Nephilim

by Mary Ann Loesch

When sin stains your soul, he tattoos your skin. . .

Tattoo artist Nathan Ink is more than he seems. An angel living in secret on earth, he forces his clients to face their flaws by tattooing images of their sins on their bodies, but this glimpse into the soul often results in his clients' deaths. Although Nathan avoids the other angels, when they ask him to keep an eye on Faye, a nephilim being stalked by another of her kind, he reluctantly agrees.

The angels have kept Faye in the dark about her stalker, but to keep her close to Nathan, they've tasked her with investigating the high mortality rate of Nathan's clients. Despite her distaste for his methods, she finds herself fighting a growing attraction to Nathan, and discovering he's not a rogue after all forces her to question her own mission. When Faye learns her stalker is another nephilim who intends to use her to breed a new race of hellish beings, teaming up with Nathan may be the only way to prevent a genocide.

Contains strong language and violence

26,300 Words

Genres: Angels, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Lori {Romancing the Dark Side} · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional thrill ride that will leave you yearning for more!

Born half human, half angel (a Nephilim) with healing powers, Faye has lost all her faith in angels and the divine after losing her parents and fiance who were murdered. She blames her guardian Angel Azal for her loss and refuses to use her gifts to work with the angels on Earth. When another of her kind begins to stalk Faye for his dark purposes, Azal must resort to enlisting the help of Nathan, a "rogue" tattoo artist and angel living in secret among humans. Nathan is a loner, but when he learns about the danger Faye is in he agrees to protect her. If Azal's plan is to work, he's to keep Faye in the dark by assigning her the task of investigating a slew of deaths connected to Nathan and his tattoos. Faye isn't a fan of Nathan and his ways but there's something about this unconventional angel that stirs up an intense attraction whenever she's around him. When the truth of the other nephilim's plan is revealed, Faye finds herself joining forces with Nathan to stop what could be the extinction of angels.

I'm a huge fan of angels in PNR and Urban Fantasy and I must say ms. Loesch does not dissappoint with Nephilim. In a world where angels roam the earth among humans, the author has created a superb and original storyline that grabs you from the first sentence. The complexity of this paranormal world is executed in great detail and the plot is easy to follow, there's just enough intrigue and tension to keep you turning the pages. The characters are complex and each one brings an element of depth to the story.

Nathan is the hero every romance fan loves, he's tall, dark, handsome and has a little dark side! As the story progresses you see that he is not what he seems and has a softer side to him making him a good guy. I adore a strong and independent heroine and that's exactly what Faye is. She' s smart, sassy and compassionate but has a little edge that makes her bad a**! She instantly became a favorite while reading. I like that the relationship between her and Nathan started out as an uncomfortable situation for both and slowly became more emotional. I was hoping for an explosive romantic moment and felt this particular element in the story was a bit rushed for my taste. That said, the story was wonderfully executed and the take on Lucifer and the angels is sympathetic and not the typical good and evil roles we're accustomed to in literature. The flawlessness of the characters is what really draws you into this dark and gritty world the author has created.

Nephilim is a well crafted urban fantasy that brings you into a dark and dangerous world of intrigue and suspense. There's never a dull moment and the suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. If you enjoy your angels a little on the dark side then I suggest you add this one to your list! I'll be impatiently waiting for the next installment in the series after reading the last page, I won't post any spoilers but I'll say there are some unresolved issues I'm hoping to get closure on in book two!

{ebook courtesy of RABT}

Original Romancing the Darkside:
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....

[Paula Ratcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:

This book was sent to me via Pump Up Your Promotions Book Tour, thank you to Dorothy Thompson for such an interesting book.

The main characters in this book are Faye, a half angel half human. She has had her fill of Angels and is less than pleased when Azal contacts her looking for her to look into Nathan Ink who runs a tattoo shop and the tattoos are anything but normal. For Faye this is her hardest thing to deal with as Azal allowed her parents and boyfriend to be killed while he was suppose to be guarding them.

Nathan Ink, runs a local tattoo parlor where patrons get tattoos of the seven deadly sins if people choose to clean up their act from whatever sin is plaguing them then the tattoo has done it's job and is just a reminder to stay on the clean and narrow if they ignore it fate intervenes. Azal tells Nathan to protect Faye from something that is after her.

Azal is an angel and guardian to Faye. Knowing he failed her when her family died, he's been trying to help her ever since even when she despises him. He knows more than he says to Nathan or Faye. Something dark is haunting Faye and he needs Nathan to protect her from what it is.

This book definitely has tons of paranormal and mystery in it. People are dying and Faye is determined to find out what it is and how it is connected to Nathan Ink. She is also suffering with recurring dreams of a dark haired boy who she can't recall who he is or who is planting the boy in her dreams.

Nathan is also suffering affects of this thing that is stalking Faye, when it is near the headaches are extremely intense, and Angels are disappearing as well. Now it's up to Faye and Nathan to figure this out before it's too late.

What a great story and characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the angels and Faye. Was glad to see the angels band together to defeat Sammael and for him to get a karmic ending. I was very pleased that Lucifer was shown in a more positive light as opposed to how he is normally viewed. Was sad by the ending but what good book doesn't have said parts one I could read again and again!

[Vanessa theJeepDiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faye is a very angry lady. She has lost her parents and fiancé. She knows her heritage so her beliefs in what actually happened to them are plausible. Her thoughts as to those involved are reasonable. Her anger at those she believes could have stopped it from happening is not unwarranted. Things are on the cusp of completely changing when her guardian angel Azal asks her to keep an eye on a potential rogue angel.

The angels have some issues with being completely honest. They never flat out lie, but they love omission. Faye’s guardian angel asks Nathan to help with Faye’s stalker. Azal has made keeping Faye close to Nathan easy by simply tasking her with discovering if Nathan is rogue. Nathan’s unique angel gift will make locating her stalker easy. There are things in her stalker ‘s past that are going to complicate protecting Faye.

There are many things to like about this book. A world with an angel who tattoos people to give their free will a boost is intriguing. Initially Nathan comes off as cruel, but there is more to him than a tattoo guy whose clients meet death soon after leaving him. The characters are plenty and the roles they play are vastly interesting. The angels seem to withhold information from others, so this throws doubt in every direction. I’m good with doubt, it allows for plot twists and the plot twists are many. I would see events steadily going in one direction and then something happened that changed everything.

I want to point out that Nephilim is not a romance. There is a mild romance with Faye and Nathan. There is a closeted, fade to black sex scene between them. As a romance fanatic and a total happily ever after whore I have to be honest in that I am not happy with the ending. The ending does make complete sense for angels and the fact that they are supposed to be good and angelic, but I’m still unsettled with how things ended. I would be tempted to read more of this world if I knew that there is more for Nathan and Faye.

[Darkfallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faye is a nephilim who, for the most part, just tries to live a normal life. After her family was murdered seven years ago she has pretty much lost her faith in God. It also doesn't help that she thinks that God is the one that murdered her family. A punishment for her angel father for falling in love with her human mother and creating Faye in the first place. Ever since then she has left behind anything tied to the angel world...that is until Azal, her guardian angel, shows back up and asks for her help with a rogue angel, Nathan Ink. It seems that almost everyone that walks into Nathan Ink's tattoo shop ends up dead shortly after sitting in his chair. Is Nathan causing these deaths and taking his angel status to far?

Unfortunately Faye's curiosity gets the best of her and even though she wants nothing to do with angels and God she finds herself sucked back into their world. Little does she know that Nathan is actually there to help protect her. Protect her form an evil greater than the one she thinks she was sent to uncover.

When I first started this book I was under the impression that this was a PNR novel, but after reading it I would say it is more of an Urban Fantasy. Had I known that in the beginning I may not have been inclined to read it since I don't usually read that genre. Still this turned out to be a great book. The writing was strong and spot on, and the characters were well developed.I also loved how Lucifer was portrayed. It was original and I liked how he wasn't the villain that he usually is.

Overall this book kept me entertained and wanting more. I did wish that it didn't fade to black during the adult scene with Nathan Ink and Faye, but other than that this was a great read!

[Donna Anastasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was half way through this book when I started my bus commute home from Boston. When I got to my car I literally could not put this book down and sat there for hours until I finished it. Mary Ann Loesch creates from page one characters that I cared about and a fascinating storyline about angels and angel cross breeds on earth. One of these angel-human mixes is Faye who can't get beyond a great sorrow in her life for which she blames her guardian angel Azal. I love btw how the angels have a moth-like attraction to flickering lights which they must fight against in order to avoid a lapse in attention (ha ha). No one (but God Him/Her self) is perfect in this story. And no one is completely bad or lost either. Though a side character, the unique portrayal of the angel Lucifer and his relationship with God is one I've never seen or considered before, yet really quite plausible. Loesch is a wonderful romance writer as well, creating a steamy tension between Faye, a healer and lover of life, and bad boy Nathan, an angel of death of sorts.

[Zenovia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stayed up all night to finish reading and obsessed over what would happen next when every time I had to tear myself away!!!!

[Book Utopia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faye is a nephilim, the child of an angel father and a mortal mother. She owns a nursery, where her talents for encouraging life and healing are well utilized, as well as sings part-time at a club. She doesn’t have many friends. Touching people shows them too much most times for her to be comfortable. She’s also cut herself off from everything heavenly, since she blames God for the death of her parents and fiancé. A visit from her guardian angel Azal, however, sends her into a tailspin. He wants her to look into a potential rogue angel called Nathan Ink. Nathan tattoos sins onto people’s skin for the world to see and for the bearer to survive, but the mortality rate of his clients is unnaturally high. Faye doesn’t want anything to do with it, but she’s curious enough to at least go check him out. What she doesn’t know is that it’s a ruse. Azal has set her in Nathan’s path for a reason, though he isn’t telling anybody yet what that reason is. The more Faye learns about Nathan, however, the more concerned she gets about his methodology.

There’s more. So, so, so much more. You can read the blurb at the publisher’s site if you want to be spoiled for it, but honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to be surprised. Because this book offers that in spades. It is twist after twist after twist, some of which left me gasping out loud, almost all of which had me compulsively turning the pages until I was done. It’s not an easy read. The prose is dense, the explanations not always clear, the characters sometimes frustrating. But I couldn’t put the damn thing down, getting increasingly invested in how it was all going to turn out. It doesn’t shy away from the violence that accompanies the darker side of humanity, but at the same time, there’s a certain hope that permeates Faye, brightening the path of the story more than once. I felt much as she did for a good part of the story, especially in regards to her contradictory feelings for Nathan in the first half. He is not your typical angel. His methods are twisted and dark, incredibly nihilistic in tone and deed. Whenever he’s on the page in that first half, the story becomes almost bleak, slowing my reading down even further. I didn’t stop, though. I couldn’t. I needed to know what happened next.

Bear in mind that this is not a romance. It’s not sold as one at Lyrical, and it doesn’t fall within the genre parameters. Expect a romance, and you’ll be disappointed. I knew all this, but the last chapter still managed to upset me, mostly because I’d become so emotionally involved with everyone. As a result, it’s a mild detraction in my overall enjoyment.

Due to the level of violence in this, it’s probably not for those who are bothered by it. And I do wish the editors and the author had taken better care with the use of apostrophes. Their misuse was starting to annoy me about halfway through (you’re for your, possessive apostrophes in the wrong place, apostrophes used on a plural word that wasn’t possessive, etc.). It complicated an already dense read, no matter how compulsive it was. In spite of that and my other minor concerns, however, this remains one of the more memorable, intense reads I’ve had in a very long time.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cover does not belong on this book.

Read the full review at Working for the Mandroid

I'm happy to say that that cover does not go on the front of this book. Outside one sex scene of the "foreplay - fade to black - wake up the next morning" variety, this book wasn't a romance novel. This was an interesting murder mystery that happened to involve angels there were kind of badass. Faye, the female protagonist, also wasn't one to sit around and rely on the heavily muscled, greased up guy from the cover to protect her. Even when she did something I usually consider being stupid with other female protagonists, it didn't bother me so much because she had super angelic powers to use against the bad guy.

Before I go on, let me just say - FINALLY! ANGELS I WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH! Thank you Ms. Loesch for breaking me of my horrible emo doe-eyed angel curse! I read this in two sittings!

Faye is a nephilim, daughter of the angel Raphael and a human woman. Her parents and fiancé were killed in an accident seven years before which she blamed on the angels, primarily her unofficial guardian Azal. Being a nephilim she kind of has superpowers, primarily of the healing variety. Azal eventually reenters her life and sends her to check up on Nathan Ink, an angel that might have gone rouge. He's a tattoo artist whose clients have a tendency to die soon after leaving his shop. I'm pretty sure this makes him the worst tattoo artist ever. Then again, his tattoos also have a tendency to move, speak and taunt their wearers, so perhaps Nathan has infused his ink with acid. Wouldn't that have been an interesting twist...

Yes, the cheese can get a bit knee-deep in places, particularly when it came to the whole ink motif. Naming your tattoo artist angel Nathan Ink? Really? Considering his previous human background - as a 16th century Spanish gypsy - I'm thinking his name wasn't always Nathan and isn't having the last name Ink a little too on the nose? But once you get past the eye rolling caused by a few details like that, things move at a fast clip and there were a few times when I was honestly surprised in the direction the story went.

The bad guy - whose name I will not use because I feel it gives some things away - is insane, creepy and everything a crazed stalker serial killer should really be. He also happens to have a magic knife. Yes, a magic knife. Then there's God, who wanders around and shows up at key moments to offer guidance while wearing the guise of an old lady. The glee I had at God's first appearance cannot be described. Old lady God was awesome even though her appearances were sparse. I also enjoyed the explanation regarding who and what Lucifer is in this universe. I felt it was clever and unusual compared to what he's often used for in other angelic forms of pop culture.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really a great book. I really enjoyed reading it. It was well written and you are drawn into the story right away. It is an urban fantasy that takes place in a world just like ours. But angels when they need a break spend time on earth living among humans. This though provides them with a lot of temptation and when they give in, you end up with a nephilim.

Faye is one of the nephilim, a half human/half angel. Her father was an angel who fell in love with her mother after a chance meeting that led to them becoming friends. After a horrible accident Faye wants nothing more to do with angels or their problems. However, her guardian angel knows she has a stalked that she needs to be protected from. This is where he arranges for her to meet and "investigate" Nathan and the methods he uses in his mission on earth.

All the characters were interesting and well developed and you really root for Faye to discover what everyone around her knows and is keeping from her to try and keep her safe. You also really want Nathan to be friendly and try to help influence people more towards happiness than the usual despair and anger his tattoos bring out.

Its easy and enjoyable to follow them on their journey and see how they change and grow as characters. It has a good ending, pretty much what you would expect from an urban fantasy. Not everyone gets their happily ever after but most things work out for the best. I am really looking forward to reading more of her books and hope we revisit this world and characters again.

[Samantha Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me but for some reason sat on my shelf for a long time. I put it off because I never heard of a nephilim, and the tattooing of sins didn't quite appeal to me. Now I wish I didn't put it off for so long!

About half way through the book I literally couldn't put it down. Mary Ann Loesh creates such a finely woven tapestry in this story where angels, humans and nephilim coexist. Faye is a nephilim (half-human, half-angel) but only has a hint of an idea of the power she possesses. For the most part, she sees herself as a healer, like her father was. Angry at the death of her parents and fiancé, she has been holding a 7 year grudge against both angles and against God for letting it happen. She believes God punished her father for mating with a human (which apparently is not allowed for angels to do). I loved the depth and color each character had; and the fact they had both a good and a bad side. Nathan, an angel seems almost evil at the outset, but later we learn so much more about his character and his job as a tattooist. Even the portrayal of Lucifer and God was done in such a unique way (Lucifer also having both a good and a bad side). I found this to be such an interesting and unique story, unlike any other paranormal (romance) story I have ever read. I kind of wish there was more romance between Faye and Nathan, but that's me being picky.

Well developed characters, richly described world in which they live and the struggle of good vs evil make this a must read story. Overall a great story well worth 5 stars.

[Lilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

After getting over a couple cheesy names (i.e.: Nathan Ink–fallen angel, symbolist and owner of the tattoo parlor Hell’s Leak), I realized that this book actually harbors strong writing, wonderfully flawed characters and an intense plot rife with twists which leave you captivated.

The story begins with the angel Azal recruiting Faye–a nephilim (human/angel hybrid) who runs a nursery and sings at a club part-time–on a mission to find out why Nathan’s clients keep croaking. Nathan has a tendency to tattoo his clients with whichever seven deadly sin they are guilty of, both to urge them to clean up and to serve as a reminder of their past transgressions after getting on the straight and narrow. Faye is very reluctant to help as she blames God for the death of her loved ones, but eventually she comes around due to curiosity. However, what Faye doesn’t know is that Azal has placed her in Nathan’s path for a reason.

What I really liked in this novel, as I’m a bit of a Lucifer fangirl, was how sympathetically he was portrayed. His relationship was God was interesting, but I don’t want to spoil everything. Nephilim is definitely one of the grittier, more intense, angel books that I’ve read lately. So, if you don’t mind religion and violence in your urban fantasy, then this is unquestionably for you!

http://www.read-all-over.net/fiction/...

[Misty Rayburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan Ink is an angel living on earth as a tattoo artist. He tattoos on his clients images of their sins in order to force them to face their flaws. His tattoos often result in the client’s death. The other angels have tasked Faye, a nephilim with investigating Nathan.

Reluctantly, she agrees and they’re able to keep their true secret. For a while now, another nephilim has been stalking Faye with the intent to use her to breed a new race. Can Nathan keep her safe like the angels really want him to or could this be the end of the angels?

When I saw this book, I knew I HAD to read it. I was pretty booked as far as reviews go for October but I just HAD to read it! I’m glad I didn’t ignore that call. This book is a page turner from start to finish with a really neat concept. The whole idea of an angel tattooing sins on his clients intrigued me greatly and Mary Ann Loesch does not disappoint. Just as many reviewers have said before me, she is an excellent storyteller. She took this interesting concept and weaved an intriguing tale that once you start, you just HAVE to finish. I was absolutely blown away and I can’t wait to see more from her! I highly recommend this book and for me, it was GREAT October reading!

Thank you to Mary Ann Loesch and Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tours for the review copy. It in no way influenced my review.

[Sarah Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ah, this is very tame granny porn for the Bible thumpers. The sex scene, though it occurs, is given through the eyes of the antagonist who is mostly upset that it is happening since he plans to use the protagonist for his own nefarious purposes. This is another book that attempts to answer the question, "What if angels had sex?" It's rather difficult to answer that question and keep the angels holy, considering that current American culture tends to think of sex as something sinful by definition. It's interesting to contrast this text, though certainly the genre lacks similar gravity, with the translation of The Epic of Gilgamesh I recently listened to. How much human culture can change in a couple millennia.

[Cami Hensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I just want to start off by saying, HOW HOT is that cover? I love it!

You will notice my tags for this review are under Paranormal, but not Paranormal Romance. There is a lite romance to this book, but not enough to be considered a Paranormal Romance.

I loved Mary Ann's writing style. I felt like everything flowed very well and the characters were very easy to become attached to. This is the kind of book that you become engrossed in.

This story is imaginative and I personally loved the tattoo twist with the Angels.

If you are interested in a roller coaster ride with many twists and turns than this is definitely the book for you. There are plenty of times where I said to myself "Whoa, didn't see that coming."

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really unique spin angels, an nephilim. Roles, rules an revenge
Love a good book on angels an even more so one with a different set of rules

[Mary Loesch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm biased but would love feedback!

[Scooper Speaks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not feel happy when I finished this book. I think I was supposed to, but I was angry.