out, it is a game of chess. A show to keep people happy, quiet, and trampled. Secrets come at a cost. What I adored about Red Queen is the concept. The abilities reminiscent of XMEN add a unique flavour to the mix. The world building was neither underwhelming, nor overwhelming. Aveyard interweaves all facts and ideas into her intricate world in a fluid manner. We also see elements of The Selection added to the bag, only without the pettiness. The Queenstrial is set in place as a selection process.
Only, instead of vying for the Princes attention, it is a little more of a family affair. These Silver women all hail from families equivalent to dukes and duchesses. The marriage is a means to an end, an cementation of an alliance. And in that arena there is only one thing that prevails: Power and strength are two concepts that could happily marry one another, and in Red Queen, they certainly do.
The action sequences were incredible. Red Queen digs a little deeper, exploring political themes, alliances and the ultimate consequence of repressing a race. There is no black and white. Humanity does not wish to be oppressed. And the structures that have carefully restricted the Reds, barricading them into one route in life, threatens to crumble with the dawn of every new day.
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And in that instance, there is a heavy influence of political ploys, deceit and games. It is a battlefield and it is the explicit who fall first. The shadows, those who play their cards, are the ones who ultimately have the upper hand. Can those who cheat one another overlook perfidy in order to band together against an ultimate enemy who has betrayed them all?
For a debut novel, Aveyard writes stunningly. While she does not hold the outright lyrical styles of the likes of Bardugo and Stiefvater, she writes with a balanced combination of short, concise simplicity with an ounce of lyricism every now and again. It is a prose that will be likened by many. Often with high fantasy tales, humour can be disregarded, however I appreciated that Aveyard knows a little thing about sarcasm and banter and she incorporates it brilliantly.
I love the dig she took at the conventional dystopia. My little heart is swelling with pride, considering this is a topic I tackled in a critical essay of mine which I also refer to as my baby. I enjoyed a good laugh here and there. The characterisation was fantastic. We have a set of characters that are tenuous in their beliefs but deep down they are flawed. Tragically, deeply and realistically. Mare Barrow reeks of desperation.
She knows the stakes and I appreciated her character growth as she realises that there is a greater cause at hand. Cal, the crown prince, lives under the delusion of hierarchy. It is a precarious structure that he is set to rule and he understands the pros and cons—it is easier to maintain dictatorship then it is to liberate. And he attempts to seek the easier route.
Maven, my little puppy, lingers in the backdrop, the second son to a kingdom that will never be his. He is demure, quiet but he is steadfast in his belief. Despite his apprehensiveness towards Mare, he finds himself intrigued by her. One that I ship so incredibly hard. In fact, I may even ship the politically incorrect side because god knows I have a thing for sociopathic characters. They feed my curiosity.
Some may say that this is a love triangle. We have a Darkling. You know how I feel about that. That being said, this book reeks of betrayal. Love thrives off trust, connection, understanding. What brews in Red Queen is dark, delicious and destructive. Neither party will foster a healthy relationship. I am however willing to take that risk. You see, Red Queen just explores a winning formula for me. We are at the brink of a revolution funded by the desire for revenge.
It is justifying darkness in hope of pursuing lightness, liberation and levelling the amount of pungent injustice. And that is begging to fail. And I want to see that unfold. Many thanks to the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All quotes used were obtained from uncorrected proof that is subject to change in the final publication.
Read at own risk. Like my full review. In the mean time, I'll be quick and vague. I mean this in that we have a Selection BUT it is not a petty, shallow, fickle show of swinging back and forth. We have a protagonist we longs to survive, a crumbling hierarchy, a delusional view of justice and peace and a war of strength and power.
The stakes are high. It is what appears to be a love triangle but honestly, it's not that in any sense. These characters are destructive, they are flawed, they shan't have a happily ever after. And they've cracked my heart in half, to be honest. I'm drowning in my emotions here. Go preorder or something. I'm book pushing this for , alright? View all 36 comments. I have a lot of feelings about this book.
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Few of them are good, some I actually knew I wouldn't truly be able to rate it until after I thought about it for a few days, and I'm pretty content with my rating as of now. There is a lot of hype surrounding this book, that much is obvious. Overall, I'm a tad disappointed with all the hype because I was expecting this amazing new YA novel. In the end, I knew this wasn't the greatest debut novel, or start in the trilogy I've ever read. In the end, all I can really say is: I've read this story before.
Before I get into that, I wanted to first mention the characters. Mare was a typical wishy-washy indecisive YA heroine. To say she was annoying is putting it lightly. For the three main dudes of the story, Cal, Maven, and Kilhorn. I don't have too much to say without giving away plot details, but I think I liked Cal and Maven's interactions the most out of any relationship in the story.
There was just something there between the two brothers that I really enjoyed. I didn't get that at all. The "battles" in the beginning reminded me of gladiators, but the actual setting of the book? I didn't get Rome at all, which is a damn shame I didn't because I would have really liked that visual. I ended up envisioning a Panem, which The Silvers are born with powers, the Reds are not, therefore the Reds are essentially the slaves. This was an awesome concept. However I felt like the rules on the Silvers' powers weren't explained, didn't have limits where there should have been.
The Queen is a whisper, therefore she can root through people's minds, control them, etc. While I was reading it, I just couldn't buy into Mare's conspirating plans with the rebels when the queen is right. It left me thinking, 'Why isn't the Queen squashing all these plans? The powers for the Silvers worked to a point, but only when it benefited to the plot of the story. Then they went into the weird loop-hole, unexplained limbo.
There needed to be cap on how much power was too much for these Silvers. It made them less human and left me thinking of too many plot-holes. I thoroughly enjoyed the way RQ was written. The pacing, transitions, everything was very well done. I honestly had a very hard time putting this book down once the action started to rise towards the climax. The book could have done with a lot less "perfectly arched eyebrows" tbh.
The romance is pretty light in the book and meh I don't ship Mare with anyone. Actually, I preferred them all separate. Individually, they were ok characters and I didn't really think the romance was particularly necessary. I do wish the author would have built the relationship with Cal and Mare a whole hell of a lot more. I would have felt something at the end moreso than I did because I didn't I don't know, feel those "stakes" as they were so-called "raised.
So, now onto the fact that I felt I already read this story. Just off the top of my head I thought of all these books while I was reading: To me, that was just too many. I mean sure, books remind us of other books all the time, but this was the first time where I saw way too many similarities that it took me OUT of this story many times. There was a disconnect between me and the book. And I also want to list some of these similarities so below are some slightly spoilery plot points, but not huge ones that would ruin major plot twists: I mean Silvers try to one-up each other in the training room before being put in "arenas" for one-on-one battles.
Also, Maven points out his favorite bakery to Mare when they get to the capital. Does he decorate cakes, too? It's YA recycling at its best. And that was a shame. Time moves slowly when you're waiting for something good. The fact that Aveyard just bashed her own book, in her own book either means she's a real riot and cleverly self-deprecating OR she really had no self-awareness. Judging from the protagonist in her story, I'd lean on the latter.
View all 47 comments. Me after the end of the book: The plot is furnished with mystery and intrigues of the royal family, forbidden love, the will to win, the inequality between the two races and, most importantly, the revolution!
Bound by Honor by Cora Reilly
Along with Mare, we will rise from the bottom of Reds to high top of Silvers. This book Me after the end of the book: This book is simply must-read! Mare Barrow is Red, and this determines her identity. She's a thief from a large family, trying to survive in a cruel world, where her life is not valued.
Soon she must go to the war — as usual, the battle for lands — where she will serve as cannon fodder while real warriors would sit in the palaces and dance at the ball. And she almost resigns to her destiny, if not for one thing - her best friend, who had formerly been safe, now has to go to the war too. Mare will do anything to save him. After an unexpected acquaintance, the girl is thrown in the royal palace, where she gets a job.
But, in an instant, her life takes a new turn. After some accident, the royal family decides to replace her identity of the Red girl with the role of the missing daughter of one of the Silver war heroes, and to marry her to their younger prince. Mare has no choice: How much more will change? What else will i lose? So, she falls into the maelstrom of intrigues, meets with two princes yes, a love triangle , and joins the ranks of the Red revolutionaries, trying to save her country, people and herself.
Let's talk about the world, created by Victoria Aveyard. Here, people are divided by blood: The world changed around us and we stayed the same. Reds are ordinary peasants, working day and night to ensure the comfort of Silvers. They are people who have lost hope and strength for surviving. Because their blood does not give them supernatural powers, they are not important. They work in factories, in areas with radiation, and the luckiest are allowed to work as a servants of bitterly hated Silvers.
We will rise, red as the dawn. Living under such oppression, Reds decide to rise up and gather a group of revolutionaries — the Scarlet Guard. Despite the lack of special abilities, they believe that they will be able to overthrow Silvers and take their rightful place in the society.
I was like ill see what I'll think about it without knowing what pissed some people off.
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And let me tell you I loved the story, the plot, the writing, the relationship, Luca and surprisingly also Aria. I really loved the concept of the story and everything about this book. View all 42 comments. Jan 23, DW rated it really liked it Shelves: Bound By Honor was pretty great.
Luca Vitiello was so damn sexy with those grey eyes that showed no emotions. He was a killer and not a good man. He had a bad reputation as one of the scariest men in New York. He took what he wanted and never backed down from a fight. If you like mafia, sex, prearranged marriages and loveless marriages There was a couple things that bothered me.
Too much sex and I know that Aria was young and a virgin but there was no way that Bound By Honor was pretty great. Too much sex and I know that Aria was young and a virgin but there was no way that Luca's pinky finger hurt her that much. It was good and I will be continuing on with the series.
It literally rock my world!!!! Bloody hell, this story was fuckin' amazing!!! Why that book finished so fast???????? In Bound by honor, we have Aria and Luca They are two persons that born and raised in the cycle of Mafia Aria is from the side of Chicago and Luca from New York They don't know each other but their parents decided for the good of their organizations to get marry them together Aria's world shattered when she finds out that she has to marry a man that she hasn't choose and she doesn't know.
She also hates the rumours that followed him Even the hatress and the fear that she feel for him, she can't refuse her father's choice But she is determited to hate him forever Luca is a young, hansome and brutal man who could make anything to survive in his bloody world.
He is the next leader and he refuses to show a sign of weakness He is a dangerous and ruthless man and he never going to change Their lives change dramatically when they start their common life Everything that they believed before they become a torment because they are come in contradiction with what they start to feel for each other Many things get in the way Their life together is not easy at all, but they have something in common that they'll discover it as the time will pass That book was a surprise for me I couldn't believe that mafia guys could be so sexy!!!!
Luca blow my mind The chemistry between them was driving me crazy I have to admit that i liked very much Aria's sister Gianna and of course, Matteo and i can't wait to find out about their story They probably going to rip each other apart I want to see that View all 62 comments. Jan 22, Snow rated it it was amazing Shelves: I took one breath, no actually a gasp and it hit me like a thunder right in the middle.
It was all it took for me to devour this book. February 17th, I just re-read it. So, why did I rate this book with 5 stars, when I hate cheaters and cheating in general And why the fuck this sounds like I'm justifying myself View all 12 comments. Jan 20, AleJandra rated it it was amazing Shelves: En este caso me enamore por completo de la forma de escribir de cora Reilly.
El Don la Mafia de New York y el Don del Outfit de Chicago han sido enemigos durante mucho tiempo, pero al verse amenazados por la mafia Rusa y Taiwanesa deciden unir fuerzas. It was about duty and honor, about doing what was expected. Me agrado mucho el personaje, porque, aunque se comporta de forma sumisa en algunas cosas, en otras le hace frente a su nuevo y temible esposo. Luca OMG Luca, es fuerte, inteligente y despiadado.
Los personajes secundarios estuvieron bien desarrollados. Si van a empezar a leer este libro tengan bien claro que se desarrolla en Medio de la Mafia Italiana y es bien sabido que este ambiente es machista. Y siendo sincera creo que, para ser un libro de mafia, es bastante ligero en cuanto a temas de violencia y abuso. Pero tiene muchas cosas que me hizo suspirar. View all 4 comments. Read it in one day and haven't done that in a long time! It was hot and I want to choke on Luca's cock! I can't wait to read more!
View all 8 comments. Feb 05, Cristina rated it it was amazing Recommended to Cristina by: P she recommended me some romance mafia books that she thought I would like and this was one of them: What I didn't expect was to love this story so much, to fall in love with Luca and Aria's story and to adore the way Cora Reilly writes her novels. At the surface this is just another mafia novel: One mafia prince has to get ma Later edit: One mafia prince has to get married for convenience to a girl he doesn't know.
She dreams of romance and love He, on the other hand, is damaged and doesn't know what love is. But in the end What I loved most of all was how real their relationship felt to me. There was no instalove and instalust scenarios we see in a lot of romance books. Being from a traditional Italian family she had to be a virgin before marriage and I loved the fact that the author didn't minimize that and the fears that come from being married and having to have sex for the first time with a man you don't know.
Let's face it girls When I read a book that has a "first time" scene in which the female character has barely any discomfort and comes apart after a few strokes I just want to laugh. Aria had the fears that most of us had, the desire for the first time to be with someone special and on her terms. Even if Luca didn't seem like the men for the job he finally proved us wrong and Cora Reilly did a wonderful job with this book and became one of my favorite authors.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next books in this series: D I'm so curious about Matteo and Gianna's story: D I always wondered what was going on through his head at times Let me just tell you From the first page this book grabbed me, written so well all from Arias POV. We get to know Aria when she is 15, when her father high up in the Chicago italian mafia promises her to the son of the boss of the New York Familia.
Their partnership is to bring the two families closer so they can fight together against the Bratva and T 5 for the love of Luca stars i have never been a fan of arranged marriage but if my parents had set me up with the likes of Luca, well I may well have changed my mind.
Their partnership is to bring the two families closer so they can fight together against the Bratva and Triads. Aria obviously has no choice in this and is terrified of what will happen when she marries this scary guy when she turns I was fully prepared to hate Luca on Arias behalf, thinking he was going to go about things a hole lot differently than he did. So as the book progressed I found myself falling head over heals for Luca and cheering him on. I loved the settings in this book, they matched the story perfectly.
The only negative I could say would be that I would have liked a bit more of the Mafia side of things, this was more about the romance between Aria and Luca but in saying that I still really enjoyed it. I look forward to finishing the series. View all 53 comments. Sep 02, Hulya Kara Yuksel rated it it was amazing. God please help me to get over Luca. I fucking loved this story. And I'm so turned on right now. So God, please forgive me to for saying that but I'm not even sorry for this pleasure.
I never tho God please help me to get over Luca. View all 17 comments. Mar 15, Jacqueline's Reads rated it it was amazing Shelves: I was surprised on how good it was. Each book is about two people, a couple forced to marry because of traditional mafia ways. I will do that for now on with this series, because I want to go into fresh.
When Aria was fifteen her father told her she would marry Luca. Marriage in the mafia world is more business than love. Since Aria is the dutiful girl, she comes to terms with this, but she is frightened by the idea. Luca is four years older than Aria and is ruthless. Aria is the damsel in distress Heroine I love to read in books.
She is eighteen and is getting married to Luca. Luca is the Hero I love and hate at the same time. Luca is cold, but he also tries hard to be warm towards Aria. I love how opposite they are and it made for an addicting read. View all 3 comments. Jan 07, Lainey rated it it was ok.
This one started out so very promising and by the end, I was kind of just waiting for it to be over. With that being said, there is three more books in the series and they follow different characters introduced in this book and I know I will be checking those out because there was one character I just loved and found hilarious so I might end up just skipping to her book because I hard you can read these out of order. So Bound By Honor is about two rivaling Italian mobs from the east coast and the midwest.
Since there are outside mafias trying to take them down, these two mobs decided to unite forces by marrying off their kids. So Aria turns 18 and she has to marry on the east coast's sons, Luca. Who is as beastly and manly and hunky and whatever like you can imagine. Oh yeah, he's always really closed off and can't love anyone.
I loved about the first pages. Characters were introduced, things were moving along up to the wedding and days after that event but after the dust of the book's summary settled did this book get boring. I LOVE organized crime. It wasn't even secondary. I know women don't have a big presence in organized crime, but jesus christ, give me something more than Aria waiting around at the penthouse all day while all the good stuff is happening off-book and won't be mentioned until later off-offhandedly by Luca.
If we had Luca's pov we would have had WAY more insight into the crime aspect. Oh and the barely-ten page climax at the very end was a farce. Wasn't even worth it. Take your bullets back, Aria. I don't believe you can shoot perfect after never holding a gun in your life. This was the plot: Luca trying to take Aria's virginity the whole book. Not to mention Luca. I wanted to like him, but I kind of gave up on him with his incessant boners.
Dude needs to chill. During the book, Aria gets roofied and gets sick and is throwing up at their penthouse. Your wife is sick and is roofied. Aria as well could have been a lot better heroine. I am not joking when I say she spends Gurlfriend needs a life. Speaking of, her sister mentions once that Aria should go to college in New York to get an education and maybe she'd be able to help out with Luca's business. I definitely thought this was foreshadowing and got very excited because I thought this was perfect for her character to take an active role.
Aria seems to prefer putting nightgowns on staying at home. It wasn't the best. There were some very awkwardly worded sentences, not to mention wrong tenses being used within these sentences. I can ignore a few of these when I'm reading, but when I start to notice several The saving grace of this was Aria's sister, Gianna, who was hilarious. I need to read her story because this girl I liked.
In conclusion, this was rated a 2. It would have been a 1, but I honestly loved the beginning before it all fell apart. Dec 29, Katie rated it really liked it. I knew a normal person would have run from Luca, but i'd grown up among predators" What I loved: It was definitely a mafia romance book through and through! I love how family centered she was and how she took her situation marrying Luca and made the best of it. She was hilar 4 born in blood, sworn in blood stars " She was hilarious and a total spit-fire and I loved her!
I can't wait to read book 3 where SHE is the heroine!!! The temperature in the room definitely felt a lot hotter while reading them The scenes were detailed enough that I truly felt like I was there with the characters. What I didn't love: Well, that's a lie. I really found myself liking him in the beginning and he seemed really genuinely sweet to Aria.
That all faded during a certain scene halfway through the book and I hated him from then on. Cheating on her like that and then blaming it on the fact that he thought that most mafia wives want men to cheat so they don't have to have sex with them He may as well have said that he slipped and his dick suddenly fell into her He totally didn't take any blame on that situation at all! But to her suprise, she finds she can't read Armand and he cannot read her either--they are intended life mates.
I really like the Argeneau serie Great series but this one wasn't one of my favorites Part of the popular Argeneau series, 'Born to Bite' picks up where 'The Renegade Hunter' left off. I really like the Argeneau series. Most of the books are laugh out loud funny with engaging characters and appealing storylines. They are great beach reads. It's best to read them in order, because many of the early characters show up later in the series. The series has two different publishers, so be sure to check the reading order on the author's website http: I noticed each publisher only lists the books they published, rather than the entire series.
But I ended up being disappointed. This was one of my least favorite books in the series for a few reasons: I liked Eshe ok as a character, but Armand was just kind of blah. I almost immediately suspected the murderers. The storyline was too predictable.
I usually really enjoy the books that the Argeneau family members play a prominent role. It would be great to read books about Julian and Marguerite's son and Julian's nephews. They were great side characters in 'Vampire Interrupted' and I've been hoping for their happily ever afters. View all 4 comments. Jul 28, Marissa Dobson rated it it was amazing Shelves: The Argeneau series is one of my favorites, and this one is by far the hottest one yet.
Born to Bite is Armand's story, and holds a key to the puzzle that ties the series together.
Like many other readers I was wondering if Armand really killed his wives, and who set up Nicholas. Well Born to Bite explains it and finally gives up closure on the subject. Eshe and Armand's story was one of my favorites. I have to say I was surprised by who really was the killer, and why.
Born to Bite was one of those books, you couldn't put down. The romance and mystery mix was perfect. Eshe was a strong and vibrant character. I loved her wild hair, crazy motorcycle, and her life for the moment attitude. She was just what Armand needed to bring him out of his shell and back to being apart of the Argeneau family.
Born to Bite is not exactly the typical Argeneau novel, Eshe and Armand are already both immortal and have both previously had a life mate. There is no search for lifemates, or adjusting to being immortal, instead Born to Bite explains the mystery of Armand's wives and how they died. Born to Bite , is the 13th book in the Argeneau, and though it could be read as a stand alone, I suggest reading them in order to get the full feel for the series.
I found Born to Bite to be a wonderful addition to the series, and look forward to the next. This series is one of the best vampire series out there, and I recommend it to any vampire lover. Apr 30, Terra rated it it was amazing. Have I ever told you how much I really love Lynsay's books? Well let's just say that I have read every single book she has written to date so does that give you some indication! This installment of the Argeneau Family Saga is right up there with the best of the best.
Lynsay starts out with sparks flying between Armand and Eshe that could incinerate an atomic bomb. Let's just say the hot and steaminess of the beginning chapters will have you running for a cold shower. It's Have I ever told you how much I really love Lynsay's books? It's not long before we get down to business though and the storyline really picks up speed and continues right to the end at a fantastic pace.
This is a solid storyline that will make you think you are an innocent bystander watching all this as it actually happens. This is what you get from an author who most certainly knows her stuff. Eshe and Armand are sooooooooo made for each other. I want my own life mate please that will curl my toes and sizzle the tips of my hair.
With all that our hero and heroine go through and the way the story makes you think, it will keep you guessing let me tell you. I had part of the puzzle solved early on but questioned myself right up to the end and Lynsay threw just the right size monkey wrench into the story to keep me off track and questioning. If you are an Argeneau Lover then don't miss out on this book. You snooze you loose as the saying goes and this is a 5 star worth every page.
I really was touched my Armond's situation and I admired Eshe for her strength and courage. Eshe being the main one. Super hot, African-American, strong both body and mind and equal to the men since she is an enforcers. I have been wanting to know about the mysterious Armand Argeneau since I started reading this series. I pondered is he a murderer or does he just have really bad luck with women.
Each time he falls in love and is blessed with a child each of his wives die in mysterious accident.. Each time he falls in love and is blessed with a child each of his wives die in mysterious accident She is sent to investigate Armand Argeneau to find the proof that Nicholas is innocent. Someone had killed Armand's first lifemate and his two wives.
They had framed Armand's son, Nicholas for the murder of a mortal woman and killed his lifemate, as well. In order to prevent Nicholas from being executed of a crime he didn't commit, Lucien sent his enforcer Eshe, to investigate and discover the truth. Interestingly enough, Armand and Eshe were lifemates. Well when I first started this book I thought it was 3 stars may be 3. In the end I had tears in my eyes and had a damn hard time seeing through them.
It was a very good read. This Series gets better with each book! There are several things I really love about this book. OK, I have to tell you I am such a die hard Argeneau fan Born to Bite was full of suspence and I had absolutely no clue who the murderer was untill the very end.
Bound by Honor
I really enjoyed this book. It has some great page-turning parts, the humor, the contradictions, the characters are great, and the steamy scenes are good too. I really liked the characteristics of the female lead, she had spunk, humor, and acceptance in a perfect amount. I would definitely like to be more like that. May 18, Amy Jacobs rated it it was amazing Shelves: When it comes to this series, I am a serious stalker of the author's website. I check weekly, if not daily, to see if there is any news about this series! When the announcement about this book came out, I was doing a happy dance!
Wait, you are here for a review and not my excitement. Armand is the father of Thomas, Nicholas and Jeanne Louise. We have met each of them in previous books and the focus of this story is clearing Armand of murder while proving Nicholas is also innocent of his crimes. While Lucian sends Eshe out to Armand's home under the pretense of Armand hiding her out from the bad guys, we also discover that Eshe is actually there to look into the murders of Armand's previous wives.
It turns into a mystery of finding out the truth, with romance and witty dialogue along the way! I loved this book in the series. While I am not a huge fan of the character of Eshe, this book really let her shine and bring Armand into a story of his own. We had the suspense that the author is great at writing, but the important part is she didn't fail on the romance and witty humor that she is also known for!
Imagine not eating for centuries and trying to figure out what a can of whipped cream is and how it works! Then imagine looking at a bottle of Metamucil for the first time and seeing a pretty picture on the front thinking it would be yummy! Of course, what makes the humor even better is Bricker trying to explain these things to both of them!
I personally can't wait for Bricker's story and I keep begging Ms. Sands to use me as Bricker's life mate! The suspense was perfectly paced with surprises all throughout the book. The author keeps you guessing at who the true murderer is and kept leading me in different directions. Yet when all is revealed, I was still surprised and loved how it played out. If you haven't read any of The Argeneau series yet, you must sink your teeth into them as soon as possible! Then when you do, I can guarantee that you will be a series stalker just like me!
Well done again Ms. Sands for bringing me another wonderful Argeneau book! Just remember me when you do Bricker's story! May 25, Debp rated it it was amazing Shelves: First I must say I have not read any previous books in this series. It was very easy to identify the characters and get involved with the story. A beautiful, smart vampire named Eshe is sent undercover to investigate the mysterious, but seemingly accidental deaths, of 3 wives of a well known vampire named Armand.
She is a enforcer, a vampire trained to hunt rogue vampires. Eshe is torn between her growing feelings toward Armand, and the possibility that he could be a murderer. If he isn't than s First I must say I have not read any previous books in this series. If he isn't than she must figure out who is. The two of them, plus their very likeable companions must solve this, before someone else gets murdered. I really liked these characters. They were well rounded, intelligent and interacted well with each other. The plot was an interesting mix of mystery, romance and vampires.
It was nice to see the relationship develop as the mystery evolved and brought the two of them closer. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes vampires,romance and mysteries. Mar 12, Cindyg rated it really liked it. She believed in Armond and she proofed to be a woman of worth. I look forward to Alex and Cale's story. Such a fantastic book! We finally got that mystery solved, and yeah, loved these characters and their romance!
Can't wait to read more! She was forceful, confident and, as a rare female enforcer, she was someone I wanted to learn more about.
Born to Bite
So I was eager to get started when I realised Born to Bite concentrated on Eshe's investigation into the "accidental" deaths of Nicholas' and Armand's wives. I'm pleased to get closure on that front, but the story itself was ho-hum. Other reviewers complained about the lack of Will They or Won't They.
That didn't bother me a bit.
Though Sands could have gotten more mileage out of Armand's suspect status, why bother when we know everything will turn out fine? Besides, the story just prior used the ploy of criminal as romantic lead - no use repeating it. We've also had countless stories where the main couple have tried to devour each other from early on. More significant than any of that is the fact that both these characters are immortals who've had life mates in the past; they know the amazing gift they've been given. As with almost every character Sands creates, Eshe and Armand are enjoyable, amusing, and caring.
Eshe in particular prompted me to smile as she teased and badgered Lucian. Armand is somewhat bland, but his protective instincts raise my opinion of him. Characters aside, not much happens in this book. Sands should probably take her focus off the enforcers because it's increasingly obvious they're shit at their jobs.
Eshe might get a pass because of her raging hormones and bliss, but Bricker and Anders have no such excuse. There's a scene where Eshe and Bricker leave a suspect's home with only half their questions asked - and Bricker knows it. Does he pick up the slack during the interrogation? He waits until they've exited, necessitating a return trip. I know this isn't a mystery or suspense novel, but when you choose to incorporate these elements I expect some degree of finesse.
The villain is just who I'd thought it would be with a little twist thrown in, but there was little satisfaction in the unveiling. My only thrill came from knowing Nicholas' situation was resolved - but then, I knew that from the last book. The epilogue is touching and cute and everything we love about the Argeneaus.
It's a sweet ending to an otherwise haphazard novel. Legend has it that Armand Argeneau is a killer in the bedroom. Armand knew she was trouble the moment Eshe roared into town on her motorcycle, clad in ti This Series gets better with each book! Even though she falls in love in this book. She never gets wishy washy she keeps her personality in tact. I also really liked Armand, he was a strong tough Immortal with a caring side. Not a soft side but a caring side there is nothing soft about Armin.
Both main characters are good multi dimensional characters.