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Warrior #1
Dusk
DUSK is the story of Alex Deveraux. It begins with Alex rushing home to say goodbye to her dying father. Her mother died of a heart attack the previous year, at least that’s what Alex believes. She’s been depressed and living in Italy, trying to cope with her loss. Alex returns to New York to discover her world is not what it once seemed.
Shortly after the death of her father, Alex’s brother introduces her to a world their parents kept hidden for twenty eight years. A world in turmoil. She soon discovers that her mother was the Fae Queen and upon her death, Alex inherited the throne. Her absence has made her people vulnerable and divided. Vulnerable because the assassination of her mother has broken a long standing treaty with the local vampires and divided because the people have been left without a leader during this time of war. To make matters worse, the vampire king just happens to be Alex’s half brother. As the oldest child, he believes he should inherit the Fae kingdom, not Alex. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to claim his kingdom and destroy his sister.
Amid her struggle to embrace the unbelievable, Alex must accept her role as leader of an entire people. As she attempts to understand this new world, she soon discovers she has special gifts. Alex immediately realizes she must develop and hone these powers if she’s going to protect her people from extinction. If that wasn't enough Alex is falling for a man that seems to despise her. Well actually, Dimitri is a warrior who is over 400 years old. The warriors are a group of protectors developed by the Fae to guard against vampire attacks. She doesn't understand Dimitri’s instant disdain any more than she can deny her growing desire for this sexy, powerful man.
Shortly after the death of her father, Alex’s brother introduces her to a world their parents kept hidden for twenty eight years. A world in turmoil. She soon discovers that her mother was the Fae Queen and upon her death, Alex inherited the throne. Her absence has made her people vulnerable and divided. Vulnerable because the assassination of her mother has broken a long standing treaty with the local vampires and divided because the people have been left without a leader during this time of war. To make matters worse, the vampire king just happens to be Alex’s half brother. As the oldest child, he believes he should inherit the Fae kingdom, not Alex. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to claim his kingdom and destroy his sister.
Amid her struggle to embrace the unbelievable, Alex must accept her role as leader of an entire people. As she attempts to understand this new world, she soon discovers she has special gifts. Alex immediately realizes she must develop and hone these powers if she’s going to protect her people from extinction. If that wasn't enough Alex is falling for a man that seems to despise her. Well actually, Dimitri is a warrior who is over 400 years old. The warriors are a group of protectors developed by the Fae to guard against vampire attacks. She doesn't understand Dimitri’s instant disdain any more than she can deny her growing desire for this sexy, powerful man.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 24, 2014
5 people want to read
About the author
Melanie P. Smith
37 books37 followers
Melanie P. Smith went to Dixie Collage and the University of Phoenix where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. She also has a Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution and Negotiation from the University of Utah. She worked for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office for over 26 years, most of that time was in the Special Operations Division. She was part of the support staff for the SWAT team which required her to respond on call-outs where she manned the radio in the SWAT command post and coordinating communication and logistics. She was also on the logistics team of the Child Abduction Response Team. In addition, she worked closely with Search & Rescue, the Mounted Posse, K9 and the Motor Unit.
She has been able to utilize her knowledge of police and rescue operations as well as business practices to make her novels fun and exciting.
For years she used her creative writing skills for office related tasks such as awards programs and web content. Then one day, she decided it was time to start writing for fun again. Hopefully you will enjoy reading about this exciting new world as much as Melanie enjoyed writing about it.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 3, 2016
Fun book that brings together different mythical creatures in a PG-13, PNR with a good amount of action. Takes a while for the action to pick up, but is worth it in the end.
December 4, 2014
We start this story with a young woman named Alex, who rushes home from Italy with the news of her fathers passing just a year after losing her mother. Alex returns home to her step brother, and here she meets Dimitri the man who enthralls her and yet repels her at the same time. She learns some secrets that her parents had kept hidden from her but not her brother for the past 20 years. Alex is thrown into a world she never knew existed when she learns she's not only different, she's the Fae Queen. Her people are struggling on the verge of war against her half brother, the leader of the Vampires who feels wronged by Alex's ascent to the throne and her parents keeping her hidden may have done more harm than good by keeping her from her people. We follow along on her quest to learn more about who she is, while trying to save a people she doesn't even know will accept her.
Alex is a great strong female lead, I loved her witty personality. She was caring, loyal, and a warrior through and through. Dimitri starts off as your typical broody male lead, but as the story continues he opens up and you begin to just love his charm. The supporting characters were great, they brought it all together for a story you couldn't help but enjoy. I found myself constantly smiling throughout this book, and I am happy to have had the chance to read it. If you're a fan of paranormal romance with a little bit of kick butt action than you should grab a copy of Dusk and enjoy.
Caitlin
(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.)
Alex is a great strong female lead, I loved her witty personality. She was caring, loyal, and a warrior through and through. Dimitri starts off as your typical broody male lead, but as the story continues he opens up and you begin to just love his charm. The supporting characters were great, they brought it all together for a story you couldn't help but enjoy. I found myself constantly smiling throughout this book, and I am happy to have had the chance to read it. If you're a fan of paranormal romance with a little bit of kick butt action than you should grab a copy of Dusk and enjoy.
Caitlin
(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.)
September 15, 2014
If you enjoyed True Blood, this is the book for you. Although not my normal genre to read, I read all of the True Blood series after discovering the HBO show. This book is along those lines as far as story and plot (but a clean version)and will compel supernatural enthusiasts to keep turning the pages. A half-human/half-fairy has lived her entire life as human unbeknownst of her true lineage. After some life altering tragedies, her world is turned upside when she discovers the truth about her parents and the supernatural powers she possesses. Thrown into the middle of a raging war between vampires and fairies, Alex must find the strength to rally her people together for their safety--- and her own.
This book is well written with a good flow. From the first chapter, Alex's emotions about her father are vividly depicted in a way which allows the reader to relate and connect. The story is written in a third person, past tense and has little or no grammatical errors or typos. Format: The text is left aligned (some readers insist on justified), and there are no excessive spaces or blank pages. It was an easy read I finished in two sittings. Thank you Ms. Smith for an interesting story.
This book is well written with a good flow. From the first chapter, Alex's emotions about her father are vividly depicted in a way which allows the reader to relate and connect. The story is written in a third person, past tense and has little or no grammatical errors or typos. Format: The text is left aligned (some readers insist on justified), and there are no excessive spaces or blank pages. It was an easy read I finished in two sittings. Thank you Ms. Smith for an interesting story.
January 13, 2015
This book opens with family tragedy and I immediately come to like the characters despite the trying situation in which I find them. A hint of family drama is in the air, which I find intriguing, and there is some mystery as well. I’m hooked within the first few paragraphs. Alex, the main character is a very astute, very strong woman; she is brilliantly designed, as is the entire cast. Alex and her family are down to earth despite being wealthy and seem like they can accomplish or get through anything.
This book as great potential and I’d likely be open to reading more of Melanie’s writing based on this experience. There is some cleaning up I’d do to this one grammar-wise and at times I think the book is a bit wordier than it needs to be. Overall it’s well spoken, well written, beautifully imagined and just generally well done.
The reader is introduced to the paranormal side of things in a matter-of-fact way and in a way that I had no trouble wrapping my head around. For me, this enhances the reading experience.
This book as great potential and I’d likely be open to reading more of Melanie’s writing based on this experience. There is some cleaning up I’d do to this one grammar-wise and at times I think the book is a bit wordier than it needs to be. Overall it’s well spoken, well written, beautifully imagined and just generally well done.
The reader is introduced to the paranormal side of things in a matter-of-fact way and in a way that I had no trouble wrapping my head around. For me, this enhances the reading experience.
October 9, 2014
If you enjoy a lively mix of vampires vs. fairies, you will love Dusk: Book 1. The author creates a dangerous world filled with battling creatures led by Alex (the Fae Queen) and her half-brother Radek who will stop at nothing to have his vampires kill her. Alex is a ‘healer’ and those injured in the fight can be saved by her. The ‘warriors’ are the talented and centuries old soldiers who protect her and among them, is the handsome Dimitri to whom Alex has lost her heart. Dusk is a delightful blend of the supernatural and romance. Highly recommended.
September 24, 2014
It is always such a pleasure when you settle in with what you hope is a good book, and then discover that it truly is a good book. This was my experience with this book. I didn't want it to end. And I apparently get my wish because this is the first book in a series. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
October 17, 2014
I received a copy of this story in exchange for a honest review. The beginning of the story had a feel of several other paranormal stories I've read in the past but the author was able to add a nice twist to the storyline. I enjoyed the story and I'm looking forward to reading book two in the series.
October 20, 2014
Enjoyed reading a new take on the vampire/Fae mythology. It was an action packed and emotional read. Loved reading and seeing how Alex and Dimitri's relationship grew and changed and made for a stronger bond between the two of them. A paranormal romance that I highly recommend. Loved it.
November 25, 2016
Amazing book! Absolutely loved it! For a more detailed Review please visit my blog. Link is in my profile!
April 11, 2017
When Alex Deveraux loses both her mother and father in a short space of time, she thinks her world has come crashing down. What she doesn’t know is that her family has tried to protect her from an even more dangerous world. She meets a whole host of people she didn’t even know that existed. What I liked most about this book (besides the action and romance!) is that the author has set this fantasy novel in a modern setting. I often get distracted when I read fantasy as the alternative universes some writers set their stories in can be very complex and bewildering. (Maybe you can tell that I wasn’t a big fan of the hobbit!) I could understand Alex as a woman. She not only has to deal with the loss of her father, but also the stress of organising the perfect funeral and making sure his company remains a successful one. Alex is a strong female lead, independent, successful as a business woman, but also vulnerable and complex. Alex’s romance with Dimitri takes centre stage and even though it is lovely and pure, I could have maybe done with a bit more action and a quicker pace. (The fighting kind, I’m a big fan of clean fantasy) I also would like to know more of both her parents’ history, but that might be for another book. There are still a few blanks to be filled in and the fight with the vampires is far from over. Great start to a series.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews