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The old saying goes, “The ends justify the means”...
For vampire Miranda Dandridge, using her supernatural abilities to rescue children from impossible circumstances is her means to be a part of the human world that she loves so much, despite the atrocities of WWII.
For doctor Ben Gongliewski, saving his fellow Jews from the horrific death camps is an end for which he risks his own life every day, hiding his Jewish heritage while feigning loyalty the SS.
Neither Miranda nor Ben expects to find love in World War II Europe, but that is exactly what happens as they work for the Resistance. When the war draws to a close, it seems like the vampire and the doctor are free to start a future together. Yet the two forget just how far the Nazis will go to further their own evil ends.
Desperate times make for ruthless men as loves and lives are threatened, but, Miranda and Ben know that their world cannot go to hell, not by any means…
For vampire Miranda Dandridge, using her supernatural abilities to rescue children from impossible circumstances is her means to be a part of the human world that she loves so much, despite the atrocities of WWII.
For doctor Ben Gongliewski, saving his fellow Jews from the horrific death camps is an end for which he risks his own life every day, hiding his Jewish heritage while feigning loyalty the SS.
Neither Miranda nor Ben expects to find love in World War II Europe, but that is exactly what happens as they work for the Resistance. When the war draws to a close, it seems like the vampire and the doctor are free to start a future together. Yet the two forget just how far the Nazis will go to further their own evil ends.
Desperate times make for ruthless men as loves and lives are threatened, but, Miranda and Ben know that their world cannot go to hell, not by any means…
290 pages, ebook
First published January 3, 2013
163 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Hadaway
5 books51 followersAvid reader, lover of education, and total geek, I make my living with my law degree, but love to indulge my creative side through my novels. I've written RELEASE, which is due for re-publication through Visionary Press in January; hopefully soon after will follow RETURN (the sequel) and REDEEM. All follow my main character, the vampire Miranda Dandridge, as she makes her way in the world owned by humans, envying them and loving them, at great sacrifices of her own. Hopefully soon, things will settle down for her, but she's got alot to redeem first...
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 20, 2010
The year is 1944, the setting Poland in the mist of German occupation. Nazis are routing out the last of the Jewish sympathizers, resistance fighters, who have been doing their best to save the last few Jewish survivors that are left in hiding, mostly children. The war is coming to it's fateful conclusion that the resistance is struggling to prevent, the destruction of more people anyway it can. And some of Hitler's followers want even more devastation.
Miranda, Vanessa, and Rose have been working for the resistance, Miranda with the strength of a vampire, Nessa as a demon escaped from Hell and it's masters, and Rose, born with the cursed werewolf gene. Children are the only ones left that they can help, moving them through the darkness of night with a subtle calmness that only a true creature of the night can contain. The children never cry, are obedient, even calm. When Ben, a Jewish doctor pretending to be Polish meets the eclectic group of women, he is first struck by the strength, the beauty, and finally the unprotesting children who walk with the women through the dark forests to safety.
Gertrude, with her witch's blood and connections with the SS has also been working secretly with the resistance together with her lover, Helen, combining forces with the trio of women and Ben to work as hard and quickly as possible. Father Ott helps places the children, Gertrude alerts the network, the ladies guides them to Ben, and Ben takes them to the families willing to take a chance. It all works perfectly until the unthinkable happens and Father Ott isn't who he appears to be. When Father Ott, a disciple of Himmler and the occult, starts looking for the Brides of Dracula, Cray (Miranda's brother) and Denny (a similar escaped Demon) come to their rescue. But will it be enough to save them? Or is it too late? Will the gates of Hell be flung open?
Release by Nicole Hadaway is a character drive novel, capturing the hopelessness of the Nazi occupation, combining it with the paranormal creatures that make the novel work. Miranda is a vampire unwilling to accept her destiny and heritage of a vampire needing to carry on the vampiric line of their family, strangely drawn to these humans and their struggle against the war. She's helping Vanessa and Rose as well to adapt to their Earth bounds constraints and cursed existence. Ben is enthralled by the beauty and strength of Miranda without ever knowing what or who she is. And he's one of the rare humans able to accept what she is, and love her, which is all she was looking for unknowingly. She's drawn to Ben's humanity, something they share only distantly while Ben is drawn to her preternatural strength and abilities, both hoping for love, but a love that can never work. Everyone around them knows, but neither Miranda or Ben will hear the truth.
Release is an involving read, taking the reader through some of the aspects of the war, touching upon the hardships that the people have to endure, and all the while telling a vampiric love story of a doomed love. It's told from the different characters viewpoints, so if you don't like character driven novels telling the point of view of the various characters contained within the story as well as the subplots that allows each character to tell their own story, then pick something else to read. It's a complicated tale with many twists and turns as are most character driven stories. If this is your cup of tea, give this book a try. It's different telling of the vampire love story, a world where if a vampire turns a human, that made vampire then becomes the monsters who are the senseless creatures killing whoever and whenever they desire. Vampires are born as sets of twins, one male and one female, psychically bound and with the ability to carry on their race. Though fairly a short book, be prepared to experience several stories going on at the same time as well as shifts in the point of view and setting. It's a story that captures your attention. I enjoyed it and recommend it to lovers of character driven paranormal.
I received this ebook from the author for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Miranda, Vanessa, and Rose have been working for the resistance, Miranda with the strength of a vampire, Nessa as a demon escaped from Hell and it's masters, and Rose, born with the cursed werewolf gene. Children are the only ones left that they can help, moving them through the darkness of night with a subtle calmness that only a true creature of the night can contain. The children never cry, are obedient, even calm. When Ben, a Jewish doctor pretending to be Polish meets the eclectic group of women, he is first struck by the strength, the beauty, and finally the unprotesting children who walk with the women through the dark forests to safety.
Gertrude, with her witch's blood and connections with the SS has also been working secretly with the resistance together with her lover, Helen, combining forces with the trio of women and Ben to work as hard and quickly as possible. Father Ott helps places the children, Gertrude alerts the network, the ladies guides them to Ben, and Ben takes them to the families willing to take a chance. It all works perfectly until the unthinkable happens and Father Ott isn't who he appears to be. When Father Ott, a disciple of Himmler and the occult, starts looking for the Brides of Dracula, Cray (Miranda's brother) and Denny (a similar escaped Demon) come to their rescue. But will it be enough to save them? Or is it too late? Will the gates of Hell be flung open?
Release by Nicole Hadaway is a character drive novel, capturing the hopelessness of the Nazi occupation, combining it with the paranormal creatures that make the novel work. Miranda is a vampire unwilling to accept her destiny and heritage of a vampire needing to carry on the vampiric line of their family, strangely drawn to these humans and their struggle against the war. She's helping Vanessa and Rose as well to adapt to their Earth bounds constraints and cursed existence. Ben is enthralled by the beauty and strength of Miranda without ever knowing what or who she is. And he's one of the rare humans able to accept what she is, and love her, which is all she was looking for unknowingly. She's drawn to Ben's humanity, something they share only distantly while Ben is drawn to her preternatural strength and abilities, both hoping for love, but a love that can never work. Everyone around them knows, but neither Miranda or Ben will hear the truth.
Release is an involving read, taking the reader through some of the aspects of the war, touching upon the hardships that the people have to endure, and all the while telling a vampiric love story of a doomed love. It's told from the different characters viewpoints, so if you don't like character driven novels telling the point of view of the various characters contained within the story as well as the subplots that allows each character to tell their own story, then pick something else to read. It's a complicated tale with many twists and turns as are most character driven stories. If this is your cup of tea, give this book a try. It's different telling of the vampire love story, a world where if a vampire turns a human, that made vampire then becomes the monsters who are the senseless creatures killing whoever and whenever they desire. Vampires are born as sets of twins, one male and one female, psychically bound and with the ability to carry on their race. Though fairly a short book, be prepared to experience several stories going on at the same time as well as shifts in the point of view and setting. It's a story that captures your attention. I enjoyed it and recommend it to lovers of character driven paranormal.
I received this ebook from the author for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 21, 2009
The first time I read Release by Nicole Hadaway, the quality of writing jumped off the screen. This is a story with a meaning and relevance often missing from the plethora of fluffy vampire novels available. The novel opens in wartime Ireland, introducing us to the very nature of the vampires, for in Release vampires feed on humans and hold themselves apart from humanity.
Chapter by chapter we are introduced to the vampires, demons and werewolves that populate the colourful mytholoy created by Ms Hadaway. In each new adventure, this novel really does have something for everyone, Miranda and her crew of supernatural resistance fighters rage against the inhumanity rife in wartorn Poland. When in the middle of rescuing yet more Jewish children from their fate in the deathcamps, Miranda meets Ben, a jewish doctor hiding his faith as he works to save lives, whilst keeping one step ahead of the invading German army.
Without giving too many spoilers, this novel deals with the big issues of good versus evil, but more importantly it identifies true evil as man not the mythical creatures who feed off humanity. If there is a monster in this novel it isn't the vampire. That isn't to say that the vampires are the wishy-washy heroes of some novels, they eat to live and take seriously the balance of their need against the world in which they live. Metaphorically speaking the vampires and demons represent an old world order bent on keeping stability in the world.
Release takes actual events and uses them within the novel's own mythology to explain supernatural events. If you read one vampire novel in 2010, I suggest it's Release. I know you won't be disappointed.
http://ebookundead.com
Chapter by chapter we are introduced to the vampires, demons and werewolves that populate the colourful mytholoy created by Ms Hadaway. In each new adventure, this novel really does have something for everyone, Miranda and her crew of supernatural resistance fighters rage against the inhumanity rife in wartorn Poland. When in the middle of rescuing yet more Jewish children from their fate in the deathcamps, Miranda meets Ben, a jewish doctor hiding his faith as he works to save lives, whilst keeping one step ahead of the invading German army.
Without giving too many spoilers, this novel deals with the big issues of good versus evil, but more importantly it identifies true evil as man not the mythical creatures who feed off humanity. If there is a monster in this novel it isn't the vampire. That isn't to say that the vampires are the wishy-washy heroes of some novels, they eat to live and take seriously the balance of their need against the world in which they live. Metaphorically speaking the vampires and demons represent an old world order bent on keeping stability in the world.
Release takes actual events and uses them within the novel's own mythology to explain supernatural events. If you read one vampire novel in 2010, I suggest it's Release. I know you won't be disappointed.
http://ebookundead.com
February 18, 2010
Synopsis:
Set in war torn Europe during WWII where a group of otherworldly women – a vampire, a werewolf, and a demon - help the resistance move Jewish children to safety. They team up with an incognito Jewish doctor as they make their way across the countryside. The cast goes on to include a witch, fallen angels, a lesbian couple, and an interesting concept of the devil himself. Throw in a male vampire and demon, a priest fallen to the dark side and you have a complex set of characters, where some feed on humans but are saving children too. Most of the protagonists exist in a “grey area” of morality. All this is set within a horrific time period where factions of Hitler’s legions are attempting to connect with total evil.
Love ensues within the intense drama of the story, however, in the end an important “soul” is lost possibly leaving the setup for another novel in her series.
My Thoughts:
This is a first novel for Nicole Hadaway and she has created a well thought out and mostly well explained paranormal world. She has taken one of the most horrific events in our collective consciousness and recent history, and coupled it up with the occult and religious mythology with some elements based in truth, thereby creating a very scary tale.
One interesting aspect within the story line is that the title is brought up on several different levels throughout the book. Which solidifies the concept and why it was used. It did take me some time to figure exactly why the title was RELEASE which makes it multilayered and intriguing. (No spoilers here.)
My only minor grumble is that I would have liked to see definitions for some of the otherworldly and biblical connections, names, and symbols, perhaps at the end of the book. The references are numerous and I believe many readers will not know what they are – I did not. This aspect does however make the book interesting, intelligent, and challenging. All good things. And thanks to Google, I now know some of their creepy definitions.
Highly recommended if you like historical fiction – especially WWII, vampires, paranormal, otherworldly, religious, occult, and mythical connections. If so, then you will devour this book.
I give the book 4 Stars since I enjoyed it immensely!
Set in war torn Europe during WWII where a group of otherworldly women – a vampire, a werewolf, and a demon - help the resistance move Jewish children to safety. They team up with an incognito Jewish doctor as they make their way across the countryside. The cast goes on to include a witch, fallen angels, a lesbian couple, and an interesting concept of the devil himself. Throw in a male vampire and demon, a priest fallen to the dark side and you have a complex set of characters, where some feed on humans but are saving children too. Most of the protagonists exist in a “grey area” of morality. All this is set within a horrific time period where factions of Hitler’s legions are attempting to connect with total evil.
Love ensues within the intense drama of the story, however, in the end an important “soul” is lost possibly leaving the setup for another novel in her series.
My Thoughts:
This is a first novel for Nicole Hadaway and she has created a well thought out and mostly well explained paranormal world. She has taken one of the most horrific events in our collective consciousness and recent history, and coupled it up with the occult and religious mythology with some elements based in truth, thereby creating a very scary tale.
One interesting aspect within the story line is that the title is brought up on several different levels throughout the book. Which solidifies the concept and why it was used. It did take me some time to figure exactly why the title was RELEASE which makes it multilayered and intriguing. (No spoilers here.)
My only minor grumble is that I would have liked to see definitions for some of the otherworldly and biblical connections, names, and symbols, perhaps at the end of the book. The references are numerous and I believe many readers will not know what they are – I did not. This aspect does however make the book interesting, intelligent, and challenging. All good things. And thanks to Google, I now know some of their creepy definitions.
Highly recommended if you like historical fiction – especially WWII, vampires, paranormal, otherworldly, religious, occult, and mythical connections. If so, then you will devour this book.
I give the book 4 Stars since I enjoyed it immensely!
January 19, 2013
UPDATE: Re-read the updated, re-released release -- from the cover to, well, everything! All the little differences made the whole experience even that much more enjoyable. I seriously recommend a read if you enjoy vampire historical epic novels. This is going in my to-re-read AGAIN pile!
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Release was a well researched, beautifully written epic story that I heartily enjoyed. The character development was so excellently executed. I was certainly invested in the story, and felt my heart stop a few times in anticipation. I believe this would make a wonderful, successful mini series :)A great debut novel from Nicole. Here's to many more.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Release was a well researched, beautifully written epic story that I heartily enjoyed. The character development was so excellently executed. I was certainly invested in the story, and felt my heart stop a few times in anticipation. I believe this would make a wonderful, successful mini series :)A great debut novel from Nicole. Here's to many more.
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December 11, 2012Sign up for the Release book blitz!
February 17, 2010
A really good mix of vampires, werewolves and demons, set during World War II. There was a lot of research put into this novel, if you're into the origin of evil. Made the read more enjoyable.
March 29, 2013
When I first saw the blurb for Release via Giselle's book tour emails, I was immediately intrigued and knew I had to sign up to be part of the tour. I have a huge interest in literature that deals with World War II and, more specifically, the Holocaust, because while the tales from the camps are brutal and heartbreaking, and make you question just how evil individuals can be, the stories of survival and strength that are shared with the readers really touch me in a way I can't put into words. Admittedly I was a little concerned about the mix of history from this terrible time period and the paranormal twists promised by the summary, but in the end I'm happy to report that said nervousness was unfounded. Ms. Hadaway really handled this entire book with a deft touch, and I ultimately came away all the more glad that I was able to experience her story.
I want to give major props for the depth of research that clearly went into crafting this book. Not only are the details from the war itself handled extremely well, but the background of the demons and the other supernatural beings - including the history of the original fallen angels - and the inclusion of the old time religions really helped ground the book in the "real" world, even though the main character is decidedly paranormal. I also found this trio of paranormal girls to be quite fascinating; each has their own, unique personality and back story, which made them feel extremely real and helped the reader connect with the story. I think that my favorite was Rose, simply because of her emotional journey and the way she slowly came to terms with who and what she was. I liked reading from her viewpoint quite a bit.
Miranda and Ben's romance was well done, and I appreciated that it wasn't the usual insta-love variety that you often find in paranormal tales. I liked that it took time for them to come to really trust each other, and the way Ben was slowly incorporated into the group's dynamics. The author introduces a lot of characters in this book, from Miranda's brother, Cray, to Cray's friend, Denny, to Gertrude and Helen and Father Ott, but it never felt overwhelming or confusing at any time. All were important to the book's eventual climax and I can understand their inclusion. It may have been better to stick with just one narrator, though, because at times we had multiple point of view switches in one chapter. This didn't bother me too much, but I know not everyone likes multiple narrators so wanted to mention it all the same.
My one complaint is that this book is very dialogue-heavy. Sometimes it's better to just sum up a conversation instead of having the character speak it word for word, and there were times when I felt the dialogue slowed the story down. Part of this is because Ben didn't know about Hell and the fallen angels like the others did, nor did the reader, so that information had to be told in some form, but I just feel like perhaps dialogue wasn't always the best way to impart what everyone needed to know, if that makes sense.
All in all I found Release to be a very engrossing and compelling read. The research alone that went into creating this book is absolutely first rate, and combined with some well-written characters, is nothing short of intriguing. If you like historicals with a paranormal flair, definitely pick this one up! I'd highly recommend it.
A copy of this book was provided via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
I want to give major props for the depth of research that clearly went into crafting this book. Not only are the details from the war itself handled extremely well, but the background of the demons and the other supernatural beings - including the history of the original fallen angels - and the inclusion of the old time religions really helped ground the book in the "real" world, even though the main character is decidedly paranormal. I also found this trio of paranormal girls to be quite fascinating; each has their own, unique personality and back story, which made them feel extremely real and helped the reader connect with the story. I think that my favorite was Rose, simply because of her emotional journey and the way she slowly came to terms with who and what she was. I liked reading from her viewpoint quite a bit.
Miranda and Ben's romance was well done, and I appreciated that it wasn't the usual insta-love variety that you often find in paranormal tales. I liked that it took time for them to come to really trust each other, and the way Ben was slowly incorporated into the group's dynamics. The author introduces a lot of characters in this book, from Miranda's brother, Cray, to Cray's friend, Denny, to Gertrude and Helen and Father Ott, but it never felt overwhelming or confusing at any time. All were important to the book's eventual climax and I can understand their inclusion. It may have been better to stick with just one narrator, though, because at times we had multiple point of view switches in one chapter. This didn't bother me too much, but I know not everyone likes multiple narrators so wanted to mention it all the same.
My one complaint is that this book is very dialogue-heavy. Sometimes it's better to just sum up a conversation instead of having the character speak it word for word, and there were times when I felt the dialogue slowed the story down. Part of this is because Ben didn't know about Hell and the fallen angels like the others did, nor did the reader, so that information had to be told in some form, but I just feel like perhaps dialogue wasn't always the best way to impart what everyone needed to know, if that makes sense.
All in all I found Release to be a very engrossing and compelling read. The research alone that went into creating this book is absolutely first rate, and combined with some well-written characters, is nothing short of intriguing. If you like historicals with a paranormal flair, definitely pick this one up! I'd highly recommend it.
A copy of this book was provided via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
March 25, 2013
First I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I am not a fan of WWII and the Nazi's but this book took on so many other aspects that I could not pout it down. I love history but that is one part of history I truly hate reading about. I can't imagine what the Jewish people were feeling or how they even survived. But Nicole does this book with such class that I just could not pout it down.
Miranda and her friends are saving children from this vicious war. They are the only ones that can be saved so Miranda and her group of resistance workers free the children and bring them to a safe place. This is the one thing that makes Miranda happy and she enjoys saving the children. She is a vampire with supernatural abilities and she uses them every time she saves a child. Then we meet Ben who is a doctor helping the SS but Ben has his secrets and that secret is huge. He is living a lie because he is a Jewish doctor helping the SS to stay alive and help his people. Ben like Miranda only wants to help his people and no matter what he has to do he will do it to save as many Jewish people he can.
What Ben and Miranda never expected was to find love in this war. But Miranda and Ben can't help but feel love towards one another. Ben loves everything about Miranda and Miranda loves everything about Ben. Together they save as many children they can and as the war is ending they see themselves being together. But someone else has different plans for them and as the war is ending for the Jews it is boiling over for Ben and Miranda. What can they do? Will they be together in the end? Can they survive this war that is brewing against them?
Miranda and her friends are saving children from this vicious war. They are the only ones that can be saved so Miranda and her group of resistance workers free the children and bring them to a safe place. This is the one thing that makes Miranda happy and she enjoys saving the children. She is a vampire with supernatural abilities and she uses them every time she saves a child. Then we meet Ben who is a doctor helping the SS but Ben has his secrets and that secret is huge. He is living a lie because he is a Jewish doctor helping the SS to stay alive and help his people. Ben like Miranda only wants to help his people and no matter what he has to do he will do it to save as many Jewish people he can.
What Ben and Miranda never expected was to find love in this war. But Miranda and Ben can't help but feel love towards one another. Ben loves everything about Miranda and Miranda loves everything about Ben. Together they save as many children they can and as the war is ending they see themselves being together. But someone else has different plans for them and as the war is ending for the Jews it is boiling over for Ben and Miranda. What can they do? Will they be together in the end? Can they survive this war that is brewing against them?
April 3, 2013
This book was part of a blog tour, I received a copy for my honest review
This book is set during WWII Miranda and her small group of friends have been helping to rescue children, on one of the nights Ben and Mirandas paths cross and it changes everything for the two of them. This book is wonderfully written, you can tell the author put a lot of time and research into every aspect of it. This book is not the your average paranormal romance book, the issues it deals with are real and relevant. The question of what is evil, something you are born as or is it something that you become? Mankind in this book show that true evil is something you become, while the paranormal creatures in this book are not all light and fluffy, they are not evil. The way this book was written just blows my mind, the author has the characters jumping of the pages and the utter helplessness of some of the situations had me in tears. Again I have to mention the amount of research that went into this book, it takes real life events and bends them just the tiniest bit by adding some supernatural elements and making them seem real. While I am not normally into WWII books, I really enjoyed this one. Release is a great book, anybody looking for a book with substance and depth should read this one.
This book is set during WWII Miranda and her small group of friends have been helping to rescue children, on one of the nights Ben and Mirandas paths cross and it changes everything for the two of them. This book is wonderfully written, you can tell the author put a lot of time and research into every aspect of it. This book is not the your average paranormal romance book, the issues it deals with are real and relevant. The question of what is evil, something you are born as or is it something that you become? Mankind in this book show that true evil is something you become, while the paranormal creatures in this book are not all light and fluffy, they are not evil. The way this book was written just blows my mind, the author has the characters jumping of the pages and the utter helplessness of some of the situations had me in tears. Again I have to mention the amount of research that went into this book, it takes real life events and bends them just the tiniest bit by adding some supernatural elements and making them seem real. While I am not normally into WWII books, I really enjoyed this one. Release is a great book, anybody looking for a book with substance and depth should read this one.
October 3, 2009
I wrote this book so of course, I loved it! It's got everything I wanted in a book about vampires, demons, witches, and fallen angels.
March 27, 2013
I’m not going to spend too much time presenting a summary of Release by Nicole Hadaway because the blurb provided by the publisher does a nice job of it. At the very basis you have a vampire, Miranda, who is sympathetic to the plight of Jewish children during the Holocaust, and Ben, a Jewish doctor involved in the Resistance efforts against Hitler’s Final Solution. Ultimately, their paths cross, and they begin working together. Along the way there is a slew of other characters, both human and paranormal, and somewhere in between: werewolves, fallen angels, demons, witches, etc. Working together, they have to find a way to save humanity from the evils of Hitler and the Nazis… yet, no one can imagine just how evil humans can be!
As you can probably already surmise, Release offers up a unique story for paranormal and historical fiction lovers. I don’t think I’ve ever really heard of a vampire Holocaust novel (writing those words sort of made me cringe, as I can see how that makes it seem exploitive and sensationalist, but I’d just like to say that this novel is nothing of the sort!). I think Hadaway did a great job balancing the historical with the paranormal and creating her own version of WWII, seen through the eyes of of both humans and vampires, werewolves, etc. You can tell a lot of research was done while writing the novel -- a lot of it is true to the facts, and the novel incorporates quite a bit of lesser known truths about the Holocaust. For example, there is mention of Hitler’s crusade against homosexuals and the pink triangles they were forced to wear in concentration camps. I’ve previously written a paper on this for one of my classes, and the lack of resources available illustrated just how unacknowledged this is in Holocaust history. Other mentions of people and places had me pulling out my phone to Google things and learn more about them! As for the paranormal part of the story, a lot of interesting vampire and religious mythology was used and/or created which made for a complex story! I can’t delve too much into the paranormal plot lines without revealing much, but I thought the plot was very well done, and very intense in parts.
That said, I did have a few problems with the characters and writing, unfortunately. As I said before, Release introduces you to a slew of characters, from humans like Ben and the Nazis, hybrids like Gertrude the witch and Rose the werewolf, to paranormals like Miranda and Cray, vamps, and Vanessa, a demon. This created a large cast of characters to draw from and we experience the story from almost every character’s point-of-view. However, some narrators had much stronger voices than others. Despite not liking Miranda’s brother Cray’s womanizing ways, I thought he had the strongest narrative voice. It was commanding and captivating, which make for a great read. Also, the POV switches frequently, and at times it wasn’t clear for a few sentences as to who was narrating the story. I think the narration style may have even changed a few times from third person to first? I can’t recall specific examples though.
As for the characters, I did find it a bit hard to relate to them, which is not always necessary, but I do have to find them likeable. I was a bit lukewarm with Miranda -- she was an interesting character, and does a lot of good in the book, but I wasn’t loving her. Ben was a bit annoying in my opinion, and I didn’t really care for him. The one character I did really like and connect with though was Rose, a werewolf who was struggling with the fact that her parents knew she would inherit the curse, but had her anyways. Maybe it was because she was a hybrid, but her struggles felt the most real, and her character evolved gradually and the characters’ development was apparent in the end. She was the one I was really rooting for!
Part of my disconnect with the characters may have come from the writing itself, and less from characterization. A LOT of the story is told via dialogue, although there are chapters that are more balanced than others. That means there is a lot of telling versus showing (though that may not bother everyone), and it got a bit repetitive at times. The dialogue could feel a bit… stilted or forced? But like I said, some characters definitely had a stronger narrative voice, such as Cray, and this showed even in the dialogue with his character. Lastly, I think the Release could use a bit more editing (I do believe I was sent a final copy of the ebook). While it wasn’t enough to ruin my experience, I did notice that there were grammar mistakes (its when it should have been it’s, etc), formatting errors, and missing or extra words here and there.
All in all though, despite some issues with the writing, and a bit of a disconnect with the characters, Release still made for an interesting read! I think the biggest thing Release has going for it is its blend of paranormal and historical fiction that takes you right into the heart of World War II. The plot, while we all know how it end for Hitler and Nazi Germany, is fascinating, with a few surprises thrown in along the way. The story reminded me a lot of a mix between the shows True Blood and Supernatural actually, if they had been set in WWII! If you love historical fiction or are looking for something a bit different in the paranormal genre, then certainly give Release a try.
* I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As you can probably already surmise, Release offers up a unique story for paranormal and historical fiction lovers. I don’t think I’ve ever really heard of a vampire Holocaust novel (writing those words sort of made me cringe, as I can see how that makes it seem exploitive and sensationalist, but I’d just like to say that this novel is nothing of the sort!). I think Hadaway did a great job balancing the historical with the paranormal and creating her own version of WWII, seen through the eyes of of both humans and vampires, werewolves, etc. You can tell a lot of research was done while writing the novel -- a lot of it is true to the facts, and the novel incorporates quite a bit of lesser known truths about the Holocaust. For example, there is mention of Hitler’s crusade against homosexuals and the pink triangles they were forced to wear in concentration camps. I’ve previously written a paper on this for one of my classes, and the lack of resources available illustrated just how unacknowledged this is in Holocaust history. Other mentions of people and places had me pulling out my phone to Google things and learn more about them! As for the paranormal part of the story, a lot of interesting vampire and religious mythology was used and/or created which made for a complex story! I can’t delve too much into the paranormal plot lines without revealing much, but I thought the plot was very well done, and very intense in parts.
That said, I did have a few problems with the characters and writing, unfortunately. As I said before, Release introduces you to a slew of characters, from humans like Ben and the Nazis, hybrids like Gertrude the witch and Rose the werewolf, to paranormals like Miranda and Cray, vamps, and Vanessa, a demon. This created a large cast of characters to draw from and we experience the story from almost every character’s point-of-view. However, some narrators had much stronger voices than others. Despite not liking Miranda’s brother Cray’s womanizing ways, I thought he had the strongest narrative voice. It was commanding and captivating, which make for a great read. Also, the POV switches frequently, and at times it wasn’t clear for a few sentences as to who was narrating the story. I think the narration style may have even changed a few times from third person to first? I can’t recall specific examples though.
As for the characters, I did find it a bit hard to relate to them, which is not always necessary, but I do have to find them likeable. I was a bit lukewarm with Miranda -- she was an interesting character, and does a lot of good in the book, but I wasn’t loving her. Ben was a bit annoying in my opinion, and I didn’t really care for him. The one character I did really like and connect with though was Rose, a werewolf who was struggling with the fact that her parents knew she would inherit the curse, but had her anyways. Maybe it was because she was a hybrid, but her struggles felt the most real, and her character evolved gradually and the characters’ development was apparent in the end. She was the one I was really rooting for!
Part of my disconnect with the characters may have come from the writing itself, and less from characterization. A LOT of the story is told via dialogue, although there are chapters that are more balanced than others. That means there is a lot of telling versus showing (though that may not bother everyone), and it got a bit repetitive at times. The dialogue could feel a bit… stilted or forced? But like I said, some characters definitely had a stronger narrative voice, such as Cray, and this showed even in the dialogue with his character. Lastly, I think the Release could use a bit more editing (I do believe I was sent a final copy of the ebook). While it wasn’t enough to ruin my experience, I did notice that there were grammar mistakes (its when it should have been it’s, etc), formatting errors, and missing or extra words here and there.
All in all though, despite some issues with the writing, and a bit of a disconnect with the characters, Release still made for an interesting read! I think the biggest thing Release has going for it is its blend of paranormal and historical fiction that takes you right into the heart of World War II. The plot, while we all know how it end for Hitler and Nazi Germany, is fascinating, with a few surprises thrown in along the way. The story reminded me a lot of a mix between the shows True Blood and Supernatural actually, if they had been set in WWII! If you love historical fiction or are looking for something a bit different in the paranormal genre, then certainly give Release a try.
* I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 4, 2013
Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2013/04/xpresso-book-tours-presents-indie-book.html
Release is a story that follows a woman named Miranda. She and her friends, Rose and Vanessa, help rescue children bound for concentration camps. The kids have been left behind or in hiding. Since it is during World War II, they must be careful or the children will be killed. But Miranda and her friends can take care of themselves just fine. Miranda is a vampire who cares about humankind. Rose is a werewolf and Vanessa is a demon. They do what they can to survive, but they also help those who need it especially during such a terrible time. A doctor named Ben helps to move the children to a priest that helps them. He works for the SS, but it is a front to help the kids. While working with the women, he can't help but think that the women are different. They are bother trying to survive in this hellish world with the Nazis on their back. They will do what they must to help each other.
Well this is a different take on a vampire tale. World War II, the Holocaust, Hilter, the SS with vampires and werewolves. I know that may sound like a strange read, but Hadaway handled this beautifully. I was so invested in this story. I really liked Miranda. She is a vampire and must do what she can to survive, but she wasn't a monster. I loved that even though she was born a vampire, she cares about humanity. I loved that vampires are born in this world. Things we know about them aren't accurate. Same for werewolves. I really liked Rose. She hated that she was a werewolf. She hated herself and her parents for making her what she was. She was born a werewolf. I loved that Hadaway did something different with the vampire and werewolf mythology. That it was a curse because their ancestor made a deal with a demon. We also had Vanessa. I wasn't sure about her. She was a demon and it was obvious that she was. But she had some nice moments...surprisingly. This was quite interesting.
I loved this story. Hadaway did such an incredible job with weaving in the history with the paranormal. This story does a great job of really presenting humanity vs. inhumanity. There may be actual supernatural creatures, but they are not the real monsters. I love that we got a lot of real things that did take place during the Holocaust. I loved that Hadaway added such great backgrounds for the supes as well. She added very interesting religious aspects to their stories especially with Rose the werewolf. That is definitely new. I loved the relationship between Ben and Miranda. Although I didn't like that once he saw Rose get a little furry, he sort of bolted. I thought something would have sparked between them.
I know you all are familiar with this piece of history. Hadaway did a great job really putting us in the middle of it all. The mix of paranormal and history is amazing. There was definitely a lot of work put into this. There are a lot of characters to love and hate, but they all add so much to the story and even some of the history. Release is a complex read with many layers that blend well put together in the end. I really enjoyed this. This is my first read from Hadaway and I intend to read more from her. Definitely check this out.
Release is a story that follows a woman named Miranda. She and her friends, Rose and Vanessa, help rescue children bound for concentration camps. The kids have been left behind or in hiding. Since it is during World War II, they must be careful or the children will be killed. But Miranda and her friends can take care of themselves just fine. Miranda is a vampire who cares about humankind. Rose is a werewolf and Vanessa is a demon. They do what they can to survive, but they also help those who need it especially during such a terrible time. A doctor named Ben helps to move the children to a priest that helps them. He works for the SS, but it is a front to help the kids. While working with the women, he can't help but think that the women are different. They are bother trying to survive in this hellish world with the Nazis on their back. They will do what they must to help each other.
Well this is a different take on a vampire tale. World War II, the Holocaust, Hilter, the SS with vampires and werewolves. I know that may sound like a strange read, but Hadaway handled this beautifully. I was so invested in this story. I really liked Miranda. She is a vampire and must do what she can to survive, but she wasn't a monster. I loved that even though she was born a vampire, she cares about humanity. I loved that vampires are born in this world. Things we know about them aren't accurate. Same for werewolves. I really liked Rose. She hated that she was a werewolf. She hated herself and her parents for making her what she was. She was born a werewolf. I loved that Hadaway did something different with the vampire and werewolf mythology. That it was a curse because their ancestor made a deal with a demon. We also had Vanessa. I wasn't sure about her. She was a demon and it was obvious that she was. But she had some nice moments...surprisingly. This was quite interesting.
I loved this story. Hadaway did such an incredible job with weaving in the history with the paranormal. This story does a great job of really presenting humanity vs. inhumanity. There may be actual supernatural creatures, but they are not the real monsters. I love that we got a lot of real things that did take place during the Holocaust. I loved that Hadaway added such great backgrounds for the supes as well. She added very interesting religious aspects to their stories especially with Rose the werewolf. That is definitely new. I loved the relationship between Ben and Miranda. Although I didn't like that once he saw Rose get a little furry, he sort of bolted. I thought something would have sparked between them.
I know you all are familiar with this piece of history. Hadaway did a great job really putting us in the middle of it all. The mix of paranormal and history is amazing. There was definitely a lot of work put into this. There are a lot of characters to love and hate, but they all add so much to the story and even some of the history. Release is a complex read with many layers that blend well put together in the end. I really enjoyed this. This is my first read from Hadaway and I intend to read more from her. Definitely check this out.
April 3, 2013
Wanted: a vampire, a demon and a werewolf willing to become heroes. Sparklies need not apply.
Whoa. Release is not like any other supernatural story I've ever read. How is it possible to reconcile the vicious behavior of these creatures with their desire to help save one human at a time from an evil that's worse than their own? And yet, there it is, and I applaud this author for taking a brilliant idea and bringing it to life.
Miranda Dandridge is the most empathetic vampire I can recall, especially one that is every bit as bloodthirsty as a vampire can be. (Take special note of her origins---that's a fascinating history in itself.) It's really intriguing to see how Mirrie is able to reconcile her essence with the compassion she has towards humans and the love that develops between her and Ben Gongliewski, the Jewish doctor she works with in the Polish Resistance. Even the joy she takes in the seemingly simple act of shapeshifting and then taking wing has a poetry of its own.
Miranda's friends, the demon named Vanessa and young Rose, cursed with being a werewolf, are sympathetic characters whose natures are at odds with their behavior and I found them to be just as appealing as Miranda and Ben, Vanessa in particular. That in itself is a wondrous thing, that Nicole Hadaway could imbue them with so much heart. There are a lot of other characters including Miranda's brother, Cray, and a variety of supernaturals and humans, and many of them have just as much presence as Miranda and Ben. If I have any quibble with the author's character development, it's that there really are too many of them and it was not always immediately apparent whose voice I was hearing. Despite that, I appreciated the use of third person as it made for a much fuller understanding of the story.
As for plot development, this is probably Ms. Hadaway's strength. Most people who know a little or a lot about the European theater of World War II and the Holocaust are very familiar with the French Resistance but here we learn about the Polish Resistance along with the horrors suffered by the Jews as well as homosexuals and other disfavored segments of society. While I'm sure the author has taken some historical liberties, following this particular path brought a fresh aspect to a story that must never be forgotten.
It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that a book involving supernatural beings with the Holocaust is at best disrespectful and perhaps even taking unjust advantage of a terrible time in history for entertainment purposes but that's really not the case with Release. Are there flaws? Of course there are and most important in my opinion is overuse of dialogue so that the pace was slowed and the reader is told too much rather than experiencing along with the players. All in all, though, Nicole Hadaway is to be commended for a job most definitely well done.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2013.
Whoa. Release is not like any other supernatural story I've ever read. How is it possible to reconcile the vicious behavior of these creatures with their desire to help save one human at a time from an evil that's worse than their own? And yet, there it is, and I applaud this author for taking a brilliant idea and bringing it to life.
Miranda Dandridge is the most empathetic vampire I can recall, especially one that is every bit as bloodthirsty as a vampire can be. (Take special note of her origins---that's a fascinating history in itself.) It's really intriguing to see how Mirrie is able to reconcile her essence with the compassion she has towards humans and the love that develops between her and Ben Gongliewski, the Jewish doctor she works with in the Polish Resistance. Even the joy she takes in the seemingly simple act of shapeshifting and then taking wing has a poetry of its own.
Miranda's friends, the demon named Vanessa and young Rose, cursed with being a werewolf, are sympathetic characters whose natures are at odds with their behavior and I found them to be just as appealing as Miranda and Ben, Vanessa in particular. That in itself is a wondrous thing, that Nicole Hadaway could imbue them with so much heart. There are a lot of other characters including Miranda's brother, Cray, and a variety of supernaturals and humans, and many of them have just as much presence as Miranda and Ben. If I have any quibble with the author's character development, it's that there really are too many of them and it was not always immediately apparent whose voice I was hearing. Despite that, I appreciated the use of third person as it made for a much fuller understanding of the story.
As for plot development, this is probably Ms. Hadaway's strength. Most people who know a little or a lot about the European theater of World War II and the Holocaust are very familiar with the French Resistance but here we learn about the Polish Resistance along with the horrors suffered by the Jews as well as homosexuals and other disfavored segments of society. While I'm sure the author has taken some historical liberties, following this particular path brought a fresh aspect to a story that must never be forgotten.
It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that a book involving supernatural beings with the Holocaust is at best disrespectful and perhaps even taking unjust advantage of a terrible time in history for entertainment purposes but that's really not the case with Release. Are there flaws? Of course there are and most important in my opinion is overuse of dialogue so that the pace was slowed and the reader is told too much rather than experiencing along with the players. All in all, though, Nicole Hadaway is to be commended for a job most definitely well done.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2013.
July 26, 2010
It took me a very long time to get into this book because it was hard for me to relate to the characters. I live in a time where things are completely different: its hard for me to grasp the fear, hatred, and love some of these characters felt and the intensity in which they felt them. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the whole story line. There are highly intense moments that make the book hard to put down but also there is alot of slower parts that made the book hard to pick back up.
Its a very complicated story of love, fear, hatred, and denial. All the characters have lost something within themselves during this war, but they gained a very strong friendship and support. Yes the characters that support one another are very unusual. This doesn't take away from the book it brings you even closer to the characters and their situation.
There is a lot of friendships being made during every step of the story. Miranda and Vanessa meet Rose and become her friends. Ben meets the three girls and later on Miranda's brother Cray and his friend Denny come into the picture and become friends with everyone except Ben. These characters go through alot because they are always in hiding.
The most dangerous characters in the book are the Demons and Fallen Angels. Fallen Angels used to be in heaven but became corrupt so God punished them by making them live either in hell or on earth. They feed off of man's blood to survive. Demons are corrupted souls that take hostage of a pure soul and torture it. Most demons in this book are really bad but Vanessa and Denny are good demons. The most dangerous demon has a potential to be unleashed but Miranda has some secrets up her sleeve to try to put the demon back into hell. The demons in the book are very intense. They have a pure hatred and want only revenge. If they were to gain power of earth and dominate the world every creature would be in serious trouble.
Its a dark book with many twists and turns that were unexpected. What I didn't like about this book is how dark it always was. There is only a glimmer of hope and even that is taken away pretty often. I felt very bad for the characters when they got to the opening of hell. Once they got out of their battle to close hell each character had a dilema inside themselves they had to solve. Ben solved it in a way that didn't make sense to the others but only to himself as he made a desperate last call to try to save his people.
This was originally posted by me on April 20, 2010 on Book Lovers Inc. http://goo.gl/V1yl
Its a very complicated story of love, fear, hatred, and denial. All the characters have lost something within themselves during this war, but they gained a very strong friendship and support. Yes the characters that support one another are very unusual. This doesn't take away from the book it brings you even closer to the characters and their situation.
There is a lot of friendships being made during every step of the story. Miranda and Vanessa meet Rose and become her friends. Ben meets the three girls and later on Miranda's brother Cray and his friend Denny come into the picture and become friends with everyone except Ben. These characters go through alot because they are always in hiding.
The most dangerous characters in the book are the Demons and Fallen Angels. Fallen Angels used to be in heaven but became corrupt so God punished them by making them live either in hell or on earth. They feed off of man's blood to survive. Demons are corrupted souls that take hostage of a pure soul and torture it. Most demons in this book are really bad but Vanessa and Denny are good demons. The most dangerous demon has a potential to be unleashed but Miranda has some secrets up her sleeve to try to put the demon back into hell. The demons in the book are very intense. They have a pure hatred and want only revenge. If they were to gain power of earth and dominate the world every creature would be in serious trouble.
Its a dark book with many twists and turns that were unexpected. What I didn't like about this book is how dark it always was. There is only a glimmer of hope and even that is taken away pretty often. I felt very bad for the characters when they got to the opening of hell. Once they got out of their battle to close hell each character had a dilema inside themselves they had to solve. Ben solved it in a way that didn't make sense to the others but only to himself as he made a desperate last call to try to save his people.
This was originally posted by me on April 20, 2010 on Book Lovers Inc. http://goo.gl/V1yl
March 29, 2013
I didn't really understand the cover of Release when I first saw it but I was drawn to it. First glance I knew Vampire was key because of the blood on her lip but everything else didn't make much sense until I was reading into the book more. Nicole did such an amazing job of intertwining facts and fiction and human to well inhuman (The Fallen, Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, and Nazis..... yea I know right Nazis!) The amount of research put into Release is amazing and I have to say that adding true historical facts along with Myth was genius right down to the actual moon cycle. Reading this book has put a neat new twist on WWII. I will reccomend others who enjoy war books and vampire books check this out! Amazing job Ms. Hadaway
May 25, 2011
What do you get when you put together vampires, fallen angels, demons, a werewolf and humans and throw in a Nazi war? A really awesome story. I really liked the characters, and thought it was an interesting touch to have the story be told in third person from various characters' points of view except for one character in first person (and not the main character, neat way to do it). I liked how a lot of the historic elements were based in fact ("Himmler's Rasputin" and the Wewelsburg Castle). The "big bad" of the story was not someone easily predicted, and the nice twist at the end was deliciously horrible. I love a good "gates of Hell are about to be opened" type of story.
May 4, 2013
Because I was reading this for a tour, I fought myself from putting this down. But with so many books on my to read list, I couldn't justify it any longer.
DNF at 60%
I had zero interest in any of the characters. The majority of what I read was pure dialogue. These characters would just NOT.SHUT.UP!! .....YAWN.
The book blurb sounded amazing and the cover... oh the cover... It's just stunning. But this novel fell totally flat where I am concerned.
Had to move on.
The End.
DNF at 60%
I had zero interest in any of the characters. The majority of what I read was pure dialogue. These characters would just NOT.SHUT.UP!! .....YAWN.
The book blurb sounded amazing and the cover... oh the cover... It's just stunning. But this novel fell totally flat where I am concerned.
Had to move on.
The End.
April 2, 2013
I was hooked from the first chapter.
This is an original twist on the paranormal story- a vampire, a werewolf, and a demon all working together with a Jewish human during WWII to save Jewish children from the concentration camps and/or death.
Rich characters, vivid scenery, and a pace that keeps the story moving forward. A book I really recommend!
This is an original twist on the paranormal story- a vampire, a werewolf, and a demon all working together with a Jewish human during WWII to save Jewish children from the concentration camps and/or death.
Rich characters, vivid scenery, and a pace that keeps the story moving forward. A book I really recommend!
Read
March 30, 2013Review coming soon.
March 30, 2013
Full Review at: What's Beyond Forks?
March 27, 2013
Review coming in April!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews