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A Time to Rise
History says the Knights Templar were destroyed in 1307.
History is wrong.
Vampires haunt the sewers beneath Rome, revenants desecrate graveyards, ghouls devour helpless passersby, and incubi stalk dark alleys and seedy nightclubs in Italy’s capital. Deep in the Vatican, a brotherhood exists, sworn protectors of the earth, and they stand firm against monsters from the dark depths. Operating in secret and silence, they protect our world from the sinister, the etheric, and the evils that exist beyond the Veil.
But it’s a lonely life, and Alain Autenberg knows that more than most. His lover was ripped from him years ago, and he vowed never to get close to another soul again. Even when the loneliness presses down on him, and his empty heart cries out for something more.
Something more comes in Cristoph Hasse, a new soldier arriving in Rome to serve in the Pontifical Swiss Guard. Young, brash, and fitting in at right angles everywhere he goes, Cris struggles in the murky, deceptive labyrinth of the Vatican. Propelled forward by a past he can’t understand, Cris collides with Alain, and both men crash headfirst into the darkest secret of the Vatican…and of the world.
A Time to Rise contains adult content suitable for mature readers only.
History is wrong.
Vampires haunt the sewers beneath Rome, revenants desecrate graveyards, ghouls devour helpless passersby, and incubi stalk dark alleys and seedy nightclubs in Italy’s capital. Deep in the Vatican, a brotherhood exists, sworn protectors of the earth, and they stand firm against monsters from the dark depths. Operating in secret and silence, they protect our world from the sinister, the etheric, and the evils that exist beyond the Veil.
But it’s a lonely life, and Alain Autenberg knows that more than most. His lover was ripped from him years ago, and he vowed never to get close to another soul again. Even when the loneliness presses down on him, and his empty heart cries out for something more.
Something more comes in Cristoph Hasse, a new soldier arriving in Rome to serve in the Pontifical Swiss Guard. Young, brash, and fitting in at right angles everywhere he goes, Cris struggles in the murky, deceptive labyrinth of the Vatican. Propelled forward by a past he can’t understand, Cris collides with Alain, and both men crash headfirst into the darkest secret of the Vatican…and of the world.
A Time to Rise contains adult content suitable for mature readers only.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2016
156 people are currently reading
1169 people want to read
About the author
Tal Bauer
27 books5,709 followersTal Bauer writes breathtaking, heartfelt, and often action-packed gay romance novels. His characters are head over heels for each other and fight against all odds for their happy ending. Nothing stands in the way of love. Tal is best known for his romantic suspense novels, including the Executive Office series, The Murder Between Us, The Grave Between Us, The Night of, and his MM sports romance, The Jock.
Website - www.talbauerwrites.com
Amazon Author - http://amazon.com/author/talbauer
Instagram - @TalBauerWrites
Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/f1fd8baec198/talba...
Website - www.talbauerwrites.com
Amazon Author - http://amazon.com/author/talbauer
Instagram - @TalBauerWrites
Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/f1fd8baec198/talba...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
June 26, 2018
The book has been re-released recently and since I had a great time the first time that I read it, I decided to revisit it.
Highly recommended if you prefer your vampires a little bit dirty and unpleasant.
And I really hope that there will be another book in the series soon...
First review:
One of the things that are claimed in the book by the main character and may make an impression is that Vatican has a substantial percentage of population with homosexual tendencies (one third). Some priests and soldiers are celibate and some are active. I have no idea if this is correct, but to be honest I do not particularly care.
I just think that anybody who is allowed to live in Vatican is lucky enough to be surrounded with so much beauty and incredible art.
The fact that the two main characters are gay gets out of the way soon. It is actually emphasized the case that this is not their main problem. One of them has lost his lover 12 years ago and this is eating him inside. The other one has lost his purpose in life and keeps running away from everything that matters. Both they are lost.
Alain is an active member of the Swiss Guard while Cris has just joined. The Pontifical Swiss Guard is responsible for the safety of the Pope and serves as the de facto military of Vatican City. It is one of the oldest military units in the world.
When Alain is asked to act as Cris’ mentor, he is not sure that this is the best idea. His life is a constant battle. He has vampires, ghosts, demons and ghouls to fight and other paranormal creatures which are flooding Rome, Tiber and its catacombs. Soon he will realize that the main reason they put them together is that Cris has been chosen to join Alain against the supernatural threats.
Alain mission and true purpose is a secret. Nobody in the Swiss Guard knows why he keeps disappearing in his small office or outside the Vatican, why he keeps coming back with bloody and torn clothes, why he is not really interested in his appearance, why he talks only to the Pope and why his superior leaves him alone. The other soldiers are most of the times scared of him.
“He is no Christian brother of mine”, one said to Cris warning him about Alain.
Poor lonely Alain is trying very hard to fight his attraction for Cris, to push him away and to keep him in an oblivious, normal life where monsters do not exist. But of course destiny has other plans for these two soldiers.
“I know what I saw. You said vampires, you said the word”, angry Cris shouts at Alain.
Soon, monsters will be in the house and Cris needs to learn to play the game fast. He will have a crash course in history, dangerous creatures and how to avoid them, vampires: how they attack and how you attack back etc.
Vampires in this book are not your nice, sexy, attractive type. They are dirty, smelly, violent, bloody, nasty night creatures. In order to be destroyed, they need a little bit of faith, a little bit of holly water, bullets, silver and maybe some cheap vodka. You may not like them, but they play a huge role in our story.
There is lots of gore and blood and fluids, but as a matter of fact I found more disgusting a scene of a rape attempt. An old priest is trying to rape one of the main characters after he drugs him. Absolutely sickening.
The secondary roles are really well developed.
- Lotario, a priest who is helping Alain. He is a chain smoker with a strange sense of humor. A true warrior who can also do a bit of miracles.
-Angelo, a gruff, veteran of the carabinieri who acts as the conduct with Italian police.
- Luca the major who truly loathes Alain and makes Cris’ life miserable.
- Linhart the vampire
-Pope
There are a few twists in the story and a big revelation concerning Alain’s old lover in the end which will leave you breathless.
I am not sure, if this book is a paranormal romance or a mystery book with horror elements. Whatever you call it, it worked for me. Needless to say, the book absolutely absorbed my attention and it is one of these books that I finished in one sitting.
Highly recommended if you prefer your vampires a little bit dirty and unpleasant.
And I really hope that there will be another book in the series soon...
First review:
One of the things that are claimed in the book by the main character and may make an impression is that Vatican has a substantial percentage of population with homosexual tendencies (one third). Some priests and soldiers are celibate and some are active. I have no idea if this is correct, but to be honest I do not particularly care.
I just think that anybody who is allowed to live in Vatican is lucky enough to be surrounded with so much beauty and incredible art.
The fact that the two main characters are gay gets out of the way soon. It is actually emphasized the case that this is not their main problem. One of them has lost his lover 12 years ago and this is eating him inside. The other one has lost his purpose in life and keeps running away from everything that matters. Both they are lost.
Alain is an active member of the Swiss Guard while Cris has just joined. The Pontifical Swiss Guard is responsible for the safety of the Pope and serves as the de facto military of Vatican City. It is one of the oldest military units in the world.
When Alain is asked to act as Cris’ mentor, he is not sure that this is the best idea. His life is a constant battle. He has vampires, ghosts, demons and ghouls to fight and other paranormal creatures which are flooding Rome, Tiber and its catacombs. Soon he will realize that the main reason they put them together is that Cris has been chosen to join Alain against the supernatural threats.
Alain mission and true purpose is a secret. Nobody in the Swiss Guard knows why he keeps disappearing in his small office or outside the Vatican, why he keeps coming back with bloody and torn clothes, why he is not really interested in his appearance, why he talks only to the Pope and why his superior leaves him alone. The other soldiers are most of the times scared of him.
“He is no Christian brother of mine”, one said to Cris warning him about Alain.
Poor lonely Alain is trying very hard to fight his attraction for Cris, to push him away and to keep him in an oblivious, normal life where monsters do not exist. But of course destiny has other plans for these two soldiers.
“I know what I saw. You said vampires, you said the word”, angry Cris shouts at Alain.
Soon, monsters will be in the house and Cris needs to learn to play the game fast. He will have a crash course in history, dangerous creatures and how to avoid them, vampires: how they attack and how you attack back etc.
Vampires in this book are not your nice, sexy, attractive type. They are dirty, smelly, violent, bloody, nasty night creatures. In order to be destroyed, they need a little bit of faith, a little bit of holly water, bullets, silver and maybe some cheap vodka. You may not like them, but they play a huge role in our story.
There is lots of gore and blood and fluids, but as a matter of fact I found more disgusting a scene of a rape attempt. An old priest is trying to rape one of the main characters after he drugs him. Absolutely sickening.
The secondary roles are really well developed.
- Lotario, a priest who is helping Alain. He is a chain smoker with a strange sense of humor. A true warrior who can also do a bit of miracles.
-Angelo, a gruff, veteran of the carabinieri who acts as the conduct with Italian police.
- Luca the major who truly loathes Alain and makes Cris’ life miserable.
- Linhart the vampire
-Pope
There are a few twists in the story and a big revelation concerning Alain’s old lover in the end which will leave you breathless.
I am not sure, if this book is a paranormal romance or a mystery book with horror elements. Whatever you call it, it worked for me. Needless to say, the book absolutely absorbed my attention and it is one of these books that I finished in one sitting.
July 22, 2016
Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted
Alain Autenburg is an elite soldier in the Pontifical Swiss Guard that protects and defends the Vatican, but his obscure task of fighting dangerous supernatural elements along with his blunt and chain-smoking sidekick, Father Lotario, causes him to be aloof and secretive, which keeps him from fitting in with his peers.
Cristoph Hasse is the newest member of the Guard and is assigned by his commander to mentor under Alain. Like Alain, Cristoph is a man with secrets along with an attitude. Alain’s attraction to Cris is immediate, but the only time he acts on it is in his dreams. His heart is still wounded from the loss of his previous love 12 years before. Their mentorship starts off awkwardly until Cris and Alain gradually start to open up and develop a friendship. Unfortunately, the nature of Alain’s duties and his vow not to fall in love again force him to keep his distance, much to Cris’ annoyance and peril.
As a paranormal story, this was a lot of fun. The revenants, vampires, ghouls, wraiths, and incubi were so lovingly and meticulously described, that they invaded my nightly dreams. I loved the partnership and easy friendship between Lotario and Alain, the details of their investigations, the charms, the spells, and the special weapons. Abundant descriptions, historical and geographical details that felt accurate were very effective in conveying a sense of atmosphere. The action scenes and the near-death scenes were tense and heart stopping, and the mystery was very satisfying. The secondary characters, human and supernatural, were well developed and memorable.
As a romance, this was a little disappointing. Even though I love a slow-burn romance and sexual tension, there was so much push and pull between Alain and Cris that I was starting to get annoyed. For crissakes, it took an incubus to get these two together! Their sex, when they finally had it, was sweet and well worth the wait. The surprise ending was done well, but left me feeling somewhat bereft. I’m looking forward to a sequel that will answer some questions and show how Cris and Alain cope with the significant change in their relationship.
*Review copy provided by NineStar Press.
Alain Autenburg is an elite soldier in the Pontifical Swiss Guard that protects and defends the Vatican, but his obscure task of fighting dangerous supernatural elements along with his blunt and chain-smoking sidekick, Father Lotario, causes him to be aloof and secretive, which keeps him from fitting in with his peers.
Cristoph Hasse is the newest member of the Guard and is assigned by his commander to mentor under Alain. Like Alain, Cristoph is a man with secrets along with an attitude. Alain’s attraction to Cris is immediate, but the only time he acts on it is in his dreams. His heart is still wounded from the loss of his previous love 12 years before. Their mentorship starts off awkwardly until Cris and Alain gradually start to open up and develop a friendship. Unfortunately, the nature of Alain’s duties and his vow not to fall in love again force him to keep his distance, much to Cris’ annoyance and peril.
As a paranormal story, this was a lot of fun. The revenants, vampires, ghouls, wraiths, and incubi were so lovingly and meticulously described, that they invaded my nightly dreams. I loved the partnership and easy friendship between Lotario and Alain, the details of their investigations, the charms, the spells, and the special weapons. Abundant descriptions, historical and geographical details that felt accurate were very effective in conveying a sense of atmosphere. The action scenes and the near-death scenes were tense and heart stopping, and the mystery was very satisfying. The secondary characters, human and supernatural, were well developed and memorable.
As a romance, this was a little disappointing. Even though I love a slow-burn romance and sexual tension, there was so much push and pull between Alain and Cris that I was starting to get annoyed. For crissakes, it took an incubus to get these two together! Their sex, when they finally had it, was sweet and well worth the wait. The surprise ending was done well, but left me feeling somewhat bereft. I’m looking forward to a sequel that will answer some questions and show how Cris and Alain cope with the significant change in their relationship.
*Review copy provided by NineStar Press.
June 27, 2016
3.5 stars
Hold on to your hats folks! This one is intense!
If you are looking for warm and fuzzy vampires, like the Twilight books or Until Forever Comes, you won't find them here. The vampires in A Time to Rise are some serious kind of bad ass villains. If you are looking for warm and fuzzy ghosts, like Winter Oranges or The Ghost on my Couch, same story. Bad. Ass. Mother. Fuckers.
I am not a fan of paranormal MM romance. If you discount shifter books, I can only think of two paranormal romances I've liked: The PsyCop series and The Long Way Home. But because I loved Tal Bauer's Enemies of the State so much, I wanted to give this book a try and wiggle out of my reading comfort zone. The results weren't spectacular.
While this book was engaging and wonderfully written, it was far too much for me. There is some serious gore here and since I don't read paranormal, I'm not sure if it is extreme or not, but my stomach roiled more than once during several of the scenes. (I'm anxious to hear how experienced paranormal readers interrupt this one.) I really liked both
Alain and Cris, but they spent most of the time fighting their attraction to one another, leaving little time for romance. We did get one spectacular sex scene *fans self* but their relationship was much more "love story" than lust or romance. When they finally admitted their feelings, it was glorious and the feels were overflowing.
If you like a complex story-line with gore and real-live goblinesque creatures, along with hints of romance and love, this is your book. Me? I'm going to crawl back into my comfort zone. I like to think of it like a vacation: I'm glad I stepped out for a bit and I did enjoy myself for the most part, but I'm happy to be back home and in my own bed.
FYI: the story ends as HFN. There were a lot of questions left unanswered, so I'm assuming there will be a sequel.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
Galley copy of A Time to Rise provided by NineStar Press in exchange of an honest review.
Hold on to your hats folks! This one is intense!
If you are looking for warm and fuzzy vampires, like the Twilight books or Until Forever Comes, you won't find them here. The vampires in A Time to Rise are some serious kind of bad ass villains. If you are looking for warm and fuzzy ghosts, like Winter Oranges or The Ghost on my Couch, same story. Bad. Ass. Mother. Fuckers.
I am not a fan of paranormal MM romance. If you discount shifter books, I can only think of two paranormal romances I've liked: The PsyCop series and The Long Way Home. But because I loved Tal Bauer's Enemies of the State so much, I wanted to give this book a try and wiggle out of my reading comfort zone. The results weren't spectacular.
While this book was engaging and wonderfully written, it was far too much for me. There is some serious gore here and since I don't read paranormal, I'm not sure if it is extreme or not, but my stomach roiled more than once during several of the scenes. (I'm anxious to hear how experienced paranormal readers interrupt this one.) I really liked both
Alain and Cris, but they spent most of the time fighting their attraction to one another, leaving little time for romance. We did get one spectacular sex scene *fans self* but their relationship was much more "love story" than lust or romance. When they finally admitted their feelings, it was glorious and the feels were overflowing.
If you like a complex story-line with gore and real-live goblinesque creatures, along with hints of romance and love, this is your book. Me? I'm going to crawl back into my comfort zone. I like to think of it like a vacation: I'm glad I stepped out for a bit and I did enjoy myself for the most part, but I'm happy to be back home and in my own bed.
FYI: the story ends as HFN. There were a lot of questions left unanswered, so I'm assuming there will be a sequel.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
Galley copy of A Time to Rise provided by NineStar Press in exchange of an honest review.
August 2, 2020
In A Time to Rise, an intriguing paranormal adventure unfolds in the heart of Vatican City, and I liked the suspenseful supernatural aspects.
But I kind of hated the romance.
If we are friends, you know that I’m not a fan of love triangles or multiple partners or bed-hopping. I truly appreciate that we all have different preferences, but it doesn't really work for my pumpkin spice latte-drinking, yoga pants-wearing, Taylor Swift-listening vanilla ass.
Yet every once in awhile I bizarrely find myself rooting for, well, bed-hopping. I want the lead to find a different love interest. But whenever I am actually cool with switching partners, it doesn’t happen. Sigh.
It would be super spoiler-ly to discuss the other love interest, the raw emotion and the promise of a more fulfilling resolution, and I don’t want to spoil anything. Instead, I will note that I didn’t find Swiss Guard newbie Christoph very likable, and I didn't really buy that he would remain loyal to tortured monster hunter Alain. If Alain and Christoph's connection had been better developed, I may have felt differently. But it wasn’t and I didn’t. In my opinion, the wrong couple ended up together.
But again, that is just MY opinion. While I can't offer a ringing endorsement of the romantic subplot, I enjoyed the overall story. It was slow to start, but when the action picked up, it became an engrossing and exciting read. Despite shades of Angels and Demons and vampires and another interpretation of the Knights Templar mission, Tal Bauer penned a creative and unique tale that didn't feel derivative.
A Time to Rise was an early Bauer work, and I think that shows in how the characters, even Alain, were not as strongly formed and the relationship was lacking. But the writing itself was strong and accessible, and I wouldn’t mind reading more...
IF the sequel provides a couple switcheroo. Which ain’t gonna happen. Sigh.
Read for SBTB October - December 2018 Quarterly Challenge: A book with a character who served in the military.
But I kind of hated the romance.
If we are friends, you know that I’m not a fan of love triangles or multiple partners or bed-hopping. I truly appreciate that we all have different preferences, but it doesn't really work for my pumpkin spice latte-drinking, yoga pants-wearing, Taylor Swift-listening vanilla ass.
Yet every once in awhile I bizarrely find myself rooting for, well, bed-hopping. I want the lead to find a different love interest. But whenever I am actually cool with switching partners, it doesn’t happen. Sigh.
It would be super spoiler-ly to discuss the other love interest, the raw emotion and the promise of a more fulfilling resolution, and I don’t want to spoil anything. Instead, I will note that I didn’t find Swiss Guard newbie Christoph very likable, and I didn't really buy that he would remain loyal to tortured monster hunter Alain. If Alain and Christoph's connection had been better developed, I may have felt differently. But it wasn’t and I didn’t. In my opinion, the wrong couple ended up together.
But again, that is just MY opinion. While I can't offer a ringing endorsement of the romantic subplot, I enjoyed the overall story. It was slow to start, but when the action picked up, it became an engrossing and exciting read. Despite shades of Angels and Demons and vampires and another interpretation of the Knights Templar mission, Tal Bauer penned a creative and unique tale that didn't feel derivative.
A Time to Rise was an early Bauer work, and I think that shows in how the characters, even Alain, were not as strongly formed and the relationship was lacking. But the writing itself was strong and accessible, and I wouldn’t mind reading more...
IF the sequel provides a couple switcheroo. Which ain’t gonna happen. Sigh.
Read for SBTB October - December 2018 Quarterly Challenge: A book with a character who served in the military.
August 19, 2020
Revenants, Vampires, Demons, Ghouls, Wraiths, Incubus', God, Lucifer
It's all dark, the undead, things that go bump in the night and the men who hunt them down.
Sergeant Alain Autenburg in charge of 'special projects' for the Vatican & Father Lotario.
Father Lotario might not be the main MC but he was my favorite character.
Chain smocking, vodka drinking, gruff, blunt and rude.
"A priest who skirts the blurry boundaries of decency and decorum"
Baddass Demon hunting Father who seems to have his own darkness that he's battling.
What I would give to hear his story, to see him find love, heal and be whole.
Sergeant Alain Autenburg is a pariah in the Vatican. Nobody knows of his true role as demon hunter only the Holy Father and his direct commandant. Leaving him vulnerable, alone, and shunned by those who only see his self-inflicted seclusion, odd behavior and his constant disheveled appearance.
How can he connect, open up, make friends when his life is full of darkness and that darkness has destroyed the one person he's loved.
"Nights spent wading through blood, hip deep in it, the stain impossible to erase. Nights facing down dark creatures, ghouls and wraiths and revenants, dead things that didn’t stay dead. That came back from beyond, that crawled out of nightmares. Creatures of darkness that stained his soul with doubt."
Halberdier Cristoph Hasse is a new addition to the Swiss Guard at the Vatican and mentee to Alain. Cristoph is angry and disconnected. Unable to adjust. He himself feeling like a pariah amongst his comrades. Pushing everyone away, lashing out. Alain finds a way to reach him, pull back, make him feel welcome and wanted for the first time.
"His one weakness: he craved the tiny drops of kindness he found, so rare in his life. Others seemed to lap up affection, acceptance even, like rain. Why did it seem he was wandering in the desert, always searching but never finding a place in the world to call his own?"
The romance:
Slow burn
They recognize something in one another.
Cristoph ignites a long forgotten yearning in Alain.
Prepare for Alain to fight tooth and nail against it. It doesn't matter that Cristoph has invaded his dreams, mind and heart. Alain is paralyzed with fear. Fear of losing another person he loves.
Push it all down. Push it away. Crush everything in the center of your chest.
Two broken men finding love while caught up in the battle between good and evil.
A Time to Rise has been highly entertaining. The only reason it's 4 Stars instead of 5 Stars is because this feels like the beginning of a series. There are so many unanswered questions, so much potential for MORE. Same with the relationship, it's a slow burn and only at the very end do they finally embrace one another. So I kind of feel like I've been on a wonderful ride that was cut short.
Still highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of dark paranormals.
Also I do have fabulous quotes on my update if anyone wants to get a feel of the writing style which btw is beautiful ^_^
It's all dark, the undead, things that go bump in the night and the men who hunt them down.
Sergeant Alain Autenburg in charge of 'special projects' for the Vatican & Father Lotario.
Father Lotario might not be the main MC but he was my favorite character.
Chain smocking, vodka drinking, gruff, blunt and rude.
"A priest who skirts the blurry boundaries of decency and decorum"
Baddass Demon hunting Father who seems to have his own darkness that he's battling.
What I would give to hear his story, to see him find love, heal and be whole.
Sergeant Alain Autenburg is a pariah in the Vatican. Nobody knows of his true role as demon hunter only the Holy Father and his direct commandant. Leaving him vulnerable, alone, and shunned by those who only see his self-inflicted seclusion, odd behavior and his constant disheveled appearance.
How can he connect, open up, make friends when his life is full of darkness and that darkness has destroyed the one person he's loved.
"Nights spent wading through blood, hip deep in it, the stain impossible to erase. Nights facing down dark creatures, ghouls and wraiths and revenants, dead things that didn’t stay dead. That came back from beyond, that crawled out of nightmares. Creatures of darkness that stained his soul with doubt."
Halberdier Cristoph Hasse is a new addition to the Swiss Guard at the Vatican and mentee to Alain. Cristoph is angry and disconnected. Unable to adjust. He himself feeling like a pariah amongst his comrades. Pushing everyone away, lashing out. Alain finds a way to reach him, pull back, make him feel welcome and wanted for the first time.
"His one weakness: he craved the tiny drops of kindness he found, so rare in his life. Others seemed to lap up affection, acceptance even, like rain. Why did it seem he was wandering in the desert, always searching but never finding a place in the world to call his own?"
The romance:
Slow burn
They recognize something in one another.
Cristoph ignites a long forgotten yearning in Alain.
Prepare for Alain to fight tooth and nail against it. It doesn't matter that Cristoph has invaded his dreams, mind and heart. Alain is paralyzed with fear. Fear of losing another person he loves.
Push it all down. Push it away. Crush everything in the center of your chest.
Two broken men finding love while caught up in the battle between good and evil.
A Time to Rise has been highly entertaining. The only reason it's 4 Stars instead of 5 Stars is because this feels like the beginning of a series. There are so many unanswered questions, so much potential for MORE. Same with the relationship, it's a slow burn and only at the very end do they finally embrace one another. So I kind of feel like I've been on a wonderful ride that was cut short.
Still highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of dark paranormals.
Also I do have fabulous quotes on my update if anyone wants to get a feel of the writing style which btw is beautiful ^_^
April 30, 2016
Wow, that was amazing! Those characters & their relationships were fantastic. It was a really interesting and creative plot (definitely in no way predictable, that's for sure!). Very exciting.
I love the way Tal Bauer describes things - it was the same in Enemies of the State. Locations, events, and characters' personalities come alive with such wonderfully descriptive words... and the gory parts? fantastic! Oh yeah, so great.
I'm anxiously awaiting a sequel... sooooon please!
a copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review
I love the way Tal Bauer describes things - it was the same in Enemies of the State. Locations, events, and characters' personalities come alive with such wonderfully descriptive words... and the gory parts? fantastic! Oh yeah, so great.
I'm anxiously awaiting a sequel... sooooon please!
a copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review
July 28, 2025
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about this book. First off it was the last Tal Bauer book I had left, so now I've read all of his books and it's its own heartbreak. Fingers crossed he releases a new book soon.
As for the book itself, it's Tal Bauer, demon and vampire hunting, and two characters with amazing chemistry, so of course it was great in so many ways. It broke my heart and made me cry, it was super gloriously gory, and full of action. I simply loved so much of this.
For context, before reading this I had heard several people say the happy ending for this book was weak and/or unconventional, so before reading I asked some people about it and was told it had a happy ending, which I dare say, after finishing it, it does not. There's a lovely romance in this book, but I would not categorize the book itself as a romance. It reads like an intense love story, and like there was supposed to be a second book, as several plot points are left unresolved. If I had known ahead of time I would've read it with a different mindset and probably felt differently about the ending.
The entire premise of the book is amazing and it's pretty much literal catnip for me, and of course Tal writes fantastic chemistry and romance as always. I loved Alain and Cristoph together, and I'll try to delete the last few chapters of the book from my brain and go reread You & Me or The Rest of the Story to give myself a happiness boost.
The beautiful parts of this book will stay with me (of which there were many). Hopefully the painful ending will fade from my memory soon. If you go into this book knowing the ending is the faintest of faint HFN endings, and that the plot isn't resolved, it could still be worth the read.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Paranormal
Set in Rome
Hunting ghouls and vampires
Love after loss
Age gap
Mentor/mentee
Supernatural
Monster-hunter
Occult & magic
Push and pull
Slow burn
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Wet dreams
Slow burn
Rimming him open
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Gun violence
Explicit sexual content
Graphic corpse details
Desecration of a corpse
Use of homophobic slur (one MC towards the other)
MC drugged on page
Attempted sexual assault of MC by SC (drugged and halfway undressed)
Heavy religious themes
Injured MCs
Alcohol consumption
MC mixing alcohol and painkillers
Dubious content (MCs grinding on each other during the influence of an incubus)
Graphic violence and gore
Death of side character
Main character killed on page (comes back)
Suicidal ideation
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Alain sees a hickey on Cristoph's neck early on from a hookup. This hookup happens before they're together but makes Alain feel jealous and upset. Later on in the book (after they've slept together), Cristoph decides to leave for *reasons*, and it's later revealed that he was in a bar looking to hookup. At the end of the book, Alain shares a kiss with his ex. While he doesn't reciprocate and tells the ex he loves Cristoph now, he later on reciprocates even less when actually kissing Cristoph.
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multi
Genre: Supernatural love story, suspense
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 26 and 34
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 336
Happy ending: No
“Never once,” he finished, “has it ever been wrong to stand true to yourself.”
He stared at the curve of Cristoph’s grin, watched his lips forms words that Alain longed to taste.
There was nothing so dangerous as to give a condemned man hope. Nothing in the world.
His one weakness: he craved the tiny drops of kindness he found, so rare in his life. Others seemed to lap up affection, acceptance even, like rain. Why did it seem he was wandering in the desert, always searching but never finding a place in the world to call his own?
He pushed down his dreams, his vision of Cristoph—happy, breathlessly happy—and their slow lovemaking. Push it all down. Crush it all in the center of your chest. Except, now Cristoph was in his heart, and when he crushed him there, he’d be crushing his heart for the second time in his miserable life.
Cristoph’s smile could ignite the sun. Could resurrect a god. Alain almost closed his eyes against the sheer brilliance. His soul reached, desperate, for Cristoph.
I wanted so much, Cristoph. I wanted a life with you. I wanted a future with you, a future away from this. I wanted the chance, at least, to be the one to make you happy.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about this book. First off it was the last Tal Bauer book I had left, so now I've read all of his books and it's its own heartbreak. Fingers crossed he releases a new book soon.
As for the book itself, it's Tal Bauer, demon and vampire hunting, and two characters with amazing chemistry, so of course it was great in so many ways. It broke my heart and made me cry, it was super gloriously gory, and full of action. I simply loved so much of this.
For context, before reading this I had heard several people say the happy ending for this book was weak and/or unconventional, so before reading I asked some people about it and was told it had a happy ending, which I dare say, after finishing it, it does not. There's a lovely romance in this book, but I would not categorize the book itself as a romance. It reads like an intense love story, and like there was supposed to be a second book, as several plot points are left unresolved. If I had known ahead of time I would've read it with a different mindset and probably felt differently about the ending.
The entire premise of the book is amazing and it's pretty much literal catnip for me, and of course Tal writes fantastic chemistry and romance as always. I loved Alain and Cristoph together, and I'll try to delete the last few chapters of the book from my brain and go reread You & Me or The Rest of the Story to give myself a happiness boost.
The beautiful parts of this book will stay with me (of which there were many). Hopefully the painful ending will fade from my memory soon. If you go into this book knowing the ending is the faintest of faint HFN endings, and that the plot isn't resolved, it could still be worth the read.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Paranormal
Set in Rome
Hunting ghouls and vampires
Love after loss
Age gap
Mentor/mentee
Supernatural
Monster-hunter
Occult & magic
Push and pull
Slow burn
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Wet dreams
Slow burn
Rimming him open
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Gun violence
Explicit sexual content
Graphic corpse details
Desecration of a corpse
Use of homophobic slur (one MC towards the other)
MC drugged on page
Attempted sexual assault of MC by SC (drugged and halfway undressed)
Heavy religious themes
Injured MCs
Alcohol consumption
MC mixing alcohol and painkillers
Dubious content (MCs grinding on each other during the influence of an incubus)
Graphic violence and gore
Death of side character
Main character killed on page (comes back)
Suicidal ideation
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Alain sees a hickey on Cristoph's neck early on from a hookup. This hookup happens before they're together but makes Alain feel jealous and upset. Later on in the book (after they've slept together), Cristoph decides to leave for *reasons*, and it's later revealed that he was in a bar looking to hookup. At the end of the book, Alain shares a kiss with his ex. While he doesn't reciprocate and tells the ex he loves Cristoph now, he later on reciprocates even less when actually kissing Cristoph.
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multi
Genre: Supernatural love story, suspense
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 26 and 34
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 336
Happy ending: No
“Never once,” he finished, “has it ever been wrong to stand true to yourself.”
He stared at the curve of Cristoph’s grin, watched his lips forms words that Alain longed to taste.
There was nothing so dangerous as to give a condemned man hope. Nothing in the world.
His one weakness: he craved the tiny drops of kindness he found, so rare in his life. Others seemed to lap up affection, acceptance even, like rain. Why did it seem he was wandering in the desert, always searching but never finding a place in the world to call his own?
He pushed down his dreams, his vision of Cristoph—happy, breathlessly happy—and their slow lovemaking. Push it all down. Crush it all in the center of your chest. Except, now Cristoph was in his heart, and when he crushed him there, he’d be crushing his heart for the second time in his miserable life.
Cristoph’s smile could ignite the sun. Could resurrect a god. Alain almost closed his eyes against the sheer brilliance. His soul reached, desperate, for Cristoph.
I wanted so much, Cristoph. I wanted a life with you. I wanted a future with you, a future away from this. I wanted the chance, at least, to be the one to make you happy.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2017
I hold my hands up and say I was reluctant to read A Time to Rise. The problem was that while I found the blurb intriguing I tend to stay away from books that contain religious subject matter. You see I have a problem with organised religion. Now those issues are varied and entirely my own. Nonetheless I have them. Lets face it a book set in and around the Vatican City is going to mention religion at some point. It wasn't until many of my friends read Tal's Enemies of The State and were raving about it that I thought I should reconsider, read the "other one" so to speak and because I'd already downloaded it I decided to give A Time To Rise the benefit of the doubt.
The premise is an old one. One that's been told a thousand times over in a million different ways. It's the story of the struggle between good and evil. Add in that old married couple- greed and corruption, set everything in the cloistered, secretive environment of the Vatican City and A Time To Rise is born.
There are plenty of battles to be found. Personal battles. Supernatural battles. Battles of faith and conscience. Mystery, horror and love all play out amongst the buildings of the Vatican and the streets and sewers of Rome. I have been lucky enough to visit both the Vatican City and Rome. I have seen the Swiss guard in their unusual uniforms. The setting is different and along with my own memories enhanced my experience and helped bring the characters to life.
So who are they? Who is Sergeant Alain Autenburg when he is considered to be
'No Christian brother of mine.'
Alain is an isolated, lonely figure. He's only in his early thirties but carries huge responsibilities, holds secrets that keep him alienated from his colleagues. Responsibilities that are beginning to weigh him down. Age him. Is he a hunter, Swiss Guard, mentor? Or all of these and something more?
Cristoph Haase arrives in the city, unsure about why he joined the Swiss Guard in the first place. He struggles to fit in with the other halberdiers, and questions his faith. Cris is younger than Alain but no less isolated, lonely and at odds with everyone. Prickly and angry at the world he isn't thrilled to become mentee to the unpopular Sergeant Autenburg.
Alain and Cris are on a collision course and the battlefield encompasses everything they know. Even their hearts and souls aren't safe. Sometimes literally.
Twelve years ago Alain's world changed, choices he made then resonate still. Meeting Cris and the implications of their blossoming relationship bring those events back in painful detail. They challenge the vow he made to himself and change his future in a way neither he or Cris could ever have imagined.
What happens when you can no longer Push it all down. Push it all away?
Each step felt more unreal than the last. Each kiss was a damnation, a slide deeper into the place he’d vowed never to go again. Danger loomed ahead after this moment, dark and bloody, but he couldn’t care. Not now.
Helping Alain unravel the mystery of the escalating supernatural disturbances and gruesome deaths (there is blood and gore) are a chain-smoking priest with his own set of skills, a policeman, a vampire and a pretty cool Pope. Yes I said Pope! One other character I want to mention is Major Luca Bader. I don't want to say anything other than my heart ached for him and I would love to see him have a HEA.
The ending is uncertain Alain and Cris have a tentative HFN and I think difficult times ahead of them. Also what about Asmodeus? Well, he's far from done. Next time the stakes will be far higher. He was the winner in this skirmish.
I found myself softening my stance on religion by the end. Just a tiny, tiny bit. Never once did I think about a DNF. However, if the shenanigans of the Catholic clergy and other Vatican City residents are even a little bit true I'm more likely to raise my eyebrows and say, "I told you so."
It's the Vatican way (...) We bury our secrets deeper than we bury our dead."
That I suspect is probably closer to the truth than we realise.
Hopefully Tal Bauer will dig up another book. I would read it in a heartbeat.
Recommended.
*5 Stars*
The premise is an old one. One that's been told a thousand times over in a million different ways. It's the story of the struggle between good and evil. Add in that old married couple- greed and corruption, set everything in the cloistered, secretive environment of the Vatican City and A Time To Rise is born.
There are plenty of battles to be found. Personal battles. Supernatural battles. Battles of faith and conscience. Mystery, horror and love all play out amongst the buildings of the Vatican and the streets and sewers of Rome. I have been lucky enough to visit both the Vatican City and Rome. I have seen the Swiss guard in their unusual uniforms. The setting is different and along with my own memories enhanced my experience and helped bring the characters to life.
So who are they? Who is Sergeant Alain Autenburg when he is considered to be
'No Christian brother of mine.'
Alain is an isolated, lonely figure. He's only in his early thirties but carries huge responsibilities, holds secrets that keep him alienated from his colleagues. Responsibilities that are beginning to weigh him down. Age him. Is he a hunter, Swiss Guard, mentor? Or all of these and something more?
Cristoph Haase arrives in the city, unsure about why he joined the Swiss Guard in the first place. He struggles to fit in with the other halberdiers, and questions his faith. Cris is younger than Alain but no less isolated, lonely and at odds with everyone. Prickly and angry at the world he isn't thrilled to become mentee to the unpopular Sergeant Autenburg.
Alain and Cris are on a collision course and the battlefield encompasses everything they know. Even their hearts and souls aren't safe. Sometimes literally.
Twelve years ago Alain's world changed, choices he made then resonate still. Meeting Cris and the implications of their blossoming relationship bring those events back in painful detail. They challenge the vow he made to himself and change his future in a way neither he or Cris could ever have imagined.
What happens when you can no longer Push it all down. Push it all away?
Each step felt more unreal than the last. Each kiss was a damnation, a slide deeper into the place he’d vowed never to go again. Danger loomed ahead after this moment, dark and bloody, but he couldn’t care. Not now.
Helping Alain unravel the mystery of the escalating supernatural disturbances and gruesome deaths (there is blood and gore) are a chain-smoking priest with his own set of skills, a policeman, a vampire and a pretty cool Pope. Yes I said Pope! One other character I want to mention is Major Luca Bader. I don't want to say anything other than my heart ached for him and I would love to see him have a HEA.
The ending is uncertain Alain and Cris have a tentative HFN and I think difficult times ahead of them. Also what about Asmodeus? Well, he's far from done. Next time the stakes will be far higher. He was the winner in this skirmish.
I found myself softening my stance on religion by the end. Just a tiny, tiny bit. Never once did I think about a DNF. However, if the shenanigans of the Catholic clergy and other Vatican City residents are even a little bit true I'm more likely to raise my eyebrows and say, "I told you so."
It's the Vatican way (...) We bury our secrets deeper than we bury our dead."
That I suspect is probably closer to the truth than we realise.
Hopefully Tal Bauer will dig up another book. I would read it in a heartbeat.
Recommended.
*5 Stars*
November 27, 2022
like every other tal bauer book i've read, in the first third i was intrigued but i was thinking to myself, "hmm, am i gonna like this? like, really like it?"
and then the first half passes and shit goes insane.
and then at the 85% mark there are so many amazing fucking plot twists that you feel like you're going to faint.
bauer always lures you in with the slow beginning, the slow unfurling of his characters and their relationships, and then drops a hundred nuclear bombs on you.
i really hope he delves back into fantasy/paranormal/horror at some point, because this was amazingand also if i don't get a sequel with luca i might actually DIE ok
and then the first half passes and shit goes insane.
and then at the 85% mark there are so many amazing fucking plot twists that you feel like you're going to faint.
bauer always lures you in with the slow beginning, the slow unfurling of his characters and their relationships, and then drops a hundred nuclear bombs on you.
i really hope he delves back into fantasy/paranormal/horror at some point, because this was amazing
August 3, 2020
It physically pained me to give a book by Tal Bauer 3 stars rating, and I am still stumped. I had a hard time getting into the first part of the story because the PNR angle was a bit scattered. The MCs and side characters were so antagonistic to each other. I didn't buy the romance and love between Alain and Christoph. The action and paranormal picked up in the second part and actually turned quite good. I enjoyed the final battle and the situation Alain ended up in. That was a twist I loved. The other one though involving Alain's entire demeanor and previous lover was so out there and I disliked it immensely. I mean it was wicked clever and so wild but it made me like this book less. I absolutely loved Lotario, the priest who worked with Alain. He was an absolute treasure - no nonsense attitude, fearless, loyal and a good friend. I also enjoyed a glimpse into Vatican and history of Knights Templar. The author did a wonderful job there with research and details. The book was without a doubt well written, well put together and eloquent but I disliked MCs and the romance angle. FYI, there was a decent amount of steam be it imaginary or IRL, should anyone want to know that. My least favorite Tal Bauer book to date. Sorry...
June 22, 2018
+++3.5 Stars++++
Ya, so this is the third time I've written this review and I'm done. I'm on my Kindle, my trusty iPad having been padknapped by my kid.
I'm not gonna do this again.
Suffice it to say I liked it. I could tell this was an early work. I was surprised at the paranormal bent of this book. The characters needed more depth. The Pope in here rocked! Vampires and demons suck. And Swiss guards get to chop up old uniforms for punishment.
Ya, so this is the third time I've written this review and I'm done. I'm on my Kindle, my trusty iPad having been padknapped by my kid.
I'm not gonna do this again.
Suffice it to say I liked it. I could tell this was an early work. I was surprised at the paranormal bent of this book. The characters needed more depth. The Pope in here rocked! Vampires and demons suck. And Swiss guards get to chop up old uniforms for punishment.
December 1, 2022
Reading this felt like a movie ���
“Freeze evil bitch” 😂😂 Christoph is such a character. What an interesting ride , I’m not so much invested in paranormal books and I’ve read a few that I actually enjoyed and now I have found another winner with an unexpected conclusion and I still wanted more.
I enjoyed everything about the story, Latario is my favourite out of all the characters and I’d love to read about him if there was a book on him alone , he is an interesting man.
“Freeze evil bitch” 😂😂 Christoph is such a character. What an interesting ride , I’m not so much invested in paranormal books and I’ve read a few that I actually enjoyed and now I have found another winner with an unexpected conclusion and I still wanted more.
I enjoyed everything about the story, Latario is my favourite out of all the characters and I’d love to read about him if there was a book on him alone , he is an interesting man.
April 22, 2016
3.5 stars
This is a difficult review. There was so much to like about this book, and then so much (personal tastes only) that didn't work for me. So I'll settle on 3.5 and consider it overall positive from a new-to-me author.
Tal Bauer paints a world that is vivid, tangible, and brilliant. A paranormal reality where nothing is how most people would understand or even be aware of. The Vatican is our setting, and a single Swiss Guard, Alain Autenburg, fights the evils that lurk in the center of Catholicism. He has a "sidekick," Father Lotario, whom is not like any priest I've ever met. He smokes like a chimney, he's bratty and sarcastic, and he drives like a bat out of hell. No one in the Swiss Guard and the Vatican, save the Pope and the Commandant, are even aware of Alain's true duties and what lurks in the Vatican.
Alain is voluntold by his mentor to orient, and be a mentor to, one of the newest Swiss Guards, Cris Haase. Alain must hide what he does from Cris, but mentor him at the same time, which....awkward. Cris needs guidance. He is angry and bitter and has a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder.
Most of this book is Alain and Lotario going after different creatures of the Veil, getting beaten up, nearly dying. And while those were interesting stories, I wanted more Alain/Cris time. As a matter of fact, we're told, after a time jump, just how much time they spent together building a friendship. So the whole relationship-build that I consider the best part of a romance.......I missed it! Fail!
Bauer writes really well. I'll say that for sure. It was smooth and gripping. A little over-descriptive at times, but never a dull moment. But with SO much emphasis on the paranormal instead of the relationship, I felt jipped. Additionally, this was paranormal on steroids. The blood, gore, and injuries were A LOT in this book. Not for the faint of heart at all.
We get a big mystery with a few side plot mysteries in this one too. Which also kept me on the edge of my seat guessing. So it was definitely a STRONG book. I just don't know if I enjoyed it or not. Still. After thinking on it for 24 hours.
Best quote of the book:
For those who are wondering, there was only ONE smexy scene in the whole book. Sigh. Frowns.
Overall, this was a strong story with gripping plot lines. The world building was amazing, and I flew through the book. But the romance is really pushed to the back burner. If you don't mind a strong paranormal story with minimal romance, then I'd recommend.
This is a difficult review. There was so much to like about this book, and then so much (personal tastes only) that didn't work for me. So I'll settle on 3.5 and consider it overall positive from a new-to-me author.
Tal Bauer paints a world that is vivid, tangible, and brilliant. A paranormal reality where nothing is how most people would understand or even be aware of. The Vatican is our setting, and a single Swiss Guard, Alain Autenburg, fights the evils that lurk in the center of Catholicism. He has a "sidekick," Father Lotario, whom is not like any priest I've ever met. He smokes like a chimney, he's bratty and sarcastic, and he drives like a bat out of hell. No one in the Swiss Guard and the Vatican, save the Pope and the Commandant, are even aware of Alain's true duties and what lurks in the Vatican.
Alain is voluntold by his mentor to orient, and be a mentor to, one of the newest Swiss Guards, Cris Haase. Alain must hide what he does from Cris, but mentor him at the same time, which....awkward. Cris needs guidance. He is angry and bitter and has a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder.
Most of this book is Alain and Lotario going after different creatures of the Veil, getting beaten up, nearly dying. And while those were interesting stories, I wanted more Alain/Cris time. As a matter of fact, we're told, after a time jump, just how much time they spent together building a friendship. So the whole relationship-build that I consider the best part of a romance.......I missed it! Fail!
Bauer writes really well. I'll say that for sure. It was smooth and gripping. A little over-descriptive at times, but never a dull moment. But with SO much emphasis on the paranormal instead of the relationship, I felt jipped. Additionally, this was paranormal on steroids. The blood, gore, and injuries were A LOT in this book. Not for the faint of heart at all.
We get a big mystery with a few side plot mysteries in this one too. Which also kept me on the edge of my seat guessing. So it was definitely a STRONG book. I just don't know if I enjoyed it or not. Still. After thinking on it for 24 hours.
Best quote of the book:
Alain was going to dive cock first into Hell tonight.
For those who are wondering, there was only ONE smexy scene in the whole book. Sigh. Frowns.
Overall, this was a strong story with gripping plot lines. The world building was amazing, and I flew through the book. But the romance is really pushed to the back burner. If you don't mind a strong paranormal story with minimal romance, then I'd recommend.
February 21, 2018
✮4.5 Stars✮
I want more..please! :D
I want more..please! :D
June 8, 2019
3.5 angelic stars rounded up because still no 1/2 stars here on GR and while this may not have been the strongest story when it came to romance the rest of this was hella' hella' good!
May 2, 2016
I loved Tal Bauer’s Enemies of the State , so naturally, I jumped at the chance to read another book by this author –even if paranormal isn’t a favourite subgenre of mine. I am glad I read it, because the story was rich and well-developed, but it didn’t quite satisfy as much as this author’s contemporary story did.
The story takes place in modern day Rome and specifically tackles the inner workings of the Vatican City. Alain is a special projects agent, fighting ghouls, revenants, vampires, and freaky river monsters. Along with father Lotario, they are the only thing protecting the city and two of the very select few who know about evil, supernatural beings causing murder and mayhem. Chris is a young soldier who is assigned to Alain as a mentee. Their relationship is very strained, with Chris carrying a moody, pissed-off at the world attitude and Alain trying to shy away from any form of role modelling.
I was impressed with the world building. The author did a fantastic job at visually placing the reader in this environment. Unfortunately, I think the story suffered a bit for it. There were too many descriptions for my taste. And as well-written as they were, as colourful, and on-point, they made the story drag for me and it got a bit boring. When I’m reading a high-adrenaline action sequence, I don’t appreciate the character taking a “page” off to describe the chandelier hanging from the ceiling and what exact colour the light bulb in the corner lamp was.
As for the romance...well this story doesn’t really focus on it. I think the universe the author created here is just too big to allow for proper relationship development. Perhaps in future books, when the foundation has already been set, there will be more room for that. But in this book, there were so many historical titbits to be shared, so many secrets to be unveiled, so many evil spirits to be fought, that Alain and Chris were left a bit behind. Also, I am really not sold on the HFN, mainly because things are not romanticised at all in this world of supernatural creatures, which left me wondering how exactly things are going to work out.
I was also a bit put off by the high intensity language that was used. The characters experienced feelings that were very OTT most of the time. And okay, the situation often called for it, when say, in the middle of them fighting for their lives. But especially in the beginning, the main and side characters (i.e., Luca) were often furious, snarling, grunting, and overall having these extreme emotional reactions over things that I don’t think warranted it. For instance, when Alain missed Chris’ first football game: ”Inside, he was screaming, fury and guilt warring with each other, tearing Alain to shreds. He should have been there. He should have been at the game.” Okaaaaaay.
Verdict: The paranormal aspect of the book was spot on. Super gory, creepy, straight out of an exorcist movie at times, with the whole shebang of magic circle healings, and salt and runes and what have you. The evil part was really well done, not cheesy at all, and very believable. The romance was not in the forefront, so know this going in otherwise you’ll be disappointed. But it’s a well-written story, overall, and it’s obvious that massive research and planning went into it. So, very worth reading as long readers know what the focus is on.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. See this review at Gay Book Reviews.
The story takes place in modern day Rome and specifically tackles the inner workings of the Vatican City. Alain is a special projects agent, fighting ghouls, revenants, vampires, and freaky river monsters. Along with father Lotario, they are the only thing protecting the city and two of the very select few who know about evil, supernatural beings causing murder and mayhem. Chris is a young soldier who is assigned to Alain as a mentee. Their relationship is very strained, with Chris carrying a moody, pissed-off at the world attitude and Alain trying to shy away from any form of role modelling.
I was impressed with the world building. The author did a fantastic job at visually placing the reader in this environment. Unfortunately, I think the story suffered a bit for it. There were too many descriptions for my taste. And as well-written as they were, as colourful, and on-point, they made the story drag for me and it got a bit boring. When I’m reading a high-adrenaline action sequence, I don’t appreciate the character taking a “page” off to describe the chandelier hanging from the ceiling and what exact colour the light bulb in the corner lamp was.
As for the romance...well this story doesn’t really focus on it. I think the universe the author created here is just too big to allow for proper relationship development. Perhaps in future books, when the foundation has already been set, there will be more room for that. But in this book, there were so many historical titbits to be shared, so many secrets to be unveiled, so many evil spirits to be fought, that Alain and Chris were left a bit behind. Also, I am really not sold on the HFN, mainly because things are not romanticised at all in this world of supernatural creatures, which left me wondering how exactly things are going to work out.
I was also a bit put off by the high intensity language that was used. The characters experienced feelings that were very OTT most of the time. And okay, the situation often called for it, when say, in the middle of them fighting for their lives. But especially in the beginning, the main and side characters (i.e., Luca) were often furious, snarling, grunting, and overall having these extreme emotional reactions over things that I don’t think warranted it. For instance, when Alain missed Chris’ first football game: ”Inside, he was screaming, fury and guilt warring with each other, tearing Alain to shreds. He should have been there. He should have been at the game.” Okaaaaaay.
Verdict: The paranormal aspect of the book was spot on. Super gory, creepy, straight out of an exorcist movie at times, with the whole shebang of magic circle healings, and salt and runes and what have you. The evil part was really well done, not cheesy at all, and very believable. The romance was not in the forefront, so know this going in otherwise you’ll be disappointed. But it’s a well-written story, overall, and it’s obvious that massive research and planning went into it. So, very worth reading as long readers know what the focus is on.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. See this review at Gay Book Reviews.
May 11, 2016
I enjoyed this and for the most part, it's well written, but had to leave it a few days before reviewing.
On starting I feared overly religious themes and historical dryness but it was never as obnoxious as the oddly popular Dan Brown! There is a feel of history and place with some detailed descriptions, but it doesn't overcome the plot. The characters were interesting and situations suitably chilling, broaching horror territory in places with the copious gore. These are not your fluffy Vampire creations. There is no sparkle here. The plot is often tense and though it does get a bit silly along the way it makes for an enjoyable read.
For me there was one big glaring issue with the book. An unfortunate time jump early on that meant instead of watching our characters bond it was done off-page and delivered to us second-hand. I couldn't entirely imagine the bonding and without reading it, without experiencing the growing understanding, later emotions seemed to come from nowhere and bemused me with their strength. It seemed a touch melodramatic because the basis for those feelings was off-page.
Alain our downtrodden martyr is interesting but his secret pain is carried a touch too long for my taste, it's not until the end we discover his story and while I suspected part of it there were times I felt it dragged out.
His mentor/teacher/side-kick Father Lotario is an interesting addition, I'd like to know more of. And his Holiness - who knew!
But Chris the love interest. All bright and worthy angst. I never really got him. He was a bit rebel without a cause. The story is more paranormal thriller than romance but I'd have had to see more of the building friendship in order to rate him. In truth the way the story played out had me mourning lost lives more than curiosity over new opportunities.
Rounding up from a high 3* to four. Glad to hear this is to be a series and will definitely be picking up the next book, be interesting to see how things play out.
On starting I feared overly religious themes and historical dryness but it was never as obnoxious as the oddly popular Dan Brown! There is a feel of history and place with some detailed descriptions, but it doesn't overcome the plot. The characters were interesting and situations suitably chilling, broaching horror territory in places with the copious gore. These are not your fluffy Vampire creations. There is no sparkle here. The plot is often tense and though it does get a bit silly along the way it makes for an enjoyable read.
For me there was one big glaring issue with the book. An unfortunate time jump early on that meant instead of watching our characters bond it was done off-page and delivered to us second-hand. I couldn't entirely imagine the bonding and without reading it, without experiencing the growing understanding, later emotions seemed to come from nowhere and bemused me with their strength. It seemed a touch melodramatic because the basis for those feelings was off-page.
Alain our downtrodden martyr is interesting but his secret pain is carried a touch too long for my taste, it's not until the end we discover his story and while I suspected part of it there were times I felt it dragged out.
His mentor/teacher/side-kick Father Lotario is an interesting addition, I'd like to know more of. And his Holiness - who knew!
But Chris the love interest. All bright and worthy angst. I never really got him. He was a bit rebel without a cause. The story is more paranormal thriller than romance but I'd have had to see more of the building friendship in order to rate him. In truth the way the story played out had me mourning lost lives more than curiosity over new opportunities.
Rounding up from a high 3* to four. Glad to hear this is to be a series and will definitely be picking up the next book, be interesting to see how things play out.
May 2, 2016
I was blown away by this book. Blown. Away.
What a wild ride.
A Time to Rise is a staggeringly well-written novel. Tal Bauer does an absolutely spectacular job of balancing all elements in this incredibly engaging plot. Characters, twists, paranormal, action, romance, imagery...it's all there, perfectly sewn together with beautiful prose that just never, ever stops. I found myself reading paragraph by paragraph as slowly as possible, just trying to absorb every word so that it would never end.
I know some readers feel squicked out by gore (descriptions get graphic), and that they wish there was more sex on page, but neither of these things were an issue for me. I was so immersed in this world, in these characters, that I didn't need (or even want) several steamy scenes. And I love when an author can do that. I thought what Tal Bauer gave us was perfect.
Some authors just do it for you. Tal Bauer does it for me.
Fangirling complete.
What a wild ride.
A Time to Rise is a staggeringly well-written novel. Tal Bauer does an absolutely spectacular job of balancing all elements in this incredibly engaging plot. Characters, twists, paranormal, action, romance, imagery...it's all there, perfectly sewn together with beautiful prose that just never, ever stops. I found myself reading paragraph by paragraph as slowly as possible, just trying to absorb every word so that it would never end.
I know some readers feel squicked out by gore (descriptions get graphic), and that they wish there was more sex on page, but neither of these things were an issue for me. I was so immersed in this world, in these characters, that I didn't need (or even want) several steamy scenes. And I love when an author can do that. I thought what Tal Bauer gave us was perfect.
Some authors just do it for you. Tal Bauer does it for me.
Fangirling complete.
June 25, 2018
Annnnd my 100th book this year goes to the incredible Mr. Bauer!! Boy o boy can this man WRITE!
This book was just fantastic. No other words needed. Just great. The writing, world building, characterisation, pacing. Everything was juuust on point.
Once again, Tal pulls you into his world and doesn’t let go of you till the very end. Even then, you’ll be screaming for more(I know I was). I never wanted this story to end.
And with the whole thing hanging in relation to the freed entity, I really do hope there’s a sequel in the works because this little lady needs her Tal Bauer fix again. And sooner rather than later.
This book was just fantastic. No other words needed. Just great. The writing, world building, characterisation, pacing. Everything was juuust on point.
Once again, Tal pulls you into his world and doesn’t let go of you till the very end. Even then, you’ll be screaming for more(I know I was). I never wanted this story to end.
And with the whole thing hanging in relation to the freed entity, I really do hope there’s a sequel in the works because this little lady needs her Tal Bauer fix again. And sooner rather than later.
June 28, 2016
The last chunk of this book ruined it for me. That was not really satisfying at all.
There were some awesome elements to this book, but the whole last bit of it soured me.
There were some awesome elements to this book, but the whole last bit of it soured me.
Read
June 10, 2021DNF @ 48%
So sad to call time of death on this one but it wasn’t keeping my interest. 😭
So sad to call time of death on this one but it wasn’t keeping my interest. 😭
October 7, 2024
Well this book was kinda weird. And apparently, it’s the only one of its kind. I don’t see any other books related to this. So it ended kinda abruptly. Like it was meant to be a long series but never got past the first book.
There were some twists and turns in here and lots of gore. Like a horror book, but also romance thrown in (very little romance, one sex scene and a couple of brief dream sequences). It’s more a horror book with all the Knights of the Templars and demons and Lucifer and Asmodeus and vampires and so on and so forth.
Anything religious in this vein fascinates me - the battle between God’s soldiers and the usurper. I won’t spoil what happened, but there were twists I didn’t predict which is always a good sign.
If there had been other books that expanded upon these characters and this world, I might have given this 4 stars. Like Luca clearly has a role to play. What will happen now betw Christoph and Alain? Is Linhart stilll alive?
And of course, Lucifer and Asmodeus…
BUT. There are no other books so we can all keep wondering.🤔
There were some twists and turns in here and lots of gore. Like a horror book, but also romance thrown in (very little romance, one sex scene and a couple of brief dream sequences). It’s more a horror book with all the Knights of the Templars and demons and Lucifer and Asmodeus and vampires and so on and so forth.
Anything religious in this vein fascinates me - the battle between God’s soldiers and the usurper. I won’t spoil what happened, but there were twists I didn’t predict which is always a good sign.
If there had been other books that expanded upon these characters and this world, I might have given this 4 stars. Like Luca clearly has a role to play. What will happen now betw Christoph and Alain? Is Linhart stilll alive?
And of course, Lucifer and Asmodeus…
BUT. There are no other books so we can all keep wondering.🤔
June 1, 2016
Wow, what a ride! Tal Bauer is a new author to me, but one I will be keeping an eye on for future books, and maybe a sequel to this one. This story was an amazing combination of the paranormal, Vatican history, and the slowly forming romance growing between two Swiss Guards. The history lesson is one that totally grabbed my interest and I spent a long time on this book because I kept going to Google to look up some of the things I was reading. Normally I would hate that info dump, but in this case, it was not just words thrown in willy-nilly but a more accurate and realistic representation of the story being told.
This book reminded me a lot of Dan Brown (from the Da Vinci Code) mixed with some Stephen King for the violence and paranormal thrills. It’s graphic and gross, I won’t kid you, but it wasn’t gross for the sake of being gross, but a more precise representation on the events occurring. There were also some less than stellar actions by a few priests, so prepare for some unpleasantness there. Some may rebel but the truth is the truth.
Alain is a Special Ops Swiss Guard, one that no one, besides the Pope and Swiss Guard Commandant, know of his real duties…and title. Alain is basically ostracized from the rest of the guard because they think he’s just weird. Showing up with his uniform all askew and covered in blood could do that. Cris is a newly avowed Swiss Guard who has a chip on his shoulder, which only becomes much worse when he is given Alain as his mentor.
These two do everything in their power to fight their growing attraction and it’s a true slow-burn romance before they finally get together. Don’t expect it to be fast or simple, there is nothing fast or simple about this whole book. The main focus is fighting the evil released on and around the Vatican with the romance simmering in the background.
I must admit it that it did drag a little bit in a few places, but it quickly picked up soon after. The last quarter of the book was edge-of your-seat, and I did not foresee any of the twists and turns that were revealed. Luca was a big surprise, and the Alain “issue”…I am still unsure how I feel about how that played out. A part of me felt the story ended too abruptly because I needed to know more on Lotario after the big finale, why Angelo wasn’t available when Cris called, and how the Luca and Alain situation plays out now that all the cards are on the table. Still shocked over Luca, I gotta say, but Bravo to the author for creating a surprising and attention-grabbing story. Highly recommended.
The Blogger Girls
This book reminded me a lot of Dan Brown (from the Da Vinci Code) mixed with some Stephen King for the violence and paranormal thrills. It’s graphic and gross, I won’t kid you, but it wasn’t gross for the sake of being gross, but a more precise representation on the events occurring. There were also some less than stellar actions by a few priests, so prepare for some unpleasantness there. Some may rebel but the truth is the truth.
Alain is a Special Ops Swiss Guard, one that no one, besides the Pope and Swiss Guard Commandant, know of his real duties…and title. Alain is basically ostracized from the rest of the guard because they think he’s just weird. Showing up with his uniform all askew and covered in blood could do that. Cris is a newly avowed Swiss Guard who has a chip on his shoulder, which only becomes much worse when he is given Alain as his mentor.
These two do everything in their power to fight their growing attraction and it’s a true slow-burn romance before they finally get together. Don’t expect it to be fast or simple, there is nothing fast or simple about this whole book. The main focus is fighting the evil released on and around the Vatican with the romance simmering in the background.
I must admit it that it did drag a little bit in a few places, but it quickly picked up soon after. The last quarter of the book was edge-of your-seat, and I did not foresee any of the twists and turns that were revealed. Luca was a big surprise, and the Alain “issue”…I am still unsure how I feel about how that played out. A part of me felt the story ended too abruptly because I needed to know more on Lotario after the big finale, why Angelo wasn’t available when Cris called, and how the Luca and Alain situation plays out now that all the cards are on the table. Still shocked over Luca, I gotta say, but Bravo to the author for creating a surprising and attention-grabbing story. Highly recommended.
The Blogger Girls
September 9, 2018
The writing here was excellent as always, and I really liked the supernatural aspects--something new for this author, I believe--but it didn't quite gel for me. I thought the plot was decently interesting, but I had a hard time really connecting to the main characters and the romance. I found the secrecy around Alain's first love to be a little annoying, and while I understood why it was necessary, the big reveal actually left me feeling kind of conflicted and left me slightly less satisfied with the ending.
May 19, 2016
Wonderful read. Slow burning romance and fast action to finish. I love the characters.
The world building is a scary reality which I hope won't come to pass.
The world building is a scary reality which I hope won't come to pass.
April 19, 2022
Ok - I adore Tal Bauer's books beyond all reason. This is no surprise for those that know me. And for some reason I hadn't gotten to this one.
Alain is a member of the Swiss Guard in Vatican City. He has the task of pursuing and dealing with things mysterious and supernatural. As such, he is pretty much a pariah amongst the rest of the guard. He is assigned to be a mentor to Christoph, a new recruit much to his disgust and fear. Because, he finds Christoph very, very attractive and he has lost a lover in the past in clearly tragic circumstances and is terrified, with his work, of the same thing happening.
There is an interesting cast of side characters and an engaging plot with ghouls, demons, vampires and even an incubus keeping it all very adventuresome and with the usual dose of well researched history of the Swiss Guard and the Vatican thrown in - the solid research a trademark of this author's novels.
And yes, I loved it except...
it did feel a bit like there should have been another book. The ending, whilst a HFN left me wanting. And a Tal Bauer book has NEVER left me wanting. Ever. Maybe its because it was an early one?? Idk. Nonetheless, I wanted more, like maybe there's be another book or a series of books with the two MMCs solving supernatural mysteries, being in love, dealing with the challenges the end of the book left them with...
****SPOILER****
and I hated, really hated Why did he do that? I could see no plot reason AT ALL for that level of cruelty from Alain. It was simply not necessary and that was a real disappointment for me. For that, one star was removed.
Alain is a member of the Swiss Guard in Vatican City. He has the task of pursuing and dealing with things mysterious and supernatural. As such, he is pretty much a pariah amongst the rest of the guard. He is assigned to be a mentor to Christoph, a new recruit much to his disgust and fear. Because, he finds Christoph very, very attractive and he has lost a lover in the past in clearly tragic circumstances and is terrified, with his work, of the same thing happening.
There is an interesting cast of side characters and an engaging plot with ghouls, demons, vampires and even an incubus keeping it all very adventuresome and with the usual dose of well researched history of the Swiss Guard and the Vatican thrown in - the solid research a trademark of this author's novels.
And yes, I loved it except...
it did feel a bit like there should have been another book. The ending, whilst a HFN left me wanting. And a Tal Bauer book has NEVER left me wanting. Ever. Maybe its because it was an early one?? Idk. Nonetheless, I wanted more, like maybe there's be another book or a series of books with the two MMCs solving supernatural mysteries, being in love, dealing with the challenges the end of the book left them with...
****SPOILER****
and I hated, really hated Why did he do that? I could see no plot reason AT ALL for that level of cruelty from Alain. It was simply not necessary and that was a real disappointment for me. For that, one star was removed.
April 15, 2020
It’s been a while so i feel I’m kind out of practice but here I go.
Vampires, demons, mystical creatures leaving in the river, ancestral powers! I’m up to that any minute and seeing that Baur was the author
how possible I could have missed this book for so long?
I saw that there were some mixed reviews about this one, but just because I loved his The Executive Office series, I just wanted to dive right in!
Baur has a thing that always captivates me, his writing is superb and every time I read something from him, it’s like if I were watching a movie inside my head and I adore it! It makes me want to devour the book but at the same time take my time to enjoy it!
I cannot give it 5 stars just because of Alain. He was kind of hard to love, he was always living in the past and his remorse’s feelings were suffocating. It was like a broken record at a times, repeating the same over and over and I just wanted to slap his face and tell him YOLO! *sigh* but whatever, the other characters were amazing! I couldn’t stop laughing with Lottario and Cristoph young spirit was refreshing next to Alain’s.
This definitely isn’t a love story, if you want action and mystery, this book is for you. The plot twist at the end had my heart racing and my mind exploding!
Warning: this book does not have a HEA, more of a HFN, which I hate. From experience, I think this is Baur’s MO on every story or maybe it was suppose to have another book, I don't know.
It's not a book for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
Vampires, demons, mystical creatures leaving in the river, ancestral powers! I’m up to that any minute and seeing that Baur was the author
how possible I could have missed this book for so long?
I saw that there were some mixed reviews about this one, but just because I loved his The Executive Office series, I just wanted to dive right in!
Baur has a thing that always captivates me, his writing is superb and every time I read something from him, it’s like if I were watching a movie inside my head and I adore it! It makes me want to devour the book but at the same time take my time to enjoy it!
I cannot give it 5 stars just because of Alain. He was kind of hard to love, he was always living in the past and his remorse’s feelings were suffocating. It was like a broken record at a times, repeating the same over and over and I just wanted to slap his face and tell him YOLO! *sigh* but whatever, the other characters were amazing! I couldn’t stop laughing with Lottario and Cristoph young spirit was refreshing next to Alain’s.
This definitely isn’t a love story, if you want action and mystery, this book is for you. The plot twist at the end had my heart racing and my mind exploding!
Warning: this book does not have a HEA, more of a HFN, which I hate. From experience, I think this is Baur’s MO on every story or maybe it was suppose to have another book, I don't know.
It's not a book for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
September 14, 2023
This book was a bit insane.
Vampires, Gouls and Demons being hunted by a secret order of the Vatican.
It was super twisty and intense as only Tal could write such a paranormal story. Cristoph and Alain are a very unlikely pair but have smoking hot chemistry. Working under priestly rule it’s a bit taboo. The fight to keep Rome and the Pope safe was a 24-7 job.
This is their story.
The end should have been predictable BUT it was a shock to the system. I wish we got an epilogue because not having one was super cruel. Luca and other side characters deserved a resolution just saying!
Vampires, Gouls and Demons being hunted by a secret order of the Vatican.
It was super twisty and intense as only Tal could write such a paranormal story. Cristoph and Alain are a very unlikely pair but have smoking hot chemistry. Working under priestly rule it’s a bit taboo. The fight to keep Rome and the Pope safe was a 24-7 job.
This is their story.
The end should have been predictable BUT it was a shock to the system. I wish we got an epilogue because not having one was super cruel. Luca and other side characters deserved a resolution just saying!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2022
Alain Autenburg, 34, sergeant in charge of Special Projects. Alain's job droll sounding and distasteful no one bothered him. No one was the wiser to his true duties, save for the commandant and the Holy Father, the only two people he reported to directly.
Alain's secret duties keeps everyone safe, but being the odd one out, makes for a lonely existence. And he has accepted that nostalgia is his fate Nostos, meaning sickness, and algos, meaning a longing for home.
But than his commandant decides that Alain will become the mentor of new recruit, Cristoph Hasse.
I'm not fan of the paranormal genre, but Tal Bauer has created a world within the Vatican City, so non-catholic, but I was immerged, sometimes not even understanding what was going on. What was this, a paranormal story or maybe even horror, at least it is dark.
Dark with demons, apparitions, vampires and magic. And a whole lot of evil, bloodcurdling evil.
For me, the ending was equally shocking and utterly sad. I did not want this!!
I got a small reprieve from reading Alain & Cristoph's parts in Interlude: Cavatina, but am still all torned up for all characters, even Luca!
November 22, 2016
Wow.
What a ride that was.
This was a horror romance novel, written by Tal Bauer, that’ll send you reeling into a nightmare world of nighttime creatures.
And it’s bloody.
Blood.
Just all over the place.
But it’s also intriguing as a concept.
Vatican Vampire Slayers.
Wraith chasers.
Sexy guardsmen
And an Ass- kicking Pope.
Yes, you read that right.
And in the midst of it a sweet love story. That was sweet. And lovely. And tender.
This was incredibly well researched and a surprisingly face paced book. The only drawback, from my point of view, was the grunting and the snarling and the growling – from non-undead people. Overly Alpha written personalities make me roll my eyes a bit -it’s sort of like – when you shop for boneless chicken breast – they have rib meat and water added in? We know they’re men. They don’t need extra water added in to make them menlier men. The menliest men who ever manned. That feels a little forced.
I felt like the story could have been broken up and extended to delve deeper into the mythos. Like maybe this book should have been two and then slowed down. Like a sip of wine should be rolled over the tongue to experience the bouquet?
But overall, it kicked ass. It was a good gory bloody disgusting and intelligent book. I think fans of The Witcher and Dragon Age Series’ would love this.
I can't wait for the next book
What a ride that was.
This was a horror romance novel, written by Tal Bauer, that’ll send you reeling into a nightmare world of nighttime creatures.
And it’s bloody.
Blood.
Just all over the place.
But it’s also intriguing as a concept.
Vatican Vampire Slayers.
Wraith chasers.
Sexy guardsmen
And an Ass- kicking Pope.
Yes, you read that right.
And in the midst of it a sweet love story. That was sweet. And lovely. And tender.
This was incredibly well researched and a surprisingly face paced book. The only drawback, from my point of view, was the grunting and the snarling and the growling – from non-undead people. Overly Alpha written personalities make me roll my eyes a bit -it’s sort of like – when you shop for boneless chicken breast – they have rib meat and water added in? We know they’re men. They don’t need extra water added in to make them menlier men. The menliest men who ever manned. That feels a little forced.
I felt like the story could have been broken up and extended to delve deeper into the mythos. Like maybe this book should have been two and then slowed down. Like a sip of wine should be rolled over the tongue to experience the bouquet?
But overall, it kicked ass. It was a good gory bloody disgusting and intelligent book. I think fans of The Witcher and Dragon Age Series’ would love this.
I can't wait for the next book
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