Splintered Nights

by Veronica Del Rosa

Outcast, orphan, and homeless by choice, Pearle has spent her adult life dodging the fangs of vampires. She’s learned to forego the dubious safety of a home’s threshold—and the death she brings to those who share it with her. Instead, she survives on the streets, staking the monsters back to the afterlife one bloodsucker at a time. But when a powerful vampire sire moves into the city and sets his sights on her, she’ll have to ask for the one thing she’s never needed before: help.

Short on options and long on enemies, Pearle agrees to play bait for the local werewolf pack in exchange for protection. But it doesn’t take long before she realizes something is seriously wrong inside the pack. Old resentments simmer beneath the surface, and more than one wolf wouldn’t mind letting the night take her. Worse, the werewolf alpha has a whole other agenda for her, one that makes death by vampire bite look downright appealing.

Now a bone fought over by two men in a centuries-old supernatural war, Pearle must figure out a way to escape both factions. . . or risk becoming a monster the likes neither side has ever seen before.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 25, 2018

About the author

Veronica Del Rosa is a master at disguises. She can be a computer geek, an obsessed reader, a fun-loving mom, a sci-fi lover, a distracted gamer, and occasionally, a wise-cracking author. But don’t let the disguises fool you. First and foremost, she’s a romantic at heart.

Want to see what the supervillain hero is up to? Hunt her down at these following locations:

Twitter: @Veronica_DelRos,
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Veroni...

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Available today! Buy it buy it buy it!





Decapodic disclaimer: yes, the Slightly Deranged Author (SDA™) is a friend of mine (or so she thinks anyway). Should you have a problem with that, please note I don't give a fish about it. And yes, I love you, too.

Who would have thought the Ever Declining and On the Brink of Deadly Death Urban Fantasy Genre (EDaOtBoDUFG™) would be rescued, superheroine-style, by a Bloody Shrimping Paranormal Romance-Writing Freak Enthusiast (BSPRWFE™)? Most unlikely this sounds, does it not, my Frisky Barnacles? Well, slightly flabbergasting as it may be, this is exactly what happened here. Sooooo, without further ado, allow me to present The Woman Who Can Apparently Do No Wrong Which Smells Super Fishy If You Ask Me (TWWCDNWWSSFIYAM™), aka Veronica Del Rosa!



Yes, Veronica is actually Batgirl in real life. Please don't tell anyone, though. She likes to keeps things inconspicuous and stuff. Thank thee kindly.

Okay, so I've been reading less and less and less and less and less and less and less and less Urban Fantasy lately. Why, you ask? Because 80% 90% of UF books that are published today are 100% undiluted, pure, full-strength, unadulterated crap, that's why. It's all suicide-inducing clichés and spontaneous self-combustion-generating stupidity these days. Which is why I have been threatening to unleash the crustaceans on Veronica very politely suggesting to Veronica that she cut the romantic bullfish try and write an Urban Fantasy story for decades. At least. I figured that, given that she is the only PNR author whose books do not bring out the homicidal maniac in me (this being quite a feat indeed), she might probably perhaps have it in her to produce a not-overly trashy UF novel. Maybe. And here we are. And this little thing here is a total winner, too and you can thank me later for using my amazing powers of persuasion on Veronica and making her write this book. Because this moderately satisfying story obviously wouldn't exist if it weren't for me . Yay and stuff.



Yes yes yes, I know. You are tired, you have uninteresting places to go to and unexciting things to do with your lowly barnacled lives. Worry not, for the crap shall be cut henceforth.

Why you need to read this book and stuff:

① I said so.

② It's bloody shrimping awesome.

③ Not a single eye-rolling moment was experienced while reading this story. Meaning it does not suffer from an acute case of Stupiditis Maximis yes, I am aware that this is not proper Latin, but thank you SO much for pointing it out anyway. I shall be eternally full of grate and stuff . Nor from a severe Tropendelicious condition. So if that is what you usually look for in your crappy UF, well, these are not the droids you are looking for and stuff.



④ The heroine is a teensy little bit wondrous. This girl ain't your Typical Spoiled TSTL Mary Snowflake Special Sue UF Specimen (TSTSTLMSSSUFS™), my Flimsy Arthropods! She is strong and tough and independent and makes my black, withered, feminist heart soar and stuff. Also, her character is most original and refreshing. I could tell you why but I won't because I'm sadistic like that that would spoil the fun and stuff. All you need to know is that she is slightly awesome. And a little badass, too. And spoiler spoiler spoiler.

⑤ This somewhat entertaining story is all non-stop action and kick ass fights. I swear, the Slightly Deranged Author writes the best fight scenes I'm fairly certain it's completely unintentional on her part, though . I was actually thinking of kidnapping inviting her to stay with me for a while, so that she would train my murderous children. Not that they need help on how to skewer things in a most excruciating way, but their combat skills sometimes lack finesse and originality, so I think a little technical help would do them good and stuff.



See what I mean?

⑥ There is no bloody stinking romance whatsoever in this book. Nothing. Zilch. Zip. Nada. Rien de rien and stuff. And that, my Fickle Arthropods, is quite deliciously orgasmic shrimptastic indeed. Also, there are no fluffy bunnies, cute kittens or paste-colored rainbows to be had there. Which makes me think there is indeed a shrimpy god and stuff.

⑦ It is impossible to survive the last 30% of the book without having a defibrillator handy. I think Veronica must have attended the Pippa DaCosta School of Viciously Shocking Twists and Cunningly Twisted Shocks and Complete Utter Evillness (PDCSoVSTaCTSaCUE™) or something. I don't know how else to explain such a level of sheer cruelty and treachery in an author. Pretty sure it has nothing to do with talent, or the fact that Veronica is a wickedly malevolent woman who loves nothing better than to cruelly torture her poor readers to death and repeatedly stab them in the back and stuff. Bloody hell I love this stuff. Bad, bad Veronica.



➽ And the moral of this There Might Be Your Usual Vamps and Werewolves in this Story but Your Average Crappy UF Thing It Ain't Not Crappy Non Review (TMBYUVaWitSbYACUFTIANCNR™) is: should the author known as batgirl Veronica Del Rosa fail to write a sequel to this reasonably engrossing tale posthaste, there is a slight possibility that the murderous crustaceans might or might not be slightly unleashed on her. But hey, no pressure and stuff.

ARC kindly provided by the Slightly Deranged Author (SDA™) in exchange for an honest review.



[Pre-review nonsense]

Bloody stinking barnacle, Shrimpman! There are enough twists in this book to life me three nefarious lifetimes! At least!



➽ Full Looks Like Ms Del Rosa Can Do No Wrong Pretty Sure She Sold Her Sold to the Devil in Exchange for Some Writing Talent and Stuff Crappy Non Review (LLMDRCDNWPSSSHSttDiEfSWTaSCNR™) to come.



Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only puny human in the universe who knows the super special extra secret recipe for Non Suicide Inducing PNR (NSIPNR™)—and therefore hasn't yet died a slightly excruciating, pincer-sponsored deadly deathly death and stuff—just wrote her first ever UF novel!!!!

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But between you and me, my Little Barnacles, I couldn't care less about this book. Really. That's the truthful truth. And it's not like I want to read it or anything. Absolutely not. Nope nope nope. The only reason it's on my currently-reading shelf is because Veronica is holding a water gun to my lovely little exoskeleton right now. Obviously. Because I AM NOT excited in the least about this. Nuh-huh, not me and all that crap.

[Heather Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well now, that's how you do UF!!



It's hardly a secret I'm a HUGE fan of Veronica's Enforcers & Coterie series, but this book here is in a league of it's own.

Vampires and werewolves locked in an age-old battle, you've heard it before, right? Not like this you haven't. And between the warring factions is our girl, Pearle. She doesn't know why the bloodsuckers are always salivating after her blood, but she has learned to protect herself. If that means living on the streets and keeping her friends to a strict minimum of one, so be it.

Cole is not her friend, she knows that much. But when the sexy werewolf shows his true colors, it takes everything she has not to stake him like she does the vampires. Pearle has to play it smart if she wants to make it out of this alive, because in this war, she's both a queen, a pawn and the biggest prize of all.

*FYI, this book is pure UF, so if you are expecting PNR, you won't find it here. But you will find one hell of a action-packed, kick-ass story*

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good - review will be coming eventually since I'm so slow to review anymore - but quick thoughts. This was a delightful change from a typical UF and there's a few twists at the end. The main character is special but for morbid reasons that don't necessarily mean anyone wants her because of that uniqueness - in fact it deters some. I definitely didn't expect a certain betrayal and twist during that last chapter, yikes. Not sure where the series will go from here but I'll be on board to check it out when the next book is released.

[Elena]

The UF backstory of Veronica Del Rosa's Enforcers and Coterie PNR series is one of my favorite in the genre: its strength isn't its originality but the fact that the worldbuilding clearly comes from an author that feels very much at home between vampires, werewolves and creepy fairies, someone who knows and loves her UF lore well and re-arranged it in a very effective way. It's classic UF at its best, really. The romance side of the series is a tad bit too saccharine for my taste, but Del Rosa plays around with the usual PNR tropes giving life to an awesome cast of (usually) little-seen female characters: her heroines are scientists, green-scaled demons and thousand years old vampire of color, often busy doing the rescuing rather than waiting around for some handsome monster to show up, deliver a few patronizing lines and save the day.

When I picked up the author's newly published Splintered Nights - which is set in a different narrative world - I didn't quite know what to expect besides ❶ great worldbuilding ❷ trope reversal.

So I was... hmm... a little taken aback when, already well into the story, I was forced to admit that:
❶ the worldbuilding is... kind of not there? Del Rosa just thrusts us into the story mid-action - a narrative choice I usually enjoy a lot, but that in this case I found a bit disorienting: at first I thought this was a post-apocalyptic setup of sorts, where humans are forced to hole up together during the night while ravenous vampires roam the street undisturbed... only - nope, turns out it's more of a Buffy-esque world, with vampires (of the nasty variety, not the sexy one) hiding in the metaphorical and literal shadows, unbeknownst by the human population at large;

❷ Pearle is a Badass! And a Loner! And she's Poor as a Rat! (Like, for realsies: she's homeless!) But wait - Here Comes Arrogant Alpha Werewolf! He's Flirty! He's Cocky! He's Mysterious! He's Good at Everything! And now He's Coercing Pearle to Follow Him (in His Sports Car!) to His Place (it's a Villa!). Turns out He Wants Her to be His Mate! And He Won't Take a No for an Answer!

And... no, wait a moment here, I mean.... Veronica Del Rosa, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

Well. No. She wasn't. Haha.
I really can't tell you more without spoiling the author's efforts, though. But just in case you're wondering if you're going to be forced to read 350 pages of already-seen-it-all stuff before the final payoff - worry not, friend: the story is short and absolutely enjoyable - thanks especially to its heroine - and in the end, the lack of heavy worldbuilding made sense, since Del Rosa decided to rely on the most common UF notions, those even readers little accustomed to the genre would know. And ultimately, avoiding lengthy explanations about the lore worked to the advantage of the action scenes, so you really won't be bored. And then... then the author will turn tables on you and you'll be a little happy UF reader, I promise you.

Recommended to UF lovers tired of the usual stuff. UF isn't dead, people! Hurrah!

[Elena Linville-Abdo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars: 4 out of 5.

This was a surprisingly good book by an author I have never read before, since she writes mostly paranormal romance, and I don't read PNR. It has been languishing on my TBR list since 2018, and I finally got around to it. I'm glad I did.

On the surface, the world is the usual urban fantasy fair - with humans living mostly oblivious of the nasties that live alongside them. And the nasties are also the usual fair - vampires and werewolves. 

Those are not the sparkly vampires and noble soulmate werewolves that you will encounter in other urban fantasy books. These are monsters, and there is nothing noble or beautiful about them.  And I liked that. These monsters are ruthless and downright cruel. Their societies are violent and bloody, and humans are just food or playthings to them. This is honestly refreshing.

I also really loved Pearle. She is what a strong character should be - self-reliant, smart, resourceful, and she always manages to get back up no matter how many times she gets knocked down. She just doesn't give up, despite the fact that her life sucks. I mean she is homeless, working a thankless job for a boss that hates her guts. Every night is a battle for survival against vampires that keep coming for her. 

She learned to rely only on herself, and the one time when she let that rule drop and chose to become close to someone, that person betrayed her. That was rather messed up. Shows you that even the meekest of the monsters are still monsters. And sometimes the meekest monsters are the most cunning and ruthless.

The ending was also rather sad, because even though Pearle defeated the vampire that had been after her since her childhood, she is still homeless and she made powerful enemies in the werewolf clan. Oh, and the vampires are still after her. So is she really better off than she was at the beginning of the book? At least she knows why the vampires are attracted to her now, or what happened to her father. 

I would have loved to read about her adventures with the vampire hunters, but it seems like this book is a standalone and no continuation is planned.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

** I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**

'Splintered Nights' really blew me away with the story line. I absolutely loved it. The way it played out held my attention and I couldn't put this book down. Pearle is a great lead. She's bad-ass, sarcastic and not the typical heroine. She has issues and circumstances aren't ideal, but she makes the most of it. I really hope there's more of her story. A must read. Recommended.

[Ramona Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splintered Nights is an imaginative book written by Veronica Del Rosa. You may think this is your typical Werewolf - Vampire - Vampire Hunter book, but it really isn't. There are some neat twists to it that make this book stand apart from other books, at least in my opinion. This book has a very well developed plot that follows a great pace. I never felt like the story was dragging out nor did I feel the author was rushing me through the story. The author also hid some really great twists in there, one that I found was huge and I didn't see coming at all, and I actually tend to be good in picking these things up, so that was fantastic. I love it when an author can get one over on me since it is not the easiest thing to do.

Pearle is not your typical female heroine but makes up for it in determination and will power. she has a rough deal dealt to her and is driven by the will to survive. She is extremely likable and also relate-able. The author definitely did a very good job in her character development and I really enjoyed reading her story, so much so I wouldn't mind if the author decided following up this stand alone book with another one so we can see what happens to Pearle next!

Voluntary review of Advance Reader Copy. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.

[Joo · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is steam coming out of my ears.

None of the character motivations make sense. Little of the plot makes sense. The writing is over the top and characters react unrealistically (as in, extremely unreasonably) in nearly every scenario. But, you know, I wouldn't be mad about that. I would be disappointed.

This is what I am absolutely FURIOUS about. The protagonist is portrayed as this strong character who doesn't give two shits about what anyone else thinks. But she lets herself get steamrollered by every. single. goddamn. person she fucking comes across. Cole is an absolute fucking asshole from the beginning and obviously at the end, not to mention none of his reactions and motivations actually make any fucking sense and Pearle doesn't counter that. She doesn't fucking push back when he does ridiculous things like claim her as his mate before his pack WITHOUT asking her, like constantly refusing to tell her ANYTHING to keep her safe, like setting her up in his own home without giving her a choice and threatening her when she doesn't like it (and this is only a FEW of the ways that he is a horrible misogynistic ass-fucker). She doesn't push back, and that makes it seem like what Cole is doing is a-okay. It really isn't. People, and I do not care if they are werewolves or humans or vampires or whatever other otherworldly creature, should not be allowed to treat other people in the way that Cole treated Pearle. If a situation like this is portrayed in a book, then it should be thoroughly noted and pointed out that it is NOT OKAY. And this is just Cole. Don't even get me started on the other people. Or Pearle herself, because she's a hypocrite 70% of the time and tstl 20% and badass the remaining puny 10% of the time. I think if I'd enjoyed the plot a little more, or the writing a little more, or if I'd loved the characters at all, I might've looked past some of the misogyny or ridiculousness. But I didn't. At all. So the ridiculousness and misogyny were front and center all the way through.

I wanted to DNF this so many times. SO MANY fucking times. But I held off because all the reviews were like "the end is so cool" or "Pearle so amazing" and I really really was just thinking that maybe it got better at the end. Some books do that. They suck and suck and suck and make me want to bash my head against the wall. And then, suddenly, it's glorious magic and I go from 1 to 5 stars and I'm in love. So. It happens. But not this time. I should've gone with my gut in the first chapter when I thought "Um...I thought Pearle was supposed to be an asskicker?"

Also. That ending. I'm not mad about it. I just don't understand it. Why did you make Jacy into a powerhungry bitch at the end (when there's so little premonition throughout)? What the fuck is up with Omar? Why don't we get more time to actually explore the vampire side of the issue, after having spent so. much. fucking. time harping on it? Anyway. Just a few of the questions I have.

[Walks Through Walls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, well. Um. That was fucked up.

First, let me just say that there is NO ROMANCE WHATSOEVER IN THIS BOOK. Not a bad thing; just a fact. So don't expect it.

Second, holy shit what a shitty grim life Pearle has lived and will apparently always live. She is a serious goddamn shit kicking, no-bullshit-taking, badass of the first order and I simultaneously admire her and feel sorry for her. I had hoped, after all the grinding misery she'd been through, that there would be more of a "real" happy ending for her (romantic or otherwise) but while there was some improvement in her life in a couple of ways, a few other things also got significantly shittier.

So. Yeah. That happened. It's a good book. A fast read; I read it in about 3 hours. But holy hot damn. There's certainly no happy-go-lucky HEA anywhere in there. Not even close.

I'm giving this 3.5 stars rounded down because if there had been even a SMIDGEN more of a truly positive resolution for Pearle, it'd have been solidly in "really liked it"-land and maybe even "it was amazing"-town. But because I couldn't feel genuinely happy for her at the end of it all, it's just a "liked it."

[Madeline Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. Well, thank goodness for the twist at the end, because this had really teed-up to be an awful read.
Even with the unexpected ending, it still was a little too fast-paced and plot-driven for my taste, which was a shame because Pearle could have been a great character with the backstory Del Rosa hinted at. I think it was a mistake to start the book with Pearle's capitulation to Cole; it would have made Pearle a more persuasive character if we'd had a chance to see (and believe) her as a loner with a backbone, and would have made the ending more dramatic if the reader had been able to make their own judgments with Pearle rather than just being told what to believe.
Some of the writing made me cringe. Not sure after the ending whether it was intended to be a parody of UF/PNR's worst tropes... which would be kind of cool. Probably worth a reread to better understand, but I'd probably only do that if a series followed.

[Vero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange one for me.

It got so much praise, that my expectations were quite high. And it was a good read.
The heroine was tough, without being stupid, she said all the right things about not falling for a**holes etc.


SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD:

But then it all derailed on the last few yards - the ending made no sense whatsoever, the final BIG BAD VILLAIN was ridiculous and easily destroyed, her whole backstory was less than original and the "final twist" in the end was bullshit. It came out of nowhere, made so sense and the revelation was useless.

It all left me disappointed.

I probably won't read the author again.

[Someone's Peas · Rating 2 out of 5]

None of the characters stood out to me, they were all either forgettable or unlikeable...