This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers

This Is Not A Test
by Courtney Summers

Genre: Dark Fantasy | Young Adult | Post-Apocalyptic

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up.

As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, everyone’s motivations to survive begin to change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life–and death–inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

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Silver by Rhiannon Held

Silver
by Rhiannon Held

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Dark Fantasy | Mystery

Andrew Dare is a werewolf. He’s the enforcer for the Roanoke pack, and responsible for capturing or killing any Were intruders in Roanoke’s territory. But the lone Were he’s tracking doesn’t smell or act like anyone he’s ever encountered. And when he catches her, it doesn’t get any better. She’s beautiful, she’s crazy, and someone has tortured her by injecting silver into her veins. She says her name is Silver, and that she’s lost her wild self and can’t shift any more.

The packs in North America have a live-and-let-live attitude, and try not to overlap with each other. But Silver represents a terrible threat to every Were on the continent.

Andrew and Silver will join forces to track down this menace while discovering their own power and their passion for each other.

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Blood Sin by Marie Treanor

Blood Sin

(Awakened by Blood, Book #2)

by Marie Treanor 

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Fantasy | Historic

Even if you walk in the light, you can dwell in the dark.  Months after her dangerous encounter with vampire overlord Salaman, Scottish academic Elizabeth Silk is still trying to cope with both the demands of her ancestral bloodline -- which marks her as a vampire hunter -- and the overpowering desire she feels for the immortal she brought back from the grave.  But she is not alone is her fascination with Saloman.  When Elizabeth tracks down a distant cousin from America, she learns he possesses an antique sword that has caused the interest of the Grand Master of the American hunters. It is the ancient and mystical sword of Saloman -- a treasure of vast occult powers and a price beyond measure to both vampires and humans.  Now the race is one on for possession of the sword.  Even as her enemies and allies shift their allegiances and battle for supremacy, Elizabeth must decide which will rule her own perilous fate: unwanted loyalty or unholy love.

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Blood On Silk by Marie Treanor

Blood on Silk

(Awakened by Blood, Book #1)

by Marie Treanor 

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Fantasy

Scottish academic Elizabeth Silk is spending the summer in Romania researching historical superstitions for her PhD. While she is tracing local foktales, one subject in particular sparks her imagination. His name is Saloman, legend's most powerful vampire, a seductive prince staked centuries ago. Now, in the ruins of a castle crypt, Elizabeth discovers the legends are real. Her blood has awakened him. Her innocence has aroused him. But Elizabeth unleashes more than Saloman's hunger.An army of vampire hunters has amassed to send Saloman back to hell. Sworn to help - yet fearing Saloman's deadly blood lust - Elizabeth seeks to entrap him, offering her body as bait. But something stronger than dread, more powerful than revenge, is uniting Elizabeth to her prey. Caught between desire and rage, Elizabeth must decide where her loyalties lie...and what the limits are to a yearning she can no longer control.

Elizabeth is finishing up research in Budapest when she gets a tip about a historic castle tale that would be a great contribution for the historic superstition thesis she is working on for her doctorate. Upon her visit, she discovers a secret tomb and accidentally awakens that last ancient vampire.  While vampire rules decree that Elizabeth's blood upon death will fully strengthen the ancient Soloman back to full power, she becomes equally frightened and tempted by his mocking and lustful ways.  Thus, as the two wickedly banter back and forth, Elizabeth pursues other options in hope to remain alive and joins a local vampire hunter organizations to learn techniques in taking down the undead.  Yet, while the vampire world around them is all abuzz with the new arisen ancient and as her feelings for Soloman grow deeper as well as her mental bond with him develops new shocking abilities for herself, Elizabeth must decide just which side she should choose.

I had delayed reading this series for awhile now and am kicking myself for it, since it was a wonderfully enjoyable book that I should have read long ago.  I quickly bonded with Elizabeth and relished in the fact that she was a strong, likeable female lead by solely being studious and brave without coming off as overly cocky or too fragile. On the flip side, Soloman was very charismatic and amusing and their interactions together really complemented each other and created an easily believable love-hate relationship that kept me, as a reader, turning the pages late into the night.  The silly mockery between Soloman and Elizabeth really kept the story alive for me and seeing that relationship evolve throughout the story while each were being torn away due to being different added much spark to the tale and had me jumping right into book #2 of the series as soon as I finished.  So, if you're wanting a juicy paranormal romance with a bit of a comedic twist, you won't miss out with Blood on Silk.

Likes: As a cultural/superstition history buff, I was easily fascinated by Elizabeth's work.

Dislikes: I wasn't really a fan of the vampire hunters, but can understand how their presence in Elizabeth's life added much tension to the story due to the fact that she had to keep her attraction to Soloman secret.

Chapter One/Paragraph One: "Saloman. Again. "I'm beginning to hate that guy," Elizabeth muttered.  "If he ever existed.""

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Rating:

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