Never play the game without an Ace up your sleeve.
During her years of finding and selling artifacts on the arcane black market, Tarot reader Sara Wilde has made a bona fide killing. Now, as the recently appointed head of an ancient Connected syndicate, she's forced to take a truly deadly role in the war on magic.
Within the House of Swords, every blade cuts deep. Usurpers and claimants attack from all sides, while the Magician's insidious pull on Sara becomes ever more twisted and beguiling. As she struggles to strengthen her position and manage her new, unwieldy abilities, Sara discovers her greatest challenge yet: a master warrior determined to deliver the syndicate and everyone it protects to its mortal enemy.
Bolstered by an unexpected Ace and a mystical sword, and faced with a round-the-world race to outmaneuver friends and foes alike, Sara's future balances on a merciless edge.
The cards can cut both ways when you play Aces Wilde.
Jenn Stark is a Golden Heart award-winning author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She lives and writes in Ohio. . . and she definitely loves to write. :) In addition to her urban fantasy Immortal Vegas and Wilde Justice series and her paranormal romance Demon Enforcers series, she is also author Jennifer McGowan, whose Maids of Honor series of Young Adult Elizabethan spy romances are published by Simon & Schuster, and author Jennifer Chance, whose Rule Breakers series of New Adult contemporary romances are published by Random House/LoveSwept and whose modern royals series, Gowns & Crowns, is now available.
This author also goes by Jennifer McGowan. See that Goodreads author page here.
Honestly, I don't really understand what's going on in this series. The magic, specifically Sarah's magic, makes no sense to me. I think the author just writes down whatever pops into her head without any regard for how it fits within the framework of story's internal logic...of which there doesn't seem to be any soooo...I guess it doesn't really matter? Her relationship with Armaeus also makes no sense to me. Is there something there or not? And why not just tell him what she experienced in Hell? How does him knowing hurt anything? For all of that, I suppose I do like it as pure mindless entertainment. I just have to remind myself not to think about it too much...or at all.
5 Stars... Sara has a few obstacles to overcome in order to take her place as the leader of the House of Swords, like all those intent on assassinating her... As she navigates this perilous path, she must come to accept her true place in the war on magic as well as understand and own the depth of her own abilities... In the end she is irrevocably changed as she both loses and wins... Constantly twisting and turning readers through an intricate storyline not knowing where it will inevitably lead; action packed from the start with moments of dark sensuality that captivate... A series that becomes increasingly intriguing as it unfolds:)
Enjoying these books more and more as the series progresses. The action never stops, but it isn't out of control, you can follow along with it as it unrolls. Things happen I don't expect, and I love that. There are some great characters here and I am looking forward to the next book!
I'm this book, Sara levels up quite a few times, especially at the end.
Sara and Armaeus are still beefing with each other. Armaeus is determined to know what Sara experienced in Hell and she is dead set against him knowing. She feels betrayed by him a few times this go around, but as always, he's got an answer for that. These two have such a long road ahead of them.
Anyway, this book involves Sara taking on the leadership of the House of Swords and she has to stay alive long enough to do it. Through it all, Nikki is by her side. She is seriously one awesome BFF. Brody is along for quite a bit of the ride as well. Sara bogeys new allies and enemies, but Gamon remains at the core of it all. I'm glad that Sara got to see Father Jerome and Max again, too.
We also see more of the Council. I really like Blue. She's pretty cool. Simon is fun and I always appreciate Kreios, even when he's tricking Sara.
I've read the next book before, but I can't recall how Sara handled her new power level. So I'm going to find out.
So I as not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I actually already put this series in the " No longer will be reading". But that is before I read this book. The other stories to me dragged so much and when there was important information/ revelations given it was just one and done. Never brought up again like it existed. That pissed me off because what is the point of giving is new information to the story if you were not going to run with it. So yeah suffice it to say I as beyond done. But this book took a turn. We got to explore Sara trying to figure out what she wanted to do with the "inheritance" she received from Soo. The trials, the betrayal. I actually loved it all. The Magician of course was available for the sexual tension. But this book was not all about him and Sara. Sara is no longer running from problems. She is taking a bigger role in he fight against evil. We see little clues about what maybe entail for Sara and her growing powers. Cannot wait for the new book in the series in December. Def a must read.
*Source* Purchased *Genre* Urban Fantasy *Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
Aces Wilde is the FIFTH installment in author Jenn Stark's Immortal Vegas series. This story actually picks up Two weeks after the end of Wicked and Wilde. Protagonist Sara Wilde finds dangerous artifacts, lost things, including people, using her Tarot Cards. She is one of the more successful artifact hunters in the world and works mostly for the Arcane Council led by the sexy, arrogant, and devious Magician.
Et bien ! Enfin un gros changement dans cette série, il était temps ! J'ai bien apprécié ma lecture et j'ai hâte de voir ce que ça va donner pour le futur.
Quand on arrive aussi loin dans une série d'urban fantasy, en général c'est qu'on apprécie le personnage, sinon on a largement le temps d'abandonner pour se consacrer à autre chose. Mais néanmoins j'avoue que je trépignais un peu sur cette série. En effet, malgré mes bonnes lectures à chaque fois, j'avais vraiment envie que la situation générale bouge un peu et qu'on sorte des intrigues indépendantes pour se consacrer vraiment aux personnages.
C'était déjà un peu le cas dans le précédent ou l'héroïne avait eu un gros choc qui l'avait un peu réveillée et fait changer. Mais ici on a enfin LE changement qui à mon avis va tout changer. Enfin ... "A mon avis" parce qu'il a vraiment lieu sur la dernière ligne du tome du coup on n'a vraiment que la donnée brute pour l'instant, on ne sait pas ni comment ni pourquoi ni quel seront les conséquences concrètes de ce changement majeur. En voila un cliffhanger qui donne envie de se plonger dans la suite au plus vite.
Et donc ce tome entier sert en fait à faire évoluer la situation vers ce changement.
Pour en revenir à l'histoire ici nous suivons Sara qui ne sais pas trop quoi faire concernant la Maison des épées. Techniquement elle en est à sa tête mais avant ça elle va devoir passer toute une série d'épreuves pour tester sa force et combattre les lieutenants de la maison à l'épée. Mais Sara n'a aucune connaissance en combat à l'épée du coup elle est un peu perdante au départ. En fait son but est surtout de trouver un replaçant adéquat pour le placer à sa place.
Mais elle entend parler d'une épée ancienne, un artefact qu'il lui faut posséder car chaque Maitre de la maison avait sa propre épée à sa taille. Ça tombe bien vu que son métier est justement traqueuse d'artefact. Elle se lance donc à sa poursuite, tout en étant sous le feu des attentats à sa vie car apparemment quelqu'un n'est pas heureux de la voir prendre cette position ...
En fait depuis le début Sara se place toujours sur le coté de la scène. Elle est le personnage de l'ombre, celui dont on ne fait pas vraiment attention car il ne dirige rien et qui se contente d'aller la ou on lui dit. Les événements des tomes précédents ont vraiment fait évoluer la situation de façon à ce qu'elle en arrive la, vraiment sur le devant de la scène, dans le rôle principal.
Et ça Sara elle n'aime pas du tout ! Elle aurait largement préféré rester à faire son petit métier tranquillement, voyager sans se soucier de l'argent, à la solde de personnes très riches. Ne pas avoir de responsabilités écrasantes, ne se soucier que d'elle même tout en faisant ce qu'elle aime et ce pourquoi elle est douée. La belle vie quoi.
Mais malheureusement, elle n'a plus le choix. Enfin si, elle peut toujours justement trouver qui peut la remplacer. Mais justement le problème est de trouver qui. Elle découvre le personnel et les lieutenants de la maison dans ce tome. Mais le souci c'est que vu tout les attentats dont elle est victime, elle sait qu'il y a au moins un traitre parmi eux. Du coup elle doit vraiment le démasquer parce qu'il serait vraiment trop dangereux de confier une Maison aussi puissante à quelqu'un à la solde de l'ennemi.
En conclusion je dirais que ce tome était vraiment très sympa. C'est sur que c'est un tome de grosse transition pour notre héroïne qui doit changer pour survivre. Du coup tout évolue vraiment et ça fait plaisir, j'attendais ça depuis un moment.
Encore un tome addictif x) Ce que j'adore dans ces livres, c'est qu'on commence toujours l'aventure dans un pays étranger, façon Indiana Jones =D Je suis fan >< Enfin, Sara évolue dans ce livre et commence à être autre chose qu'un personnage restant sur le côté des intrigues et des guerres ... J'ai hâte x) En fait, je ne pensais pas dire ça un jour mais j'aime bien Nigel finalement =D J'aimerais bien qu'il serve de compétition à Armaeus (c'est un peu trop facile pour lui avec Sara ><) (même si je suis une grande fan de leurs moments privilégiés) J'aime beaucoup Death, je ne l'imaginais pas du tout comme ça et j'avoue que j'ai eu un coup de coeur x) La fin ... AHHHHHHH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another addictive book x) What I adore in these books is that one always starts the adventure in a foreign country, in a Indiana Jones kind of way =D I SO love it x) Finally, Sara "grew up" in this book and began to be something other than a character remaining on the side of intrigues and wars ... I'm so looking forward for more x) In fact, I didn't think I'll say that one day but I finally like Nigel =D I would like him to compete with Armaeus (it's a little too easy for him with Sara >< Even if I am a big fan of their privileged moments) I like Death very much, I didn't imagine her at all like that and I confess that I had a new favorite x) The end ... AHHHHHHH
I always felt the orphanage was the weakest link in this series; and there is an attempt here to retcon it. But hand wobble.
I started this way back - I don’t know when - and put it down, bored. And six books into a series, that should not be happening. The magic - HER magic - makes no sense. Is she with Armeus or not; they had a relationship, their magics combine well. She gave him back his immortality. FFS. he Owes her.
So... I'm a bit torn about this book. There was mostly good in this book (hence the 4 stars) but there were some things that really bugged me. What I found most annoying was the extreme overuse of idioms, particularly from Nikki. Nikki also has a bad habit of cracking jokes and using innuendo at the most inappropriate times. I also wasn't a big fan of Armaeus. I get it, character development and all, but I found myself rooting for Brody in this book, even though I know it's never going to happen. There were also several times where I just had no idea what was happening (like the showdown with Gamon's usurper and multiple magical episodes - for lack of better word - with Armaeus). But I do like Sara. And I think the world is enthralling and unique. Overall I really did enjoy the book and am very excited to read the next.
Another fast-paced instalment in the Immortal Vegas series: this time, Sara's trying to deal with the events of Book 5 on multiple fronts, although one of which involves a lot more responsibility than she really wants to be taking on. Plus, we get to learn just a little bit more about my favourite character - Nikki, who totally deserves her own spin-off series at this point.
There's not a lot I can say about the particulars of this book without including major spoilers for earlier books. What I will say is that Sara is getting some major power creep, and the biggest issue I had with a couple of the earlier books (the constant dubcon 0f the Magician's healing powers) becomes far less of a problem for me as the books go on. That and I enjoyed this instalment enough that I've just bought the rest of the instalments in the series. I feel like Ms Stark and well and truly earned the price of the books from me at this point.
Very interesting and excellent book! Sara has a new role to play involving houses and swords. Her trip to hell to get the Magician has her hiding something from the Magician and not accepting the results of it herself. Nigel has an interesting role with the houses. Sara must accept her role as head of the house and fight for it as well. A past nemesis will affect many of her decisions. The book ends with a very interesting twist. Read and enjoy as I am off to read the next in the series!
Admittedly some bits bore me (generally the history associated with the treasure hunting) but the actual treasure hunting itself? Well, that bits fun. Very Indiana Jones/Lara Croft only with tarot cards. But really, for me, it's Sara and the Magician, and that chemistry they have burning between them. Please tell me that reaches boiling point soon..?
I've been racing through these books as fast as I can. Reading faster, making myself slow down, reading even faster. I love the Tarot aspect as I used to read the cards. The characters have become important. Is the Magician ever going to figure it out because sometimes he's just a jerk. What's going to happen next? Is this a war that can ever truly be won? So, on to Book 6. I can't wait to find out.
YAAAS! Sara becoming the Head of the House of Swords was unexpected but totally perfect. Because I thought she was going to ascend to the Council but I like that she's still fighting for everyone. The concept of the Aces is brilliant and I love how that has played out with us getting to see some old friends. I find the council quite tedious so anything that isn't them is perfect!
Hands down the best book in the series so far. Overall the storyline has picked up speed, intrigue, and adventure. I love the friendship and loyalty that Sara and Nicki have. I feel like Sara made solid decisions and took honorable action. There were some obvious developments but nothing that turned me off.
Still full of twists surprises and passion. Love how the friendships, Alliances and bonds form. Evolution of both characters and story line are part of this series interest
Action suspense and twists with a splash of sexual tension between the characters. What more could you ask for....... the next book in the series of course. Jennifer Stark delivers
This exciting story has Sara coming into her powers as well as taking a more committed role in the fight against evil. Very interesting book. Cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Two and a half stars. Not as good as the previous book, but still had some good moments. The setting descriptions seemed rushed, though, like Stark had based everything off a Google earth search.