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Forbidden: A Vampire's Hunger, an Angel's Light

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Stationed in New York City, mission angel Jazz Jagger has one sole to eradicate demons from the human realm. Problem is, their underlord Seth Masters isn't exactly okay with that. Furious at the loss he’s accruing, he has Jazz captured, anxious to punish him personally, but Jazz turns out to be an angel like none he has ever met. Despite raw, torn emotion, their dynamic shifts, their story’s dark start changing to something entirely different. Something that neither male in his right mind could ever have expected. Anger and resentment, now desire and need. A vampire’s hunger. An angel’s light. Opposites attract like never before. Still, despite Jazz’s efforts to make them compatible, Seth remains hesitant. Will dark pride prevail, denying them the happy ending they've struggled so hard for? ** this erotic paranormal romance contains scenes with explicit gay sex as well as moments of moderate violence. Intended for mature audiences only. **A personal message from Kora Knight** What are the paths writers have taken that have brought them to this point? For many, it's college. A degree in English. Creative Writing. Then right into the wonderful world of publishing. My path was not so neatly calculated. My degree was in Electronic Graphic Design. I hadn't known I'd been born to write. I'd thought I was an artist. But after putting my career on hold to raise four beautiful, amazing children, I finally made that priceless realization. Thanks to years of online role playing with countless, incredible fellow writers, I'd unwittingly honed my craft and discovered my calling. The stories we created still hold a huge place in my heart. This story is one of them, written with my good friend, Raven Foxx. A luscious little gem from our treasure trove. That being said, in wanting to preserve the authenticity of its origin's organic vibe, we've chosen to keep it in classic, present-tense roleplay format. An unconventional alternative to your everyday novel, but Raven and I are hopeful you'll still enjoy.

403 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2019

70 people are currently reading
226 people want to read

About the author

Kora Knight

26 books1,493 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for ☆ Todd.
1,442 reviews1,588 followers
May 22, 2019

I love both angel and vampire stories, but at 434 pages, this book felt super long to me. Too long for the amount of plot actually covered.

The story was told from alternating perspectives, which changed on pretty much Every. Single. Page. In fact, I don't remember ever seeing 2 consecutive pages from one MC's POV. Distracting much? Yes, in fact, *very* much. :- /

I did really enjoy the beginning parts of the book, through where Jazz was kidnapped, then eventually escaped from Seth's Underworld realm.

However, once rescued, while Jazz and Seth orbited around one another, trying to figure out a way for them to be fully together, those parts felt extremely drawn out, made even more so by the incessant POV changes.

During the last half of the book, interactions with side characters were at a bare minimum, leaving them as little more than cardboard cutouts, against which the MC's would occasionally play off of.

In its favor, the story was pretty slow burn, but once the steam started, those scenes took their time and were well-executed.

The angst was kept pretty minimal, but I think that was partially due to unresolved plot lines like:
1.) How did Jazz's siblings take the news of his being "corrupted" by a Lord of the Underworld? Dunno, never brought up.

2.) How did Jazz's creator feel about the whole thing? Dunno, never brought up.

3.) How could Seth so easily ? Dunno, no actual detail provided.

4.) What did each of the unexplained cave drawings mean? Some were obvious, but not all of them.
Sorry, but in FOUR-HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR pages, there should be a grand total of *zero* loose threads left in the reader's mind. They put in the effort and should get that payoff. : (

The story was actually good, just waaaaay too long and not as tightly wrapped up as I would've liked, so I'm rating it at around 3.5 stars, but rounding down for the reasons outlined above.

Also because the authors said "the male", like, almost 80 times. No, just... no. Stop it.

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Profile Image for Katherine Winchester.
21 reviews38 followers
May 13, 2019
Five stars are not enough to describe how much I loved this book. I adored it! It was so well written and emotional you can literally feel the pain the main characters feel in their hearts for not being able to be together because of their nature. The dark-gothic atmosphere was beautiful and the angst was never ending! But my most favorite part was the gradual evolution of Seth from a villain to a good character, especially his willingness to be good for Jazz. He was so cute! <3 The ending was stunningly beautiful and so so sweet, a HEA they both deserved after all the painful obstacles they had to go through. I seriously think it's one of the best enemies-to-lovers mm romance out there, maybe THE best :p After reading and loving Upending Tad and the Dungeon Black Duology, I was sure Kora Knight wouldn't let me down and I'm so happy I was right! <3
Profile Image for Kirk.
357 reviews
April 5, 2019
This is a tale of a world that we mortals don’t get to see; a world of angels and demons in an age old battle for victory. It’s no light telling, it’s barbaric and cruel in parts but something trumps the brutality; and that is attraction and lust and allowing yourself to accept and welcome feelings you’ve never experienced before. Jazz Jagger, a mission angel with one task: destroy the demons that are populating this earth, but he doesn’t expect to be up against the vampire underlord, Seth Masters. When Seth captures Jazz in retaliation for Jazz and his siblings' demon killing spree, what then then begins is something neither of them expected. I adored seeing Seth become bewitched by Jazz and watching all the alien feelings of care, and trust and love come to the fore and I loved how brave Jazz was and how he handled Seth. It was beautiful to watch them dance around each other while succumbing to the lust and attraction growing likes weeds between them; watching the mind games at the beginning and the push and pull between two men so remarkably different was sublime, they were being pulled in direction neither of them expected but were destined to. Falling in love is never easy and if you’re the vampire underlord falling for a mission angel, hell, you’re really up against it. This is a deliciously dark and dirty read and one I really enjoyed.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMG Reads.


Profile Image for Francesca Vallicelli.
606 reviews10 followers
April 19, 2022
4.5

Di solito non amo questo genere, ma la penna ha fatto una gran bella differenza
Profile Image for Light.
305 reviews6 followers
April 22, 2019
4 / 5 Stars

It was different from what I expected.

As a die-hard fan from this author, I am always happy to see a new story of hers. I loved the story, the characters were hot-tempered, full of flaws, uncapable of resisting each other's pull but at the same time unable to say what they really feel.

The story has action, the hot-and-cold scenes between characters I love so much, whips *giggle* and all the things you can expect from a Kora Knight book.

I did have a few issues, though. Mainly, it was the writing style, it threw me off and took me a while to get into the story.

Overall, I liked it and makes me want to re-read Zercy.
Profile Image for Danielle Hilliard.
211 reviews8 followers
April 7, 2019
I was given an ARC and as such will kindly provide an honest review...

After looking at the other reviews done I think that I might be in the minority here. I really enjoyed Kora's Nira Chronicles and I really wanted to like this book but I have got to say, I didn't feel any connection with the characters and to me there was little in the way of an actual story. They spent most of the book yelling at each other before realising that they are in love. While giving props for trying a different style of writing, but I found this slightly off putting and maybe this is why I couldn't get into the book.

So sorry to Kora and Raven, I understand how hard it is to write a story and then have some jerk come and poop (trying to use appropriate language) all over it but I wanted to be honest.
Profile Image for Susan65.
1,650 reviews53 followers
May 3, 2019
The Blogger Girls

I totally enjoy reading Angels and Demons love stories, but this one really took nitty-gritty to the nth degree, plus some. It was almost too rough for my liking, but I stuck with it, and the ending, though unfathomable to predict at first, was perfect. Seth is basically the devil, evil personified and he is pissed at Jazz, a mission angel who is tasked with taking out the demons ravaging New York City. Those demons belong to Seth and he wants the angels head.

This is a story that is full of torture, both mental and physical. It has aspects that made me think Stockholm Syndrome, because seriously, how can you fall for someone who literally and willingly tears you to pieces? Well, when you think paranormal, and super powers and quick healing, it makes it a little more palatable. I really loved Jazz, and his strong relationship with his brother and sister. And Seth grew on me. He was such a difficult guy to love, but the more I got to understand him, the more I gave him a pass on being such a ….demon. But still, he was a creature that was so unreasonable, at times, that it would take an angel to see the goodness that was trying to get out. Worthy story, and recommended, but don’t go in expecting a beautiful love story. These two are the epitome of dysfunctional but they get it right at the end.

Overall Impression: I really liked it
Profile Image for Anabela.M..
959 reviews15 followers
April 16, 2019
Well,this is a book written by Kora Knight which means you won't have a rose hued romance ,but you will find her trademark intensity. She managed to put me through a range of one powerful emotion after another: rage,horror, fear,hate,affection, scorching hot need.
Seth and Jazz,a vampire underlord and an angel, shouldn't work as a couple,and they certainly try to fight whatever feelings start to bloom between them. Because, really,how can a dark ,sadistic creature ,who doesn't have a heart,fall for his enemy,who represents light and goodness?
You'll need to read this dark,engaging book to find out if a Forbidden love can be possible.
I really recommend this book.
Profile Image for Giada.
867 reviews13 followers
June 5, 2022
3,5 stelline

ATTENZIONE! La seguente recensione POTREBBE contenere SPOILER. Se hai paura di scoprire che l’assassino è in realtà il gatto NON leggerla!

Devo dire che questa storia mi ha un po' lasciato perplessa. Ancora adesso non so bene se il libro mi sia davvero piaciuto o se i difetti sono stati più forti dei pregi 😅 Sono un po' indecisa tanto che non so neanche se consigliarvelo o meno ma... andiamo con ordine.
Jazz Jagger è un angelo fighissimo e super cazzuto. In compagnia dei suoi fratelli si occupa di eliminare tutti i demoni minacciosi e spaventosi, facendo in modo che gli esseri umani possano vivere in pace e armonia. La missione di "salvezza" è presa molto seriamente dal dolce angelo che non esita a eliminare anche i nemici più potenti. Una cosa che ovviamente non sfugge agli occhi del crudele Seth Masters. Il sovrano degli inferi è abituato a spadroneggiare, a mandare le sue armate a sconvolgere la Terra e i suoi abitanti e di certo non può sopportare che un angioletto da quattro soldi rovini i suoi gloriosi piani. La sola presenza di quel damerino mina la sua autorità. Il piano dunque è molto semplice: rapire l'angelo, torturarlo e fargli passare la voglia di mettersi contro i più forti. Una cosa semplice sulla carta ma che si rivelerà estremamente complicata. Jazz è... il caos! Appena mette piede nel suo regno sconvolge non solo il suo mondo ma anche.. il suo cuore. Seth inizia a sentire cose che non aveva mai provato prima e lo stesso Jazz... prova sentimenti contrastanti per quello che dovrebbe a tutti gli effetti essere solo il suo carceriere. Il rapporto tra le due creature è... complicato oltre che proibito e i due dovranno capire cosa fare, quale percorso intraprendere e sopratutto capire se il loro rapporto è frutto della lussuria o è qualcosa di speciale, di più profondo e magico.
Ok... come trama ci sta perfettamente. Mi interessava fin da subito e mi ha colpito. Adoro i romanzi che trattano queste trasformazioni, questi rapporti di amore e odio, di nemici che diventano amici e amanti. Mi piace vedere come si evolve la storia e amo piangere e ridere in compagnia dei protagonisti. In questo caso devo dire che è stato tutto un po' incasinato... tanto che non so quasi cosa dire o meglio come espimere al meglio le mie emozioni. Il problema principale di questo libro è che ogni volta che trovavo qualcosa di bello, qualcosa che mi piaceva davvero tanto trovavo subito dopo qualcosa mi faceva storcere il naso. Per tutto il tempo ho vissuto di alti e bassi e sono stati forse questi alti e bassi a non farmi godere fino in fondo l'atsmofera.
La storia come detto funziona, è intrigante, ha dei dettagli interessanti ma troppo spesso è dispersiva. Ci sono interi momenti di pura noia in cui non succede nulla e non viene neanche portato avanti il rapporto tra i personaggi, spesso ci sono intermezzi di altri personaggi che alla fine non aggiungono nulla alla storia. Un esempio è "l'amica" di Jazz e serva di Seth, la demone che rapisce l'angelo per portarlo dal suo padrone. In alcune parti ci sono i suoi Pov che sono... inutili... non portano nulla alla storia visto che il personaggio è utile solo in alcuni momenti e basta, idem per Anton, il figlio di Seth e per i fratelli di Jazz. Ci sono questi momenti morti in cui viene data voce ad altri personaggi, momenti che ti fanno sperare che quei personaggi saranno utili o interverranno attivamente nella storia (come aiutanti o nemici) e invece... nulla... sono puro riempitivo che donano alla storia un ritmo non regolare. Passare da pagine in cui letteralmente rimani incollata sbavando ad altre in cui ti addormenti... non è facile. I personaggi secondari sono inesistenti e inutili e dare loro spazio crea solo noia e confusione, un sentimento che rischia di spingere il lettore a mollare la lettura a metà.
La narrazione è semplice, uno stile elementare e caratterizzato da POV che si alternano a più riprese all'interno del capitolo. Una cosa che... meh?
A momenti è interessante vedere in tempo reale cosa pensano i personaggi ma a lungo andare rende il tutto ripetitivo e fastidioso. Seguire la storia in contemporanea tra più personaggi allo stesso tempo può andare bene ed essere carino in un Final Fantasy (o in un altro videogame) ma in un libro fa quasi impazzire. Sopratutto se alcuni POV sono lunghi appena 2 righe e quello dopo riprende esattamente quello che è appena successo solo dal punto di vista dell'altro personaggio. Questa cosa già a volte è poco tollerabile in interi capitoli figuriamoci se viene fatto costantemente. In alcuni momenti ci può stare... soprattutto in quelli più "oscuri", è utile capire perchè i personaggi si comportano in determinati modi ma ogni singolo momento... MA ANCHE NO. Se in alcuni momenti questa tecnica narrativa può giovare alla storia in altri momenti rallenta ancora di più la narrazione e se già questa è rallentata da tempi morti e punti di vista inutili... Potete immaginare quanto sia difficile andare avanti nella storia. Anche i personaggi purtroppo non sono riusciti a conquistarmi come avrei sperato. Se da una parte Seth non mi è dispiaciuto e ho apprezzato il suo vederlo spesso fragile e confuso, incapace di scegliere e comprendere appieno quel sentimento a lui sconosciuto per troppo tempo dall'altra...ho odiato Jazz. All'inizio lo apprezzavo essendo cazzaro al punto giusto e con la giusta dose di sarcasmo e umorismo ma in poco tempo lo avrei voluto fare a pezzi. È un personaggio caotico ma non in senso buono. Se Seth è caotico e confuso per via della sua natura, per il suo non aver mai avuto nella vita una figura positiva che gli abbia mostrato l'amore e la gentilezza, l'amicizia e tutti gli altri sentimenti a noi così naturali Seth... Non ha scuse... Si comporta in modo bipolare e fino alla fine dimostra di non essere un buon compagno. Lui è ossessionato dal suo dovere di Angelo, dal suo essere Angelo e neanche per un singolo istante mette in conto la possibilità di cambiare, di fare dei compromessi per stare con Seth. Senza neanche rendersene conto si ritrova a pretendere che il suo compagno diventi "degno di lui", rinunci a qualsiasi parte della sua anima per approcciare quella che lui considera la "giusta strada". In modo egoistico non accetta che Seth possa essere diverso e anche quando il compagno gli fa notare che nonostante i suoi sentimenti lui sarà sempre un demone, sarà sempre una creatura diversa da lui, si ostina a non arrendersi trasformandosi ironicamente in un carnefice molto più spietato dello stesso Seth. Devo dire... Che il loro rapporto non mi è piaciuto per niente. Seth aveva si bisogno di una figura luminosa e salvifica nella sua vita ma a mio avviso quella creatura doveva essere anche in grado di comprendere la sua diversità e di accettarla, doveva aiutare Seth a cambiare ma solo nella misura in cui il demone voleva cambiare, senza forzarlo o obbligarlo. La parte finale dell'opera mi ha davvero infastidito. Mi ha mostrato che Jazz alla fine ha iniziato una relazione con il compagno solo perché lui è cambiato, è diventato diverso e questo... Mi ha disturbato. Non solo la prigionia forzata è stata pesante e disturbante ma anche il fatto che il loro legame si sia consolidato solo DOPO che Seth è diventato una persona "migliore" beh... Per me non ha funzionato. Speravo in una storia in cui uno dei due personaggi non dovesse per forza cambiare per adeguarsi al suo amato e invece... Niente. Che dire... Speravo in qualcosa di diverso. Speravo di provare cose diverse e invece...
Non mi sento di sconsigliarlo perché potrebbe piacere a qualcuno ma neanche di consigliarvelo come se nulla fosse... Iniziatelo a vostro rischio e pericolo 😜
Profile Image for Courtney.
1,312 reviews196 followers
April 9, 2019
If you didn’t read the Synopsis I suggest you should, please be aware this is a MM Paranormal Erotic Romance.

I Give this book a 4.5 Star Rating.

Drama: 4/5
Romance: 5/5 Definite, but slow build up which fit perfectly all the way through.
Smexiness: 5/5 Need I Say More? XD
Dark: 3.5/5 not super dark to me, but it might definitely be to others.

I wasn’t really sure what I was reading at first, it had nothing to do with the writing style (which by the way is a style I truly miss, so I’m grateful to find a story styled like this) but just the subject.

I couldn’t really absorb it when the main characters were separate, but when they finally were in the same scene at 9% I was able to really zone into what I was reading.
Another thing I miss is ‘old world’ vibe type vampires with a ‘new world’ love interest, this takes me back to the nostalgic vampire romances that I crave to find well written today.

If you ain’t into any of the following:
Barbed whip punishments, spontaneous torture scenes, I Guess ‘Stockholm Syndrome(?)’ (I personally love those types of books, but for those who’ll want to make a big deal about it cause you weren’t ‘Warned’, now you know), Lots & Lots & Lots of Glorious Blood Drinking (Yay! Love those scene in Vampire Romances), Clothes on Grinding, Cute but Constant Arguments between Stubborn Males, BDSM (Yummy!), Oh! And Hot Sexy Man Love! aka MM.
Then turn away! Lol

I thought it was very well written, despite not catching my attention ‘immediately’ but I didn’t give up, and then I became hooked!
I’m new to Raven Foxxy, But Kora Knight in the other hand...if her name is on it, I’m buying it immediately. No Questions Asked. :D

This kinda reminds me of Hades & Persephone a little bit.
Vampire version of Hades & Male version of Persephone, thinking about the book this way made it hilariously awesome! XD

I adored Seth & Jazz! Definitely a Great HEA, LOVE THE EPILOGUE! So Romantic!!

I recommend this book Highly!
Profile Image for Valeria  DePaula.
1,087 reviews6 followers
May 4, 2022
Valeria Algeri
✔ Letto! Ho finalmente letto questo libro. Volevo farlo da tempo ormai. E adesso che è stato tradotto ho finalmente potuto conoscere Jaziel, un angelo guerriero che impreca, mangia, ha un appartamento e lavora, insieme ai suoi fratelli gemelli forma una potente triade celeste contra il male oscuro che domina la terra.... o moiono per ano loro tentando.
Siamo in un periodo in cui gli angeli, i demoni, i mutaforme vari, i vampiri, gli orchi (pensate un personaggio fantasy... ci sono!) vogliono prendere il controllo de mondo, voglio la loro fetta. E per questo esistono gli eserciti di angeli come Jaziel, Jared e Janel pronti a dargli battaglia e sono anche dannatamente bravi. Rappresentano il bene superiore e sono i testimoni di Dio sulla terra.
Seth è tutto quello che Jazz combate. Un vampiro, un assassino, un violento, è il male in persona. Il signor Oscuro e cosa più improbabile e proibita è che uno puro come Jazz possa avere una qualsiasi relazione con uno come Seth. La rappresentazione del bene e del male, il bianco e il nero. La purezza e la malvagità.
E così sarà, tra tante lotte in cui il bene vorrà vincere e il male altrettanto, scopriranno che alle volte si devono accettare le cose per come sono, che devono solamente addattarci alle situazione e accettare che anche tra il bianco e il nero, anche il grigio vanno bene.

Sinceramente e mi dispiace tanto dirlo, il libro non mi ha conquistato. Sono rimasta bloccata e la lettura procedeva lentamente perché appunto mi annoiavo. Ci sono rimasta male perché adoro gli angeli e per non parlare poi dei vampiri.... ma tra tanti dibattiti, tira e molla (che odio più del BDSM) e lacune (che fine hanno fatto gli altri personaggi??😵), l'ho finito perché non lascio mai niente in aperto. Non è male, solo che secondo me ci stava anche con meno pagine.
Per me è ❤ ❤ ❤ e 💋 ( 3,5 )
Profile Image for Anne Farrell.
207 reviews1 follower
May 4, 2019
Captivating and beautiful.

Wow what an awesome twist on a love story. An angel and a vampire demon and the epic love they share. This was beautifully written and the story line and angst kept you gripped in floods of emotion until the last word, I absolutely loved every single page. I laughed and cried , was on the edge of my seat with my heart in my mouth and totally melted for this pair , I fell in love with both. This shows how love can make you stronger and give you courage to fight for what you want and believe in , no matter who or what you are if you join as one and meet each other half way then you have the foundations for an epic lasting love. Some totally hot hair pulling sex and some action scenes. This story has a bit of everything. Totally brilliant . Best book I've read in a while. Excellent collaboration .
Profile Image for Jo.
1,605 reviews
May 5, 2019
5 fabulous stars!

Loved this story sooooo much, I hope we get more from this world 🙏
Profile Image for Stephanie Bonsall.
151 reviews9 followers
April 17, 2019
I truly loved both this story and it's characters. The chemistry between Dark Underlord, Seth and Mission Angel, Jazz was undeniable from the start.
Jazz Jagger is a Mission Angel who's job it is to destroy demons and dark forces walking the earth, all in order to protect mankind. Seth Masters is a very dark vampire underlord, who is getting very annoyed with the destruction Jazz and his siblings are causing to his forces here on earth. In order to get revenge he sets a plan in action to capture Jazz and so begins the chemistry between them. From the first time Seth punishes Jazz in one of his dark dungeons, something is sparked between them and as time goes by, helped along by blood and essence, this spark grows into lust and ultimately love.
The book is very well written and the reader can feel the pain and tension of the two men, as they fight internally to deal with their turbulent feelings of love, lust, guilt and pleasure. Will they find a middle ground where they can be together or will they be forever apart, separated by what each thinks is the right thing to do? I loved reading how these two dealt with their inner demons and changes and although I really didn't like Seth at the beginning, by the end of the book I loved him as much as Jazz. This book includes some dark scenes which may not be to everyone's taste and also some very hot scenes between the two men. If you love vampires and angels then you will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Cheryl_cajun .
1,213 reviews29 followers
April 17, 2019
Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Jazz is one of triplets, angels sent to take care of demons and evil creatures. Being set up to be captured was on the plans that day. Drugged and dragged to a unknow dungeon, Jazz experiment the pleasure and pain of unknown origins. Can he survive the out come before he breaks? Seth planned on torturing the angel for taking away a lot of his property. Now held captive in the vampire underlords mercy, can Jazz fight for his freedom when given the chance or will have to submit to Seth?
Seth hasn't had a good fight in so long he was giddy with anticipation. He's had a taste of of the little angel now he wants more. How do you take down an angel? Why put a bit of yourself in the mix. Now it's just awaiting game for Seth. Can he have all he desires or will the tide turn in Jazz's  favor? The struggle over good and evil? Who will come out the victor? Jazz get free from Seth only tocatch the underlord in return. When both are free from the other do they wish to stay that way, Can a angel and vampire have love even when their enemies? This was such a hot story, loved the pain and struggle with Jazz and Seth to try to over come the difference in the world to be together. Can't wait for more, hope to hear Jared story maybe.
Profile Image for Ria Alexander.
2,666 reviews51 followers
April 17, 2019
An Angel and A Vampire ... PURE HEAVEN

As far as I am concerned everything Kora Knight writes is gold. Now, along with Raven Foxx, these two authors have produced a magnificent paranormal MM story. Angels, demons and one very salacious vampire, make for one very edgy, gripping, sensual story. It was intriguing every step of the way.

Jazz Jagger is a mission angel determined to rid the earth of all demons. Seth Masters is an underlord and also a vampire, he is determined to stop Jazz from carrying out his mission. Seth captures Jazz with every intention of punishing him for what he has done, however things take an unexpected turn for both of them.

As their relationship undergoes a gradual change, i found it mesmerising to watch the development of their characters, their emotions gathering strength. The pull between them was intense, with both experiencing hesitancy while wanting more from each other. Realistically their relationship should never work, one representing the dark and the other the light ... but they do and it's magical.

I really enjoyed this book and I hope that Kora and Raven collaborate again. Definitely a book not to be missed.

Read and Reviewed for Reading Is Our Satisfaction

FIVE STARS
Profile Image for MiaReadsMMBooks  .
426 reviews71 followers
April 17, 2019
*ARC received for an honest review*

Forbidden is a love story between an angel and a vampire and written in a rather unconventional way. I'll admit it took a little bit to fully engage in the story and wrap my head around Jazz and Seth's story but once I'd worked it out in my head, it was full-steam ahead.

This book will push and pull you constantly, maybe even moreso than what the characters themselves put each other through. There are some strange plot twists, characters that are simply forgotten about and you will need to accept the journey that brings Seth to the "side of good", despite him being a rather vile individual in the beginning. You will hate his actions and you will want to see him punished.

Overall, however, at it's heart, more than a battle between good and evil, Forbidden is a love story between two men who for all intents and purposes should be destroying each other simply by virtue of who they and what they individually stand for. It's also a massive slow burn that keeps you waiting for the tension to snap and for the relationship to be consummated.

And that's not to say this book isn't sexy as all hell, it wouldn't be a Kora Knight book if it wasn't sensual, sexual and burning up the pages. I did genuinely enjoy the dichotomy and struggles between Jazz and Seth, I just felt the push-pull went on a little too long.

There are parts of this story that could be edited out (the whole triplet thing for example) and a few more things added towards the end to round out the narrative, in my opinion. Conversely, however, when you apply the methodology used to write this book, then these things do make sense. It's an organic style and lends itself to forming the story and overall narrative as it evolves.

For me, this is a 3.5/5 star read rounded up to 4 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for 1000storie1000vite.
918 reviews22 followers
April 23, 2022
Un romanzo da cui mi aspettavo decisamente di più.
I due protagonisti sono ben delineati ma piuttosto stereotipati. Il loro percorso di crescita è raccontato in tutti i suoi alti e bassi, nelle rovinose cadute e nei momenti carichi di emozioni.
I personaggi secondari sono totalmente bidimensionali e privi di spessore. Pur se compaiono e ne sentiamo anche le voci, sono figure solo funzionali all'evolversi della storia e, finito il loro ruolo, scompaiono senza lasciare traccia di sé, ma lasciando un certo vuoto.
La storia, nel suo complesso, è prevedibile, troppo lunga e ripetitiva nelle dinamiche e nei dialoghi.
I continui, velocissimi salti di POV, sempre ben evidenziati, mi hanno reso, inizialmente, un po' complessa la lettura ma, una volta abituata a questo stile, hanno scandito bene il ritmo di lettura.
Lo stile è scorrevole e dal fraseggio piuttosto elementare.
Queste 2 ultime caratteristiche trovano la loro ragion d’essere nella scelta di dare al romanzo il formato di gioco di ruolo; ho trovato l’idea originale, convincente e ben concretizzata.
Hugs&kisses
Profile Image for Tiffaney.
407 reviews12 followers
April 9, 2019
*ARC WAS KINDLY GIVEN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. NO SPOILERS BELOW*

Forbidden is a paranormal romance between an angel and vampire Co authored by Kora Knight and a new to me author Raven Fox. I was not used to this style of writing of the novel. The book is written in a role playing style that I think compliments the story well. Giving it a more old age Gothic romance feel. It takes a bit getting used to but once I did get into the flow of it I enjoyed being emersed into Jazz and Seth's world. This book wasn't as dark as I expected. It's purely the love story between a dark and light character. I loved the slow burn of their romance and watching Seth struggle with his feelings changing. This was just a wonderful story.

***Many thanks to Kora and Raven for sharing this story with me. 😊
Profile Image for J.P. Sayle.
Author 120 books348 followers
May 19, 2020
I didn't know what to expect for this book, having never read a book using role play. But I was surprised to find that it sucked me right in. The level of intensity between Jazz and Seth really takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions as you travel with them through their trials.
The authors paint a vivid picture that allows you to feel like you are part of their journey and leaves you a load of feels. I would recommend this book, if you are looking for something that you grips you and won't let you put it down.
Profile Image for Rhi.
387 reviews11 followers
May 31, 2022
Dizzying shifts in perspective

I liked the characters and the basis for the story. I thought it was littered with interesting side characters and ideas but the constant shift between perspectives was difficult for me. Sometimes you lost track of who was speaking and then I’d have to go back and reread to check I knew which part of story and who’s perspective we were at.
Profile Image for Skylar.
137 reviews3 followers
October 16, 2020
I'm surprised at the amount of great reviews for this book. Forbidden wasnt terrible, but it fell short in so many very important ways.

My main issue is with the writing. The author uses such strange vernacular. Not only is the slang incredibly dated, but it doesn't fit with the two characters, a centuries old vampire and an Angel sent down from heaven to protect the mortal realm. I cant tell you how many times I heard "grille", "dude", and "chill" in a sentence. It really takes away from the intensity of a captive/captor situation when the captive is talking to his kidnapper like he's a 2002 frat boy that just lost his first string position in football.
'Seth’s in his grille in a heartbeat'

'Seth’s jaw ticks. “If you do not, I’ll punish her next. Do I make myself clear?” His black eyes bore into Jazz’s. A dare to defy him. Jazz curses and looks at the female. “Whatever,” he mutters. “No need to get testy” He slides his gaze back to Seth. The dude is one messed up individual.'

'Clearing his throat, he looks over at Seth. “I never took you for such a pansy. But, dude, you’re such a chicken shit. So afraid to spill your deal. I mean, what do you think I’m gonna do? Tell everyone your business? I don’t talk to the freaks down here and it’s not like I’m going home anytime soon.” He crosses his arms. “Besides, I’m not that kind of person anyway. Your shit’s not mine to tell.”'

Secondly, the POV changes every 2 paragraphs, and this is not an exaggeration. It barely gives you any time to process how one character feels before jumping to the other one.

Just as quickly as the POV's shift, so does the tone of a scene. In one short paragraph the characters go from feeling desperately in love with eachother, to hatred, to confusion, back to love in a matter of a couple sentences.

There is no slow growth from hate to love, just a wierd immediate back and forth that never feels complete. Seth doesnt truly treat Jazz all that poorly, even though he says in the beginning that he kidnapped the angel to make him pay. And we never truly see the shift in his perspective that makes him desire Jazz rather than want him dead. The same goes for Jazz, Jazz as an Angel should really feel a strong conflict for any emotional connection he may feel with the demon that he was sent to kill. Yet that doesn't happen at all. Jazz doesnt act like the typical Angel, and that in of itself is a problem for me. When making a story about an Angel and a Demon falling in love, it seems that they should truly feel like opposites of eachother, and have a strong moral conflict.

All of this combined with a slow moving, and boring plot; really cements my poor opinion of this book. Maybe you might have a different experience, it does seem that I am in the minority on this one. This book is free with kindle unlimited so there really is no harm in checking it out.
Profile Image for Pingmg.
578 reviews28 followers
June 28, 2022
This book is so sexy and dark! I know I’m late to the party, (because this is my first Kora Knight book). I’m just happy because I can binge-read her other works soon.

Forbidden.

Aptly named, this just takes enemies to lovers to a whole lot of extremes. It’s about two people who shouldn’t work or even be together just because they clash, everything they are and represent is so very different. Jazz, one of the mission angels sent to the human realm to protect mankind, and Seth, The Vampire Underlord who reigns supreme over the Underworld.

Taken against his will to the Underworld, Seth exacts his revenge on Jazz for killing his horde of demons. But as the days and weeks progress from their close proximity and frequent interaction, the dynamic between Jazz and Seth as captive and captor gradually changes and morphs into something else.

Make no mistake though, this had all kinds of darkness in it, violence and a bit of BDSM thrown in, achingly painful moments, delicious blood-drinking, stubborn and snarky dialogue, unresolved sexual tension, some kind of twisted Stockholm Syndrome-ish at times, and just the overall seductive push and pull between Jazz and Seth. The romance and sexy times although slow burn more than make up for it in the latter part of the book. I loved that they just can’t stop kissing each other, made me swoon every time.

I was satisfied with their journey, especially with Seth’s, from darkness to light, and Jazz for his endurance and perseverance when it comes to their situation. Although I had some questions that weren’t answered regarding the other characters, I guess in this instance I’ll just use my imagination despite those tiny niggling thoughts.
I still feel that it did not detract from the story since the main focus was the love that bloomed between Jazz and Seth and overcoming the insurmountable odds of them being together in every sense of the word.

Their story worked for me, I couldn't stop reading. To think this is one of the many books Kora Knight has written during her time role-playing with other authors just goes to show how amazing as a writer she is. The format in which it was written was unique as well and provided depth and dimension to her characters.

Now, I'm torn between finding more books about angels and vampires or reading the rest of Kora’s backlist of books. Still, this is definitely going in my reread pile, 💯% highly recommended!
Profile Image for Abi.
71 reviews
April 26, 2023
Pretty meh. It's honestly not bad, just bland.

I dislike the constant shifts of viewpoints. They should have just written it in a general 3rd person limited pov without constantly switching between the 2 characters. It makes it hard to figure out who is speaking/doing the action at times.

Plot was not there. It really was just a story about the 2 MLs relationship with some plot written in. I don't mind this, but I found it strange as if felt like characters just disappeared from the story entirely since we only focused on these 2 characters. I wish there had been more development in the world and story, but everything was just background, which was disappointing. Left me wondering what the consequences were since those 2 seemed to just drop off from their duties.

Romance was meh. I find the constant "will they, won't they" to be annoying about 2/3 of the way through. I felt like I was reading about the same issue over and over again, and it led to a very repetitive and stale romance even with all the teasing, sexy parts thrown in there. I just wanted them to make a decision. It actually led me to not enjoying them falling for each other cause I found their bickering about the same issue just annoying as time went on. I didn't hate it either. Just want to a move on and some development no matter what it may be after a while.

Smut was not bad. They tease you so many times about possibly doing it after a while. I was tired of them just stopping for some dumb reason, but when they actually came to do the deed, I was pleasantly surprised. They had actual foreplay and stretching, which is always a plus to me. You get a good but of smut at the end and so much sexual tension leading up to it. The writing for it was pretty good, too. It's definitely one of the better smut books I've read in terms of that. Bonus points for having lube as well! Too many times, I've read people going in dry with no prep, and this DOES NOT WORK and completely takes me out of the scene, so this was great.

Honestly, not a bad book. For me, everything taking a backseat to the main characters romance will detracts from what could have been an amazing book. Kind of enjoyed reading it, but also glad I'm finished, to be honest.
Profile Image for Amber.
1,713 reviews7 followers
April 21, 2019
I loved it!

I always enjoy reading a book by Kora Knight so I was excited to hear that she had decided to polish a paranormal romance that she wrote with her good friend, Raven Foxx. As it is an older book and a collaboration with another author it has a little bit of a different writing style to it then Kora's more recent paranormal books. I actually liked how the story flows from one character's pov to another. It cuts down on rereading the same scene from different points of view. I enjoyed how Jazz gets a little bit corrupted by the underlord that holds him captive and I loved how the underlord is corrupted by the Jazz's angel blood and actually starts to have feelings and a conscience. The only reason that this book didn't get five stars from me is because I was left wondering at the end of the book what Jazz's siblings reaction would be to his relationship with a vampire underlord. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Profile Image for Olivia.
54 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2019
Now, I love a good enemies to lovers story. That said, this book was a little different than what I’m used to reading. It was dark and gritty, and literally took “enemies to lovers” to the extreme! Even a couple of chapters in, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book (I absolutely hated Seth at first). Several chapters in and I could not put the book down...I got sucked into Jazz and Seth’s story!! I was on an emotional rollercoaster...I felt helpless for Jazz, frustrated with Seth, and betrayed by both at times. I have to say that I really liked that the authors didn’t minimize or skim over the sheer amount of obstacles that Jazz and Seth had to overcome to actually be together (how can light and dark possibly be good for each other?). It was a truly well-written story that kept you on edge until the end! I’m happy that they got their HEA (and that epilogue was amazing!).
Profile Image for Kristhia.
46 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2019
This is another dark, beautiful, and bewitching paranormal romance written by my favorite M/M author Kora Knight. It’s set to release on April 17.

This is the story of a Vampire (Seth) and an Angel (Jazz).

Jazz is an angel who patrols the dark streets of New York. After dispatching justice to the demons in the area. Seth, the warlord sends someone to kidnap Jazz. Things don’t go the way either one expects. This book had me on the edge of my seat till the end. Loved it!


https://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Kora...
Profile Image for Aberdeen Square.
9 reviews3 followers
June 10, 2019
I very much liked this story. Lots of angst, even more love to overcome the angst. Plenty of intimacy, even if it wasn’t full on sex scenes.

The writing style is definitely different than your typical novel, but I have done a fair amount of role play writing in my past, so it still felt very familiar to me.

I did feel like the secondary characters got dropped off too quickly. I’d have liked to see Jazz telling his siblings about Seth. And maybe Seth’s conversations with his son. And what happened to Zayta?

Overall, I still loved it!
354 reviews
October 29, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this.

- Although I liked majority of the story, I did not like some of Jazz's actions towards last 1/3rd of the book. I do not support people involved in any kind of relationship taking decisions unilateral which is what Jazz did with respect to Seth. He could have talked about his plan with Seth as his plan had negative effects on Seth's health.

- Seth and Jazz circled around each other for way tooooooo long and could have resolved issues sooner. It looked like they are not speaking the same language at most times.
Profile Image for Alice.
94 reviews
Want to read
July 24, 2023
Jesus, I wanted to like this...

Kora Knight is my auto-buy author - she writes it, I love it. Alongside Lily Mayne, she is responsible for my MM romance awakening and I will be forever grateful for that.

But Forbidden just wasn't it. I do believe that it is 100% the way it is written. I just cannot get into it, it keeps me from connecting with the characters and the whole plot. What is happening in the book? I have no idea because I simply cannot absorb anything that the story is trying to convey.

Gave up at the frustrating 22% mark.
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