Blood of Dawn

Sloane Skye #3

by Tami Dane

Being a skeptic is somehow making Sloan Skye one of the best profilers in the FBI's new Paranormal Behavioural Analysis Unit. True, her so-called love life isn't any less tangled, but she's beginning to believe she's found a place where her uber-geek smarts and her more out-there methods fit perfectly. Unfortunately, all the incredible things she's seen can't prepare Sloan for the ultimate horror show ...returning to her old high school. Someone - or some thing - is draining blood out of local teenage girls while they sleep. And the only way Sloan can solve the case is to push past her training and surrender to powers beyond her formidable logic to root out one very elusive killer...

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Tami Dane, Tawny Taylor's alter ego, is rarely seen in anything but black sweatpants and hoodies, unless she's in historical garb. And when she's not stomping around in mud, pretending to be someone else, or working on her latest sewing project, she has her head buried in a book or eyes glued to her computer monitor. Not only does she love sewing. She also loves writing. If you’d like to read her books, you can buy them at your favorite bookstore.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried, I really did. Despite the prologue, I dug in... and just couldn't take it. Way, way too cute for me. Nothing wrong with the plot - my problems were all with the characterisations and style of writing.

[Stephine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up Blood of Dawn because I really enjoy urban fantasy and the jacket copy sounded like it would be within my wheelhouse. I am a total newcomer to this series, not having read Blood of Eden or Blood of Innocence. It has the urban fantasy requisites: kick ass chick, multiple love interests (sigh), and the odd creature or two. However, part of what I find problematic with starting a series that’s already in full swing is that often times, the reader will miss out on the emotional development of the characters or the inside jokes merely because they haven’t been reading along since the start of the series. Confession time, I came very close to not reading beyond the prologue.

Blood of Dawn starts off with Sloan Skye just coming off a case for the Paranormal Behavioral Analysis Unit and is immediately swept into an undercover investigation to find out why teenage girls are having the blood drained out of them while they’re sleeping. In the midst of her investigation, Sloan is also asked to be “courted”by DamenSylver, who is next in line for the throne of the Elves. If you haven’t been reading along since the start, perhaps your frame of mind is like mine. “HUH?” “WHY?”. Sloan is also fending off the attentions of one her coworkers, Jordan Thomas, who makes it very clear he’d like to be more than just co-workers at the PBAU. Did I mention that there’s her ex, Gabe Wagner, who makes an appearance every few chapters apparently so Sloan can have her plate full of men.

I found the writing to be awkwardly phrased and silly at times. “He looked at me with some shifty eyes.” “He looked at me with some sparkly eyes.” This seems to be a common phrase which I’d like to have seen abolished from the text altogether. While reading through Blood of Dawn, quite a bit of attention was focused on the mess that is Sloan’s love life rather than the actual investigation. Blood of Dawn comes across more as a poorly disguised PNR with a procedural feel rather than Urban Fantasy. The absence of worldbuilding and character development made me less and less interested in continuing on within the book. Do interns go undercover? Could her status have been “probationary agent?” Am I wrong to think that going undercover in a high school means more than putting on some “slutty teen clothes”?

The actual storyline isn’t hard to follow, but the vague references to the undead former fiancé, and her father not having been in the picture for years may leave you wondering what you’ve missed. If you’re a fan of the series and have read the earlier books, I can see how you’d enjoy Blood of Dawn. Not having read the earlier two books will leave you missing out on some much needed knowledge.
- Ronnie

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first 2 books in the series and was eagerly anticipating this one. Boy was I disappointed. Why was I so disappointed?

Major spoiler alert so if you don't want major spoilers stop reading here.

Well:

1. The "bad guys" were both incredibly obvious (unsub2) I knew it was Jia pretty much as soon as she survived the attack. There was no mystery and no other viable suspects unless they made it someone we had never met and the incredibly unbelievable and ridiculous (unsub 1). Damen is a full-blooded elf and heir to the throne yet he is also a mystical SOUTH AFRICAN lightening bird. That makes no sense whatsoever. Suspension of disbelief is required in all PNR/UF but things still have to make sense within the confines of that mythology. It seemed to me the only reason it was Damen was to introduce more conflict to Sloan love life - as if there isn't enough already.
2. The romance aspect.We go from Sloan have 3 hot guys interested to none. She has already stated repeatedly that even though Gabe is good looking she is not interested in a relationship with him and I got the sense it was the truth rather than the doth protest too much stuff she has going on with JT so Gabe's out. Although she is fighting a relationship with JT because of the working together thing I got the sense that he was who she would end up with because they seemed to have a real connection throught the previous 2 books yet in this book we have JT actively pursuing Sloan while at the same time wanting marry and have a family with Brittany (the lesbian only not really she must be bi) mother of his old fashion way sperm donatation baby who he invites to LIVE with him (and not in a platonic way) the same day he is kissing SLoan and trying to convince her to have a relationship with him. What an a-hole. So JT is out. Then there is prince Damen who seems ok except we barely seem in this book and SLoan has had 1 date with him yet agrees to marry him. Putting aside how ridiculous THAT is, their relationship could have been developed in this book and the next into something worthwhile - but no instead we have Damen the killer against his will who kills himself to take out his teen controller. Arrrg
3. Sloan's mother is not charming and quirky she is a selfish, self centred bitch - illness notwithstanding. Yet Sloan is constantly catering to her whims.
4. Elmer - is not amusing, he is tedious. Marry the damn undead bore off and get rid of him.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have made it this far, you'll probably enjoy. Actually, this book is possibly the best in the series so far. There's a dose of reality injected - Superintern Sloan gets called out for doing work an intern doesn't and puts the whole team and her position at the PBAU and FBI in an awkward situation when she breaks one too many rules. I really liked that Dane gets her character called out for being overemotional in the moment and charging ahead. Sloan's not out yet though, and there's clearly going to be more. In addition, we get a very neat monster who is not a vampire, some more romantic complications (of course), and a tough case involving going undercover (of course). There's also less of Sloan's crazy mother and a bit more of her father. True to form, Katie blows things up, hooks up with some more guys, and sobs and eats ice cream (of course).

What I didn't like most in this one doesn't surface until the very end, which I thought had more pages to wrap up but was just an excerpt from Book One. Otherwise, I might not have been so surprised at being shortchanged. Notably, there is a motive missing from this book: killer revealed but no clear connection to the victims. I can kind of see a reason if I squint, but I really would have loved to have it spelled out for me, even if it was just one nonsensical sentence tucked into the aftermath, I could have ended happily.

As usual, Blood of Dawn has the requisite twists into SS's love life, wreaking complicated havoc. At the end of Book One, I thought Gabe would move up, and at the end of Book Two, it seemed apparent Damen would take center stage. Book the Third leaves SS engaged to Damen, but he ends up being the impundulu and taken out in a battle of wills and electricity, JT shacking up with Brittany who he thinks isn't 100% lesbian - a comment that would really bother me except for the fact that he seems to be right; still no idea where it all comes from, and Gabe being a confusing presence, as Sloan sells her memories of him to Elmer in return for his help from Book Two. Exit Damen, exit maybe both JT and Gabe? We are clearly not done toying with our leading men. I don't expect Book Four to make any better decisions, but I do expect it to be entertaining.

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, it was a type of book that I could not put down! Murder, mystery, & supernatural all wrapped into one!! Thank You Ms. Tami Dane, I can not wait to read another one of your books!!

Something or someone is killing teenage girls from Fitzgerald High School, and the one of the FBI's elite teams of investigators is called in. You see, the weird thing is, these girls die in their bedrooms from being electrocuted. Each time these girls die, there is a lightning storm, but the girls haven't touched anything metal to cause the lightning electrocution. Weird huh? That's where the The Paranormal Behavioral Analysis Unit: PBAU comes in.

Meet Sloan Skye an intern at PBAU, she'll go undercover as a student at Fitzgerald High. Sloan's trying to get some helpful information on the deceased girls, like who they were last seen with, & who they might have made enemies with. You see, these death are not normal, no, these deaths are caused by something paranormal. The PBAU have got to stop it before it gets stronger & becomes unstoppable!!!

Along the way Sloan Skye becomes one of the targets on the killer's roster. Will she & the other agents find their supernatural, or will Sloan Skye become another victim of the killer's electrical death?

Read "BLOOD OF DAWN" by Tami Dane for a shocking good time!! Happy Reading, Merry Meet, & Blessed Be my friends!!

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I realize I jumped into this series, but it took me at least half the book to figure out sloane sky is a 20yo with eidetic memory, has 2 degrees and almost her masters and is an intern for the fbi...oh and she is half elf. She gets called to help solve a case where teenage girls are mysteriously electocuted and drained of blood.
She goes undercover, does some poor acting as a teenager, has alot of boy angst. For someone with 3 love interests, she sure is amazed at kissing.
I had fun reading the book, it was quick, lots of action, snappy dialog. The premise was hard to follow...the elf heir also an african mystery bird?, hopefully that is discussed later. The mystery was not to hard to solve, and all the setbacks...apartment on fire, car on fire, was fun.
If I find more of these, I will persue, out of fun.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of this book was so shocking that my head is still muddled.

The most of the book was very similar to the previous 2. Skye runs around a bit like a headless chicken trying to find the bad guy. All the time her personal life is getting in the way.

JT has finally figure out he wants to be with Hough when she loses the baby but still flirts shamelessly with Skye.

Skye begins to have second thoughts about being a FBI agent.

Teenage girls are being killed by electrocution. Their only link is the high school they attend. Skye goes undercover as a student to summer school.

Great things happens in this book and I cannot wait to read the next one.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sloan still an intern for the PBAU is put undercover again in the worst place ever, at least to her it is. She is sent back to high school (summer school) when teenage girls are turning up dead. She is fighting her attraction to three different males, trying to get out of being the Slaugh Queen by finding a bride for the king, trying to solve the case of the murdered girls without getting killed herself, and needs a new to place to live since her apartment burned to the ground.

Good story. Lots of information in it. I couldn't think of a way of leaving a detailed review without giving any spoilers but this is a good book and I highly recommend it and the other two books in this series.

[Gaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see what this book wanted to be but sadly it didn't quite pull it off. Supernatural police procedural with a plucky intern. But somehow it comes off just slightly silly. It may have been better if I'd not jumped in at book 3 but I'm not sure it would have helped. Plus the twist about the overall bad guy was pretty obvious leaving you getting irritated with Sloan. A candy floss read but not that great.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Sloan; she's a lot like me, very sarcastic and not all that trusting so I could identify with her nicely; the story was also well done although I could do without all the romantic situations she puts herself through but when you put that to the side and stick with the story, it's pretty good.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not much for ever reviewing books, but I have to say that I was most impressed with this series. It kept me guessing right up until the very end. That being said....I was very disappointed with how this book ended. You can tell that more books are meant to be written, but it seems as though the author has just disappeared. If your still out there, I would so much like to see MORE.

[Gypsie Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

this series is just crazy. there is so much that goes wrong or happens to the main character, i seriously don't know hope she copes. but it is pretty good, and it makes you read it cause you want to know what could happen next.

[Steve Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book in the series. Somewhat repetitive character but that is to be expected in a series of this type. I am looking forward to Sloan finding out what her "power" is, but obviously will have to wait on another book to be written!

[Dr susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Sloane. Blood of Dawn answered a few questions, raised even more, and ended with an unexpected shock. Hopefully, the wait for Sloane #4 will be short.

[Shelley]

Expected publication: December 4th 2012 by Kensington

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

my review will be posted at http://vampchix.blogspot.com but in a nutshell:

think criminal minds meets grimm, meets lost girl

very inventive and fun

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ending was a little unsatisfactory.

[Readsalot81 · Rating 2 out of 5]

***See ParanormalHaven**** for guest review.

[Mcgoo4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

[Sabra · Rating 2 out of 5]

One and a half... this one was pretty trite.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Wish the ending was different or at least hoping another book is on the way.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artm...

[Ashley B-d · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series. This book was my fav so far. I do hope for a fourth book