An Unwanted Hunger

V'KAR #1

by Ciana Stone

Passion this strong is dangerous. They both know it. Mortal enemies, their respective factions have been at war since the dawn of man. Resa is a Dhampir, bred and trained to hunt Vampyres. Constantine is a prince among the Vampyre, the oldest and most lethal.

Nothing good can come of this hunger, this need that drives them relentlessly toward one another. Neither reason nor devotion to duty can stay their need. There is but one way to quench the thirst that drives them. Once sated, they can return to the battle and see which one, if either, is left standing.

But one drink from the cup of desire serves only to magnify the hunger. One act of lust that could alter them forever, changing the course of destiny.

Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Erotica, Vampires, Romance, Fantasy, Ebooks

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 26, 2008

About the author

Ciana Stone has been reading since the age of three, and wrote her first story at age five. Since then she enjoyed writing as a solitary form of entertainment, before coming out of the closet to share her stories with others. She holds several post graduate degrees and has often been referred to as a professional student. Her latest fields of interest are quantum mechanics and Taoism. When she is not writing (or studying) she enjoys painting (canvas, not walls), sculpting, running, hiking and yoga. She lives with her longtime lover in several locations in the United States.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh, it's only a dollar how bad can it be?
Bad

Even if it's bad...
It is!
...at least there is smut. Even bad smut is entertaining
Or so I thought.

Besides, it's only 118 pages. Surely I can make it through something so short
Actually... I couldn't, can't. Ciana Stone has an interesting idea of vamps being aliens and having fertility issues. The problem is, rather than writing a story about said blood sucking aliens, she apparently wrote a paper about them. That is, this "story" is all tell and no show. In addition, the characters have the personality of a cardboard box and the sex scenes are just... painful.

"His thrusts became more urgent and forceful and her cries deeper but he would not gentle his movements. Nor did she encourage him to do so. This was mating at its most primitive. Here was the moment he'd waited for. Her complete surrender. Now she would become inextricably his."

Oh yeah, talk boring to me.

After the initial excitement of purchasing a Nook... and then discovering the ridiculous price of most ebooks, along with the fact that there are many more deals on Amazon than there are on Barnes and Noble... I've decided to be adventurous and read more self-pubs and inexpensive stuff. Granted, not everyone is a ridiculously talented Susan Ee, but there must be other gems out there. And, at the same time I have to acknowledge the fact than in these self-pub and unknown author adventures there are going to be many more duds than there are great finds.

This is not a great find. Far from it.

[jD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novella. I decided to try it because it was free on Amazon for Kindle inspite of the fact that it was rated 2 stars. Most of the reviews said the book started out good then when off into 'La La' land. That made me curious.

'La La Land' turned out to be a combination of Fantasy and Science Fiction wrapped in erotica. I belive the first problem is the description of the book as a vampire/damphir tale. Not so much. He, Constantine, is not a vamp, he is an alien from another galaxy. His world is divided into three groups of (people) -- the peaceful monk types, the warriors, and the brains. Their planet's co-exist by sharing resources until these resources become too limited to share. It is difficult to explain all the layers but the end result is that the three sons of the ruling fractions all come to earth in exile. They bring their drama with them thus they are sworn enemies.

To the people of earth, these princes are vampires. Resa is a damphir trained to kill vamps without knowing the truth of what they really are. Through a 'being' named Pandora (too complicated to explain her)Resa is told she must protect Constantine, the prince vamp. By the way, he is from the "brain" group that has all the real power in their home universe. Resa hooks-up with Constantine, learns the truth and kicks some ass in the process against her former vamp hunters friends.

So by the end of the novella, Resa and Constantine, are dealing with enemies from all directions. The other two princes form an uneasy alliance with Constantine to fight the threat from their home planet and the vamp hunters here on earth. They are also hoping that Resa can do what no other half breed has been able to do, break the problem of infertility amongst their people. No children have been born for 9 generatios on any side. It makes for a tale where everything is dicey and everyone suspect.

Once I got the idea clearly established in my head that this was NOT cookie cutter paranormal vamp erotica, I loved the layers and challenges of this story. The book ends in a cliffhanger so I can only hope there are plans to write more. The author is all over the place topic wise with her other erotic novels, so I am not going to hold my breath waiting for another installment. However, if she does, I am buying.

BTW -- the erotica was off the scale.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What a hot and erotic book! This book starts slowly, but when the heat hits, it is boiling hot! The story didn't flow as well as I would have liked, but the heat generated by Constantine and Resa provides a bridge that is all encompassing.

The story becomes almost secondary to the love that grows between them. There is a story there, though, and I would hope the author continues with this pair. There are a lot of unanswered questions that can only be answered with a second or third book. Who was the traitor to the V'Kar? Does Constantine take his rightful place as the Emperor once his father dies or does his younger brother succeed in getting rid of him? What about the person that raised Resa as his own daughter and then betrayd her? I am looking for answers to all of these questions. Please do not leave me hanging!

This book I would rate as 3 stars, but I will give an extra star for the eroticism of the book.

[Ronda Tutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Sci-Fi Read! Erotica is HOT!

Wow, I really enjoyed this free read that I got from B&N. I love paranormal reads but add some sci-fi to it and it’s even better and that’s what happened here. Vampires is what this one agency Resa works for chases and kills but Resa, one who is half vampire and half human finds she wants answers to her whys, she wants truth about her existence.

Her adventure begins when she is told by a being she believes to be her fairy god mother that she can find her truth from the one vampire she is trying to kill and that she must protect him. She not only finds truth about him not being a vampire but a alien from another world, she finds betrayal from the ones who raised her. Resa finds true love and a destiny of a new life and future.

Constantine is very attracted to Resa and has an unwanted hunger for her that he cannot resist. His temptation takes over and he finds himself uncontrollable and binds/mates himself to her in a heated lust as he takes her and sinks his fangs into her sweet neck.

The erotica scene was so intense and riveting that I found myself crossing my legs and taking a deep breath for the climax. It was totally HOT! With a little Roll playing in submission, a little anal action, and a lot of banging throughout the whole book you will find your self exhausted as if you were a part of all the action.

Great read.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. What I expected here was a quick read that would transition me from one series I've been reading into whatever book I open next. My brain needed some down time. While I did get that, I also got the setup to a series that I may want to continue reading. . .later. I like the story and the characters. I like the drama. I even like the very different take on vampyres.

I don't specifically choose to read erotica. Honestly, I could take it or leave it. But I will say that the sex was HOT. In fact, if you're not into "smut," you may want to avoid this one.

The writing itself could be a lot better, but I wouldn't call it bad, just lacking in detail. Ciana Stone could definitely work on character and story development and learn to reveal more and do it slowly. This short work could easily be transformed into a really good 300-400 page novel with proper revision. I see great potential here and probably will move on to the next part of this story.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a free read, which I thought was part of a series (it's not). I thought it might go with another of her books titled The Hunger ... it doesn't. I also realized that it was published by Ellora's Cave which usually publishes erotica books ... I wouldn't quite put this in that category. There was a valiant effort but I wouldn't consider it erotica. I was completely unimpressed with the sex scenes. Now that we have all of that aside, let's talk about the story: which I thought was complicated ... to keep track of all these alien lords and their race and land. By the time I thought I had all this alien history down the book ended ... it just seemed to end in the middle of this story. I was a little disappointed ... especially when I started reading The Hunger and it has nothing at all to do with V'Kar's. So, this book is much more sci-fi with a few sloppy sex scenes, which ends abruptly. I considered it ok ...

[Raven Carluk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really mixed on this book. I thought the concept was great. I liked the vampires, liked that they were aliens. Liked the bonding, liked the sex, like the overlying story.

But they didn't blend well together. The jump from story to sex and back to story was very jarring. And the description during the sex bounced between demure and vulgar.

The alien vampires all had strange names, making it hard to read about them. Except the three leader vampires, who had human leader names, with no explanation as to why.

Our hero and heroine falling so madly for each other was never fully developed. It just happened, and that was enough for them to have mind-blowing sex and have a baby to save the world.

It's not horrible to read, if you're just looking for naughty fluff. But it's nothing serious, and not worth your time otherwise.

[NhaughtyV says Damn the Zon Save the Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm...not sure what to say about this one. I luv all things vamp, but come on, vamps being aliens?? No, didn't care for that...will say that the only reason I gave it 2 stars was the sex was HOT! Glad it was a free read for the Kindle!

[Maylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's about vampires, it's SF, it was free for the Kindle so I had to try it KWIM?

[Elaine Faria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reading! But something is missing and I don't know what it is...
Maybe I will find it in the next book of the series.

Anyway, the heroine is a warrior, which I love and a strong beeing. The hero is demanding alpha male and, he is devoted to her.

Their love is fast and overwhelming. So is their loving making. And no cliffhangers.

[Jenn Haun · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF - The opening is a bit sporadic. You have to decipher a journal entry as well as keep up with no real background of what's going on.

[Sammy Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this was a free read, I was hesitant to try it due to the low ratings. Now that I've finished the book, which was very good, I understand the mixed reviews.

First, this book was promoted as an erotic vampire story which was very misleading. This was more erotic Sci-Fi, fantasy. The vampires in the book reminded me of Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed series. They weren't true vampires, just aliens from the galaxy, Shadallah, that were more technologically advanced than humans.

Second, though this was about 200 pages on my nook, I'd classify it as a difficult read. There were 3 different groups (races) of aliens at war. The D'Harahn were the telekinetic, shape shifting Purebloods. The Valians were shape shifting warriors with incredible speed. The Nurians had mind control powers. These 3 races were here on earth fighting amongst themselves and against the Alliance, humans fighters that hunted alien vamps. There was a lot of detail to grasp in such a short read. For instance, the sexy hero of this story was Constantine whose title was, Constantine Belenus of the DHarahn, Heir Apparent to the Throne of Shadallah, and crown prince of V'Kar. Everyone in the book seamed to have titles like that and I found myself glazing over them instead of trying to remember them. Not to mention there were a symbiotic race called the Vox Narr, that could attach itself to the alien vampires.

If you can get past all of what I just described and not be turned off by the amount of Sci-Fi, then I highly recommend this read. I am not a reader of Sci-Fi and I like for the characters in a story to have easy names that I can remember. I really enjoyed this book once I got past all of the crazy titles and allowed myself to get wrapped up in the love story. The plot was really good, not cookie cutter at all and the love scenes were off the charts erotic. The story doesn't wrap up in the end so I do expect and hope for a sequel cause I really want to know how this all works out for Constantine and Vampiresa as they fight for his throne.
.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book back-to-back with another Ciana Stone book, All In Time, and I noticed that several of the sex scenes were nearly identical. I could have handwaved it and just moved on but when I say nearly identical, I mean just that. The characters used similar phrasing when they were in the zone, the positioning of the characters (Ha! That sounds funnier when I read it then it did in my head) while doing the deed... it was really off-putting. I'm guessing that if I hadn't done the back to back reading I wouldn't have noticed or not realized exactly how alike the two scenes were but now that I've seen it I can't unsee it.

It's really ruined this book for me.

Up until the duplicate sex scene, the book was already teetering on the edge in my opinion. I knew going into this that it wasn't a typical vampire story and it's not. Constantine and his people aren't vampires exactly, they're aliens. I'm cool with that part, actually, because I can see how an alien race with the physical and psychic gifts they had could be easily mistaken for vampires. What got me was that there was almost too much information introduced about the alien world and culture. It became overwhelming and hard to follow. Half the time I was unsure who was aligned with who and where they fit into the grand scheme of things.

All in all, what could have been a fun, interesting, new take on the traditional vampire tale fell apart somewhere in the middle and never found its footing again. And I still can't get over the duplicate sex. It's like finding out that your best friend stole your patented sex move and is wowing all the guys with it. Very off-putting.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the book description…” They were mortal enemies, their respective factions had been at war since the dawn of man. She was a Dhampir, bred and trained to hunt Vampyres. He was a king among the Vampyre, the oldest and most lethal.

Nothing good could come of this hunger, this need that drove them relentlessly toward one another. Neither reason nor devotion to duty could stay their need. There was but one way to quench the thirst that drove them… Once satiated they could return to the battle and see which one, if either, was left standing.

How were they to know that one drink from the cup of desire would serve to magnify the hunger? That one act of lust would alter them forever.” That their unwanted hunger would change the course of their destiny.

Resa was raised as a dhampir by Bram since the fire that destroyed her home and killed her parents when she was an infant. Nightly she hunted the vampire and killed them in accordance with the Alliance. This is all Resa had ever known but she always felt something wasn't as it should be. One Vampyre, Constantine, always eluded her and they had a strange fascination with each other.
This is more than a “vampire/vampire hunter” story. It provides a different take on the whole vampire idea. I really liked this story, enough to want to read the next one in the series. I warn folks that, as it says in the description, there is unbridled passion with some explicit sex scenes just so you know.

[Kenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was 116 pages long (including the dedication and title pages and an avert in the back for the publisher)and contained no less than FIVE sex scenes. There could have been 6...I lost count when I tried to skin to the end to see if the book salvaged itself. I kid you not. this was a booklet of smut and little else. What was there was confusing and an OVERLOAD of information and difficult to pronounce words. We only get bits and pieces of a story as the author throws them in where she feels it necessary to advance the "plot". Here let me save you the trouble. "Vampires"...excuse me..she used a "y"..."Vampyers" (which apparently arent vampires after all) from another planet need to impregnate a human so that their race can continue on Earth AND across the galaxy so it is the Prince Vampyre that gets the task of doing that...several times...and anally too. *eyeroll* THE END. The story goes into a bit more depth than that but I think you get my point. I abhor it when an author wants to write erotica and then disguises it as a poorly written book. It would have been better as a shorter story and been just about the sex. Which of course was "mind blowing" every time.


It didnt by the way...salvage itself that is.

[Brandi Aquino · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know a lot of people have raved about this one and, although it had the makings of a great epic novel, I think it fell short.

The speedy way Resa and Constantine fall in love just wasn't believable to me. They didn't struggle the way other characters in other books do and the amount of time they spent resisting their love was a drop in the bucket. Their main struggle was political and with the ridiculously complicated names I had to decipher and drawn out descriptions of the issues at hand, I found it distracting to the story line.

The sex scenes were probably the most prevalent throughout, aside from fight scenes, which were expertly designed. But the sex was repetitive and the choice of words a bit distasteful instead of erotic, as I assume they were meant to be. I mean, seriously, who wants to be left with a visual of anuses? Come on.

The end was somewhat abrupt with no real conclusion to hint at how things would pan out in the end. Overall, I think An Unwanted Hunger was lacking in several areas. I'm normally not this hard on anyone's books, but this was truly disappointing to me.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resa Vantor is a Dhampir fighting for the Alliance against Vampires. Her mentor Bram got her involved in the fighting as a child. Yet every time Resa has questions for Bram, he steers her away from them with his scolding. Resa is resentful of Bram's skillful avoidance of her questions. Then Resa meets Pandora, who will answer her questions without hesitation and more, tells her that the answers she seeks can be found with Constantine Belenus. Resa tries to seek him out but does not have any luck until he wishes her too. In seeking him out Resa must go against everything she's been told and try to ignore her attraction to Constantine as well. Resa and Constantine must fight in battle together against the Alliance forces. There is an unexplained hunger beween Resa and Constantine that only continues to grow. The Alliane wants to kill Constantine and his kind from existence. Who is a traitor? Can Constantine ascend to the throne of his people? Can an alliance be made of the two other races? Your questions are answered in An Unwanted Hunger.

[Randi · Rating 2 out of 5]

As expected from Ellora's Cave books, it's an erotica. I have read Ciana Stone's other book before, and I liked it. This one, I think I'm not crazy about it. Vampires from outer space. I think that's the only reason I didn't like it because I generally avoided aliens as a rule when it comes to reading. And the fact that half of the book is based on scenitific explanations (which is essential to the story, but I kinda feel it's a little too much) then the other half is about sex, sex. I have no complaints about sex because I love reading about it, but it just struck me a little odd that the vampire hunter and vampire (I mean, Vampyre or something like that)jumped in the sack. However, the story hinted that they have this attraction and they fought each other before so I missed their "introductions." As I looked on Amazon through my Kindle, the book only has 140 pages so I wondered what happened if they added that scene with their introducions in the book - would it have made it a better story? I don't know.

[Stupid Shiny Volvo Driver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 99 cent download from Amazon so I thought I'd try it. I really liked the overall story line, aliens from another galaxy come to earth and are mistaken for vampires, well, they do have fangs and will bite occasionally, a group called the Alliance that seek the 'vamps' to destroy them and one hybrid woman whose a cross between human and alien with super strength (of course) who hunts the vamp she soon finds out is a prince. So... all that is good... love the sci fi aspect. The love scenes in the beginning are very hot and I'm sure the love scenes later on would have been as well but the writing kind of failed, as if the author was just trying to wrap the end up with all out sex. I wish the story had been longer just for the fact that I really did enjoy all the intrigue of worlds fighting against worlds and bringing their fight down to the earth. The ending was left hanging as if there is another book on the way... I don't know if there is, but that's how it feels.

[Janette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really liked the tone that was set from the beginning and had no trouble getting into the story. I was pleasantly surprised when the story took a twist and turned out not to be entirely what I was anticipating. I even thought the draw between Constantine & Resa started out very believable. However, that's where it ended for me. The story seemed somewhat disjointed to me and developed into something less tangible. The chemistry between the couple was palpable, but I never felt their relationship became more than carnal. I never felt them building the undying love they professed for each other. The real conflict seemed to be just beginning as the book drew to a close. I am curious to see where the story will lead, so I am planning to give it a second chance with the sequel.

[Cindy (Squin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up since it was Free for Kindle. I actually really enjoyed the story - very interesting take on the origins of vampires. I found the writing to be well-done, also - even the erotic scenes were good.

However, the sex scenes were really randomly thrown in - the main characters would be talking about something completly different and then suddenly start going at it! I actually laughed a couple of times because it was so sudden and not at all at a plot point where it made sense! Also, many of the words used that were made up for this book were difficult to pronounce/understand/remember. I found myself many times thinking, 'wait, what?' just from the names of characters and their titles.

Overall, if you want to read some steamy sex scenes that are well written, then this is a pretty good read. For overall content, there is better out there.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Vampyre & Dhampir who should be sworn enemies end up fallin gin love and bonding with each other. But the Dhampir is more then what she seems and could be the key to save the race. I will not spoil the story for future readers but I did enjoy this book. I feel like I have not learned everything I wanted to know about the characters backgrounds but information given explains enough. They are in love with each other and you can feel it when you are reading. The steamy scenes were great but as much as I dont want to sat this I think it was a little to much "steam" and hence why I gave the book a 3 out of 5. I did get this book for free off the Amazon website for my Kindle and Im not sure if there is a sequel to this book, but if there is I will definetly buy it and read it =)

[Heather Wiese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on vampires. They are really beings from a different galaxy with special powers imbued upon them from sybiotes. Excelled to Earth, they wait for the day where they can return to their home planets.

Resa, a half-breed, has been raised by the Alliance to hate vampires and kill all that she can. Until she meets Constantine, a vampire prince, whom she can't bring herself to kill.

Both Constantine and Resa have an instant attraction to each other, but it's not until the Alliance tries to kill them both that they start to give into the attraction.

Working together to stop the Alliance they find that they have bonded as mates and between the two of them they must now protect their race from both the humans and traitors from the inside.

Warning: Steamy scenes abound! :)

[Lacy♪ ♫Movements of a Demigod ♪ ♫ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I really liked the sci-fi spin that this book puts on the whole vampire romance. You have Resa, a dhampir, who was raised to be a vampyre hunter. Everthing that she thought she knew falls apart when she is sent to take out Constantine, prince of the V'Kar. Resa may be the only one who can save the V'Kar from extinction as they are no longer able to have offspring. This leads Resa and Constantine on a journey where they have to fight for thier right to be together and to stay alive. If they are able to pull it off, then Constantine may be able to come out of exile and reclaim his place as his father's heir. This is definitely not the typical vampire romance.

[Netanella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good premise, badly written. The book tried too hard to be smart, just like the main character, Resa, tried too hard to be bad. The same cliches were used over and over - Resa's favorite quote is "what the fuck is fill-in-the-blank?," just a little out of touch with the futuristic, alien setting. Of course, our alien vampires all have names that invoke the ancient Romans, and there's a mysterious group of powerful women in black nunnery habits who manipulate bloodlines (does anyone remember the Bene Gesserit from the Dune saga?)

The author would have been well served to aim for some original dialogue and ideas. And stop trying so hard.

[MsRomanticReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

The heroine cursed a lot which, to me, made her seem childish, despite the fact that she's a powerful vampire hunter. She tries to come off as tough and feared among her enemies, however as her history is revealed I just got the sense she's a lost little girl with a lot of pent up anger. Her prey, Constantine had more patience with her than I would have had.

Vampires of alien origin and names too hard to pronounce made what would have been a decent story just a little frustrating. I often found myself wondering if I was reading a Star Trek novel with a vampire twist.

If you can overlook some of those negatives, you may find this book enjoyable.

[Phuong Ta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt this could've been a great book. Had the interesting characters and plot but the story line went into express mode and failed to develop the actual story. As a result, there was no connection between the characters and reader. So many unusual names and fantastical history thrown at the reader all in one book. It was almost too much to handle. Had Stone slowed down and really developed this story and characters, it could have been a great series! So disappointed. I almost want to read the next installment to see what happens to the baby and hope of all hopes, that the tempo of the next book would be richer. But nah, only if it's free.

[Amber Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ciana Stone’s “An Unwanted Hunger”—book one of the “V’KAR” series—is an erotic tale of forbidden love between a half vampire woman and the otherworldly vampire man she is sworn to kill. Ms. Stone’s vampire world is unusual, controversial, and fast-paced. Her characters are unique, sassy, entertaining, intense, and unyielding. Ms. Stone blends a complex storyline with senuous erotic scenes that have the reader panting for more. The vampires may be from another planet, but the “V’KAR” series is out of this world. “An Unwanted Hunger” is an excellent start to the “V’KAR” series for Ms. Stone.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.50 Stars

While I enjoyed this book I'm definitely glad it was a freebie from Amazon. The world that Ciana Stone attempts to build in this series is definitely an intricate one with lots of characters, names & even dimensions to keep track of, which is why I had a problem with it. So much is thrown at you in such a short period of time that it's hard to digest it all. When she strayed away from that aspect and concentrated on the love story between Resa & Constantine, it was great, just not enough.

[Jeanna-Has Probably Read It! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is maybe a 3.9-4.5. But if you are under 18 and not mature enough then this book is not for you. It was very graphic on the sex scenes and trust and believe they were steamy. I could have did without all the long weird names and titles but that's what I use the skip over method for. *wink, wink* But I have to admit this couple as cute as they tried to be they were some straight nymphos. I mean, there's sex, then a battle, some more sex and a battle. I guess if you need a little steam coming from your ears then you read this one.