Blood Shackles

Rebel Vampires #2

by Rosemary A. Johns

Librarian note: Older cover of B01JNST30M.

Would you sacrifice your freedom to save your family? When vampires are slaves, and humans are acting like monsters, it's a dangerous game to love your Mistress.

In a divided paranormal London, Light is the bad boy vampire of the Blood Lifer world, but then for the first time he becomes the hunted, not the hunter. When he’s bought by his Mistress, Light fights to escape. If he doesn’t, he’ll never solve the conspiracy behind the Blood Club.

London, Primrose Hill. Grayse is the slaver’s daughter. She buys Light, like he’s a pair of designer shoes. So why does Light feel so drawn to her? Especially when his family is still in chains. Will he risk everything – even his new love – to save them?

A stunning revelation leads Light to the dark heart of the Blood Club. If he can face his worst terrors, he can save his family and whole species from slavery.

Maybe he can even save himself.

WELCOME TO THE BLOOD CLUB

WHERE THE PREDATORS

BECOME THE PREY

Fans of Beautiful Monsters, Captive Prince, Night Huntress, Anita Blake, and Blood Dagger Brotherhood will LOVE the spellbinding secret world of Blood Life.

Blood Shackles is the compelling second instalment in the bestselling supernatural suspense series Rebel Vampires from the award-winning fantasy author Rosemary A Johns. Experience a thrilling new adventure with vampires, unputdownable surprises and dark romance.

Welcome to the Rebel Age!

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Horror, Supernatural

318 pages, ebook

First published October 18, 2016

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author of Addictive Romance

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Award-winning and #1 Amazon bestselling paranormal and romance author.

WINNER OF SILVER AWARD in National Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
Shortlisted in International Rubery Book Awards.
Winner in the IAN Book of the Year Awards: awarded Finalist

A music fanatic and anti-hero addict. Rosemary writes savage vampires, snarky demons, and epic battles. She's always been a rebel.

Discover enemies-to-lovers, swoonworthy book boyfriends, and shifters! Don't miss her steamy and action-packed REBEL series, including REBEL GODS, REBEL WEREWOLVES, and REBEL ACADEMY.

Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good and it kept me intrigued from beginning to end! I did not expect for Light to be a slave what so ever. In this book Light is talking about what is happening to him and what his going through. I really do like this book and recommend it to any one that wants a unique book about vampires and being slaves. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Shackles by Rosemary A. Johns is book two in her Rebel Vampires series. In this book, for those who are familiar with and returning to this world, you are reunited with Light as he is now living the life of a slave with his new mistress, Grayse, daughter of the Cain’s. For those who are just entering this world, like myself, we are learning being introduced to Light and reading his journal that he has been given to write in by his mistress so that she can know his thoughts and learn about him. We are given reflections of the past and reflections of his days that he spends with her as they both come to learn about each other a day at a time. Light is telling Grayse about all the things that have happened to him since his capture and those who have been hired by her father to break him and others like him but there is more as Light learns the truth as to how they know so much about how to track, find and subdue each one of them. The vampires, Blood Lifers, are hunted down, captured, de-fanged and subjugated to being barely anything more than toys for the humans, First Lifers. Grayse is being groomed by the family to join its ranks in the business but Light helps to open her eyes as he tells her his history and what he has suffered at the hands of those in the business. Light is no innocent, having taken many lives himself but he is determined to do what he can to save those that he now calls family from continuing to suffer any further at the hands of the Manx.
Blood Shackles is the first book that I have read by Rosemary A. Johns. When I first started this book, after reading the blurb I was interested and intrigued as to what this story could be about…a vampire being a slave to a human. I was curious as to how this could possibly be and how the story would come about to them falling in love. When I first started this story and saw that it was written in basically a journal format I didn’t think that the story would be that engaging and I have to admit that the dialogue used by the main character and the others really threw me because I didn’t quite understand what they were saying since it was done in English (Britain) and not American but once I hit my stride I began to understand what was being said and what certain words meant.
As the story is written from a first person point of view (Light’s) I find the story quickly becomes engaging. There are spots of where I wish that the author had gone into more detail about Light’s past or touched more on certain spots I found the story to be very engaging overall. You read along as though you are the one who holds him and are reading about all the things that he has seen, experienced and suffered. How he loses himself for a while in an attempt to gain what he must and then struggles to come back to who he was before. You see Light coming to care for Grayse despite the fact of who she is and who her family is. He sees her for who she is and doesn’t just lump her with her sister and her father. He learns things almost constantly and it makes the story interesting.
Now, I would very much recommend that those who have not read the first book in this series go back and read the first book because I think that it will help Blood Shackles make more sense and be easier to get into right from the beginning because you’ll have a better starting point and overall understanding of how and why things are the way that they are…that the vampires are hunted and made into what they are for the humans to use as they please. I have the first book in my collection and when I am able I fully intend to go back, read it and then reread Blood Shackles to see if it flows smoother right from the beginning for me.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. Once I got into it this book really became a page turner for me as I read on to find out what happened to not just Light but Grayse and those who helped Light before Grayse came and bought him to keep him from further pain and suffering. This story is not your typical vampire story and I really find myself liking that about it. All in all I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. Despite not having read the first book in this series the author has done a really good job at immersing me in this world and having me want to learn and know more with a nice twist.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

[Katherine Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book by the blurb, which indicated that Johns had created an intriguing world for her vampire/human urban fantasy. Like many paranormal fans, I’m pretty sick of writers who just throw a vampire into a story without any real thought about how human/vampire interactions would work. This series flips the usual power dynamic—the humans are in charge—and the result is full of surprises (in a good way).
For one thing, Johns’ hero (Light) has a singular voice. He’s a working class vampire (aka “Blood Lifer”) and his entries in the journal “thoughtfully” provided by his owner Grayse (who expresses herself rather like a Goth teenager), are believably masculine and angry. We get glimpses of the world that the author has created, a place where vampires and humans (“First Lifers”) uneasily coexist. There are conspiracies in the city, and mysteries as well, and for all that the working out of Light and Grayse’s relationship is entertaining, it’s the overall story that readers will find compelling.
Johns does a good job of serving up ancient myth with modern technology (at one point Light is on the internet, Googling “green lasers”) and we get a feel that the conflict that’s coming (this is book two of a series) will be a big one. You can enjoy this book without having read book one, but if, like me, you enjoyed SHACKLES OF BLOOD, you’ll want to track down the first story.

[Aldis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Shackles is the first person diary of Light, a vampire captured by a mysterious organization and enslaved. I was not sure how the diary format would read for the story, but it was a good choice. Light was being "trained" in submission, in preparation for some end that is only hinted at, when he is claimed by Grayse, the slaver's daughter. She gives him the diary as a way to keep Light busy. Light resents this at first - he wants his freedom and to know who and what this organization that trades in vampire submissives - but starts falling for Grayse despite himself. So he uses the diary in turn to provoke her, explain things to her, and declare himself to her. Then he finds out that Grayse has feelings for him. This was another story I found hard to put down - it addresses slavery, consent, sex, morality, and many others. It was fascinating. The author either studied torture and its effects or is incredibly intuitive. I will be reading book 1, then the next one in the series.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story! I couldn't put it down. The author did such a wonderful job with character development, plot progression, emotion, empathy, and creating a world where vampires are the one in danger I couldn't put this book down! As I read this story my emotions were directly linked to Light's because the author did such a great job conveying his story! Need to go back and read the first story in this series!

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense, emotional and rewarding. It took a little bit to get into the story because of the language but I really enjoyed it. It was really dark and twisted but it was raw and emotional showing struggle and triumph.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc from the author.

[Cherri-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

what happens in this journal, stays in this journal. 4 SILVER RINGS

You can’t flay a rebel’s Soul. WHOA... I don't even know what to say! After finishing Blood Dragons (book 1) and going straight into this book, I still feel so attached to Light that this story he's just finished telling me is just so... personal, so... intimate and dare I say horrific? It totally got MY SHACKLES up, just from reading it, never mind feeling, experiencing it all with him, even AS Light, to a fang point. I may be a slave to my vampiric desires, but never a bloody slave! This is one very different vampire book, like nothing I have ever read before, and I have read a LOT of vampire books over the years! It's not for the faint of heart though. Nor is it your "typical" romance story. Actually, there isn't ANYTHING "typical" about it! And that is EXACTLY why I fell for Light. Now that I have pretty well adjusted, adapted, to Light's speech I find that this book flew through the pages! Maybe the modern side of it helped a bit as well, a little something-something to relate to without even thinking of it, without even realizing it! Of course, Mistress played a HUGE part in this as well! The mystery of her - the REAL her - drew me in like a moth to Light! After one horrific part, I bawled so hard for Light! It shocked me because I didn't realize I was THAT attached to him or the story, for that matter. At least not in that way. While there is a lot to like - even love - about this book & series, I found that some of the parts I truly wanted to live through Light were pretty ambiguous, yet some of the most horrible horrors were greatly detailed. Now some of that could be because of the terminology, me understanding its meaning one way, when it was completely the opposite. Regardless, I still did enjoy this series and will eagerly await the next book! Rosemary is one bloody VAMPIRETASTIC author, talented beyond a slave shadow of Light! The way the story is told - reading the journal of the main character - is bloody brilliant! It's personal without being personal. By that I mean that I did experience everything with Light, but through his eyes, rather than me becoming him. I'm not sure that explains it, but I think when you read the book, you will understand what I mean. It was every one of my revenge fantasies come true. It was…justice. Blood Lifer justice. It felt like absolution for us all. You’d saved me, when I was lost.

[Margarita Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light is back and he’s his usual charming, funny, wry, ballsy self. But he’s in a dark place. Kidnapped and held prisoner by a corrupt organisation that sells Blood Lifer sex slaves to billionaires, Light finds himself acquired by the slave owner’s younger daughter, Grayse. Grayse trains him to do her bidding, which is not what you might think, but as their relationship develops and a mutual trust grows between them, Light determines to open her eyes to the truth about her own family and to save his own Blood Life family.
This is a powerful, unflinching narrative that is not for the fainthearted. There are clear parallels with the slave trade (made all the more poignant by the references to the Negro Spiritual Go Down, Moses), modern day sex trafficking and the potential corruption of big business. The story explores in terrifying detail how a person’s identity can be taken from them by the barbaric use of torture and is an indictment of the way some societies have persecuted those perceived to be different from themselves.
Having said that, it’s not all darkness and horror. Light’s witty, loving, self-deprecating personality shines through and we get moving glimpses into his Victorian childhood. The picture of Light in a pair of pink Marigolds (a popular brand of kitchen gloves in the UK) doing the household chores made me smile. And he can cook an Italian meal for me any day.
The writing is sharp and resonant, the emotional pacing is spot on, and the action scenes are minutely choreographed and vividly described. Blood Shackles is a terrific read and ultimately it is a story about the triumph of hope and love over evil.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Shackles (Rebel Vampires Book 2)
Written by Rosemary A. Johns
Genre: Paranormal Romance; Vampire




Blood Shackles is the second book in the Rebel Vampires Series. This book continues with the story of Light, now called Shadow. As with the first book, this book is written in Light/Shadow’s voice and as a journal. This is a stand alone, but I personally would say read the first book Blood Dragons first then this one, just so that you get the hang of the writing style as well as know the characters.


Light/Shadow was enslaved after Kathy dies, Light must carry on. He has been captured and enslaved and this book is the journal about what happens. I don’t like spoilers so I won’t get into much detail, but I will say that Rosemary Johns amazes me with her writing style. I Love her imagination and the way that she has told yet another intriguing vampire story that is totally different than what we have all come to know.


The flow of this book is amazing, you can’t put the book down. The characters are outstanding, the flow of the book is wonderfully done. This was an amazing follow up to Blood Dragons and I am impatiently waiting for the third book of this series. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is wanting a new spin on paranormal and vampires. Great Job Ms. Johns, I loved it!


***I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher***

[Josephine Clements · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read the previous book called Blood Dragons, I ordered the next one, Blood Shackles, both in paperback form [I know it's cheaper to get on Kindle, but if I like the book covers and think I may read again, prefer to actually have the book.]Actually, the artwork on the covers is stunning, am a bit of a nerd for that sort of thing.]In this second instalment. Light, the vampire hero/anti-hero has become a victim [not without a fight] of a shadowy and brutal organisation who capture and enslave blood -lifers [vampires] who are then sold on to possibly ghastly existences/owners.I don't want to write any spoilers, but there is the same humour, and style and thriller element of the first book but
a darker and pacier feel to this one.Set in London again, but a modern, harsher London , Light has to discover what is going on, who is behind it all, and above all, to escape.I read this book, devoured it actually in four days [reading it when I should have been doing other things lol] Am being demanding here, but will this author get a move on and publish the next book [hope so.]

[Ramona Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the second book, Rosemary turned me into a fan. The first one was a tad dragged out but this one was spot on. The plot is extremely unique and different, which is rather refreshing for yet "another book" about vampires. She again shows that she is a talented writer. She meticulously develops her characters and in this one you can't help but cheer for "Light". He is slowly but surely turning into a hero, unlike any I have seen to date. The characters are well developed and especially Light is continuously growing in this book.

I am still not a huge fan of reading it like I am reading someone's diary, but it is growing on me. In this one I am much more used to a lot of the British terms and really didn't notice them as much as in the first one.

I can definitely recommend this book for those who like to read something unique and different, covering romance and vampires.

I have received this book from the author for an honest review. (LoP, Lovers of Paranormal)

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome!! When it started I couldn't believe Light was a slave. The how and why and what happened to him and other Blood Lifers that were slaves is a emotional ride to the end. Light is once again telling the story and keeping a journal for us and his family to read. I don't want to say to much and give away anything. Just read this 2nd book in this series. I'm waiting on book #3 to come out in 2017.

I received this book free to read and give an honest review.

[Erika P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jumped from one book to another, really enjoying the uniqueness of this story, unlike anything I've ever read. Hot, exciting, and intense. I thank the Author for providing a copy to review.

~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog

[Energy Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rebel Vampires live in a time of Vampire slavery. Johns gives us Light, via journal style, penning his days to his master to read. But Grayse isn't like her family, the "Cain's", she knows that what is happening is wrong, and she reads Light's journal every night.
What unfolds is a heartbreaking story of the atrocities man will inflict when they are consumed with greed. Forced to live as "Shadow", the Cain family and their employees work at breaking down the very essence of the vampires until they are but former shadows of themselves. Through it all, he always whispered: "My name is Light".
Grayse and Light grow close through her reading of his journal and he opens her eyes to exactly what her family is doing and how her money is earned. A bond is formed.
Light's journal was heartbreaking, but through it all, there was always courage, a "rebel". John's has a unique way of writing that brings words to life. Eloquently penned to elicit feelings from each and every situation Light went through, it's a book that is impossible to put down.

[Evelyn Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the second installment of the series. It will bring out deep emotions within the reader as we read about Light’s excursion as a S.L.A.V.E. It is horrifying yet enlightening what he experiences. It is like we are the ones suffering through everything instead of him. The look into his psyche is brilliant and expounds more realistic than any other book I have read. Ms. Johns continues to write with her one-of-a-kind brilliant perspective and insight! I could not put this book down until the end. Light is one of my new favorite fictional book characters!

[Belinda Clemons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow and I thought book one was intense. This one will leave you reeling. I loved that it was in journal entries and it has the dates. Light aka Shadow has become a slave and bought by the Masters daughter who tells him at the beginning that she's never took care of a dog. Seeing Light on this way is so sad and I wonder what else more can they do to him. I can't wait for book 3

[Lisa Eiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I fell in love with Light's character in book 1, but this book lets you peek in on his experiences as a slave. It's heartbreaking what he suffers through while treated as a slave, and even though he's a vampire, you really feel for him as he is treated like an abused pet. The writing in this book is excellent, and you can really feel along with the character throughout the entire novel. I can't wait to see what will happen with this character in book 3.

I received a copy of this book from the author and wanted to share my honest opinion here. I'd recommend this book for anyone that is a fan of vampires. Just be ready for a load of British slang along the way!

[Michelle VanDaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I reviewed Book one in the rebel Vampires series I wrote "Unlike any vampire story you have ever read. Fresh, New & Amazingly written" and the same goes for Book 2! Rosemary Johns continues Lights journey in the journal format which I enjoy. Blood Shackles has more twists and turns than book 1 and kept me on the edge of my seat and up till early morning hours reading. This is definitely a must read series for all vampire/paranormal lovers.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how we get to know Light more in depth with book two and it was good seeing some of the characters from book one also in it. Blood Shackles for me was a more intense and emotional book as it had more characters you could really relate to (even if they are vampires) and showed the dark side to being a Vampire where they are not the dominant ones. I was pulled in lots of directions with the relationship between Light and Grayse, as well as her Father and the brutality of things that occur at the establishment where they first tried to break him down to be nothing more than a slave. So glad book 3 isn't too far away!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review and was not compensated in any way.

Assassins Reading Reviewing Group.

[Chantelle Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars From Underground Book Reviews!

Light is a British vampire, who has been captured by the ruthless Blood Club, an underground society who deal in vampires, training and selling them as slaves for the rich. Defanged and ‘trained’ into a life of subservience to his new ‘owner’ Grayse, Light feels a long way from the rebel he once was. From the start though, he realises that Grayse, whose father owns the Blood Club, is not like her family her at all. An attraction grows, family bonds are tested, and as Light writes his diary to Grayse, detailing the horrendous abuse he has suffered, the two of them devise a daring plot of rescue and revenge. A shocking and at times uncomfortable read, this dark book leads us deeper into the world of vampires and their enemies, and sets the story up for book three...
Read the full review at UndergroundBookReviews.org !!

[Ashley Sledge( UnderCoversBookBlog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So in book 1 Blood Dragons we met Light,
Such a romantic and kind of a badass.
Well this book completely caught me off guard!!!!

Light is now a slave!!! And this book talks about everything he had endured while in "training"
And how he processed it all.

This is a must read!!! I highly recommend everyone give this series a try!!!!

[Stephanie Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reviewer and an avid reader there are 5 stars for review. One star is incredibly horrid, boring or just thoughtless writing. We've all read, or at least tried to give a shot to these books and tried not to blow our brains out in the process. For me, two stars maybe had the potential of a decent storyline but they didn't do it justice or the beginning held potential and then the writer skips all the important parts and you're lost as to what you're reading. Three stars is decent writing but you just couldn't get into it. Someone else with different tastes may love it though. Four stars is a good storyline and decent plotting, even a strong voice from the author and good characters. Five stars is when you wait on bated breath to find out what will happen next; you have trouble putting it down knowing you're going to be a zombie the next day. Where you fall in love with the characters, laugh and cry with them, rage and smile with them. Five Stars means that you're pulled in, a part of the action going on. It becomes your reality. The authors voice so strong, you feel every tear they shed and every laugh they belted out.

Blood Shackles: Rebel Vampires Volume 2 by Rosemary A Johns is my five star read. This novel was gut twistingly intense. Telling his story with a notebook entry, Light is a rebel Blood Lifer who has abstained from drinking human blood for 50 years. He's captured and turned slave, or so they think. Grayse is the youngest daughter of the Cain family who is doing the capturing, slaving, torturing and killing of Blood Lifers. She picks Light, renamed Shadow by his captors, because he's not broken. Grayse has no clue what really goes on in the dark cells, the humiliation and degradation, the horror and the pain, as she starts to work for the family business. There's so many secrets and the suspense will drive you wild. The twists and turns to this incredible story will give you whiplash. I just couldn't put it down. This Standalone novel left me drooling for more Light!

You have to read this series folks or you will miss out on the authors strong voice that just pulls you in, her emotion tangible. You will miss the love that Light has to give. You will miss the powerful, heart-rending rollercoaster that jumbles all of your thoughts and feelings and then puts them back together again piece by bloody piece. Yes, I give this second installment a five-star rating and cannot wait for the next book to come out!

[Rosemary Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Blood Shackles by Rosemary A Johns is the second book in the Rebel Vampires series, following Blood Dragons. Light is a Blood Lifer (vampire) in London where First Lifers (humans) have decided they were superior. Now First Lifers have captured and enslaved the Blood Lifers for profit. His past consists of lost love and blood, but he has since changed his ways. When Light is captured, he refuses to lose himself, despite how his captors try to break his spirit and force him into submission. Being sold to Grayse is the ticket he needs out of his cell, even though her father owns the company that enslaves him. She gives him back everything they took from him: his bike, his jacket, his freedom. His growing bond to her gives him the strength to fight for his family, his people, and his rights.

Blood Shackles is brutally honest, tragic, triumphant, addictive, and somehow hopeful. I was so engrossed in Light's story that I didn't notice my Kindle was dying until it died. The whole novel is written as a journal by Light. Nothing is sugarcoated. It's a heavy topic of torture, abuse, rape, and manipulation. The brutal honesty that Rosemary A Johns puts into the story is commendable. Slavery isn't an easy topic to discuss, and taking our perspectives of vampires and turning it into a metaphor. The First Lifers think they're superior and treat the Blood Lifers like they're objects. There's no way to escape the truth of the story. However, Light's story is fulfilling. At the end the right people get what they deserve, and it definitely feels rewarding. This isn't a happy novel at all, but there are uplifting moments. This novel made me so angry, which is the point. Johns succeeded in creating a world, characters, and a story that pulled me in until I had to finish reading it. I had to know what was going to happen to Light, Hartford, Donovan, and Grayse. This is a novel everyone should read, along with Blood Dragons.

[Amiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing second book in the Rebel Vampires Series by Rosemary A. Johns! I could not put this book down, it gripped me from page to page and was shocked how quickly I inhaled this book. I love the format of this book and how it is a sort of journal. Rosemary has made a new world of vampires and I love how different it is from what we’ve all known to come and to expect. The book itself is very well written, the flow of the story entraps you and immediately makes you want to turn the pages as quickly as you can and the character development is really great as well. It’s not often you get to read a book that has so many amazing qualities. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is a lover of vampire stories.

[LeAnn Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartrending follow up to Blood Dragons, this time we witness Light's systematic breakdown into "S.L.A.V.E." The reader is front and center for all the mental and physical abuse and games our dear Light is subjected to in order to make him a fit slave, and I for one felt every anguish and triumph Light did. Rosemary does a fabulous job of pulling the reader into Light's mental state, whether it be on the verge of surrender or deciding to once again play "hero" though he feels he's not fit for the role.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word: WOW! I really love this series! I loved the first book; Blood Dragons, and Blood Shackles is even better! So many surprises and twists; it’s a must read for all readers! I solid 4.5 Boundless Stars for me!

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[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing read. Enjoyed it. Recommended for those who enjoy vampire tales

[Roseanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

When vampires are slaves and humans are acting like monsters, it's a dangerous game to love your Mistress.

Light, the bad boy vampire of the Blood Lifer world, is hunted through paranormal London. The predators? The humans who were once his prey.

When Light’s enslaved, he’s bought by his enemy’s daughter. Now he’s caught between breaking under their cruel training, or battling to hold onto the rebel inside. If he can remember the vampire he once was, he can fight to uncover the conspiracy behind the slave ring and free his family.

This is the second book in the rebel vampire series. I did enjoy it a touch more than the first, although I still do not prefer the journaling format. It is hard for me, as I tended to lose interest. While this installment does have more action and a smidge more dialogue, it was very much Shadows journal to his master’s daughter.

The time setting is after the loss from book one, and Light is captured. Renamed Shadow as a slap in the face, due to his name being Light. I really didnt think I would like Grayce much, but I think she grew on me. Still not overly excited about slavery, it is a bit odd to me how one can form such a connection to the one holding him captive. I think that may be on me, not being a fan of such books.

The ending was wrapped up nicely, and I think Sun will make Light a nice companion. There is the same amount of colloquialisms peppered throughout this book, but it was expected. I do believe I am curious to what Light and his new family will be up to next. Ms. Johns does have a unique way to tell a story, with plenty of fresh twists.

[John Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start, I received the paperback yesterday and haven't been able to put it down since. This reminded me of Taken, but with a dark love story. The journey starts with Light now enslaved telling us the story from his slave journal. After Kathys death he has been lost MMA fighting to get by when he is captured, enslaved and had his fangs ripped out. He is bought by a member of the human traffickers Grayse, who is unaware quite how evil her Manx slave trader family are. She learns of this by reading his journal and slowly the two fall in love. There is just so much in this book to fit in a review. Also taken are his fellow bloodlifers Donovan and his partner Hartford. Hartford is a long lived one of the oldest and strongest. He helps Light and the story grips and turns as family bonds form. The author really takes you on a journey as Light tells the story. I would describe this as a thrilling roller coaster of emotions that will make you smile, shout and cry. I was surprised by the uniqueness of the first book, but this time you encounter slave trading and trafficking involving vampires and really get an insight into this and how they destroy a person physically and emotionally. A well written book, one of the best Vampire books I have read!!

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this series just keep getting better. I am very excited about this series. This book is in Light/Shadow’s voice and as a story in his own words. The characters in this book are wonderful and the story is still just as exciting as the 1st book. This author is one to watch! * I received this book from the author---this is my honest review*