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The Turning #1
Bound to Darkness
Apollo and Amaya Shelly are twins, living deep in the forest of Stockwood Washington and away from civilization. Raised by their father and under the protection of their leader, Maximiliano, Apollo and Amaya live what they consider a normal life with the Sanguis clan.
Three days before their 18th birthday, the twins discover that their “normal” existence is anything but their father and the Sanguis clan are vampires. Worse yet, they learn that an agreement was made that would predestine them to become vampires on their special day.
In a chilling race against time, the twins uncover a secret that could destroy their lineage and alter their existence. Whether past or present, family or clan, the line between good and evil can easily blur. . .
. . . Especially when they are bound to darkness
Three days before their 18th birthday, the twins discover that their “normal” existence is anything but their father and the Sanguis clan are vampires. Worse yet, they learn that an agreement was made that would predestine them to become vampires on their special day.
In a chilling race against time, the twins uncover a secret that could destroy their lineage and alter their existence. Whether past or present, family or clan, the line between good and evil can easily blur. . .
. . . Especially when they are bound to darkness
Nook
First published September 24, 2011
117 people are currently reading
973 people want to read
About the author
April M. Reign
81 books93 followersApril M. Reign was born and raised in Southern California by her happily married parents. She is the oldest of three daughters and considers both of her sisters to be her best friends.
Growing up, she was involved in many sports: softball, surfing, tennis, and Kenpo karate. Many weekends at the beach with her family included her father packing up the long boards and teaching all three daughters how to ride a wave. The activity that stands out the most for her is the thirteen years that she spent studying karate with her family. The family’s karate days remain as some of her fondest memories.
Sports weren’t the only activities that she enjoyed. She played the accordion for twelve years and even played for Jerry Lewis kids fundraisers. During those years, she learned how to read and write music.
Besides writing music, during her high school years, she also discovered her passion for writing words. At fifteen, she began writing poetry. By the time she reached the age of twenty, she was writing short stories, with no other intention than to get the stories from her mind to paper.
At twenty-one years old, she married and shortly after, two handsome sons graced her life. When her marriage ended, she faced the long, difficult path of raising her two boys into strong, well-mannered young men. She took on the task with fervor.
In order to support her children, she worked as a litigation analyst for ten years at a large company and began to pursue a career in law. After long hours in college and even more hours at the law library, while still raising her children alone, she realized that practicing law was not the dream that she wanted to live. She spent the next eleven years as a U.S. Customs Broker, working directly with the FDA and FWS, clearing international shipments into the country.
While she worked full time and raised two adolescent boys, she also decided to follow her dream to write a book. A year later, Enticing the Moon was published. Since then, she has written six more novels and several short stories, and has entered many writing contests, winning first place on several occasions.
As an indie author, April M. Reign writes and publishes her own books. With the increase in her book sales, she was able to give up her job in the corporate world and pursue her dream of writing stories which she hopes capture the attention and intrigue of her readers.
Readers can find April M. Reign’s eBooks on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and more online retailers. The books are also available in print at Lulu.com.
Growing up, she was involved in many sports: softball, surfing, tennis, and Kenpo karate. Many weekends at the beach with her family included her father packing up the long boards and teaching all three daughters how to ride a wave. The activity that stands out the most for her is the thirteen years that she spent studying karate with her family. The family’s karate days remain as some of her fondest memories.
Sports weren’t the only activities that she enjoyed. She played the accordion for twelve years and even played for Jerry Lewis kids fundraisers. During those years, she learned how to read and write music.
Besides writing music, during her high school years, she also discovered her passion for writing words. At fifteen, she began writing poetry. By the time she reached the age of twenty, she was writing short stories, with no other intention than to get the stories from her mind to paper.
At twenty-one years old, she married and shortly after, two handsome sons graced her life. When her marriage ended, she faced the long, difficult path of raising her two boys into strong, well-mannered young men. She took on the task with fervor.
In order to support her children, she worked as a litigation analyst for ten years at a large company and began to pursue a career in law. After long hours in college and even more hours at the law library, while still raising her children alone, she realized that practicing law was not the dream that she wanted to live. She spent the next eleven years as a U.S. Customs Broker, working directly with the FDA and FWS, clearing international shipments into the country.
While she worked full time and raised two adolescent boys, she also decided to follow her dream to write a book. A year later, Enticing the Moon was published. Since then, she has written six more novels and several short stories, and has entered many writing contests, winning first place on several occasions.
As an indie author, April M. Reign writes and publishes her own books. With the increase in her book sales, she was able to give up her job in the corporate world and pursue her dream of writing stories which she hopes capture the attention and intrigue of her readers.
Readers can find April M. Reign’s eBooks on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and more online retailers. The books are also available in print at Lulu.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 11, 2012
FREE KINDLE DOWNLOAD FROM AMAZON.COM
*** BOOK SPOILERS ***
Being a fangbanger of the highest order, I was both intrigued and excited when I read the description of this book at Amazon. Twins destined from birth to be made into vampires on their 18th birthday? Heck yeah! There were only three reader reviews posted, but all of three gave the story 5 glowing stars, so I figured I'd grab it up while it was still a freebie.
I'm glad it was a freebie, because had I paid good money I would have been really, really disappointed. Sadly, the description was the most noteworthy thing about the entire story. There was promise at the beginning: a man and his very pregnant wife are en route to the hospital in ambulances after a brutal attack by unknown beings. Both die, but the husband wakes up in the morgue to find he's now a vampire whose sole concern is to grab his babies--Apollo and Amaya-- from the nursery and get the hell out of Dodge.
Beyond the prologue, I had trouble staying on course with the story due to the overabundance of mechanical errors: ...she realized she was losing site of the entrance.; ...and pushed it where it fell passed the tree on the ground.; He coward when he should have been brave...all this in addition to mixed verb tenses and a noticeable paucity of commas.
I maybe could have overlooked the lack of editing had there been some substance to the story, but to me the characters, especially Amaya, needed more development and consistency. For example, when she initially stumbled on to the clan's lair, she was so frightened that she dropped the weapon and lantern she was carrying and ran straightaway home. A couple of chapters later she's embracing her new vampireness like a kid with a new puppy on Christmas morning.
The most surprising and unbelievable plot twist was Apollo turning out to be a vampire/werewolf hybrid. After his turning, he runs from the clan and is led to the werewolf pack by the ghost of his dead mother, from whom he inherited the W gene. Vampires follow and quickly catch up to him and the wolfpack. All of a sudden it’s Underworld Meets Twilight in a duel between the vamps and the wolves—and one hybrid--complete with a human girl Apollo has sworn to protect (and may be falling for) and Amaya seeing visions of the future.
We’re told there’s a sequel, so the abrupt ending can be forgiven. Unless it comes with a stronger plot and better editing, I don’t think I’ll be partaking. I’m giving this book two stars, only because one star is pretty harsh and I know how much of themselves writers give to their stories.
*** BOOK SPOILERS ***
Being a fangbanger of the highest order, I was both intrigued and excited when I read the description of this book at Amazon. Twins destined from birth to be made into vampires on their 18th birthday? Heck yeah! There were only three reader reviews posted, but all of three gave the story 5 glowing stars, so I figured I'd grab it up while it was still a freebie.
I'm glad it was a freebie, because had I paid good money I would have been really, really disappointed. Sadly, the description was the most noteworthy thing about the entire story. There was promise at the beginning: a man and his very pregnant wife are en route to the hospital in ambulances after a brutal attack by unknown beings. Both die, but the husband wakes up in the morgue to find he's now a vampire whose sole concern is to grab his babies--Apollo and Amaya-- from the nursery and get the hell out of Dodge.
Beyond the prologue, I had trouble staying on course with the story due to the overabundance of mechanical errors: ...she realized she was losing site of the entrance.; ...and pushed it where it fell passed the tree on the ground.; He coward when he should have been brave...all this in addition to mixed verb tenses and a noticeable paucity of commas.
I maybe could have overlooked the lack of editing had there been some substance to the story, but to me the characters, especially Amaya, needed more development and consistency. For example, when she initially stumbled on to the clan's lair, she was so frightened that she dropped the weapon and lantern she was carrying and ran straightaway home. A couple of chapters later she's embracing her new vampireness like a kid with a new puppy on Christmas morning.
The most surprising and unbelievable plot twist was Apollo turning out to be a vampire/werewolf hybrid. After his turning, he runs from the clan and is led to the werewolf pack by the ghost of his dead mother, from whom he inherited the W gene. Vampires follow and quickly catch up to him and the wolfpack. All of a sudden it’s Underworld Meets Twilight in a duel between the vamps and the wolves—and one hybrid--complete with a human girl Apollo has sworn to protect (and may be falling for) and Amaya seeing visions of the future.
We’re told there’s a sequel, so the abrupt ending can be forgiven. Unless it comes with a stronger plot and better editing, I don’t think I’ll be partaking. I’m giving this book two stars, only because one star is pretty harsh and I know how much of themselves writers give to their stories.
January 12, 2012
My first free kindle book from amazon. Totally lame. What a letdown. Will not be continuing with the series. The only reason I even finished the book in the first place was to see what kind of absurd cliche the author would steal from EVERY other vampire and werewolf story ever written. Nothing original. Nothing well written. Don't waste your time.
March 4, 2012
Ms Reign should stick to writing books on her own. To me this book lacked character and suspense. I never really connected with any of the characters and felt that the whole story fell flat. The ending is also very abrupt with the promise of a sequel. I won't waste my time with the reading the second instalment.
July 6, 2017
Very obviously written to be an ongoing series, with more of a "to be continued" ending than an actual completion of a plot. The vampires are world built to be gritty and grand, but come across over time as just gross and arrogant. Another key problem are the poorly explained major actions of twins. The author does alright with average actions and reactions, but doesn't quite manage to match that up with big decisions and actions. Instead they feel story required, rather than character driven. Despite that, the plot itself has a good set up, and a nice history built into it. The writing is also a high point, being well balanced between description, action, and dialogue.
January 19, 2018
Great story.
The characters pull you in and the plot moves along quickly, not lingering for too long on any area. The relationships between characters are complex and you can feel the characters emotions. I was able to guess the difference between Apollo and his sister but the story ended right after it was unveiled and definitely left me wanting more. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
The characters pull you in and the plot moves along quickly, not lingering for too long on any area. The relationships between characters are complex and you can feel the characters emotions. I was able to guess the difference between Apollo and his sister but the story ended right after it was unveiled and definitely left me wanting more. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 21, 2019
Torn
For the most part I really liked Apollo. Amaya seemed ok in the beginning, but by the end of the story I wasn't too sure I liked her. I understand why Nicholas wanted to turn them at 18. He was turned when he was still quite young and he'd lost his wife who was his everything. I still thought he could have considered their feelings or at least not spring it on them at the last minute. The book is a good read and the series appears interesting.
For the most part I really liked Apollo. Amaya seemed ok in the beginning, but by the end of the story I wasn't too sure I liked her. I understand why Nicholas wanted to turn them at 18. He was turned when he was still quite young and he'd lost his wife who was his everything. I still thought he could have considered their feelings or at least not spring it on them at the last minute. The book is a good read and the series appears interesting.
April 19, 2024
The initial premise had promise, but it definitively could have used an editor. Spelling mistakes and plot inconsistencies. I rarely think so little of a book, but i’ll not be reading the rest of the series.
November 7, 2017
Paranormal Party
A fast-paced paranormal suspense with a nice twist. Well written with three-dimensional characters. The end will leave you wanting more.
A fast-paced paranormal suspense with a nice twist. Well written with three-dimensional characters. The end will leave you wanting more.
November 14, 2017
not for me.
December 21, 2019
This was an enjoyable read. Easy to follow. Looking forward to the next book
November 17, 2014
Action packed from page 1. Solid foundation for this series. Nicholas and his pregnant wife Victoria are brutally attacked and rushed to the emergency room. The twins, Apollo and Amaya are saved. Their parents are not so lucky. Nicholas is reborn into death as a vampire while in the morgue. All the while his new vampire instincts are trying to drive him, his instincts to protect his children override any of the hunger that is trying to consume him. He finds the babies and attempts to flee the hospital. The cops have surrounded the facility and Nicholas doesn't know what to do. Suddenly he is rescued by an Elder Vampire named Max. Max's clan lives in the area and he got word of the attack by a rogue clan running through their territory. Max needs Nicholas for research he needs done and agrees to a compromise that's unheard of in the vampire community. He agrees to offer the twins shelter and protection until their eighteenth birthday, where they will be changed and born into the Sanguis clan. The clan has been able to keep their true nature from the twins for almost eighteen years. Three days before their ceremony that all changes. Amaya is restless and decides to go out in the night to practice her bow and arrow skills. She stumbles upon the clan's cave and retrieves Apollo to help her investigate. They find a feeding room and are completely horrified. This was not how Nicholas wanted them to find out their fate. After the initial shock and Nicholas's explanation of what happened and what their destiny will become, Amaya grudgingly accepts her fate. Apollo is horrified and cannot come to terms with the monster that his "family" is and that he will also become and he flees. The twins have to accept their destiny and become a part of the Sanguis clan or die. Nicholas has lost almost all of his humanity but still has an unbreakable love for his children and must convince Apollo to accept his fate.
June 2, 2016
I found this book entirely boring. The story started out great in the prologue, but as you moved through the pages, it very quickly stopped being exciting. And unfortunately, the characters where completely off-putting.
We'll start with Apollo. First off, no GIRL would be better than him. Really? And isolated in the middle of nowhere, with super vampires as family, including a female vampire, and his twin sister being his only constant companion, WHERE did her develope this mentality? Dispite what the author thinks, this is a learned behavior and i don't see anyone of his immediate contacts teaching him that. What drives me batty most is his whiney, petulant attitude, acting more like a 13 year old rather than an 18 year old.
Amaya had more promise. However, without giving spoilers away, seeing her utter horror for what her vampire family is, she then changes her mind and is more nervous than horrified. I'm sorry, but considering the scene she was privy to, I can't imagine her flipping her conscience off like that unless there was something seriously wrong with her mentally to start with.
Dear ole' dad. For someone who supposedly loves his kids, I find his fathering quite lacking, selfish, and just plain contradictory to what a father who loves his kids would do. Right from the prologue, you can see what backward morals he has. Maybe it's the vampire in him, so maybe I can forgive hims some of his selfishness.
It was just a tough read. I had to force myself to get through it. And the reason it has 2 stars instead of one is because there's potential, and the prologue was pretty spectacular.
We'll start with Apollo. First off, no GIRL would be better than him. Really? And isolated in the middle of nowhere, with super vampires as family, including a female vampire, and his twin sister being his only constant companion, WHERE did her develope this mentality? Dispite what the author thinks, this is a learned behavior and i don't see anyone of his immediate contacts teaching him that. What drives me batty most is his whiney, petulant attitude, acting more like a 13 year old rather than an 18 year old.
Amaya had more promise. However, without giving spoilers away, seeing her utter horror for what her vampire family is, she then changes her mind and is more nervous than horrified. I'm sorry, but considering the scene she was privy to, I can't imagine her flipping her conscience off like that unless there was something seriously wrong with her mentally to start with.
Dear ole' dad. For someone who supposedly loves his kids, I find his fathering quite lacking, selfish, and just plain contradictory to what a father who loves his kids would do. Right from the prologue, you can see what backward morals he has. Maybe it's the vampire in him, so maybe I can forgive hims some of his selfishness.
It was just a tough read. I had to force myself to get through it. And the reason it has 2 stars instead of one is because there's potential, and the prologue was pretty spectacular.
September 19, 2014
Definitely not a thriller or a standalone book. Don't start reading unless you plan to finish the series because the ending leaves you hanging.
The prologue pumped me up. I wanted to read this book based on it alone. I have to break this book in thirds. The first third was slow; I continued just to finish. The second third picked up a little to the point that I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The last third was the juiciest.
This book was lacking something that I can't name yet as far as details are concerned. I haven't decided whether the lack was an amateur move or a calculated one. Too much detail could've made it corny; this way you have a little more freedom with your imagination. I can't complain too much though; Not sure I could've done it better. The author also did a good job of not giving everything away. She alludes to things, but you don't know exactly what it is until the characters do.
There is a bombshell that is dropped at the end though (I won't spoil it for you). Book two promises to be better though; the action has already started!
Psst! Book one is currently free on Amazon…
reviewsfromabookaholic.blogspot.com
The prologue pumped me up. I wanted to read this book based on it alone. I have to break this book in thirds. The first third was slow; I continued just to finish. The second third picked up a little to the point that I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The last third was the juiciest.
This book was lacking something that I can't name yet as far as details are concerned. I haven't decided whether the lack was an amateur move or a calculated one. Too much detail could've made it corny; this way you have a little more freedom with your imagination. I can't complain too much though; Not sure I could've done it better. The author also did a good job of not giving everything away. She alludes to things, but you don't know exactly what it is until the characters do.
There is a bombshell that is dropped at the end though (I won't spoil it for you). Book two promises to be better though; the action has already started!
Psst! Book one is currently free on Amazon…
reviewsfromabookaholic.blogspot.com
December 16, 2012
I must admit, this book was awesome. It had a different aspect on vampires that I truly enjoyed. I was left wanting more. As the twins, Apollo and Amaya, lived with their vampire dad, they were destined to be 'turned' at the age of 18. The lived with the clan that took them in at birth, under the condition that they would be part of the vampires clan as vampires. This story held a lot of emotion upon the twins learning of the 'ceremony' of their 18th birthday. The ending was very good. This book was very action packed. Very thrilling. I really liked this book. I definitely recommend this.
July 13, 2016
Reign and Arellano wrote a great story- the old fashioned blood thirsty vampire story. Intermixed with that is the story of how 2 children raised in seclusion found their way into and part of this world. This is the story of their turning- how they anticipated it, how they endured it and how it changed their personalities and shaped their futures.
The story is good, the characters are intriguing and you will want to read books 2 and 3. Apollo's character will draw you in, the Sambras will repulse you or maybe like any outcast you will pity their fate, and you will wonder about Sophie.
The story is good, the characters are intriguing and you will want to read books 2 and 3. Apollo's character will draw you in, the Sambras will repulse you or maybe like any outcast you will pity their fate, and you will wonder about Sophie.
April 27, 2015
Who is Family?
As a research scientist, Nicholas was expected to find something that will enhance the vampires abilitys,especially Max the head vampire. Nicholas wants to turn his twins into vampires, before he turns the twins. The twins know only that their 18teenth is supposed to be very special, but, not why. When they accidentally.find the vampires living in a cave, they're horrified. What does the future hold for Apollo and Anaya? A book you're 'll want to read and follow with the continuing Sara's.
As a research scientist, Nicholas was expected to find something that will enhance the vampires abilitys,especially Max the head vampire. Nicholas wants to turn his twins into vampires, before he turns the twins. The twins know only that their 18teenth is supposed to be very special, but, not why. When they accidentally.find the vampires living in a cave, they're horrified. What does the future hold for Apollo and Anaya? A book you're 'll want to read and follow with the continuing Sara's.
May 22, 2016
This was another free book on my kindle but it was a decent read about a man, who eighteen years previously had been turned. His wife, who carried a dormant werewolf gene was killed during the same attack. She was delivered of twins just prior to her death. He had come to an agreement with the head vampire to secure the twin's safety until they reached the age of eighteen when they both would be turned to vampirism, however the mutant werewolf gene in the male twin presents itself and a different story unfolds
April 2, 2012
This book held the basis for a strong and exciting tale. Twins destined to be turned on their 18th birthday, vampires, werewolves, vamp/were hybrid and the ensuing battle? Unfortuantly, the writing lacks character devevlopement, jumps from one emotion to the next and in what I assume to be an attempt to detail a scene knitpicks the mundane and skips over the important. With some work this could be a very exciting read, unfortunately, it's just not there yet.
January 8, 2013
This book is definitely the opposite of the Twilight Saga in regards to storytelling about vampires. There is still a hint of a love story. I am not particularly fond of the leaders of the coven. There are vampires and werewolves and humans all intermixed in this story. I cannot wait to purchase the next book in the series and read more of the story.
December 4, 2014
A father undying love
Twins destined to be turned once they reach the tender age of eighteen. Never having a choice, they fate decided for them. Growing up surrounded by something they didn't know or understand. One embraced the path chosen for them. The other confused and unable to accept nor believe. A fight that's been brewing before they were born...............
Twins destined to be turned once they reach the tender age of eighteen. Never having a choice, they fate decided for them. Growing up surrounded by something they didn't know or understand. One embraced the path chosen for them. The other confused and unable to accept nor believe. A fight that's been brewing before they were born...............
April 2, 2012
Started out good. Good character development, but then the characters did not follow their original established pattern and the ending came quickly and was incomplete. This sets up for a sequel, but it would have done better as a full length novel. There could have been much more cohesion...
March 8, 2014
Wasn't bad, wasn't good. Not my kind if vampire story, but I'm not rating it on that. Constantly changing perspectives made it hard to follow and some of the timing was off, making the story not as believable.
September 16, 2015
This is a story about Amaya and Apollo (twins) who will be turned into vampires on their 18th birthday. Apollo fights it and Amaya embraces her fate but Apollo isn't just a vampire. Overall I give this book a solid B+
August 27, 2013
This seems to have caught my attention when reading. Waiting for the next book to come out
April 29, 2014
Nothing wrong with the book or how it is written, I just could not connect with the story or characters. I love paranormal and vampire romances, but the story just didn't ignite for me.
June 14, 2014
A well written story with a strong storyline and characters. Recommended
September 17, 2014
uhhhh, well, not sure what to say....
September 21, 2014
I liked the book but am not sure whether I'll continue with number 2. The ending threw me for a loop. Why after trying so hard to escape would Apollo then side with the clan and stay?
November 8, 2014
How can we have awful movies like Twilight when there's actual good vampire novels like this that aren't common knowledge!!
I shall be spreading the word to all the Vampire fans out there!!
I shall be spreading the word to all the Vampire fans out there!!
November 19, 2014
Vampires & werewolves. A bit too violent, but the storyline was okay.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews