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San Francisco Covens #1
Crucible
San Francisco, 2016
Henry ‘Sully’ Sullivan didn't always work for a paranormal online magazine/newspaper. Nor was he always going around taking photos of supposed ghosts, werewolves or cryptids or interview people whose neighbors were Satan worshipers or had spotted Elvis at the local deli. But it brings in a paycheck and his boss Scott Lakewood is one of only a few who knows what he is really is – a vampire.
Once upon a time, Henry had been an in demand writer and journalist for the top newspapers and magazines in Boston and the country. He was a star that began to burn brightly only to come crashing back to earth in a blaze due to addictions tied to trauma from his childhood. After his fall from grace he was given one last chance at a small town newspaper in Heaven Falls, Virginia where his life would be changed forever.
Now, ten years later he lives in San Francisco trying to still adjust to being a vampire, to simply make it through a week, a year even, while still haunted by the pain of betrayal by the one he had trusted and had loved while the painful ghosts of his childhood refuse to let him go.
When his friend Heather Oakdale, a witch and member of the San Francisco Coven of Witches, asks him to accompany her to a museum gathering to steal an artifact that her coven believes could hold an answer to the recent deaths of witches in the Bay Area, as well as the sudden retreat of other supernatural beings from the city, he agrees, believing that nothing can go wrong.
Only it does.
The museum is attacked and amid the hail of gun fire and explosions the one person he thought he would never again lay eyes on appears on the scene – Damiano Salvadori.
His sire.
..and the one that had betrayed him most cruelly by turning and leaving him to struggle and find his own way in the world as a vampire.
Not only is the artifact taken but Heather and Scott are taken as well by a powerful Spanish witch with ties to a dark underworld god of the Aztecs.
Henry must work with Damiano in order to get his friends back as well as the artifact for it is a key to a dark power rising, one that has already begun to wipe out the oldest supernatural beings across America and as they will find out, in Mexico as well.
But can Henry ever trust Damiano again? Can the pain of betrayal ever be forgiven, and can love once more be theirs again?
A M/M Pairing Romance Supernatural Story
Henry ‘Sully’ Sullivan didn't always work for a paranormal online magazine/newspaper. Nor was he always going around taking photos of supposed ghosts, werewolves or cryptids or interview people whose neighbors were Satan worshipers or had spotted Elvis at the local deli. But it brings in a paycheck and his boss Scott Lakewood is one of only a few who knows what he is really is – a vampire.
Once upon a time, Henry had been an in demand writer and journalist for the top newspapers and magazines in Boston and the country. He was a star that began to burn brightly only to come crashing back to earth in a blaze due to addictions tied to trauma from his childhood. After his fall from grace he was given one last chance at a small town newspaper in Heaven Falls, Virginia where his life would be changed forever.
Now, ten years later he lives in San Francisco trying to still adjust to being a vampire, to simply make it through a week, a year even, while still haunted by the pain of betrayal by the one he had trusted and had loved while the painful ghosts of his childhood refuse to let him go.
When his friend Heather Oakdale, a witch and member of the San Francisco Coven of Witches, asks him to accompany her to a museum gathering to steal an artifact that her coven believes could hold an answer to the recent deaths of witches in the Bay Area, as well as the sudden retreat of other supernatural beings from the city, he agrees, believing that nothing can go wrong.
Only it does.
The museum is attacked and amid the hail of gun fire and explosions the one person he thought he would never again lay eyes on appears on the scene – Damiano Salvadori.
His sire.
..and the one that had betrayed him most cruelly by turning and leaving him to struggle and find his own way in the world as a vampire.
Not only is the artifact taken but Heather and Scott are taken as well by a powerful Spanish witch with ties to a dark underworld god of the Aztecs.
Henry must work with Damiano in order to get his friends back as well as the artifact for it is a key to a dark power rising, one that has already begun to wipe out the oldest supernatural beings across America and as they will find out, in Mexico as well.
But can Henry ever trust Damiano again? Can the pain of betrayal ever be forgiven, and can love once more be theirs again?
A M/M Pairing Romance Supernatural Story
588 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 2, 2018
3 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 7, 2019
The plot is pretty good, and even though it is is written in first person POV, the characters had depth. My issue with the book is the grammar. Poorly written. And I have never encountered so many "for". So bad.
Hence the 3 star rating.
Hence the 3 star rating.
October 1, 2018
A good start...
The beginning of the book had me hooked. I loved getting to meet the flawed and broken personality of Henry. When he deals with the ghost of a little girl, I was waiting on baited breath to read the rest of the book.
And the the rest of the book happened. I have mixed feelings about it.
(Spoilers to follow)
I loved Allister (and his pose), and Scott. There was some very witty dialogue moments between the main character, his sire, and friends.
The apt and detailed descriptions of places really commented themselves in my mind's eye and I could see the actions and movements taking place. Some of the character descriptions also had be saying wow (I'm talking about you Alistar).
I wasn't a huge fan of the middle of the book. There is a huge interruption to the story when Henry decides to tell his and Damon's backstory, all in one go. While this was informative and did help build their characters, it felt more like a romance novel dropped into the middle of the book. The voice of Henry even shifted to fit in with the romanticism of their story. At that point I felt like I was reading two different novels, and really wanted to get back to the main story.
Tiger set the book up to be able to write in the back stories of the characters using hints and witty dialogue but completely divulged from that. Taking the time for Henry to tell us, instead of letting the characters show us. While to memoir section is beautify written, for me as a reader, it took away the mystery and inner workings of Henry. Part of the reason I loved the first half was because I loved the mystery and hurt soul of Henry.
I was also dissatisfied with how quickly Henry forgave and leapt back into bed with Dammon. I wanted to see them struggle more and for Dammon to earn the forgiveness, not that forgiveness should be earned. It's more in the sense that he still got Henry when he was still arrogant and had an excuse for all his actions. Damon never took responsibility for his own actions and just expected Henry to fall in line.
Even after half the book dedicated to their love story, I still picked up arrragont butthead from Damon who wasn't willing to communicate with Henry.
The rest of the book moved at a faster pace, and while I wanted more development of the story plot, still felt satisfying in the end. Except for the last few pages where the whole group decides to become the police force/vigilante/super accepting council/fellowship conglomerate of good guys that now has the money and equipment to do so by taking down La Burja. That was perhaps the flattest moments for all the characters. It felt like them describing what the author has chosen to do in the next book, instead of the characters organically coming to these compulsion in the next hours or so, or even the next few days.
Overall, I really do like Henry, I will tolerate Damon, and can't wait to see where the group is headed next.
The beginning of the book had me hooked. I loved getting to meet the flawed and broken personality of Henry. When he deals with the ghost of a little girl, I was waiting on baited breath to read the rest of the book.
And the the rest of the book happened. I have mixed feelings about it.
(Spoilers to follow)
I loved Allister (and his pose), and Scott. There was some very witty dialogue moments between the main character, his sire, and friends.
The apt and detailed descriptions of places really commented themselves in my mind's eye and I could see the actions and movements taking place. Some of the character descriptions also had be saying wow (I'm talking about you Alistar).
I wasn't a huge fan of the middle of the book. There is a huge interruption to the story when Henry decides to tell his and Damon's backstory, all in one go. While this was informative and did help build their characters, it felt more like a romance novel dropped into the middle of the book. The voice of Henry even shifted to fit in with the romanticism of their story. At that point I felt like I was reading two different novels, and really wanted to get back to the main story.
Tiger set the book up to be able to write in the back stories of the characters using hints and witty dialogue but completely divulged from that. Taking the time for Henry to tell us, instead of letting the characters show us. While to memoir section is beautify written, for me as a reader, it took away the mystery and inner workings of Henry. Part of the reason I loved the first half was because I loved the mystery and hurt soul of Henry.
I was also dissatisfied with how quickly Henry forgave and leapt back into bed with Dammon. I wanted to see them struggle more and for Dammon to earn the forgiveness, not that forgiveness should be earned. It's more in the sense that he still got Henry when he was still arrogant and had an excuse for all his actions. Damon never took responsibility for his own actions and just expected Henry to fall in line.
Even after half the book dedicated to their love story, I still picked up arrragont butthead from Damon who wasn't willing to communicate with Henry.
The rest of the book moved at a faster pace, and while I wanted more development of the story plot, still felt satisfying in the end. Except for the last few pages where the whole group decides to become the police force/vigilante/super accepting council/fellowship conglomerate of good guys that now has the money and equipment to do so by taking down La Burja. That was perhaps the flattest moments for all the characters. It felt like them describing what the author has chosen to do in the next book, instead of the characters organically coming to these compulsion in the next hours or so, or even the next few days.
Overall, I really do like Henry, I will tolerate Damon, and can't wait to see where the group is headed next.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews