Aspiring musician, Sofia, had her whole future figured out. Or so she thought, until her sister's sacrificed in a horrific ritual. Now Sofia's haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions from a past she never knew existed. On a trip to Brazil, something awakens inside Sofia -- her legacy, a blessing and a curse, drawing to her every paranormal creature out vampires, demons and reapers, ghosts and Shadows, and something much darker that's been twisting its way into her heart and soul. With the help of Thrain, a striking demon of the highest order, she sets out to uncover the truth about herself and the ones she loves. In a world of love and betrayal, of reincarnation and ancient bonds, to solve the mystery of her sister's murder, Sofia must embrace her own century-old legacy. But do do so, she must also let evil into her soul.
Autumn is my favorite season, and Halloween my favorite holiday, so I celebrated these dual favorites by reading a delightful, ghoulish, fun Y/A paranormal novel by prolific and highly rated author Jayde Scott. I was feeling particularly courageous and intrigued by the book’s premise, so I did this despite the fact that I had not yet read the earlier books in the series (called Ancient Legends) – a deficiency I quickly corrected after reading Voodoo Kiss. Luckily, Scott is such a strong writer that this did not matter; this book, like the others, functions well as a stand-alone novel. However, if what happened to me happens to other readers, they will find that they absolutely MUST read the entire series, which includes A Job From Hell (book 1) and Doomed (book 2). Kind of like Girl Scout cookies, you will find you are unable to stop at just one.
Plot: Sofia Romanov is an aspiring musician living in NYC. She has recently faced the untimely and painful death of her younger half-sister, Theo. She is drawn to her wealthy Irish boyfriend Gael through mutual sibling loss: his brother also died within the same time frame. There’s trouble in paradise, however – Sofia doesn’t necessarily feel romantic love toward Gael…more of an enduring friendship. He whisks her off to Brazil before she can make this clear to him, however, and that’s when things get very strange. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but it involves voodoo (hence the title) and here Scott has clearly done her homework. I was enraptured by the clear descriptions: the smells, sights and feel of Rio, the crazy scary hotel, the so-vivid-it-feels-like-it’s-happening-to you language of Sofia’s first ritual. I was quite drawn in by Gael, who walked the double-character line quite well – I was never sure whether to trust him, hate him, feel sorry for him, or be afraid of him. I love characters like that… but the appearance of Thrain, the demon love interest, changed the story quite deftly. Other characters, like a mysterious black crow, and Lucifer, skate in and out of the plot with an agility only a well-experienced and well-read author could produce.
Setting: These books I have been reading lately are causing me to want to travel! After reading for my last review, I wanted to go to Fiji; now I want to go to Brazil and Scotland. I loved the descriptions and sounds of Rio, and I loved the quiet mystery of the Scottish countryside. I also found it interesting how the characters can travel between them using magic, but within this there is still modern technology. For example, one character tracks another by use of an IP address. The physical world most of us live in is thus nicely blended with the paranormal, making it seem like demons, vampires, Shadows and voodoo priestesses could quite possibly walk among us, and we would never know.
Characters: Of course I adored main character Sofia, who despite agony and guilt over her sister’s death is forging forward both toward a music career and toward college. Despite her strengths in the career realm, within relationships she’s uncertain when we first meet her, remaining in one that doesn’t feel right to her. As her powers take root and grow, she becomes more self-aware in what is essentially a psychological journey; she moves through a Maslow-like pyramid of met and unmet needs until she reaches the first step on a rung of self-actualization both within herself and within her relationships (here I do not wish to give too much away, so you will simply have to read the book…which is a favor to yourself). Other characters, particularly Gael, Thrain and Cass, stand out as well-rounded and interesting, and Theo, the lost sister, haunts the pages like the ghost that she might be.
Style: Nicely done in well-written YA language that will appeal to any reader. A perfect autumn book – make yourself a pumpkin latte, sit up near the fire with the leaves falling outside…and before you know it three hours will have passed.
Overall Impression: Five stars. A wonderful lead character, excellent cast of supporting characters, nice romantic tension, and a surprise twist at the end that will make you both laugh and drool for the next book in the series. All I can say is, read it! Read it before fall gives way to winter, for Voodoo Kiss belongs in this season of change, death and renewal.
Voodoo Kiss is even more riveting and full of nonstop action than its prequel. Scott offers an unflinching and grim look at what life can be when there is a death in the family and everyone gives you the blame.This dark, gripping, and highly suspenseful read will have readers chomping at the bit for a sequel.
Voodoo Kiss is an intriguing, fast-paced read. I really enjoyed all of the characters, but I would have to say Thrain was my favorite. The story line was great. Scott blended the paranormal creatures seamlessly together. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Voodoo kiss is an exciting page turner!! It was my favorite of the series. All I wanted to do was keep reading. Thanks for a wonderful book that all ages can enjoy!!!
In my review of Doomed, I didn't want to give away the loss Cass was forced to endure, as I felt this was one of the major cliff hangers of Doomed and would have needed a spoiler alert, which I steer clear of, so I'm banking on the fact that everyone has read the first two books of this series before reading this one. Jayde is a wonderful writer, and Voodoo's Kiss was the best one in the series yet. I was creeped out by Gael, and the danger I sensed with him sucked me into the story immediately.
In Voodoo's Kiss, Cass needs Sofia to remember her past life as a Voodoo priestess so that she might save her love, who was killed by a vampire in the second book, and break the curse placed on her. You get pulled into this fast paced novel, by Sofia, who keeps getting warned by a crow, can see a demon, one who she's deeply attracted to from the moment she first sets eyes on him, and by the witty Cass, who is a fallen angel, and who is cursed to be a reaper, and then by the vampires from the past books. Throw in lots of wit and humor, and you have one powerful read.
But I was also deeply impressed by the depth of emotion that Sophis showed in her grief and the edge of the sanity, insanity we sometimes walk in our grief, and I enjoyed the deeper spiritual meanings woven into this story as well.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves paranormal and fantasy novels alike, and give this series 5 stars as a must read.
When I started to read the first two books of the ancient legends series,little did I know how addictive this series is. Whenever I finish a book in the ancient legends series, the first thing I do is buy the next one.
Voodoo Kiss picks up right where the second left off and although we have now a new character (Sofia), the story continues from the last book and becomes downright sweet, romantic.
Sofia is a troubled girl. She's lost her sister. Her parents believe that she is responsible for her sister's death. Then she meets Thrain, an immortal demon. A bad boy who wants her. And who won't stop fighting to save her from her own past. Her past comes back to her- and she doesn't want to be the one she used to be.
Thrain is full of secrets- but Sofia has a dark side as well.
This book contains a mystery and hot hot romance.
Jayde Scott is a fantastic story teller, able to make you dream, hope and enter a different world consisting of true love and destiny. She makes you fall in love with all her characters.
I was so excited to get to read this book. I have really liked this series and couldn't wait to get to Voodoo Kiss! After the first few pages of this book I was wondering how it was going to all tie in with the other books/characters in the Ancient Legends series. All I can say is about this book is that it blew me away. It was put together so well that the plot just flowed so well. I found myself in parts of the book, admiring the writing technique. I wasn't sure I would like Sofia after enjoying Cass so much in the previous book. However, I grew to really like her and Thrain....wow that's all I can say. The characters were very likable and I could relate to Sofia. The romance never felt rushed either. They worked their way into it, which is a nice change in pace! I am a sucker for a lovely romance. The story was never forced. I have really enjoyed this series and Voodoo Kiss was just icing on the cake to this series. I can't wait to see what happens with the crew in the next installment! Great job yet again Jayde Scott!
Another great story by Jayde Scott. I really believe she outdid herself this time. I was especially glad to see that she included all of our favorite characters throughout the whole book while introducing us to new characters. I'm also excited to know that she is working on a fourth book in the series. I can't wait for "Bewitched" to come out! This is a must read for YA Paranormal Romance fans - make sure to read A Job From Hell and Doomed too! (I recommend reading them in order, as the storyline flows from one book to the next!)
loved it! I'm all about the paranormal stuff and I love books that have to do with it. I don't like books that are slow paced and this one definitely wasn't. just wish the author would have extended some of the action scenes rather than concentrating on the mushy ones. don't get me wrong, mushy gushy is great but not every other paragraph. over all I still loved it and am totally enjoying this series.
I love this series! The way all the main characters from past books are important in each new one. And that each new one has a new main plot with different characters at the forefront. You never really know what the next in the series is going to bring you, always a surprise! Can't wait for the next Jayde! Keep them coming!
Good book. Started out a little bit slow but once the action picked up I couldn't put it down. You follow Cass' search to return Dallas to his body through a voodoo priestess. Thrain, a tracker demon, helps locate Sofia and also learns they share a bond. I am anxious to find out whose story we get to read about next in Bewitched.
Let me say that I did not see this ending coming!!! This was such a breath of fresh air for me. A completely original concept that stands alone from all of the rest of the paranormal books i have read in my life. Definately a keeper!!!
This is one of my favorite books by this author. Who can't say no to a HOT shapeshifter who wants to protect you. Yummy!!!! J Scott knows just know to describe Thrain so you can almost picture the guy right there with you. HOT!
Jayde Scott really knows how to make demons sexy! I had no idea about this author, but with the price of this book, you can't beat it. I flew through each one in the AL series and really enjoyed them all. I will be getting more of her books in the future.
I really enjoyed this book. A very unusual story line. The writing is amazingly descriptive.
Update January, 2013 - I re-read this book when I was looking for a new book to read. Thoroughly enjoyed it the second time through. So descriptive and unusual story.
Jayde Scott does a wonderful job drawing into her world and wrapping you up in the story. I feel like the characters are my friends. I look forward to spending more time with them.
I am so glad Cass/Dallas and Aiden/Amber have their stories continued, even as secondary characters.
Voodoo Kiss is another wonderful installment to the Ancient Legends series. The book is very fast-paced, a lot seemed to happen in one chapter. While I do like to have a more complex story, sometimes I tend to forget details from previous chapters when I put down the book and picked it up later. Luckily, I wasn't exactly lost, I could pick things up again after a few paragraphs, when the memories come back.
The story this time is more mystery-like. We had a lot of questions about Sophia and we got to discover the answers with her. The previous book, Doomed, is a little more like a rom-com, so I think this book is a nice change. I do have a little complaint though, there was a sub-plot in the first half of the book that was forgotten to make way for the main plot and another sub-plot, we got to see it got resolved in the end, but I felt like the lack of mention of this sub-plot made it seem like Jayde Scott was just remembering it after she ended the main plot, so she just added another chunk of the story to resolve it, and since this sub-plot included Kieran, I am even more annoyed.
I wanted to note that I like how the series progresses. It move onto another character every book in the series, while continuing the story from the previous book. It was refreshing since I've never seen another series like that before. Also I love that we get to know the characters as we go through the story in their POV. I do hope that there will be stories with Kieran and Clare as the main protagonist though, I heard the 4th book is going to go back to Amber, but I really liked the idea to change the main protagonist every time, and isn't really fond of watching Amber's story goes on... :(
I had a hard time getting into the book. Other than the plot amnesia I mentioned, I also found that there were a lot of editing mistakes from start to about 60% into the book. There were repeated passages and misspellings, and I was annoyed by it. Especially the repeated passage problem, I was confused when I first saw it, I was thinking why the paragraph repeated itself and realized it was a editing mistake. The first 2 books didn't have much editing problem, and since this time the book is 4.99 instead of 2.99, I expected higher quality, meaning a more thorough edit, hope Jayde Scott wouldn't really sacrifice quality for money. The editing problem lessened as we near the climax of the book, and I was able to really enjoy the story during the climax.
The climax, like former Jayde Scott books, were full of twists and I thoroughly enjoyed everything, and was really surprised at how things worked out (not really the knock-your-socks-off kind though).
World-building:
The story this time involved Voodoo magic, instead of just paranormal creatures, and I loved it. I got a little bored just watching paranormals, and adding magick to the mix is good. There wasn't really a lot Voodoo in this book, but there was a ritual, and I can see Jayde Scoot had done her research.
Characters:
I liked every character in this book, including Gael.
Sophia is a very likable character, she is a typical strong female heroine, didn't cry much, wouldn't back down from anything but what really make me like her is how much she was similar to me. At the start of the book, she was one of those person who couldn't say no to anything, because she felt guilty for turning people away and I was a lot like that. I feel bad when I turned people down, not exactly guilt, but close enough that I felt really connected to Spoh. And as the story progressed, I saw her growth. At the end of the book, she was stronger, more sure of herself, and much more happy then she was in the start of the book, and I was really glad for her. However, I did have a small complaint, Soph was really humorless. Sure, she'd giggle at jokes, but she wasn't really the joking type herself. While I do like a protagonist that would treat things seriously, it made the book less funny than the previous installments, since there was no snarky character in this story.
Thrain was one character I didn't really care about. Sure, he was the male protagonist but really, I would rather see the story of Kieran instead of him. He was sweet, there was no mistake about that, but I couldn't really connect with him. So I don't exactly like like him, but I don't hate him either. I usually felt a lot like that towards male characters, Aidan was another example (although now he has grown on me), the only male character that I really loved is Kieran (yes, I kept saying that).
The romance between Sophia and Thrain were the same as the last two books, insta-love. I know a lot of people hate insta-love, but there's the bond so the insta-love was kind of justified.
Conclusion:
This book is another suspenseful installment for the Ancient Legends series with likable yet mysterious characters. I really enjoyed this book, especially towards the end with the climax scene and no more editing mistakes. I would give this book 4 stars because I think the ending is wrapped a little too nicely and the editing mistakes really took the joy out of most of the book. The sub-plots were a little messy, being forgotten then suddenly the plot continued without any foreshadowing. However, I do enjoyed the plot and loved how the mysteries in this book were resolved. I would recommend this book to YA paranormal romance fans, be sure to check out the series ;)
Sophia is a struggling musician, who is playing small gigs and getting ready for college. Her boyfriend Gael has surprised her with a trip to Rio. She is torn about going because her feelings for Gael aren’t what she thought, besides his behavior has changed lately. He has become more demanding and controlling. However she decided to go and ignore his behavior. He was there for her when her sister died. Of course her life is about to change. Once in Rio at the airport Sophia sees the most beautiful man in the crowd. She feels guilty for thinking that with Gael by her side. She is determined to focus on Gael. He takes her to get a psychic reading done but something strange occurs and a blackness overtakes her. Gael’s behavior gets stranger and the man she saw at the airport appears. She leaves Rio with Thrain and Cass. They have been looking for her. They reveal who she really is and what her powers can do. The bond she finds she shares with Thrain takes away her fear. Her repressed memories are flooding her head. She is determined to help Cass bring back Dallas in order to save them both. The only thing she asks is a chance to see her sister Theo. Unfortunately Gael’s intentions were never noble and his plans get in the way. He is determined to follow his own agenda in order to use Sophia’s powers for himself. Nothing is what it seems. This is the third book in the Ancient Legends Series. As I’ve said before I like the storyline of this series. The world and characters that the author created have been interesting. I liked both main characters in this book. What Sophia was and what she could do was very intriguing. I felt, however, that the author could have done a lot more with this story, even the whole series. The story could have gone deeper. It feels as though it skims along the surface for me. I also felt that Sophia accepted things too easily. The author had an abundant amount of emotions she could have explored. The situations could have been more also. My problem is I want more with the stories. I give this one a 3 out of 5.
Best book I've read in this series so far. If you haven't read it, its about a girl Sofia who is the reincarnation of a powerful voodoo priestest. The whole gang is back in this book Cass, Amber, Aidan, Kieran, Clare, and Thrain(HOTT!). And of course Thrain and Sofia end up having the bond together.
I really liked the relationship between Sofia and Thrain, it was much more relaxed then any of the other ones. She isn't whiny at all, and doesn't fight their bond. There whole relationship is simple and cute and drama free. It was kind of refreshing, she isn't whiny like Amber, or annoying like Cass. Plus Thrain is a big part in this book, and you get to see from his point of view for a couple chapters. I LOVE♥♥♥ Thrain, since the he first appeared in A Job From Hell so I am a little biased when it comes to this book. But if you liked the other books in the series Im pretty sure youre going to feel the same way I do after you read it ♥
Sophia and Thrain's story, very cute. Sophia was very open to the changes and explanations of what was happening around and to her. But not in a way where she came across as naive, just putting her knowledge and history together with what she learned, and makes reasonable conclusions. So it was refreshing to not be frustrated with the heroine all the time, like Cass and Amber can be. This wasn't my favorite of the series so far, but only because I was very vested in what was happening with Amber and Aidan. But I liked it, and I am glad that I am reading the series in the recommended order. Even though it's not necessary, it still helps since throughout each book, the previous ones are referenced (and then quickly explained.)
Had to read book 3 FAST. Had to know what happened to Dallas! So intro. a new character, Sofia. Sofia is a rock-star hopeful. She comes from Russia where she and her mom struggled after her dad up & left them… she followed him later to America where he has a new family & thankfully she’s welcomed. Unfortunately, her Russian bloodline is a wanted one and bad “people” prey upon her & kill her little sister Theo. Lucifer tells Cass she needs her so she sends Thrain, the shape-shifting demon, to track her down. They track her to Brazil along with Amber, Aidan & Aidan’s bother…who’s on a mission of his own.
I'm giving up on this one about 70% through. Not that I hated it, I just wasn't interested in the outcome, mostly because I skipped book 2 in the series. I really liked it about 2 stars worth, but I'm giving it a 3 because it's my fault for not reading book 2. I probably would go ahead and finish it if I didn't have so many other books in my TBR pile that I'm dying to get to. Maybe I'll go back and finish this someday.
I was bored yes, but I suppose not completely bored all the way to tears. Just sort of bored to a quivering chin that could lead to tears if it wasn't summer and I had actually paid for the book. As it was, thankfully it was a free ebook on my nook and I had consciously signed up for a brainless read. I hate when I do that. It always seems like a good idea but then I get into these brainless books and my faith in good story telling is shaken.
Alright Thrain is delicious i must say! and Sofia with thrain is even more yummy! I loved their relationship :) The story was good but some things well not things but how the writing went. That is why it can't get a 5 star. Sometimes reading was annoying because how Jayde writes is hmm not bad but to quick. Yes i love quick reads but sometimes certain things i wish were explained more or she use different wording. Other then that it was a good read :) and lots of steamy kisses ;D
I had a difficult time reading this series. Though I usually finish ~20 books a month, it took all of December to complete this 6-book series. I loved this story line, but with all of the irregularities and bouncing from one character to another, I was lost. I didn't really like either Dallas or Cass, and further books in the series didn't really clarify anything. This could have been a Great series
I liked this plot better then the second. Wish I could do half or three-quarter stars. This is definitely better then the second book. but I only gave it 3 stars because of the horrible editing(alot of repeat paragraphs, someone walking down street in the morning, but all of sudden it's a nighttime scene-that sort of thing).
More supernatural beings, more mystery and humour in another book of the Ancient Legends series. Dallas is dead, Cass is cursed to never leave hell, Amber is feeling the loss of her brother. Is there a way to bring back Dallas? Is this 3rd book of Ancient Legends. Amber, Adrian and Thrain search for a Voodoo Priestess with the power to bring back the dead.