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Dark Desires #4
Temporal Shift
Dark Desires (book 4)
Select Otherworld presents an all-new romance that's out of this world...
Caught between destiny and desire...
After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves stranded in an alternate universe.
Engineer Devlin Stark doesn't want immortality. He just wants to live long enough to get his revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Now, he's trapped in a strange world with a crazy woman who claims he's fated to be her lover.
Saffira Lourdes has a to save humanity and lead her exiled people to the Promised Land. Haunted by visions of the past and future, she's been sustained through the years by a dream lover. Unfortunately, Devlin doesn't believe in fate. But it's obvious there's a connection between them, one that will soon be tested by the limits of time and space. Saffira is about to make the crew of the Blood Hunter an offer they'll find impossible to refuse.
They're heading back to Earth, and they're going back in time...
Dark Desires
Break Out (book 1)
Deadly Pursuit (book 2)
Death Defying (book 3)
Temporal Shift (book 4)
Caught between destiny and desire...
After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves stranded in an alternate universe.
Engineer Devlin Stark doesn't want immortality. He just wants to live long enough to get his revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Now, he's trapped in a strange world with a crazy woman who claims he's fated to be her lover.
Saffira Lourdes has a to save humanity and lead her exiled people to the Promised Land. Haunted by visions of the past and future, she's been sustained through the years by a dream lover. Unfortunately, Devlin doesn't believe in fate. But it's obvious there's a connection between them, one that will soon be tested by the limits of time and space. Saffira is about to make the crew of the Blood Hunter an offer they'll find impossible to refuse.
They're heading back to Earth, and they're going back in time...
Dark Desires
Break Out (book 1)
Deadly Pursuit (book 2)
Death Defying (book 3)
Temporal Shift (book 4)
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2014
15 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Nina Croft
88 books1,097 followersGrowing up in the cold, wet, north of England, Nina Croft spent a lot of time dreaming of faraway sunnier places and ponies. When she discovered both, along with a whole load of other things, could be found between the covers of a book, her life changed forever.
Later, she headed south, picked up the perfect husband along the way, and together they volunteered to work in Africa. There they discovered a love of exotic places and a dislike of 9-5 work. Afterward they spent a number of years travelling (whenever possible) intermingled with working (whenever necessary.) Eventually they stumbled upon a remote area in the mountains of southern Spain and the small almond farm they now call home.
Nina spends her days reading, writing and riding her mare, Gencianna, under the blue Spanish skies—sunshine and ponies. She reckons this is proof that dreams really can come true if you want them enough.
Nina's writing mixes romance with elements of the paranormal and science fiction
If you'd like to find out about new releases then sign up for my Newsletter at: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/l...
Later, she headed south, picked up the perfect husband along the way, and together they volunteered to work in Africa. There they discovered a love of exotic places and a dislike of 9-5 work. Afterward they spent a number of years travelling (whenever possible) intermingled with working (whenever necessary.) Eventually they stumbled upon a remote area in the mountains of southern Spain and the small almond farm they now call home.
Nina spends her days reading, writing and riding her mare, Gencianna, under the blue Spanish skies—sunshine and ponies. She reckons this is proof that dreams really can come true if you want them enough.
Nina's writing mixes romance with elements of the paranormal and science fiction
If you'd like to find out about new releases then sign up for my Newsletter at: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/l...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 19, 2015
5 - "I like a man who can still get an erection in the face of certain death." Stars!
Blown Away that’s pretty much all I have to say about the latest book from Nina Croft.
One thing I do think needs to be clarified and that is that the characters and places, as well as the continuing storylines are part of the Blood Hunter series. Although this book is listed as a Dark Desires Novel on the cover, I am a little unsure whether this book and any future books are being marketed as a different series. Personally I would highly recommend that you read the full Blood Hunter series before you read this one, mainly because an awful lot happens in those books to a lot of the characters that run through this book, but also because they are freaking amazing books anyway!
”I’ve been yours since I turned sixteen and first dreamed of you.”
This book focuses on Devlin Stark, he featured in the Blood Hunter books, but is now front and centre, it isn’t a spoiler to say he is looking for revenge against the man that murdered his brother, as it states it in the books synopsis, that storyline is however a big part of the last book in the previous series.
After travelling through a black hole in search of meridian, Devlin and the rest of the crew of the Blood Hunter 2, stumble upon a planet unlike any they have previously come upon, here they find Saffira Lourdes and her people. Saffira is special; she sees the past and the future in visions and Devlin is less than impressed when he discovers he features pretty heavily in some of the spicier visions that Saffira has.
Nina Croft, went the extra mile with Temporal Shift the plot in general is superb, but the storylines involving Devlin and Saffira are just mind blowing, how she managed to split everything and then pull it all back together just offers the reader one surprise after another, after another. You just do not know what to expect from each and every chapter, but in a really invigorating way.
”Fuck that hurt.”
The same old constants are there with regards to Rico and his acerbic wit and Captain Tannis with her over protectiveness for her crew, along with the outstanding banter between them all in general, once again I have pretty much run out of words that I can use to say just how much I love this series. One thing that makes it shine for me though, is the total and unashamed Anglicized writing, I can hear these characters conversations clearly in my head because of it, and I love it!
”I love you…”
“I don’t want your love”
”It’s yours anyway. It’s always been yours. I’ll be yours until the end of time.”
I have been lucky enough to read these books in pretty quick succession, I am majorly bummed now that I have to wait for future books to be released, so fingers crossed it isn’t too long for the next adventure in this series.
”Come with me” … “Stay with me.”
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.
Blown Away that’s pretty much all I have to say about the latest book from Nina Croft.
One thing I do think needs to be clarified and that is that the characters and places, as well as the continuing storylines are part of the Blood Hunter series. Although this book is listed as a Dark Desires Novel on the cover, I am a little unsure whether this book and any future books are being marketed as a different series. Personally I would highly recommend that you read the full Blood Hunter series before you read this one, mainly because an awful lot happens in those books to a lot of the characters that run through this book, but also because they are freaking amazing books anyway!
”I’ve been yours since I turned sixteen and first dreamed of you.”
This book focuses on Devlin Stark, he featured in the Blood Hunter books, but is now front and centre, it isn’t a spoiler to say he is looking for revenge against the man that murdered his brother, as it states it in the books synopsis, that storyline is however a big part of the last book in the previous series.
After travelling through a black hole in search of meridian, Devlin and the rest of the crew of the Blood Hunter 2, stumble upon a planet unlike any they have previously come upon, here they find Saffira Lourdes and her people. Saffira is special; she sees the past and the future in visions and Devlin is less than impressed when he discovers he features pretty heavily in some of the spicier visions that Saffira has.
Nina Croft, went the extra mile with Temporal Shift the plot in general is superb, but the storylines involving Devlin and Saffira are just mind blowing, how she managed to split everything and then pull it all back together just offers the reader one surprise after another, after another. You just do not know what to expect from each and every chapter, but in a really invigorating way.
”Fuck that hurt.”
The same old constants are there with regards to Rico and his acerbic wit and Captain Tannis with her over protectiveness for her crew, along with the outstanding banter between them all in general, once again I have pretty much run out of words that I can use to say just how much I love this series. One thing that makes it shine for me though, is the total and unashamed Anglicized writing, I can hear these characters conversations clearly in my head because of it, and I love it!
”I love you…”
“I don’t want your love”
”It’s yours anyway. It’s always been yours. I’ll be yours until the end of time.”
I have been lucky enough to read these books in pretty quick succession, I am majorly bummed now that I have to wait for future books to be released, so fingers crossed it isn’t too long for the next adventure in this series.
”Come with me” … “Stay with me.”
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.
March 2, 2024
Purch Amz Dec 4, 2020
from Elfing all the way!
I'm going with 4.5 stars.
It was better than the last one and I enjoyed it, but there were a couple things that felt drawn out.
For the most part though, it was a fun read and full of action.
Mostly well paced and good flow.
There is steamy adult scenes and some twist and turns.
This book was gifted to me by Elfing all the way!
from Elfing all the way!
I'm going with 4.5 stars.
It was better than the last one and I enjoyed it, but there were a couple things that felt drawn out.
For the most part though, it was a fun read and full of action.
Mostly well paced and good flow.
There is steamy adult scenes and some twist and turns.
This book was gifted to me by Elfing all the way!
November 18, 2014
First off, I have to address the fact that this is part of a series. I have seen mention that this can be read as a stand alone, but I have to say you will definitely feel like you 'missed' something if you read it without reading the previous books. All character and world development was done in previous books and the current characters all have past stories you need to know to understand them and their connections to each other. I'm not quite sure why the series name seems to have changed (from Blood Hunter to Dark Desires? according to the book cover). Kinda threw me off at first, but rest assured you won't be disappointed going back to book 1, BREAK OUT, if you want to read TEMPORAL SHIFT and have not done so yet.
We recently met Devlin Stark in DEATH DEFYING so although we have a bit of an understanding of him, we don't KNOW him. He has a lot of anger piled up inside of him and kinda acts like a 'donkey' for most of the book, but we get glimpses of who he could really be as he defrosts in the process of falling for Saffira. Saffira is a new character for us. She grew up being told that she would save her people and she takes the position very seriously. She's very naive and inexperienced until events take her back in time then into the future. I know, kinda confusing, but you will understand once you read it.
Saffira has dreamed about Devlin for as long as she can remember and can't wait to bring her visions into reality. Devlin is NOT looking for a relationship and when Saffira tells him about seeing them together all he thinks about is bedding her and moving on. Ther relationship wasn't an enchanted romance, but by the end they are both on the same page and both fit well together.
TEMPORAL SHIFT was a fast paced edition to the series. It was great to see the cast of characters after they went through the black hole and I look forward to seeing what happens to them now that they are back on the other side. I have an idea of who one of the main characters might be in the next book and am excited to see if I am right, it's definitely their time to shine.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
We recently met Devlin Stark in DEATH DEFYING so although we have a bit of an understanding of him, we don't KNOW him. He has a lot of anger piled up inside of him and kinda acts like a 'donkey' for most of the book, but we get glimpses of who he could really be as he defrosts in the process of falling for Saffira. Saffira is a new character for us. She grew up being told that she would save her people and she takes the position very seriously. She's very naive and inexperienced until events take her back in time then into the future. I know, kinda confusing, but you will understand once you read it.
Saffira has dreamed about Devlin for as long as she can remember and can't wait to bring her visions into reality. Devlin is NOT looking for a relationship and when Saffira tells him about seeing them together all he thinks about is bedding her and moving on. Ther relationship wasn't an enchanted romance, but by the end they are both on the same page and both fit well together.
TEMPORAL SHIFT was a fast paced edition to the series. It was great to see the cast of characters after they went through the black hole and I look forward to seeing what happens to them now that they are back on the other side. I have an idea of who one of the main characters might be in the next book and am excited to see if I am right, it's definitely their time to shine.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2014
Temporal Shift features the crew of the Blood Hunter (we get to see Rico and his snarly remarks again –he just gets some of the best lines) in a new adventure. This one features Devlin Stark and Saffira Lourdes. Devlin was a side character in Death Defying (see my review here) and Saffira is one of the people we meet when the Blood Hunter goes through the black hole. Saffira has visions and many of them have been about Devlin. Devlin does not care about anything except revenge. Don’t look for love at first site here. Instead look for another great adventure.
Temporal Shift adds more world building details as well as additional back story to the Dark Desires world. Croft takes time travel and gives it a new twist while spinning another great space opera story. There are secrets, again, romance, again, and a great many twists and turns. All of which make a really fun Science Fiction Romance packaged in an exhilarating Space Opera.
I would not start the series with Temporal Shift. At the very least read Break Out, book one in the series. I started Temporal Shift before I read Death Defying and was lost enough that I put it down until I had read Death Defying. Just my recommendation is to start this series from the beginning. Croft keeps each book fresh by introducing new SciFi elements and characters.
There are several hooks for new stories as Temporal Shift ends. Croft stated that she was writing book six so hopefully book five will be out soon.
I received a free ARC of Temporal Shift in return for an honest review.
Temporal Shift adds more world building details as well as additional back story to the Dark Desires world. Croft takes time travel and gives it a new twist while spinning another great space opera story. There are secrets, again, romance, again, and a great many twists and turns. All of which make a really fun Science Fiction Romance packaged in an exhilarating Space Opera.
I would not start the series with Temporal Shift. At the very least read Break Out, book one in the series. I started Temporal Shift before I read Death Defying and was lost enough that I put it down until I had read Death Defying. Just my recommendation is to start this series from the beginning. Croft keeps each book fresh by introducing new SciFi elements and characters.
There are several hooks for new stories as Temporal Shift ends. Croft stated that she was writing book six so hopefully book five will be out soon.
I received a free ARC of Temporal Shift in return for an honest review.
November 7, 2014
Well here we are back with the crew of space pirates that fly aboard the Blood Hunter and you just know it's going to be yet another thrillng adventure. In a galaxy far away in a very distant future the Blood Hunter has just found itself on the other side of a black hole and unbeknown to all of them they've landed on a planet that's inhabited with beings both human and yet maybe not as human as they once were! On this strange new planet they meet Saffira a woman who claims to have visions and feels that it's her destiny to save mankind . Now obviously she will need a little help but Rico and his fellow crew members would really like to help but they have their own battles to fight . Unfortunately for them Saffira and her people are not the type to just take no for an answer!
Devlin is acting as engineer aboard the Blood Hunter and determined to somehow get back to his own universe and avenge the death of his brother. So much has happened recently and the crew have experienced many changes but his need for vengence fuels his hatred. The last thing he expects is to meet a woman who claims to have experienced visions of them making love! Devlin doesn't do love, well he might have sex and if that's what she wants then hell yes he's up for it but this strange woman is clearly delusional and keeps spouting rubbish about time travel and wormholes. No sex with Saffira would be a bad idea but the tables are about to be well and truly turned!
I absolutely adore this series with it's hotch potch of amazing characters . Vampires , werewolves, telepathy and now even time travel! The concept was initially difficult to grasp and then when explained further just wow, imagine all the possibilities and believe me this author really does an excellent job of just that. As usual it's a story that pulsates with heat and the twist at the end? Simply fabulous . I sincerely hope there's more to come and hopefully it's soon. If you want a book with plenty of sizzle , action and humour then this one is for you!
Devlin is acting as engineer aboard the Blood Hunter and determined to somehow get back to his own universe and avenge the death of his brother. So much has happened recently and the crew have experienced many changes but his need for vengence fuels his hatred. The last thing he expects is to meet a woman who claims to have experienced visions of them making love! Devlin doesn't do love, well he might have sex and if that's what she wants then hell yes he's up for it but this strange woman is clearly delusional and keeps spouting rubbish about time travel and wormholes. No sex with Saffira would be a bad idea but the tables are about to be well and truly turned!
I absolutely adore this series with it's hotch potch of amazing characters . Vampires , werewolves, telepathy and now even time travel! The concept was initially difficult to grasp and then when explained further just wow, imagine all the possibilities and believe me this author really does an excellent job of just that. As usual it's a story that pulsates with heat and the twist at the end? Simply fabulous . I sincerely hope there's more to come and hopefully it's soon. If you want a book with plenty of sizzle , action and humour then this one is for you!
November 17, 2014
I have read many a book from this author but this is the first time she has taken me out of this world literally. This is also a interesting storyline that keeps you intrigued especially with the characters she has woven into it. Do not recall every reading before about the time ability that Saffira has either. When Devlin becomes more than just a dream and they are rescued by her and Thorne that is when they have really wrapped you up in the this story with them. The mix of characters are good also which help make this more in line with the story. Humor also peaks it head in every so often especially when Saffira and Devlin interact with each other. Talk about a woman that knows how to accomplish her goals she is that woman. Many a time in novels the woman needs rescuing a and the like but in here she sticks to her path and knows how to be true. There is also a perfect blend of fire when these two do come in close contact with each other that gets more intense as time goes on. The novel does keep you on your toes with wondering will they finally get to there destination. There will also come a point when it is disclosed just who really are The Old Ones that I slapped my head and said yeah makes perfect sense, brilliant in fact. All and all this is one adventure I was glad I went on, thrilled with the ride in fact and had a really good time in the reading of it, now back to earth present time. Received a copy for a honest review.
October 17, 2018
I love this author. i have read several of her books, each one different in it's own way, but great! Temporal Shift, my no means left me disappointed. Actually, this was the only book in the series i have read. So, I guess it is easy for me to say it has done great as a stand alone book.
Delvin is just way to sexy. not just in his physical description either. He is a man in pain form his past but obviously seeking love without knowing it. he is a bit on the nasty side and that to me is so funny yet desirable. I also loved the idea of him being a mixture of beings that were not the norm.
Thorne, a great leader and father figure, never voices feeling but gives his love unconditionally.
Saffira, looking for her love, finds many life changing events along the way.
I love the constant thrill, fast pace and constant change in the story. I have never thought i would enjoy much reading of fantasy and space, but with Nina Crofts writing i did.
I am now planning on reading the rest of the books in this sequel.. Thank you again Nina...keep them coming
Merged review:
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
Delvin is just way to sexy. not just in his physical description either. He is a man in pain form his past but obviously seeking love without knowing it. he is a bit on the nasty side and that to me is so funny yet desirable. I also loved the idea of him being a mixture of beings that were not the norm.
Thorne, a great leader and father figure, never voices feeling but gives his love unconditionally.
Saffira, looking for her love, finds many life changing events along the way.
I love the constant thrill, fast pace and constant change in the story. I have never thought i would enjoy much reading of fantasy and space, but with Nina Crofts writing i did.
I am now planning on reading the rest of the books in this sequel.. Thank you again Nina...keep them coming
Merged review:
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
November 17, 2014
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Ms. Croft said this book is part of the Blood Hunter series but could be read as a standalone. I can tell you that it is true; you really can read it as a standalone. It took a couple of chapters to get the cast of characters straight in my head but I really was able to get into the world.
The main characters, Saffira and Devlin, have fantastic chemistry and take a very interesting and surprising journey through space and time. There were some very unique plot twists that kept me guessing until the end.
If you are looking for a paranormal romance that has a sci-fi bent, this is a very safe bet. Now I need to go back and read the first three!
Ms. Croft said this book is part of the Blood Hunter series but could be read as a standalone. I can tell you that it is true; you really can read it as a standalone. It took a couple of chapters to get the cast of characters straight in my head but I really was able to get into the world.
The main characters, Saffira and Devlin, have fantastic chemistry and take a very interesting and surprising journey through space and time. There were some very unique plot twists that kept me guessing until the end.
If you are looking for a paranormal romance that has a sci-fi bent, this is a very safe bet. Now I need to go back and read the first three!
November 15, 2014
Once again we're back back on a shop full of space pirates. Believe me it's not as goofy as it sounds. The crew are a fantastic group of individuals. We have what some may call mutations, a vampire, aliens, and even dragons in this book.
We travel through time, worm holes, learn how earth was destroyed, and so much more. This book has romance, some heated moments and once again a great cast of characters who can be outright mean yet the moments of humor will have you laughing out load.
I would have said this was not my type of book until I gave this series and chance and have been greatly rewarded with some of the most fun characters in a book.
I'm eager to see what comes next.
We travel through time, worm holes, learn how earth was destroyed, and so much more. This book has romance, some heated moments and once again a great cast of characters who can be outright mean yet the moments of humor will have you laughing out load.
I would have said this was not my type of book until I gave this series and chance and have been greatly rewarded with some of the most fun characters in a book.
I'm eager to see what comes next.
December 1, 2014
Originally published at Reading Reality
First, I want to take whoever decided to play with the series title, and whoever chose the strange series listing for Temporal Shift at Goodreads and Amazon, and shake them until their teeth rattle.
It is extremely unobvious in a lot of the blurb copy, but Temporal Shift is very definitely the fourth book in Nina Croft’s awesome science fiction romance series, Blood Hunter. The series starts with Break Out and continues with Deadly Pursuit and Death Defying. Temporal Shift makes way more sense if you’ve read the other stories first.
The series is also being renamed Dark Desires, which I find less descriptive but possibly more saleable, but that just adds to the confusion.
The action in Temporal Shift follows directly from the harrowing events at the end of Death Defying, but the whole thing only works if you have at least some understanding of the players and the set up.
The owner of the ship, El Cazador, is a vampire named Rico Sanchez. The year is 3048, and the Earth as we know it was destroyed centuries ago. Only a select few made it out on large colony ships, but somehow, both the vampires and the werewolves managed to get themselves aboard those ships. (People in cryosleep don’t notice that a vampire is taking a sip, after all)
The story in Temporal Shift contains more than enough time travel to cause the crew of El Cazador to question whether everything they thought they knew about their history is actually true, or whether that temporal shift is more of a loop.
It all starts by falling (or fleeing) through a black hole to an unknown destination. When you are being pursued by not just one but two space armadas, any port in a storm, even a potentially deadly wormhole, looks like a viable escape.
But they don’t find a safe haven. What they find is that they are the starring players in a centuries old prophecy, and that it’s a bit difficult to figure out exactly where, or when, they are. What they discover is that they may have looped back to the beginning of their own history. Which means that they are in the unfortunate position of being able to screw it up completely.
Everything hinges on the local time-mancer (read prophetess) Saffira. She’s been saving herself for her destined sacrifice to history, and for a man who loves her in her dreams. Both arrive in the El Cazador, but not in the way that she expects. Finding a way to help her people escape, and getting the very angry and closed off Devlin to fall in love with her, is going to take way more time than it should. Centuries in fact, but only for her.
When the woman who returns is not quite the same woman who left, no one is sure whether any of the complex plans they have laid will work. But they have to try, or they are all doomed.
Escape Rating B+: I think this story only works if you’ve read the rest of the series, or at least the expanded edition of the first book, Break Out (which is totally awesome).
The thing about time travel stories is that they can be totally confusing if you don’t know all the history involved in the time being traveled to. And I’ll confess to getting confused, even though I have read all the books. At the same time, it was a lot of fun to meet Rico back in the 15th century. Also bloody and terrifying, but neat to see the time streams cross.
The whole story is about crossing the time streams. Callum Meridian was on the original voyage, but his ship survived and he discovered the immortality drug, Meridian. So the ship in orbit on the planet inside that black hole represents his own personal past, dropping into the middle of his present.
There is a lot about messing with time, and trying to figure out how to make sure that they all (or their ancestors) act in time to get saved so that they are not on Earth when the disaster strikes. But this is all a giant time loop, and they caused the future they now live in. This is obvious at the end, but not so much in the middle.
I never did get how Saffira’s people came to live on the planet in the black hole. In the end, it’s not as important as what she does to get them all out. It was obvious how she was going to solve the central dilemma, but that didn’t make it any less painful when she does.
I’ve enjoyed the entire Blood Hunter series quite a lot. This is science fiction romance mixed with a very interesting bit of world building. And that world building only gets more convoluted (and fascinating) with the time travel explorations of Temporal Shift. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
First, I want to take whoever decided to play with the series title, and whoever chose the strange series listing for Temporal Shift at Goodreads and Amazon, and shake them until their teeth rattle.
It is extremely unobvious in a lot of the blurb copy, but Temporal Shift is very definitely the fourth book in Nina Croft’s awesome science fiction romance series, Blood Hunter. The series starts with Break Out and continues with Deadly Pursuit and Death Defying. Temporal Shift makes way more sense if you’ve read the other stories first.
The series is also being renamed Dark Desires, which I find less descriptive but possibly more saleable, but that just adds to the confusion.
The action in Temporal Shift follows directly from the harrowing events at the end of Death Defying, but the whole thing only works if you have at least some understanding of the players and the set up.
The owner of the ship, El Cazador, is a vampire named Rico Sanchez. The year is 3048, and the Earth as we know it was destroyed centuries ago. Only a select few made it out on large colony ships, but somehow, both the vampires and the werewolves managed to get themselves aboard those ships. (People in cryosleep don’t notice that a vampire is taking a sip, after all)
The story in Temporal Shift contains more than enough time travel to cause the crew of El Cazador to question whether everything they thought they knew about their history is actually true, or whether that temporal shift is more of a loop.
It all starts by falling (or fleeing) through a black hole to an unknown destination. When you are being pursued by not just one but two space armadas, any port in a storm, even a potentially deadly wormhole, looks like a viable escape.
But they don’t find a safe haven. What they find is that they are the starring players in a centuries old prophecy, and that it’s a bit difficult to figure out exactly where, or when, they are. What they discover is that they may have looped back to the beginning of their own history. Which means that they are in the unfortunate position of being able to screw it up completely.
Everything hinges on the local time-mancer (read prophetess) Saffira. She’s been saving herself for her destined sacrifice to history, and for a man who loves her in her dreams. Both arrive in the El Cazador, but not in the way that she expects. Finding a way to help her people escape, and getting the very angry and closed off Devlin to fall in love with her, is going to take way more time than it should. Centuries in fact, but only for her.
When the woman who returns is not quite the same woman who left, no one is sure whether any of the complex plans they have laid will work. But they have to try, or they are all doomed.
Escape Rating B+: I think this story only works if you’ve read the rest of the series, or at least the expanded edition of the first book, Break Out (which is totally awesome).
The thing about time travel stories is that they can be totally confusing if you don’t know all the history involved in the time being traveled to. And I’ll confess to getting confused, even though I have read all the books. At the same time, it was a lot of fun to meet Rico back in the 15th century. Also bloody and terrifying, but neat to see the time streams cross.
The whole story is about crossing the time streams. Callum Meridian was on the original voyage, but his ship survived and he discovered the immortality drug, Meridian. So the ship in orbit on the planet inside that black hole represents his own personal past, dropping into the middle of his present.
There is a lot about messing with time, and trying to figure out how to make sure that they all (or their ancestors) act in time to get saved so that they are not on Earth when the disaster strikes. But this is all a giant time loop, and they caused the future they now live in. This is obvious at the end, but not so much in the middle.
I never did get how Saffira’s people came to live on the planet in the black hole. In the end, it’s not as important as what she does to get them all out. It was obvious how she was going to solve the central dilemma, but that didn’t make it any less painful when she does.
I’ve enjoyed the entire Blood Hunter series quite a lot. This is science fiction romance mixed with a very interesting bit of world building. And that world building only gets more convoluted (and fascinating) with the time travel explorations of Temporal Shift. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
November 18, 2014
4.25 stars
Release Date: November 17, 2014
Caught between destiny and desire...
After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves stranded in an alternate universe.
Engineer Devlin Stark doesn't want immortality. He just wants to live long enough to get his revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Now, he's trapped in a strange world with a crazy woman who claims he's fated to be her lover.
Saffira Lourdes has a destiny: to save humanity and lead her exiled people to the Promised Land. Haunted by visions of the past and future, she's been sustained through the years by a dream lover. Unfortunately, Devlin doesn't believe in fate. But it's obvious there's a connection between them, one that will soon be tested by the limits of time and space. Saffira is about to make the crew of the Blood Hunter an offer they'll find impossible to refuse.
They're heading back to Earth, and they're going back in time.
~~~
REVIEW: 4.25 stars –TEMPORAL SHIFT is the fourth installment in Nina Croft’s adult, paranormal, sci-fi DARK DESIRE (Blood Hunter) fantasy, romance series focusing on the crew of the space cruiser-The El Cazador (now known as the Blood Hunter 2). This is GM (genetically modified) engineer and leader of the Resistance Devlin Stark and Saffira Lourdes’s storyline. Although it is the fourth in the series, it can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory, I recommend reading the series in order.
Some background: 1000 years after Earth’s demise, the ruling Collective, and the self-proclaimed Church of Everlasting Life play a major role in the control of space. The Collective control the rights to the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-that will bestow immortality on those who can afford the price. The Church is in the business of exterminating the genetically modified beings-considering them abominations and a sin against God. These two ruling factions are currently at war with one another and will destroy anyone that gets in their way.
Told from third person point of view TEMPORAL SHIFT finds the crew of the Blood Hunter on the other side of a black hole. Hoping to locate the planet from which the element ‘Meridian’ originated, the crew will travel to an unknown planet where they will meet beings similar to what Callum Meridian (leader of the universe) and the Collective have become. What they did not expect to find is a humanoid female who claims Devlin is her lover and asks the impossible from the ship and her crew. Saffira Lourdes has been chosen as ‘the one’ to save her species and possibly that of old Earth but to do so, Saffira must travel back in time before Earth’s demise.
The relationship between Saffira and Devlin is fraught with anger, betrayal and mistrust. Saffira continues to lie to the crew of the Blood Hunter, about what it is she must do. Saffira has seen the future and the future claims that Devlin is her mate. Devlin wants nothing to do with Saffira, especially after she has placed the crew in danger time and again, but Devlin’s body wants something more.
The world building continues as the Blood Hunter space ship shuttles between black holes, unknown planets, wormholes and deep space. The secondary characters include the crew of the Blood Hunter, most of the previous storyline couples: Tannis and Meridian: Rico and Skylar; as well as Captain William ‘Thorne’ Thornton-a man who has vowed to protect Saffira with his life. The time line covers thousands of years through the black holes and wormholes, yet only days to months will have passed in current time. Saffira will travel back hundreds of years only to come face to face with the man that she will love over fifteen hundred years later.
Nina Croft’s DARK DESIRES (Blood Hunter) series is an addicting and remarkable journey into the unknown travelling through time and space; through black holes and into alternate universes. There are moments of passion, seduction, romance and pain coupled with the intensity of a crew whose lives are constantly in danger but will never leave a crew member stranded or alone. Nina Croft will captivate your senses, your imagination and your need for romance and the paranormal.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.
www.thereadingcafe.com
Release Date: November 17, 2014
Caught between destiny and desire...
After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves stranded in an alternate universe.
Engineer Devlin Stark doesn't want immortality. He just wants to live long enough to get his revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Now, he's trapped in a strange world with a crazy woman who claims he's fated to be her lover.
Saffira Lourdes has a destiny: to save humanity and lead her exiled people to the Promised Land. Haunted by visions of the past and future, she's been sustained through the years by a dream lover. Unfortunately, Devlin doesn't believe in fate. But it's obvious there's a connection between them, one that will soon be tested by the limits of time and space. Saffira is about to make the crew of the Blood Hunter an offer they'll find impossible to refuse.
They're heading back to Earth, and they're going back in time.
~~~
REVIEW: 4.25 stars –TEMPORAL SHIFT is the fourth installment in Nina Croft’s adult, paranormal, sci-fi DARK DESIRE (Blood Hunter) fantasy, romance series focusing on the crew of the space cruiser-The El Cazador (now known as the Blood Hunter 2). This is GM (genetically modified) engineer and leader of the Resistance Devlin Stark and Saffira Lourdes’s storyline. Although it is the fourth in the series, it can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory, I recommend reading the series in order.
Some background: 1000 years after Earth’s demise, the ruling Collective, and the self-proclaimed Church of Everlasting Life play a major role in the control of space. The Collective control the rights to the rare radioactive element known as Meridian-that will bestow immortality on those who can afford the price. The Church is in the business of exterminating the genetically modified beings-considering them abominations and a sin against God. These two ruling factions are currently at war with one another and will destroy anyone that gets in their way.
Told from third person point of view TEMPORAL SHIFT finds the crew of the Blood Hunter on the other side of a black hole. Hoping to locate the planet from which the element ‘Meridian’ originated, the crew will travel to an unknown planet where they will meet beings similar to what Callum Meridian (leader of the universe) and the Collective have become. What they did not expect to find is a humanoid female who claims Devlin is her lover and asks the impossible from the ship and her crew. Saffira Lourdes has been chosen as ‘the one’ to save her species and possibly that of old Earth but to do so, Saffira must travel back in time before Earth’s demise.
The relationship between Saffira and Devlin is fraught with anger, betrayal and mistrust. Saffira continues to lie to the crew of the Blood Hunter, about what it is she must do. Saffira has seen the future and the future claims that Devlin is her mate. Devlin wants nothing to do with Saffira, especially after she has placed the crew in danger time and again, but Devlin’s body wants something more.
The world building continues as the Blood Hunter space ship shuttles between black holes, unknown planets, wormholes and deep space. The secondary characters include the crew of the Blood Hunter, most of the previous storyline couples: Tannis and Meridian: Rico and Skylar; as well as Captain William ‘Thorne’ Thornton-a man who has vowed to protect Saffira with his life. The time line covers thousands of years through the black holes and wormholes, yet only days to months will have passed in current time. Saffira will travel back hundreds of years only to come face to face with the man that she will love over fifteen hundred years later.
Nina Croft’s DARK DESIRES (Blood Hunter) series is an addicting and remarkable journey into the unknown travelling through time and space; through black holes and into alternate universes. There are moments of passion, seduction, romance and pain coupled with the intensity of a crew whose lives are constantly in danger but will never leave a crew member stranded or alone. Nina Croft will captivate your senses, your imagination and your need for romance and the paranormal.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.
www.thereadingcafe.com
December 9, 2014
**I was provided a complimentary copy of Temporal Shift in return for my honest review.**
This is a tricky one for me to review, as there were times when I had a really difficult time reading it; I felt as if I was missing out on something, that there was some vital clue that I should have known beforehand. Additionally, this was my first time reading work by this author, so having had no previous knowledge of her writing style, I had nothing to draw upon with which to discern series or not.
Several times I actually stopped reading and looked for series attachment, thinking there had to be something going on before this book. I could find nothing - no similar titles, no series title. Turns out, after all that struggle, I was right. I still don't understand why I couldn't find any series association it's never that difficult - but I would recommend (in the future) that the author and/or publisher mention the series affiliation, possibly giving a summary or a Prologue?
Now, on to the story. Quick and to the point - I loved it. After I got past the whole series issue - some things I just had to cast aside because clearly they were associated to another story - I found that I really enjoyed the story and Nina Croft's writing style.
To me, this story screamed Sci-Fi/Paranormal Romance blend, given the space crafts and worm holes combining with supernatural creatures.
The main characters contained depth of character, flaws and all; everything you want to see in your Hero and Heroine.
Saffaria has known, and been groomed, to the one purpose her life revolved around. She has dreams of (Devlin) for years, but when she actually meets him... Well, I won't say. You have to read it to find out! =)
Thorn has been by Saffaria's side since she was born and is there to help her, aiding her along her quest, until she fulfills her destiny.
But Devlin...oh Devlin...he lives for one thing and one thing only - to kill the leader of the Church of Everlasting Life. When he has a little run-in with Saffaria, and she eventually informs him that they are fated - not just to be lovers, but to spend eternity together - big surprise, he balks.
The problem resides in that Saffaria's whole destiny, the one that says she will be the one to save the Human race, is dependent on having not only Devlin's assistance, but that of the entire crew of the Blood Hunters.
Will she be able to convince Devlin to aid her, or will her run from his so-called "destiny?" Can Saffarina convince the Blood Hunters to help her, or will things the events that have already occurred be too much to overcome? Will Devlin finally come around to not only aid Saffarina, but accept his destiny with her? If so, how does this unfold?
It's quite the engaging story, full of plot twists and turns. Other than my initial confusion regarding the series issue, or not, I would say this was an excellent story. Although, given the disruption it caused in the story (from lack of previous information), I would highly recommend that you read the first three, yes three, in the Blood Hunter SERIES, before you attempt to read this one.
I can't stress this to the author and publisher enough: In the next book of the series, either write a Prologue, that summarizes what has happened to bring us to this point, or place a CLEAR remark that the book is part of an ongoing series.
I've never encountered this problem before. I can always find series info, or tell that a book is part of a series, if just from the first few intro pages, which always list the previous books, usually in series order. It is possible that, due to this being an ARC, that all of that was removed, but still...something needs to be there to inform the reader.
And just think...with a summarized Prologue, you give the reader enough to feed from that not only will they be intrigued to read further, but you have given those who have yet to read your work a reason to continue. Maybe it's a prime book, etc. and they don't have the previous ones, nor any inclination to buy them. By drawing the reader into the current story, by informing them a bit of what came before, not only will they understand the current story better, but they might very well be inclined to go back, reading the others that came before it.
Highly recommend! A great story, built on a solid foundation. =)
This is a tricky one for me to review, as there were times when I had a really difficult time reading it; I felt as if I was missing out on something, that there was some vital clue that I should have known beforehand. Additionally, this was my first time reading work by this author, so having had no previous knowledge of her writing style, I had nothing to draw upon with which to discern series or not.
Several times I actually stopped reading and looked for series attachment, thinking there had to be something going on before this book. I could find nothing - no similar titles, no series title. Turns out, after all that struggle, I was right. I still don't understand why I couldn't find any series association it's never that difficult - but I would recommend (in the future) that the author and/or publisher mention the series affiliation, possibly giving a summary or a Prologue?
Now, on to the story. Quick and to the point - I loved it. After I got past the whole series issue - some things I just had to cast aside because clearly they were associated to another story - I found that I really enjoyed the story and Nina Croft's writing style.
To me, this story screamed Sci-Fi/Paranormal Romance blend, given the space crafts and worm holes combining with supernatural creatures.
The main characters contained depth of character, flaws and all; everything you want to see in your Hero and Heroine.
Saffaria has known, and been groomed, to the one purpose her life revolved around. She has dreams of (Devlin) for years, but when she actually meets him... Well, I won't say. You have to read it to find out! =)
Thorn has been by Saffaria's side since she was born and is there to help her, aiding her along her quest, until she fulfills her destiny.
But Devlin...oh Devlin...he lives for one thing and one thing only - to kill the leader of the Church of Everlasting Life. When he has a little run-in with Saffaria, and she eventually informs him that they are fated - not just to be lovers, but to spend eternity together - big surprise, he balks.
The problem resides in that Saffaria's whole destiny, the one that says she will be the one to save the Human race, is dependent on having not only Devlin's assistance, but that of the entire crew of the Blood Hunters.
Will she be able to convince Devlin to aid her, or will her run from his so-called "destiny?" Can Saffarina convince the Blood Hunters to help her, or will things the events that have already occurred be too much to overcome? Will Devlin finally come around to not only aid Saffarina, but accept his destiny with her? If so, how does this unfold?
It's quite the engaging story, full of plot twists and turns. Other than my initial confusion regarding the series issue, or not, I would say this was an excellent story. Although, given the disruption it caused in the story (from lack of previous information), I would highly recommend that you read the first three, yes three, in the Blood Hunter SERIES, before you attempt to read this one.
I can't stress this to the author and publisher enough: In the next book of the series, either write a Prologue, that summarizes what has happened to bring us to this point, or place a CLEAR remark that the book is part of an ongoing series.
I've never encountered this problem before. I can always find series info, or tell that a book is part of a series, if just from the first few intro pages, which always list the previous books, usually in series order. It is possible that, due to this being an ARC, that all of that was removed, but still...something needs to be there to inform the reader.
And just think...with a summarized Prologue, you give the reader enough to feed from that not only will they be intrigued to read further, but you have given those who have yet to read your work a reason to continue. Maybe it's a prime book, etc. and they don't have the previous ones, nor any inclination to buy them. By drawing the reader into the current story, by informing them a bit of what came before, not only will they understand the current story better, but they might very well be inclined to go back, reading the others that came before it.
Highly recommend! A great story, built on a solid foundation. =)
November 17, 2014
Caught between destiny and desire...
After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves stranded in an alternate universe.
Engineer Devlin Stark doesn't want immortality. He just wants to live long enough to get his revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Now, he's trapped in a strange world with a crazy woman who claims he's fated to be her lover.
Saffira Lourdes has a destiny: to save humanity and lead her exiled people to the Promised Land. Haunted by visions of the past and future, she's been sustained through the years by a dream lover. Unfortunately, Devlin doesn't believe in fate. But it's obvious there's a connection between them, one that will soon be tested by the limits of time and space. Saffira is about to make the crew of the Blood Hunter an offer they'll find impossible to refuse.
They're heading back to Earth, and they're going back in time...
Review:
This book is freaking AWESOME!
I don't even know where to begin, I just loved it. This sweeping story of space and time travel just made me so happy when I read it, I am really at a loss for words and to give this story a review it deserves. If you grew up on science fiction and Star Wars movies, like I did this space opera is for you! I thought the author did an amazing job of weaving all the elements of the story into a work that had me engrossed and really had no idea what was coming next.
When I picked up this story for review, I had no idea that it was actually in a series. The beginning of the story does go through a lot of past occurrences, but honestly I did not feel lost. I think the author did a great job explaining things for us newbies. I liked all the characters and thought how they interacted with each other was at times exciting, funny and intense. I will definitely look up the other stories and read them.
I was not sure what to make of Saffira at first, I am sure just like Devlin did. You have this young girl who can see the future and has been told since she was born that she is going to save the world. She is a whole lot of naive, but is strong and knows that her and Devlin are meant to be. She has this whole Oliva Newton-John thing going on where she is Sandra Dee in the first part of the and Sandy in the second part. Devlin on the other hand is not drinking the kool-aid and even though he very attracted to her he tries to keep her at arms length. Devlin kind of reminds me as a Harrison Ford/Han Solo kind of character, rogue-ish, hard and at times charming. Without giving anything away, when Saffira and Devlin come back together and Saffira has changed, I can see why after what she has been through, but I felt so bad for her. They really are a great pair and one of my favorite couples this year!
Hopefully, I have not rambled so much as to drive you away from the book. It really is a great book and I did not want to give away to plot too much. The ending is really exciting and had me on the edge of my seat.
Just read it!
5Stars
After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves stranded in an alternate universe.
Engineer Devlin Stark doesn't want immortality. He just wants to live long enough to get his revenge on the man who murdered his brother. Now, he's trapped in a strange world with a crazy woman who claims he's fated to be her lover.
Saffira Lourdes has a destiny: to save humanity and lead her exiled people to the Promised Land. Haunted by visions of the past and future, she's been sustained through the years by a dream lover. Unfortunately, Devlin doesn't believe in fate. But it's obvious there's a connection between them, one that will soon be tested by the limits of time and space. Saffira is about to make the crew of the Blood Hunter an offer they'll find impossible to refuse.
They're heading back to Earth, and they're going back in time...
Review:
This book is freaking AWESOME!
I don't even know where to begin, I just loved it. This sweeping story of space and time travel just made me so happy when I read it, I am really at a loss for words and to give this story a review it deserves. If you grew up on science fiction and Star Wars movies, like I did this space opera is for you! I thought the author did an amazing job of weaving all the elements of the story into a work that had me engrossed and really had no idea what was coming next.
When I picked up this story for review, I had no idea that it was actually in a series. The beginning of the story does go through a lot of past occurrences, but honestly I did not feel lost. I think the author did a great job explaining things for us newbies. I liked all the characters and thought how they interacted with each other was at times exciting, funny and intense. I will definitely look up the other stories and read them.
I was not sure what to make of Saffira at first, I am sure just like Devlin did. You have this young girl who can see the future and has been told since she was born that she is going to save the world. She is a whole lot of naive, but is strong and knows that her and Devlin are meant to be. She has this whole Oliva Newton-John thing going on where she is Sandra Dee in the first part of the and Sandy in the second part. Devlin on the other hand is not drinking the kool-aid and even though he very attracted to her he tries to keep her at arms length. Devlin kind of reminds me as a Harrison Ford/Han Solo kind of character, rogue-ish, hard and at times charming. Without giving anything away, when Saffira and Devlin come back together and Saffira has changed, I can see why after what she has been through, but I felt so bad for her. They really are a great pair and one of my favorite couples this year!
Hopefully, I have not rambled so much as to drive you away from the book. It really is a great book and I did not want to give away to plot too much. The ending is really exciting and had me on the edge of my seat.
Just read it!
5Stars
November 19, 2014
I have very mixed feeling for this book. First – I am not sure why I chose a book four in a series I haven’t read. Unusual for me – unless I am not aware it is part of a series at the time I choose it. But well, here I am. I do have to say, while I was reading it, I didn’t really have the sense that it was a series until near the end. It seemed to read okay as a stand-alone. Although I did have some passing thoughts of, “how and when did the other couples get together?” A usual indication of a series. But really, things were explained enough that I was okay. One does not really expect extensive back story on secondary characters, summary back story is enough.
The featured characters, Devlin and Saffira were developed for this story. However, the development was – um – jerky I guess is a good word. Time travel can mess with the mind of both the characters and this reader. It was an integral part of the story and the time frames referenced were extremely mind boggling, to the point of being a bit unbelievable for me. I mean, ten thousand years? (Secondary character – Thorne.) I find it difficult to wrap my mind around it. At least this concept was addressed somewhat in the story. For Saffira we are talking about only fifteen hundred years, but even that . . .
This story not only had the reader trying to follow as they traveled back and forth through time and space, but wondering what was “destiny” and what was free will and/or manipulation. I found it hard to comprehend at times. I felt that there was too much thrown into this story for it to be very enjoyable for me. My mind hurt.
Now that I am fully aware this was part of a series, I am left wondering, would it have made more sense or had more meaning for me if I had read the earlier books? But since the other characters also referenced time shifts in their lives, maybe not so much. My mind may hurt just as much with those stories.
I normally enjoy science fiction and time travel, but this one just left me scratching my head. I prefer to read for entertainment and total escapism. This story seemed to want me to think. Ouch! If you don’t mind trying to come to terms with cosmic “temporal shifts” constantly happening, and how they will affect the universe in general and the individual in particular, then you may enjoy this story. It was just too esoteric for me.
I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The featured characters, Devlin and Saffira were developed for this story. However, the development was – um – jerky I guess is a good word. Time travel can mess with the mind of both the characters and this reader. It was an integral part of the story and the time frames referenced were extremely mind boggling, to the point of being a bit unbelievable for me. I mean, ten thousand years? (Secondary character – Thorne.) I find it difficult to wrap my mind around it. At least this concept was addressed somewhat in the story. For Saffira we are talking about only fifteen hundred years, but even that . . .
This story not only had the reader trying to follow as they traveled back and forth through time and space, but wondering what was “destiny” and what was free will and/or manipulation. I found it hard to comprehend at times. I felt that there was too much thrown into this story for it to be very enjoyable for me. My mind hurt.
Now that I am fully aware this was part of a series, I am left wondering, would it have made more sense or had more meaning for me if I had read the earlier books? But since the other characters also referenced time shifts in their lives, maybe not so much. My mind may hurt just as much with those stories.
I normally enjoy science fiction and time travel, but this one just left me scratching my head. I prefer to read for entertainment and total escapism. This story seemed to want me to think. Ouch! If you don’t mind trying to come to terms with cosmic “temporal shifts” constantly happening, and how they will affect the universe in general and the individual in particular, then you may enjoy this story. It was just too esoteric for me.
I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2014
Her destiny is to save humanity and lead her people to the Promised Land, unfortunately her dream lover doesn’t believe in fate and their connection is going to be tested by time and space in this fascinating sci-fi fantasy romance.
A fast pace and smooth flowing plot keeps readers on the edge of their seat with lots of suspense, action and romance. Nina Croft brings her story to life with well written scenes and details that inspire vivid images and capture the imagination and the well orchestrated suspense draws the reader deeper into the story. The characters are strong, compelling and grab the reader’s attention while the fascinating world ensures that they keep coming back for more.
Knowing the future sure doesn’t make things easier for Saffira in the romance department in fact I would say it complicates the hell out of it. The reader can’t help but get caught up in her fascinating dilemma as she struggles to bring about her destiny and have her dream lover too. The attraction between them is certainly red hot and when their desires flare out of control the sex between them is hot enough to scorch the universe and the reader can feel the sparks flying in every direction between these as they clash because Devlin is sure that nothing is more important to him than revenge.
The crew of the Blood Hunter returns and this time they are going back in time or at least some of them are…well I’m not going to give that away. So, lots of spine tingling anticipation and excitement ensures that there is never a dull moment and lots of fascinating and surprising twist to keep readers guessing. There is also quite a bit of amusement as Saffira and her goals clashed with that of the crew which added lots of entertaining spice to the story, needless to say, I really enjoyed this thrilling book and I can’t wait to read the next one.
A fast pace and smooth flowing plot keeps readers on the edge of their seat with lots of suspense, action and romance. Nina Croft brings her story to life with well written scenes and details that inspire vivid images and capture the imagination and the well orchestrated suspense draws the reader deeper into the story. The characters are strong, compelling and grab the reader’s attention while the fascinating world ensures that they keep coming back for more.
Knowing the future sure doesn’t make things easier for Saffira in the romance department in fact I would say it complicates the hell out of it. The reader can’t help but get caught up in her fascinating dilemma as she struggles to bring about her destiny and have her dream lover too. The attraction between them is certainly red hot and when their desires flare out of control the sex between them is hot enough to scorch the universe and the reader can feel the sparks flying in every direction between these as they clash because Devlin is sure that nothing is more important to him than revenge.
The crew of the Blood Hunter returns and this time they are going back in time or at least some of them are…well I’m not going to give that away. So, lots of spine tingling anticipation and excitement ensures that there is never a dull moment and lots of fascinating and surprising twist to keep readers guessing. There is also quite a bit of amusement as Saffira and her goals clashed with that of the crew which added lots of entertaining spice to the story, needless to say, I really enjoyed this thrilling book and I can’t wait to read the next one.
November 11, 2014
This is a difficult one to review, because it wasn't clear at first that this book is part of a series. It's hard to say whether it is the 4th book in the Dark Desires collection or a spin off from the Blood Hunter series. But what is clear, is that there are characters/couples who appear in the previous books, which meant there were also parts, to begin with, that were a little confusing and maybe that was also due to the fact that I hadn't read the others in the series.
Having said that, once I was able to establish the main gist of the story, I found that I enjoyed it a great deal. We basically have what I could only describe as a Sci-Fi paranormal romance. Not only did we have space ships, worm holes and time travel, but we also had Vampires and even Werewolves were mentioned at some point.
Saffira has always known her destiny was to save humanity and she's always believed that Devlin is her one true love. The problem is, they have never met and Devlin has other ideas involving revenge against his brothers murderer.
There are so many twists and turns that it made for a very thrilling, edge of your seat read and that is why I haven't taken into account the confusions I had at the start when rating this book, but I would urge readers who believe this is a stand alone to start at the very beginning.
Having said that, once I was able to establish the main gist of the story, I found that I enjoyed it a great deal. We basically have what I could only describe as a Sci-Fi paranormal romance. Not only did we have space ships, worm holes and time travel, but we also had Vampires and even Werewolves were mentioned at some point.
Saffira has always known her destiny was to save humanity and she's always believed that Devlin is her one true love. The problem is, they have never met and Devlin has other ideas involving revenge against his brothers murderer.
There are so many twists and turns that it made for a very thrilling, edge of your seat read and that is why I haven't taken into account the confusions I had at the start when rating this book, but I would urge readers who believe this is a stand alone to start at the very beginning.
December 29, 2014
Yep I do it every time. I have not read any of the books in this series previously, so some of the things I am maybe not familiar with :) LOL. But, I will call this group like Space cowboys or Pirates LOL. Blood Hunters is their ship, and it's pretty darn cool. And this crew and their ship have just found themselves in some trouble. They are in another galaxy and some things they are unaware of are gunna cause a little crazy. Like, there's another planet, with humans, but not quite so human. Here's were Saffira comes in, she's got visions of them, and she said they are supposed to save a lot of people. And she's a force to be reckoned with.
Devlin just wants to go home so he can get revenge. He's got some serious issues. And then he meets someone who tells him she knows they will get it on because she's seen it in her visions. HEHEHE! He is acting like a typical guy first, no love, but sex is ok. And she's got his ticket, no matter how much he argues and denies. So, it's a "different" kind of romance going on here. :)
This story has a whole bunch of different supes. Vampers, wolves, psychics, and it's full of adventure and suspense, and uniqueness that is really fun. I will be going backwards, as usual it seems, so I can get my hands on the first novels. :) I liked it though and I look forward to reading more. 4.5 PAWS!
Devlin just wants to go home so he can get revenge. He's got some serious issues. And then he meets someone who tells him she knows they will get it on because she's seen it in her visions. HEHEHE! He is acting like a typical guy first, no love, but sex is ok. And she's got his ticket, no matter how much he argues and denies. So, it's a "different" kind of romance going on here. :)
This story has a whole bunch of different supes. Vampers, wolves, psychics, and it's full of adventure and suspense, and uniqueness that is really fun. I will be going backwards, as usual it seems, so I can get my hands on the first novels. :) I liked it though and I look forward to reading more. 4.5 PAWS!
November 19, 2014
****A gifted copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review****
This is a time-travel romance with a lot of time hopping. It was , at times, very confusing. his book is part of the Blood Hunter series and the author stated that it could be read as a standalone. I will tell you that I think you do need to read the other books to be able to understand this book/story better.
After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves completely stuck in an alternate universe.
Saffira has always known her karma, her kismet was to end up saving humanity and she's always counted on that Devlin is her one true love. The problem is, they have never met and Devlin has other ideas involving avenging his brother’s murder.
There are a lot of twists and turns that it made this a very thrilling, frantic read but take into account the confusions I had at the start of reading this book and at times when reading there is the lingering confusion and that detracts from how I would rate this book, but I would urge readers who have read the other books, then maybe you would not be as confused as I am for I have not read those other books in the series. Overall the heat and connection between Saffria and Devlin was this book’s saving grave.
My rating: 4.2 stars ****
This is a time-travel romance with a lot of time hopping. It was , at times, very confusing. his book is part of the Blood Hunter series and the author stated that it could be read as a standalone. I will tell you that I think you do need to read the other books to be able to understand this book/story better.
After diving into a black hole in search of the source of Meridian, the key to immortality, the crew of the Blood Hunter finds themselves completely stuck in an alternate universe.
Saffira has always known her karma, her kismet was to end up saving humanity and she's always counted on that Devlin is her one true love. The problem is, they have never met and Devlin has other ideas involving avenging his brother’s murder.
There are a lot of twists and turns that it made this a very thrilling, frantic read but take into account the confusions I had at the start of reading this book and at times when reading there is the lingering confusion and that detracts from how I would rate this book, but I would urge readers who have read the other books, then maybe you would not be as confused as I am for I have not read those other books in the series. Overall the heat and connection between Saffria and Devlin was this book’s saving grave.
My rating: 4.2 stars ****
November 3, 2014
Break out the fans and turn up the AC because Devlin is about turn up some serious heat. There’s romance, suspense, and even time traveling! His love interest Saffira is destined to save the world and Devlin only seems to care about seeking revenge for his brother’s murder. That is until Saffira and her quest turns his world upside down.
I really enjoyed this book. I think Devlin’s story is by far my favorite of this series. Devlin’s motives are so unlike the others aboard his ship. He doesn’t seek immortality, just retribution against the person who stole his brother’s life away. He thinks he has his life all figured out. Saffira herself is destined to be the savior of her people. Her gifts of past and future sight have shown her fate. She’s visited by a dream lover who ironically enough looks just like Devlin. She knows that her visions are trying to share that he’s going to play some part in her fate all the while he’s fighting against her crazy notions
I can only hope there’s another book in the series soon
I really enjoyed this book. I think Devlin’s story is by far my favorite of this series. Devlin’s motives are so unlike the others aboard his ship. He doesn’t seek immortality, just retribution against the person who stole his brother’s life away. He thinks he has his life all figured out. Saffira herself is destined to be the savior of her people. Her gifts of past and future sight have shown her fate. She’s visited by a dream lover who ironically enough looks just like Devlin. She knows that her visions are trying to share that he’s going to play some part in her fate all the while he’s fighting against her crazy notions
I can only hope there’s another book in the series soon
January 17, 2019
This picks right up where book 3 (Death Defying) left off with the Blood Hunter going into the black hole to escape their pursuers. They find another world, an alternate/parallel universe. However, things aren't as they seem,
Saffira has spent her life being told she is the one who will save her people. She is a "time-mancer." She also happens to be the strongest "time-mancer" and can see the past/future. She is very sheltered and naive. I found her annoying.
Devlin (met him in previous book) is the leader of the rebellion. He is hell bent on revenge for the murder of his brother. I thought he was an asshole for most of the book and when he came around, it was too late for me.
I was disappointed in this one. What was a good sci-fi romance got boggled down with the time travel element. I would have liked more on the world they landed on. Then, there's the "Old Ones." I didn't like how they only "changed" the men. Women need not apply. Sexist much?
Not sure if I will read the next.
Saffira has spent her life being told she is the one who will save her people. She is a "time-mancer." She also happens to be the strongest "time-mancer" and can see the past/future. She is very sheltered and naive. I found her annoying.
Devlin (met him in previous book) is the leader of the rebellion. He is hell bent on revenge for the murder of his brother. I thought he was an asshole for most of the book and when he came around, it was too late for me.
I was disappointed in this one. What was a good sci-fi romance got boggled down with the time travel element. I would have liked more on the world they landed on. Then, there's the "Old Ones." I didn't like how they only "changed" the men. Women need not apply. Sexist much?
Not sure if I will read the next.
November 25, 2014
Saffaria has always known what her life would lead to always had that one purpose in mind and been groomed for it. Though she has dreamed of Devlin for years the actual reality of meeting him is something else. Thorne has been by her side since she was born helping her along until the time came for her to fulfill her destiny. Devlin lives for one thing and one thing only to kill the leader of the Church of Everlasting Life. When he finds himself in the presence of a woman who claims that they are fated not only to be lovers but spend all eternity together he balks. Saffrina’s whole destiny of saving the human race depends on not only Devlin but the entire crew of the Blood Hunter to help aide her. Will she be able to convince Devil and the Crew to help her? Or will the things that have already happened to them on her planet sour their deposition? Will Devlin ever come around to the whole destiny thing? Even if she gets their cooperation will Saffaria be successful?
November 23, 2014
Devlin Starke lives for revenge. He will kill those who wiped out his family. Suddenly he finds his world turned upside down when he meets an idealistic time-mancer who believes they are fated to be together. Saffira needs the Blood Hunter 2 and her crew to save earth and her people. Can she convince them? Saffira is an amazing character. She's feisty, determined and dedicated to her goal. Devlin doesn't want to be involved, but her desire attracts him. Passion and danger surround them. Captain Tannis and her crew add to the tension. I never knew what would happen next. What an intriguing plot! Nina Croft wrote an entertaining and solid story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't stop reading, I had to know what happened. Temporal Shift is filled with great dialogue and characters. Best of all Blood Hunter is not done yet. There is more to come.
November 1, 2014
I loved Devlin and his naughtiness, "I especially like these." He dropped a slow kiss on the slope of her breasts and she almost went up in flames. Raising his head, he caught her gaze. "So do you want to eff, Saffira?" He's all about pleasing his woman, "making at least one of your dreams come true, sweetheart." Was that his pe*** pressing into her from behind? She wanted to squirm around and take a peek, because surely it couldn't be that big and hard and hot." Saffira that girl has a smart mouth, "it's nothing." She pressed herself down into him so her sex rubbed against his groin and he hardened against her. "I like a man who can still get an erection in the face of certain death." This book had action, humor, sex and Devlin what more could a girl ask for.
November 20, 2014
Nina Croft’s books are one of the few space travel books I consistently read. This is partly because of the added paranormal aspect of the different characters. The stories are intertwined together, so reading in order just enhances the enjoyment of them all. Temporal Shift, the latest in the series has a rougher feel to it. Devlin is a take-no-prisoners kind of guy, who sees love as a weakness. It takes a strong-minded female to help him see differently. Saffira may be small physically but she is just as determined and tough as Devlin. She is just what he needs. I enjoyed reading the push and pull in the development of their relationship as well as the time traveling.
Temporal Shift involves saving humanity while falling in love. This is one action pack read.
Temporal Shift involves saving humanity while falling in love. This is one action pack read.
November 18, 2014
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Where to begin? This book blew me away. It was absolutely fantastic. This book is part of the Blood Hunter series and the author stated that it could be read as a standalone. I feel that that is true for the most part.
There are some characters present in this book who are from the other books. Without reading those books, you aren't able to get a true 100% feel for said characters but it did not take away from the story at all.
Saffira, our main character is headstrong and easy to love. I loved the way her story was carefully woven throughout the entire book and I felt it wrapped up perfectly.. for this book. ;)
Time travel, space pirates and a great romance.. What more do you need?!
Where to begin? This book blew me away. It was absolutely fantastic. This book is part of the Blood Hunter series and the author stated that it could be read as a standalone. I feel that that is true for the most part.
There are some characters present in this book who are from the other books. Without reading those books, you aren't able to get a true 100% feel for said characters but it did not take away from the story at all.
Saffira, our main character is headstrong and easy to love. I loved the way her story was carefully woven throughout the entire book and I felt it wrapped up perfectly.. for this book. ;)
Time travel, space pirates and a great romance.. What more do you need?!
November 19, 2016
*voluntarily and honestly reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy I received via Entangled Publishing*
So things just got a whole lot crazier. Just when the crew of The Blood Hunter believe they can breathe again, a whole new thing come to light, one in the form of The Chosen destined to save the world. After all the catching up my favorite people did with the present, it was sooo fun to see them now begin to piece together the past. It was funny, a little more hot and suspenseful though, but equally entertaining. I loved the reversal roles and seeing all the plot twists. Definitely a series to check out!
So things just got a whole lot crazier. Just when the crew of The Blood Hunter believe they can breathe again, a whole new thing come to light, one in the form of The Chosen destined to save the world. After all the catching up my favorite people did with the present, it was sooo fun to see them now begin to piece together the past. It was funny, a little more hot and suspenseful though, but equally entertaining. I loved the reversal roles and seeing all the plot twists. Definitely a series to check out!
December 1, 2014
*copy was provided for honest review*
This was the first book that I have read from author Nina Croft and I can say with all honesty that i will be going back to start this series from the very beginning. I loved every minute of it. Nina is able to take you away from the reality that we live and disappear into the world of the novel and walking beside the characters, Nina writes this story so well that you actually believe you are walking with them or watching them on screen. This was a fast read for me and was over with over a couple of days, I loved every minute of it.
This was the first book that I have read from author Nina Croft and I can say with all honesty that i will be going back to start this series from the very beginning. I loved every minute of it. Nina is able to take you away from the reality that we live and disappear into the world of the novel and walking beside the characters, Nina writes this story so well that you actually believe you are walking with them or watching them on screen. This was a fast read for me and was over with over a couple of days, I loved every minute of it.
July 31, 2015
I really enjoyed this entire series, but I couldn't finish this book. I normally dislike vigil heroines because of the unfair power dynamic it creates between men and women, and their annoying..."oh my gosh! A penis, I'm so scared!". In this case, our heroine is eager for a sexual relationship...which you would think would be better than a scared virgin. But her constantly throwing herself at the hero and being so very pathetic about it is embarrassing to read. I just couldn't stomach it, especially since I forced myself through the very same scenario in Book 2 of this series.
November 2, 2014
I received this from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This is a time-travel romance with a lot of time hopping. It does get a little confusing at times but overall a pretty good read. This is a story with a lot of confusing twists and turns. The story takes place in the future with one woman who had to save the world. I really did like the main character and definitely will be looking for more in this series.
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