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The Shadowfae Chronicles #3
Poison Kissed
Mina is a banshee whose greatest power lies in her siren song. She’s beholden to her boss Joey, a snake-shifter who once saved her life and now employs her as a gang enforcer. She refuses to upset the fragile balance between them by admitting that she longs for him, that his embrace is the only thing she craves more than revenge for her mother’s death… When Mina learns that Joey may have been involved in her mother’s murder, fury threatens to spill out of her note by vicious note. She and Joey have always trusted each other to stay alive, but now she’s not sure what to believe. The evidence stacked against him—or the one man who haunts her dreams and burns her blood…
Poison Kissed is the third book in Erica Hayes' Shadowfae Chronicles.
Poison Kissed is the third book in Erica Hayes' Shadowfae Chronicles.
330 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 11, 2010
6 people are currently reading
658 people want to read
About the author
Erica Hayes
39 books274 followersErica Hayes was a law student, an air force officer, an editorial assistant and a musician, before finally landing her dream job: fantasy writer. She writes dark paranormal romance, urban fantasy and romantic science fiction, and her books feature tough, smart heroines and colorful heroes with dark secrets.
She hails from Australia, where she drifts from city to city, leaving a trail of chaos behind her. Currently, she’s terrorizing the wilds of Northern Virginia, USA.
She hails from Australia, where she drifts from city to city, leaving a trail of chaos behind her. Currently, she’s terrorizing the wilds of Northern Virginia, USA.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 18, 2010
Favorite Quote:”God, he kissed like I felt, desperate and ripped raw with tension and hurt...”
Mina is a sexy hard ass banshee who welds her deadly siren voice with the skill of a assassin as an enforcer for Joey DiLuca; a snakeshifter mob boss. Mina owes everything to Joey. He saved her life as a young girl when her mother was brutally murdered and has protected her all these years.
Mina loves Joey with a passion that borders on obsession but her inability to deal with that attraction has her staying quiet and not upsetting their fragile relationship.
As the turf wars heat up between Joey’s gang and a rival gang; Mina is given information that points to Joey as her mother’s murderer. When her need for revenge threatens to overwhelm her very existence Mina must make a choice. Who can she trust? And how far is she willing to go to find out?
Erica Hayes’s third installment into her wickedly dark and erotic world, Poison Kissed, continues it’s lush decedent decent into the lives of the inhabitants of alternative Melbourne. Betrayal, revenge, and insidious magic all come alive under Hayes tutelage. Hayes’s world is not made up of happy good natured Fae, misunderstood daemons, or silent heroic creatures of the night. Drugs, sex , and magic run this illicit somewhat nasty world. Redemption comes at death and honor only applies to fools. They are death walking and you want to curl up beside them and taunt the beast inside.
Rest of my review post at smexybooks.com - http://www.smexybooks.com/2010/10/rev...
Mina is a sexy hard ass banshee who welds her deadly siren voice with the skill of a assassin as an enforcer for Joey DiLuca; a snakeshifter mob boss. Mina owes everything to Joey. He saved her life as a young girl when her mother was brutally murdered and has protected her all these years.
Mina loves Joey with a passion that borders on obsession but her inability to deal with that attraction has her staying quiet and not upsetting their fragile relationship.
As the turf wars heat up between Joey’s gang and a rival gang; Mina is given information that points to Joey as her mother’s murderer. When her need for revenge threatens to overwhelm her very existence Mina must make a choice. Who can she trust? And how far is she willing to go to find out?
Erica Hayes’s third installment into her wickedly dark and erotic world, Poison Kissed, continues it’s lush decedent decent into the lives of the inhabitants of alternative Melbourne. Betrayal, revenge, and insidious magic all come alive under Hayes tutelage. Hayes’s world is not made up of happy good natured Fae, misunderstood daemons, or silent heroic creatures of the night. Drugs, sex , and magic run this illicit somewhat nasty world. Redemption comes at death and honor only applies to fools. They are death walking and you want to curl up beside them and taunt the beast inside.
Rest of my review post at smexybooks.com - http://www.smexybooks.com/2010/10/rev...
May 26, 2013
1.5 stars
This book was interesting at first. I enjoyed the descriptions about how a banshee's song feels and interacts magically with the banshee herself. I enjoyed the characters; Joey in particular just had me twisting excitedly to learn more about his character and past. There was a switch between first and third person depending on the chapters (first person will ALWAYS be Mina, third person will be the others). That threw me for a loop at first, but I got into the pattern and it became less annoying.
This book seemed to be a lot of show and glitter throwing and not so much substance. There were many many chapters and scenes that just plain weren't needed. A lot of descriptions that went a little too in-depth and lost my interest quickly. And just when you think the book is going to end, there's another 50 pages left to read and you get to kick it with one of the baddies again (highly annoying and unnecessary).
I think my biggest problem with this book was, as stated above, it was too much fluff; it's a book that I just couldn't get my teeth into.
When you finish a book, your first thought shouldn't be: "Oh thank Goodness, it's over."
This book was interesting at first. I enjoyed the descriptions about how a banshee's song feels and interacts magically with the banshee herself. I enjoyed the characters; Joey in particular just had me twisting excitedly to learn more about his character and past. There was a switch between first and third person depending on the chapters (first person will ALWAYS be Mina, third person will be the others). That threw me for a loop at first, but I got into the pattern and it became less annoying.
This book seemed to be a lot of show and glitter throwing and not so much substance. There were many many chapters and scenes that just plain weren't needed. A lot of descriptions that went a little too in-depth and lost my interest quickly. And just when you think the book is going to end, there's another 50 pages left to read and you get to kick it with one of the baddies again (highly annoying and unnecessary).
I think my biggest problem with this book was, as stated above, it was too much fluff; it's a book that I just couldn't get my teeth into.
When you finish a book, your first thought shouldn't be: "Oh thank Goodness, it's over."
April 13, 2023
Awful. She loves her adjectives. Especially ones she made up, mostly by mashing together existing words. sugartoxic; addictworm; bloodseduced; venomstung. Just a few examples.
She also used multiple adjectives (not mashed together) throughout.
Strip out all this and you have a romance short story. Two adults pining for each other like adolescents; each whining to themselves about why they are good enough for the other or why the other couldn't possible want them.
The romance was the main plot line and any other events merely helped bring these two together.
Being the third in a series (of which this is the only one I've read), perhaps this book was merely a bridge between the preceding and following books.
She also used multiple adjectives (not mashed together) throughout.
Strip out all this and you have a romance short story. Two adults pining for each other like adolescents; each whining to themselves about why they are good enough for the other or why the other couldn't possible want them.
The romance was the main plot line and any other events merely helped bring these two together.
Being the third in a series (of which this is the only one I've read), perhaps this book was merely a bridge between the preceding and following books.
October 4, 2018
Couldn't get past the author just jamming two words together whenever she felt like it. There's a hyphen and a space bar for a reason. Also got bored with every chapter being about yet another character being horny and unsatisfied. Not what I signed up for.
January 29, 2012
I'm a little torn with this one......I liked it in some ways but at the same time I didn't really like it......I know that makes no sense...lol!!!It wasn't until about 200 pages in that I really got interested......There was alot of pointless, overdescribed sex....and not in the sense that it was vulgar or anything...just alot of I needed this and wanted him to do that over and over.....like just shut the hell up and have sex then.....gawsh....it takes a very talented author to write about sex over and over in each book and not bore you to death with the same scenes,positions, foreplay, and descriptions....I realized I reallt don't like the word cock....it isn't sexy, just reminds me of roostsers.I recall Laurell K. Hamilton writing a thousand sex scenes and me never being bored with it though at times I was thinking damn your getting it on again with some other asshole...smh!!! I wasn't intrigued by any of the frisky scenes in this book and I was a bit annoyed that the whole time Joey and Mina are in love with each other but won't do anything about it until the end of the story....What made me not like the book was this crazy fairy named Ivy who was just hating the whole story.....she wanted to steal Mina's banshee song to seduce some demon lord who didn't like her....she was so determined to kill Mina for this assanine reason.......she catches Mina and jacks her up a little....Joey comes to the rescue and they get away, only for the same fairy bitch to catch Mina again and drag her right back.....That was a little corny.....It was like reading the same scene all over again....Of course she gets away again...what was even the point of that......I loved Shadowglass and kind of liked shadowfae and didn't much care for this story...which I find strange because Shadowglass was the 2nd installment in the series and it tops both books in my opinion.....How does that happen.....usually books in series get better or worse....not goo, better, worse....that's just weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2011
Back Cover:
Mina may be a powerful banshee, but she was nothing but a drug-addled prostitute when Joey rescued her from slavery. That was five years ago, and today Joey is the new head of a gang with Mina as his bodyguard. They’ve always felt a forbidden attraction for each other, but Joey is ashamed of his other self – he’s a snake-shapeshifter – and Mina doesn’t have a clue how much he truly cares. While Joey’s underlings plot a coup, Mina is shaken when her fragmented memories reveal that Joey may have killed her mother. Mina has always sworn to take revenge upon her mother’s murderer, and now she doesn’t know where her loyalties lie.
Review:
I enjoy Hayes’s ability to drag empathy out of me for these characters as she reveals the nuances and depths of their personalities. She has created a world that are not meant to be liked. Yet she encourages you to set aside your own convictions and inhibitions and embrace it for no more or less then what it is. Everyone here is a victim in some fashion or form and watching them head towards self destruction is both appealing and appalling.
Fast paced and smoothly written with plenty of action, danger and internal conflict, Hayes writes an addicting dark and erotic urban fantasy that appeals to the darker side of our nature. The part of us that we like to keep hidden and safely under wraps. I will definitely be reading the next one in this series.
Mina may be a powerful banshee, but she was nothing but a drug-addled prostitute when Joey rescued her from slavery. That was five years ago, and today Joey is the new head of a gang with Mina as his bodyguard. They’ve always felt a forbidden attraction for each other, but Joey is ashamed of his other self – he’s a snake-shapeshifter – and Mina doesn’t have a clue how much he truly cares. While Joey’s underlings plot a coup, Mina is shaken when her fragmented memories reveal that Joey may have killed her mother. Mina has always sworn to take revenge upon her mother’s murderer, and now she doesn’t know where her loyalties lie.
Review:
I enjoy Hayes’s ability to drag empathy out of me for these characters as she reveals the nuances and depths of their personalities. She has created a world that are not meant to be liked. Yet she encourages you to set aside your own convictions and inhibitions and embrace it for no more or less then what it is. Everyone here is a victim in some fashion or form and watching them head towards self destruction is both appealing and appalling.
Fast paced and smoothly written with plenty of action, danger and internal conflict, Hayes writes an addicting dark and erotic urban fantasy that appeals to the darker side of our nature. The part of us that we like to keep hidden and safely under wraps. I will definitely be reading the next one in this series.
April 4, 2017
Wow, another dark, gritty instalment to the Shadowfae Chronicles. We learn more about Mina, the Banshee and Joey, the crime boss (snake shifter). These characters are dark and belong to the Gangland world but they have growing emotions and morals despite this. Life is hard in their world and while there has always been attraction, Joey has kept Mina at a distance. Mina is looking for her mother's killer from long ago. Her world is shattered when she finally tracks down the killer, which may be her very own boss.
The rich images that Erica Hayes uses creates a dark world full of corruption, lust and longing but also of beauty and tenderness.
Thumbs up!
The rich images that Erica Hayes uses creates a dark world full of corruption, lust and longing but also of beauty and tenderness.
Thumbs up!
December 16, 2010
One word that comes to mind when I read this series is... gross. Hayes is not afraid to write about bodily fluids, and not just the sexy fluids. The character in the first book of this series pukes many many times. But it's the characters that keep me reading and enjoying this series. The characters are so flawed, make such stupid mistakes, are beautifully twisted, and are just plain fun. Hayes works these characters hard before they get their happily ever after at the end. If you are looking for a darker romance and not afraid of reading about bodily fluids, give this series a try.
May 9, 2011
Is it okay that I liked the Kane bits the most? That's me always loving the side stories.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Mina and Joey's angsty-ass romance..from the tidbits in Shadowglass to the last chapters of this book, but I think a little less angst-butter might've spread a little bit better than spoonfuls of angst-butter. Sorry for the stupid analogy but less is more some times dammit!! Just a little.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Mina and Joey's angsty-ass romance..from the tidbits in Shadowglass to the last chapters of this book, but I think a little less angst-butter might've spread a little bit better than spoonfuls of angst-butter. Sorry for the stupid analogy but less is more some times dammit!! Just a little.
October 12, 2014
After an ok 1st book, a really bad 2nd book, this one was going to be a make or break book for me in this series. I only made it 40 pages in before I gave this one up. Mina wasn't very interesting, too much an robot, waiting to be told what to do. I couldn't handle getting through a boring story, this one just wasn't for me.
February 14, 2013
I loved this book. I picked it up at a local bookstore and I was very impressed. I am a huge Andrew Vachss fan, and the writing style had the same sharp brutality, using spare words and description to tell the story. The writing style and violence may not be to everyone's taste, but I found the writing to be above average and the story fresh. Definitely want to read more from this author.
January 20, 2011
I was not a huge fan of this book. It started out awesome. It was like a mix between tithe and Unholy Ghost. I thought , ' Hey here is an adult Fae book that will span past teen life.' I was wrong. It was too out there for me. It was all about Fae gang life. I would not recommend this book.
January 25, 2011
Both interesting and overwhelming to the writer in me. A little too repetitive for my liking. And there wasn't hell of a lot going on, but I enjoyed reading it.
December 18, 2011
Urban fantasy about the fae. Utterly beautiful in its protrayal of decay and decadence. I really enjoyed its gritty glittery feel. Strongly recommend reading.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews