Creature Feature 2

Creature Feature #2

by Rhys Ford, Poppy Dennison

Two Men. One Apocalypse.

Rise of the Revenants

Vampyres are on the loose in Detroit, and novice hunter Taz Cohen is on the job. The mission seems stop the vamps. But Taz knows nothing about the mythical creatures, so he’s in for the fight of his life. Then he meets insanely attractive construction worker Darren Foster, who jumps into the battle with both feet. Sparks and bullets fly as they struggle against the vampyre horde and their attraction to each other. Avoiding gruesome death from the undead might be easier than shielding their hearts from each other.


Legacy of Blood and Death

For Javi Navarro, Detroit will become another blood-splattered city in his rearview mirror after he puts its dead back into the ground. Expecting an easy hunting job, Javi instead finds a kiss of ancient vampyres on the hunt for a descendant of their long-dead creator.

Reclusive Ciarnan Mac Gerailt abandoned his family legacy of blood and death magic after it nearly destroyed him. Unfortunately for Ciarnan, the Motor City can only be saved if he resumes his dark arts and joins forces with Javi Navarro, the hunter who brought the vampyre apocalypse—and hope for the future—straight to Ciarnan’s front door.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Anthologies, Romance, Vampires, Magic, Contemporary

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2014

About the author

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist and a multiple Gold and Silver Medalist by the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards. She is published by Dreamspinner Press, DSP Publications and Rogue Firebird Press.

She shares the house with Harley, a gray tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled former alley cat, and Gojira, a mercurial Tabico as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep of a 1979 Pontiac Firebird named Tengu and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

Reviews

[Rosa, really · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, though the blurb says something about a "zombie apocalypse" I see no signs of it. Just a dozen or so escaped zombies. Which is serious, but not quite an apocalypse. Second, the people in this book do actually give a shit. Like, a lot. A lot of shits are given.

Prologue

I had a lot of problems tracking what was going on in the prologue. I don't know if it's me or the book (though I'm perfectly willing to blame myself) but I had to read it once and skim it a couple of times to get what was going on. Allow me to summarize:

We find ourselves in Detroit in the present day. A group of construction workers were working on a former 1920s speakeasy and stumbled upon 12 vampyres who've been trapped in the bowels of the building for almost a hundred years. Naturally, blood and death ensues -- those creepy bastards were hungry. Vampyre's are a cross between vampires and zombies -- they can go out in sunlight, but they eat every part of the body not just blood or braaaainz. They can only be killed by severing their spinal cords and they look something like this:



Mac Gerailt, a death mage, kidnapped 100 people in the 1920s and made them into a bunch of vampyres. (That guy must've had quite the work ethic.) A life mage, Pierce Chapman, went after him. An epic battle ensues in the aforementioned bowels of the speakeasy and after Chapman turned some of Gerailt's vampyre's against him, Chapman and Gerailt ended up killing each. The supernatural world had no idea what happened to either men and their disappearance becomes legend.

Back in the present day, the cops call in two supernatural hunters, Taz Cohen and Javi Navarro. Though they've never worked together jokes are made about the TV show Supernatural and salt.



Javi informs Taz that vampyre's seek out their masters -- since their original masters are dead, they'll seek out the relatives with the most power. Javi and Taz decide to split up -- Taz tries to find Chapman's great grandson and Javi tries to find Gerailt's great grandson.

LONGEST. SUMMARY. EVAH. I think that was as long as the actual prologue.

Rise of the Revenants by Poppy Dennison - 2 stars

Taz Cohen is a loner...a loner who travels the country--alone--killing werewolves. While searching for John Chapman, he runs into construction worker Darren, who's also looking for the killers of his construction worker buddies. Within seconds they're killing a vampyre, driving back to Taz's motel room where they eat pizza and then fuck. Their physical attraction is naturally epic and comments about "needy assholes" and giant dicks ensue. Taz and Darren soon find themselves and Darren's other construction worker buddies fighting 5 vampyres, a poltergeist and a werewolf. Taz encourages everyone to save themselves but they won't cause it's their city and they need to save it. Meanwhile Taz is also fighting his feelings for the super hot Darren.

Please excuse my snarkiness. I've read several books by Poppy Denison and their always enjoyable. I'm not really sure why I didn't enjoy this one, it's got everything I like best in a supernatural action movie -- romance, silly one liners, strangers banding together to save the day. They're not deep, but they're good for a giggle. But I just could not connect to this story or characters. It seemed over the top and though I love a good humpy, humpy scene the sex here just felt silly. However, if you like that a good supernatural action movie or book, and you're not feeling super picky like I am, you'll enjoy Rise of the Revenants.

Legacy of Blood and Death by Rhys Ford - 3 stars

Javi Navarro is a loner...a loner who travels the country--alone--killing...monsters of some kind. As he and Taz agreed, Javi tracks down Mac Gerailt's great grandson, Ciarnan (I have no idea how to pronounce that). Javi hopes that a) Ciarnan isn't so evil he'll use the vampyre's for his own gain and b) Ciarnan is bad enough to use dark magic to call the vampyre's to him, so Javi can kill them. Unfortunately, although Ciarnan is a death mage just like his great grandpappy, he's retired as is own ability for evilness scares him. Can Javi and Ciarnan work together to kill the remaining vampyres without magic while dealing with mutual boners for each other? It's a good question.

I've gotta say, Rhys Ford does creepy well. (After Duck Duck Ghost I never want to see another doll again.) The vampyres's in the first story seemed like, well, mindless zombies, but in Ford's story they're almost sentient. They don't just stand around waiting for the machete to fall, they scuttle around on their bony fingertips, their joints twisting in different directions. Even their tongues are creepy.

[Javi] suspected [the tongue] was actually covered in minute suckers, a way for the vampyre to feed off the blood it got from spurting veins and chewed flesh.

I mean, that's just...I mean, EEEEEW! Creepy! I never want to read that sentence again.

I have one thing to say about Javi though--Dude! Stop dropping your weapons! Isn't that the first lesson you learn in badass school? Hang on to your weapons no matter what? Apparently Javi needs a refresher course. Okay, other than that there's lots of uber love and lust--they've never felt like this before--etc, etc. Like Dennison's story, this felt over the top. I just didn't feel connected to the characters and I couldn't buy the insta love. I loved the creepiness, but the rest of it was just...meh.

However, as stated above, if you like supernatural stories with badass mofo's, their love interests, cheesy one-liners and creepy zombie-like creatures, then reading this book should be a no brainer for you.

Geddit? No brainer? Cause it's like zombies and---fine, I'll just shut up now.



**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

2.5

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrifically good . . .

Prologue: The prologue is a smidge confusing at first and I really don’t think it’s just me. Although, it could totally be me, but I kind of doubt it. There are a couple of pages that set up the scene in the basement of the speakeasy, but you really don’t have any facts you can relate to just yet, so it was a bit of a mystery as to what was actually going down. In the next bit we meet the MC’s of the two upcoming stories, Taz and Javi and learn their roles in Creature Feature 2. After you read their setup, go back and read the first couple of pages again and you’ll be good. Basically, Taz and Javi are looking for two dudes, the descendants of a couple of mages who they believe the revenants will flock to now that they’ve escaped out into the world.

Rise of the Revenants by Poppy Dennison

Wow, what a ride. A horrifyingly bloody and really super fun ride. I’m not a fan of sparkly-Dom-hero-type vampires and there is NOTHING like that in Rise of the Revenants. These are the kind of vampirical creatures I like. Single minded and zombie like, these guys are a nightmare. They aren’t vampires, they’re vampyres. The “y” is evil. Taz Cohen is a werewolf hunter, but he’s called in to help with the epic infestation of Detroit. The whole city is in danger and no one really knows what flavor apocalypse is coming, just that it’s gonna be a doozy if Taz and Javi can’t stop it yesterday.

The sites where vampire activity is the strongest have one thing in common and that commonality leads Taz to meet Darren. Darren is an electrician’s apprentice recovering from a broken heart and is just a really nice guy. Darren and Taz have some serious sparks between them, but a vampyre apocalypse isn’t optimal to begin a new relationship. Doesn’t mean they can’t release a little tension in the meantime though. We all enjoyed that. All kinds of action and mayhem ensue and it was a tense and engaging read. I had a lot of fun reading how Taz, Darren and the crew battled the baddies.

It did get a little confusing at times and I think for me it was just because there were a lot of characters introduced in a short period of time and given the length of the story I didn’t get a chance to get them all settled in my head before we were under attack again. The wrap up was quick and I would have liked more resolution for Taz and Darren. I was told they were going to be happy, I just didn’t get a chance to see it. I liked both characters a lot and I wanted that for them.

Legacy of Blood and Death by Rhys Ford

You know who writes some great fucking horror stories?

Rhys Ford, that’s who. I love the demented shit that flows from her keyboard and Legacy of Blood and Death was no exception. The vampyre <-----heed the horror of the “y”, hunt continues and now we’re getting Javi’s half of the tale. Javi’s story runs concurrently with Taz’s, so a lot of bad is going down at one time in Rock City and if these two can’t figure out how to stop it with the help of the mage’s descendants then apocalyptic type hell will be raining down on the city in the form of bloodthirsty vampyres.

Ciarnan is a “reformed” blood mage who quit magic when some bad shit went down and he lost everyone near to him, everyone except for Shaddock, his dark fae sidekick. She was wounded badly and Ciarnan sacrificed his own healing to save her. After that he gave up the addictive and destructive nature of the magic and lived a quiet life with Shaddock and Elric, his ever patient wolf/dog protector. There isn’t a lot of detail about what happened to make Ciarnan quit. There was enough information inferred so I knew enough to understand why. I would have liked to read about it though. Rhys Ford writes epic horror battles (Hellsinger anyone?) so I know it would be a goodie.

Javi tracks down Ciarnan and he’s nothing like Javi expected. He’s not evil, he’s slightly broken and he’s hot like the noon day sun. As expected and much like Taz and Darren, sparks fly, but these two also have their hands full trying to stop the onslaught of vampyres. Remember that this is going on at the same time as Taz’s story, so they have no idea how many vampyres are still loose so there is always an air of tension and doom even after a vampyre goes down. They manage to find some comfort while they gear up for the showdown, and I was a big fan yet again. Said showdown was bloody and gory and scary and I LOVED it.

Epilogue:

I’m really glad there was an epilogue to bring the four men together at the end. Our MC’s live to fight and love another day and plans are made for the future.

This was an excellent pair of horror stories and you definitely need to know that they are horror stories before you dive in. There is romance, but when doom and a possible apocalypse are hanging over your head it’s hard to start a romance in the traditional sense. So, keeping that in mind I want you to be able to appreciate what great stuff is in here without looking for what isn’t. I completely enjoyed the whole package and would highly recommend it for a unique take on all things horrific and sexy.

[John Inman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, well-written, sexy, and fun. A good read. Poppy Dennison and Rhys Ford are fine writers. Think I'll take a gander through their backlog and see what else I can find to entertain myself.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured the first 'Creature Feature' book with stories by Poppy Dennison and Mary Calmes, so you can imagine my reaction when I discovered there was to be a second book. This book, features stories by Poppy Dennison and Rhys Ford and involves vampyres! Yay! I love me some bloodsuckers.

Taz Cohen is a hunter, but he tends to specialize more in werewolves than vampyres. Good thing for him, then, that Javi Navarro is working with him, as Javi is very knowledgeable about the vamps and the mages. What they find, is, in Javi's words "The Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant for hunters", the final resting place of the legendary battle between Pierce Chapman, a life mage, and the man who created the vampyres, "the" Mac Gerailt, a death mage. Reviewing all the evidence, they surmise that, at some point during this fight, some of the vampyres aligned with Chapman, believing him to be their master. With both of these mages dead, the vampyres will be searching for a blood relative to attach to as new masters and devour.

Rise of the Revenants - by Poppy Dennison
Taz has taken on the challenge of locating Chapman's descendants and it's not an easy job. He meets Darren at one of the abandoned houses Taz wants to search, and, together, they defeat a vampyre who is also searching. Well, Taz defeats him, Darren provides some distraction. Turns out that Darren is an electrician who works for John Chapman and one of the guys killed when the construction opened up the vampyres’ underground tomb was a close friend, and Darren decided to poke around a little. After sharing dinner, talking, and agreeing the attraction goes both ways, Taz reluctantly agrees to allow Darren to come with him and watch his back. It's better than Darren going off by himself and since John is out of the country, the best they can do is try to kill these vampyres.

Taz and Darren end up fighting vampyres with a couple of John's crews working on houses. It was exciting, but also kind of cute, to see the big old construction guys whaling away with hammers, screwdrivers, and whatever else they could get their hands on. Unfortunately, Taz, Darren, and some of the guys are outside killing vampyres, and inside the house a really big poltergeist is hanging on. No wonder the crew had nothing but bad luck at this house. John shows up, but clearly has no idea he's a mage, or what to do to help. And, as if that's not enough, a rogue werewolf smells Taz and wants him to come on out of the house and fight. Taz isn't having a good day. *grins*

Poppy, my friend, this was genius. Pure, unadulterated genius. All of it, really, but the construction guys? Loved them, especially the two older supervisors who just started making a plan while Taz was just standing there with his mouth open wondering how it all got away from him. I adored Taz and Darren. They're great together and really, really hot. So, turns out Taz has found a place to settle down, stay with Darren, help John, and the whole group will work on keeping the boo wigglies out of Detroit.

Legacy of Blood and Death - by Rhys Ford
Javi gets the more difficult job of trying to track down a living relative of the Mac Gerailt, the death mage, and he has to hope he, or she, hasn't followed in their ancestor’s footsteps. He finds Ciarnan Mac Gerailt, his dark faerie familiar, Shaddock, and his white wolf mix, Elric. Or perhaps I should say, Ciarnan finds Javi and, in the midst of trying to save Ciarnan from a vampyre, Ciarnan knocks Javi out with a shovel. Yes, it was kind of funny. When Javi wakes up, Ciarnan has given him a little something homeopathic, which is nudging Javi into a more truthful state of mind. The things that came out of his mouth. There was no kind of here, it was funny. Very funny.

Ciarnan no longer practices magic. It's an addiction he walked away from after almost killing himself and Shaddock, and, in fact, leaving Ciarnan with a shattered right leg. When Javi explains the situation, Ciarnan will help, in any way he can, but he won't use his magic. He can't. He's too afraid of opening that part of himself up again, the ecstasy of feeling the magic running through him is worse than any drug addiction. Unfortunately Javi knows that Ciarnan is going to have to perform some magic in order to summon the remaining vampyres to them. But Javi also knows Ciarnan has something none of his relatives have ever had. A conscience and a soul, and Javi is going to make sure Ciarnan has someone to hang onto.

As always, Rhys has given me an excellent story which, I'm sure, I'll be chewing over many times in years to come. The action and the magic are excellent, on par with this author's slightly bent look at the world, as is the humor. Dude? The numbing gel? Hellmouth Barbie? I know, right? The descriptive writing is so incredible, I could actually see all of this is my mind's eye.


Thank you to both authors for the epilogue and my happy ever afters. I may have waded through vampyre guts with you, but I still wanted that happy ending. Excellent book!

[llv]

Not for me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this type of book.

[ItsAboutTheBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review can be read at It's About The Book

This is a great collaboration between Poppy Dennison and Rhys Ford. The first chapter sets up the premise for the stories, which are then told separately. The writing styles are very different, but each fits the individual story perfectly.

A construction crew opens a wall in a long-abandoned house and finds a horror waiting for them. They become the first meal in decades for a kiss of vampyres locked away with the bodies of Pierce Chapman and the Mac Gerailt, a life mage and a death mage, who fought to the death in a battle between good and evil. Now the vampyres are loose and Taz Cohen and Javi Navarro need to find and kill them before the vamps can hunt down the descendants of the two mages who died in the basement with them.

Poppy’s story concerns the descendant of Pierce Chapman. Taz Cohen is officially a werewolf hunter called in on this job to help out, so he’s already a little out of his depth. He goes looking for John Chapman, Pierce’s great-grandson, who should have inherited Pierce’s powers. Taz starts visiting the addresses of buildings owned by John, and meets a hottie named Darren, one of John’s employees, but before he can get any useful information, he and Darren have to battle a vampire. Once that’s taken care of, Taz learns that Darren not only works for John, but that the crew who discovered the vamps was working at one of John’s properties. There have been strange occurrences at other properties as well, and Darren had decided to do a little investigating, which was why he had been where Taz found him. John is out of town and it’s too late to call Darren’s supervisor, so they are going to have to wait until morning to get any more information. They decide to visit some of the other properties to see if they can find more vamps, but have no luck, so they end up back at Taz’s hotel where they get to know one another a whole lot better. They eventually get in touch with Pete, Darren’s supervisor, and go to see the house Darren’s crew has been working on. Things start to get very interesting when a poltergeist, a rogue werewolf and two vamps all show up. To make things even more complicated, Taz learns that John is back in town but completely unaware of the danger waiting for him. John comes to the house and hears the whole story, but has no idea if he has magical powers or how to use them if he does. Vamps are drawn to the house by John’s presence, but will he be able to figure out how to use his latent powers? And do Taz and Darren have a solid enough start on which to build something lasting?

The story by Rhys tells Javi’s side of the hunt. He’s gone looking for this generation’s Mac Gerailt, heir to the death mage who created the vampyres. Information leads him to Ciarnan Mac Gerailt who, contrary to Javi’s expectations, is not a warlock reveling in his dark powers, but a recluse whose only companions are his dog and his familiar, a death fae named Shaddock. Their initial meeting is notable for Javi showing up just in time to destroy a vamp Ciarnan is trying to kill with a shovel, and getting whacked in the head with said shovel. Ciarnan has no real choice but to take the unconscious Javi into his home and wait for him to wake up. He goes through Javi’s belongings, discovering that Javi is a hunter and, also, how he was able to find Ciarnan. Javi finally wakes up and meets his host. His first impression is that Ciarnan is smoking hot, an opinion he blurts out due to the influence of whatever Ciarnan had given him for pain. He tells Ciarnan the story of the work crew, the discovery of the location of the final battle between the mages, and Javi’s part in the subsequent hunt. Ciarnan affirms Taz and Javi’s theory that the vamps are drawn to the blood of the respective mages, but when Javi asks him to use magic to summon the vamps, he refuses, telling Javi that he no longer practices and dare not start again. Javi is less than impressed by Ciarnan’s refusal, but doesn’t have time to waste arguing since it’s obvious from sounds outside that vamps are attacking people on the street below. They go out together to fight the vamps, and manage to kill another one. Battered and filthy, they return to Ciarnan’s apartment where they finally act on their attraction. Ciarnan realizes that he can’t refuse to perform the ritual to summon the vamps and tells Javi of his decision, hoping that what he and Javi have found together is enough to keep him from succumbing to the darkness.

I really enjoyed this book. As I said earlier, the writing styles are different but definitely complementary and make this an excellent read. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Poppy and Rhys as well as anyone who enjoys an original twist on a familiar theme. You won’t be disappointed.

[Love Bytes Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 star review by Colette

TV ain’t got nothing on these two! Sure those 2 guys are hot and drive a cool looking car, but they don’t know anything when it comes to dealing with the real Supernatural; at least, in the opinion of Taz and Javi, the 2 real life hunters in this installment of Creature Feature.

About 100 years ago, during Prohibition, a death Mage by the name of Mac Gerailt set up shop in Detroit, kidnapping people and turning them into vampyres. Pierce Chapman, a life mage, went to Detroit to stop him. A battle ensued, Mac Gerailt was defeated, but neither Chapman nor Mac Gerailt were ever seen or heard from again. That is until some construction workers broke down a wall on an old speakeasy and unleashed hell.

In the first story, Rise of the Revenants by Poppy Dennison, Taz Cohen rolls into Detroit in his 2014 black Challenger to take on the vampyres that escaped from the speakeasy, he meets up with Javi Navarro another hunter sent deal with the creatures. Javi, an older hunter more experienced with vampyres explains the history of Chapman and Mac Gerailt and they figure out the vampyres split up and are looking for the descendants of the two mages, drawn to their blood. Taz takes on finding the life mage Chapman’s family.

Running a search on the family, who settled in Detroit after the mage disappeared, Taz finds John Chapman, a man who owns over 30 properties in the city. Armed with a list of addresses, Taz sets out to track him down and finds Darren….and a vampyre.

This was a really fun, scary, action packed story. I loved the humor and the chills and the heat between Taz and Darren was scorching!

In Legacy of Blood and Death by Rhys Ford, Javi sets out to find Mac Gerailt ’s descendants, following a lead from an informant he finds Ciarnan Mac Gerailt . Ciarnan, his dark faerie familiar Shaddock and Elric, his wolf-dog were not want Javi expected. Ciarnan turned his back on death magic after a summoning that went very very wrong, and secluded himself in an old theatre in the heart of Detroit.

Javi shows up as a vampyre is attacking a neighborhood child in Ciarnan’s garden – Ciarnan takes out the vamp and knocks Javi out in the process. When he comes to, he explains what happened with Ciarnan’s great grandfather and Pierce Chapman and why the vampyres are searching for him. After much debate, Ciarnan – who has very good reasons for not wanting to use magic to call the vampyres – agrees to help. Javi is intrigued and attracted to the mage, there is a strong pull between the two men, both lonely and hurting and desperately needing warmth and human contact.

This is the darker of the two stories, not surprising given it is about a death mage, but there are still flashes of humor and fun interspersed in the horror and gore: “I am a death mage specializing in demon summoning and flesh shaping, and you think I’m cute?”

Together both stories provide enough chills, thrills and hot romance to satisfy just about everybody!

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!

[Morgan Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rise of the Revenants:
Taz is a hunter of werewolves (not shifters) and now vampyres (kind of like zombies but with more reasoning ability). Some old and powerful witches made these vampyres and now it is up to Taz (and later Javi) to clean up the mess.

Darren is a construction worker who happens to be working on sites that these vampyres are haunting. We find out there are no such things as coincidences, and there’s a reason for the vampyre’s location choices. Darren has lost a friend to their attacks so he is devoted to the idea of taking them down. It helps that he and Taz are super attracted to one another and that by chipping in he gets to help keep Taz close and safe.

This story “bleeds” into the next and at the end Darren and Taz have won the battle if not the war and are headed toward a future together.

Legacy of Blood:
Javi is a hunter of vampyres and is hot on the trail of one of the descendants of the witches that created the monsters. When he meets him he finds a powerful witch who no longer practices because he’s afraid of what his power can do. He convinces him to help as a layman and the two plan a trap for the “ticks”. Along the way, the two manage to find lots of common ground and chemistry together. When the final battle occurs, our boys are victorious and Javi and Ciarnan plan on sticking together to fight for Detroit’s future. We also find that Taz and Darren are still together and planning a future in Detroit as well.

Both stories were pretty detail oriented, laying lots of back-story, and focused a lot on the battle/action. I am hoping this is because there is a series planned? (Would be awesome!) The ending certainly leaves it wide open for such an occurrence.

Taz and Darren’s story isn’t as sweet or loving as Ciarnan and Javi, but you definitely feel their feels, and trust that they have a future together.

Rhys, in the way that she does so well, manages to throw the Kincaids (Hellingers) into her story and maybe we can see a cross over in the future.

There are also lots of “hunter” references, both boys drive Chargers and Javi can’t understand why anyone would drive an Impala unless it was to get busy in the back seat.

Both stories are funny, full of action and some hot sex and all around fascinating tales.

This gets released just in time for Halloween, and I highly recommend it with 4.5 of 5 hearts.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

Creature Feature 2 is a two-story anthology by authors Poppy Dennison and Rhys Ford.
The book opens with a prologue that sets up both stories for us. A construction crew digging in Detroit uncovers a nest of vampyres that have been trapped for 100 years. Two powerful mages, one good and one evil, fought to the death years before. The death mage, Mac Gerailt, created the vampires in an attempt to rule over the humans. And the good mage, Pierce Chapman, tried to stop him. When the crew uncovers the vampyres, they go on a bloody rampage and escape out into the city.

Hunters Taz Cohen and Javi Navarro are called in to get rid of the vampyres. They realize the vampyres are seeking out Mac and Pierce’s descendants in an attempt to get as close to their blood line as possible. So the men split up, each seeking a relative of one of the mages, in hopes to eliminate the problem.

I really liked the set up here for this book and think the shared foundation really helps both connect the stories nicely. We already know all the background from the prologue so it allows us to jump in faster to the individual stories and pulls the anthology together well.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Ro Dubose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Rating
Rise of the Revenants by Poppy Dennison - 4.5 Nymphs
A Detroit home renovation has released the vampyres trapped in the basement for centuries and the creatures are hungry for blood. Paranormal hunter Taz Cohen is called in to eliminate the blood thirsty mindless killers, but Taz’s specialty is werewolves. Taz gets the help he needs from one of the renovators Darren Foster. Together, Taz and Darren not only make a good team as hunters; they also make a great team in a romantic relationship.

Legacy of Blood and Death by Rhys Ford - 4.5 Nymphs
Hunter Javi Navarro is no stranger to hunting vampyres. Nevertheless, destroying a dozen dark magic vampyres before they kill more of Detroit citizens requires the assistance of the mage creator’s ancestor Ciarnan Mac Gerailt. Ciarnan is a blood mage who deserted the dark arts after almost losing his own life. The immediate attraction between Ciarnan and Javi as well as a night of intimacy finally convinced Ciarnan to cast one last dark magic spell to save the city’s inhabitants. Ciarnan had walked away from the Evil practiced by his family; nowadays Ciarnan is a shunned mage targeted for death.

Creature Feature 2 is a thrilling as well as very enjoyable saga. The combined good versus evil stories exhibit almost non-stop intense lethal attack scenes with all kinds of mystical creatures. The moments of intimacy displayed between the couples are especially tender.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rise Of The Revenants~ Rating: 5 Stars

What can I say about this story... You get Taz a badass hunter of paranormal beings who also is one of the best dirty talkers I have read in a book in awhile. I mean some of the things he said to Darren I could not help thinking Damn!!! You mix in a co-workers/ friends of Darren's and you have a awesome story with a lot of vampires, poltergeist mixed in with a werewolf rogue. All together I loved this story!

Legacy Of Blood and Death~ Rating: 5 Stars

So with this one you get Javi Taz's friend who is also a hunter of all things paranormal who is trying to stop the rise of all the vampires. Then you get Ciarnan the blood mage who could bring the end of the world with his magic if he felt like it but chooses to be good.. I loved his character the way he came across as caring because he did not want to hurt his friends but the way he was also so strong and knew his own powers and what he was capable of. The way these two were together was awesome and if I had one complaint it would be I just wished to see more of them together. All together I really loved this story too!

So I will leave this review with I loved both of these stories!

I would definitely recommend this book!


I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.

[Secretobcession · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

To be honest, I had a hard time getting through the Prologue & the Rise of the Revenants pre-chapters that started the book. BUT...I'm so glad I gave it a chance and pushed through. I loved how there was truly 2 novellas intertwined into 1 combined novel. They meshed well together in the end. But, with the 2 well known & loved authors at the helm, you expected nothing less than a smooth ride to the end. They also put a very interesting twist on the definition of a classic horror character...the Vampire.

Disclaimer...I've been on a several week book-hangover recently...after having read Rhys' Absinthe of Malice and Tj Klune's Wolfsong...I can't seem to fully engage my interest into the subsiquent books I read. Not a bad thing to love a book, but I want to enjoy the next book(s) too.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

a hell of a lot of fun with excellent world building between the two authors!

i certainly wouldn't mind seeing these characters turned into a series

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great authors. Did not like the level of details with all of the gore. However, the fact that I chose to push through to read the stories should speak to how great of writers they are.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed both stories.

[Haley B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, please!

As a general rule, I do not care for novellas because the authors try to pack so much story into too little space and it comes off as forced and far-fetched. (Insert eye roll...) This book is the exception to that rule.

PD’s portion was a fast-paced and imaginative ride. The pizza scene made me laugh out loud (twice!) and was entertaining and fun overall.

RF manages to create a completely captivating and well-written story filled with action and vivid detail - much like her full-length novels. It was outstanding! I would highly recommend supernatural fans read this book even if you do not particularly like novellas. I would have loved to read a full-length version of Javi and Ciarnan’s story.

[Lois - Who Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a construction project sets loose a kiss of vamps that have been locked up since the 1920's Taz and Javi are called in to deal with the mess that ensues from wandering zombies. Perhaps Rhys Ford's description of zombie crawling along the ceiling through an abandoned theater was not best read right before I went to sleep; the woman definitely has a wonderful way with words even when they describe some truly creepy creatures.

I found both stories enjoyable and each story had a slightly different take on the creatures, but I enjoyed both points of view. I am not normally a big fan of the insta-love, but let's chalk it up to the magic.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compared to the first book, this one has a better structure as each author has the same basic setup and then each tells the story of one of the two hunters. PD's initial part was acceptable though she kept insisting that the revenants of the story were vampyres where as by description they should have been ghouls. RF's story I was more excited to read as his hunter was going to find the death mage and he would obviously be the romantic lead. There's little romance, one sex scene, and time really has no meaning. Severely disappointed. Better luck next time.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

First story - 3. To many characters and how it got to the end was a copout from the good action. It was what I call a Janeway ending. Anyone who watched Startrek Voyager will understand.

Second story 4.5 stars

I really liked the creep factor. Also liked the characters a lot. The story played out well and I got a good sense of location, especially in the theatre fight scene.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea why this was so hard to finish. I just could not get into it, which is weird because I love the genre and I liked the first Creature Feature book and I usually enjoy both of these authors. I can't even adequately describe why this was such a miss for me, but it was.

[Josephine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rise of the Revenants - Poppy Dennison: ★★

Legacy of Blood and Death - Rhys Ford: ★★

[Nikyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at The Blogger Girls.

4.5 stars

I ADORED both stories in this book! It’s a little different than the first Creature Feature in style because these two stories are actually connected. It starts with a prologue that sets the premise for what both tales will be about. Simply put – finding and stopping the vampyres that were accidentally let loose after a century entombed. These vampyres are stronger, faster, and have consumed mages, making them even more dangerous. Javi and Taz, as hunters, are brought to Detroit to stop the vamps from killing not just innocent humans but also the descendants of the mages who sealed them in a speakeasy. And the only way to possibly do that is to find the descendants themselves.

In Rise of the Revenants by Poppy Dennison, Taz is tasked with finding John Chapman, who’s the descendant of the life mage the vamps consumed. Unfortunately, no matter how many houses Taz visits, John is nowhere to be found. But in his search for the mage, he comes across Darren Foster, a handsome construction worker employed by Chapman, and a man determined to get to the bottom of what is going on. When a vampyre attacks them, Darren refuses to let Taz fight them on his own and convinces Taz into letting Darren become Taz’s partner… in more ways than one.

I loved Taz and Darren so much! They’re adorable together and I really liked that they had such intense feelings for one another so quickly. When one of them was in a sticky situation, that didn’t stop the other from riding to the rescue or from being there afterward to help somehow. As characters, they’re both stubborn which was a lot of fun to see. Plus, this one had a whole host of secondary characters that were loyal to the bone and supported them being together while also being protective of Darren, which was great to see especially during all the action and suspense :)

In Legacy of Blood and Death by Rhys Ford, Javi’s main objective is finding Ciarnan, the descendant of the death mage eaten by the vamps. As a former death mage, Ciarnan struggles everyday with the actions of his past. When he first meets Javi, it’s while fighting one of the vamps and Ciarnan believes Javi’s there to fight him. Once things are settled between them, Ciarnan and Javi must find a way to draw the rest of the vamps to them so they can stop them from hunting other humans. Easier said than done with the only way for that to happen is if Ciarnan embraces his death magic again, something he swore he’d never do. But with the support of Javi and the attraction boiling between them, Ciarnan may be able to withstand the allure of the death magic and finally stop the vamps.

This one had a lot of flirting and teasing with Javi not holding back any innuendos when it came to talking with Ciarnan. I loved that about him and it was hilarious to me seeing how Ciarnan would react or respond to what Javi would say. I loved them together because they fit well, the death mage who’s trying to turn a new leaf and the hunter who’s trying to keep Detroit safe. They’re also sweet together and I really loved Ciarnan’s familiar, a death faery, who just wanted to eat some brains and a wolf-dog who couldn’t care less what was happening unless it threatened Ciarnan somehow!

My only complaint (and this is only because I’m very greedy) is that I wished both stories were longer! I loved that we got an epilogue that tied up both relationships nicely but I want MORE! I want to see more of Taz and Javi and more of their lovers, too! I want to see them both battling more creatures in Detroit and would have loved to see more of both couples outside of the action and suspense of hunting the vamps.

Overall, both of these tales were fabulous. They’re filled with action, suspense and a ton of entertaining and ‘edge of your seat’ moments. I was pleasantly surprised with how the authors managed to connect their stories together and how well Poppy’s story flowed into Rhys’. I adored all the main characters! But the second characters in both stories made for a lot of amusing moments. I really hope these authors consider writing more about these couples because they have soooo much more potential left in them! If you’re looking for a read that’s action packed, suspenseful and definitely entertaining, give this book a try!

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

This book, unless the first book, occurs in the same world revolving around the same event where a kiss (meaning 12) vampyres were unleashed in Detroit when they were unexpectedly freed after many years.

The first story follows Taz as he searched for the descendent of the life mage and stumbled upon some construction workers. Taz was more of a werewolf hunter so he's quite out of his depth in this situation but he certainly had the skills. Character wise, I like the whole crew of people introduced here. They're like this close knit family that once you're a part of, you're one of them for life and they have your back the whole time. I especially like the part where they treated Taz as one of them. Also, the romance between him and Darren was fast paced yet sweet. They seem to match each other rather well.

The second story follows Javi as he searched for the descendent of the death/blood mage. Ciarnan was a really interesting character, along with his tiny familiar Shaddock and the silent Elric. His past seemed particularly bloody and tragic. Their first meeting was less than perfect ( getting hit in the face probably wasn't the best first impression ) but they do work well as a team and sparks fly between them nearly instantly.

As for the world building, I loved how descriptive it was. Even all the gory bits. Especially how foul smelling those vampyres are. Makes me wonder how they can even fight such creatures without have to puke. It was gritty and bloody and a rather unique portrayal of vampyres (instead of aristocratic pale beautiful beings immortalised in time, they were like animalistic zombies). Romance wasn't key here though the attraction between the couples were instant and strong from the beginning. This book wouldn't be for people who want slow, character driven romances (though this wasn't the strong kind of insta-love you for life but just really strong physical attraction at the beginning).

Overall, a good book for venturing into horror themed books with a dash of romance.

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good and gruesome

So, Poppy Dennison: 3 stars. The story felt fairly engaging at first. Taz was somewhat interesting but not much character building. The way he met Darren through the encounter at the house was okay but the attraction and rather immediate sex scene felt out of place within the course of the story. As things progressed, it became convoluted and confusing. A lot of characters were brought in and it was really difficult to remember names and who was doing what. I noted a lack of logic in the action scenes, as the vamps were supposed to be "supernaturally fast". There were also too many additional preternatural beings added. I felt there should have been more focus because scenes jumped from one thing to another. John's sudden use of his abilities seemed as if the author couldn't find any way to explain it and just left it hanging. Too much crammed in and too much left out at the same time.

Rhys Ford: 4 stars. Rhys Ford is a favorite author, and I enjoyed the Hellsingers stories, but paranormal is not my favorite genre. With much of this whole book, it's me, not the story. In this story, I missed the lighter, humorous touches that are usually a part of Rhys's characters. Though there were some quips, Javi's depiction struck me as too heavy, too serious, too dark. The descriptive narration made the setting seem dystopian, rather than just a blighted neighborhood. The action sequences kind of felt dragged out. Again, some of it could simply be my own perception that kept me detached rather than really enjoying it.

[Missyb]

It wasn't my type of book, 1 star for me personally, but 3 stars for how it moved along and kept you on your toes. I only read Legacy of Blood & Death by Rhys Ford.

It's kind of apocalyptic. I was confused at first, maybe because it's book 2. It's about Javi (hunter) & Ciarnan (Mage). Javi is hunting vampires & is looking for a MacGerailt & finds Ciarnan. They team up to fight the infestation in the area. Kind of a vampire clean up.

I like the characters, the story flows. There was some weird wording (ex: Ciarnan'd, life'd) but it was written & edited pretty well.

These vampires are more zombie like then what you think of as vampire.

Plenty of action, some sex (which seemed a little forced into the story), some humor. Not much back story on the characters, but that might have been done in book 1. Really liked Shaddock, she sarcastically funny, bad, rolled into one. It's a grizzle story with some good sarcastic humor.

I would't check out book 1 or 3 because it's not my kind of story (Not because it was a bad story), but if it is check them out.

[Felicia Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

I enjoyed the book but was left asking so many different questions. The characters are interesting but didn't get too much background on the hunters and I found that disappointing. This book seems as if it could spin off into a mini series because of the different plot twists that made up the story. Hope to read more involving the main characters.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun little novellas

Because the stories were short, the relationships were insta-love which I know some folks don't care for. But the stories were a good lead in to what I'm hoping will be a fun series. I look forward to the next adventures of Taz with Darren and Javi with Ciaren.
I'm also looking forward to reading about Ciaren helping John with his magic.

[Driima · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never read a "MM-Romance" this gory - and I never enjoyed such a bloody mess THIS MUCH! - A fun read in a dark, but witty way - especially to recommand for those, who like a little variety in their books, but to all others too, of course. These boys really "paint the town red"!!!
(^_^)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing nice about these vamps! Gloomy but good.