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Guardians' League #3
Chosen
Gareths To Do Defend New Orleans. Fight a vampire war. Keep humans ignorant of above. Win the girl. Not To Die. Book Three of the Guardians League Gareth Ambrocio is the charismatic and dedicated patriarch of New Orleans Arachnid Clan, as well as a senior member of the Leagues Governing Council and the official Ambassador of the Clans. Fancy titles for a man who enjoys giving vampire tours around New Orleans to spread false information to tourists. Despite being one of the oldest living vampires, Gareth has yet to find a mate or name an heir. Meeting the lovely dhampyr Alexa provides him the perfect opportunity to finally take a bondmate and create that heir. The problems start as soon as he begins his efforts to court her. All hell breaks loose in his city. Women go missing and wind up dead, Outcast attacks become bolder, and an upstart vampire challenges Gareth for his position and for Alexa. Keeping her safe would be a lot easier if Alexa would admit that vampires truly existed, but Gareth has always relished a good challenge. When the attacks and threats draw ever closer to her, Gareth must find out who or what is behind these strange events before he loses his Chosen mate, his Clan, his city and his life Warning, this title contains the adult situations, graphic language, violence.
300 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Amelia Elias
16 books43 followersMeet Amelia Elias, mother of ten (okay, so some of her ‘kids’ have four legs and a tail), home health nurse (which is great because it affords her so much time to sit and chat with her clients), and author of many stories (most of them written to shut up those persistent voices in her head—though new ones always take their place). Amelia is slender, buxom, graceful, plays classical piano, speaks 17 languages, is always immaculately dressed, and is titled nobility on an oilrig off the coast of England.
And the nobility thing is actually true.
Amelia writes about everything from genies in a bottle, to gods and goddesses, to gorgeous vampires and hot, sexy Fae. Her stories are set in such locations as Olympus, two versions of an alternate Earth, vampire-owned nightclubs, and the really, truly crazy ones happen in the real world.
Some say she can be a bit scattered with her writing. Amelia disagrees, arguing, “No, not at all! I am very focused and… and… wait, do you have a pen? I just got a great idea for a romance between a shape-shifting ghost and an alien!”
And the nobility thing is actually true.
Amelia writes about everything from genies in a bottle, to gods and goddesses, to gorgeous vampires and hot, sexy Fae. Her stories are set in such locations as Olympus, two versions of an alternate Earth, vampire-owned nightclubs, and the really, truly crazy ones happen in the real world.
Some say she can be a bit scattered with her writing. Amelia disagrees, arguing, “No, not at all! I am very focused and… and… wait, do you have a pen? I just got a great idea for a romance between a shape-shifting ghost and an alien!”
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 13, 2011
Amelia Elias has penned three books in the Guardians' League series (Hunted, Outcast, Chosen) and I can only hope that there will be more - I would especially enjoy Ronin's story. I was incredibly surprised when I started out with Hunted. I don't know what I was expecting...well, okay, I do - and admittedly I was jaded by years of disappointment in books from less commercially credited authors. I expected a mediocre (at best) paranormal romance with probably a bit more eroticism than I'd find in mass market paperback titles. What I got was an intriguing, interesting read with characters I truly enjoyed and a story I wanted to see continue.
So continue I did, to Outcast (which was extremely original when it was originally published, but there's been a best selling author that has similar major plot points and themes since then), then, after again being remarkably impressed, went ahead and got Chosen.
Chosen is the story of Gareth Ambrocio, patriarch of the Arachnid clan and Guardian Extraordinaire...who also enjoys leading vampire tours around his territory of New Orleans. While visiting a clan member at a bar, he runs into Alexa, a delightfully shy and rather innocent dhampyr...who has been dared and guilted and pushed into the rash action of commandeering Gareth for a body shot during the wild bachelorette party of a friend of hers. And Gareth, the big bad predator, is determined to keep her.
Gareth's story is full of humor and fun, and Gareth himself is a significantly lighter personality than Diego (Hunted) and Eli (Outcast). I enjoyed Alexa...even when she's stubbornly refusing to believe that vampires exist beyond all rational proof that they do. I also enjoyed seeing some of the old friends from the previous books.
Don't think of Elias' Guardians' League series as just another formulaic paranormal romance series. It's not just a mimicry of others' works. It's fantastic, has its own aspects of originality, and in some ways, is better than others in the genre. Only two facts are keeping these books from a five star rating for me: it's not the most original premise for the arc of the series and it's not as deeply plotted and layered as some of the masters of the sub-genre. I would like to say (again) that I truly hope that Elias plans to continue the Guardians' League series after Chosen. If she doesn't, it will be a grievous short-change for readers who enjoy quality paranormal romance.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
So continue I did, to Outcast (which was extremely original when it was originally published, but there's been a best selling author that has similar major plot points and themes since then), then, after again being remarkably impressed, went ahead and got Chosen.
Chosen is the story of Gareth Ambrocio, patriarch of the Arachnid clan and Guardian Extraordinaire...who also enjoys leading vampire tours around his territory of New Orleans. While visiting a clan member at a bar, he runs into Alexa, a delightfully shy and rather innocent dhampyr...who has been dared and guilted and pushed into the rash action of commandeering Gareth for a body shot during the wild bachelorette party of a friend of hers. And Gareth, the big bad predator, is determined to keep her.
Gareth's story is full of humor and fun, and Gareth himself is a significantly lighter personality than Diego (Hunted) and Eli (Outcast). I enjoyed Alexa...even when she's stubbornly refusing to believe that vampires exist beyond all rational proof that they do. I also enjoyed seeing some of the old friends from the previous books.
Don't think of Elias' Guardians' League series as just another formulaic paranormal romance series. It's not just a mimicry of others' works. It's fantastic, has its own aspects of originality, and in some ways, is better than others in the genre. Only two facts are keeping these books from a five star rating for me: it's not the most original premise for the arc of the series and it's not as deeply plotted and layered as some of the masters of the sub-genre. I would like to say (again) that I truly hope that Elias plans to continue the Guardians' League series after Chosen. If she doesn't, it will be a grievous short-change for readers who enjoy quality paranormal romance.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
October 13, 2021
Another winner
Amelia Elias has done it again. Another spellbinding love story that could take place in reality (well you know except for them being vampires). The story is gripping and it’s a total thrill ride. I want to see Ronin’s story now. There have been so many hints about him dropped that to not tell is story would be a crime.
Amelia Elias has done it again. Another spellbinding love story that could take place in reality (well you know except for them being vampires). The story is gripping and it’s a total thrill ride. I want to see Ronin’s story now. There have been so many hints about him dropped that to not tell is story would be a crime.
July 7, 2013
This review shall be presented in two parts, the first being a generalised rant about the series, and the lack of more books, the latter my actual review of 'Chosen'
So, after three days, I have completed reading the Guardians League series until the most recently published book, Chosen.
Which leads me to my horror. It's 2013 (unless I am mistaken, which is quite possible), and this book was first published, apparently, in 2007. 6 YEARS ago!
I am now at odds as to what I should do, in note that I have two choices:
A. Continue my summer mission to pack as much reading in as possible, before university?
B. Sink to the floor in a crying, weeping, miserable mess, in that what is perhaps my newly found favourite series, has been neglected for several years, leaving me with so many unanswered questions, wants and general infuriated feelings.
Option B is most likely my response, because I have enjoyed this series so much, and I am so sad to see it has not been continued further by Miss Elias.
I am finding it difficult to find an adequate substitute for what is now the gaping hole where Guardians League once bathed me with happiness, amusement, intrigue, surprise, heat (wink wink) and sadness, all in a well managed, delightfully descriptive manner.
This then leads me to my review.
For the first 15-20% (my kindle adored to delight me with the knowledge that with each flick of a page, the end of the series was arriving) of this book, I was beginning to wonder whether it would delight me quite like the first and, most definitely, the second book in the series managed. Then, the story rocketed into action and I was hooked. My nose currently beholds a red mark from how I clung desperately to the novel, perfecting my multitasking skills with each turn of the page.
The story has a wonderful sense of tension, build-up and an interesting enough plot-line. I liked the setting and the way in which Miss Elias conducted the characters. The hot scenes were conducted beautifully and were good enough to make me blush.
Much to my sadness, I do hold some regrets about the novel, in that I feel it could perhaps have been developed more in quite a few areas (although this didn't ultimately detract from the overall story, I am simply always left begging for more ;P ) I wish I knew more about the protagonist, her past-life, friends, family, relations... They were all pushed aside, in a way, leaving me to wonder. I feel the ending was nice, although a bit of a flop, IMHO. (I actually struggled to read the final pages, I did not wish it to end, nor did I want to realise that the few pages I had left to read would not sate my appetite).
In summary, I loved the book, and do not regret reading it, although it doesn't quite shine to the tune of Outcast (Book 2), and left me with many unanswered questions (and not in a good way.) I think this is one of those books that I will read over and over for years to come, although some would probably go so far as to say it doesn't have a lot of literary merit in it's execution. Perhaps, if Miss Elias were given time, money, and a larger word limit, this could be/have been a best seller. But for now, it shall remain a sure but firm guilty pleasure.
So, after three days, I have completed reading the Guardians League series until the most recently published book, Chosen.
Which leads me to my horror. It's 2013 (unless I am mistaken, which is quite possible), and this book was first published, apparently, in 2007. 6 YEARS ago!
I am now at odds as to what I should do, in note that I have two choices:
A. Continue my summer mission to pack as much reading in as possible, before university?
B. Sink to the floor in a crying, weeping, miserable mess, in that what is perhaps my newly found favourite series, has been neglected for several years, leaving me with so many unanswered questions, wants and general infuriated feelings.
Option B is most likely my response, because I have enjoyed this series so much, and I am so sad to see it has not been continued further by Miss Elias.
I am finding it difficult to find an adequate substitute for what is now the gaping hole where Guardians League once bathed me with happiness, amusement, intrigue, surprise, heat (wink wink) and sadness, all in a well managed, delightfully descriptive manner.
This then leads me to my review.
For the first 15-20% (my kindle adored to delight me with the knowledge that with each flick of a page, the end of the series was arriving) of this book, I was beginning to wonder whether it would delight me quite like the first and, most definitely, the second book in the series managed. Then, the story rocketed into action and I was hooked. My nose currently beholds a red mark from how I clung desperately to the novel, perfecting my multitasking skills with each turn of the page.
The story has a wonderful sense of tension, build-up and an interesting enough plot-line. I liked the setting and the way in which Miss Elias conducted the characters. The hot scenes were conducted beautifully and were good enough to make me blush.
Much to my sadness, I do hold some regrets about the novel, in that I feel it could perhaps have been developed more in quite a few areas (although this didn't ultimately detract from the overall story, I am simply always left begging for more ;P ) I wish I knew more about the protagonist, her past-life, friends, family, relations... They were all pushed aside, in a way, leaving me to wonder. I feel the ending was nice, although a bit of a flop, IMHO. (I actually struggled to read the final pages, I did not wish it to end, nor did I want to realise that the few pages I had left to read would not sate my appetite).
In summary, I loved the book, and do not regret reading it, although it doesn't quite shine to the tune of Outcast (Book 2), and left me with many unanswered questions (and not in a good way.) I think this is one of those books that I will read over and over for years to come, although some would probably go so far as to say it doesn't have a lot of literary merit in it's execution. Perhaps, if Miss Elias were given time, money, and a larger word limit, this could be/have been a best seller. But for now, it shall remain a sure but firm guilty pleasure.
January 12, 2016
I was a little disappointed that this was the last book in the series. The first ~1/3 of it had me sure it would be my favorite because it had way more humor than the rest but then it kinda went downhill for me. I loved the hero she stuck with the tried and true formula of protective and sweet but not over doing it and being a domineering buttwipe (a fallacy of far too many vamp books). The heroine in this one though? not so great. She's alot whinier than the other ones and she spends most of the book in denial about the existence of vampires even though the hero told her about them and the fact that he was one on their first date. Then she accepts that there are vampires but somehow its this HUGE surprise when hes one...i couldnt help it i rolled my eyes. There was one interesting plot twist i didnt expect but otherwise the plot was pretty predictable. the writing was still decent but it crossed the line into overly sappy several times unlike the last books (not a terribly welcome departure). Also the book seems to hint that the heroine has had some bad past experience with vamps and thats why she freaks out so much but the best they can come up with is her father was a vamp...which weve known about the whole book so i was feeling a little disappointed at that lack of follow through. Plot/romantic development happened at a decent pace but again the heroine kinda got on my nerves here. the story couldve been like 50 pages shorter if she wouldve just chilled out and acted like a rational person "oh hes treated me with nothing but kindness and gentleness and respect....but he has fangs? gah kill him! run away! MONSTER!" get a grip girl! wheres my warrior princess?! The sex scenes were solid like the other book but not any more than mildly steamy for me. they hint at naughtier things which would peak my interest but never actually do them. Overall not a bad book but not as good as the other ones. a disappointing end to the series...really shouldve been the 2nd one
November 16, 2010
I read the first two in this series and was not jumping to read this one. I was so glad to see my replacement Kindle that I want crazy on Amazon. I am glad I did. This installment takes us to New Orleans into the life of Gareth, alpha vampire and Guardian of the city. Alexa is his Chosen. They meet in a bar and it goes from there. I believe the story spans about a week from the time they meet and find their happy ending. At least I hope they end happily. There is a cliffhanger in that the bad guy does not get what he deserves (that is not a spoiler). It takes nothing away. I enjoyed reading about Eli again. I loved his character from book one and book two. I think the problem for me with the series is the fact that the vamps are too cookie cutter. The writing is good and the action scenes are unpredictable, so there is no loss there. The Chosen, thus far, are strong independent women. I really like that. Will I read the next one, yes, no question -- the potential is too much to pass up.
April 27, 2011
Again... great bk, great series. But....WTH!?!?! I almost loved Gareth even more than Diego and Eli, however, the story abruptly ends. Feel like Gareth and Elexa got cheated. The story was moving along and wham its over. Looked like Ronin could be the next storyline, but this book was written at a few years ago and there's no mention of a 4th book and can't find anything current from the author. Will be disappointed if this series is over without a conclusion. There are still details left hanging. Would have given this book a 4.5 stars but reduced it to 4.0 simply because of the abrupt ending.
April 26, 2010
Dame this was a good read. I love the characters. Read it you won't be sorry. It was funny to see one of the oldest living vampires doing tours in New Orleans but it worked for me. I loved Gareth and Alexa. She of course refuses to believe what she is much less the whole vamp thing. Absolutely loved this series. Highly recommend.
Read
April 23, 2009Book 3 of the Guardian League stories. Alexa is a nurse out partying with her friends. On a dare, she goes up to Gareth and drinks a tequila shot off his body. Gareth realises that she is a dhampyr - half human/half vampire and claims first right to court her to be his vampire bondmate.
July 3, 2012
Overall I enjoyed the Guardians League series .. Once you get past the fact that each of the three books centre on the theme of a powerful vampire funding a bond mate, the characters were engaging and the plot otherwise stimulating.
January 14, 2010
I really enjoyed Book 3 in this series. I'm saddened that there are no others. Hoping Amelia is working on more!
September 9, 2011
Fantastic installment in an excellent, well written series. I sure wish she would write more books.
June 29, 2012
Decent read...Gareth was hot, can't go wrong with a sexy vamp who takes control, in leather pants and no shirt no less!!
June 30, 2014
Third in a good intriguing series.
April 3, 2008
I like Gareth, I think he is sweet. And the story line was good but not great. Good though.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews