Vanquished

Hell Kat #1

by Vivi Anna

Smart and sexy, Kat has the fighting skills of a warrior and
the kind of determination few men can match. She's caught in a post apocalyptic
world where only the rich live well and Kat is determined to be one of them. To
make her dream come true and reunite with her daughter, the fearless treasure hunter has to get her hands on a lot of money, and that's going to take every bit
of talent and nerve she's got.


Kat sets out to make one last big score in an underground
city rumored to be the nesting place of blood thirsty vampires led by
charismatic leader Baruch. The stakes are high in this action adventure and
they get even higher when she discovers rival hunter, Hades, is after the same
thing.


Big, mean, and sexy as hell, he's the sort of alpha male Kat
loves to tangle with, particularly if he can help her in her quest. What she
doesn't expect is to fall in love with the one man that challenges her at every
turn and makes her body burn with pleasures she never thought possible.

Genres: Erotica, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Futuristic, Apocalyptic

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author, Vivi Anna likes to burn up the pages with her original unique brand of fantasy fiction. Whether it's in ancient Egypt, or in an apocalyptic future, Vivi always writes fast paced action-adventure with strong independent women that can kick some butt, and dark delicious heroes to kill for.


When Vivi isn't writing, you can find her causing a ruckus at downtown bistros, flea markets, or playgrounds. Oh and on twitter at @authorViviAnna.

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think Lara Croft meets Mad Max... Post apocalyptic setting - well written but I did not like the ending [I like my heroes & heroines to have a happily-ever-after, at least until the NEXT adventure!:] Heroine has ugly disease - roars off into the sunrise to find a cure... Hero left behind to follow, or not...

[Athena Nagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kat is an extreme warrior who has a strong desire to become wealthy. She lives in a post-apocalyptic society and has to scrape for everything she has. She has even sent her daughter to a refugee camp to try and get her a better life. Together with her best friend and lover – Damian – she and he embark on a quest for a massive treasure that would result in wealth. But along the way she finds out that Hades is after the same treasure. How can she get that treasure with Hades in the way? How can she beat him to the treasure or out of the treasure? She must travel to a city that was ground zero and who knows what threats that holds for her quest. This is an action packed drama with a very strong lead character in Kat. She knows what she wants and has the means and stealth to get it. Kat’s character is kind of a melding of Lara Croft, Mad Max and some sort of erotic character. I don’t care much for erotica but this book has such a good story line, I could live through some of the “hot” scenes. Overall I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Bewitching Book Tours – all opinions, good or bad, are mine.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is revamped and revised and previously published as Hell Kat.

The new cover is great. She looks like she kicks butt and then take names.
It was a very dark, intense story, full of adventure, multi dimensional characters and contains scorching hot love scenes. Really like that Kat is a strong, kick butt heroine with fighting skills of a warrior. I don't like it when the girl is always waiting to get saved but she does the saving. The development between Hades and Kat was great, and to see them work together as a couple to over come all the different Dangers in a post - apocalyptic earth. It was sad that they didn't get a HEA in this story.
I personally love HEA in the stories I read so I am a little disappointed. But overall it does pull you in and keeps you reading.
There is a sequel ( Inferno) so I will be checking it out.

[Monique Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading this story because of the synopsis. "...the fighting skills of a warrior and a determination few men can match." Yup, sounds like my kind of character. Although Kat was the main reason I wanted to read the book, the dystopian setting hooked me right off the bat. The author has a way of describing the setting that I loved.

The characters did not disappoint. Kat was exactly as you would expect her, a hell Kat. She's strong, smart and sexy. And then there was Hades, and all I can say there is YUM. For some reason I never really liked Damian, so there was never a "team ..." for me. But that's OK, Hades was just fine.

Some books that promise "hot love scenes" give you just that, but minus a good appealing story plot. This was not one of those books. The dystopian setting and the scorched landscape was wonderfully put together, making an exciting ride.

[Natalie Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivi Anna's Vanquished is a sexy, dark read that is sure to satisfy. She pulls out all the stops in creating a post apocalyptic world full of myth, mayhem and love that held me hostage to the pages. With a kick ass heroine, devastatingly erotic hero and a dangerous villain the smoking hot sex is sure to leave you breathless and completely hooked! Vanquished is a must read for any paranormal lover. I can't wait for Hell Kat's new adventure in the sequel Inferno. It will be interesting to see what Hell Kat get's herself into next!

[Gia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 the journey seemed to have a bigger focus than the actual destination. This for me made it feel like a relatively quick, but still interesting read. I'm interested to see where the followup leads.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, light read. Could have been a lot better if the characters were a little more "fleshed out" if you were. But a good beach read. Looking forward to the sexual Inferno. Getting ready to read it right now!

[Alex Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous post-apocalyptic novel with fairly unique paranormal tidbits, a smidgen of fantasy, and a heaping-helping of steamy goodness.

[Scarlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought and read this a few years back, and it was a lot of fun. It's an easy read with some enjoyable sci-fi/horror elements. I also always enjoy a kick-ass heroine. ;)

[The Book Tart · Rating 4 out of 5]

again with the stars *sigh* I don't like to give them. If I must give it stars... it would be a 3.5 but that just cause some of the erotic content ranked high on my squick factor! lol But that's just me.

I liked this book. I LOVED the heroine. I WILL read the sequel.

Originally posted http://thebooktart.com/book-review/qu...

I read Vanquished in one sitting, rushed right through it. Did I love everything about it? Nooooo, some of it squeaked me out! But I LOVE the heroine Kat. And not just because we share the same name. I would personally put this title in the DARK fantasy genre. It’s a story about an nontraditional heroine in a brutal, futuristic world and it sucked me in. I plan on picking up the sequel because I need to know what happens with Kat.



Vanquished is set in a future where the world is suffering from nuclear fallout. Civilization as we know it is gone and the earth no longer pretends to be civilized. It’s the year 2275 and Kat is a fierce, kick-butt, sexually confident and strong woman. She takes care of herself. Kat is what drew me to this story. I loved her attitude and her strength. I especially enjoyed the moments of vulnerability that let me see her heart. I liked that she wasn’t a one note caricature of a warrior princess, but that she has a lot of layers… like an onion. I appreciated that she didn’t apologize for who she is and the decisions she’s made to survive. Kat is a treasure hunter and fights to recover earth’s old technologies and sell them to whoever will pay the most. Kat’s partner in hunting and in bed when the need arises is Damian. The arrangement works for them, for now.

There’s a scene in the beginning that captures Kat’s determined, pragmatic spirit. Some scavengers want a treasure they just recovered and are after them. Damian tells her “We’ve only got two shells,” he confessed while popping them into the chamber. “Then pray there are only two of them” …..She would not die out here. There were many adventures she had yet to experience. See? love her!

Kat is determined to retrieve a big score called The Monolith and retire to somewhere safer…She hopes to start a better life so she could get her daughter back and live in peace. Another treasure hunter named Hades is after the same score. After an teensy, weensy fight lol they come to an agreement and decide to go after it together. The location of The Monolith is in the Vanquished City. Ground zero of the nuclear blast. There are stories of otherworldy creatures, ghosts and mutations caused by the radiation. It’s unfamiliar territory for Kat and Hades and they acquire a guide named Darquiel. So all of them, including Damian, set off for Van City.

I loved Hades. Yum! He appreciates Kat for who and what she is and values her skills. He gets her. They understand one another because they think alike and look at the world from a similar perspective. Yes, there’s chemistry between the two warriors. But they focus on the job…. for the most part.

Just as strong-willed, disciplined, cunning, and determined as he, Kat was ever his equal. Possibly even more. He could have easily dropped his guard for her, to take her. And although he could feel her want, feel her desire for him, she held back. She kept those needs in check. He admired her for that.

Like I mentioned, I rushed through this book. It’s fast paced and intense. The part I was uncomfortable with was some (honestly, most) of the erotic content… The bad guy is sadistic and can torment in and out of dreams and uses Kat’s body against her. So much with the NOT liking of that… I guess that’s the point though. I did like the HOT intimate moments between Kat and Hades and how she let down some of her walls and let him see more of herself than she’d ever revealed to anyone before. Kat is brave. Not just physically, but emotionally too.

I won’t spoil the rest of the story. It entails their search for the treasure and the troubles they encounter. I NEED the sequel. I kinda wanna shake Vivi! I NEED to know what happens next with Kat. I’m rooting for Kat and I will follow her to hell and back… I am trusting that even if the way gets darker, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Kat deserves that.

Here are a few more of my fav lines

♦ Hades was like a rock. There was no doubt in Kat’s mind that he could face anything and remain standing, stable and unaffected. She recognized herself in him. And that was a frightening realization.



♦ She was starting to like him. Certainly, he pulled at her carnally. The man possessed a sexy, dark and dangerous aura that made her mouth water and her lower parts boil. But there were other qualities about him that were starting to eat at her insides. He was charming in a wolfish way – which of course turned her on even more – and made her laugh. Life didn’t bring her much to laugh about. So she found his easygoing manner refreshing.



♦ “Hades, you asshole, get up. I refuse to die like this, trapped underneath you.” “Would it help if you were on top?” “It might.” Kat began to laugh. She couldn’t help it. The ridiculousness of the situation overwhelmed her.



♦ She had once come across a video box that proclaimed to be about buns of steel. It wasn’t until she read the back of the box that she realized they were talking about the muscles of the buttocks and not rock-hard pastry. Ha



♦ “And who are you in this?” “The tragic heroine with several character flaws and counting.



If you are in the mood, for an intense, darkly sexual, adventure story with a strong, fierce heroine, pick up Vanquished and follow Kat into the abyss.

(((hugs))) Kat

The Queen of Tarts

[Meleeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to post apocalyptic series.

So the world has been changed by a nuclear holocaust. Check. Mutations have occurred. Check. A virus has changed some of the survivors into vamps. What? This tale does have some of the stuff you expect in a future world but it also has surprises. It's dark and edgy.

[Tai · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Overall, I liked the story. I really loved the relationship between her and Hades. The story did seem to drag out a bit at times, and there were elements in the plot that seemed to go nowhere, get dropped, or was just pointlessly added, hence the lower rating. Still, I liked it, and will read book two.

[Lacuion · Rating 2 out of 5]

Damien deserved better treatment from Kat tbh. Kat was annoying and too head strong. Hades was NOT attractive at all, it was hard to visualize him in my head. The plot was kind of all over the place and the ending left more to be desired. The spice was intense so that was ok…but leather pants with no panties 24/7 in the blazing heat just sounds uncomfortable.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite what I was expecting. All the characters are really one dimensional and I found that I didn't connect with any of them. The plot had potential to be good but the bad dialogue and mediocre character of Kat was enough for me to stop reading. DNF at 15%

[Cocktails and Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kat is a treasure hunter in a post apocalyptic society. With the help of her friend (and sometimes lover) Damien, she hopes to save enough money to one day make it to "God Country" where the earth has recovered from the devastation left by the wars. When she finds out one of her arch-enemies, Hades, is in search of the Monolith, Kat makes it her goal to get to it first.

Oh, where to start with this one. First, I liked it. It was edgy, gritty and full of action. I loved Kat and her bad ass, take no crap attitude. I loved Hades and how that big tough man had a soft squishy center for Kat. The chemistry between the two of them was instantaneous and kept you entertained by either their barbs, jokes or sexual tension.

But the story was so much more than just the relationship between Kat and Hades. There are the mutants, the vampires and the Vampire King, Baruch, who is determined to have Kat at whatever the cost. There is the change in relationship between Damien and Kat and what that change ultimately costs her.

This was definitely a fast paced ride that was a thrill to be on. My only regret was that it ended. This was definitely one that any PNR/UF reader would enjoy and should pick up now that it's been repackaged and re-released.

[Joseph Kirkenir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who actually reads reviews of erotic novels? Is there someone out there who wants to read Hell Kat, but really needs to check out reviews online first?

I feel like people just pick these books up on impulse because there are boobs on the cover.

I admit I am one of those people.

This book follows Kat, a scavenger and general ne’er-do-well, as she seeks her fortune in a post-apocalyptic world. Of course, she has lots of sex along the way.

So the sex. It’s good? I’m not quite sure how one evaluates erotic novels.

I personally like sex scenes between characters who I have grown to love over the course of their character development. There’s none of that in this book.

The characters are incredibly one-dimensional and there’s no time for character development because we need to hear about people’s biceps and thighs as they flex and undulate.

I suppose some parts did turn me on, but, like someone who has fulfilled the purpose of watching pornography, found myself skimming through the sex scenes just to see how to lame story ended.

[Mara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I read the same book as the other reviewers. I didn't find it interesting, nor the characters were deeper than the sheet of paper on which they are written. World-building is next to nil (and it is a pity as the idea is good enough).

I kept reading and wondered why I did. Nothing really grabbed me. I couldn't care less for anything or anyone. There's no feel to the story or to the relationships among characters. It's simply a list of words one after an other. Yes, they make sense. Nothing outside it, unfortunately.

I would suggest you read one of the 4/5 star reviews before deciding what you do. Note also that at the moment (Dec. 23, 2012) the book is free.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book under the title 'Vanquished (Hell Kat)'

This book is incomplete unless you follow the series. I loved this book but found it difficult to settle for the ending, finding I needed to read the other books in the series to get to the end of the story. Kat is a character of strength, resourcefulness and fortitude; following her story makes for an absolutely wonderful trip into the world of the book. Definitely worth reading...

[Leanne Crabtree · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

It was a little shaky at the start for me, what with their being a sex scene almost straight away, but once Hades entered the picture I was quite content to continue reading.

I found the storyline good but also a little odd in places, it was like a mix of different genre's; futuristic, paranormal, fantasy.

Can't say I was a fan of the ending but since I know there's a second book in the series, it helps to create a...foothold? shall we say for it to continue from.

[Dr susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought the Kindle edition Vanquished, and was disappointed. The worldbuilding was shaky, and some of the sex felt gratuitous. I could not get involved with the characters. I would not categorize this as dark urban fantasy. Vanquished seems more science fiction.

[Michelle (RavenLily) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read almost like a dystopian cowboy movie. It was actually a little difficult to get into it at the beginning because I thought it was only sex scenes and sci-fi but the plot once you get to page 40 it just starts picking up. I would give it a 3.75 Stars.

[Christopher]

meh!

[Brainycat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A post apocalyptic erotic story with a strong and sensible female lead, overtones of S&M and without a sappy, formulaic romance. What's not to like?

[Kelly *oh boyeee* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 will probably be getting the next one when it comes out.

[Tammy "Z Girl" · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting story, but had a hard time staying focused. I like the characters and will check out the next book to see how everything develops.