Raised in Fire by K.F. Breene

Got a steady job.  Got a housekeeper, a fallen angel for a dad, an understanding boss, and even a righteous sword.  Who needs more?  Reagen Sommerset, that’s who.  Less talk and a lot more action is what she’s all about.

Title:  Raised in Fire
Author: K.F. Breene
Series: Fire and Ice Triolgy #2
Publish Date: September 22, 2017
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Narrator: Nicole Poole
Source: Purchased from Audible

Publisher’s Description: It is a common truth in my life that when it rains, it pours.

The killings that once plagued New Orleans are cropping up again in Seattle. The local office is stumped. I’m called out to lend a fresh set of eyes, and my unique magical touch.

It’s only when I get there that I realize the Seattle office isn’t stumped at all.

They’re being silenced by the Mages’ Guild, a corrupt magical institution that doesn’t want word to get out of what is plaguing the city. Worse, news of my magic might’ve slipped down to the underworld, hitting the ears of some extremely powerful demons.

What I thought was a routine murder investigation turns into a fight for my life. With the help of Darius, my stalker elder vampire, and my dual-mage side kicks, I somehow have to dodge the Guild in order to stop one of the most powerful demons I’ve ever encountered. If I don’t? It’ll escape back down below with proof of what I really am.

My life hangs in the balance, and this time, I can’t see a way out.

Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words…spoilers.  *BEWARE*

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Nervous Nellie says…

This book rocked! This is #2 in the 3 book run of Fire and Ice series.  There is swearing.  There is death.  There are monsters.  There is tricks and conspiracies.  All those things, but mostly just the last 4 will give you a hint there are vampires as well.  There isn’t a cliffhanger, but a lead in to the next book.  There is some graphic stuff but not horror graphic.

 

 

I can’t say enough good about this series so far except I will be sad when I get through the last book.  Reagan is someone I’d like to hang with and see what trouble she land in next.  Her dad is Lucifer.  She’s supposed to reign in hell.  She doesn’t want to.  She’s great at the bounty hunter job she has in the brink and she doesn’t want to be noticed by the demons bent on bringing her into her daddy’s inner circle.  Well, they could also use her to their own ends too.  I mean, they are demons, you know.

And then there is the vampire stalker.  Oh, he doesn’t think he’s a stalker.  For some reason, even unknown to the elder vampire himself, he is pulled to Reagan like a magnet.  Darius doesn’t like the feelings she’s stirring up in him.  He’s a vampire for goodness sake.  He’s not supposed to have feelings, but Reagan is pulling him back to his humanity.  It’s really a fun journey.  Reagan and Darius work so well together, it would be a shame to split them.

This story is exactly as the description claims and it was an adventure full of discovery and death.

Other recommendations…

…you might try  Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock, Brad Magnarella’s Prof Croft series, and Jenn Stark’s amazing Immortal Vegas series…

 

Born in Fire by K.F. Breene

Working with vampires is never a good idea, but when broke, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Title:  Born in Fire
Author: K.F. Breene
Series: Fire and Ice Triolgy #1
Publish Date: May 1, 2017
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Narrator: Nicole Poole
Source: Purchased from Audible

Publisher’s Description: Supernatural Bounty Hunter isn’t the sort of thing you see on LinkedIn. But with a rare type of magic like mine, I don’t have many options.

Dangerous or not, the job is mine. And it was going fine, until an old as sin vampire stole my mark, and with it, my pay day. Knowing I’m poor and desperate, he has offered me a job. I’ll have to work by his side to help solve a top secret case. Everyone knows not to trust vampires. Especially a hot elder vampire. But without any other jobs coming up, I’m stuck. As I uncover a web of lies and treachery, revealing an enemy I didn’t know existed, the truth of my identity is threatened. I might make it out alive, only to end up in a gilded cage.

Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words…spoilers.  *BEWARE*

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Nervous Nellie says…

This was a fun an engrossing book. There is no sex-alluding to the deed, yes.  Following through, no.  There is one spot of nudity, plenty of killing of witches and mages…and zombies but no graphic description of violence that leans into the horror category. The four letter “f” word was used a little bit, but it had to be done to make the character a dimensional and believable character. There was also no cliffhanger.

Can I just say that I was not expecting this kind of story? I was kind of expecting a heroine that’s clingy and wishy washy attitude that amplifies to the damsel in distress when she falls into a vapid romance with a vampire that’s going to save her.  That’s what I could get when I do no research, read no sample chapters and listen to no snippets from the narrator.  Basically, I put my money down blindly.  That’s totally unusual for me. But I did it anyway.  Me.  Taking a chance.  Write it in the history books.

What I got in this book, were characters that practically walked out of my earbuds to sit in the room with me.  I gotta say, Reagan’s contacts, clients, co-workers and neighbors are incredibly interesting folk.

When I grow up, I want to be just like Reagan Sommerset.  She’s not afraid of anything.  She’s confident, knows exactly what to do and can figure out a smart ass comeback in a blink of an eye.  She’s such a stand out character that I loved her every minute. Even in the most difficult and awkward of situations, she always has something sassy to say.

As I said, the writing was great – but the narrator….the narrator NAILED it. Her voice range was amazing. This book did not sound like it was being read-no, it sounded like it was being lived!  Poole’s inflection on frustrated, tired, sassy, bossy, hardass Reagan was golden.  Then came the other characters that stood out.  I could picture Reagan’s neighbors and the mage duo like I’d known them forever.  I don’t know how Nicole Poole does it, but she can go from one character speech to another totally different character with a different accent and timbre at the drop of a hat.  I was so impressed with this book, I had no other choice but to give it 5 stars.  It was that good.

Other recommendations…

…you might try  Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock, Brad Magnarella’s Prof Croft series, and Jenn Stark’s amazing Immortal Vegas series…