Super Six Sunday: Bad Bookish Boyfriends

Inspired by Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and The Bookish, Super Six Sunday, a new feature from the fabulous ladies at Bewitched Bookworms, has different book-related topics each week and asks participants to address each one in the form of a list of six. Obviously.

This week's topic is bad bookish boyfriends, something those of you who read this blog with any frequency know is all-too perfect a topic for me. The hard part of course comes in narrowing this list down to only six–rather than say, one hundred–bad bookish boyfriends. *shakes fist at the Bookworms for limiting me so!* MY LOVE FOR FICTIONAL MEN CANNOT BE CONTAINED IN SUCH A MANNER! I have so very much to give you see, but I endeavored to adhere to the rules of this feature and picked only a handful. *exasperated sigh*

In order to help me compile this list, I narrowed the topic further and chose men who walk a fine line between hero and anti-hero, often saying or doing things that make me want to revoke their candidacy for Fictional Love of Jenny's Life, but yet I find them all the more interesting for their deep, and sometimes very dark, flaws.

1. RYODAN

The Fever Series (adult urban fantasy)

I know. I talk about him a lot. There's just so much to say! He has layers, my friends, LAYERS UPON LAYERS and I adore him. I'll spare you my fawning all over him because I already did that in a previous post, but suffice to say he pretty much owns the term badass and skates the line between someone I love and someone I could easily hate so very, very expertly. I need Burned in my hands as soon as physically possible.

First book in the entire series: Darkfever

First book in Dani's series in which Ryodan is a major player: Iced

2. KAIDAN ROWE

The Sweet Trilogy (paranormal YA)

Okay, like Ryodan, I may have mentioned Kaidan a time or two on this blog. Or possibly 23849203394 times, but that's completely beside the point. The point is Kaidan is the son of the Duke (think demon) of Lust, and he won me over the minute he came on page in Sweet Evil. He's more than just a bad boy who happens to ooze sex appeal; underneath the sharp wit, the British accent, and the devil-may-care attitude lies a young man stuck in a situation he's powerless to change, and he has perhaps more fear in him than he does cocky swagger if you take the time to really look, something very few actually do. If you couldn't tell already, I'll let you in on a little secret: I love him.

First book in the series: Sweet Evil

3. COLE

The Everneath Series (paranormal YA)

Oh, Cole. What a tangled web you weave my friend. Though Cole plays second fiddle to primary love interest Jack in this series, he remains the far more intriguing of the two (but my love for Jack is still epic!), his motivations for every action always shrouded in an untold number of mysteries, and just when I think I have a handle on the man he is, he cracks a sinister smile and laughs right in my face for being so dense. He is both kind and cruel, genuine and devious, and I simply cannot wait to see where things go with him in the third installment of this series.

First book in the series: Everneath

4. GREYFRIAR

Vampire Empire Series (adult urban fantasy/steampunk)

This trilogy completely and unexpectedly blew me away when I first picked it up a couple years ago, the world a welcome yet devastating return to a time when vampires were not the stuff of romance novels, but rather the monstrous killing machines of legend. The Greyfriar is one who hunts them, but as things unfolded in the first book I quickly realized the mask he wears hides far more than just his features from the world, and once I got a peek at what was underneath, I had to know everything there was to know. Like the others on this list he sometimes straddles the line between black and white, though he proves again and again that gray is a far more attractive and addictive color.

First book in the series: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire)

5. PHOENIX

The Violet Eden Chapters (paranormal YA)

Phoenix has led me on a merry dance through this series (though like Cole, he is not the primary love interest, that honor falls to Lincoln). In one book I despise him and everything he is, but then in the next book he shows a completely new side to himself that has my fingers turning from claws that would slice him open to clutching digits that would pull him closer and never let him go. He can be brutal and plays a mean emotional game with Violet and Lincoln, but in the rare moments when his guard drops he shines brighter than any other character, and the glutton for punishment in me never fails to rejoice when he makes an appearance on page.

First book in the series: Embrace

6. RAPHAEL

The Guild Hunter Series (adult paranormal Romance)

Ooooo Raphael, you are a sexy bastard. I am an enormous fan of all things Nalini Singh, and though you've probably seen me gush most often about my love of alpha wolf Hawke from her Psy-Changeling series (YOU'RE STILL MY FIRST LOVE HAWKE!), I absolutely adore her Guild Hunter series as well. In these books we get to spend time with Raphael, the archangel of New York, a man who is all power and steel and immortality, and who time has hardened and shaped into someone unyielding and unrelenting. He is perhaps the most alpha of all Nalini's many alpha men, but when Elena enters his life we have the pleasure of watching the rigidity of him start to ever-so-slightly relax (though not much mind you), giving but the barest of inches before his archangel superiority snaps back into place. He's infuriating and intoxicating and if you've yet to meet him, you're missing out.

First book in the series: Angels' Blood

Review + Giveaway: The Kingmakers

THE KINGMAKERS
(Vampire Empire #3)
Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
Urban Fantasy
392 pages
Pyr
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Amazon)
A war to the death.

Empress Adele has launched a grand crusade against the vampire clans of the north. Prince Gareth, the vampire lord of Scotland, serves the Equatorian cause, fighting in the bloody trenches of France in his guise as the dashing Greyfriar. But the human armies are pinned down, battered by harsh weather and merciless attacks from vampire packs.

To even the odds, Adele unleashes the power of her geomancy, a fear- some weapon capable of slaughtering vampires in vast numbers. However, the power she expends threatens her own life even as she questions the morality of such a weapon.

As the war turns ever bloodier and Adele is threatened by betrayal, Gareth faces a terrible choice. Their only hope is a desperate strike against the lord of the vampire clans—Gareth's brother, Cesare. It is a gamble that could win the war or signal the final days of the Greyfriar.

The Vampire Empire trilogy rushes to a heart-wrenching conclusion of honor and love, hatred and vengeance, sacrifice and loss.

MY THOUGHTS
Completing a dark and brilliant trilogy, The Kingmakers beautifully balances the brutality of the war Equatoria wages against the vampires in the north with the warmth and tenderness emanating from the relationship between Adele and vampire prince Gareth. We are continuously subjected to the death and destruction claiming the front lines – the frailty of human bodies remarkably apparent as the claws and fangs of the vampire hordes easily rend flesh from bone – but just as we are reminded of our physical vulnerabilities, the Griffiths pull us out of the darkness with a display of mental fortitude and strength of will from Adele and those around her, keeping us hovering on a precipice between success and failure in the many battles facing our beloved protagonists.

The highlight of this series is the should-be impossible relationship between Adele and Gareth, their quiet moments together ones that hold us captivated as we revel in Gareth’s unexpected sense of humor and their clear love for one another. Gareth possesses a dry wit, bantering with Adele in a way that never fails to surprise us given the dark seriousness of his brethren, and delighting us with a laugh before the reality of their circumstances sobers us one again. Part of Gareth’s appeal has always been his unusual interest in everyday human activities, and in this last installment we get to see that inquisitiveness in all its glory as he attempts to make a suitable dinner for Adele and accompanies her to the opera. We’re never able to forget what Gareth truly is despite the differences in his personality, and it’s an equal pleasure to watch Gareth use his vampire abilities to come to the defense of Adele and the country she loves as it is to see him obliterate everything humanity thought it knew about vampires.

The Griffiths do a spectacular job of bringing Adele and Gareth’s story to an end in a way that satisfies without tying up every last thread into a perfect bow, allowing us the freedom to use our imaginations as to their future without overwhelming us with a vast expanse of uncertainty when we finish the last page. The battles with the various villains aren’t perhaps quite as epic as we might have anticipated given the build-up, the fight with Flay in particular over with unexpected speed given her fighting capabilities and her surprisingly human motivation to hurt Gareth as much as he’s hurt her. That said however, things toward the end are anything but easy for both Gareth and Adele, and we can’t help but grip the pages of the final chapters with such force our fingers tingle for long minutes afterward as the blood finally returns to them. Powerfully romantic, gritty, and compelling, the Vampire Empire series is a success on every level.

Rating: 4/5

More information on Clay, Susan, and the outstanding Vampire Empire trilogy can be found here:
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GIVEAWAY

Today kicks of the blog tour for The Kingmakers (ignore the starting date on the banner, it lies ;-), so be sure and check out Clay and Susan's blog for the full tour details and the list of participating blogs. As part of this promotional tour, the Griffiths are offering up an amazing giveaway including autographed copies of the entire Vampire Empire trilogy as well as a stunning steampunk-themed necklace:

How gorgeous is that? To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Rift Walker

THE RIFT WALKER (Vampire Empire #2)
Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith
Urban Fantasy
400 pages
Prometheus Books
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

Warning: Contains spoilers from The Greyfriar

THE STORY
After being forced to separate from Gareth, the vampire she loves who also masquerades as vampire hunter the Greyfriar, princess Adele of Equatoria is struggling with returning to the life of an heir. Forced into a relationship she doesn't want with senator Clark in order to form an alliance with the Americans, she's truly dreading each day that brings her closer to her wedding.

When plans for her big day go awry, Adele finds herself reunited and on the run with Gareth, fighting to stay hidden from both human and vampire enemies. The political situation in Equatoria becomes increasingly intense with the battle-loving Clark vying for control and her father the emperor reluctantly agreeing to his plans, so while she cares for a weakened Gareth she's also sets out to find a way to make her father understand what's at stake.

As if politics weren't enough for her and Gareth to deal with, they also find danger in the form of Adele's ever-growing powers–what lives inside her having the potential to destroy all vampires in her path should she lose control of it–and no vampire is closer to her than the one she loves.

MY THOUGHTS
After introducing us to a world of astounding technological advancement and creativity combined with the nightmarish yet innovative portrayal of creatures of the night in The Greyfriar, we find in this installment an increased focus on the truly labyrinthine world of politics. Navigating the twists and turns of Equatoria’s political maze is fascinating, and we read with our noses pressed to the pages as the desire for power blinds some to the cruelty of their actions, while those who have little desire to assume what is theirs by birth rise to the occasion. The Griffiths do a brilliant job of building their characters, writing in degrees of villainy and heroism so that nothing and no one is ever easily definable or clear cut, but rather everything exists somewhere on the incredibly long spectrum between black and white. The words “human” and “monster” hold little meaning in this tale, with humanity proving it can be every bit as brutal as the vampire race, and certain vampires proving the numbness of their long lives has not reduced them to beings enslaved by only the basest of urges.

Adele shows remarkable growth both physically and mentally from book one, refusing to fully cow to the demands her status as heir places on her and rising up in defense of the man, the people, and the country she loves. While Greyfriar repeatedly came to her rescue in rather brave and daring fashion previously, it is Adele who is protector and defender in this tale, caring for Greyfriar as he struggles with the heat of the southern regions while she contemplates how to make her father and senator Clark see reason with regard to the impending vampire war. Though her thoughts and opinions sometimes get lost in the churning sea of testosterone surrounding her, she remains steadfast and persistent in what she believes, and we can’t help but be excited about where this attitude will lead her moving forward.

This story is by no means a romance, but the relationship between Adele and Gareth is one that never fails to bring a smile to our faces, the tension and distrust prevalent in The Greyfriar melting away and leaving behind a comforting camaraderie consisting of genuine affection and witty banter. Though their situation is often dire and the reasons why they can’t be together increase in number and significance, they still find time to tease or share a gentle touch that reminds us of all the reasons they should fight for what they’ve found in one another. Things for them are never easy, but both are confident in their feelings and in their purpose, making them a couple we will to succeed with all the strength we possess.

Though the number of characters and stories running parallel to one another in conjunction with some epic political maneuvering can be just a touch tedious at times, the richness of this world never fails to enthrall. The separate plotlines, though numerous, do come together beautifully–cogs in a bigger machine we can’t wait to see revealed in all its glory in the final installment. This series is an absolute joy to read, and something we long to experience again and again during the wait for book three.

Rating: 4/5

Review: The Greyfriar

THE GREYFRIAR (Vampire Empire #1)
Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
Urban Fantasy
301 pages
Pyr/Prometheus Books
Available Now

THE STORY
In 1870 everything changed. Humans went from the dominant species to outcasts, fighting for survival and struggling to rebuild the empires they lost when the vampires swept through and destroyed everything in their path. Now in the year 2020, the surviving refugees, who fled to the areas south of the equator where the heat prevents vampires from traveling, have gained back their strength and amassed an army to rival their vampire enemy's forces.

Princess Adele of Equatoria is sent on a mission to build alliances for the new war against the vampires, but before she can play at politics, her airship convoy is attacked and she is separated from her younger brother and her people, saved from a lethal vampire's grasp by The Greyfriar, a man of myth and legend rumored to have destroyed hundreds of vampire foes single-handedly.

The Greyfriar leads her deeper into enemy territory in an attempt to expedite her return to Equatoria and the hands of her American fiance, then loses her to the clutches of vampire Prince Gareth and his brother Cesare. While trapped at Gareth's stronghold, Adele learns more about the vampires and the humans that live among them than she ever learned through her studies, and her relationship with Gareth changes her view of the impending war forever.

MY THOUGHTS
The world of The Greyfriar is one the likes of which we've never seen before, combining both familiar and unfamiliar vampire lore reminiscent of an ancient past with the hypnotic newness of the technological advancements defining the steampunk genre. This world of vampires is brutal, their fangs not used only for sustenance or pleasure, but instead to tear, maim, and dominate the human population. While we read on in grim fascination at the singular killing instinct of these beings, we also blink in awe and wonder as the pages paint pictures of regal airships and progressive weaponry, thereby thrusting us into a juncture where old world mythology meets futuristic possibility, and we have the pleasure of experiencing both the childish sense of giddiness at all things novel combined with the full emotional depth and character attachment the rest of us so desperately craves. This story provides us with not just a spectacular world, but also with characters who leap from the pages to take form right before our eyes, their images leaving lasting imprints on the insides of our lids so we see them fully and completely while awake or asleep, and whether we're reading their story or continuing with our lives, they remain forever with us.

Adele is a truly spectacular heroine, exuding a strength and fighting ability that makes us wish we could follow her lead and take up arms beside her, but also maintaining a feminine vulnerability that allows us to penetrate her impressive royal warrior visage and find the leader, the friend, and the memorable woman underneath. Though she harbors the same prejudice and hatred for the vampire race as her countrymen, when presented with the possibility that her opinion isn't completely incontrovertible, she doesn't clutch to her righteousness for an extended period of time to the detriment of her relationship with Gareth, but expands the understandable narrow-mindedness and allows him to show her what she never imagined possible.

The connection between Adele and Gareth is one of extreme potency, yet the intensity stems not from grandiose actions or bold declarations, but from the simplest of gestures that, in the context of these two individuals, are extraordinarily poignant and moving. Suddenly, amidst the chaos of vicious fighting, blood, and death, we find ourselves sequestered in the blissful warmth of the growing affection between our two protagonists, basking in the glow as adorable misspellings and awkward haircuts transform from mundane occurrences to moments thrumming with an innocent passion and a mutual trust that speak far more loudly than any voice ever could. Gareth, for all that he is physically similar to his vampire brethren, is a knight-errant, choosing to be different in mind and soul where he cannot be different in body, and bearing witness to Adele's gradual acceptance of both the man and the presumed monster is a heartwarming intimacy not soon forgotten.

The Greyfriar is a pleasure to read, and surprising in the emotional reaction it evokes as our attachment to Adele and Gareth grows with every passing moment they spend in our thoughts. Their journey is just beginning, and though they are separated by distance, race, and politics, they are bound in feeling, the strength of Adele's affection breaking through the numbness of Gareth's vampire reality and creating the possibility of a future where their obstacles may be overcome. A future where their time together will no longer be defined by brief moments, but by days, weeks, and years. We are left with the knowledge that miles of rough terrain remain underfoot for the two of them, but their newfound ardor radiates from the pages nonetheless, melting the chill we feel when confronted with the difficulties they're sure to face, and we close the back cover with a soaring hope for their inevitable reunion.

Rating: 4.5/5