Zero Hour: A Vampire Urban Fantasy

Order of the Dragon #0.5

by Tina Glasneck

Dark magic comes with deadly consequences.
What happens when an untrained seer possesses the most powerful grimoire ever to exist?
Leslie’s a romance author, who happens to be conjuring magic. She’s researching sigils for her latest Highlander romance, but her intentions have powered something sinister.
The road to destruction is only one tempting spell away.

This is a 10k prequel short story that introduces Leslie, the supernatual world, with all the snark and humor that we love.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Vampires, Ebooks, Novella

76 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

TINA GLASNECK can't imagine a world without books. Her works have been classified in several genres, including mystery, suspense, fantasy and paranormal romance, and new adult.Yet for Tina, it is all about the characters and their journeys.

An avid reader with a love of traveling, meeting new people and exploring her world, her interest in law, religion, history, fantasy, and dragons, made writing about it an “easy” choice. Give her a castle to enchant her, and tell her a funny story to make her snort with laughter, but please don’t serve her cake with red icing.

Tina takes joy in beautiful architecture, lively cities and world travel. She enjoys creating make-believe worlds where she sometimes resides, and is often thinking and tinkering on her next story. Sometimes she feels like a real life Cinderella, without the ashes or the fairy godmother, and at other times, she is just a girl, looking for a chance to tell that next great story.

http://www.TinaGlasneck.com

Reviews

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zero Hour by Tina Glasneck

A prequel to the Order of the Dragon series. Paranormal short.
An introduction to Leslie, a romance author, that finds a grimoire and has magic explode all around her. Danger and snark are everywhere.

More chapter than full story. It was enough to interest me in the series.

[Alexandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting enough that I want to read the series. I just wish there was a bit more to this book even though it's a prequel. The book does go between two points of view. I will be checking out the series.

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every so often BookBub will feature an interesting paranormal book or series featuring a Black heroine. And I freely admit to judging a book by who's on the cover. So if I see a book with a Black or other woman of color on it, then my interest is piqued. I am firmly on #TeamOwnVoices.

Of course, before the BUY NOW button is pushed I need to know who the author is and what their backlist looks like. Again I admit to preferring Authors of color, most of whom have to do more to gain exposure in the highly problematic publishing industry.

So I took a chance on this prequel. Overall it was a quick and enjoyable paranormal read that has whetted my appetite for the next book. And I can't resist characters who are romance authors.

My big complaint is the HEROINE - hence the 3 stars. If you put a Black woman on the cover, I expect some description of what she looks like, even if the dratted food description is used. It annoys me to no end and honestly feels like a cheat or worse, erasure. Even first time authors will flesh out their heroines in some form or fashion. From a bestselling author, a decent description should have been a no-brainer. Now my guess is that since this was the prequel, the heroine will be described fully in the next book.

Here's hoping.

On the fun side, what happens to a romance author when Norse gods are mucking about?

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Start!!!This is my first introduction to Tina Glasneck's writings. Zero Hour is a prequel to the Order of the Dragon Series. It definitely got my interest up for what is next to come. The main character is Leslie who happens to be a romance writer. She is also into magic as she researches for her next book. Yep nothing good can come of this so be ready to see the outcome. Warning you will want book one already on your kindle so you can go straight into binge read mode. So grab this one and sit back and enjoy.

[Crystal P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read. It was entertaining and fast-moving. There is mythology at play and it intrigued me. I am in for more of this story!

[Novelist Dienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is very VERY fast paced. So much to the point that it felt that certain plot details was missing (cause they were). In fact it almost feels like there are certain sentences missing from the story. Certain things are left to out of an explanation (maybe we'll get an explanation in the next book) in plots. Characters actions are also inconsistent this could have been a 3 star if the author added more. This feels like a summary of an outline. Certain sentences that could go in between 2 sentences just to make certain internal dialogue flow to together.

For example:
+Leslie said she was going to the cafe to meet Sunflower. The next chapter they are talking about magic in what was Indicated to be the cafe hence Leslie I mentioned that she ordered something as it turned out they're not in the cafe but they're back in Sunflowers living Room... when did that happen?

+ Then comes the fight in the subway between the vampires and the werewolves. Leslie falls on the tracks no one helps her until she summons the All Great Evil which derails the train that almost kills her. After weird moment with Killian we then learn from him that his pack members are cleaning up the mess that the fight caused including the derailed train. Its NYC....what about The cameras, what about the people on the train, where they Injured, was there even people on the train?

+ Not to mention the Hot mess of a funeral. Is no one going to address by her "stepmother" (I can only assume that since she keeps calling her her dad's wife but I have no clue if that's actually a stepmother or her biological mom and that she just has a horrible relationship with her) shot her Zombiefied Dad. I the author doesn't even give context clues as whether or not the dude who tackled her while she was doing the spell is her half brother or full brother.

Either way I won't be continuing this series if the writing and the construction of the story remains the same. It's a good premise but it's executed poorly.

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Review:

Overall – 4
Performance – 5
Story – 3

Just OK for me.

This is the first book I've read by Tina Glasneck. I listened to the audiobook performed by Liz Brand and as far as I know it's the first one of hers for me, too.

I'm actually really glad that I listened to this instead of reading it. This type of story isn't something that I'd usually read but Tina Glasneck will be a featured author during the 2021 virtual Coastal Magic Convention and I'm trying to read a book by each of the featured authors.

I really enjoyed Liz Brand's performance – and it was a performance, she didn't just narrate the story. I must confess that I really didn't get too much out of the story (like I said, it's not really something I'd normally read) but I'm glad that I got to experience Liz Brand's performance. I'm really picky about female narrators and she did a great job and I would definitely listen to more books that she performs.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leslie is a hoot! She is creating magic because she wants one last conversation with her dad. Her dead dad. In doing so she has vampires chasing her and werewolves trying to save her. Leslie gets more than she bargained for and it nearly costs her her life. As a short prequel, it moves quickly and has great humor.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action from the start. This book involves vampires, werewolves, and persons yielding magic. And don't forget the ghosts. This is promising to be an action packed series. I can't wait to read more.

[Chrys Minter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

I enjoyed reading this. It had so much imagery and the characters are memorable. This author writes with much passion for her work...

[Scott Shjefte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big magic was forgotten. Lack of free will - predestination takes away from the reading experience. Free from Amazon July 2022.

[Dara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barely coherent

I tried to like it, the first chapter caught my interest. But the second chapter was nearly incoherent. The paragraphs just didn’t make sense. Words were used incorrectly, sentences were badly constructed. Rose was introduced three times as if she were a new character each time. “Shit rolls uphill” isn’t even right. I just couldn’t read any more. Several paragraphs appeared to be badly edited, leaving in parts that must surely have been meant to delete. I am sorry to give such a bad review, maybe the book was good further on, but I just couldn’t get past Chapter 2.

[Aurielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

What?

First, this is a novella, which I didn’t realize until I reached the epilogue. I found this to be very disjointed. Her father is terrible, but she loves him and HAS to speak with him one more time (I’ve noticed this becoming more prominent in many books lately. Can we get over this blatant selfishness already?) and then jumps to an apartment somewhere and then to a dungeon with no transition. A random mess of action scenes.

[JW USA · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not Book 1

I bought this without any indication that this wasn’t book 1. Rather it was a very brief chapter for the beginning of a book that is the start of a second series spun off from another. Very annoying. Also as a chapter not a short story this is lacking in narrative plot.

[Ola Adamska · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really good prequel that had set up the pace for the next book in the series.
We meet here the characters that will be important in book two, which I really liked, as this story was released after the book one
Leslie is really intriguing and for sure you can connect with her here

[Michelle Willms · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs work

The writing was rough. This author has written some good tales. This was so poorly worded on most pages that reading was a painful chore, rather than the pleasure it should be.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish this story could be a bit longer. So enjoyable. Leslie is a writer and can do magic as well. A fabulous combination. Can’t wait for the next book.

[Gypsy Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the death of her estranged father, Leslie attempts to resurrect him using the ancient tome passed down through her family to gain some closure after his death. But the resurrection spell calls all of the supernatural monsters in the world to her like a magnet. And they are intent on killing everyone around her to get to her and the tome. As part of a clandestine supernatural law enforcement, Killian is assigned to find what has all of the monsters so agitated.

The first chapter was epic! Totally made me an instant fan! I loved how gutsy and irreverent Leslie was, marching into the funeral, surrounded by family all resentful of her, and attempted to wake her father from his casket. And I loved all of the dirty details of her family and her father’s life. And then the body in the casket moved.

And then we switched to Chapter 2. A standard run-of-the-mill clandestine supernatural law enforcement headed by wolf-shifters, dragon-shifters, and vampires *yawn*. It’s always those three. If I had a dime for every clandestine supernatural law enforcement I’ve run across in indie fiction, I’d be rich. And Killian is the stereotypical handsome, aloof, toughest of the toughest, best of the best, with a royal pedigree *yawn*. All the history and names and supernatural politics suddenly get dumped on the reader and I just started skimming chapters *double yawn*. Leslie, sadly, after her epically gutsy beginning turns into a damsel-in-distress, just standing there stupidly as creatures attack. Zero Hour doesn’t entice me to continue the series that this is a prequel for. I think I really lost respect for Leslie when it got pointed out that her objective for raising her dad from the dead was closure. Seriously Lady? You tried to change the laws of nature just so that you’d feel better about his death? Of all the Karen things.

[Debyi Kucera (Book&BuJo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zero Hour by Tina Glasneck is the prequel novella for the Order of the Dragon series. Leslie is a romance novelist who is researching sigils for her latest novel. She can also conjure magic. While her intentions are good, they seemed to have powered something sinister.

This novella is quite short and very fast-paced full of vampires, werewolves, magic, and a lot of snark (in a good way). This novella isn’t long enough to give you the full story, but it is intriguing enough to want to dive right into book one in the series.

Fun, interesting, and a great start to the series, leaving me wanting to know more.

[Ariel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mkay.

- whoever edited this should never edit another book.
- none of this was coherent. I don't care that it's a novella, your transitions should make sense.
- Leslie is selfish. And dumb. Everything that is about to happen to her throughout the series is entirely her fault. Why in all of the hells would you mess with a magick you don't understand...for a book? Google, bitch. And then your grandmother - who obviously has more knowledge than you - is telling you to not do the dumb shit, but you do the dumb shit anyway. Childish. Petulant. Brat.

All of that said, the idea isn't an awful one. I'm willing to check out the rest of the series, but I'm in no rush to do so.

[Anne Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tina Glasneck is a talented writer but I'm not sure this series was quite what I hoped. I couldn't quite get into it. I thought the dragons and seafood-eating vamps were all a little strange. The ghostly grannie was my favorite character. I guess I was looking for something a bit more traditional. I could have done without the entire dragon angle altogether - just some vamps and werewolves with maybe some witches and fairies sprinkled in would have been enough for me.

[Marlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intriguing premise, but the writing is very disorganized. There were several instances where I thought my Kindle was acting up and skipping pages because parts of a conversation or whole scenes felt like they were missing. They weren't. Characters get introduced and are immediately lost among the action and the reader has no idea how we even got to the end because we don't get any information on what's happening around the main character. It was really bizarre.

[Emily Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to complete my A-Z challenge but honestly it wasn't very good. It was confusing as we were just jumped right into the story, with no background information given about the characters or their lives. Maybe the author intends the reader to learn about the characters etc through the rest of the series but it made this prequel not a good reading experience

[Suzanne Bourgeois]

Tina Glasneck's writing style is just not for me. I found the writing to be disjointed, throwing off the pleasure of a good story. And for a prequel, this leaves me with more questions than answers. I wonder if it was meant to be read first? But the actual story seems nice. It's just not for me.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this short story would be a good introduction to a decent dragon series, but it wasn't. There was too much unknown in the story and even the characters don't get to keep the memory of it.

[KHamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it was just me but what was the author even saying? It was like a kid trying to tell you about what happened on the playground. You understood what they would try to tell you but all the details didn’t make sense.

[Taaibah · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a read!

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end…
Magic, vampires, what’s not to like….
But throw in dark magic that is Welder is unaware of just mixes things up that little bit more….
A really enjoyable and enthralling read….

[thee.millennialreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it was quick, it was pretty good! It piqued my interest enough to want to read Once Bitten (Book 2). Some parts were a little fluffy which didn’t contribute to character development. 3.75 ⭐️

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zero Hour: A Vampire Urban Fantasy (Order of the Dragon) by Tina Glasneck – If you are worrying about your dating drought and work stress, at least you don’t have vampire problems! A very cool urban fantasy! Happy Reading!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Story

I was a little lost in the beginning but caught on later. This book really got my attention. Loved the characters, the story and look forward to the next book.