Whoever said living in California was glamorous and easy-going lied through their fucking teeth. I guess I can blame reality TV for that pervasive B.S. Maybe it was good thing my old man banned television at home for all the years he was alive, after all. I probably would’ve been even more deluded than I was when I’d moved up here from Arkansas three months ago.
Looking back, I’m not even sure why I did it; why, of all the places I could’ve chosen to start a new life, I picked Los Angeles: one of the most expensive places in the world to live. I don’t even know anyone one here. Heck, I’d never even visited the city before my move.
Still, I’m determined to make it here, to make something of myself. And that means I have no time for distractions of any kind—especially guys.
But then, he comes along; the sexiest, strongest, most handsome, most intimidating, and most powerful man I’ve ever seen.
He’s absolutely gorgeous, with eyes that seem to burn right through my soul and the most charming smile in existence, and his allure, his entire being, is simply magnetic.
He’s impossibly beautiful and just…ugh, perfect. He’s perfect. He’s everything every woman—and possibly quite a few men—wants, including me.
What I’m not prepared for, though, is how much he wants me, too.
However, there are three problems.
One: He’s not a man.
Two: I can only see him in my dreams.
And three: He commands an army of soul reapers.
And, apparently, that’s just the beginning…
***
Immerse yourself in the first thrilling installment of Eme Strife's addictive, sexy, enchanting, and surreal series. Each page will leave you even more enthralled than the last, on the edge of your seat, and vigorously chomping at the bit for more.
This series unfolds over several volumes. IT IS NOT A STANDALONE.
Rated 18+
This series contains graphic sexual content, violence, and strong language. Because of its explicit nature, it is intended for mature audiences only. Reader discretion is advised.
This book was previously published as an older edition. This is the new one.
Eme (pronounced "Emmy", like the award. Lol) is an unconventional storyteller (and a typical cat-and-dog-loving, animation-obsessed weirdo) who has several sarcastic, upbeat, and severely vulgar imaginary friends who simultaneously piss her off and make her feel normal. She writes about said imaginary friends a lot—mostly because they never seem to shut the hell up.
She's addicted to Family Guy, American Dad, Korean dramas, Japanime, and Pandora (the online radio site, not the evil box), drinks an ungodly amount of Red Bull at any given time, wants to marry Seth MacFarlane's voice at some point, and occasionally eats bacon and popcorn together (^_^).
You can keep up with Eme and her unconventional life at www.emestrife.com. You can also chat with her on Facebook, chirp away on Twitter, or just shoot her good old-fashioned email at eme@emestrife.com. She’s always eager to hear from you, so don’t be shy. Drop a line!
Was I given the right book? It was short (finished it in 45 min)... I was given this book for an honest review, and in all honesty I was so confused...
She started out in what she thought was a dream, crazy explanations and visuals then BAM sex on a stick...
It started with questions which kept me intrigued, but then went to "humor" "Donald Trump Hairpiece"... to awkward catch phrases that were eye-rolling worthy. HE said "Geez Louise" .... really? Dude.... dudette... I couldn't deal.
I'm hoping I was given the wrong book by accident because the whole short book felt odd. Off somehow. I'm sorry...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Okay, so where to get started! So I just got this book like 3 hours ago and me and my friend read it together! This book is very up-beat and sarcastic and I find it funny! I love how the lovely author deliberately explained every detail, for example "I liked birds in general, but crows made my skin crawl. I didn’t know what it was about them. I didn’t think it was their color that irked me, because I had no problems with ravens and blackbirds. They just seemed to carry this loom of gloom and despair, and that made me nauseous and uneasy".. This was actually one of my favorite parts of the book! I love how detailed it is and I can totally relate! The author wrote the book to where you feel like you know Eli herself! I am really obsessed with the way she writes it, its kinda like a 'modern' book... One part that really made me chuckle was " What the hell is this, American Horror Story? ". I would totally recommend this book to all of my book-worm friends, actually.. I already have lol. I had another friend read this book and we were just talking like 25 minutes ago about how unique and different this book is ( in a good way! ) and how we wanted to meet the author cause she seemed really cool! Lolol. Really looking forward to read the next book and actually, all her books! I really like how modernized and twisted and unique and now im virtually stuttering. This is one of those books that you look for, its hard to explain.. like that one book where you you feel like you are in the story.. watching.. or it feels like a movie.. while you're reading it, it just plays in your head! Its a good fucking book.
I feel like this book is not getting the attention it deserves.. its a good ass book! I recommend this book to you! You should totally add this book to cart and click 'check-out'.
I received a copy of this book through Library Thing in exchange for a review. *Contains spoilers* This book is written in dual perspective between Eli and Matt. I kinda felt like i was bull rushed into the story, it just dives right in. We start with Eli, who has a hard work day and falls asleep. She doesn't know if shes dreaming or awake, but is somehow in a field. She starts exploring her new surroundings when shes interrupted by Matt, who seems to not be human. All of a sudden, we are hearing how much she wants to screw this guy. I actually thought this was a romantic novel for a moment, since her brain turned sexual really quickly. We learn Matt can read some of her thoughts, so hes getting turned on as well. Then her alarm clock goes off, just as things start to get steamy. Life goes on for Eli, who waitresses at a high end club. We learn a little more of Matt and his life as a demon. Turns out, it wasn't quite a dream....then bam, book over. Just when the plot really takes off, it ends abruptly.
The book was good enough that I would buy the sequal. I liked the characters, but would have loved a little more background and a few more explinations. I gave this book 4 stars. Would have given it 5 if the book didn't feel like it was chopped oddly to make people buy the next installment.
This first book in this series was a real tease and I’m really glad the other volumes are available so that I can read them!
The book is different from the other paranormal books that are out there and I was surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. The characters were down to earth and funny which was refreshing. Eli is dragging her feet when she gets home after a long day at work and immediately falls asleep once she hit’s the bed. She then wakes up knowing where she is and she knows that she is dreaming. She meets Matt in her dream who explains that he is essentially the “Grimm Reaper”. The attraction between the two is instant and they are just too funny!
The book is short which is refreshing because there are other volumes to read. The author is very detailed in describing the places in the book and reader can visualize perfectly what she is trying to have us imagine. The cover may throw some off, but if you get a copy to read, you won't be disappointed. It does end on a cliffhanger and I am anxious to read what happens next. I’m looking forward to reading other volumes really soon!
Review copy given by New Adult Book Club for an honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this first book in a series. On my own grading system I'd score this 8.5 out of 10. Here's a break down of what I enjoyed and did not enjoy in this book. You can read further into what I mean by each point, but as a warning there might be slight spoilerage in there!!
What I thought was amazing: Plot. Pacing. Character Development. What I thought was not so great: Some dialogue. Some excessive details about the scenery.
-The plot. A dream world turned into teleportation to another dimension? or parallel universe? or even possibly another part of the regular world is pretty damn awesome! While I have seen this before in a couple YA series, I can say that I have not yet read a romance or rather erotic romance that has this plot device. And I found it refreshing. It could be done cheesily, as in her dreams are giving her her deepest desires. But it wasn't. We are suddenly transported to a world and are just as confused as Eli. Through her eyes we learn a little bit about the place she has been teleported to, and in the end of this book we are not quite sure if that world exists or as the alarm clock is trying to suggest. It's all a dream. A bizarre and sexy dream :)
-Pacing. The pacing of this book is steady. Not rushed. Not too slow. Like goldilocks and the three bears. It's just right.
-Character development. Eli is a pretty good narrator. Her tone makes sense for what she's experiencing, and the use of self-deprecating humor works well here. Matthiel's viewpoint adds to the story. I don't know how many times I've read a story only to be completely bored by another character taking a turn narrating. Or confused. Even frustrated, because their character fucking sucks as a narrator and they should remain a secondary character. But not here! His narration brings us new information, and while some of the dialogue overlaps Strife does well in making sure that we aren't bored reading the same scene from his viewpoint. We get his insights into why he is saying the things he does. And I love it!
Now onto the things I was not a fan of.
-Dialogue. Most of the dialogue between the two main characters is fine. The inner dialogue is good. But sometimes there's a strange sentence here and there while they're bickering that makes the two characters seem as if they're 12 year olds just realizing they have sexual feelings for another person. I suppose it's in the back and forth of: yes you are, no i'm not. And the: well i won't tell you my name until you tell me yours fights that take me out of the story a little bit. But overall it's not jarring enough to ruin the experience.
-Description. Sometimes the descriptions of the surroundings can be a bit boring. I like knowing where I am and being able to picture it in my head, but sometimes I'm getting a feeling of Tolkien describing trees for 5 pages when the description gets a tad too long. But this is possibly just my own personal preference, and perhaps you reader will enjoy the longer bouts of description in the book.
Now for the most important part of the erotic romance book: The heat of this book was there! Mostly it was in Matthiel's narration. When he thought about Eli and what he wanted to do to her, damnnnnnn was that fucking hot! I recommend rereading that scene over and over :)
Overall this was a great read. I'm excited to turn the first page for the next book and see what Eli is thinking about her crazy dream. This is one series you don't want to miss <3
I received this book for an honest review. This is a book intended for adult audiences, 17+ as I have seen it listed. The story is quite different than other books I have read. It is written, so far, exclusively through the eyes of two young adults, Eli a young lady trying to make ends meet after moving to San Francisco who has a dream that seems very real through which she meets a young guy named Matt. Attraction is very strong right from the start. In the dream, Eli is caught in a chapel by Matt who believes Eli to be trespassing but they can't keep their eyes...and hands... off each other. Matt happens to be a commander of an army of Soul Reapers. And the Soul Reaper community seems to have a problem. I couldn't put this down once I started to read it. The book jumps back and forth with each chapter from Eli's and Matt's first person accounts which keeps the story very intriguing. The characters are developed very quickly and pull you right in. Looking forward to finding out what happens next.
I received this book through library thing for a review. I must say I was unsure of this book when I first started to read it as I was thrown into the protagonist’s strange dream where she finds herself in a strange world but despite its seemingly fast beginning I really enjoyed reading it. Actually the fast beginning, unlike others who seem to throw you head first into the plot line, seemed to lend itself more to introducing you into the story line. The part of the plot that unfolded in this first volume are very intriguing and make you want to learn more and more about the characters involved. This book shows great potential and I would definitely recommend it to others who are looking for a good read.
I enjoyed this, but I admit that I almost gave up when I struggled with the first chapter. If you read this, I promise it gets a bit better.
This is a short, just under 100 pages. This is new adult, so expect a little steam. Also, it's a CLIFFHANGER with two more books following to make this a trilogy. The writing is decent, but I think this may have been more effective if the whole trilogy were put into one book making it a regular length novel. These are priced at $2.99 each (at the time of his review). $8.97 for a little over 300 pages is not competively priced to comparable books. Lower the price and I will read the next installment. I can get books in the paranormal genre by big name authors for cheaper than this.
Free through Librarything in exchange for an honest review.
“The Basilisk’s Creed” by Eme Strife is a paranormal romance about a girl named Eli desperately trying to make it in San Francisco despite not having a dime. Through her dreams she meets the most beautiful man she’s ever seen only to find out that he’s not actually a man, he’s a soul reaper.
The story itself was amusing and for me it was also quite unpredictable. I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into when I started reading and from the language (i.e. abundant swearing in church) to the intense sexual content rivaling “Fifty Shades of Grey,” the entire narrative was unexpected.
This is a paranormal book about a romance between a human and a soul reaper. It takes a vivid imagination to keep up with this storyline.
Eli is a girl struggling to pay her bills and feed herself by working two jobs, one as a waitress in a diner and a night job stocking wine and other supplies in a very high class night club. She has a very poor self image even though she is attractive. She has never had enough money to have the clothes, make up and hair care to look the part of a beautiful, sexy young woman, so she has never realized her true potential.
I recieved free copy of this from the author via Libraything, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This was a very cool story, it flowed nicely and I did not get bogged down at all. It is not overly long so it was read in one sitting. The characters are strong and well written and I might add gorgeous. Matt is stunning and Eli breaks your heart, I am looking forward to reading more about them and the rest of the soldiers. I totally enjoyed this story and will be eagerly reading the next story in the series. Well worth the asking price, I would have been happy to pay for it. Highly recommended!
I received a copy of this book through librarything in exchange for my honest review. That being said, I love this book and can't wait to read the rest of the series. There are some parts near the beginning that are a little rough, a little too excessive with the adjectives, but that quickly is overlooked as you are gripped by the story. It is raw and powerful and leaves you begging for more. I love that the character's voices are honest and realistic, and not all flowery and affected. I highly recommend this book.
Oh My! Oh MY! You can't just help but continue wanting more once you started reading the book!!!! GOSH! The book was so engaging. It never let you have a dull moment. And the way Matt and Eli have their Point of Views was so exciting, knowing what they are thinking on the same situation they are in and being fully aware of they're feelings. You just want to be in that book too!! Gosh!! The very last part was the best example of a cliff-hanger!!! Waaahhh! Definitely gonna left you thinking what will happen next. Two thumbs up for this book. Such a great piece. :D
Wow! I couldn't stop reading The Basilisk's Creed! I cannot wait to read the next parts of this story! I NEED to find out what is going to happen to Matt and Eli! The characters are so spunky and the storyline is incredible! I love being able to see the story through both Matt and Eli's eyes! I definitely recommend this book and this author! Be prepared on wanting to jump right in to the next volume!
I received this free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was the second book I've read by Eme Strife. I loved it. The beginning was a little confusing, but intriguing enough to keep me reading. Then as the story unfolded, I couldn't put it down. I was excited to see there are other books in this series and can't wait to read more of this story.
This is the first book i have read by Eme Strife, i will certainly be reading more! I loved this book, and cant wait to read the volume two. Once you start reading, you are hooked!
Eli arrives home exhausted from work. She has two jobs. One as a waitress and the other stocking supplies at a classy nightclub. She falls into a dream in which she's in a chapel where she meets demon Reaper Matt. She's taken in by his hot looks. The book gets very steamy so is recommended for people over 18 for this reason.
There are some cliched moments here and there, but the opening scenes pulled my in and the quick read moved along quickly. I felt like I didn't really learn too much about the characters and there's a cliffhanger but it does end quickly.
I got an ecopy of this from New Adult Book Club. Thanks for the chance to read the book. Looking forward to the 2nd book. The great thing is that the second book is available if you subscribe to the author Eme Strife's newsletter.
For me, The Basilisk's Creed volume 1 has 3.5 Stars because, while leaving the book at a cliffhanger like Eme Strife did, is good, the first installment of the series is short and I'd have liked it to have been part of a standalone novel with different parts (effectively corresponding to each part of the Basilisk's Creed series). I want to finish this review on a good note, though and say that by leaving the first book at a cliffhanger, the author has made me want to read the second book to see how the story continues.....I wonder what else will happen to Eli and Matt? Looking forward to finding out!
So....I had several missteps with this one. I mainly got the book based on the reviews. It was one of the first books I downloaded onto my e-reader. But each time I would try to read it I would get bored out of my gourd, back out of it and choose another book. After several failed attempts I stopped trying..for months. I even told myself more than once to Just delete it from my library. Finally right when I was about to pass it by to read yet another book..I was like..ok I'll give it one more try. Yes the urge to quit hit me hard..But I kept going back to the beginning forcing myself to focus. And boom..I finished it!😆 I can't say much about the Hero or Heroine.. not impressed with either. The lil spicy parts were of no interest to me...dull as dish water far as I'm concerned. But the whole Soul Reaper bit..now that is what lit my Fire! I am so looking forward to learning about that business!!😀 I sure hope book two delivers some major insight into that!!!👍 I recommend it peeps...if you find yourself at the start thinking, WTH? Just keep pushing through...I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
This is only the second book I have read from this author and I much prefer this one! This book was original. Unique in every way possible. I was actually upset at how short is was, because I wanted to read more. I was extremely interested and engaged in these two's story and path to one and other. This is a series I will definitely being reading more of in the future, as it is impossible for me to not want to know what happens to these two and their story. The sex scenes are steamy and delicious. Highly recommended.
I received this book as an ARC from the author with an understanding that I would in turn give an honest review.
This is a good book to read. Eli had a rough day at work, and she fell asleep instantly. The next thing she woke up on a field and doesn't remember how she got there. She confused as is this a dream or an reality? The longer she there she trying to convinced herself that this is a dream but then she met Matt. Matt (well i won't spoil what he is) is confuse how she got there. And why do he think this person is cute? He crazy on how she smell and find her to be amusing. I like how the book was ended. As long how the first half of the story is her point of view and the second half is Matt point of view.
I was a bit surprised, first I don't care for serials but this one caught my attention and left the cliffhanger in a way that was amusing instead of pure frustration. Another thing I did not think i would like is how prose prone the author is but its actually interesting and needed to have the story maintain the dream like flavor of the story. I found my self not wanting to put it down and excited to get the next part of the story. Matthius and Eli are just humorous and sassy and seem to match up perfectly but only time will tell.
As soon as she closes her eyes she is transported to another realm through her dreams where she finds herself in a chapel holding a chalice and having a strong urge to drink the content until she is startled by a strong voice, which is connected to the man of her dreams. But she soon realizes he is not a man at all, he is a soul reaper that she can only visit in her dreams. Eme is very skilled in drawing the reader in and vested into the story/characters & bring it to an abrupt end with a huge cliff hanger. Very frustrating but has you hungry for more
I was getting into this s book, thinking it was ok, when everything came to a screeching halt. (For me). At the end of the first “scene,” the author goes through almost the entire thing again from the H point of view. Same exact scene, just with his reactions. A little of that would’ve been ok, but the ENTIRE SCENE. Nope. Then it ends. This isn’t even a novelette, it’s one scene. What a waste of my time.
It took a few chapters to get into the story, and to figure out if Eli really was dreaming or what was going on. But once she met Matt, the story took off and went way too fast. And geesh, what a cliffhanger! I need to read the next book. (But unfortunately, the link to sign up for Eme's mailing list doesn't work.😣)
An amusing story with a dreamlike quality. Eli and Matthiel are quaint in a sexy sort of way. Eli's innocence mixed with her smart mouth and her bafflement over her circumstances are entertaining.
A very short story with an intriguing cliffhanger.
Looking forward to reading more from Eme Strife.
I received an ARC of The Basilisk's Creed Volume 1 and this is my honest review.
This ended very quickly for me. I knew it was a cliffhanger ending and I thought the stopping point made sense. I dont really feel like much happened. Eli meets Mattheil and they have a strong sexual connection. She learns hes a soul reaper and he learns virtually nothing about her. I didnt dislike the story I just felt like it was over before we learn anything of major importance.
This was read as a freebie for an honest review. I would not have chosen this type of book to read on my own. It was an okay book. It was written well, but not my cup of tea. By the way it is a cliffhanger.
This was a face-paced story with great characters. I couldn't stop myself from reading on and on. It was engrossing and captivating. Get caught up in Eli and Matthiel's story. This is book one in the Basilisk's Creed series and it will leave you wanting more.
This wasn't something I normally read. I appreciate the work the author put into it, that's the only reason I even gave it a 2! For me I was very confused. Nothing was explained and it was a waste of time.