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Brotherhood of the Damned #1
Embrace of the Damned
New York Times bestselling author Anya Bast introduces her newest paranormal romance, set in the world of Norse mythology…
A damned Viking warrior.
Centuries ago Broder Calderson committed murder. As punishment, he was given over to the dominion of Loki, the Trickster God, made part of the Brotherhood of the Damned and condemned to an immortal life of battle against the Blight, blood-drinkers from Hel.
A mysterious woman he can’t resist.
One thousand years to the day he was damned, Loki allows him a woman as reward for his good service and repentance of his crimes. Once Broder sees Jessamine Hamilton, he is overcome with need. But Jessa is no ordinary woman, and the truth of who—and what—she is could have dangerous consequences.
A tormented man she can’t deny.
Though a future together is impossible, the warrior’s touch ignites an irresistible passion in Jessa. But every heated kiss pushes them closer to destruction. Forced to return to the brutality of his Viking past to protect her, will Broder surrender forever to his darkest impulses?
A damned Viking warrior.
Centuries ago Broder Calderson committed murder. As punishment, he was given over to the dominion of Loki, the Trickster God, made part of the Brotherhood of the Damned and condemned to an immortal life of battle against the Blight, blood-drinkers from Hel.
A mysterious woman he can’t resist.
One thousand years to the day he was damned, Loki allows him a woman as reward for his good service and repentance of his crimes. Once Broder sees Jessamine Hamilton, he is overcome with need. But Jessa is no ordinary woman, and the truth of who—and what—she is could have dangerous consequences.
A tormented man she can’t deny.
Though a future together is impossible, the warrior’s touch ignites an irresistible passion in Jessa. But every heated kiss pushes them closer to destruction. Forced to return to the brutality of his Viking past to protect her, will Broder surrender forever to his darkest impulses?
294 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
1139 people want to read
About the author
Anya Bast
67 books1,452 followersAnya Bast is the author of numerous works of romantic fiction, mostly all paranormal and mostly all scorching hot. She lives in the country with her husband, daughter, eight cats, a dog, and an odd assortment of rescued animals.
She grew up in Minnesota and still favors the colder climates. After high school she moved to the southeast United States where she attended college. While in graduate school she sold her first book and decide to pursue her lifelong dream of writing instead of a career in psychology.
Somewhat reclusive by nature, she can be drawn out with a good bottle of red wine, classic movies, or good music. When she’s not writing, she can be found trying to grow organic vegetables, shopping in thrift stores for that perfect piece of clothing, or dreaming about travel to some faraway country.
She’s hard at work on a brand new series for Berkley Sensation right now, while winding up her national bestselling Elemental Witches quartet.
She grew up in Minnesota and still favors the colder climates. After high school she moved to the southeast United States where she attended college. While in graduate school she sold her first book and decide to pursue her lifelong dream of writing instead of a career in psychology.
Somewhat reclusive by nature, she can be drawn out with a good bottle of red wine, classic movies, or good music. When she’s not writing, she can be found trying to grow organic vegetables, shopping in thrift stores for that perfect piece of clothing, or dreaming about travel to some faraway country.
She’s hard at work on a brand new series for Berkley Sensation right now, while winding up her national bestselling Elemental Witches quartet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 9, 2021
I really liked the ideas the author brought together for this series. Key elements of Norse mythology and folklore are pulled into modern times--there are gods (Loki, Freyja, Odin, Hel are referenced in this book), there are Valkyries, and there's the peculiar Norse magic called seidhr, wielded by witches and shamans.
In this version of the Norse pantheon, the goddess Hel seeks to bring about Ragnarok (the apocalypse) by thrusting ice demons into the world--they're bloodsuckers with fangs like your idea of a vampire, but you get frostbite wherever they touch you, and if you manage to kill one, it shatters into pieces of ice. Our heroes call them the Blight, and they just keep coming--the Blight is a constant in this world, and the Brotherhood of the series title is tasked by Loki to fight against the Blight.
Exiled from Asgard as punishment for killing Baldur, Loki is allowed to punish in turn the Viking warriors who've committed the most heinous crimes; into each one he inserts a shard of Blight ice that binds the warrior to Loki for eternity, keeping the warrior alive on earth to slaughter demons, and for that purpose each warrior gets a special sword. A touch from the special sword shatters a demon, and without it the only way they can be destroyed is by beheading.
The Valkyries and the witches and shamans of the seidhr, all of whom are long-lived but mortal, also see the Blight as enemies, but the Valkyries are reluctant allies of the Brotherhood and the seidhr has something more serious against the Brothers. All three groups live in mutual hostility (when they're not shattering ice demons) in the far north of Scotland--that's right, land the Norse used to rule. And a few of them emigrated to the New World and hang around Washington DC.
The debut of the series tells the story of Broder (sic!), starting with the mass murder he committed a thousand years ago to fall into Loki's hands. His special punishment was celibacy, for no particular reason that I could see, with the proviso that if he made it through a thousand years, Loki would allow him a woman. And so, when his time comes in the year of publication of this story, he is drawn inexorably to a parking garage in downtown Washington where Jessamine Hamilton is being attacked by an ice demon.
So Broder turns the demon into ice cubes on the garage floor, touches Jessa on the forehead, and takes his unconscious mate into protective custody. A most complicated romance ensues, because as you know Loki is the Trickster and deep down Broder knows Loki will use Jessa to play a major trick on Broder. What the trick is, and who and what Jessa is, and how the romance proceeds--all of that is deep in spoilerland. Here I'll just reveal one thing--most of the story takes place in Scotland, from Inverness north.
The setting and the many action scenes are very well described--I felt I was right there. The most detailed descriptions are reserved for countless scenes of erotic play. Regrettably, I was right there also for all the romantic conflicts, asking why they can't work their issues out. There's a power play, though, that turns the romance into intense adventure and keeps the book from falling below three stars for me.
In this version of the Norse pantheon, the goddess Hel seeks to bring about Ragnarok (the apocalypse) by thrusting ice demons into the world--they're bloodsuckers with fangs like your idea of a vampire, but you get frostbite wherever they touch you, and if you manage to kill one, it shatters into pieces of ice. Our heroes call them the Blight, and they just keep coming--the Blight is a constant in this world, and the Brotherhood of the series title is tasked by Loki to fight against the Blight.
Exiled from Asgard as punishment for killing Baldur, Loki is allowed to punish in turn the Viking warriors who've committed the most heinous crimes; into each one he inserts a shard of Blight ice that binds the warrior to Loki for eternity, keeping the warrior alive on earth to slaughter demons, and for that purpose each warrior gets a special sword. A touch from the special sword shatters a demon, and without it the only way they can be destroyed is by beheading.
The Valkyries and the witches and shamans of the seidhr, all of whom are long-lived but mortal, also see the Blight as enemies, but the Valkyries are reluctant allies of the Brotherhood and the seidhr has something more serious against the Brothers. All three groups live in mutual hostility (when they're not shattering ice demons) in the far north of Scotland--that's right, land the Norse used to rule. And a few of them emigrated to the New World and hang around Washington DC.
The debut of the series tells the story of Broder (sic!), starting with the mass murder he committed a thousand years ago to fall into Loki's hands. His special punishment was celibacy, for no particular reason that I could see, with the proviso that if he made it through a thousand years, Loki would allow him a woman. And so, when his time comes in the year of publication of this story, he is drawn inexorably to a parking garage in downtown Washington where Jessamine Hamilton is being attacked by an ice demon.
So Broder turns the demon into ice cubes on the garage floor, touches Jessa on the forehead, and takes his unconscious mate into protective custody. A most complicated romance ensues, because as you know Loki is the Trickster and deep down Broder knows Loki will use Jessa to play a major trick on Broder. What the trick is, and who and what Jessa is, and how the romance proceeds--all of that is deep in spoilerland. Here I'll just reveal one thing--most of the story takes place in Scotland, from Inverness north.
The setting and the many action scenes are very well described--I felt I was right there. The most detailed descriptions are reserved for countless scenes of erotic play. Regrettably, I was right there also for all the romantic conflicts, asking why they can't work their issues out. There's a power play, though, that turns the romance into intense adventure and keeps the book from falling below three stars for me.
May 17, 2012
3.5 Stars
This review was posted at Under the Covers
The premise of this series is very interesting. There are some aspects that I found extremely original and can't wait to see more of this world develop. As the first book in the series there was a bit of explaining things but it wasn't overwhelming to the point that it interfered with my enjoyment of the book.
"I want to fuck you, Jessa. I want a night of pure, down and dirty sex with you. I want to make you come over and over." He took a shuddering, shaky breath. "I want to hear you scream my name at the top of your lungs. Now you know what I'm thinking about."
So let me explain why he seems to be coming on a bit too strong. Broder has been an immortal for a century and he has been part of the Brotherhood for that long. They are warriors that pretty much belong to Loki, a temperamental God who made them all immortal because they had committed some pretty bad crimes. Loki cursed Broder to not be able to have sex with anyone until the one woman that was for him came on the 1000 anniversary of his mortal death. And the day has come and his "chastity belt" has come off.
Jessamine was in theory everything he could ever hope for to get as his mate. Except that she got on my very last nerve! Not so much her personality but her hot and cold attitude towards Broder. She was just a bit TOO MUCH of a "cock-tease" to the point that I just wanted to slap her sometimes. Either you want him now or you want to wait, but quit doing this to him!!
Broder has a secret in his past and it has to do with Jessamine too. Now that he found her he will have to protect her. See she is actually a sort of powerful witch who doesn't know anything about her own powers. Her true family wants her back, the bad guys want her out of the picture. And she will have to trust Broder, a complete stranger, to protect her.
My favorite part of this world was the bad guys. Some sort of blood drinkers that when killed shatter into shards of ice. Hell is frozen not hot, ice not fire. I thought that concept was very cool. And the Brotherhood members are made immortal by having that ice embedded in their heart. I'm intrigued to see what's to come in the series.
*ARC provided by publisher
This review was posted at Under the Covers
The premise of this series is very interesting. There are some aspects that I found extremely original and can't wait to see more of this world develop. As the first book in the series there was a bit of explaining things but it wasn't overwhelming to the point that it interfered with my enjoyment of the book.
"I want to fuck you, Jessa. I want a night of pure, down and dirty sex with you. I want to make you come over and over." He took a shuddering, shaky breath. "I want to hear you scream my name at the top of your lungs. Now you know what I'm thinking about."
So let me explain why he seems to be coming on a bit too strong. Broder has been an immortal for a century and he has been part of the Brotherhood for that long. They are warriors that pretty much belong to Loki, a temperamental God who made them all immortal because they had committed some pretty bad crimes. Loki cursed Broder to not be able to have sex with anyone until the one woman that was for him came on the 1000 anniversary of his mortal death. And the day has come and his "chastity belt" has come off.
Jessamine was in theory everything he could ever hope for to get as his mate. Except that she got on my very last nerve! Not so much her personality but her hot and cold attitude towards Broder. She was just a bit TOO MUCH of a "cock-tease" to the point that I just wanted to slap her sometimes. Either you want him now or you want to wait, but quit doing this to him!!
Broder has a secret in his past and it has to do with Jessamine too. Now that he found her he will have to protect her. See she is actually a sort of powerful witch who doesn't know anything about her own powers. Her true family wants her back, the bad guys want her out of the picture. And she will have to trust Broder, a complete stranger, to protect her.
My favorite part of this world was the bad guys. Some sort of blood drinkers that when killed shatter into shards of ice. Hell is frozen not hot, ice not fire. I thought that concept was very cool. And the Brotherhood members are made immortal by having that ice embedded in their heart. I'm intrigued to see what's to come in the series.
*ARC provided by publisher
May 22, 2012
Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks
Embrace of the Damned it the first book in Anya Bast’s newest series, The Brotherhood of the Damned. After reading this book, I decided to give it 3 stars. But even if I gave it a decent rating, there were things about the book I really liked and there were things about the book I really didn’t enjoy. Therefore, I think I’m going to write my ‘pro and con’ style of review because it will be the easiest way to write this.
The story/series is about almost thousand year old Vikings who performed unspeakable acts of violence when they were young and are now cursed to serve the god Loki, fighting the Blight and trying to prevent a war amongst the gods that would destroy humanity. Each Brother is cursed with something else too as an extra punishment for their acts committed. Broder can’t have sex for 1000 years. Then he can but only for a bit then Loki will make him not be able to anymore again.
What I liked about the book:
I like the idea of the Brotherhood and how each member has their own ‘special’ curse. We don’t know anyone’s but Broder’s so it will be interesting to learn more about each member of the gang in future books. Assuming there will be more.
I really liked the bad guys. Well, I should say I loved how different they were. The Agent of Blight are essentially vampires but aren’t called that. They are demons. They have fangs and suck blood but they are also very cold. They are so cold that you get frostbite where they touch you. Even their saliva freezes. And when they are killed, instead of turning to dust, they turn to ice crystals! I just found these twists to be pretty neat.
I liked the idea of Jessa’s character, how she’s discovering she has new powers that she can’t explain and that she’s looking for answers. And I liked that she didn’t just accept everything she learned right away. I also sort of liked how she didn’t just jump into bed with Broder as soon as they met. I didn’t like how she teased him but we’ll get to that in the next part of the review.
Even though this was a first book in a new paranormal series, there was no info dump. You learned all you needed to but it was spread out nicely throughout the book. So when you read about the Brotherhood’s background or about Loki and Hel’s feud, your eyes don’t cross.
The way the story was written was good. What we learn early on is that the Blight want Jessa dead but we’re not sure why exactly. The mystery of what and who Jessa truly is quite well done.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I didn’t understand why Broder’s ‘other’s curse was what it was. I mean, why celibacy? He didn’t rape thousands of women or anything so why was that Loki’s curse for him?
As you probably guessed, because this is a paranormal romance book after all, at the beginning of the book Broder reaches 1000 years working for Loki. That means he can do the nasty and he’s itching for it. When he meets Jessa, he knows that she is the one who was sent by Loki to um…help him out. He feels an intense connection to her and needs to have her Now. As you can well imagine seeing he’s been celibate for 1000 years. Jessa feels a connection too but she’s also got a lot to deal with. So what does she do? She gets turned on by Broder, lets him get too far then…stops him. Again and again and again. Actually, I lost count as to how many times she did this. Yes, I get it, you don’t know him much and that ‘so not you’ blah blah blah, but don’t be a cock tease! How many orgasms do you let a man give you before you realize that maybe you’re being a little bit of a hypocrite here? It’s frustrating for poor Broder and annoying for the reader. I just found that if she wasn’t wanting, she shouldn’t have let anything start. No matter how hot she found the guy.
Broder was constantly after Jessa. And I mean the *wink wink nudge nudge* “after”. Yes buddy, we know you’ve been without a woman for a loooong time, but that don’t mean you can just grope her in the middle of a conversation. And that’s what was happening. They are talking then suddenly bam! Jess would talk about witches then Broder would answer about witches then the next sentence – and not because they were finished talking about witches – would be Broder saying something like “you are mine and I will have you” then he’d start licking or touching or whatever…then after it goes “too far for Jessa’s comfort”, she would snap to her senses and say “I’m sorry, so sorry but…” So basically, the whole sex thing with these two was just done…oddly.
What didn’t help either is that I just didn’t really click with the characters in this book. They were fine and all but overall they didn’t grab me. The strange part is that I can’t really put my finger on why not. Perhaps there wasn’t enough depth to them? Perhaps all the groping was getting in the way? I was very curious about what would happen to them and that kept me reading, but I never really truly cared about them.
So there you have it. All in all, it wasn’t a terrible book. There were lots of neat parts and twists, but nothing that really wowed me. I didn’t find any information about the future of this series, meaning I’m not sure how many more books are planned, but I’m not sure if I’ll continue on with it. Maybe I’ll wait to see what you guys think of the next book before deciding.
Embrace of the Damned it the first book in Anya Bast’s newest series, The Brotherhood of the Damned. After reading this book, I decided to give it 3 stars. But even if I gave it a decent rating, there were things about the book I really liked and there were things about the book I really didn’t enjoy. Therefore, I think I’m going to write my ‘pro and con’ style of review because it will be the easiest way to write this.
The story/series is about almost thousand year old Vikings who performed unspeakable acts of violence when they were young and are now cursed to serve the god Loki, fighting the Blight and trying to prevent a war amongst the gods that would destroy humanity. Each Brother is cursed with something else too as an extra punishment for their acts committed. Broder can’t have sex for 1000 years. Then he can but only for a bit then Loki will make him not be able to anymore again.
What I liked about the book:
I like the idea of the Brotherhood and how each member has their own ‘special’ curse. We don’t know anyone’s but Broder’s so it will be interesting to learn more about each member of the gang in future books. Assuming there will be more.
I really liked the bad guys. Well, I should say I loved how different they were. The Agent of Blight are essentially vampires but aren’t called that. They are demons. They have fangs and suck blood but they are also very cold. They are so cold that you get frostbite where they touch you. Even their saliva freezes. And when they are killed, instead of turning to dust, they turn to ice crystals! I just found these twists to be pretty neat.
I liked the idea of Jessa’s character, how she’s discovering she has new powers that she can’t explain and that she’s looking for answers. And I liked that she didn’t just accept everything she learned right away. I also sort of liked how she didn’t just jump into bed with Broder as soon as they met. I didn’t like how she teased him but we’ll get to that in the next part of the review.
Even though this was a first book in a new paranormal series, there was no info dump. You learned all you needed to but it was spread out nicely throughout the book. So when you read about the Brotherhood’s background or about Loki and Hel’s feud, your eyes don’t cross.
The way the story was written was good. What we learn early on is that the Blight want Jessa dead but we’re not sure why exactly. The mystery of what and who Jessa truly is quite well done.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I didn’t understand why Broder’s ‘other’s curse was what it was. I mean, why celibacy? He didn’t rape thousands of women or anything so why was that Loki’s curse for him?
As you probably guessed, because this is a paranormal romance book after all, at the beginning of the book Broder reaches 1000 years working for Loki. That means he can do the nasty and he’s itching for it. When he meets Jessa, he knows that she is the one who was sent by Loki to um…help him out. He feels an intense connection to her and needs to have her Now. As you can well imagine seeing he’s been celibate for 1000 years. Jessa feels a connection too but she’s also got a lot to deal with. So what does she do? She gets turned on by Broder, lets him get too far then…stops him. Again and again and again. Actually, I lost count as to how many times she did this. Yes, I get it, you don’t know him much and that ‘so not you’ blah blah blah, but don’t be a cock tease! How many orgasms do you let a man give you before you realize that maybe you’re being a little bit of a hypocrite here? It’s frustrating for poor Broder and annoying for the reader. I just found that if she wasn’t wanting, she shouldn’t have let anything start. No matter how hot she found the guy.
Broder was constantly after Jessa. And I mean the *wink wink nudge nudge* “after”. Yes buddy, we know you’ve been without a woman for a loooong time, but that don’t mean you can just grope her in the middle of a conversation. And that’s what was happening. They are talking then suddenly bam! Jess would talk about witches then Broder would answer about witches then the next sentence – and not because they were finished talking about witches – would be Broder saying something like “you are mine and I will have you” then he’d start licking or touching or whatever…then after it goes “too far for Jessa’s comfort”, she would snap to her senses and say “I’m sorry, so sorry but…” So basically, the whole sex thing with these two was just done…oddly.
What didn’t help either is that I just didn’t really click with the characters in this book. They were fine and all but overall they didn’t grab me. The strange part is that I can’t really put my finger on why not. Perhaps there wasn’t enough depth to them? Perhaps all the groping was getting in the way? I was very curious about what would happen to them and that kept me reading, but I never really truly cared about them.
So there you have it. All in all, it wasn’t a terrible book. There were lots of neat parts and twists, but nothing that really wowed me. I didn’t find any information about the future of this series, meaning I’m not sure how many more books are planned, but I’m not sure if I’ll continue on with it. Maybe I’ll wait to see what you guys think of the next book before deciding.
May 27, 2012
This book was pretty good for a first book in a series. The set up was done with a little bit of info given at a time versus an info dump. I do, however, wish there was more back ground on the Brotherhood, there was enough to understand but I wanted more, especially with the seidhr.
It was hard not to like Broder from the start. He went all alpha male, the only thought to protect Jessa at any costs. Jessa, on the other hand, I am not sure about. She was a bitch at the beginning, then for most of the book she turned in to a tease, even called herself that. She did handle learning all the supernatural stuff well, but it was her personality that turned me off of her.
Because I liked the overall theme of the book I will check out the next one in hopes that the characters are more likeable.
It was hard not to like Broder from the start. He went all alpha male, the only thought to protect Jessa at any costs. Jessa, on the other hand, I am not sure about. She was a bitch at the beginning, then for most of the book she turned in to a tease, even called herself that. She did handle learning all the supernatural stuff well, but it was her personality that turned me off of her.
Because I liked the overall theme of the book I will check out the next one in hopes that the characters are more likeable.
April 30, 2012
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Anya Bast has created a dark and thrilling world of demons and damned men. The romance is H.O.T. hot! Embrace of the Damned is completely engrossing; I didn’t want to put this book down.
Opening Sentence: Other people’s blood seeped into Broder’s wounds, making every slash and scratch on his body burn.
The Review:
Imagine a good-looking (but at the same time scary-looking dude) frightening the crap out of you in a dark parking garage basically telling you “They know what you are. They are coming after you. Good Luck!” That is what happens to Jessamine Hamilton. She doesn’t even know what she is. She has only just become suspicious of little things that she can do. She is looking into her past when she is attacked in the parking garage by a demon.
Broder Calderson comes to Jessa’s rescue. Broder has been a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned for one thousand years and on this day Loki has given Broder his freedom to be with a woman and not just any woman. Broder feels the pull of Jessa once the veil has been lifted and he finds her just in time. The demons want Jessa dead. It is up to Jessa and Broder to find out what she is and why she is being hunted down.
As a member of the Brotherhood, Broder is a part of an army that hunts demons for the god Loki. The demons are part of the war to create Ragnarok. The Brotherhood must fight to prevent it. All the brothers are damned and immortal. Loki recruited them for his army after they participated in unspeakable crimes. Broder is a big man with no emotion. He lost all rights to emotion when he became a brother. He fights his battles but what he really wants is to die.
When Broder meets Jessa she starts to break down his shields but she doesn’t have to work very hard. Broder wants her. Jessa wants Broder too, but she doesn’t want a quick fling, a love ‘em and leave ‘em relationship. She has been hurt badly in her past and she doesn’t want the heartbreak of another relationship. They both know there can be no future for them after Jessa learns what she is and because Loki will eventually take her away from Broder.
Embrace of the Damned starts off action-packed. Broder and Jessa are on the run but when they make it to Broder’s house in Scotland the action slows down a bit but not too much. Jessa learns how to protect herself while having to endure mental manipulation and kidnappings. Jessa isn’t the strongest of heroines. In fact she is quite a bit of a tease, so much so she even admits it to herself. But she knows her limitations and that is what I liked about Jessa.
Broder and Jessa aren’t the only points of view during the story. Roan is a bad/good guy. He provides more insight into what Jessa is and the people she comes from. Roan was one of those guys that I hated during the story but in the end I just felt sorry for him and the situation he was put in.
The tension of Broder and Jessa’s relationship is what kept me riveted. I wasn’t sure how this story would end but when everything was said and done it was warm and heartfelt. I think this is a great start to a new series and I can’t wait for the next book. There are several characters that I hope to get to see more of in the future.
Embrace of the Damned is a sexy, dark paranormal romance. If you like sexy Vikings, smart-ass women and Norse mythology then this is one Viking romance I definitely recommend.
Notable Scene:
Jessa leapt out of the way, narrowly missing the swipe of an enormous hand. This was probably a low-level demon and he looked it—an unintelligent grunt. Pivoting on the ball of her foot, she brought her boot around and clipped the thing in the side of the head.
The demon staggered to the side, shaking his ringing head, as she spun away. A split second later he lunged for her again, catching her by her shirt. The material ripped as she lurched to the side and nearly tripped, her sword swinging wildly. Her heart thudded. This was not the time to lose control.
Listing to the side to catch her balance, she madly swiped with the sword, cutting only air. The demon sensed he had her, growled something in a foreign language, and leapt.
Staggering backward, she swung again. This time the tip of the blade sliced through fabric, bit into the demon’s upper chest. It had been purely luck.
The thing roared, blood coursing down his chest, but this was no Loki blade she wielded; he didn’t explode into ice fragments. The wound only seemed to enrage him. He stalked toward her again.
Jessa retreated backward, sword hanging loose in one hand. She had to kill this thing. It was her life or his. She stumbled over a piece of refuse, nearly falling on her ass.
When the demon smiled, sensing he had her. Whimpering deep in her throat, she slouched her shoulders. Oh, God, she was going to die. The agents smile widened. Good. Stupid, gullible thing.
Jessa leapt forward, right into the demon, bringing her fist around into the tender flesh of his nose. The demon howled, his head snapping to the side. Her hand burst with pain, but that was no matter now. With a two-handed grip on the sword handle, she pivoted, bringing the blade around to bite into the nape of his neck with as much force as she could muster. The blade was incredibly sharp and it slid into the demon’s flesh like butter.
The Brotherhood of the Damned Series:
1. Embrace of the Damned
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Berkley provided me with a copy of Embrace of the Damned. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Anya Bast has created a dark and thrilling world of demons and damned men. The romance is H.O.T. hot! Embrace of the Damned is completely engrossing; I didn’t want to put this book down.
Opening Sentence: Other people’s blood seeped into Broder’s wounds, making every slash and scratch on his body burn.
The Review:
Imagine a good-looking (but at the same time scary-looking dude) frightening the crap out of you in a dark parking garage basically telling you “They know what you are. They are coming after you. Good Luck!” That is what happens to Jessamine Hamilton. She doesn’t even know what she is. She has only just become suspicious of little things that she can do. She is looking into her past when she is attacked in the parking garage by a demon.
Broder Calderson comes to Jessa’s rescue. Broder has been a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned for one thousand years and on this day Loki has given Broder his freedom to be with a woman and not just any woman. Broder feels the pull of Jessa once the veil has been lifted and he finds her just in time. The demons want Jessa dead. It is up to Jessa and Broder to find out what she is and why she is being hunted down.
As a member of the Brotherhood, Broder is a part of an army that hunts demons for the god Loki. The demons are part of the war to create Ragnarok. The Brotherhood must fight to prevent it. All the brothers are damned and immortal. Loki recruited them for his army after they participated in unspeakable crimes. Broder is a big man with no emotion. He lost all rights to emotion when he became a brother. He fights his battles but what he really wants is to die.
When Broder meets Jessa she starts to break down his shields but she doesn’t have to work very hard. Broder wants her. Jessa wants Broder too, but she doesn’t want a quick fling, a love ‘em and leave ‘em relationship. She has been hurt badly in her past and she doesn’t want the heartbreak of another relationship. They both know there can be no future for them after Jessa learns what she is and because Loki will eventually take her away from Broder.
Embrace of the Damned starts off action-packed. Broder and Jessa are on the run but when they make it to Broder’s house in Scotland the action slows down a bit but not too much. Jessa learns how to protect herself while having to endure mental manipulation and kidnappings. Jessa isn’t the strongest of heroines. In fact she is quite a bit of a tease, so much so she even admits it to herself. But she knows her limitations and that is what I liked about Jessa.
Broder and Jessa aren’t the only points of view during the story. Roan is a bad/good guy. He provides more insight into what Jessa is and the people she comes from. Roan was one of those guys that I hated during the story but in the end I just felt sorry for him and the situation he was put in.
The tension of Broder and Jessa’s relationship is what kept me riveted. I wasn’t sure how this story would end but when everything was said and done it was warm and heartfelt. I think this is a great start to a new series and I can’t wait for the next book. There are several characters that I hope to get to see more of in the future.
Embrace of the Damned is a sexy, dark paranormal romance. If you like sexy Vikings, smart-ass women and Norse mythology then this is one Viking romance I definitely recommend.
Notable Scene:
Jessa leapt out of the way, narrowly missing the swipe of an enormous hand. This was probably a low-level demon and he looked it—an unintelligent grunt. Pivoting on the ball of her foot, she brought her boot around and clipped the thing in the side of the head.
The demon staggered to the side, shaking his ringing head, as she spun away. A split second later he lunged for her again, catching her by her shirt. The material ripped as she lurched to the side and nearly tripped, her sword swinging wildly. Her heart thudded. This was not the time to lose control.
Listing to the side to catch her balance, she madly swiped with the sword, cutting only air. The demon sensed he had her, growled something in a foreign language, and leapt.
Staggering backward, she swung again. This time the tip of the blade sliced through fabric, bit into the demon’s upper chest. It had been purely luck.
The thing roared, blood coursing down his chest, but this was no Loki blade she wielded; he didn’t explode into ice fragments. The wound only seemed to enrage him. He stalked toward her again.
Jessa retreated backward, sword hanging loose in one hand. She had to kill this thing. It was her life or his. She stumbled over a piece of refuse, nearly falling on her ass.
When the demon smiled, sensing he had her. Whimpering deep in her throat, she slouched her shoulders. Oh, God, she was going to die. The agents smile widened. Good. Stupid, gullible thing.
Jessa leapt forward, right into the demon, bringing her fist around into the tender flesh of his nose. The demon howled, his head snapping to the side. Her hand burst with pain, but that was no matter now. With a two-handed grip on the sword handle, she pivoted, bringing the blade around to bite into the nape of his neck with as much force as she could muster. The blade was incredibly sharp and it slid into the demon’s flesh like butter.
The Brotherhood of the Damned Series:
1. Embrace of the Damned
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Berkley provided me with a copy of Embrace of the Damned. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
August 26, 2014
This Review was first published on my blog Lecture toute une Aventure
I took this book because of an excerpt I saw on Anya’s blog, I was drawn to it and I don’t regret it even if when I finished this book I had a strange thought but let’s start with the beginning.
I love Vikings and Norse mythology, it’s a great change in my reading and I took pleasure in it. Loki was exactly like I imagined him and he is so devious that you want to slap him, strangle him, etc. The story starts when Broder is committing a massacre, we don’t know why he is fighting like a berserker but I got the feeling there was a lot behind his action. They Loki enters and punishes him by cursing him. He will now be a fighter under Loki’s orders for the duration of his existence… eternally if he doesn’t find the demon that he is the source of the splinter Loki put in his soul. Cruel, yes but in the Norse mythology things aren’t soft like the life at that time still I was angry with Loki since the starts, how can he do that and then tell him that if he is a good boy, do it’s job he will get the woman made for him…. But only for the time he, as a god, decide. Grrr bad Loki!
At the present time, Broder is in a group of other Norwegians, cursed like him for a bloody crime, however the curse can have different specificities. The only common thing is the only way to break it, and then the rest is up to Loki’s mood when he curses you. In Broder case he can’t touch a woman except the one made for him (and only 1000 after the curse was given) So when he feels the woman made for him, the fighter starts to get feelings again like hope…even he suspects a trick from Loki. And he was right, yes Jessamine is perfect for him but she is also a witch and Broder has a strong history with them so while he is deeply attracted, and tries to act with honor and not ravish her, he is also determined to keep his distance because he knows they can’t be forever together.
I really loved to see his turmoil and how he wasn’t acting like a barbarians quite the opposite even.
Jessamine doesn’t know who she is anymore. After the death of her parents she was raised by her aunt… at least that was she thought, until she died suddenly. Then she discovered in her aunt house some pictures of her parents but older pictures with different name. That added to the fact that she is starting to get new strange abilities is starting to make her doubt what she was always told. So when she is attacked and saved in an underground parking she is only half surprised. Attracted to Broder but wanting answer more than anything she start a journey with him and enter a new world that didn’t suspect until after a kiss he announces her that she is a witch.
Jessa is strong minded, she knows what she wants and doesn’t hesitate to tell Broder what she thinks. However I didn’t like her at first because she was teasing him too much. She isn’t sure she is ready for a short relationship So he can give her pleasure yes but not take his own. Not fair even crueler when we know his history. She get better thought and I admire her, but still I resent her for their beginning^^;;.
What I really appreciate was the ending. We get answers and the heroine doesn’t need to change, be transformed etc for the relationship to have a chance. No, Love really prevails and we get to see a goddess determined, moved and fair. Loki isn’t the only master that can decide everything anymore and what happen after really made me smile. That being said, I also told you that when I was closing the book something came to my mind… I don’t feel like I want to read the next book, or at least not soon. It’s really strange because I really loved the book, perhaps it’s because the ending is so perfect that I don’t want something to alter that, that I was to savour it longer not sure but being honest I had to say it (now perhaps when I will read the next summary I will be anxiously waiting to read book 2 but so far book 1 is a wonderful stand alone too)
If you want a book with a wonderful happy ending, where love conquers all etc, a touch of mythology and lot of action this is an excellent book for you.
( and if you could have a thought for Anya to support her to face her medical ordeal it would be really appreciated)
I took this book because of an excerpt I saw on Anya’s blog, I was drawn to it and I don’t regret it even if when I finished this book I had a strange thought but let’s start with the beginning.
I love Vikings and Norse mythology, it’s a great change in my reading and I took pleasure in it. Loki was exactly like I imagined him and he is so devious that you want to slap him, strangle him, etc. The story starts when Broder is committing a massacre, we don’t know why he is fighting like a berserker but I got the feeling there was a lot behind his action. They Loki enters and punishes him by cursing him. He will now be a fighter under Loki’s orders for the duration of his existence… eternally if he doesn’t find the demon that he is the source of the splinter Loki put in his soul. Cruel, yes but in the Norse mythology things aren’t soft like the life at that time still I was angry with Loki since the starts, how can he do that and then tell him that if he is a good boy, do it’s job he will get the woman made for him…. But only for the time he, as a god, decide. Grrr bad Loki!
At the present time, Broder is in a group of other Norwegians, cursed like him for a bloody crime, however the curse can have different specificities. The only common thing is the only way to break it, and then the rest is up to Loki’s mood when he curses you. In Broder case he can’t touch a woman except the one made for him (and only 1000 after the curse was given) So when he feels the woman made for him, the fighter starts to get feelings again like hope…even he suspects a trick from Loki. And he was right, yes Jessamine is perfect for him but she is also a witch and Broder has a strong history with them so while he is deeply attracted, and tries to act with honor and not ravish her, he is also determined to keep his distance because he knows they can’t be forever together.
I really loved to see his turmoil and how he wasn’t acting like a barbarians quite the opposite even.
Jessamine doesn’t know who she is anymore. After the death of her parents she was raised by her aunt… at least that was she thought, until she died suddenly. Then she discovered in her aunt house some pictures of her parents but older pictures with different name. That added to the fact that she is starting to get new strange abilities is starting to make her doubt what she was always told. So when she is attacked and saved in an underground parking she is only half surprised. Attracted to Broder but wanting answer more than anything she start a journey with him and enter a new world that didn’t suspect until after a kiss he announces her that she is a witch.
Jessa is strong minded, she knows what she wants and doesn’t hesitate to tell Broder what she thinks. However I didn’t like her at first because she was teasing him too much. She isn’t sure she is ready for a short relationship So he can give her pleasure yes but not take his own. Not fair even crueler when we know his history. She get better thought and I admire her, but still I resent her for their beginning^^;;.
What I really appreciate was the ending. We get answers and the heroine doesn’t need to change, be transformed etc for the relationship to have a chance. No, Love really prevails and we get to see a goddess determined, moved and fair. Loki isn’t the only master that can decide everything anymore and what happen after really made me smile. That being said, I also told you that when I was closing the book something came to my mind… I don’t feel like I want to read the next book, or at least not soon. It’s really strange because I really loved the book, perhaps it’s because the ending is so perfect that I don’t want something to alter that, that I was to savour it longer not sure but being honest I had to say it (now perhaps when I will read the next summary I will be anxiously waiting to read book 2 but so far book 1 is a wonderful stand alone too)
If you want a book with a wonderful happy ending, where love conquers all etc, a touch of mythology and lot of action this is an excellent book for you.
( and if you could have a thought for Anya to support her to face her medical ordeal it would be really appreciated)
May 8, 2012
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/05/07/...
I’ve long been a fan of Anya Bast, her paranormal stories are sexy and original and I usually quickly become wrapped up in the worlds she creates. I was anxious to start the Brotherhood of the Damned series, and while it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I am intrigued by the world.
Broder long ago committed a crime so violent that the Norse god Loki damned him to eternal service in the brotherhood, fighting against the demons from Hel, the Blight. His one moment to look forward to is a thousand years into service, he will be given the chance to be with a woman. Little does he know the woman, Jessa, he rescues from the Blight is one extraordinary woman.
Jessa is looking for answers to her family’s history, and being rescued by Broder puts a kink in her plans. Although she is wildly attracted to him, she is also scared to move forward with a relationship. As the truth surrounding her heritage unravels and Jessa finds out more than she ever expected, she finds herself pulled into the world of the Blight more than she or Broder expected. When Loki and someone from Jessa’s ancestry work to pull her away from Broder, will he be able to let go of the one woman who has touched his heart in over a millennium? And will Jessa be able to let go of the Warrior who finally won her heart?
The world building in this book and series is somewhat unique from the other standard paranormal romance books on the shelves right now. We get to see a different kind of mythology than normal, and I always like when books take on something new that I haven’t read a lot of. Having Loki and Freyja play a fun role throughout the story was great as well, I always love seeing god/goddess characters portrayed actively throughout the story. However, while the world-building was different and unique, it did take awhile to me to get a good understanding of everything that was going on.
It also took me a long while to actually feel a connection from the hero and heroine. Especially Jessa, she struggled so much with having a relationship with Broder. She teased and kissed him, got naked and then stopped. The sexual tension was intense, but it wasn’t until over the halfway mark that the two actually FINISHED any of their sexy times. I felt like Jessa was unfair to Broder in that regard, and I didn’t like that she dragged out the relationship drama between these too.
I also didn’t really feel like we got to really know their characters until late in the book. I wanted more of a connection between myself and the characters, instead it seemed like I was always on the outside looking in, never really getting to feel as if I was IN the story. It wasn’t until the story really picked up about half-way to three quarters of the way through that I got sucked in and actually felt as if the plot moved at a pace that kept me engaged.
I also wished that we had a little more time to spend with the actually brothers of the Brotherhood of the Damned. I assume that the remainder of the stories will be about them, however we only got a page or so of time with all the brothers, and a few pages with their leader. Although we were given the chance to explore other paranormal fractions within the world, I would have liked to see more of the Brotherhood itself.
All in all this wasn’t my favorite Bast read. I struggled through the first half or so with the slow moving plot and the lack of connection between myself and the book, and the characters themselves. I do, however, look forward to more books within this series, because I think that the world is intriguing and exciting and one that I can see myself falling in love with.
I give Embrace of the Damned a C
I’ve long been a fan of Anya Bast, her paranormal stories are sexy and original and I usually quickly become wrapped up in the worlds she creates. I was anxious to start the Brotherhood of the Damned series, and while it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I am intrigued by the world.
Broder long ago committed a crime so violent that the Norse god Loki damned him to eternal service in the brotherhood, fighting against the demons from Hel, the Blight. His one moment to look forward to is a thousand years into service, he will be given the chance to be with a woman. Little does he know the woman, Jessa, he rescues from the Blight is one extraordinary woman.
Jessa is looking for answers to her family’s history, and being rescued by Broder puts a kink in her plans. Although she is wildly attracted to him, she is also scared to move forward with a relationship. As the truth surrounding her heritage unravels and Jessa finds out more than she ever expected, she finds herself pulled into the world of the Blight more than she or Broder expected. When Loki and someone from Jessa’s ancestry work to pull her away from Broder, will he be able to let go of the one woman who has touched his heart in over a millennium? And will Jessa be able to let go of the Warrior who finally won her heart?
The world building in this book and series is somewhat unique from the other standard paranormal romance books on the shelves right now. We get to see a different kind of mythology than normal, and I always like when books take on something new that I haven’t read a lot of. Having Loki and Freyja play a fun role throughout the story was great as well, I always love seeing god/goddess characters portrayed actively throughout the story. However, while the world-building was different and unique, it did take awhile to me to get a good understanding of everything that was going on.
It also took me a long while to actually feel a connection from the hero and heroine. Especially Jessa, she struggled so much with having a relationship with Broder. She teased and kissed him, got naked and then stopped. The sexual tension was intense, but it wasn’t until over the halfway mark that the two actually FINISHED any of their sexy times. I felt like Jessa was unfair to Broder in that regard, and I didn’t like that she dragged out the relationship drama between these too.
I also didn’t really feel like we got to really know their characters until late in the book. I wanted more of a connection between myself and the characters, instead it seemed like I was always on the outside looking in, never really getting to feel as if I was IN the story. It wasn’t until the story really picked up about half-way to three quarters of the way through that I got sucked in and actually felt as if the plot moved at a pace that kept me engaged.
I also wished that we had a little more time to spend with the actually brothers of the Brotherhood of the Damned. I assume that the remainder of the stories will be about them, however we only got a page or so of time with all the brothers, and a few pages with their leader. Although we were given the chance to explore other paranormal fractions within the world, I would have liked to see more of the Brotherhood itself.
All in all this wasn’t my favorite Bast read. I struggled through the first half or so with the slow moving plot and the lack of connection between myself and the book, and the characters themselves. I do, however, look forward to more books within this series, because I think that the world is intriguing and exciting and one that I can see myself falling in love with.
I give Embrace of the Damned a C
May 6, 2012
Embrace of the Damned by Anya Bast
Paranormal Romance –May 1st, 2012
4 ½ stars
As the first book in the Immortal Brotherhood of the Damned, Anya Bast is off to a stunning start. As a brooding, yet sexy warrior finds his soul mate.
In a bloody act of retribution Broder Calderson awaits his death in ancient Norway only to be claimed by the trickster God Loki. He is now one of the Immortal Brotherhood and pay for his crimes. But Loki promises Broder his suffering will end in one thousand years if he is a faithful servant and revealed the woman of his dreams.
It is one thousand years later and Jessamine Hamilton is walking in a dark, parking lot. She has been warned rather cryptically by a stranger that she is being watched and to be careful. When she finds herself attacked soon after by a creepy man with fangs! But suddenly she is saved by the sexiest man on a bike she has ever seen and then getting hot and heavy with him after he rescues her! When he claims she is in danger and must stay with him for protection she is in disbelief, especially when he tells her that she is a witch with magical powers and he is over a thousand years old. Jessa tries to leave, but she has been targeted and Broder is determined to protect her. He wants to help her learn to control her powers. But Jessa’s heritage complicate matters as others seek to use her for their own purposes. For Jessa’s powers may help prevent the Apocalypse that Loki’s daughter Hel want to occur.
This was an intense romance that I could not put down. Broder is brooding and sexy. He has a funny, dark humor that makes him irresistibly charming. He longs for Jessa yet doesn’t know to court her. Instead he settles for kissing her out of her mind! Yet he is honorable, he tries to keep his hands away from her and give her time to ‘warm’up to him. But their mutual attraction keeps getting in the way of his good intentions. Jessa has a lot of spunky attitude and admirably copes with the hectic paranormal changes in her life well. I liked how she stood up to the Brotherhood, especially Broder and wouldn’t just take their word and fall in line. As they both fight evil and their attraction the story heats up. The chemistry between them was believable and off the charts. I wanted to be Jessa and have Broder ravish me! The author does a wonderful job of creating a fully fleshed world of rugged Vikings and powerful Gods.
Anya Bast has created an original new world that will captivate and enthralled readers. If you are interested in Viking mythology and hunky, immortal heroes do not miss this book!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance –May 1st, 2012
4 ½ stars
As the first book in the Immortal Brotherhood of the Damned, Anya Bast is off to a stunning start. As a brooding, yet sexy warrior finds his soul mate.
In a bloody act of retribution Broder Calderson awaits his death in ancient Norway only to be claimed by the trickster God Loki. He is now one of the Immortal Brotherhood and pay for his crimes. But Loki promises Broder his suffering will end in one thousand years if he is a faithful servant and revealed the woman of his dreams.
It is one thousand years later and Jessamine Hamilton is walking in a dark, parking lot. She has been warned rather cryptically by a stranger that she is being watched and to be careful. When she finds herself attacked soon after by a creepy man with fangs! But suddenly she is saved by the sexiest man on a bike she has ever seen and then getting hot and heavy with him after he rescues her! When he claims she is in danger and must stay with him for protection she is in disbelief, especially when he tells her that she is a witch with magical powers and he is over a thousand years old. Jessa tries to leave, but she has been targeted and Broder is determined to protect her. He wants to help her learn to control her powers. But Jessa’s heritage complicate matters as others seek to use her for their own purposes. For Jessa’s powers may help prevent the Apocalypse that Loki’s daughter Hel want to occur.
This was an intense romance that I could not put down. Broder is brooding and sexy. He has a funny, dark humor that makes him irresistibly charming. He longs for Jessa yet doesn’t know to court her. Instead he settles for kissing her out of her mind! Yet he is honorable, he tries to keep his hands away from her and give her time to ‘warm’up to him. But their mutual attraction keeps getting in the way of his good intentions. Jessa has a lot of spunky attitude and admirably copes with the hectic paranormal changes in her life well. I liked how she stood up to the Brotherhood, especially Broder and wouldn’t just take their word and fall in line. As they both fight evil and their attraction the story heats up. The chemistry between them was believable and off the charts. I wanted to be Jessa and have Broder ravish me! The author does a wonderful job of creating a fully fleshed world of rugged Vikings and powerful Gods.
Anya Bast has created an original new world that will captivate and enthralled readers. If you are interested in Viking mythology and hunky, immortal heroes do not miss this book!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
October 12, 2012
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I was quite surprised by this novel, I knew Anya Bast by another of her series and I was curious to see how her other books were. We discover in this novel Broder, a former Viking, serving Loki after having committed a terrible crime thousand years ago. In addition to his service for eternity, Loki has prohibited him any woman until today. To thank him for his work, he gives him the possibility to have the woman of his dreams. But he knows it is only ephemeral, and he must constantly keep that idea in mind.
Jessa is a determined and lively young woman, something that I loved about her. She does not trust anyone and when Broder saves her life, she is determined to thank him and to leave as soon as possible, but this is not the opinion of our beloved Viking who is determined to keep her near him. Of course it will not be so easy, especially as our heroine is very stubborn and wants to do what she wants. But then, he will do everything to make her succumb to his charm, but well, Jessa will not let him do that or at least not until the end. Broder tries to control himself as he can in her presence but I still think the attitude of Jassemine was really mean. She’ll make him do everything she wants. And when she really realizes that she feels guilty, but she does not really stop either. I think it would have been better if she could have decided what to do with him and not let him wait and hope for so long as it is ultimately always sad to see what Broder endured throughout the book.
But the story between our two characters will not do everything, we discover the true identity of this young woman and thus, the reason behind the fact that everyone wants to have her, whether to kidnap or kill her. I must say that this is quite intriguing from the start. Everyone is very interested in her, and when Loki realizes that our heroine will not agreed to his wishes, he is ready to do anything too.
I enjoyed this novel, it’s an easy read and the end was really cute. I loved all the characters and I admit that I'm curious to see the crimes of all the other Brothers. Dimitri, the rebellious demon is also interesting, we do not know what made him change lanes, as he helps his enemies, but I'd really like to know more now. Another good paranormal romanceseries I’ll follow with pleasure.
My English review
I was quite surprised by this novel, I knew Anya Bast by another of her series and I was curious to see how her other books were. We discover in this novel Broder, a former Viking, serving Loki after having committed a terrible crime thousand years ago. In addition to his service for eternity, Loki has prohibited him any woman until today. To thank him for his work, he gives him the possibility to have the woman of his dreams. But he knows it is only ephemeral, and he must constantly keep that idea in mind.
Jessa is a determined and lively young woman, something that I loved about her. She does not trust anyone and when Broder saves her life, she is determined to thank him and to leave as soon as possible, but this is not the opinion of our beloved Viking who is determined to keep her near him. Of course it will not be so easy, especially as our heroine is very stubborn and wants to do what she wants. But then, he will do everything to make her succumb to his charm, but well, Jessa will not let him do that or at least not until the end. Broder tries to control himself as he can in her presence but I still think the attitude of Jassemine was really mean. She’ll make him do everything she wants. And when she really realizes that she feels guilty, but she does not really stop either. I think it would have been better if she could have decided what to do with him and not let him wait and hope for so long as it is ultimately always sad to see what Broder endured throughout the book.
But the story between our two characters will not do everything, we discover the true identity of this young woman and thus, the reason behind the fact that everyone wants to have her, whether to kidnap or kill her. I must say that this is quite intriguing from the start. Everyone is very interested in her, and when Loki realizes that our heroine will not agreed to his wishes, he is ready to do anything too.
I enjoyed this novel, it’s an easy read and the end was really cute. I loved all the characters and I admit that I'm curious to see the crimes of all the other Brothers. Dimitri, the rebellious demon is also interesting, we do not know what made him change lanes, as he helps his enemies, but I'd really like to know more now. Another good paranormal romanceseries I’ll follow with pleasure.
May 9, 2012
My Rating: 3.5 stars: Liked it - recommend (B+)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/05/revi...
Anya Bast’s newest world opens with a history lesson about our hero. One thousand years ago, Viking Broder slaughtered a lot of people - men, women and children, and as punishment for his crimes, he was involuntarily recruited to be an immortal warrior for the trickerster god, Loki.
Forward to present day and we meet Jessa. After the recent death of her aunt, Jessa notices she can do some odd things - like get people to do what she wants just by thinking about it. And after finding photos of her parents that were taken over 100 years ago, Jessa is determined to find out more about her mysterious history.
The book opens beautifully - the history and story grabbed my full attention. The mood is exciting and the story easy to follow. It is action packed right from the get go, and well, it is funny. One of my favorite scenes occurs near the beginning when Jessa wakes to find herself in a strange place full of good looking warrior men. As she looks to make her escape, she is discovered:
“I’m leaving. You have a whole house filled with beefcake and no explanation for it.”
He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side a little. “So you’re fleeing because of beefcake?”
I enjoyed the play between Jessa and Broder, but it was a tough dynamic at times. He continually demands personal information from Jessa, but he refuses to return the favor. At times he is downright rude, especially about sharing anything from his own past. Mostly Jessa takes it, and that frustrated me. But there were times when she stands up for herself and that had me cheering.
Embrace of the Damned is an interesting story and enjoyable read. It kicks off a new series with a promising start. There are a few parallels with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series; however, Brotherhood of the Damned series is uniquely different. I did find some sections of the story repetitious, and I was middle-of-the-road about Jessa due to her fluctuation between a strong and weaker character, but overall I enjoyed this story. The ending left me wanting to know what will happen next, and I have several unanswered questions. I certainly hope that Jessa and Broder's story will continue in the next book--and I am already looking forward to what is next.
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/05/revi...
Anya Bast’s newest world opens with a history lesson about our hero. One thousand years ago, Viking Broder slaughtered a lot of people - men, women and children, and as punishment for his crimes, he was involuntarily recruited to be an immortal warrior for the trickerster god, Loki.
Forward to present day and we meet Jessa. After the recent death of her aunt, Jessa notices she can do some odd things - like get people to do what she wants just by thinking about it. And after finding photos of her parents that were taken over 100 years ago, Jessa is determined to find out more about her mysterious history.
The book opens beautifully - the history and story grabbed my full attention. The mood is exciting and the story easy to follow. It is action packed right from the get go, and well, it is funny. One of my favorite scenes occurs near the beginning when Jessa wakes to find herself in a strange place full of good looking warrior men. As she looks to make her escape, she is discovered:
“I’m leaving. You have a whole house filled with beefcake and no explanation for it.”
He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side a little. “So you’re fleeing because of beefcake?”
I enjoyed the play between Jessa and Broder, but it was a tough dynamic at times. He continually demands personal information from Jessa, but he refuses to return the favor. At times he is downright rude, especially about sharing anything from his own past. Mostly Jessa takes it, and that frustrated me. But there were times when she stands up for herself and that had me cheering.
Embrace of the Damned is an interesting story and enjoyable read. It kicks off a new series with a promising start. There are a few parallels with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series; however, Brotherhood of the Damned series is uniquely different. I did find some sections of the story repetitious, and I was middle-of-the-road about Jessa due to her fluctuation between a strong and weaker character, but overall I enjoyed this story. The ending left me wanting to know what will happen next, and I have several unanswered questions. I certainly hope that Jessa and Broder's story will continue in the next book--and I am already looking forward to what is next.
April 29, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
EMBRACE OF THE DAMNED, the first book in Anya Bast’s new Brotherhood of the Damned paranormal romance series is like a cross between the movie Thor and Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. A brotherhood of cursed immortals who wage war against a demonic enemy, are denied the release of death and the pleasures of life. The god pulling their stings is the Trickster Loki, a capricious deity who punishes and rewards at his whim. His latest reward comes in the form of a woman, the only one granted to the warrior Broder in a thousand years.
In typical romance novel form, attraction is the driving force behind the relationship for the first half of the book. When it inevitably gives way to love, it’s a little hard to see why, particularly in Broder’s case. Yes, he’s been magically celibate for a millennia, but Jessa hardly seems deserving of him. She may be the biggest tease I’ve read in a long time. She lets Broder touch and satisfy her time and again only to cry ‘stop’ the second before he shifts to his own release. Her reasoning feels flimsy at best and downright cruel at worst. Broder displays way to much understanding for her hot and cold mood swings, and really should have ‘returned his gift unopened’ to Loki in my opinion.
Despite my dislike of Jessa, Broder and the rest of the Brotherhood were more than enough to compensate for her shortcomings. Tortured Viking heroes, cursed in different ways, they each revealed slivers of their personalities that has me very excited and hopeful that they will find more worthy matches than Broder in upcoming Brotherhood of the Damned books. Fans of Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, J.R. Ward, and Larissa Ione should flock to this steamy new series.
Sexual Content:
Scenes of sensuality. Graphic sex scenes
EMBRACE OF THE DAMNED, the first book in Anya Bast’s new Brotherhood of the Damned paranormal romance series is like a cross between the movie Thor and Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. A brotherhood of cursed immortals who wage war against a demonic enemy, are denied the release of death and the pleasures of life. The god pulling their stings is the Trickster Loki, a capricious deity who punishes and rewards at his whim. His latest reward comes in the form of a woman, the only one granted to the warrior Broder in a thousand years.
In typical romance novel form, attraction is the driving force behind the relationship for the first half of the book. When it inevitably gives way to love, it’s a little hard to see why, particularly in Broder’s case. Yes, he’s been magically celibate for a millennia, but Jessa hardly seems deserving of him. She may be the biggest tease I’ve read in a long time. She lets Broder touch and satisfy her time and again only to cry ‘stop’ the second before he shifts to his own release. Her reasoning feels flimsy at best and downright cruel at worst. Broder displays way to much understanding for her hot and cold mood swings, and really should have ‘returned his gift unopened’ to Loki in my opinion.
Despite my dislike of Jessa, Broder and the rest of the Brotherhood were more than enough to compensate for her shortcomings. Tortured Viking heroes, cursed in different ways, they each revealed slivers of their personalities that has me very excited and hopeful that they will find more worthy matches than Broder in upcoming Brotherhood of the Damned books. Fans of Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, J.R. Ward, and Larissa Ione should flock to this steamy new series.
Sexual Content:
Scenes of sensuality. Graphic sex scenes
May 20, 2012
Our Review, by Michelle L. Olson - LITERAL ADDICTION'S Pack Alpha:
The premier book of Anya's new series was a hit!
Our hero, Broder Calderson, is a a dark, brooding, charming, sexy, faithful immortal 'owned' by the trickster God Loki and sentenced to fight the Blight for all time. As an added sentence, his ability to be with a woman was taken away for 1,000 years to ensure that he fulfilled his duties to the Brotherhood of the Damned.
Our heroine, Jessamine Hamilton is a feisty, independent gal with an interesting history and a soul deep desire to find love.
When Broder and Jessa meet up, fireworks are the result. Appointing himself Jessa's guardian, Broder steals her away to keep her safe and help her learn more about her heritage, though there are plenty of hurdles thrown in their path throughout the journey.
The heat between Broder and Jessa was intense and fabulous. Along with the action, mythology, and suspense, this was a book that I devoured in just a few sittings.
As we've come to expect from Ms. Bast, the world and premise were beautifully built and delivered. Her new literary land will enthrall and hook readers both new and old.
LITERAL ADDICTION gives "Embrace of the Damned" 4 Skulls and recommends it for all Anya Bast fans, paranormal romance readers, Viking and Mythology lovers, and Urban Fantasy lovers far and wide. Take a trip with Anya's Brotherhood of the Damned... you won't be disappointed!
The premier book of Anya's new series was a hit!
Our hero, Broder Calderson, is a a dark, brooding, charming, sexy, faithful immortal 'owned' by the trickster God Loki and sentenced to fight the Blight for all time. As an added sentence, his ability to be with a woman was taken away for 1,000 years to ensure that he fulfilled his duties to the Brotherhood of the Damned.
Our heroine, Jessamine Hamilton is a feisty, independent gal with an interesting history and a soul deep desire to find love.
When Broder and Jessa meet up, fireworks are the result. Appointing himself Jessa's guardian, Broder steals her away to keep her safe and help her learn more about her heritage, though there are plenty of hurdles thrown in their path throughout the journey.
The heat between Broder and Jessa was intense and fabulous. Along with the action, mythology, and suspense, this was a book that I devoured in just a few sittings.
As we've come to expect from Ms. Bast, the world and premise were beautifully built and delivered. Her new literary land will enthrall and hook readers both new and old.
LITERAL ADDICTION gives "Embrace of the Damned" 4 Skulls and recommends it for all Anya Bast fans, paranormal romance readers, Viking and Mythology lovers, and Urban Fantasy lovers far and wide. Take a trip with Anya's Brotherhood of the Damned... you won't be disappointed!
July 17, 2012
That was awesome!! 4.5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyable story.
The characters are intersting and there is full disclosure in the past present and future of character building.
The names are just Awesome!!! Broder and Jessamine fabulous so original, Im a fan of an interesting names in books.
Jessamine is kick ass but she doesnt start off that way, you see her grow throughout the novel. Broder is tortured and gruff and you see him fall for Jessa, Having been a thousand years older than her you can see he is from a different time and his values are a little different.
There was a little more of Jessamines back story I would have liked to have known like who was the aunt that her parents picked for her, but thats just nit picking.
I absolutely loved the way they talk about the God Loki Hilarious
The story flows smoothly you dont want to put it down the world created is beautiful and full of promise for more there are little twists here and there to keep the story interesting.
Im really excited to see the next installment of this series.
Thoroughly enjoyable story.
The characters are intersting and there is full disclosure in the past present and future of character building.
The names are just Awesome!!! Broder and Jessamine fabulous so original, Im a fan of an interesting names in books.
Jessamine is kick ass but she doesnt start off that way, you see her grow throughout the novel. Broder is tortured and gruff and you see him fall for Jessa, Having been a thousand years older than her you can see he is from a different time and his values are a little different.
There was a little more of Jessamines back story I would have liked to have known like who was the aunt that her parents picked for her, but thats just nit picking.
I absolutely loved the way they talk about the God Loki Hilarious
The story flows smoothly you dont want to put it down the world created is beautiful and full of promise for more there are little twists here and there to keep the story interesting.
Im really excited to see the next installment of this series.
May 9, 2012
Although I liked it, I thought Jessa was a wishy washy tease. One minute she's kissing Broder and letting him put his hands down her pants in public then she's all " I said NO!". I mean come on, there comes a point when you're just being a bitch. I thought her cock tease routine disguised as "what if I get hurt" stupidity was kind of cruel after a while. The man hasn't had sex in a thousand years, and I felt bad for him that the only option after all that time was Jessa.
Other than that... I enjoyed it.
August 20, 2012
2.5 I think the heroine is a tease and she about drove me mad. I liked the idea of the demons who drank blood like vampires but turned into chunks of ice when they were killed. I liked the brotherhood. I understood the hero's attraction to the heroine, but didn't get how it transformed into love.
June 2, 2012
This book was only okay. I usually really enjoy Ms. Bast's works but this one did not hold my attention. I had to force myself to finish it.
July 13, 2012
Promising start to a new series. Recommended.
June 19, 2012
3.75 stars
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and it was a promising start to what will hopefully be a great long-lasting series.
When I saw that this series was named the "Brotherhood of the Damned", I immediately became intrigued. My favourites series' so far are ones where there is a group of characters (often male) who are somehow interconnected and often are a part of a joint force against evil, where the world around them is also often just as important as the main heros of any given book in the series. In this case the word "brotherhood" made me think it might be a new series that falls along the same lines as the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lords of the Underworld, Dark Hunters, Midnight Breed, to name just a few. After reading this first installement, I do think there is a tremendous amount of potential, but the reason it didn't get pushed to 4-star status is that the term "brotherhood" for me personally was a bit misleading once I finished it.
One of the highlights for me after reading this book as part of a new series was - especially after reading series after series based on Greek mythology and/or vampires/shifters (in the traditional sense)- that this one plays around with Norse mythology. With the exception of watching Chris Hemsworth as Thor, my personal knowledge bank when it comes to this particular type of mythology is quite limited. That being said, the god we see the most in this series so far is Loki, since he controls the Brotherhood, and you also find out quickly that he's a pain in the ass and lives up to his name of "the Trickster God". The Brotherhood is comprised of males who have essentially done something terrible during their human lives, and prior to death are recruited (and punished) into Loki's brotherhood to fight and kill the Blight (these bizarre vampire-like beings that drink blood and who were created by Hel in Hel - Hel is Loki's daughter, and to say their relationship is strained is putting it lightely). There are definitely some parallels with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series in terms of the format, but not in a way that would deter me from continuing the series.
In this first book we meet Broder Calderson, a viking warrior. He committed a heinous crime 1000 years ago, and it is on that day that Loki has recruited him into his Brotherhood with the stipulation that if he serves the God well, in exactly 1000 years he will be rewarded with the affections of his dream woman. Fast forward to that fated day, and Broder's first meeting with Jessa is as she's being attacked by the Blight where he must save her life. From that point forward, it's quite clear that Loki didn't give Broder just any woman, but rather a woman who isn't quite human and with quite the ancestry (although she doesn't know it yet). So, as you may have guessed, this particular tale is about Broder and Jessa, and their difficult road to happiness. For a good portion of the book, their relationship really seemed doomed and impossible. Both parties try to show control and restraint, but as the story progresses, and with each hurdle they overcome, they simply cannot help what they feel for one another. It was a good love story and had some great action, so I quite enjoyed it!
The characters were very likeable. Of course the main two, Broder and Jessa, are the ones you see the most. Broder is very much the broody and moody type, and throughout a good portion of the book, I was constantly thinking "man, this guy needs lighten up and at the very least smile every once and while..." I was extremely happy when Jessa reflected those same thoughts throughout. One of my favourite scenes is her reaction when he grins for the first time! Very funny! Overall though, these two were good characters, were a good fit for one another, and they both had strong redeeming qualities that I look for in characters of these types of books!
The secondary characters were also good! Some more memorable than others, Bast did peak my interest with some of these side characters, even on the "bad-guy" side, and I wonder whether or not they will have specific and/or increased roles in future books. I hope so! However, it is in this area where I felt somewhat misled by the term Brotherhood. For me, a brotherhood - specifically in this context - is a band of guys/men who are tight and loyal to one another on top of having a common mission and goal. There is also a camaraderie between them that often makes for some of the most enjoyable aspects/scenes/storylines of the series and its books. We do meet "the brotherhood" but it's such a miniscule and insignificant part of the book, that I was left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. We do meet and see Erik, the leader of the Brotherhood, in way more scenes than any other, but that being said, his scenes and specifically those with Broder, where a little one-dimensional. My impression of Erik and Broder's relationship was very much like a good acquaintance or colleague but not much more. That might be attributed to Broder's serious nature throughout the book, but to be quite frank, that connection or lack there of between the Broder and the brothers was the book's weak point for me. And based on that as well as the ending that I won't spoil, I do worry that this series will be the type where each book can be a stand alone where you never revisit previous characters, rather than one where the books are a progression and evolution from their predecessors and we get cameos from previous book heros. I sincerely hope for the latter, because this book is quite good and there does exist this great potential to further develop the world Bast has created!!! Only time will tell I guess!
At this point I have no clue when the next book is out and who our hero will be, but I look forward to reading it for sure! :)
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and it was a promising start to what will hopefully be a great long-lasting series.
When I saw that this series was named the "Brotherhood of the Damned", I immediately became intrigued. My favourites series' so far are ones where there is a group of characters (often male) who are somehow interconnected and often are a part of a joint force against evil, where the world around them is also often just as important as the main heros of any given book in the series. In this case the word "brotherhood" made me think it might be a new series that falls along the same lines as the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lords of the Underworld, Dark Hunters, Midnight Breed, to name just a few. After reading this first installement, I do think there is a tremendous amount of potential, but the reason it didn't get pushed to 4-star status is that the term "brotherhood" for me personally was a bit misleading once I finished it.
One of the highlights for me after reading this book as part of a new series was - especially after reading series after series based on Greek mythology and/or vampires/shifters (in the traditional sense)- that this one plays around with Norse mythology. With the exception of watching Chris Hemsworth as Thor, my personal knowledge bank when it comes to this particular type of mythology is quite limited. That being said, the god we see the most in this series so far is Loki, since he controls the Brotherhood, and you also find out quickly that he's a pain in the ass and lives up to his name of "the Trickster God". The Brotherhood is comprised of males who have essentially done something terrible during their human lives, and prior to death are recruited (and punished) into Loki's brotherhood to fight and kill the Blight (these bizarre vampire-like beings that drink blood and who were created by Hel in Hel - Hel is Loki's daughter, and to say their relationship is strained is putting it lightely). There are definitely some parallels with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series in terms of the format, but not in a way that would deter me from continuing the series.
In this first book we meet Broder Calderson, a viking warrior. He committed a heinous crime 1000 years ago, and it is on that day that Loki has recruited him into his Brotherhood with the stipulation that if he serves the God well, in exactly 1000 years he will be rewarded with the affections of his dream woman. Fast forward to that fated day, and Broder's first meeting with Jessa is as she's being attacked by the Blight where he must save her life. From that point forward, it's quite clear that Loki didn't give Broder just any woman, but rather a woman who isn't quite human and with quite the ancestry (although she doesn't know it yet). So, as you may have guessed, this particular tale is about Broder and Jessa, and their difficult road to happiness. For a good portion of the book, their relationship really seemed doomed and impossible. Both parties try to show control and restraint, but as the story progresses, and with each hurdle they overcome, they simply cannot help what they feel for one another. It was a good love story and had some great action, so I quite enjoyed it!
The characters were very likeable. Of course the main two, Broder and Jessa, are the ones you see the most. Broder is very much the broody and moody type, and throughout a good portion of the book, I was constantly thinking "man, this guy needs lighten up and at the very least smile every once and while..." I was extremely happy when Jessa reflected those same thoughts throughout. One of my favourite scenes is her reaction when he grins for the first time! Very funny! Overall though, these two were good characters, were a good fit for one another, and they both had strong redeeming qualities that I look for in characters of these types of books!
The secondary characters were also good! Some more memorable than others, Bast did peak my interest with some of these side characters, even on the "bad-guy" side, and I wonder whether or not they will have specific and/or increased roles in future books. I hope so! However, it is in this area where I felt somewhat misled by the term Brotherhood. For me, a brotherhood - specifically in this context - is a band of guys/men who are tight and loyal to one another on top of having a common mission and goal. There is also a camaraderie between them that often makes for some of the most enjoyable aspects/scenes/storylines of the series and its books. We do meet "the brotherhood" but it's such a miniscule and insignificant part of the book, that I was left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. We do meet and see Erik, the leader of the Brotherhood, in way more scenes than any other, but that being said, his scenes and specifically those with Broder, where a little one-dimensional. My impression of Erik and Broder's relationship was very much like a good acquaintance or colleague but not much more. That might be attributed to Broder's serious nature throughout the book, but to be quite frank, that connection or lack there of between the Broder and the brothers was the book's weak point for me. And based on that as well as the ending that I won't spoil, I do worry that this series will be the type where each book can be a stand alone where you never revisit previous characters, rather than one where the books are a progression and evolution from their predecessors and we get cameos from previous book heros. I sincerely hope for the latter, because this book is quite good and there does exist this great potential to further develop the world Bast has created!!! Only time will tell I guess!
At this point I have no clue when the next book is out and who our hero will be, but I look forward to reading it for sure! :)
May 18, 2012
http://smexybooks.com/2012/05/review-...
Over one thousand years ago, Broder Calderson committed such a horrific crime that the Norse Gods punished him by putting him into the service of Loki, The Trickster God. Immortal, he’s spent the last 1,000 years as a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned, killing the Blight, blood drinkers created by the goddess Hel. If that wasn’t enough, his punishment included the fact that he could not be with a woman until Loki himself allowed it.
Jessamine Hamilton is the woman that Loki decides to “gift” Broder with, but being with her will not be a simple task. The Blight are after her and Broder’s instinct to protect her is strong. But Jessa is more than human and when Broder realizes who and what she is, he realizes that no matter how much he may want or need her, a future for them is impossible.
Embrace of the Damned is the first book in this new series by Anya Bast. I was immediately drawn into the world Ms. Bast creates here. I am a total sucker for a series that revolves around a group of hot, sexy, bad boy types who will do whatever is necessary to win over the heart of the woman who he is destined to be with. Additionally, I am instantly drawn to any paranormal that has a mythological feel to it. This series answered to all those traits with the added bonus of having some very well placed humor.
After Broder rescues Jessa from her first interaction with a Blight creature, she awakens in a strange room. Her first instinct is to bolt, but as she’s about to she is stopped by a gorgeous man named Tyr who encourages her to stay for her own safety…
She hesitated for a moment, then walked over to door number two and peered into the room. Within, ranged on various chairs and couches, was an endless array of men, all of them with their gazes focused on her. They’d gone silent in her presence.
Some of them were pretty, some weren’t pretty, but all them were compelling. All of them were muscular, either leanly or more of the beefcake variety. It was a festival for the eyes and female senses. All of them seemed intent on her, though it wasn’t in a physically appraising or sexual way.
Jessa panics and attempts to leave, only to be stopped at the door by Broder himself.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m leaving. You have a whole house filled with beefcake and no explanation for it.”
He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side a little. “So you’re fleeing because of beefcake.?”
“No. I’m fleeing strange, inexplicable beefcake in a big fancy house because every last one of you gives off a don’t-fuck-with-me vibe. So here I am, obeying the vibe, as in, leaving. Right now.”
The attraction between Broder and Jessa is instant, but Jessa is extremely hesitant to move forward and poor Broder, who has not been with a woman for over 1,000 years is forced to back off on more than one occasion. Rather than this being the cause of sexual tension in a good way, I found Jessa’s teasing to be frustrating and somewhat repetitive and I began to struggle with the fact that Broder was made to suffer so much. While I understood the fact that Jessa was struggling with a lot of pretty unbelievable information in a short period of time, after the second or third instance it got on my nerves. When they finally get around to it, Broder’s frank honesty says it all:
“I do want to fuck you, skatten min. I want your bare skin moving against mine. I want to smell the trace of perfume at the nape of your neck. I want my hands on you, making you moan.” He paused, his gaze never leaving hers, “I want to be inside you.”
While Broder continues to temp Jessa’s senses, her true goal is to find out exactly who and what she is. While this is revealed early on in our story, some very shocking information is brought forward at one point which totally and completely changes the whole situation, especially for Broder. While he is clearly falling in love with Jessa, the odds against them continue to build and when Broder finds out exactly who Jessa is, he knows there is no hope for them.
The world Ms. Bast has created has a wonderful mix of old world and new. I loved the hint of Norwegian lore that is spun throughout this story. What I especially enjoyed was that as this is a first book in a new series I was in no way overwhelmed with world building and a parade of character introductions. The premise is clear, we are aware of the main protagonists and their goal and while we meet a few of the other members of the brotherhood, we are left intrigued and curious enough to want to read more. As the story takes place in present time, there are a few flash back scenes to set up the “why” of Broder’s punishment but thankfully, there is not a lot of back and forth between times.
While Jessa got on my nerves a bit, I came to like her character’s strength near the end when push comes to shove and important choices needs to be made. I enjoyed Broder as well, and while I found it hard to believe that this barbarian of old would be so patient after 1000 years of forced celibacy, I began to feel that perhaps this was a way the author showed the fact that he was truly reformed (for lack of a better word) and had remorse for his prior crimes as well as showing the adaption from old world to modern times. There is a fabulous double cross at the end which I found quite fitting to round out Jessa and Broder’s HEA. I look forward to seeing where the author takes us with this series.
Over one thousand years ago, Broder Calderson committed such a horrific crime that the Norse Gods punished him by putting him into the service of Loki, The Trickster God. Immortal, he’s spent the last 1,000 years as a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned, killing the Blight, blood drinkers created by the goddess Hel. If that wasn’t enough, his punishment included the fact that he could not be with a woman until Loki himself allowed it.
Jessamine Hamilton is the woman that Loki decides to “gift” Broder with, but being with her will not be a simple task. The Blight are after her and Broder’s instinct to protect her is strong. But Jessa is more than human and when Broder realizes who and what she is, he realizes that no matter how much he may want or need her, a future for them is impossible.
Embrace of the Damned is the first book in this new series by Anya Bast. I was immediately drawn into the world Ms. Bast creates here. I am a total sucker for a series that revolves around a group of hot, sexy, bad boy types who will do whatever is necessary to win over the heart of the woman who he is destined to be with. Additionally, I am instantly drawn to any paranormal that has a mythological feel to it. This series answered to all those traits with the added bonus of having some very well placed humor.
After Broder rescues Jessa from her first interaction with a Blight creature, she awakens in a strange room. Her first instinct is to bolt, but as she’s about to she is stopped by a gorgeous man named Tyr who encourages her to stay for her own safety…
She hesitated for a moment, then walked over to door number two and peered into the room. Within, ranged on various chairs and couches, was an endless array of men, all of them with their gazes focused on her. They’d gone silent in her presence.
Some of them were pretty, some weren’t pretty, but all them were compelling. All of them were muscular, either leanly or more of the beefcake variety. It was a festival for the eyes and female senses. All of them seemed intent on her, though it wasn’t in a physically appraising or sexual way.
Jessa panics and attempts to leave, only to be stopped at the door by Broder himself.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m leaving. You have a whole house filled with beefcake and no explanation for it.”
He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side a little. “So you’re fleeing because of beefcake.?”
“No. I’m fleeing strange, inexplicable beefcake in a big fancy house because every last one of you gives off a don’t-fuck-with-me vibe. So here I am, obeying the vibe, as in, leaving. Right now.”
The attraction between Broder and Jessa is instant, but Jessa is extremely hesitant to move forward and poor Broder, who has not been with a woman for over 1,000 years is forced to back off on more than one occasion. Rather than this being the cause of sexual tension in a good way, I found Jessa’s teasing to be frustrating and somewhat repetitive and I began to struggle with the fact that Broder was made to suffer so much. While I understood the fact that Jessa was struggling with a lot of pretty unbelievable information in a short period of time, after the second or third instance it got on my nerves. When they finally get around to it, Broder’s frank honesty says it all:
“I do want to fuck you, skatten min. I want your bare skin moving against mine. I want to smell the trace of perfume at the nape of your neck. I want my hands on you, making you moan.” He paused, his gaze never leaving hers, “I want to be inside you.”
While Broder continues to temp Jessa’s senses, her true goal is to find out exactly who and what she is. While this is revealed early on in our story, some very shocking information is brought forward at one point which totally and completely changes the whole situation, especially for Broder. While he is clearly falling in love with Jessa, the odds against them continue to build and when Broder finds out exactly who Jessa is, he knows there is no hope for them.
The world Ms. Bast has created has a wonderful mix of old world and new. I loved the hint of Norwegian lore that is spun throughout this story. What I especially enjoyed was that as this is a first book in a new series I was in no way overwhelmed with world building and a parade of character introductions. The premise is clear, we are aware of the main protagonists and their goal and while we meet a few of the other members of the brotherhood, we are left intrigued and curious enough to want to read more. As the story takes place in present time, there are a few flash back scenes to set up the “why” of Broder’s punishment but thankfully, there is not a lot of back and forth between times.
While Jessa got on my nerves a bit, I came to like her character’s strength near the end when push comes to shove and important choices needs to be made. I enjoyed Broder as well, and while I found it hard to believe that this barbarian of old would be so patient after 1000 years of forced celibacy, I began to feel that perhaps this was a way the author showed the fact that he was truly reformed (for lack of a better word) and had remorse for his prior crimes as well as showing the adaption from old world to modern times. There is a fabulous double cross at the end which I found quite fitting to round out Jessa and Broder’s HEA. I look forward to seeing where the author takes us with this series.
June 2, 2024
Loved it
January 18, 2017
Originally published at Dark Faerie Tales: http://darkfaerietales.com/early-revi...
Quick & Dirty: Anya Bast has created a dark and thrilling world of demons and damned men. The romance is H.O.T. hot! Embrace of the Damned is completely engrossing; I didn’t want to put this book down.
The Review:
Imagine a good-looking (but at the same time scary-looking dude) frightening the crap out of you in a dark parking garage basically telling you “They know what you are. They are coming after you. Good Luck!” That is what happens to Jessamine Hamilton. She doesn’t even know what she is. She has only just become suspicious of little things that she can do. She is looking into her past when she is attacked in the parking garage by a demon.
Broder Calderson comes to Jessa’s rescue. Broder has been a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned for one thousand years and on this day Loki has given Broder his freedom to be with a woman and not just any woman. Broder feels the pull of Jessa once the veil has been lifted and he finds her just in time. The demons want Jessa dead. It is up to Jessa and Broder to find out what she is and why she is being hunted down.
As a member of the Brotherhood, Broder is a part of an army that hunts demons for the god Loki. The demons are part of the war to create Ragnarok. The Brotherhood must fight to prevent it. All the brothers are damned and immortal. Loki recruited them for his army after they participated in unspeakable crimes. Broder is a big man with no emotion. He lost all rights to emotion when he became a brother. He fights his battles but what he really wants is to die.
When Broder meets Jessa she starts to break down his shields but she doesn’t have to work very hard. Broder wants her. Jessa wants Broder too, but she doesn’t want a quick fling, a love ‘em and leave ‘em relationship. She has been hurt badly in her past and she doesn’t want the heartbreak of another relationship. They both know there can be no future for them after Jessa learns what she is and because Loki will eventually take her away from Broder.
Embrace of the Damned starts off action-packed. Broder and Jessa are on the run but when they make it to Broder’s house in Scotland the action slows down a bit but not too much. Jessa learns how to protect herself while having to endure mental manipulation and kidnappings. Jessa isn’t the strongest of heroines. In fact she is quite a bit of a tease, so much so she even admits it to herself. But she knows her limitations and that is what I liked about Jessa.
Broder and Jessa aren’t the only points of view during the story. Roan is a bad/good guy. He provides more insight into what Jessa is and the people she comes from. Roan was one of those guys that I hated during the story but in the end I just felt sorry for him and the situation he was put in.
The tension of Broder and Jessa’s relationship is what kept me riveted. I wasn’t sure how this story would end but when everything was said and done it was warm and heartfelt. I think this is a great start to a new series and I can’t wait for the next book. There are several characters that I hope to get to see more of in the future.
Embrace of the Damned is a sexy, dark paranormal romance. If you like sexy Vikings, smart-ass women and Norse mythology then this is one Viking romance I definitely recommend.
Quick & Dirty: Anya Bast has created a dark and thrilling world of demons and damned men. The romance is H.O.T. hot! Embrace of the Damned is completely engrossing; I didn’t want to put this book down.
The Review:
Imagine a good-looking (but at the same time scary-looking dude) frightening the crap out of you in a dark parking garage basically telling you “They know what you are. They are coming after you. Good Luck!” That is what happens to Jessamine Hamilton. She doesn’t even know what she is. She has only just become suspicious of little things that she can do. She is looking into her past when she is attacked in the parking garage by a demon.
Broder Calderson comes to Jessa’s rescue. Broder has been a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned for one thousand years and on this day Loki has given Broder his freedom to be with a woman and not just any woman. Broder feels the pull of Jessa once the veil has been lifted and he finds her just in time. The demons want Jessa dead. It is up to Jessa and Broder to find out what she is and why she is being hunted down.
As a member of the Brotherhood, Broder is a part of an army that hunts demons for the god Loki. The demons are part of the war to create Ragnarok. The Brotherhood must fight to prevent it. All the brothers are damned and immortal. Loki recruited them for his army after they participated in unspeakable crimes. Broder is a big man with no emotion. He lost all rights to emotion when he became a brother. He fights his battles but what he really wants is to die.
When Broder meets Jessa she starts to break down his shields but she doesn’t have to work very hard. Broder wants her. Jessa wants Broder too, but she doesn’t want a quick fling, a love ‘em and leave ‘em relationship. She has been hurt badly in her past and she doesn’t want the heartbreak of another relationship. They both know there can be no future for them after Jessa learns what she is and because Loki will eventually take her away from Broder.
Embrace of the Damned starts off action-packed. Broder and Jessa are on the run but when they make it to Broder’s house in Scotland the action slows down a bit but not too much. Jessa learns how to protect herself while having to endure mental manipulation and kidnappings. Jessa isn’t the strongest of heroines. In fact she is quite a bit of a tease, so much so she even admits it to herself. But she knows her limitations and that is what I liked about Jessa.
Broder and Jessa aren’t the only points of view during the story. Roan is a bad/good guy. He provides more insight into what Jessa is and the people she comes from. Roan was one of those guys that I hated during the story but in the end I just felt sorry for him and the situation he was put in.
The tension of Broder and Jessa’s relationship is what kept me riveted. I wasn’t sure how this story would end but when everything was said and done it was warm and heartfelt. I think this is a great start to a new series and I can’t wait for the next book. There are several characters that I hope to get to see more of in the future.
Embrace of the Damned is a sexy, dark paranormal romance. If you like sexy Vikings, smart-ass women and Norse mythology then this is one Viking romance I definitely recommend.
July 13, 2012
Centuries ago, Viking warrior Broder Calderson committed mass murder. As his punishment, the Trickster God Loki condemned him to fight against the Blight, demons from Hel, for his immortal lifetime.
He also condemned Broder to one thousand years of celibacy.
When Broder finally meets Jessamine Hamilton, the one woman in all the world and and across time who is his as a reward for his service, she is being attacked by the Blight. The Blight are drawn to Jessa because she's more than human. When Broder discovers what--and who--Jessa is, he finds out that Loki has tricked him yet again.
Passion ignites between the two, but they know that Loki will not allow them to be together for long. The danger to Jessa escalates as she learns more about her history. Can Broder overcome his own past to keep her safe? And if he does, will the future only hold heartbreak for the couple?
♥♥♥♥♥
Broder Calderson is a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned, a group of former Viking warriors being punished by Loki for their sins. They must fight the Blight, minions of the goddess Hel, who are trying to bring about Ragnarök (the apocalypse). In Embrace of the Damned we're introduced to the members of the Brotherhood in all their "beefy goodness" (according to Jessa). I am looking forward to reading more about the beefcake.
But I digress.
Broder is an alpha male through and through, accustomed to giving orders and having them obeyed. He's dark, brooding, and grunts a lot. He's a good kisser, in spite of being one thousand years out of practice. Is he as sexy as Gabriel Mac Braire from Bast's Wicked Enchantment? Sorry, no. Nobody's that sexy. But I certainly wouldn't kick Broder out of bed for eatin' crackers.
You know those orders that Broder is accustomed to giving? Well, Jessa isn't accustomed to following them. She might not be a trained, kick-butt heroine in the beginning of the book, but she doesn't let Broder walk all over her, either. She's got a sassy mouth and some good lines. The only thing that bothers me about her character is that she's a bit too much of a sexual tease. Poor Broder.
The book moves along at a smart pace. There's plenty of suspense, mystery, and danger to keep you reading into the night.
I hope that we see more of Broder and Jessa in future books. I'd like to catch up with them, to find out what they're doing. For instance, now that Broder is…can he…? And is he still…? That latter question, at least, will probably be answered in the next book. No word on when that might be coming out, though.
He also condemned Broder to one thousand years of celibacy.
When Broder finally meets Jessamine Hamilton, the one woman in all the world and and across time who is his as a reward for his service, she is being attacked by the Blight. The Blight are drawn to Jessa because she's more than human. When Broder discovers what--and who--Jessa is, he finds out that Loki has tricked him yet again.
Passion ignites between the two, but they know that Loki will not allow them to be together for long. The danger to Jessa escalates as she learns more about her history. Can Broder overcome his own past to keep her safe? And if he does, will the future only hold heartbreak for the couple?
♥♥♥♥♥
Broder Calderson is a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned, a group of former Viking warriors being punished by Loki for their sins. They must fight the Blight, minions of the goddess Hel, who are trying to bring about Ragnarök (the apocalypse). In Embrace of the Damned we're introduced to the members of the Brotherhood in all their "beefy goodness" (according to Jessa). I am looking forward to reading more about the beefcake.
But I digress.
Broder is an alpha male through and through, accustomed to giving orders and having them obeyed. He's dark, brooding, and grunts a lot. He's a good kisser, in spite of being one thousand years out of practice. Is he as sexy as Gabriel Mac Braire from Bast's Wicked Enchantment? Sorry, no. Nobody's that sexy. But I certainly wouldn't kick Broder out of bed for eatin' crackers.
You know those orders that Broder is accustomed to giving? Well, Jessa isn't accustomed to following them. She might not be a trained, kick-butt heroine in the beginning of the book, but she doesn't let Broder walk all over her, either. She's got a sassy mouth and some good lines. The only thing that bothers me about her character is that she's a bit too much of a sexual tease. Poor Broder.
The book moves along at a smart pace. There's plenty of suspense, mystery, and danger to keep you reading into the night.
I hope that we see more of Broder and Jessa in future books. I'd like to catch up with them, to find out what they're doing. For instance, now that Broder is…can he…? And is he still…? That latter question, at least, will probably be answered in the next book. No word on when that might be coming out, though.
May 26, 2012
Viking berserker Broder Calderson's punishment for slaying innocents and feeling no remorse amid the carnage, was to serve Loki as a member of the Brotherhood of the Damned and unlike his brethren, Broder must also remain celibate for a thousand years. The only bright light to his penance is that if Broder repents and is steadfast in his duty to protect the earth from the minions of the goddess Hel, after those thousand years he will earn the woman who is perfect for him. Now that wait is finally over and Jessamine is more than he'd ever hoped for, but with his first taste of Jessa's lips, Broder questions whether the woman he was promised is truly a reward, or just a part of his punishment.
I liked Embrace of the Damned, despite my frustration with the heroine. It probably helped that I am extremely hero-centric, plus the world that Bast created has a lot of promise. I am a fan of mythological tie-ins, so I appreciated the premise of damned Viking warriors in service to the god Loki fighting against the minions of the goddess Hel to try to stave off Ragnarok (the Norse Armageddon.) Also adding to the world are Valkyries, witches, shape shifting sorcerers and Hel's minions, the Blight, who are demons with fangs but who shatter into ice when killed.
My nits: Embrace of the Damned was a bit heavy on the thwarted and actual sex, and the big conflict of Jessa's root and Broder's history are quickly and neatly resolved. But one thing that Bast does in her series starter that I thought was really smart, is that she concentrates on the leading pair and the world-building and doesn't inundate the readers with tons of supporting characters. I really appreciated not having to keep track of a whole slew of potential leading men – or ladies – though, I can definitely see Valkyrie Halla, and Dmitri, the minion rebelling against his brethren taking a turn in the spotlight. And I am not sure if this is going to be a theme for the whole series but it was since Loki is the Trickster god Broder's match was probably intended as a cruel joke – call me perverse - but I am hoping this is a reoccurring theme in the rest of the Brotherhood of the Damned books because I think the mismatched soul-mates is a trope that has a great deal of potential.
So, I ended up liking Embrace of the Damned even though the heroine was not my favorite, I loved the potential of the world and of the characters who hopefully have their own happily ever afters in store for them.
I liked Embrace of the Damned, despite my frustration with the heroine. It probably helped that I am extremely hero-centric, plus the world that Bast created has a lot of promise. I am a fan of mythological tie-ins, so I appreciated the premise of damned Viking warriors in service to the god Loki fighting against the minions of the goddess Hel to try to stave off Ragnarok (the Norse Armageddon.) Also adding to the world are Valkyries, witches, shape shifting sorcerers and Hel's minions, the Blight, who are demons with fangs but who shatter into ice when killed.
My nits: Embrace of the Damned was a bit heavy on the thwarted and actual sex, and the big conflict of Jessa's root and Broder's history are quickly and neatly resolved. But one thing that Bast does in her series starter that I thought was really smart, is that she concentrates on the leading pair and the world-building and doesn't inundate the readers with tons of supporting characters. I really appreciated not having to keep track of a whole slew of potential leading men – or ladies – though, I can definitely see Valkyrie Halla, and Dmitri, the minion rebelling against his brethren taking a turn in the spotlight. And I am not sure if this is going to be a theme for the whole series but it was since Loki is the Trickster god Broder's match was probably intended as a cruel joke – call me perverse - but I am hoping this is a reoccurring theme in the rest of the Brotherhood of the Damned books because I think the mismatched soul-mates is a trope that has a great deal of potential.
So, I ended up liking Embrace of the Damned even though the heroine was not my favorite, I loved the potential of the world and of the characters who hopefully have their own happily ever afters in store for them.
May 21, 2016
Viking Broder Calderson gives in to bloodlust commits murder giving no quarter to men, women or children and his penance is to serve the trickster god Loki and charged to mete retribution to the Blight from Hel. The Blight drink blood and have the power to freeze their victims. If Broder is able to locate and kill the Blight his weapon was made from, Blight will become mortal once again.
On the 1,000th anniversary of his servitude, Broder's celibacy is unlocked and he's irresistibly drawn to Jessamine Hamilton. According to Loki, the woman he's drawn to will be the woman of his innermost desires. As Broder reaches Jessa, she's been approached by one being who tells her she's been targeted and is under brutal attack by a Blight, who Broder handily disposes of.
Since her aunt died, Jessa's been discovering things that don't entirely make sense. Things like convincing people of her point of view of repairing small electronics through thought alone, pictures and documents that go against everything she's lived by. Talking a bit with Broder, he provides enough information to ease Jessa (and the reader) through the story and shares what he's deduced about Jessa.
The entire Brotherhood of the Damned is represented by a room of hulking hotties giving the impression that this outing is the foundation for a long running series (but this is the only one to date); the premise of the story opens a new and intriguing world that could grow into a must read series. As leads Broder wasn't far past monosyllabic, very modern-mannered and informed for his years.
Jessa on the other hand was more of a pill and this reader found her more annoying than anything else. The sexy times were more irritating and frustrating than sexy in this reader's opinion because he gave, she took, she changed her mind more than a handful of times as she resisted his words and actions more than a little as she fought against and to know her destiny.
Getting to the reason the Blights wanted Jessa dead and Broder's efforts to thwart those plans while they learned to accept and love each other was naturally the meat of the read but the secondary characters step up as good villains, betrayers and frienemies to keep the read going. Luckily the story threads are tied neatly making this outing easy to read as a self contained stand alone.
Rating: 3.25stars
On the 1,000th anniversary of his servitude, Broder's celibacy is unlocked and he's irresistibly drawn to Jessamine Hamilton. According to Loki, the woman he's drawn to will be the woman of his innermost desires. As Broder reaches Jessa, she's been approached by one being who tells her she's been targeted and is under brutal attack by a Blight, who Broder handily disposes of.
Since her aunt died, Jessa's been discovering things that don't entirely make sense. Things like convincing people of her point of view of repairing small electronics through thought alone, pictures and documents that go against everything she's lived by. Talking a bit with Broder, he provides enough information to ease Jessa (and the reader) through the story and shares what he's deduced about Jessa.
The entire Brotherhood of the Damned is represented by a room of hulking hotties giving the impression that this outing is the foundation for a long running series (but this is the only one to date); the premise of the story opens a new and intriguing world that could grow into a must read series. As leads Broder wasn't far past monosyllabic, very modern-mannered and informed for his years.
Jessa on the other hand was more of a pill and this reader found her more annoying than anything else. The sexy times were more irritating and frustrating than sexy in this reader's opinion because he gave, she took, she changed her mind more than a handful of times as she resisted his words and actions more than a little as she fought against and to know her destiny.
Getting to the reason the Blights wanted Jessa dead and Broder's efforts to thwart those plans while they learned to accept and love each other was naturally the meat of the read but the secondary characters step up as good villains, betrayers and frienemies to keep the read going. Luckily the story threads are tied neatly making this outing easy to read as a self contained stand alone.
Rating: 3.25stars
March 27, 2025
On her search for answers on her past and her new-found powers, Jessa is attacked one night by
a demon of all creatures. Just before certain death, she is saved by a badass 1000-year-old Viking
cursed by the god Loki to be a demon slayer because of a horrible sin committed ages ago. Broder
is an emotionless man with a stone-cold demeanor that hides a lot of his internal struggle. Yet
despite her hesitation to trust him, he's the only one who can keep her safe. Demons are hunting her, witches are wanting her and she's stuck in a sea of confusion.
Broder is a 1000 year celebrate, imposed by the curse of Loki and here in front of him is the one
woman that can be his, even for the short term allotted. Of course, she's also the one woman whom
is forbidden to him. Now each day in her presence is torture. He wants her so badly yet she doesn't
want him in return.
But as their time together ends, Broders feelings towards his resilient little witch have
far evolved from purely sexual. And despite his fear that love is the truly the greatest torture of
all, Broder is willing to risk everything to the love of his life.
I liked this book but I thought the pacing was off. It felt like the longest book to read yet it's
under 300 pages. At lot of it is spent in a castle setting in Scotland, where Broder and Jessa
struggle with their growing affections and sexual attraction for one another and while this relationship
was enjoyable, it was basic. Then the end is suddenly jam packed with revelations and everything
coming together to explain Broders past and Jessa future. I would have liked for something that could
have kept my undivided attention throughout the story.
I loved Broder as a character and while i liked Jessa, she herself is an admitted tease and that's
not something I find endearing. No woman owes a man sex just because she's the only woman he can
physically sleep with but neither does she have to lead him and she does on many occasions. Still,
i liked this book and I find this author is defiantly one to watch and I will look forward to reading
more from her in future.
a demon of all creatures. Just before certain death, she is saved by a badass 1000-year-old Viking
cursed by the god Loki to be a demon slayer because of a horrible sin committed ages ago. Broder
is an emotionless man with a stone-cold demeanor that hides a lot of his internal struggle. Yet
despite her hesitation to trust him, he's the only one who can keep her safe. Demons are hunting her, witches are wanting her and she's stuck in a sea of confusion.
Broder is a 1000 year celebrate, imposed by the curse of Loki and here in front of him is the one
woman that can be his, even for the short term allotted. Of course, she's also the one woman whom
is forbidden to him. Now each day in her presence is torture. He wants her so badly yet she doesn't
want him in return.
But as their time together ends, Broders feelings towards his resilient little witch have
far evolved from purely sexual. And despite his fear that love is the truly the greatest torture of
all, Broder is willing to risk everything to the love of his life.
I liked this book but I thought the pacing was off. It felt like the longest book to read yet it's
under 300 pages. At lot of it is spent in a castle setting in Scotland, where Broder and Jessa
struggle with their growing affections and sexual attraction for one another and while this relationship
was enjoyable, it was basic. Then the end is suddenly jam packed with revelations and everything
coming together to explain Broders past and Jessa future. I would have liked for something that could
have kept my undivided attention throughout the story.
I loved Broder as a character and while i liked Jessa, she herself is an admitted tease and that's
not something I find endearing. No woman owes a man sex just because she's the only woman he can
physically sleep with but neither does she have to lead him and she does on many occasions. Still,
i liked this book and I find this author is defiantly one to watch and I will look forward to reading
more from her in future.
June 15, 2012
As a huge fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, I am always looking for something to fill the void in between Ward's releases. Series such as the Elder Races and the Immortals After Dark worked for a while, but now that they are all read, I am always on the lookout. While I don't think that I have found the "New Brotherhood in Town", I think that there is a series that may work well to fill the void.
The Brotherhood of the Damned is a new series by Anya Bast. In it, we meet a group of Brothers who were all once Viking warriors. They have been damned by the god Loki to spend eternity fighting the Blight. This immortal battle is part one of their punishment. Each of the Brothers have an additional punishment that is tailored to the crime that they committed. For the first Brother, Broder, he is damned to an emotionless existence and a feels intense pain if he tries to enjoy the pleasures of a woman. But Loki has promised that after 1,000 years of service, he will reward Broder with his perfect woman.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
The Brotherhood of the Damned is a new series by Anya Bast. In it, we meet a group of Brothers who were all once Viking warriors. They have been damned by the god Loki to spend eternity fighting the Blight. This immortal battle is part one of their punishment. Each of the Brothers have an additional punishment that is tailored to the crime that they committed. For the first Brother, Broder, he is damned to an emotionless existence and a feels intense pain if he tries to enjoy the pleasures of a woman. But Loki has promised that after 1,000 years of service, he will reward Broder with his perfect woman.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
November 26, 2012
This is a nice paranormal romance.
Jessamine is a bit tiring at times I have to confess. At the start of the story I really liked her: she doesn't immediately swoon over the hero and is suspicious of his motives. Later on she really got on my nerves though. She just kept Broder on a leash, letting him pleasure her, but then pushing him away when he wanted more. I wanted to tell her to just make up her mind and stop playing with Broder. If I had been Broder I would have lost my patience pretty soon.
The story overall was really nice. I really liked the world building and the idea of the brotherhood. I also loved Loki, he's a very intriguing deity and I think Bast did him justice for the most part (He's cast a bit too much like a villain at times imo). There was a pretty clear case of Deus Ex Machina near the end of the story though and even though this is a story that has actual gods in it, I felt myself robbed of a normal solution.
So in the end this was a nice read, but I don't think I'll be reading more books in this series. I might pick up another book by Bast in the future though, if the premise sounds interesting.
Jessamine is a bit tiring at times I have to confess. At the start of the story I really liked her: she doesn't immediately swoon over the hero and is suspicious of his motives. Later on she really got on my nerves though. She just kept Broder on a leash, letting him pleasure her, but then pushing him away when he wanted more. I wanted to tell her to just make up her mind and stop playing with Broder. If I had been Broder I would have lost my patience pretty soon.
The story overall was really nice. I really liked the world building and the idea of the brotherhood. I also loved Loki, he's a very intriguing deity and I think Bast did him justice for the most part (He's cast a bit too much like a villain at times imo). There was a pretty clear case of Deus Ex Machina near the end of the story though and even though this is a story that has actual gods in it, I felt myself robbed of a normal solution.
So in the end this was a nice read, but I don't think I'll be reading more books in this series. I might pick up another book by Bast in the future though, if the premise sounds interesting.
September 30, 2015
This story wasn't as bad as the ratings led me to believe. The only thing that drove me nuts (after the 3rd time it happened) was how Jessa kept pushing Broder away.
Broder is one of the damned in the Brotherhood of the Damned. He is immortal, due to a sliver of demon in his heart, put there by Loki (the trickster God) who runs the brotherhood. All the brotherhood came to be where they are because they committed, what Loki considers, a huge act of violence. Broder is no different. Loki put a curse on Broder that he couldn't engage with a female for 1000 years. At the end of 1000 years, he is drawn to Jessa. Jessa is a human, or so she thinks. She's always been a bit different and is able to fix electronics with her mind. They meet up after Jessa has an encounter with one of the Blight (demons who turn into ice when stabbed in the heart - they were/are created by Hel (Loki's daughter) and set upon the earth due to a father/daughter spat. Through the story, Broder and Jessa are trying to find out why the Blight want her so much and is spent with Jessa discovering who she really is.
Broder is one of the damned in the Brotherhood of the Damned. He is immortal, due to a sliver of demon in his heart, put there by Loki (the trickster God) who runs the brotherhood. All the brotherhood came to be where they are because they committed, what Loki considers, a huge act of violence. Broder is no different. Loki put a curse on Broder that he couldn't engage with a female for 1000 years. At the end of 1000 years, he is drawn to Jessa. Jessa is a human, or so she thinks. She's always been a bit different and is able to fix electronics with her mind. They meet up after Jessa has an encounter with one of the Blight (demons who turn into ice when stabbed in the heart - they were/are created by Hel (Loki's daughter) and set upon the earth due to a father/daughter spat. Through the story, Broder and Jessa are trying to find out why the Blight want her so much and is spent with Jessa discovering who she really is.
August 30, 2012
Anya Bast has long been a favorite author of mine so I was looking forward to the new series. I have to say that this is a little bit different and not quite what I was expecting. I enjoyed the characters and the main premise of the story line. Things are not always what they seem and Anya Bast has a knack for not going where you might expect her to. She managed to end the story with an HEA (which I did expect) but the way she got there was not even on my radar. I really enjoy it when an author creates a world that isn't exactly like all the other one already out there, has some what unique situatuons with the characters (most things have been done so this is difficult, but not impssoble) and can then find a twist at the end to surprise you as well.
I will most certainly be reading the second book when it comes out. I am very curious to see where this series goes and I am excited to see who the next book will be about. There are several supporting male characters that can become the next lead and I can see this series being around for a while.
I will most certainly be reading the second book when it comes out. I am very curious to see where this series goes and I am excited to see who the next book will be about. There are several supporting male characters that can become the next lead and I can see this series being around for a while.
May 4, 2012
If you’re not already a fan of Anya Bast, now’s a really good chance to become one. She has started a new series, Brotherhood of the Damned, with the new book Embrace of the Damned. Over a thousand years ago, Broder was cursed by the Norse god, Loki. Now after years of forced celibacy Broader finally has the chance with one woman, Jessa. Even though she feels the instant attraction, Jessa’s not about to jump in to bed with anyone especially since she’s still trying to discover who she really is.
This was a great, fast paced, suspenseful paranormal romance and I loved it! Ms. Bast has always been one of my favorites because she writes such well-rounded and believable characters. Well, believable for paranormal. Jessa and Broder may each have special abilities but that’s not what draws them together nor is it what makes them fall in love. This was a great introduction to a new series and I’m so excited for what comes next. I’ve learned in earlier Ms. Bast series to expect the unexpected and to just hang on for one heck of a ride.
This was a great, fast paced, suspenseful paranormal romance and I loved it! Ms. Bast has always been one of my favorites because she writes such well-rounded and believable characters. Well, believable for paranormal. Jessa and Broder may each have special abilities but that’s not what draws them together nor is it what makes them fall in love. This was a great introduction to a new series and I’m so excited for what comes next. I’ve learned in earlier Ms. Bast series to expect the unexpected and to just hang on for one heck of a ride.
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