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Adelheid #3
Voracious
Sometimes, life doesn’t begin until after you’re dead.
Days stretch out in a series of predictable steps. A to B to C to A. Work. Friends. Life. But for some people, it’s not enough. It’s not enough for D. Possessed of a ravenous hunger for more, he’s at a loss for how to find it.
Until he meets Cielle. She’s everything he’s looking for: new and exciting.
And a vampire, which he’s less crazy about.
But when “new and exciting” Turns him, D is forced into an undead life he never anticipated. Trying to adjust to this new existence is hard enough, but he’s about to get more than he ever bargained for.
Will it be enough to sate his hunger?
Days stretch out in a series of predictable steps. A to B to C to A. Work. Friends. Life. But for some people, it’s not enough. It’s not enough for D. Possessed of a ravenous hunger for more, he’s at a loss for how to find it.
Until he meets Cielle. She’s everything he’s looking for: new and exciting.
And a vampire, which he’s less crazy about.
But when “new and exciting” Turns him, D is forced into an undead life he never anticipated. Trying to adjust to this new existence is hard enough, but he’s about to get more than he ever bargained for.
Will it be enough to sate his hunger?
ebook
First published August 17, 2012
71 people want to read
About the author
Mia Darien
56 books169 followersBorn a Connecticut Yankee in nobody’s court, Mia Darien grew up to brave snow and talk fast. She started reading when she was three and never looked back, soon frequently falling asleep with a book under her cheek. (Something she still does, though these days it’s her Nook as often as a paperback.)
At eleven, she discovered “Night Mare” by Piers Anthony and entered the world of grown-up fantasy fiction and it was all over from there. She started writing at fourteen, then met vampires as a teenager and the concept for what would become Adelheid was soon born. Epic fantasy remains her first love, but she enjoys writing whatever stories come to mind in any genre.
Now she loves both writing and helping her indie community with her freelancing. A geek till the end, she enjoys role-play by email games and World of Warcraft when she has the time. Married to her very own Named Man of the North, she lives with him, their mini-tank (also known as their son) and pets, who usually act more childish than the child.
At eleven, she discovered “Night Mare” by Piers Anthony and entered the world of grown-up fantasy fiction and it was all over from there. She started writing at fourteen, then met vampires as a teenager and the concept for what would become Adelheid was soon born. Epic fantasy remains her first love, but she enjoys writing whatever stories come to mind in any genre.
Now she loves both writing and helping her indie community with her freelancing. A geek till the end, she enjoys role-play by email games and World of Warcraft when she has the time. Married to her very own Named Man of the North, she lives with him, their mini-tank (also known as their son) and pets, who usually act more childish than the child.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 24, 2015
[Full disclosure: I obtained a free ebook through the blog tour for the series but was under no obligation to review it. As always, this review is honest.]
Sometimes collaborations between authors work, sometimes not. Sometimes authors collaborate with their spouses to write a book just like Mia Darien did. Again, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But in the case of Voracious, it most definitely worked.
D is a man who we have no full name for but that’s about as mysterious as he gets. He’s just a regular guy at a nine to five job but deep down he yearns to be something more. In the beginning, the Dariens do a really good job creating this sense of “there’s gotta be more to life” for him, this inescapable energy, this mysterious urge to have something more out of life. It’s really hard to describe but in the book it is done extremely well. And it of course leads to D becoming a vampire, lured in by the mysterious Cielle who turns him somewhat against his will. Being a vampire would certainly add spice to anyone’s dull life but D takes it pretty badly because of the whole “against his will” thing. In his situation I wouldn’t really do much different but unfortunately his ignoring Cielle despite her pleas leads to her death. Then D is left to transition to a vampire without a sire and to hunt down the people that killed Cielle. It’s when he decides to do this that we finally see some of that drive of his satiated as he finds a new role both as avenger, and oddly enough, protector of a woman he saves.
A lot of books with unnamed narrators just don’t work in my opinion. The author tries so hard to create an air of mystery around characters that it becomes laughable. However, the Dariens are more than capable of pulling this off. They depict D’s drive to have something more so well that you start to feel the same as he does by about the end of the second or third chapter. He is so well written that it’s hard not to connect with him despite his sometimes ethically questionable actions. He is, in essence, a perfect character because he’s interesting and readers can easily connect to him on an emotional level. Haven’t we all wanted something more out of life at one point or another?
The plot was pretty amazing. I really had no idea where Voracious was going for the majority of the book so the ending was kind of a pleasant surprise. It’s certainly not your perfect fairytale ending but it is emotionally satisfying and you have fewer questions than you do at the beginning of the story. Of course as always we get to see Sadie (the main character of Cameron’s Law, the first book) through the eyes of another and really appreciate what a great person she is for helping out so much in the supernatural community. She certainly helped out D during his adjustment period and when he had no choice but to turn another vampire, something that is sort of forbidden for new vampires. Although the plots of the first two books were fast-paced, Voracious is probably one of the more action-oriented books of the series. It never sacrifices character development for the plot, though.
As always, the world-building in the Adelheid series is fantastic. When we meet Sadie she’s already been a vampire for several decades so it was nice to see how a new vampire would be treated, especially since Cameron’s Law was passed and they didn’t have to hide their new abilities. One of the things I actually liked the most, however, was seeing how the animators in the series work. We saw an animator bring back a dead person temporarily to get their side of the story in the second book, When Forever Died, but seeing the other uses for animators was fascinating and oddly touching. Once again, Mia Darien has expanded the world of Adelheid and she’s done it to great effect in collaboration with her husband. It’s really hard not to love Voracious.
Even if you haven’t read the previous two books, I highly recommend picking up Voracious. Since every book in the series is only slightly connected and features a different character you can pick up a book anywhere in the series and still enjoy it. And really, starting with D’s story is as good a place as you’ll get.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Sometimes collaborations between authors work, sometimes not. Sometimes authors collaborate with their spouses to write a book just like Mia Darien did. Again, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But in the case of Voracious, it most definitely worked.
D is a man who we have no full name for but that’s about as mysterious as he gets. He’s just a regular guy at a nine to five job but deep down he yearns to be something more. In the beginning, the Dariens do a really good job creating this sense of “there’s gotta be more to life” for him, this inescapable energy, this mysterious urge to have something more out of life. It’s really hard to describe but in the book it is done extremely well. And it of course leads to D becoming a vampire, lured in by the mysterious Cielle who turns him somewhat against his will. Being a vampire would certainly add spice to anyone’s dull life but D takes it pretty badly because of the whole “against his will” thing. In his situation I wouldn’t really do much different but unfortunately his ignoring Cielle despite her pleas leads to her death. Then D is left to transition to a vampire without a sire and to hunt down the people that killed Cielle. It’s when he decides to do this that we finally see some of that drive of his satiated as he finds a new role both as avenger, and oddly enough, protector of a woman he saves.
A lot of books with unnamed narrators just don’t work in my opinion. The author tries so hard to create an air of mystery around characters that it becomes laughable. However, the Dariens are more than capable of pulling this off. They depict D’s drive to have something more so well that you start to feel the same as he does by about the end of the second or third chapter. He is so well written that it’s hard not to connect with him despite his sometimes ethically questionable actions. He is, in essence, a perfect character because he’s interesting and readers can easily connect to him on an emotional level. Haven’t we all wanted something more out of life at one point or another?
The plot was pretty amazing. I really had no idea where Voracious was going for the majority of the book so the ending was kind of a pleasant surprise. It’s certainly not your perfect fairytale ending but it is emotionally satisfying and you have fewer questions than you do at the beginning of the story. Of course as always we get to see Sadie (the main character of Cameron’s Law, the first book) through the eyes of another and really appreciate what a great person she is for helping out so much in the supernatural community. She certainly helped out D during his adjustment period and when he had no choice but to turn another vampire, something that is sort of forbidden for new vampires. Although the plots of the first two books were fast-paced, Voracious is probably one of the more action-oriented books of the series. It never sacrifices character development for the plot, though.
As always, the world-building in the Adelheid series is fantastic. When we meet Sadie she’s already been a vampire for several decades so it was nice to see how a new vampire would be treated, especially since Cameron’s Law was passed and they didn’t have to hide their new abilities. One of the things I actually liked the most, however, was seeing how the animators in the series work. We saw an animator bring back a dead person temporarily to get their side of the story in the second book, When Forever Died, but seeing the other uses for animators was fascinating and oddly touching. Once again, Mia Darien has expanded the world of Adelheid and she’s done it to great effect in collaboration with her husband. It’s really hard not to love Voracious.
Even if you haven’t read the previous two books, I highly recommend picking up Voracious. Since every book in the series is only slightly connected and features a different character you can pick up a book anywhere in the series and still enjoy it. And really, starting with D’s story is as good a place as you’ll get.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
July 12, 2013
D is a reluctant vampire. He is lured by a mysterious and beautiful woman to a vampire bar. He really should have known better.
I guess a few too many drinks left him with his guard down. He hates fangs, his name for vampires, and certainly wouldn’t have let this female turn him into one.
Their night of passion ends with a quick snap of his neck and now he’s that thing, a fang.
D is haunted by a dark hunger, has been for a long time, and now he has a hunger even greater, a hunger for blood.
As he gets the hang of it, of being a fang, he feels the need to find out why Ceille did this to him, why she thought he could help her. So he returns to the scene, to the vamp bar 5, and asks the owner, Quintus, what Ceille’s story is.
What Quintus tells him leaves him hanging. Ceille was beheaded by another vampire. She is now truly dead.
When he turns Cassandra, a young woman dying after being attacked, he has a new bunch of problems. She can’t be left on her own, like he was, and he is her sire, he is responsible for helping her adjust.
There is something special about Cassandra, something that draws vampires to her. D takes her to the vampire coven lead by Jade. They will help her adjust and learn to control her abilities.
Now, a vampire is after him and her and he has no idea why. Too bad Ceille is dead for good, but maybe, just maybe, she can still tell him what he needs to know.
What I liked best about D is how at first, he came off as callous, as a drunk wandering aimlessly through life.
Then, when he’s turned into the thing he despises, only then does his humanness come out. That’s when I started to like him, to pull for him.
Dakota makes a boisterous appearance, as does Sadie, Johnston, and several other characters from the first two books.
I like that you could read these as stand-alones, but why would you want to. You can get all three books individually at a very affordable price, or you can get all three stories in one book!
I read one book each night and had a fun time doing it. I never had to wait for the next release and all of my favorite characters made appearances, like old friends stopping by to visit.
I caught myself wishing there was a town like Adelheid, a town of supernaturals and humans living side by side. I think I’d like it there. Who knows, maybe there is.
I received this book for an honest review.
I guess a few too many drinks left him with his guard down. He hates fangs, his name for vampires, and certainly wouldn’t have let this female turn him into one.
Their night of passion ends with a quick snap of his neck and now he’s that thing, a fang.
D is haunted by a dark hunger, has been for a long time, and now he has a hunger even greater, a hunger for blood.
As he gets the hang of it, of being a fang, he feels the need to find out why Ceille did this to him, why she thought he could help her. So he returns to the scene, to the vamp bar 5, and asks the owner, Quintus, what Ceille’s story is.
What Quintus tells him leaves him hanging. Ceille was beheaded by another vampire. She is now truly dead.
When he turns Cassandra, a young woman dying after being attacked, he has a new bunch of problems. She can’t be left on her own, like he was, and he is her sire, he is responsible for helping her adjust.
There is something special about Cassandra, something that draws vampires to her. D takes her to the vampire coven lead by Jade. They will help her adjust and learn to control her abilities.
Now, a vampire is after him and her and he has no idea why. Too bad Ceille is dead for good, but maybe, just maybe, she can still tell him what he needs to know.
What I liked best about D is how at first, he came off as callous, as a drunk wandering aimlessly through life.
Then, when he’s turned into the thing he despises, only then does his humanness come out. That’s when I started to like him, to pull for him.
Dakota makes a boisterous appearance, as does Sadie, Johnston, and several other characters from the first two books.
I like that you could read these as stand-alones, but why would you want to. You can get all three books individually at a very affordable price, or you can get all three stories in one book!
I read one book each night and had a fun time doing it. I never had to wait for the next release and all of my favorite characters made appearances, like old friends stopping by to visit.
I caught myself wishing there was a town like Adelheid, a town of supernaturals and humans living side by side. I think I’d like it there. Who knows, maybe there is.
I received this book for an honest review.
August 19, 2013
This book was more serious than the first book in the series, Cameron's Law. Darker, but still funny in places. It had a poetry to it I really liked. A flow and flair that appealed to me.
I liked D, though I got a bit frustrated with not knowing his name. I really wanted to learn his name. His character progression sort of reminds me of a lot of epic fantasies, where the hero sort of blooms as the story progresses. He's a bit caustic, callous, and a bit unlikable at the beginning, but the layers of crap his life had left upon his mind and soul just seem to peel away, leaving someone I was happy to root for.
Then there was Cassandra. Cassandra is a total sweetheart, and someone you can't help but want to protect. Like a little baby bird that's fallen from its nest, or a kitten who's lost its mommy.
The author does an admirable job with eliciting the feel of someone caught in the drudgery of everyday life, caught and oppressed by it. It's easy to not only empathize but experience his frustration, and hunger for something more.
I found fewer things to dislike in this book. Still felt it could have been edited better, and I'd love to remove almost every instance of the word "that." The plot was a little simple, and I had a hard time imagining the hate the bad guy must have been experiencing to do what he did. I thought it strange that the chief warden was hinted at being Middle Eastern, and yet women in those regions would be unlikely to hold any position that would qualify them for such a position (as the author hinted at). Also, the author states that Quintus was named that because he was the fifth son (quintus means fifth). However, Quintus is only about 600 years old, putting his birth at the end of the Roman Empire. Romans stopped using given names to indicate placement in family (i.e. fifth son) around 200 A.D.. I had looked up Roman naming systems earlier for other reasons, which is why I knew that, though it only took a few minutes of research to find it.
All in all, I liked this book. The plot was simplistic, as I said, but I found the book to be more about a man's personal journey of discovery. D needed to find himself, and he did. Quite brilliantly, in fact.
ePub copy received in exchange for honest review.
I liked D, though I got a bit frustrated with not knowing his name. I really wanted to learn his name. His character progression sort of reminds me of a lot of epic fantasies, where the hero sort of blooms as the story progresses. He's a bit caustic, callous, and a bit unlikable at the beginning, but the layers of crap his life had left upon his mind and soul just seem to peel away, leaving someone I was happy to root for.
Then there was Cassandra. Cassandra is a total sweetheart, and someone you can't help but want to protect. Like a little baby bird that's fallen from its nest, or a kitten who's lost its mommy.
The author does an admirable job with eliciting the feel of someone caught in the drudgery of everyday life, caught and oppressed by it. It's easy to not only empathize but experience his frustration, and hunger for something more.
I found fewer things to dislike in this book. Still felt it could have been edited better, and I'd love to remove almost every instance of the word "that." The plot was a little simple, and I had a hard time imagining the hate the bad guy must have been experiencing to do what he did. I thought it strange that the chief warden was hinted at being Middle Eastern, and yet women in those regions would be unlikely to hold any position that would qualify them for such a position (as the author hinted at). Also, the author states that Quintus was named that because he was the fifth son (quintus means fifth). However, Quintus is only about 600 years old, putting his birth at the end of the Roman Empire. Romans stopped using given names to indicate placement in family (i.e. fifth son) around 200 A.D.. I had looked up Roman naming systems earlier for other reasons, which is why I knew that, though it only took a few minutes of research to find it.
All in all, I liked this book. The plot was simplistic, as I said, but I found the book to be more about a man's personal journey of discovery. D needed to find himself, and he did. Quite brilliantly, in fact.
ePub copy received in exchange for honest review.
August 19, 2013
Voracious by Mia Darien is the third book in the Adelheid series. The great thing about this series is the wide variety of characters. Instead of focusing on a specific person or few person the series focuses on the town of Adelheid in the years following the passage of Cameron's Law, a bill which gives the preternatural citizens the rights on normal citizens.
This installment features D, a man who feels a strange vacuum in his life. When he meets a strange woman at the bar he hangs out his life changes forever. Even after learning that she is a vampire and and probably not the best person for him to be hanging around he can't help himself. He very much comes to regret that decision after a night with her ends up getting him turned.
Having been a little biased against vampires he has a really rough time starting over. He goes to the one person that he thinks can help him with his new situation, Sadie Stanton. She gives him a job as a bodyguard and he gradually becomes more aware of the world that he has joined.
This series continues to evolve as more information is revealed. The fact that the focus is on a vampire that has just been turned allows Mia to expose how much life differs for the preternatural members of society. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series than this book will not disappoint and if you are a fan of urban fantasy this is a series to take a look at.
Mia writes characters that are easy to relate to even if they are shifters or undead. The story in entertaining and informative without having a lot of info dumping slowing things down. The fact that all of the novels are tied together with the early characters continuing to be involved allows a gradual growth for everyone that should lead to some very well developed personalities.
Review copy provided by the author.
This installment features D, a man who feels a strange vacuum in his life. When he meets a strange woman at the bar he hangs out his life changes forever. Even after learning that she is a vampire and and probably not the best person for him to be hanging around he can't help himself. He very much comes to regret that decision after a night with her ends up getting him turned.
Having been a little biased against vampires he has a really rough time starting over. He goes to the one person that he thinks can help him with his new situation, Sadie Stanton. She gives him a job as a bodyguard and he gradually becomes more aware of the world that he has joined.
This series continues to evolve as more information is revealed. The fact that the focus is on a vampire that has just been turned allows Mia to expose how much life differs for the preternatural members of society. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series than this book will not disappoint and if you are a fan of urban fantasy this is a series to take a look at.
Mia writes characters that are easy to relate to even if they are shifters or undead. The story in entertaining and informative without having a lot of info dumping slowing things down. The fact that all of the novels are tied together with the early characters continuing to be involved allows a gradual growth for everyone that should lead to some very well developed personalities.
Review copy provided by the author.
August 24, 2013
'Welcome to Adelheid' is a series of books where being a supernatural being is legal, and vampires, werewolves, and other shapeshifters, can live out in the open. This reminded me of the set-up for Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. However, the similarities end there, and Mia Darien chose to give voice to a different character in each book.
At the beginning of 'Voracious' the main character of the moment, a man known as D, is still human, albeit one who doesn't like 'fangs' (derogatory word for vampires). He leads a shallow life with limited intellect, and has shallow friends he meets in a club where fangs like Sadie Stanton the .P.I. occasionally stop by for a drink. Boring D's life changes when he meets Cielle, an attractive woman with an attractive muscle car. Cielle turns out to be a 'fang' and swiftly Turns D into one.
My problem with 'Voracious' is the inequalities in the writing style. It starts as mostly shallow as you would expect from a shallow character, then suddenly turns deep and almost intellectual after meeting with Cielle, then changes again after D, angry at having been Turned without his consent, refuses to have anything else to do with Cielle. At the very least it was my impression.
The story line itself had my interest as D finds himself trying to understand his new life as something he never wanted to be, and eventually turns for help to Sadie Stanton, the vampire instrumental in getting legal rights for supernatural beings with the late werewolf Cameron.
While 'Voracious' is so far my least favourite novel in the Adelheid series, I will soon get hold of book #4, 'Written All Over Her', as Mia Darien's supernatural world keeps its compelling qualities from one instalment to the next: diverse, complex (but without excess), and entertaining.
At the beginning of 'Voracious' the main character of the moment, a man known as D, is still human, albeit one who doesn't like 'fangs' (derogatory word for vampires). He leads a shallow life with limited intellect, and has shallow friends he meets in a club where fangs like Sadie Stanton the .P.I. occasionally stop by for a drink. Boring D's life changes when he meets Cielle, an attractive woman with an attractive muscle car. Cielle turns out to be a 'fang' and swiftly Turns D into one.
My problem with 'Voracious' is the inequalities in the writing style. It starts as mostly shallow as you would expect from a shallow character, then suddenly turns deep and almost intellectual after meeting with Cielle, then changes again after D, angry at having been Turned without his consent, refuses to have anything else to do with Cielle. At the very least it was my impression.
The story line itself had my interest as D finds himself trying to understand his new life as something he never wanted to be, and eventually turns for help to Sadie Stanton, the vampire instrumental in getting legal rights for supernatural beings with the late werewolf Cameron.
While 'Voracious' is so far my least favourite novel in the Adelheid series, I will soon get hold of book #4, 'Written All Over Her', as Mia Darien's supernatural world keeps its compelling qualities from one instalment to the next: diverse, complex (but without excess), and entertaining.
February 24, 2015
I received this book from Masquerade Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review.
After loving the first two books in this series, I was hoping for the same with this one. What I got was something else.
'D' is a character that starts off quite obnoxious although he does get some endearing traits further in the book. He is Turned against his will and then the vampire who turned him is killed. He goes to Sadie for help because she is the only vampire that he 'knows' and Sadie agrees to help him. She gives him both a job and also the name and address of Coven House.
As the story progresses the plot moves on. However, I never actually found out why D was chosen in the first place, apart from he looked strong and could resist the pull of the succubi. You also never find out his name and he just goes by D throughout. What was this voracious hunger he had? Why was it easier to control once he was a vampire?
An enjoyable book but not as good as the first two.
After loving the first two books in this series, I was hoping for the same with this one. What I got was something else.
'D' is a character that starts off quite obnoxious although he does get some endearing traits further in the book. He is Turned against his will and then the vampire who turned him is killed. He goes to Sadie for help because she is the only vampire that he 'knows' and Sadie agrees to help him. She gives him both a job and also the name and address of Coven House.
As the story progresses the plot moves on. However, I never actually found out why D was chosen in the first place, apart from he looked strong and could resist the pull of the succubi. You also never find out his name and he just goes by D throughout. What was this voracious hunger he had? Why was it easier to control once he was a vampire?
An enjoyable book but not as good as the first two.
January 20, 2015
For me, three stars for this book was a bit of a stretch. It's all right, but the storyline isn't as interesting as in the previous books. I liked D well enough, and Cassandra too, but I felt, again, like too many things were rushed. I didn't feel like I was following a story so much as little episodes with pointless transitions in-between. Abby was interesting and I hope to see more of her in future books. I also liked the fight at the end, but other than that and a few other instances, I was kind of bored.
November 27, 2012
This novel should be called INSATIABLE because I could not get enough. Mia Darien is a storyteller extraordinaire! Darien's ability to create preternatural characters with humanity and humor is what makes VORACIOUS such a wonderfully satisfying read. Looking forward to my next trip to Adelheid!
July 23, 2014
Paranormal intrigue, bit of romance. Great, sexy lead character who gets initiated into the paranormal community. If you love Adelheid, I highly recommend this one. If you love paranormal anything (vampires in particular) I highly recommend this one...plus the Adelheid series.
May 6, 2013
I love Adelheid. And I really really like 'D'. One word draws you to another and at no point is it boring or crappy. That's how reading should be.
July 23, 2015
Love this read quickly couldn't.put.it.down.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews