Oaths of Blood: An Urban Fantasy Mystery

Ascension #2

by S.M. Reine

Werewolves are immune to every illness and can heal any wound. It should be impossible for one to become possessed by a demon. But that’s exactly what Seth Wilder is a werewolf gone insane from possession. He has no choice but to deliver her to the only exorcist in America, Elise Kavanagh, who also happens to be a powerful demon known as the Godslayer.Elise is in hiding when Seth and Rylie Gresham, Alpha werewolf, arrive seeking her help. She agrees, but everything has its price. What they learn about the possessed werewolf changes everything — Hell and Earth, the pack, and the future of the entire world…

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Demons, Angels, Werewolves, Supernatural

Paperback

First published September 7, 2013

About the author

Hi everyone! My name is Sara, and I write urban fantasy and paranormal novels as SM Reine. I collect swords, cat hair, and typewriters (which I do use for writing!). It's a good day when those three things have nothing to do with each other.

If you would like to know the instant my next book is available, you should enlist in my Army of Evil! We have a wicked cool secret handshake, but you'll have to sign up to learn it. ;) Check it out -- http://smarturl.it/armyofevil

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖤 Elise Kavanagh Thou Art the Sunshine of Our Black Withered Hearts Buddy Reread (EKTAtSoOBWHBR™) with the MacHalos 🖤

· Previous rating: 4 stars.
· New rating: 3.5 stars. And that's bloody generous of me. But Elise would have kicked my exoskeleton six ways to Shrimpday if I'd lowered my rating to 3 stars, so there you have it and stuff.

➽ And the moral of this reread is: those bloody fishing werewolves and their bloody fishing non-stop melodrama. Bloody shrimping hell of the stinking squid, can't they all DIE DEADLY DEAD IN A MOST DEADLY, SLIGHTLY FATAL WAY ALREADY?! And if they can't ALL DIE for some outrageous, disgraceful reason, can we at least have Little Miss Self-Centered Self-Righteous Self-Everything Princess Rylie of the Ridiculously Ridiculous White Sundresses (aka The Lamest Alpha Ever) either kick the bucket, perish, croak, expire, cease to exist, conk out or, I don't know, get lethally skewered or something? Look at me giving Reine all this wonderful array of delightful options! Can't say I'm difficult. Or narrow-minded. Hey, I'm even willing to get the job done myself, if Reine is too busy to rewrite the series right now! How scrumptiously generous of me, is it not?

*unleashes her super chippy, gleefully perky voice*

Rylie Dearest of Dears, where art thou?! I have a little something for you!



You're welcome.

💌 A very private, very personal message to Elise: I 💕lurves💕 your Super Extra Fished Up Twisted Little Self. Please marry me and stuff. (Also, a honeymoon in Dis would be most appreciated and stuff.)

💌 A very private, very personal message to James: thou art such an exasperating, idiotic fool. I 💕lurves💕 you. Please marry me and stuff. (You can go on a honeymoon to Dis with Elise and me if you want. I'm pretty sure it will be quite splendid and stuff.)

P.S. Oh look, it's been 5 years since I promised writing a crappy review for this book! And it's probably going to be 5 more years until I actually start thinking about maybe writing it! Yay and stuff!



· Book 1: Sacrificed in Shadow ★★★★
· Book 3: Ruled by Steel ★★★★
· Book 4: Caged in Bone ★★★
· Book 5: Lost in Prophecy ★★★★★
· Book 6: Torn by Fury ★★★★★
· Book 7: Sins of Eden ★★★★★
· Book 8: The Second Coming ★★½



[June 2015]



I couldn't care less about the stupid werewolves in this story but damn, Elise Kavanagh, you rock my world.





Crappy review to come.

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my god! oh my god! oh my........ did you seriously.... yes, you did, oh my, holy shhhhhhh...... I can't tell you. I can say that I am devastated. I am shocked. I am completely unprepared. I am slightly at a loss. Ok, let me try.... There are multiple POVs in here, which added to the POVs from Sacrificed in Shadow. I happen to like getting a look into everyone's heads. After all the things that happened at the end of the first book, I was a little unprepared for how shocking this one would be. A big part of this one is Seth. You get to see how Seth feels and looks at the pack. You also get to see how Elise is dealing with things from the first book as well as this new threat for being framed for murder of a big politician. And James is still causing havoc and manipulation.

There's a lot of mystery and action in this one. I thought the first one was top notch, and this one is even better. I am obsessed with these characters and their stories. Each character is so well thought out, and complex, and real. You will get attached to every one of them. You will feel the anguish for the bad guys. You will be torn with decisions right along with them. You will cry, like I did, at the end, when you realize that that really is real and just happened and you can't take it back. I think this may have been one of the most emotional books of any of Ms Reine's I've ever read. She got me on this one.
I recommend that you read this series. And if you really want the best experience, read the two starter series. Rylie and her wolves have a start- you can even get that book one for free, I'll leave the links below. And Elise's start is also free. And then read everything else in between too! I need everything! I can't grasp the awesomeness that came with the end of this one. 5 COMPLETELY SHOCKING HEART STOPPING PAWS!!!

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
This second book in the Ascension Series takes the reader on an emotional roller-coaster ride. The never-stopping action leaves you with an adrenaline spike that not even a bottle of Valium can quell.
You smile, you laugh, you scowl, you cry. You might plot a murder for a character who's causing so much pain in their blindness.

The plot sees Elise and Rylie fighting together again, they start from two separates "cases" and realize they are intertwined. At the end of the book the world isn't the same, literally. Nor are the two leading ladies.

Ms Reine is an incredible young writer. She writes the kind of UF that hooked me on the genre: incredible world-building, a bunch of characters worth their ink and the perfect heroine. Strong, kick-ass without ever getting into the wonder woman fantasy trope. Angsty without ever being unreasonable.

ARC Courtesy of Ms Reine

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold on, I'm still a little shell-shocked from the end of this book. THINGS HAPPEN, PEOPLE. THINGS! Big things. Things that feel game-changing. And that's not even taking into account the swarming demons and other nasties that go bump in the night.

Frankly, Elise is in a bad way through a good chunk of this book. Being the only demon of her kind makes the learning curve on what she needs to do to stay healthy pretty steep. We're getting hints at what she is but I don't think the full picture is anywhere near laid out. And that makes things tough for her when things start to go wrong with her body.

But Elise is Elise and she keeps on no matter the cost to her.

Meanwhile, Rylie's torment over what she is and the things she's done is heartbreaking. She's shouldered a lot in the past few years and for all her power, she's still just a girl trying to do the right thing. What Elise can do offers her a chance at something she never thought she'd have and I can understand why she wanted it.

Now, I'm going to be intentionally vague here. Because it amuses me. I think that things aren't always what they seem. Blood is a HUGE focus in this world and Elise's blood in particular can do things beyond the norm. I'm hoping that there's an answer for what happened at the end of this book somewhere in there. Or maybe S.M. Reine will pull one of her shocking moves and NOT go the way I think this might. I really don't know.

Bottom line, this series just keeps getting better. Things are bad right now but our heroes have been known to pull out of much worse situations in the past.

Here's to seeing what book 3 brings!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Erica Inglett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is your average urban fantasy series. I didn't resonate with me in any way but it wasn't bad.

[Michelle Cornwell-Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several titles by this author and I am never disappointed. I will say that this one, Oaths of Blood was the toughest emotionally, I truly felt as if I had been taken through an emotional ringer. Sadly, due to it would be a massive spoiler, and also I would not want to steal the opportunity for you guys to enjoy this roller coaster ride yourselves–I can’t say too much more about the major element of this story that threw me for a major loop. No, actually…S.M. Reine picked up I believe the biggest literary brick in her possession, and threw it right towards me! LOl– I got it right in the heart…I could not believe the twist that occurred and my hope upon hope is that somehow S.M. Reine will have pity on her faithful readers and provide a miracle!

Okay, Okay I cannot say more…But let me stop, and go back to the beginning. This installation of the adventures of the Godslayer Elise Kavanagh, a former Demon Hunter, now demon…not only demon…but called Father by the other demons…is a real doozy!

It all began when the wolf pack from Ms. Reine’s Seasons of the Moon and Cain Chronicles, were combined with the Demon Hunter and her crew from the Descent series…The brothers Abel and Seth had made the discovery of a crazed wolf which they brought back to their pack and leader Rylie. Attempts had been made to help the young wolf, but nothing could be done, it was discovered that the young woman was possessed by a demon…therefore, Seth– who actually was trained as a wolf hunter— but now was attached to the pack, due to his former love Rylie, was now the leader (Alpha) and his brother was a werewolf as well. Although, Seth– immune to the werewolf curse–Seth is beginning to feel as if he no longer has a place with the pack, nothing really to offer…(Although, information that surfaced in the previous book revealed that Seth was very special and now forces were wanting to use him for their purposes).

So Seth volunteers to take the sick wolf across the country to see Elise, because she is the foremost exorcist. Once arriving, Seth finds himself involved in a burgeoning war between Elise with her camp, (and yes, I am going Buffy for a second ,lol)…and the Big Bad, who desires to bring Hell to Earth.

Seth joins allegiance with Elise, and the battle begins with twists, turns,heart-breaks, triumphs and more…

I really have no words to impress, how much I absolutely love the books by S.M. Reine. Oaths of Blood is well written, well plot and paced. There is no lag time, action is continuous…even if it’s just in the form of the back story…that’s interesting too!

I am still striving to go back and make my way through the Descent series, to find out HOW Elise and James find themselves as they do…James is bound mystically to Elise, although within this story they are at odds…but the thrill ride Ms. Reine provides is so incredible! As a reader you feel so much a part of the story… that afterwards I have to read something in a completely different genre, no action or adventure…just to allow my emotions to even out!

I will say one of my favorite characters is James, he is just… I will have to say it … he is one of my favorite book boyfriends! He’s a witch and a scholar.,..intelligent, noble with just enough edge to make you wonder if he plays for the darkness or the light!

Love, Love, Love Him! I want those two to be together, it is driving me crazy Ms. Reine! ,lol

But I highly recommend Oaths of Blood (Ascension#2) and if you have read none of Ms. Reine’s books, then I am so jealous of you, because you have a treat coming…start at the beginning and enjoy!

I recommend this title for those that enjoy Fantasy, Paranormal with action and adventure. I will also say more appropriate for older teens and adults.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Oaths of Blood in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I honestly needed some recovery time before I started this review. A lot happened in Oaths of Blood. My biggest challenge is going to be conveying exactly how intense this book was without giving anything away. *sigh*

The POV for Oaths of Blood switches, just like it did in Sacrificed in Shadow. I like getting into more than one character’s head. This time we spent a lot of time with Seth and we were given a glimpse of his past with Rylie. Their history is heartbreaking. Seth has a lot going on in Oaths of Blood. He feels a loyalty toward the pack, but being around Rylie and his brother is tearing him apart. There’s more to his history than just his past with Rylie though and he has no idea where any of it will lead.

Elise is torn in Oaths of Blood too. She’s being framed for a murder she didn’t commit, but the evidence is hard to argue with. James is playing with her in more ways than one and in a lot of ways, even though she’s surrounded by people, she’s more alone than ever. She’s distanced herself for a lot of reasons and I think I felt for her more in this book than in the first.

There’s a lot of action, humor and heartbreak in Oaths of Blood. True to all of S.M. Reine’s books though, it is a character driven story. These characters make you ‘feel’ more than any I’ve read in a while. Those emotions run rampant throughout the entire book. We learn a lot about all the characters that we probably realized before, but not to the extent that they’re revealed in this book. One of the things that I like most about this author is that she holds nothing back. Whether it’s the vivid descriptions (some beautiful and some gruesome), raw emotions or character angst, the reader experiences it all – whether they’re ready for it or not.

Another thing that I like about S.M. Reine is that she doesn’t make readers wait long between books. The next book in the Ascension series, Ruled by Steel, is due to be released by the end of this month. That’s good because the end of this book pretty much did me in. I need to know what happens next. By the end of Oaths of Blood I honestly didn’t know which character I felt more for emotionally. Some of those feelings were totally unexpected and I felt myself feeling bad for characters that I never expected to. Well, maybe just a little. When you finish a book and immediately want to simultaneously scream at the author for what they just did to the characters and praise them for creating characters that you care about that much you know that it was a book well worth the time and emotion that you invested in it. This was definitely that kind of book.

If you haven’t read any of S.M. Reine’s books yet, I suggest you start from the beginning. Six Moon Summer, the first book in the Seasons of the Moon series (Rylie and Seth’s beginning) is currently still FREE at Amazon. If you want to start with Elise and James, you can also pick up books 1-3 in the Descent series for FREE. I’m giving you this advice from experience. Reading the first two books in this series has made me want to go back and pick up where I left off with the rest of their story. I think I’m drawn even more to these books because I’ve started both the Seasons of the Moon series and the Descent series, but haven’t come close to finishing them. You don’t have to read the previous series to enjoy Ascension, but I think the back story will add to the experience. I know enough about the characters to be invested in them, but I want to go back and experience it all, from the beginning. My TBR pile just expanded immensely

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic read. I both love and hate this author. She has a way of drawing you into the story and the characters where you feel for every awful and joyful thing that happens to them. Unfortunately, her characters seem to experience so much more awful then joyful as a result of not only their own choices, but more often, the choices that others have made for them. This book, more so than any of the author's previous books, really deals with the consequences of these choices.

I was critical of the author in the past of her treatment of the relationship between Seth and Riley in the Cain Chronicles Series. I felt betrayed by the author of the choice that Riley made; it didn't make sense to me. However, about half way through this book, there is one scene between Riley and Seth that explains so much. In a couple of sentences we finally get an understanding of Riley's decision and the consequences it has had for her. That the choice made in her relationship was really not made by her, but by another, her wolf.

James is a character I am so conflicted about - I wanted so much to love him, but I am instead hating him because of all of the choices he is making, the consequences which are horrific for others. I cannot see how he will ever redeem himself.

Seth plays a big role in this book. I love Seth. At about 80% through the book, I got really excited about where I thought the story was going to go. I felt that finally Seth had a purpose and was going to get a new start. Then everything went to Hell! By the end of the roller coaster ride I was left emotionally drained and devastated.

In order to get the maximum out of this book, I would highly recommend reading the author's three other series first: The Descent Series, Seasons of the Moon and the Cain Chronicles (in that order). It is well worth the effort and will give you a better understanding of how the choices made by the characters in the previous series have resulted in the predicament and future choices the characters all now face. I anxiously wait for the next book in this series.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of this series, as well as the two series by this author that introduce the characters brought together in Ascension, and have been following these characters from the beginning. I have to say the writing just keeps getting better and better. Oaths of Blood is a fun meaty read that brings Elise, Rylie, Seth, and James, to name a few of the characters making an appearance in this installment, together again with a whole new possible world ending crisis. The maturity in the writing continues and I think this installment is one of the best so far. There is plenty of action and nail biting edge of your seat suspense, as well as a few surprises with crooked politicians, demons galore, werewolves, angels, and witches just to mention a few of the characters that make up this great read. We also get to revisit with characters introduced in prior works and see just what they are up to now. Overall I loved Oaths of Blood, it was a wonderful ride with a jaw dropping ending that has left me eager to read the next installment. I am going to stick to my guns in saying this series should be read in order, including the prior two series, to get the full enjoyment from the world building and characterizations. However, I also believe that if you started here, you would want to go back and find out what took place to bring about the current condition of this world and learn more about the characters that inhabit it. I definitely would recommend these works to urban fantasy fans. I received this book from the author with a request for my honest review without any compensation whatsoever, other than the joy of reading a new book.

[Kateblue · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are not as good at the "Descent" series, partly because I don't really like the werewolves, and partly because they don't really end. They have more cliffhanger endings than the "Descent" books.

Also, pacing still seems to be a problem. Too much repetition.

But even though Reine's writing is still not to the level of authors whom I recommend wholeheartedly, she creates these great worlds that I long to enter.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many times have you heard, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions"? Never have I thought of that phrase more than during this book. All the plans, all the regrets, all the heart breaking decisions! As I eagerly wait for book 3, one question keeps repeating: why, why can't I hate James?

happy reading my friends.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

WooHoo! I love Sara's style of writing.

[Alexandria Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

*****Spoilers*****

I'm not sure after reading this if I'm hopeful or despondent given the ending. It's told from multiple viewpoints which was good to see the different perspectives but I found myself being impatient for the story to get back to Elise. It's lots of action and running from one crisis to another, Elise trying to stop fissures from opening between Earth and Hell, and trying to figure out whose and what plots are being carried out in order to do so. I'd like to see Elise figure out a way to combat her weaknesses to light and lightening or at least start looking. With everything that's inside of her, it's inconceivable to me that she has so much power she abilities but gets stopped by the same thing over and over again, plus there was a demon made with her blood whose similar powers trumped Elise's.

The same three drops of blood that Abraxas took were still going strong, having been collected in an enchanted bottle and available for him to use over and over again. Which is why I thought it wasn't believable that the bottle wasn't better protected with some kind of protective wrapping or kept on a chain around the neck or something. It made no sense that something so important to Abraxas's plans was able to slip and fall and shatter even though it could have been used to close and seal Earth away from Hell which were open and allowing demons to escape from Hell. To add to this puzzling development, Abraxas is supposed to be powerful and in all of that power and magic in this world, the bottle shatters when Elise drops it. Elise who has the ability to turn to shadow couldn't keep the glass bottle from cracking. Sighs. But convenient for Rylie to have her wolf exorcised and lead to the scene where Seth is killed unintentionally by Elise.

James is hanging around in this book with his own agenda which ended up including Seth. Seth dies after being bound to a witch as kopides and aspis when Elise cuts him with her obsidian blade that she subsequently tosses away. I thought it was unnecessary for Elise to get rid of the weapon and there were other things about that scene in particular when Elise slices Seth that bothered me. One of them was why Seth felt the need to get so close to Elise to shoot her. He could have done so from farther away even considering Rylie was near. Another was that Elise didn't turn to look before slicing Seth, she thought he was a hybrid. What about Elise's sense of smell, could she not smell it was Seth? And why didn't Seth call out? That may have been enough of a distraction to get her at least to look up or something as Seth shot Elise.

I liked Seth and thought it was the right thing for him to start looking toward a future that didn't include the pack. With Rylie mated to his brother Abel, he was constantly hurt because he was still in love with her. Sometimes reading from his viewpoint was just constant thoughts of Rylie and how his love for her factored into everything. It got to a point where I felt like it was too much but then again, he loves her and regrets that they're not together so there's that. One thing I was surprised about was that Rylie and Abel had children and those kids are grown and Summer and Abram with Rylie having gone to Haven to deliver them which aged the kids in a week since Haven moves faster when it comes to time in comparison to Earth so now they're adults. I wonder what's going to happen next with the blending of storylines and characters.

[Leah Speller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do I think???? All my mind can process is WOW... Reine has a way of keeping you on the edge of your seat. The left hand certainly does not know what the right hand is doing. Everyone THINKS they know but by the time they find out...well at least they think they do then they are still surprised. There are so many twists and turns in this story arc with each of the characters I do not know how Reine keeps them straight with the way they touch each other.

Elise reminds me of the energizer bunny she takes just keeps going and going and going no matter what happens to her. James loves her but he has tunnel vision. The other characters each have their special qualities that make you care about them in their own special way. They are so very real. This is even true about the bad guys. And when they do get what is coming to them you just want to yell "HELL YELL!" I am so looking forward to the rest of the books in this series.

[Cara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate James so much. I will not be finishing this series because apparently he has a redemption arc and I would rather he die gruesomely...

Does reading the previous series help make the characters more lovable? Because most of them suck. Seth, Riley and Abel are whiny babies stuck in a crappy love triangle. Elise doesn't seem very smart considering all her mistakes and lacks empathy. James sucks as usual...

Also there was a deputy in the previous book... I thought he was going to be Elise's love interest (as opposed to stalker James) but no? He just disappears?

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is part of a box set I have and it continues the blood-soaked battles that Elise and others have to fight against those who what everything.

I really like Elise and how she tries to do the right thing with a dark world where she is seemingly blamed for everything.

Action-packed with dilemmas and hard choices.

Great read.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not expect that at all. I'm at the point where I wish James and Elise would just open to each other and make up. By avoiding their bond they both seem to be causing unintended trouble. I can't wait to read the next book another stellar story!

[svnshowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is it about the men in these books making consistently bad decisions? Because oh man do they ever.

[Jannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit too long for the content.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3
Más o menos lo que pensaba.
Me cambió el ritmo del principio igual y lo termine disfrutando más. Pero hay muchas cosas para entendidos.

[Auz Burger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book. I couldn't put it down. Things get bad and hectic for Elise, but she manages to figure things out. James is still an idiot who is messing with Elise to "save her."

[Fiona place · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I loved reading this book the characters are amazing and the story is brilliant 👏 ❤️ I cant wait to read the next book

[minch · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m gonna throw up WHAT HAVE U DONE TO MY POOR BOY SETH NOOOOOO

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*s
Oaths of Blood is the equally amazing sequel to Sacrificed in Shadow, second book in the Ascension series.
Elise finds herself in a risky position when a high profile murder points the finger at her and the ‘Union’ put her at the top of their ‘most wanted list’, forcing her into seclusion & keeping an even lower profile than usual but that’s about to change when Rylie Gresham & Seth Wilder come in search of her with a demon possessed werewolf accompanying them. Hoping that Elise will exorcise the wolf so they aren’t forced to kill her, Rylie promises to help Elise out of her predicament….but when they start to make a connection between both of their circumstances, things get scary as they race against time to stop yet another apocalyptic situation. Elsewhere, James is using Elise’s distraction to set his own plans into action, will he be prepared for the consequences?
So, as I said this was an amazing sequel -The plot thickens in this and the threat isn’t from the usual suspect but causes no less of an impact. Elise’s character is awesome as usual although she did seem a bit weaker (physically) in this, I suppose it’s all part of working out who she is now and her capabilities, book 1 touched upon her feeding habits and that carries across into this book - I like this though, working out what sort of creature she is and I look forward to finding out more because I really do like her character so I’m always curious about the progression. When she is framed, it’s hard to see how she’s going to prove her innocence leading to some close shaves with the ‘Union’ which are good but I’m left wondering how the ‘Union’ know what to do with her? They seem to know a lot so I’m hoping for more insight into this because they are coming across as a formidable force – who is pulling their strings? More murders are involved with tons of graphic descriptions, people sliding about in blood is always an eye opener and made for a great scene that I could just imagine, again this is what makes these books so good, I love that the author isn’t afraid to be graphic, I love the harsh reality that this world is, I love everything about them & I always think that it would make an excellent movie, I’ve said when I was first introduced to Elise that she reminded me of a female Constantine and I still stand by that, these stories deserve to be seen not just read about. I like how the wolf pack needed Elise and how they went in search of her, it gives her an approval in a way, these supernaturals believe in her and her abilities which lends a certain amount of trust to her. I like that Rylie is prepared to lend a hand in return and they make a great pair of kick ass ladies, reading of Rylie in action against proper enemies was cool, I like how her wolf is totally different to her usual character and are sometimes at odds with each other (I really need to read her story) but I always feel Elise is the star of the show. It’s hard not to spoil the plot, there are always multiple threads to each book and all come together perfectly so expect, gruesome murder scenes, spookiness, strange happenings, rituals, exorcisms, collaborations, good vs evil, plots & schemes, battles…. but more questions because let’s not forget, this is only book two and there are lots of things to be worked through before we know all of the details, needless to say I loved this book, the series and this author, you are guaranteed a fantastic story from S.M Reine each and every time, she never fails to hit the mark with her writing for me –EVER!

[Two Nerds With Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review by Nicole McCurdy for Bex ‘n’ Books
Disclosure: This ebook was provided by the author in exchange for an HONEST and not necessarily positive review.

Excuse me while I collect my breath here…and…whew!
I thought I would be best writing this review straight after having finished Oaths of Blood, while I still had that adrenaline and excitement pumping through the old veins so I could convey how gripping this book is.
What. A. Sequel!
Is really enjoyed the first in SM Rein’s The Ascension series, it had everything in it, kick-ass demon babes, hot older Gray’s (of mixed demons and angel descent), werewolves, gateways to Eden and an all round exhilarating storyline where you were delivered punch after punch to the solar plexus of action, intrigue and all-out chaos. Well move over book 1 because book 2 just pummelled your butt on all accounts.
Oaths of Blood delivered more of everything. Again it starts with a murder, this time on Capitol Hill which is suspected to be at the hands of a demon and kicks off from there. And when I say kicks off, I mean goes off with a giant battle cry and bang. The action is always on-going and the momentum just gains from one event to the next until we get to the ‘big event’- the possibility of a Hell on Earth.
In Oaths of Blood we see much more of my favourite men Seth the rejected ex-lover of Rylie and the mysterious James, the tragic love from part-Succubus Elise’s past. In fact both men play pivotal roles throughout this book. Alpha werewolf Rylie and her Alpha partner Abel also make appearances which I was so happy to read since I took quite a shine to the pack in the first one. Elise is still as awesome as ever, her stoic almost apathetic character starts to develop more and she interacts more with James, even if it was simple anger directed towards him, we start to see a more human side to her emotions. We’re also introduced to new characters like Brianna the witch and Neuma the half-succubus Gray and find out what became of past characters from Sacrificed in Shadow. I’ll give you a hint as to whom … a certain demon-possessed cop with a penchant for wearing crucifixes.
So much happens and so many huge events occur and I just don’t want to spoil a single thing for anyone but I’m going to give you a heads up, at one point I was in near tears. Completely unexpected emotion for such a stimulating paranormal adventure, even though I had a kind of inkling as to what might happen I was still upset by it…actually I was devastated.
Battles against evil/sort of evil, magic runes and demons, the fiery pits of Hell, avenging angels and a portal to the underworld in the Bellagio hotel, Vegas are only snippets of what to expect from this spectacular sequel. Death, chaos and destruction, what more could you want from a paranormal novel? I’ll tell you what, a third instalment and that’s just where I’m off to.

[J.A. Belfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Okay, so I only just this minute finished reading S.M. Reine’s Oaths of Blood—the second title in her Ascension series—so please be forgiving if my words sound like waffle.
Okay, before I was asked to review the first Ascension title, Sacrificed in Shadow, I’d only read the very first Seasons of the Moon book, Six Moon Summer, so I was jumping way ahead when I headed into Sacrificed in Shadow. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find characters—majorly evolved characters—from that very first tale involved, and more so, I was happy to see Seth.
He may have been very mysterious and almost evasive in Six Moon Summer, but I still liked him a lot, and I liked him even more as his slightly older self. Which means, when I realised I’d be getting a decent amount of Seth time—and Seth’s POV—in Oaths of Blood, I was smiling, for sure.
However, I wasn’t smiling for long. Because Seth is so freaking sad, and it is very strongly portrayed in Oaths of Blood, that the dude broke my heart. I spent most of my read pretty much focused on him, and willing him to make the right decisions, willing him to be okay.
Only to have my heart broken all over again—thanks to circumstances he’s drawn into by his lingering love for Riley. I’m not going to say any more than that on the matter because of spoilers, but this book has left me very sad with its (in my opinion) catastrophic ending.
Oaths of Blood, though, no matter how much Seth dominated it for me, wasn’t all about Seth. This book is almost busting at the seams with the size of its plot, and the expansive mystery to unravel, and the action and the darkness, and everything else it has going on. And not in a bad way. Because from start to finish, there is constantly something going on to hold the reader’s attention. Something intriguing and mystifying—that the reader really can’t help but read on. Even better? These books don’t rely on sex to hold the reader’s interest—they don’t need it, because the plot alone does a decent enough job of that. Plus, I love Ms Reine’s ability to world build. In Six Moon Summer, I loved the simplicity of her built world and the very understated tone to her ‘voice’. Seeing how much those abilities have grown from there to here is truly amazing. Ms Reine also knows how to weave a damn fine tale of what could easily be a convoluted mess into an easily conceivable piece of art. Sure, I noticed POV breaches in here—the fact they didn’t set my eyes twitches into motion says a LOT about how much the story drew me in—but Ms Reine’s books are, without doubt, some of the best-written self published titles out there. Thanks goodness I have the next title, Ruled by Steel, to read on.

[Nereid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Sara has finally done it, I am literally speechless and for someone who likes to talk, that feat is nothing short of amazing. I love all her books and while I enjoy the "truly madly deeply moments" I am not lulled into a false sense of security as you can bet your ass that she will follow that up with a bloodthirsty and gut wrenching attack followed hear-tbreaking tragedy. I so did not envision that ending, hoping for a "born again" demon maybe but not such finality. Rylie and Elise team up again to accomplish their goals while James is out trying to secure his way into Eden whatever it takes. He used to be a favourite of mine but since he gave Elise up, his humanity has deserted him and his willingness to sacrifice whoever stands in his way is disheartening. He was the typical good guy yet his fixation has eclipsed the man he was. Interesting bonding moment for Riley and Elise as they realise how screwed up their lives had become and trying to live with the guilt and sacrifice on a day to day basis without a lifetime of regret and what could have been. What I really love about these books is that you can identify with the characters, not so much the kick ass saving the world type of personality that Elise has but you can empathise with her feelings of betrayal and loss. Loving someone so much yet they give you up to a torturous existence without a second thought, definitely hard to get over let alone forgive him. I was surprised by Riley's decision yet I could understand it on one level though the repercussions will haunt both women forever now.

I can't begin to imagine how the story will progress with that kind of cliff hanger and it certainly got the adrenalin pumping though the neighbours probably did not appreciate all the yelling and swearing at 11.30pm at night when I read the last chapter. This bood is certainly not for the faint hearted and stock up on your tissues. I was given a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review but I have bought most of her books anyway.

[Gerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trouble in Paradise.
Seth Wilder thought he could be the better man, that Rylie Gresham’s happiness meant more to him than anything else in the world. He had to find that he was wrong, that seeing her in the arms of his brother is slowly killing him.
So he decides that his last job for the pack, will be his last job.
Once they delivered this seemingly silver crazed wolf to the pack, for Rylie to try and heal her, he’s going to leave.
But events tend to have a mind of their own, and they seldom follow plans, so he finds himself unexpectedly on a trip to Las Vegas together with his brother’s mate, the one woman he still loves more than life, to meet with the one woman he suspects won’t hesitate to kill him at sight, Elise Kavanagh, the Godslayer. However, when it turns out that Elise may hold the means to Rylie’s salvation, Seth’s loyalty and love get tested to the breaking point.

Meanwhile Elise has problems of her own, a series of gruesome ritual slaughters shakes the country, and she’s the Union’s main suspect for both these slayings and the past murder of a senator. She has to act quick to escape capture, but more so to prevent all hell from breaking loose.

When things come to a head, humanities last best hope is that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.


Oaths feels a slower book than its predecessor, but then Sacrificed did lay the bar rather high.
Where Sacrificed was a sleek and swift, very action focused story, Oaths is, while still filled with action, much more character driven. Alliances are broken, new alliances are formed, and no character leaves unscathed or unchanged. This makes Oaths an important turning point; where Sacrificed merely set the scene, Oaths plays it to the fullest and then leaves us with a cliff-hanger ending, craving for more.

To borrow a much abused line from comic publishing:
After this issue, nothing will be the same.

[Anna Katherina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I loved it. It felt a bit shorter than the last book, and there wasn't as much sustenance to it compared to the others I've read by S.M. Rein in the various connected series', but it was still a great book as far as action books go... And this book definitely seemed to focus on the action more than anything- but did so in a way that it didn't leave the story-line by the wayside.

There was a little bit of character development, but it's less character development itself and more really getting to know some of the characters on a deeper level. I like that S.M. Rein writes her characters flawed and shows you their fears- especially in the case of Riley, who we really get to see shine in this book in terms of the nitty-gritty details of her psyche. We also get to see Elise acting out of compassion in some circumstances, without the prodding of Eve or pushing her aside. I think that was a nice change, and it really shows that Elise is still capable, but also shows the turmoil inside of her with her two conflicting natures... Being both Eve and Yantam.

The ending was a bit abrupt. I wish there'd been more build up to it, that the ending had been written so that it had more impact, and oomph to it since it's obvious supposed to be an extremely pivotal point in the series, but I felt it was lacking in that build up there. It was, however, surprising and I hadn't expected such action from Elise in the first place.

Outside of all this, there were a few typos I caught, but nothing really major. The writing style was consistent with the previous books and throughout this book as well. Some areas feel a bit rushed and like there isn't enough detail there, but it doesn't detract from the overall novel in my opinion.

All in all, I consider it a great addition to the series and am looking forward to future books.