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First Born
Caelius is free, and the world is his. Shea trains with Lucian to master her powers as an elemental so she can beat Caelius and free them all from his twisted desires. But when Aidan warns Lucian that one of his sons has been taken by Caelius, Lucian goes off to confront him alone. Lucian fails and is imprisoned and tortured. His only comfort is the apparition of his childhood love, Nefertiti. Caelius reveals that she is a vampire and his master plan is for them to rule the world together, as his new Adam and Eve. Meanwhile, Shea will stop at nothing to get Lucian back, including working with Nefertiti’s daughter, Mekytaten. Together with Aidan, they find Lucian broken and twisted by Caelius. Shocked by a devastating betrayal, Shea must decide if she still wants Lucian and if his ex-Egyptian lover’s plan will be enough to destroy Caelius before he returns to full power and devours the world whole. Shea chapters written by Becca C. Smith. Lucian chapters written by Hina McCord. **TRIGGER WARNING** This book contains violence and sexual assault.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2020
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Becca C. Smith
28 books165 followersBecca fell in love with storytelling at an early age. The first book she ever read was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and she’s been looking for the door to Narnia ever since! She’s a passionate reader, consuming any mix of paranormal, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, or fantasy. So it’s no surprise that she writes in these genres as well. When Becca is not writing, she loves to sew, from cosplay to elaborate magical creature bags, she just loves to create!
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 15, 2020
I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review.
The second installment to the series, was not a big surprise for me. Spoiler alert: I didn't like it.
Shea keeps developing powers left and right with no consistent training, her romance with Lucian intensifies (despite knowing each other for a mere month) and Lucian's past keeps getting more complicated. I didn't suffer as much reading through it, not because the pacing or the writing was in any way improved, but because my expectations had taken a heavy blow from reading the first book. Will read the third book for completion points!
The second installment to the series, was not a big surprise for me. Spoiler alert: I didn't like it.
Shea keeps developing powers left and right with no consistent training, her romance with Lucian intensifies (despite knowing each other for a mere month) and Lucian's past keeps getting more complicated. I didn't suffer as much reading through it, not because the pacing or the writing was in any way improved, but because my expectations had taken a heavy blow from reading the first book. Will read the third book for completion points!
November 15, 2020
*I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review
TW: Frequent blood and LOTS of detailed gore, graphic violence, torture, rape and sexual assault.
If you liked the first book in the series, Vessel, you will LOVE this sequel. All of the same action and angst and love and violence, but times a hundred! The twists and turns were giving me whiplash (in the best way!) and I felt like I'd run a marathon after finishing the book. And just like with the first book, this one's cliffhanger has me NEEDING the third book ASAP!
One of my favourite things in the first book was the dynamic of all the characters, and this one really ramped that up. I absolutely love rooting for these characters and crying for them and getting mad at them, it's such an emotional rollercoaster (and just like with a roller coaster, I feel both nauseous and very very excited and just need to scream). And even when I thought things couldn't get better/worse, an entirely new layer was added!
And again, even though the series really shines with the characters and their dynamic it's also amazing fast-paced action. There was never a dull moment, and even when things slow down they were still so much happening in the background and so much excitement going on! I honestly have no idea what's coming, it seems that every time I make a guess about the series everything gets turned on its head. Next time I won't even bother trying to guess, I’m just going to go in and enjoy the crazy ride.
I cannot wait for the third and final book in the series! I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves dark vampire stories with strong characters, wild twists, and gory violence.
TW: Frequent blood and LOTS of detailed gore, graphic violence, torture, rape and sexual assault.
If you liked the first book in the series, Vessel, you will LOVE this sequel. All of the same action and angst and love and violence, but times a hundred! The twists and turns were giving me whiplash (in the best way!) and I felt like I'd run a marathon after finishing the book. And just like with the first book, this one's cliffhanger has me NEEDING the third book ASAP!
One of my favourite things in the first book was the dynamic of all the characters, and this one really ramped that up. I absolutely love rooting for these characters and crying for them and getting mad at them, it's such an emotional rollercoaster (and just like with a roller coaster, I feel both nauseous and very very excited and just need to scream). And even when I thought things couldn't get better/worse, an entirely new layer was added!
And again, even though the series really shines with the characters and their dynamic it's also amazing fast-paced action. There was never a dull moment, and even when things slow down they were still so much happening in the background and so much excitement going on! I honestly have no idea what's coming, it seems that every time I make a guess about the series everything gets turned on its head. Next time I won't even bother trying to guess, I’m just going to go in and enjoy the crazy ride.
I cannot wait for the third and final book in the series! I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves dark vampire stories with strong characters, wild twists, and gory violence.
November 16, 2020
First off, I would like to say that I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review.
I loved the first book of this series, Vessel, and I loved even more this sequel. I had a much easier time getting absorb by the story of First born, because it start with a fast pace that stays pretty much the same throughout the book, unlike Vessel where I found the beginning to be a bit slow.
In this book we get a lot of information about the past of some characters which really helps understanding the reasoning behind some of the character’s decisions and motivations. I really liked seeing the evolution of the relationship between the character’s and I loved seeing how the arrival of new characters changed the whole dynamics between them.
The book kept me on my toes the whole time. Each time I tough that I knew how the events where going to unfold, the story went in a completely different direction. And the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read the third and final book of the Love and Dark series to see how the story ends.
You should be warned that there is a lot of violence and gory stuff in this book, but if you handle it in the first book, you should be fine in the second as well.
Both authors did a wonderful job in this book and I am looking forward to reading the last book of their series.
I loved the first book of this series, Vessel, and I loved even more this sequel. I had a much easier time getting absorb by the story of First born, because it start with a fast pace that stays pretty much the same throughout the book, unlike Vessel where I found the beginning to be a bit slow.
In this book we get a lot of information about the past of some characters which really helps understanding the reasoning behind some of the character’s decisions and motivations. I really liked seeing the evolution of the relationship between the character’s and I loved seeing how the arrival of new characters changed the whole dynamics between them.
The book kept me on my toes the whole time. Each time I tough that I knew how the events where going to unfold, the story went in a completely different direction. And the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read the third and final book of the Love and Dark series to see how the story ends.
You should be warned that there is a lot of violence and gory stuff in this book, but if you handle it in the first book, you should be fine in the second as well.
Both authors did a wonderful job in this book and I am looking forward to reading the last book of their series.
November 16, 2020
I loved this book and am in love with this series. It's written brilliantly and has me entranced from the first page, causing me to binge read the entire book in one night. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. Smith and McCord are absolutely brilliant writers and I'd recommend this book and it's series to anyone interested. You will not be disappointed. Instead, you may just find yourself falling in love with the characters and their story just as I have.
I received this as an ARC copy for a fair and honest review.
I received this as an ARC copy for a fair and honest review.
November 15, 2020
“FIRST BORN” LOVE & DARK SERIES BOOK 2 by Hina McCord & Becca C. Smith
Review by Diana Robicheaux
I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review.
“FIRST BORN” is the second book in the LOVE & DARK series, the first book being “VESSEL.” “FIRST BORN” is a continuation of the story begun in “VESSEL” with the same characters. If you haven’t read the first book, stop here and go read the first book if you don’t want major spoilers for the series.
SUMMARY OF “FIRST BORN” AND THE SERIES SO FAR:
The creature known as Caelius—the father of all vampires, the physical incarnation of literal primordial darkness from the beginning of time—has been freed from his long imprisonment. Having drained enough of Shea Harper’s soul at the end of “VESSEL” to open a crack in his cell, Caelius was pulled free by another “first born” he created and has hidden from Lucien for three thousand years: Nefertiti!
Lucien’s first love is alive!
In the three months since Caelius escaped, Lucian and Shea have been holed up in a villa near Paris. Between love making sessions with Lucian, Shea practices her new powers so they’ll be ready to face Caelius when Aidan finds him. And Aidan has finally located Caelius in Los Angeles, and Caelius has Gracuri—Lucian’s favorite child.
Knowing Caelius has set a trap for him, Lucian leaves Shea asleep in Paris and flies to Los Angeles to save Gracuri, but Caelius murders Gracuri anyway and drains Lucian down to his last drop of blood. Delirious from blood loss, Lucian thinks Shea has come to rescue him, but the woman bending over him isn’t Shea, but his first love Nefertiti. For three thousand years, Caelius claimed there were no female vampires, letting Lucian think he had murdered Nefertiti while trying to turn her.
Aidan and the real Shea arrive to reclaim Lucian, but Nefertiti flies away with him. Shea musters her powers and nearly kills Caelius, but Caelius vanishes, escaping again. Shae attempts to locate Lucian by dream walking, but no luck. She dream walks to Ur-Nammu, Lucian’s first child and Nefertiti’s father, to help her find Lucian. Ur-Nammu doesn’t know where Caelius is hiding Lucian, but he sends another female vampire to help her—one of Nefertiti’s daughters, Aidan’s former lover he believed had been killed by Lucian.
Nefertiti takes Lucian to Caelius’ hiding place. Emaciated, weak, and starving, Lucian is chained to a wall—the chains that had bound Caelius—made from the bones of one of Aidan’s angelic brothers. After taunting him briefly, Caelius tosses two humans to Lucian to feed on. Lucian has never met them, but these are Shea’s parents. Unable to control his need, Lucian drains them to death.
Mekytaten, one of Nefertiti’s daughters, arrives at Shea’s hotel room. After a brief conversation, Meky takes Shea to a bunker built by Akhenaten outside Cairo. Meky leads Shea to a mechanism designed to draw in the sun and repel vampires, and would also juice up Shea’s powers as the Vessel of the Light, turning her into a weapon capable of killing Caelius. Weakened from her last encounter with Caelius, Shea touches the device and begins to absorb the power of the sun.
Between torture sessions, Nefertiti tends to Lucian, telling him of the plan she and her daughters, and a scientist—a friend of Lucian’s named Helena—have been working on to kill Caelius. But they’ll need Shea’s full cooperation. Nefertiti suggests turning Shea’s dead parents into vampires. Lucian reluctantly agrees. He turns Shea’s father, reviving him. As Nefertiti attempts to turn Shea’s mother, Shea uses her growing powers to locate Lucian and sees what Nefertiti is about to do. Shea finds herself instantly in Lucian’s cell and nearly kills Nefertiti. After Lucian confesses to having killed Shea’s parents, Shea allows Nefertiti to turn her mother. But Shea’s parents have no memory of her. Aidan’s brothers had taken their memories of Shea to protect them from Caelius, and now her newly turned vampire parents have no idea who the human they’re eyeing like a Happy Meal is. Aidan appears in the cell to protect Shea.
Caelius returns to Lucian’s cell before they can escape. Shea’s mother attacks Caelius, drinking his blood and becoming enslaved to him. Shea unleashes her new light powers, once again nearly killing Caelius. But before Nefertiti and Lucian could finish off Caelius, Shea’s mother grabbed his body and flew away with him. Aidan finally notices Meky, recognizing her as his former lover. After a brief reunion, Aidan finally breaks Lucian’s chains. Aidan takes Shae, her father, and Meky to an old, rundown farm to hide while Nefertiti heals Lucian and tells him the final part of their plan to destroy Caelius.
My honest opinion of “FIRST BORN” and its characters:
Shea Harper has matured as a character and is much more proactive in this book, taking the initiative to rescue Lucian multiple times. But FIRST BORN is truly Lucian’s story, delving deep into his past, revealing the lies and the secrets kept from him for three thousand years.
“FIRST BORN” is well written and thickly plotted, the kind of story I love to sink my teeth into. However, if you need a solid resolution at the end of a book, “FIRST BORN” doesn’t have it. This is the middle of the story for Shea, Lucian, and Aidan, and like all good mid-points, “FIRST BORN” leaves the reader salivating to reach for the next book and find out what happens next. I will be anxiously awaiting the release of the finally of Lucian, Shea, and Aidan’s story.
Review by Diana Robicheaux
I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review.
“FIRST BORN” is the second book in the LOVE & DARK series, the first book being “VESSEL.” “FIRST BORN” is a continuation of the story begun in “VESSEL” with the same characters. If you haven’t read the first book, stop here and go read the first book if you don’t want major spoilers for the series.
SUMMARY OF “FIRST BORN” AND THE SERIES SO FAR:
The creature known as Caelius—the father of all vampires, the physical incarnation of literal primordial darkness from the beginning of time—has been freed from his long imprisonment. Having drained enough of Shea Harper’s soul at the end of “VESSEL” to open a crack in his cell, Caelius was pulled free by another “first born” he created and has hidden from Lucien for three thousand years: Nefertiti!
Lucien’s first love is alive!
In the three months since Caelius escaped, Lucian and Shea have been holed up in a villa near Paris. Between love making sessions with Lucian, Shea practices her new powers so they’ll be ready to face Caelius when Aidan finds him. And Aidan has finally located Caelius in Los Angeles, and Caelius has Gracuri—Lucian’s favorite child.
Knowing Caelius has set a trap for him, Lucian leaves Shea asleep in Paris and flies to Los Angeles to save Gracuri, but Caelius murders Gracuri anyway and drains Lucian down to his last drop of blood. Delirious from blood loss, Lucian thinks Shea has come to rescue him, but the woman bending over him isn’t Shea, but his first love Nefertiti. For three thousand years, Caelius claimed there were no female vampires, letting Lucian think he had murdered Nefertiti while trying to turn her.
Aidan and the real Shea arrive to reclaim Lucian, but Nefertiti flies away with him. Shea musters her powers and nearly kills Caelius, but Caelius vanishes, escaping again. Shae attempts to locate Lucian by dream walking, but no luck. She dream walks to Ur-Nammu, Lucian’s first child and Nefertiti’s father, to help her find Lucian. Ur-Nammu doesn’t know where Caelius is hiding Lucian, but he sends another female vampire to help her—one of Nefertiti’s daughters, Aidan’s former lover he believed had been killed by Lucian.
Nefertiti takes Lucian to Caelius’ hiding place. Emaciated, weak, and starving, Lucian is chained to a wall—the chains that had bound Caelius—made from the bones of one of Aidan’s angelic brothers. After taunting him briefly, Caelius tosses two humans to Lucian to feed on. Lucian has never met them, but these are Shea’s parents. Unable to control his need, Lucian drains them to death.
Mekytaten, one of Nefertiti’s daughters, arrives at Shea’s hotel room. After a brief conversation, Meky takes Shea to a bunker built by Akhenaten outside Cairo. Meky leads Shea to a mechanism designed to draw in the sun and repel vampires, and would also juice up Shea’s powers as the Vessel of the Light, turning her into a weapon capable of killing Caelius. Weakened from her last encounter with Caelius, Shea touches the device and begins to absorb the power of the sun.
Between torture sessions, Nefertiti tends to Lucian, telling him of the plan she and her daughters, and a scientist—a friend of Lucian’s named Helena—have been working on to kill Caelius. But they’ll need Shea’s full cooperation. Nefertiti suggests turning Shea’s dead parents into vampires. Lucian reluctantly agrees. He turns Shea’s father, reviving him. As Nefertiti attempts to turn Shea’s mother, Shea uses her growing powers to locate Lucian and sees what Nefertiti is about to do. Shea finds herself instantly in Lucian’s cell and nearly kills Nefertiti. After Lucian confesses to having killed Shea’s parents, Shea allows Nefertiti to turn her mother. But Shea’s parents have no memory of her. Aidan’s brothers had taken their memories of Shea to protect them from Caelius, and now her newly turned vampire parents have no idea who the human they’re eyeing like a Happy Meal is. Aidan appears in the cell to protect Shea.
Caelius returns to Lucian’s cell before they can escape. Shea’s mother attacks Caelius, drinking his blood and becoming enslaved to him. Shea unleashes her new light powers, once again nearly killing Caelius. But before Nefertiti and Lucian could finish off Caelius, Shea’s mother grabbed his body and flew away with him. Aidan finally notices Meky, recognizing her as his former lover. After a brief reunion, Aidan finally breaks Lucian’s chains. Aidan takes Shae, her father, and Meky to an old, rundown farm to hide while Nefertiti heals Lucian and tells him the final part of their plan to destroy Caelius.
My honest opinion of “FIRST BORN” and its characters:
Shea Harper has matured as a character and is much more proactive in this book, taking the initiative to rescue Lucian multiple times. But FIRST BORN is truly Lucian’s story, delving deep into his past, revealing the lies and the secrets kept from him for three thousand years.
“FIRST BORN” is well written and thickly plotted, the kind of story I love to sink my teeth into. However, if you need a solid resolution at the end of a book, “FIRST BORN” doesn’t have it. This is the middle of the story for Shea, Lucian, and Aidan, and like all good mid-points, “FIRST BORN” leaves the reader salivating to reach for the next book and find out what happens next. I will be anxiously awaiting the release of the finally of Lucian, Shea, and Aidan’s story.
November 15, 2020
A review for First Born, the second book in the Love & Dark Series by Hina McCord and Becca C. Smith. I was given the chance to read this story with an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review.
Vampire families have never been more complicated. If you enjoyed Vessel, be prepared to be wrapped up in Lucian’s arms and flown through a storm of blood and terror. This story will take you through a deeper miasma of Caelius’s obsession to gain control of the man he loves. He’ll do anything to bring his Lucian back to him.
The story begins with Caelius’ point of view as we discover what he’s been up to since escaping his prison. Caelius is darkness itself and the creator of vampires. Lucian is his first born. Caelius starts his attacks on one of Lucian’s second borns. These are the vampires Lucian turned himself and therefore most precious to him.
In the meantime, Lucian is teaching Shea how to fully use her powers. They spend the time also reveling in their new relationship. Their moment of peace doesn’t last long and Lucian leaves to attempt a rescue of his second born, Gracuri.
These actions from Caelius is expected. No, it’s Caelius’ first betrayal that shocks Lucian. It turns out Nefertiti, the woman Lucian loved when he was a human back in Egypt, has been a vampire this entire time. She and her daughters have been hidden from him.
Lucian’s past is the most developed part of this story. It also makes it so much harder to swallow when he chooses Shea over Nefertiti. Yet he’d already mourned Nefertiti. After all this time, it is Shea who was able to teach him how to live again. He could never give Shea up.
Shea herself will go through many trials in her attempt to save Lucian. While her powers grow, she finds herself stuck in her own emotional whirlpool as she faces the fear that she may lose Lucian to his first love. When her own family is endangered by Caelius’ machinations, Shea doesn’t know if she’ll ever forgive Lucian’s involvement.
There are two elements that kept this story from fully flourishing. The first is that Shea’s inner voice lacked the maturity and true awareness for the events she’s found herself in. At times she appears to not connect with reality. She focuses on the least important detail during dangerous situations. She has very little control over her own emotions. Following her point of view in this epic story can be quite tiring.
She never seems to grow up. Even something simple as finding out her best friend, Aidan, is in love with another vampire, flummoxes her. She can’t help but be concerned for herself. She worries about losing his attention while she’s feeling stressed. He is her safety blanket after all. Although these sorts of problems can be genuine, it doesn’t fit the type of adventure story this book is supposed to be.
The second element that makes it difficult to follow along is how Caelius continues to orchestrate events behind the scenes. As a villain, he’s too strong. Even all the violence used in attempts to destroy him defies credulity. There are other ways to prevent the resolution from happening too soon without making the villain all knowing and all powerful.
There is an intricate plot to follow along with though, so read on as Shea decides what’s more important to her, her feelings of betrayal or her love for Lucian. But beware the graphic violence. The action sequences are more developed which adds a great deal of entertainment. In the end, Lucian’s choice will come down to whether he should fight to the death or sacrifice his body and soul for those he loves.
Vampire families have never been more complicated. If you enjoyed Vessel, be prepared to be wrapped up in Lucian’s arms and flown through a storm of blood and terror. This story will take you through a deeper miasma of Caelius’s obsession to gain control of the man he loves. He’ll do anything to bring his Lucian back to him.
The story begins with Caelius’ point of view as we discover what he’s been up to since escaping his prison. Caelius is darkness itself and the creator of vampires. Lucian is his first born. Caelius starts his attacks on one of Lucian’s second borns. These are the vampires Lucian turned himself and therefore most precious to him.
In the meantime, Lucian is teaching Shea how to fully use her powers. They spend the time also reveling in their new relationship. Their moment of peace doesn’t last long and Lucian leaves to attempt a rescue of his second born, Gracuri.
These actions from Caelius is expected. No, it’s Caelius’ first betrayal that shocks Lucian. It turns out Nefertiti, the woman Lucian loved when he was a human back in Egypt, has been a vampire this entire time. She and her daughters have been hidden from him.
Lucian’s past is the most developed part of this story. It also makes it so much harder to swallow when he chooses Shea over Nefertiti. Yet he’d already mourned Nefertiti. After all this time, it is Shea who was able to teach him how to live again. He could never give Shea up.
Shea herself will go through many trials in her attempt to save Lucian. While her powers grow, she finds herself stuck in her own emotional whirlpool as she faces the fear that she may lose Lucian to his first love. When her own family is endangered by Caelius’ machinations, Shea doesn’t know if she’ll ever forgive Lucian’s involvement.
There are two elements that kept this story from fully flourishing. The first is that Shea’s inner voice lacked the maturity and true awareness for the events she’s found herself in. At times she appears to not connect with reality. She focuses on the least important detail during dangerous situations. She has very little control over her own emotions. Following her point of view in this epic story can be quite tiring.
She never seems to grow up. Even something simple as finding out her best friend, Aidan, is in love with another vampire, flummoxes her. She can’t help but be concerned for herself. She worries about losing his attention while she’s feeling stressed. He is her safety blanket after all. Although these sorts of problems can be genuine, it doesn’t fit the type of adventure story this book is supposed to be.
The second element that makes it difficult to follow along is how Caelius continues to orchestrate events behind the scenes. As a villain, he’s too strong. Even all the violence used in attempts to destroy him defies credulity. There are other ways to prevent the resolution from happening too soon without making the villain all knowing and all powerful.
There is an intricate plot to follow along with though, so read on as Shea decides what’s more important to her, her feelings of betrayal or her love for Lucian. But beware the graphic violence. The action sequences are more developed which adds a great deal of entertainment. In the end, Lucian’s choice will come down to whether he should fight to the death or sacrifice his body and soul for those he loves.
November 22, 2020
I got ‘First Born’ as an ARC along with the first book.
In my reviews, I like to break it down into The Good, The Bad, and Who Would Like This. This review will be spoiler-free. TW: Sexual Assault and Parent/Child sexual relationships.
The Good:
I love these authors as social media personalities. They’re fight, lighthearted, and normally give honest impressions of what life is like as an author. This book has some cool ideas and the writers have enjoyed playing with history to bring this world to life.
The Bad:
I’ve got a list of things that have not changed from the first book.
-Prolonged illusions to rape and in this book an actual rape scene: My biggest issue is not that there is rape in the book. The authors did warn it would happen, it’s the easy-going style the writers have that doesn’t play well with heavy topics. The brutality of the book is non-stop, but it’s broken up by YA tropes that take me out of the moment. I have more of this below.
-Shae has not gotten better: In my review for the first book I mentioned, I didn’t like Shae. This feeling only continued as I got into the second book. For me, besides the end battle, she doesn’t have a purpose in the story. Lucien is the one who grows. Shae is just there to be his Love Interest, and even then, with the introduction of other characters, I couldn’t see how their relationship could be so strong.
-It’s too fast-paced: I know others like fast-paced books, but this is like getting a whole book on a speeding bullet train. There is no time for characters to rest, or when they do rest it’s only for a moment and then they’re rushing off to do something else. I think the main problem with this has been travel times. Most of the story takes place in a day, and the characters bounce around from America, Europe, and Africa. It took me out of the moment and didn’t give any sense of urgency when the characters were split up.
-New information from the old book conflicts with Book 2: There are a few times when a new character is brought in that you find out that they’ve been behind the scenes all along. In the first book, there was no hint of them, and it led me to feel like it was a plot hole that wasn’t looked at.
-Parent/Child Sexual Relationships: The vampires in this world treat their sires as parents, but, those ‘parents’ could be sexually attracted to their children. This isn’t uncommon in vampire novels, but normally the elder vampire doesn’t demand to be called Father to his sexual partner/child. There a are few lines crossed that make the book very hard to read at times. This can be done well with a bit more tact, but the book didn’t carry that through and it left those situations to be cringe-worthy.
Who would like this:
As you can see, I really don’t like this series. I have a lot of issues with some of the craft choices the authors have made. If you want something super face paced where you can read the book in a day maybe two, this could be a good pick up read if you’re not as picky as I am. If you want sexy brooding vampires with Egyptian mythology with a ‘Queen of the Damned’ feel, and again you don’t mind it being a bit rough, this can be a good fast read.
I’m going to read the last book in the series, only because I feel I need to complete it to see if the writers have gotten better. Sadly, they are fast releasing this book. If you want to know more about fast releasing I have a longer explanation on my blog. There will be more spoilers with that post that there is on this one.
In my reviews, I like to break it down into The Good, The Bad, and Who Would Like This. This review will be spoiler-free. TW: Sexual Assault and Parent/Child sexual relationships.
The Good:
I love these authors as social media personalities. They’re fight, lighthearted, and normally give honest impressions of what life is like as an author. This book has some cool ideas and the writers have enjoyed playing with history to bring this world to life.
The Bad:
I’ve got a list of things that have not changed from the first book.
-Prolonged illusions to rape and in this book an actual rape scene: My biggest issue is not that there is rape in the book. The authors did warn it would happen, it’s the easy-going style the writers have that doesn’t play well with heavy topics. The brutality of the book is non-stop, but it’s broken up by YA tropes that take me out of the moment. I have more of this below.
-Shae has not gotten better: In my review for the first book I mentioned, I didn’t like Shae. This feeling only continued as I got into the second book. For me, besides the end battle, she doesn’t have a purpose in the story. Lucien is the one who grows. Shae is just there to be his Love Interest, and even then, with the introduction of other characters, I couldn’t see how their relationship could be so strong.
-It’s too fast-paced: I know others like fast-paced books, but this is like getting a whole book on a speeding bullet train. There is no time for characters to rest, or when they do rest it’s only for a moment and then they’re rushing off to do something else. I think the main problem with this has been travel times. Most of the story takes place in a day, and the characters bounce around from America, Europe, and Africa. It took me out of the moment and didn’t give any sense of urgency when the characters were split up.
-New information from the old book conflicts with Book 2: There are a few times when a new character is brought in that you find out that they’ve been behind the scenes all along. In the first book, there was no hint of them, and it led me to feel like it was a plot hole that wasn’t looked at.
-Parent/Child Sexual Relationships: The vampires in this world treat their sires as parents, but, those ‘parents’ could be sexually attracted to their children. This isn’t uncommon in vampire novels, but normally the elder vampire doesn’t demand to be called Father to his sexual partner/child. There a are few lines crossed that make the book very hard to read at times. This can be done well with a bit more tact, but the book didn’t carry that through and it left those situations to be cringe-worthy.
Who would like this:
As you can see, I really don’t like this series. I have a lot of issues with some of the craft choices the authors have made. If you want something super face paced where you can read the book in a day maybe two, this could be a good pick up read if you’re not as picky as I am. If you want sexy brooding vampires with Egyptian mythology with a ‘Queen of the Damned’ feel, and again you don’t mind it being a bit rough, this can be a good fast read.
I’m going to read the last book in the series, only because I feel I need to complete it to see if the writers have gotten better. Sadly, they are fast releasing this book. If you want to know more about fast releasing I have a longer explanation on my blog. There will be more spoilers with that post that there is on this one.
November 15, 2020
I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review.
So let's get the TWs out of the way for this book: violence...so much of it. I would also tack on sexual interactions that border on coercion (for something that happens toward the end (but no spoilers)).
Okay, so as you may guess from the title, this book focuses more on Lucian although we still get a lot of the other characters. I really enjoyed the focus that then reminds us that everyone else is still doing things and that the world is still turning. We learn a lot more about him, his history, and where his mind is and I think that is a wonderful thing.
The writing feels much more solid this time around and it was very quick to pull me into it. I literally love Lucian's chapters. Again, I am biased toward the vampire, but his chapters were solid and really emotionally driven. Shea's chapters were also good and spent a lot of time dealing with the fallout of things that had happened/were currently happening. It felt very realistic in the sense that I would probably have similar reactions or at least after the initial shock.
I will say one thing that felt... off I guess. A lot of characters were added in this book and many felt like they were... unnecessary, like they were added just for more angst later. One in particular felt like they were added just to have a Deus ex Machina moment in the book. In the end, it wasn't terrible, but it was something that I kept thinking about while they were "on screen" so to speak.
Overall, this was an excellent second book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book. You won't be disappointed. I can't wait for the next one!
So let's get the TWs out of the way for this book: violence...so much of it. I would also tack on sexual interactions that border on coercion (for something that happens toward the end (but no spoilers)).
Okay, so as you may guess from the title, this book focuses more on Lucian although we still get a lot of the other characters. I really enjoyed the focus that then reminds us that everyone else is still doing things and that the world is still turning. We learn a lot more about him, his history, and where his mind is and I think that is a wonderful thing.
The writing feels much more solid this time around and it was very quick to pull me into it. I literally love Lucian's chapters. Again, I am biased toward the vampire, but his chapters were solid and really emotionally driven. Shea's chapters were also good and spent a lot of time dealing with the fallout of things that had happened/were currently happening. It felt very realistic in the sense that I would probably have similar reactions or at least after the initial shock.
I will say one thing that felt... off I guess. A lot of characters were added in this book and many felt like they were... unnecessary, like they were added just for more angst later. One in particular felt like they were added just to have a Deus ex Machina moment in the book. In the end, it wasn't terrible, but it was something that I kept thinking about while they were "on screen" so to speak.
Overall, this was an excellent second book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book. You won't be disappointed. I can't wait for the next one!
November 16, 2020
I received this as an ARC copy for a fair and honest review.
TW: This book contains graphic violence, emotional abuse, and sexual assault.
Rating: 4/5
Review contains spoilers for Vessel and may contain light spoilers for First Born.
First Born continues the story of Shea, Lucian, and Aiden as they work to find a way to destroy Caelius once and for all. Overall, I thought this second installment was a good follow-up to Vessel. Like the first book, it is fairly fast paced and I easily consumed it in a single sitting.
In terms of character, we received much more backstory for Lucian that served to make an already intriguing character even more interesting. It also served to bolster Aiden’s history as well. Those hooked by the epilogue in Vessel are sure to find this book satisfying as it answers many of the questions brought up in that scene.
Shea took on a bit more independence during this installment, venturing on a short journey without Lucian and Aiden. I liked her viewpoint in Vessel, but found it more enjoyable in this book. Her feelings towards Lucian’s old flame felt realistic as did those directed at her own family.
Most of this novel was dark and violent with only a few light moments to break it up. Like the first book, there are many scenes with graphic violence. The plot moves forward but the book ends on a serious low for many of the characters. I do not normally enjoy this, but the continued character development and struggle of the MCs has me hooked.
I am looking forward to reading the third and final installment.
TW: This book contains graphic violence, emotional abuse, and sexual assault.
Rating: 4/5
Review contains spoilers for Vessel and may contain light spoilers for First Born.
First Born continues the story of Shea, Lucian, and Aiden as they work to find a way to destroy Caelius once and for all. Overall, I thought this second installment was a good follow-up to Vessel. Like the first book, it is fairly fast paced and I easily consumed it in a single sitting.
In terms of character, we received much more backstory for Lucian that served to make an already intriguing character even more interesting. It also served to bolster Aiden’s history as well. Those hooked by the epilogue in Vessel are sure to find this book satisfying as it answers many of the questions brought up in that scene.
Shea took on a bit more independence during this installment, venturing on a short journey without Lucian and Aiden. I liked her viewpoint in Vessel, but found it more enjoyable in this book. Her feelings towards Lucian’s old flame felt realistic as did those directed at her own family.
Most of this novel was dark and violent with only a few light moments to break it up. Like the first book, there are many scenes with graphic violence. The plot moves forward but the book ends on a serious low for many of the characters. I do not normally enjoy this, but the continued character development and struggle of the MCs has me hooked.
I am looking forward to reading the third and final installment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2020
I received an ARC of First Born in exchange for an honest review
In this second installment of the Love and Dark series we find Shea, Lucian, and co on a quest to kill the grandfather of all evil, Caelius. I am a little worried that the defeat of this particular evil will be the main driver of plot in all three books. As a reader, all the encounters with Caelius feel a little bit like Lucy and the football. The stakes rise and fall between their battles and it is starting to feel a little monotonous.
My issues with the first book (mainly pacing and whirlwind plot developments) did, unfortunately, carry through to this one. We were introduced to many new characters who were certainly interesting in their own right but their introductions (and sometimes extensive backstories) broke up the flow of the narrative. I definitely found myself fighting the urge to skim more than once.
The romance between Shea and Lucien was more engaging in this book but I still struggle to connect to Shea as a character. Some moments I find her mannerisms endearing, specifically her confidence in fighting, but in others I am frustrated by her, specifically her *lack* of confidence when facing romantic rivals. Characters are allowed their flaws but Shea's inconsistent behavior leaves me dizzy.
Overall this was an okay read and I am invested enough to finish the series but the improvements I was hoping to see compared to the first book unfortunately did not manifest.
In this second installment of the Love and Dark series we find Shea, Lucian, and co on a quest to kill the grandfather of all evil, Caelius. I am a little worried that the defeat of this particular evil will be the main driver of plot in all three books. As a reader, all the encounters with Caelius feel a little bit like Lucy and the football. The stakes rise and fall between their battles and it is starting to feel a little monotonous.
My issues with the first book (mainly pacing and whirlwind plot developments) did, unfortunately, carry through to this one. We were introduced to many new characters who were certainly interesting in their own right but their introductions (and sometimes extensive backstories) broke up the flow of the narrative. I definitely found myself fighting the urge to skim more than once.
The romance between Shea and Lucien was more engaging in this book but I still struggle to connect to Shea as a character. Some moments I find her mannerisms endearing, specifically her confidence in fighting, but in others I am frustrated by her, specifically her *lack* of confidence when facing romantic rivals. Characters are allowed their flaws but Shea's inconsistent behavior leaves me dizzy.
Overall this was an okay read and I am invested enough to finish the series but the improvements I was hoping to see compared to the first book unfortunately did not manifest.
November 16, 2020
I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review.
Similar to the first book in the trilogy, I loved that this book was an easy read with the face-paced action that kept the story going. While I have gotten used to the pace now finishing the second book, part of me wishes these books were longer so I would have a chance to learn about some of the characters more.
Slight spoilers ahead...
I loved loved loved learning about Nefertiti and her daughters! They are definitely my favourite part about this series so I was a bit sad about the final battle that occurs in this book.
I found it a bit challenging understanding how the characters were planning to defeat the big bad (being Caelius). I wish that it was explained a bit more in detail on how the light magic worked and Caelius being able to absorb souls etc.
My thoughts on Lucian and Shea remain the same. I'm finding I can't click with Shea at all. Nothing wrong with her if she is the type of main protagonist you like, I'm finding she is not for me. I sometimes felt like she was just there to serve the plot as the vessel, but that could be due to my struggles trying to connect with her.
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how the team will go in the next installment, the pressure is rising!
Similar to the first book in the trilogy, I loved that this book was an easy read with the face-paced action that kept the story going. While I have gotten used to the pace now finishing the second book, part of me wishes these books were longer so I would have a chance to learn about some of the characters more.
Slight spoilers ahead...
I loved loved loved learning about Nefertiti and her daughters! They are definitely my favourite part about this series so I was a bit sad about the final battle that occurs in this book.
I found it a bit challenging understanding how the characters were planning to defeat the big bad (being Caelius). I wish that it was explained a bit more in detail on how the light magic worked and Caelius being able to absorb souls etc.
My thoughts on Lucian and Shea remain the same. I'm finding I can't click with Shea at all. Nothing wrong with her if she is the type of main protagonist you like, I'm finding she is not for me. I sometimes felt like she was just there to serve the plot as the vessel, but that could be due to my struggles trying to connect with her.
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how the team will go in the next installment, the pressure is rising!
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November 16, 2020I received this as an ARC copy for a fair and honest review.
***Warning for small spoilers in the form of a trigger warning for sexual assault!***
This pains me to do this but I unfortunately DNF'd this book roughly 36% of the way through. In Becca's video asking for arc readers she mentioned sexual assault trigger warnings for book three. There technically should have been one for the entire series.
I thought the sexual assault would have just happened once but I was wrong. It happens over and over and you are constantly reading about it even though it's not supposed to be the main plot of the story. Our main character Lucian is repeatedly assaulted by the main who turned him into a vampire, the main he calls his father (they technically share blood). It unfortunately got to a point where it got to much for my personal taste.
For that reason I will not be finishing the series. I can apparently watch shows and movies that heavily feature sexual assault but cannot handle that trope in books.
***Warning for small spoilers in the form of a trigger warning for sexual assault!***
This pains me to do this but I unfortunately DNF'd this book roughly 36% of the way through. In Becca's video asking for arc readers she mentioned sexual assault trigger warnings for book three. There technically should have been one for the entire series.
I thought the sexual assault would have just happened once but I was wrong. It happens over and over and you are constantly reading about it even though it's not supposed to be the main plot of the story. Our main character Lucian is repeatedly assaulted by the main who turned him into a vampire, the main he calls his father (they technically share blood). It unfortunately got to a point where it got to much for my personal taste.
For that reason I will not be finishing the series. I can apparently watch shows and movies that heavily feature sexual assault but cannot handle that trope in books.
November 15, 2020
Before I begin my review, I was given an Advanced Reader Copy (Arc) of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This continues to be a great series. There is a ton of character development in this book and you can tell the authors have worked hard to improve on what they did in the first book. The pacing is good and consistent, the emotional beats hit exactly as they are supposed to, and the main character really steps into her own, finally.
I'm very happy with where the story's been going and it shows how much work the authors have put into this piece. A job well done and I look forward to the sequel.
This continues to be a great series. There is a ton of character development in this book and you can tell the authors have worked hard to improve on what they did in the first book. The pacing is good and consistent, the emotional beats hit exactly as they are supposed to, and the main character really steps into her own, finally.
I'm very happy with where the story's been going and it shows how much work the authors have put into this piece. A job well done and I look forward to the sequel.
November 16, 2020
I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review.
I didn't like this book as much as I did the first.
It has excellent pacing and the story is branching out farther with more character development which I love. Parts of the story though weren't really up my alley (no spoilers in this review, sorry). There are some areas I see plot holes that I'm hoping are filled in the third book. I am also hoping for closure in the third book. With an expanding story I'm not sure I'll get what I'm hoping for but I continue to be optimistic.
I did end the book wanting to pick up the third. It's a good book and worth the read overall.
I didn't like this book as much as I did the first.
It has excellent pacing and the story is branching out farther with more character development which I love. Parts of the story though weren't really up my alley (no spoilers in this review, sorry). There are some areas I see plot holes that I'm hoping are filled in the third book. I am also hoping for closure in the third book. With an expanding story I'm not sure I'll get what I'm hoping for but I continue to be optimistic.
I did end the book wanting to pick up the third. It's a good book and worth the read overall.
November 15, 2020
I received this as an ARC Copy for a fair and honest review
I really enjoyed reading this second installment in the Love & Dark series. The characters are wonderfully relatable and the authors sense of humor really shines through the book. In this book you really get to know the characters better and see some new sides to them. Really a fantastic book and definitely worth reading if you are a fan of fantasy romance.
There are still some unanswered questions leading me to say 'how long until the next one!' I can't wait to see how the story develops.
I really enjoyed reading this second installment in the Love & Dark series. The characters are wonderfully relatable and the authors sense of humor really shines through the book. In this book you really get to know the characters better and see some new sides to them. Really a fantastic book and definitely worth reading if you are a fan of fantasy romance.
There are still some unanswered questions leading me to say 'how long until the next one!' I can't wait to see how the story develops.
December 6, 2020
Twisted, surprising, and fantastic! The second book in a series can be hard to pull off, but Becca Smith and Hina McCord did so masterfully in this novel, the pacing, excitement, and twists were executed perfectly.
Do yourself a favor and read this series, I promise it is exactly the dark escape you need this year !
Do yourself a favor and read this series, I promise it is exactly the dark escape you need this year !
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