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Veiled
Until now Saul relied on the solitude of the forest to hide his true nature from prying eyes. But now a nameless evil has arrived, shaking his world to the foundation. With a trail of death leading right to his doorstep, he must join forces with the most unlikely of allies to save not only his existence, but also the lives of those he holds most dear…
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2014
16 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Knight
37 books195 followersAuthor and Chicago resident Victoria Knight is a voracious reader now totally addicted to the dark, sexy call of the paranormal. She is the author of many bestselling shorts, the steamy vampire romance novels DarkFire, Gaia Rising as well as the brand new "Veiled" series.
Victoria has been writing all her life but only recently discovered her love for paranormal romance after being introduced to the Black Dagger Brotherhood and the Underworld movies by her husband. After that she decided to drop everything and create stories hot enough and action packed to satisfy her own dark hunger...
Visit http://www.byvictoriaknight.com/MyGoo... for free steamy sneak peeks at upcoming books and more!
Victoria has been writing all her life but only recently discovered her love for paranormal romance after being introduced to the Black Dagger Brotherhood and the Underworld movies by her husband. After that she decided to drop everything and create stories hot enough and action packed to satisfy her own dark hunger...
Visit http://www.byvictoriaknight.com/MyGoo... for free steamy sneak peeks at upcoming books and more!
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 2, 2014
From time to time, I write a review that turns out to be closer to an essay than any kind of mere critical analysis of a couple hundred page book. This will likely be one of those times.
You see, I don't always take notes when I read. Usually I can depend on my memory to remember what I want to talk about. However, when I start finding a lot of those kinds of things (good or bad, but honestly usually bad) I start a notes page. It's not usually a good sign for a book or it's author...I took a lot of notes while reading this book.
I'll start, though, by saying that the book does have an interesting premise. And I have to give some serious props to Ms. Knight for creating a heroine who truly wasn't wimpy or limp-wristed in any manner. She was also a girl who knew what she wanted and went for it. I appreciate this a lot. It's a little on the rare side and I'm always delighted when I stumble across it.
However, my praise pretty much ends there. To start with, the writing (the actual words chosen, writing) is far too wordy. I know that statement is a little vague, so here's an example.
Grammatically it's a passable passage. But there are just too many words in it to allow it to flow smoothly. Over and over this wordiness kept me from really sinking into the story.
Neither was the situation improved by the stiff dialogue that used names far too frequently and felt very staccato; the repetitive use of certain words or phrases, 'primal' and 'he could tell' come immediately to mind; the giant info-dump at about 25%; or the odd chapter headings.
I don't usually pay any attention to chapter numberings, but at some point I noticed that I was reading what I thought must be a Chapter 2 for the fourth time. I don't know. I think each chapter had numerical sections, but it's never explained so I was just basically confused at all times about it. That's definitely not standard.
Even these things I probably would have looked over. But the ever-increasing list of contradictions was another matter entirely. Here are a few examples. Saul unlocks a door and when he relocks it, the reader is told it's the first time the door has been locked in over 100 years. Saul says that he is 106 years old, but also that they (presumably he and his family) lived in Romania for 200 years. Jason's father is said to have died 5 years earlier of a heart attack and then shows up. Kara gets out of the bathtub and goes to bed, only to be back in the bathtub in the next scene. (At least she's consistent in liking a drink after her soak though--a beer the first time around and a glass on white wine the second.)
At another point, she shot at someone and is certain she hit them twice, a second person confirms a third hit too. Then later it's referred to as she hit him once and the second person confirmed a second shot. The numbers aren't adding up. Later still, she is sitting with a steaming cup of coffee only to get up to go get a bitter cup of coffee. That's a lot of times for a reader to stop and scratch their head in confusion.
The book was also repetitive, but didn't always quite line up with itself. For example, we're told more than once about vampire physiology. At one point, we're told they can stay out direct sunlight, but after a full day it would alter their DNA (or some such). Then in another passage we're told much the same information except the vampires will get sick after an hour or so.
Typos, missed words and the occasional homophone can slip through even the most thorough editing regime. I understand that. But these sorts of inconsistencies (especially so many of them) are a fairly clear indication that the book simply wasn't read and reread often enough or by enough people before going to press. I find this far more unforgivable, further, I'm as inclined to blame the publisher for this as the author.
There were also some basic 'but, huh?' kind of questions. For example, Saul can smell Nikki in a car as she pulls into the driveway (it's long enough to just see the road at the end from the house). The baddie can smell Saul all throughout the woods and smell sex from outside the cabin. So, how come Saul never smelled that baddie who's been lurking around his land for days?
Then there were the drastic and basically unfollowable leaps of logic. For example, Nikki sees a 20 year old, grainy black and white newspaper article that has a man that looks like Saul in it. Her first thought isn't that there may be an older relative (brother, cousin, etc) but that it's Saul and he hasn't aged. Who thinks that FIRST?
Besides, she'd only ever seen him twice before. Once when she passed him in a grocery story months earlier (and she didn't even know who he was until later) and then she'd recently caught a glimpse of him in a passing car window. It's not like she's intimately familiar with his appearance to start with.
There is also no real world-building or character development. Everything and everyone is fairly unidimensional. As an example, Saul is easily able to walk around with a human face, only transforming to his frightening vampire appearance when fighting. But the baddie (who presumably also could remain in human guise, no reason is given that he couldn't) never did. He spent all of his time wearing the transformed face of a monster...you know, so he's easily identifiable as evil. He had no other character traits.
What made the matter worse was that the characters really needed some backstory and depth. None of Saul's years were felt by the reader. He could have been any other man in his mid-thirties. Nikki, even more, she seemed to possess no fear. Seriously, she seemed to lack any sort of instinct for self-preservation and this oddity is never explained. Yeah, there's a little hint that she's supposed to have had a bit of a tragic past, but it doesn't really explain her complete disregard for her own personal safety.
I really needed to know what made her that way, because lacking any explanatory information, I just have to assume she's too dense to know better. And a lack of willingness or ability to keep oneself alive is my number one qualification for Too Stupid To Live. Plus, it's 100% unbelievable in a character. Seeing her waltz into Saul's home and basically offer herself up was laughably...just wrong basically.
I especially needed this character depth in the face of the fact that she's a rebellious 19-year-old. 19! (Though, whom she and all her cliché piercing are rebelling against is a mystery, since her mom is dead and her dad is locked up for offences unrevealed.)
The story would have been far more believable if Nikki was older. At 19 she barely scrapes by as a YA heroine, but there is too much sex for this to be a YA or even an NA book. So I ask, why is she 19 or why is all the sex there? It didn't contribute anything to the story. She's also very forward and experienced for an unpopular 19-year-old, with just the one friend, who she's pointedly not attracted to. All-in-all, I was left feeling that the genre was muddled and the book could have done with either choosing to go YA to match its heroine or ageing it's heroine to match it's parental advisory rating.
Honestly, I could go on. I could get into the nitty-gritty of little things like "only a few minutes after Nikki left Saul finally got out of bed." Well, if it's only been a few minutes it doesn't rise to a finally type scenarios, now does it? But I won't. I think I've made my points. This could have been a good read, but it just wasn't. And I really hate having to say that kind of thing.
You see, I don't always take notes when I read. Usually I can depend on my memory to remember what I want to talk about. However, when I start finding a lot of those kinds of things (good or bad, but honestly usually bad) I start a notes page. It's not usually a good sign for a book or it's author...I took a lot of notes while reading this book.
I'll start, though, by saying that the book does have an interesting premise. And I have to give some serious props to Ms. Knight for creating a heroine who truly wasn't wimpy or limp-wristed in any manner. She was also a girl who knew what she wanted and went for it. I appreciate this a lot. It's a little on the rare side and I'm always delighted when I stumble across it.
However, my praise pretty much ends there. To start with, the writing (the actual words chosen, writing) is far too wordy. I know that statement is a little vague, so here's an example.
Saul was dashing back towards Lester before his better judgement could so much as utter a sound within his head. His rage took the better of him. He didn't even feel silly running down the street with a bag of groceries in one arm, while intentions of pounding a drunken jerk's face left him robbed of his good judgement.
Grammatically it's a passable passage. But there are just too many words in it to allow it to flow smoothly. Over and over this wordiness kept me from really sinking into the story.
Neither was the situation improved by the stiff dialogue that used names far too frequently and felt very staccato; the repetitive use of certain words or phrases, 'primal' and 'he could tell' come immediately to mind; the giant info-dump at about 25%; or the odd chapter headings.
I don't usually pay any attention to chapter numberings, but at some point I noticed that I was reading what I thought must be a Chapter 2 for the fourth time. I don't know. I think each chapter had numerical sections, but it's never explained so I was just basically confused at all times about it. That's definitely not standard.
Even these things I probably would have looked over. But the ever-increasing list of contradictions was another matter entirely. Here are a few examples. Saul unlocks a door and when he relocks it, the reader is told it's the first time the door has been locked in over 100 years. Saul says that he is 106 years old, but also that they (presumably he and his family) lived in Romania for 200 years. Jason's father is said to have died 5 years earlier of a heart attack and then shows up. Kara gets out of the bathtub and goes to bed, only to be back in the bathtub in the next scene. (At least she's consistent in liking a drink after her soak though--a beer the first time around and a glass on white wine the second.)
At another point, she shot at someone and is certain she hit them twice, a second person confirms a third hit too. Then later it's referred to as she hit him once and the second person confirmed a second shot. The numbers aren't adding up. Later still, she is sitting with a steaming cup of coffee only to get up to go get a bitter cup of coffee. That's a lot of times for a reader to stop and scratch their head in confusion.
The book was also repetitive, but didn't always quite line up with itself. For example, we're told more than once about vampire physiology. At one point, we're told they can stay out direct sunlight, but after a full day it would alter their DNA (or some such). Then in another passage we're told much the same information except the vampires will get sick after an hour or so.
Typos, missed words and the occasional homophone can slip through even the most thorough editing regime. I understand that. But these sorts of inconsistencies (especially so many of them) are a fairly clear indication that the book simply wasn't read and reread often enough or by enough people before going to press. I find this far more unforgivable, further, I'm as inclined to blame the publisher for this as the author.
There were also some basic 'but, huh?' kind of questions. For example, Saul can smell Nikki in a car as she pulls into the driveway (it's long enough to just see the road at the end from the house). The baddie can smell Saul all throughout the woods and smell sex from outside the cabin. So, how come Saul never smelled that baddie who's been lurking around his land for days?
Then there were the drastic and basically unfollowable leaps of logic. For example, Nikki sees a 20 year old, grainy black and white newspaper article that has a man that looks like Saul in it. Her first thought isn't that there may be an older relative (brother, cousin, etc) but that it's Saul and he hasn't aged. Who thinks that FIRST?
Besides, she'd only ever seen him twice before. Once when she passed him in a grocery story months earlier (and she didn't even know who he was until later) and then she'd recently caught a glimpse of him in a passing car window. It's not like she's intimately familiar with his appearance to start with.
There is also no real world-building or character development. Everything and everyone is fairly unidimensional. As an example, Saul is easily able to walk around with a human face, only transforming to his frightening vampire appearance when fighting. But the baddie (who presumably also could remain in human guise, no reason is given that he couldn't) never did. He spent all of his time wearing the transformed face of a monster...you know, so he's easily identifiable as evil. He had no other character traits.
What made the matter worse was that the characters really needed some backstory and depth. None of Saul's years were felt by the reader. He could have been any other man in his mid-thirties. Nikki, even more, she seemed to possess no fear. Seriously, she seemed to lack any sort of instinct for self-preservation and this oddity is never explained. Yeah, there's a little hint that she's supposed to have had a bit of a tragic past, but it doesn't really explain her complete disregard for her own personal safety.
I really needed to know what made her that way, because lacking any explanatory information, I just have to assume she's too dense to know better. And a lack of willingness or ability to keep oneself alive is my number one qualification for Too Stupid To Live. Plus, it's 100% unbelievable in a character. Seeing her waltz into Saul's home and basically offer herself up was laughably...just wrong basically.
I especially needed this character depth in the face of the fact that she's a rebellious 19-year-old. 19! (Though, whom she and all her cliché piercing are rebelling against is a mystery, since her mom is dead and her dad is locked up for offences unrevealed.)
The story would have been far more believable if Nikki was older. At 19 she barely scrapes by as a YA heroine, but there is too much sex for this to be a YA or even an NA book. So I ask, why is she 19 or why is all the sex there? It didn't contribute anything to the story. She's also very forward and experienced for an unpopular 19-year-old, with just the one friend, who she's pointedly not attracted to. All-in-all, I was left feeling that the genre was muddled and the book could have done with either choosing to go YA to match its heroine or ageing it's heroine to match it's parental advisory rating.
Honestly, I could go on. I could get into the nitty-gritty of little things like "only a few minutes after Nikki left Saul finally got out of bed." Well, if it's only been a few minutes it doesn't rise to a finally type scenarios, now does it? But I won't. I think I've made my points. This could have been a good read, but it just wasn't. And I really hate having to say that kind of thing.
June 24, 2014
2 1/2 stars.
Characters were okay, story had potential with the vamps being different then the norm and not run of the mill. Writing felt awkward, sort of hesitant at times. There are editing issues, and that could be part of the writing coming off awkward, or could have been having 2 pages in a chapter breaking up the flow. Commas were missing here and there. Editing examples: Kata instead of Kara. rear yard instead of back yard. James talking about his father dying of a heart attack and then a few pages later the cops are talking to his mom and dad. I don't see the point in talking about (Where's the rest of the sentence). It almost came out in a scream but lost some of it's strength near the end. He saw her teeth, the pointing shards to either side.
Kara was a unbelievable character. She was in charge of the police department, yet is wimpy & squeamish. Her house is broken into and she's attacked yet she screams and hides in her bathroom closet, and her police training doesn't kick in. And who has a bathroom closet with a door that can withstand a beating like her's did. Bathroom closets are meant to keep the paper products in, not people out, much less creatures such as in this book.
It's about a small town with a big rumor mill, and some weird happenings going on. Saul & his family has lived in the town for many many years, and he's a recluse that is the subject of many of the rumors. Nikki is 19 and rebellious. She sees something weird and decides to check out Saul some more, so goes out to his isolated cabin in the woods. From there they jump into bed, and the vampires come out. The 1st part of the book reads like a small town mystery and prejudice. The 2nd part concerns the vampires. It didn't fit for recluse Saul to jump into bed with someone trying to tear down his secrets,(a secret that could get him and his sister killed, if revealed), and she's 19. If her age wasn't so young or not mentioned as much, then it might have worked a little better, but it came off more as predatory then falling in love.
I liked the differences in these vampires, but didn't care for the characters much.
I would check out another book in the series to see where it goes, and how Saul's new duties pan out.
Characters were okay, story had potential with the vamps being different then the norm and not run of the mill. Writing felt awkward, sort of hesitant at times. There are editing issues, and that could be part of the writing coming off awkward, or could have been having 2 pages in a chapter breaking up the flow. Commas were missing here and there. Editing examples: Kata instead of Kara. rear yard instead of back yard. James talking about his father dying of a heart attack and then a few pages later the cops are talking to his mom and dad. I don't see the point in talking about (Where's the rest of the sentence). It almost came out in a scream but lost some of it's strength near the end. He saw her teeth, the pointing shards to either side.
Kara was a unbelievable character. She was in charge of the police department, yet is wimpy & squeamish. Her house is broken into and she's attacked yet she screams and hides in her bathroom closet, and her police training doesn't kick in. And who has a bathroom closet with a door that can withstand a beating like her's did. Bathroom closets are meant to keep the paper products in, not people out, much less creatures such as in this book.
It's about a small town with a big rumor mill, and some weird happenings going on. Saul & his family has lived in the town for many many years, and he's a recluse that is the subject of many of the rumors. Nikki is 19 and rebellious. She sees something weird and decides to check out Saul some more, so goes out to his isolated cabin in the woods. From there they jump into bed, and the vampires come out. The 1st part of the book reads like a small town mystery and prejudice. The 2nd part concerns the vampires. It didn't fit for recluse Saul to jump into bed with someone trying to tear down his secrets,(a secret that could get him and his sister killed, if revealed), and she's 19. If her age wasn't so young or not mentioned as much, then it might have worked a little better, but it came off more as predatory then falling in love.
I liked the differences in these vampires, but didn't care for the characters much.
I would check out another book in the series to see where it goes, and how Saul's new duties pan out.
August 2, 2015
Rating 3.5 stars
* This book was received in exchange for an honest review. *
* This book was received in exchange for an honest review. *
June 6, 2014
The caveat: I was asked to review this book by the publisher, and agreed because I thought it was paranormal YA, a genre in which I read quite a lot. Not their fault, my assumption, but this is definitely NOT YA. And since I don't read a lot of adult paranormal I'm probably not the best candidate to review this book.
That said, I did read & enjoy it, so, let's begin with the good: a strong female lead. Nikki is nineteen but thankfully no sappy teen. She's independent as in working for a living, and likewise wiser than her years might suggest. And while she does fall for the (inevitably hot, inevitably wealthy, inevitably immortal) leading man, it's not in a mindless Bella Swan kind of way. Plus she ends up with some powers of her own, which she employs to kick ass a few times.
The bad: it's a vampire novel. How much can there possibly be left to say about vampires? As such this is fairly predictable, with requisite brooding male vampire acquiring human(ish) girlfriend. No real surprises in the plot, though the sister and the sexually frustrated cop might be interesting in later installments....
In short, this isn't literature, but good fodder for a holiday or a plane ride.
That said, I did read & enjoy it, so, let's begin with the good: a strong female lead. Nikki is nineteen but thankfully no sappy teen. She's independent as in working for a living, and likewise wiser than her years might suggest. And while she does fall for the (inevitably hot, inevitably wealthy, inevitably immortal) leading man, it's not in a mindless Bella Swan kind of way. Plus she ends up with some powers of her own, which she employs to kick ass a few times.
The bad: it's a vampire novel. How much can there possibly be left to say about vampires? As such this is fairly predictable, with requisite brooding male vampire acquiring human(ish) girlfriend. No real surprises in the plot, though the sister and the sexually frustrated cop might be interesting in later installments....
In short, this isn't literature, but good fodder for a holiday or a plane ride.
June 17, 2014
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*
It has been a while since I have read a vampire novel, so I was excited when presented with this opportunity to read this novel. Nikki is a great character to follow as well as Saul, and their steamy romance isn't to bad either. *wink wink*
I liked how this book was told from many perspectives and we got to see what was going on not only in their lives, but their heads. There was a lot of mystery in this book as well that I enjoyed. I liked how things were not sappy-such as Nikki and Saul admitting that they didn't love each other and were just connected somehow.
If you are a fan of True Blood than I think you would like this book. It as the same amount of sex and gore that the show does, and the amount of mystery as well. I would gladly read the next in the series to see what new adventures and trouble Nikki and Saul get into. I would also like to learn more about Jill, Saul's sister and what happened to his father.
It has been a while since I have read a vampire novel, so I was excited when presented with this opportunity to read this novel. Nikki is a great character to follow as well as Saul, and their steamy romance isn't to bad either. *wink wink*
I liked how this book was told from many perspectives and we got to see what was going on not only in their lives, but their heads. There was a lot of mystery in this book as well that I enjoyed. I liked how things were not sappy-such as Nikki and Saul admitting that they didn't love each other and were just connected somehow.
If you are a fan of True Blood than I think you would like this book. It as the same amount of sex and gore that the show does, and the amount of mystery as well. I would gladly read the next in the series to see what new adventures and trouble Nikki and Saul get into. I would also like to learn more about Jill, Saul's sister and what happened to his father.
July 8, 2015
Awesome new read I was turned on to a couple days ago ... This was the first book in the series. There are a few editing issues here and there, but nothing big enough to detract from the book in my eyes. I read the kindle version of this one and am not really used to reading books there .. I much prefer paperback version .. so I am not sure if the editing issues were because of it being kindle or not. This book had just enough sex, gore and suspense to keep me intrigued and not be turned off. I read this book in one sitting. I fell in love with the lead character Saul and can't wait to read the next book in the series. Don't really want to give away any of the plot so I am just going to say that the vampires in this series were different from what I am used to reading but not in bad way. I really enjoyed this book and fully recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance thrillers.
August 20, 2016
It is definitely not a YA or NA book, with all the bumping around and the amount of blood shedding. The story goes relatively quickly once it picks up pace, but in the beginning it dragged a little, and I was wondering when the vampire was going to show.
I have to say that Nikki has more balls and any other character in the book, the main ones have shown some personality, but most are just 2D characters made to fill in some holes. Which is good for me, I would hate to follow so many people around a quiet town...
Overall, it is a book one can pick up if they thought Twilight was lame, and they really love gory details =) don't say I didn't warn you.
I have to say that Nikki has more balls and any other character in the book, the main ones have shown some personality, but most are just 2D characters made to fill in some holes. Which is good for me, I would hate to follow so many people around a quiet town...
Overall, it is a book one can pick up if they thought Twilight was lame, and they really love gory details =) don't say I didn't warn you.
June 14, 2014
Being a huge fan of vampire novels this book was definitely right up my alley. I soon as I saw Veiled and read it's description I was immediately intrigued. I will say that the first half of Chapter 1 was a bit slow. The character were intriguing and the story line showed promise but it had so much detail that it took a bit to get through it. I'm glad I held on though! Once thing started going the pace really picked up. The characters are unforgettable, the story is fresh and I feel it is the beginning of what could be an epic series. I absolutely adore the main character Saul and look forward to picking up the next book in this series very soon!
August 27, 2015
Wow. just wow. first of all I have to say,... I've been so bored with reading. .. everything just seems the same! Then finally I come across this READ to a review, and I AM HOOKED! Victoria Knight takes u on ride you don't even realize you are on until it smacks you in the face! It's creatively written... suspense, suprise, and romance! My 3 faves! and that Cliffhanger.... come on!!!! I kept looking at how many pages were left and what was happening in the book thinking how's it going to end?! I even emailed the author when I was 90% finished asking if I can review book 2 right away! so excited to have found a new series!! Victoria Knight.... you rock!
May 28, 2014
While not my normal sort of book I really enjoyed it. (I like paranormal but not always New Adult/Romance) The kick off was a bit slower than a I normally go for but it did pick up very quick and by the end the whole thing was just rocking. Planning on reading the 2nd one soon. Great new book from a promising new author.
May 14, 2015
You can read my full/honest review here: http://wp.me/p37Zro-1lw
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews