Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1)

Oct 02, 2012 Alessandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-giveaway

WoW-just wow-

first and foremost this vampire book this something special, none of the likes of which that has ever been done before. Everyone who reads books knows that ever since Twilight came out there was a big explosion of vampire books. Eventually, my friends and I became sick of them. Bleeding Hearts was, literally, a splash of cold water in the face. It was refreshing. This is why I read books, to enjoy and cherish them as long as I can remember them.

When I signed up for the giveaway fo

...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is truely an amazing read.

The first 11 chapters introduces you to Sophie, her work, life, passions and cat and the chance meeting with Marek. At first, the feel of the book seemed to be chic-lit with mystery.

But then, BOY OH BOY wham the intensity of the book hits you and you are hooked, Sexy Demi Vamp and all the lure that drags you into this relationship, dark, posessive and mysterious.

The story is of a love, strong and trusting. Both Sophie and Marek bring out the best in each other and...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Kelsea (Miz. Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. (Is that what I'm supposed to say?)
This book ended up being a lot different than I thought it would be. I read the synopsis and was like, hmm vampires, hmm dark side, cool. But I thought it would be just cool. I thought it would be just another vampire book in a long line of vampire books (not that I have anything against them, because I actually truly love vampire books.) But this book was nothing like that.

First off, when Ash...more I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. (Is that what I'm supposed to say?)
This book ended up being a lot different than I thought it would be. I read the synopsis and was like, hmm vampires, hmm dark side, cool. But I thought it would be just cool. I thought it would be just another vampire book in a long line of vampire books (not that I have anything against them, because I actually truly love vampire books.) But this book was nothing like that.

First off, when Ash Krafton first described the vampire that Marek and Sophie saw on the roof I was totally grossed out, Ick. Usually vampires are sexy, right? Well here is the thing with Bleeding Hearts. It is the Demi Vamps that are sexy, because the full bloodlust Vampires are creepy monsters with teeth like Jaws (at least that is how I pictured them, especially when Sophie gets bitten).

Something else that surprised me about this book was the emotional levels it made me reach, I kinda figured I would skim the surface of emotions in this book, but by the end I was crying. Like when Sophie went to see Marek after he attacked her. He basically told her that he was done with her, I cried. They had developed this beautiful relationship where they could depend on each others strengths, and it was ripped apart by some douche who smelled like rabbits and wore white leather pants... just to be clear I did say white leather pants (black leather = hot! take me now... white leather = where is the disco.) Now, I read some of the other reviews on this book and people were saying how it bothered them how quickly Sophie and Marek fell in love. I didn't have a problem with that at all, I fell in love with my boyfriend so quickly it left my head spinning. I actually thought it was cute how quickly it happened.

That being said, when he told her what he was and she thought he had been stalking her like prey, my heart dropped. I was on a roller coaster. I am kind of a sucker for (temporary) unrequited love and for a second I thought this might be that, but it wasn't. And then throughout the whole book Marek never drinks from her, so I thought, who is he drinking from? All he would ever say about it was that he has "handled" it. Does that mean that he had been tempting other women to give him blood? I know that any woman he drank from wouldn't mean anything but, I don't know. It seems like that would be an intimate act. I know it is just Marek eating, but in order to get a woman to comply he would have to compel her somehow and the easiest way would be through desire, and that just made my skin crawl. And then when he drank from Sophie at the end and she said it was so painful, then I was thinking, is that because he is crazy with blood lust? Or because it just hurts a lot anyway? THEN! There was the part where Donna was always pale and sickly at work and for a while I was like, HELL NO. I was getting really pissed, because I thought that maybe Marek was using her as a blood donor.

Something that bothered me about Sophie was her need to always be nice. We get to hear her thoughts, so we know that she can't stand certain things, but she was (almost) always nice. That drove me crazy, why couldn't she just tell people no? I understand that could be because she was the Sophia, but still. Speaking of Sophia, at the beginning Marek told her (in her head) that he wasn't going to let go of her now that he found her, and so that made me a little leery later in the book because I felt that he was only with her because she was the Sophia.

I really did like this book though and Ash Krafton left off at a point where I really want to know more. Sophie was about to reach out to Marek even in the tiniest way, but they are still apart even though he follows and watches her. And she was thinking about moving, what would Marek do if she moved away??? So many things to look forward to! Because I am trying to start a rating system I would give this book a 4 out of 5 because I wanted them to stay together forever.(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Melinda Le Baron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Most paranormal romances are hot and steamy as well as X-rated. In my opinion there's absolutely everything right with that. If you want to try something different from walking on the wild side, why not not try something sensual and alluring where your mind happily fills in the details that are on the page in the other type of books. While this is quite a change, it allows more emphasis on feelings plus the paranormal. This really gives you a different type of read. Not so much much panting and...more Most paranormal romances are hot and steamy as well as X-rated. In my opinion there's absolutely everything right with that. If you want to try something different from walking on the wild side, why not not try something sensual and alluring where your mind happily fills in the details that are on the page in the other type of books. While this is quite a change, it allows more emphasis on feelings plus the paranormal. This really gives you a different type of read. Not so much much panting and sweating and more love and vampires. It is definitely a trade-off but in this it pays off in spades.

Ash Krafton must be a wizard because after eight million books being published about vampires, she's come up with with something so original, so creative, so unique that I was actually stunned by it. Those who would read this purely as a vampire book, you will not only pleased, you'll be thrilled, unless you like your vampires traditional. In that case, go buy Dracula by Bram Stoker. The original is always best. Being a wizard Ms.Krafton does a magnificent job combining love and romance with her new conception of vampires which makes this one helluva book on many levels. Way to go Ash!

THE PLOT: Sophie, our protagonist, is an advice columnist for The MAG in the city. On her day off, she meets a man - he is handsome, expensively dressed, with shining green eyes and an encyclopedic knowledge of history. They spend the whole afternoon at the museum until evening, when they part reluctantly. She thinks as she is driving home - he is the perfect man for me: attentive, courteous, intelligent, solicitous, loves history, is handsome and those green eyes just glow. There is only one problem, she can feel a dark side to her knight in shining armour. He gives off an aura of great power, but that's not what she's feeling. It's something else entirely. What could it be? You're thinking vampire but you'd be wrong, or werewolf either. Their relationship grows and grows. Many thing HAPPEN: confessions in church, confessions to Sofie, a murdered Senator, living with non-humans, Sofie to Sofia, out to my shack, kidnapped, Donna gets her due - eaten, priest broken, prophetess bitten, healing, vampire challenge, good bye. There is so much more that happens then this, you'll find out when you read the book.

THE PACING: The pacing of the book is intense. It starts out romantic and alluring like a bubble bath for two in the dark with candles burning. Then the paranormal kicks in to gear - now we're at full speed flying Mach II. We won't slow down again - ever. The next thing you know, after your complete and total immersion into Ash Krafton's world, is that the book is over. You put the Kindle down and sigh. Hmmm! What will I read now that could match that? When nothing comes to mind after looking through your Kindle for about 15 minutes, you put it down and go do something else, disappointed that the next book is not out.

THE UPSHOT: All you ladies who love the typical paranormal romance need to read this one. The romance is sooo sensual and so good, the vampires so imaginative and creative that it may be the best book you'll read all year. Hey you guys out there! I'm talking to you! You don't need a How-to book to understand women,you need this book. Go ahead! Be a man! Buy the book! You'll learn more from this book about how to treat a woman and what she wants. More then you would in a million seminars on the same topic. It's cheaper,faster and better. Trust. me I'm a woman.(less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Ash Krafton starts this story off with the classic boy meets girl plot line. Then, as usual, the vampires show up and the shit hits the proverbial fan. And then finally, throw in a few unique vamp variations and Bleeding Hearts morphs into a riveting read. I particularly enjoyed the links to Egyptian mythology and the way that Sophie's hidden purpose is gradually unveiled. Unfortunately, Krafton also worked in one of my biggest fiction pet peeves: insta-love. It wasn't ov...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Ash Krafton starts this story off with the classic boy meets girl plot line. Then, as usual, the vampires show up and the shit hits the proverbial fan. And then finally, throw in a few unique vamp variations and Bleeding Hearts morphs into a riveting read. I particularly enjoyed the links to Egyptian mythology and the way that Sophie's hidden purpose is gradually unveiled. Unfortunately, Krafton also worked in one of my biggest fiction pet peeves: insta-love. It wasn't overpowering nor did it steal the show but that still doesn't detract from the fact it was there and as a result, mild annoyance ensued on my part.

The opening chapters of this book really drew me in. I enjoyed the way that Ash introduces the reader to her main character, Sophie. We get to tag along with miss Galen through her daily activities which gives us a real sense of her personality. Way more effective than a boring information dump in my opinion! I also liked Sophie and Marek's first meeting. It came off as so innocent and first-date-like that it was cute. However, things are obviously not how they seem and the new love struck feeling is fleeting at best. Once the supernatural curtain is lifted from Galen's eyes, life takes on a whole new meaning.

At first, I enjoyed the chemistry between Marek and Sophie. They go on a couple of dates and life is grand. That is until Galen learns the "hard way" about the existence of vampires. At first, she's obviously shocked and a little horrified but she comes to grips with the news surprisingly quickly. Not only that, but the fact that she's dating a vampire doesn't seem to even phase her. What's even odder is how this news seems to jump start the beginnings of that pesky insta-love phenomena that I dislike so much. Granted, there's a lot going on in Sophie's life after the big reveal and she's dealing with a hidden purpose to boot but the whole thing was just too much, too soon, too fast for my liking. I'm assuming that Krafton simply wanted to get the relationship details out of the way quickly so that she could focus on the meat of the story. Not a bad idea but it could have been handled better in my opinion.

I liked the Demivampire concept and the idea that there are different phases to vampirism, each with their own pros and cons. The Egyptian mythology elements also added an extra level of depth to Ash's undead that made for an interesting tale. The story is packed with fantastic dark and light imagery that really plays up the ancient war of good vs evil. A priest is even tossed into the mix! I can't help but admire Krafton's courage on that one. Jared is actually a very lovable character and I was saddened by his cruel fate. Who would have thought!? Sophie's hidden purpose also came as a welcome surprise. It was a neat way of forming a permanent link between her and the paranormal world. Whether Marek is in the picture or not, she's stuck in this world for the long haul due to her heritage. Poor girl!

A dark urban fantasy story with witty dialogues and compelling mythology, Bleeding Hearts is an satisfying read that's easy to like. Plenty of loose ends are left dangling which makes the sequel sound all the more promising!

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Jun 10, 2012 Robyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, vampires, urban-fantasy

Ash Krafton has created a whole new world of vampires, that definitely captured my attention very early in the story. Sophie writes a Dear Sophie column in The Mag, lives alone with her cat Euphrates, and that is pretty much the gist of her life. Then she meets Marek during her lunch break at a local museum. He's dark, mysterious and she just can't seem to see enough of him. Marek brings her into his life, into his family of Demi-Vamps (Vampires that have yet to Fall to evil and lose their souls...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Sarah Jordan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sophie is an advice columnist for a city paper, and she lives a life behind the scenes, both figuratively and literally, existing in a habitual haze of solitude, visiting museums and spending her evenings in her apartment with her cat. A former nurse, she has switched careers after her nursing job became focused on profit rather than care. She is also extremely intuitive, and this has aided her in making her life choices and enabled her to avoid almost all emotional risks.

One of the things I lov...more Sophie is an advice columnist for a city paper, and she lives a life behind the scenes, both figuratively and literally, existing in a habitual haze of solitude, visiting museums and spending her evenings in her apartment with her cat. A former nurse, she has switched careers after her nursing job became focused on profit rather than care. She is also extremely intuitive, and this has aided her in making her life choices and enabled her to avoid almost all emotional risks.

One of the things I loved about this book was how the beginning unfolded (much like the movie The Wizard of Oz), switching from black-and-white to sudden color to symbolize the heroine's drab, dull existence changing to an exciting, vibrant life. Although the first 50 pages or so were intriguing enough to keep me reading, the slow pace had me worried. This black and white beginning of the book felt slightly vague - I didn't have a sense of Sophie's appearance, or her history, or her life in general. It felt like a thinly sketched "aimless woman living a lonely life in a big city who lives with a cat" scenario. And she is an orphan and her best friend is a priest - talk about isolated! But things begin to change when two colorful things happen to her - a person who wrote to her kills himself (but is still sending her letters), and she meets Marek, a mysterious and handsome man who brings vibrancy, passion and excitement into her life. Pretty soon, on one very memorable date, she learns what some of Marek's secrets are, and from here on out Sophie is awake, alive and living an unexpected life.

Krafton has created her own vampire lore, with another species called the DemiVampire (DV) who are in constant battles (political and otherwise) with the full vampires, who are evolved DV (and "evolved" means killing humans while sucking them dry and absorbing their life essence). The DV are living among us, oozing power through their emotions, and Sophie is sensitive and receptive to this power.

Sophie is not clairvoyant, but is an empath, sensing the emotional energy of the DV in particular, and sending healing energy out to those in need. As such she is revered as a kind of soothing Oracle of wisdom, but also as a human pet, because she is still manipulated by the DV using their power of compulsion. They profess to need her and respect her, yet they treat her in a patronizing manner. I guess if we want to look for deeper meaning it's an indication of their parasitic nature - they feed off blood and they feed off energy, too. Sophie is just a food source with two flavors instead of one.

Much of the story is dependent on Sophie's ability to use her compassion to bring peace to others, including the DV (demi-vampires). First she reaches out to Marek, then his brother Rodrian, and there's lots of descriptions of the vamp's power surging with their emotions, and Sophie feeling that power, filtering their emotions and sending it back to them. While I really liked the concept of energy vampirism, and Sophie's role as a modern descendant of Isis, it is a tough thing to bring to the written page. Consequently, much of what Sophie says sounds trite, and I kept thinking as I was reading that if she is teaching beings who are hundreds of years old how to handle grief and loss, then those beings are not very bright.

For those readers who love paranormal romance but don't enjoy graphic sex scenes, this is the book for you. The few references to physical romance are very chaste with absolutely no descriptive action whatsoever. While the romance of Sophie and Marek is the focus of this story, it is set against a backdrop of a political web of power-mongering between DV and vampires fighting for territory and manipulating humans.

The really exciting action comes towards the end, when Sophie is kidnapped and Marek is taken.

I really enjoyed the fast pace, the truly scary Master Vampire character, and the steadily increasing tension of Marek being forcibly evolved. I could not stop reading! I feel like Sophie really redeemed herself in this part of the book, and I ended up caring about her, enough so that I am really looking forward to BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2).(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, paranormal, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Sophie will sacrifice anything to save Marek, but what if he doesn’t want to be saved?

Poor Sophie. She truly has a weakness for people in need. The problem is she tries to help anyone and everyone she comes across and when she doesn’t succeed, she takes it very hard. I like the way Ms. Krafton presents Sophie’s character. The first half of the book follows Sophie as she interacts with the various people in her life, including her best...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Sophie will sacrifice anything to save Marek, but what if he doesn’t want to be saved?

Poor Sophie. She truly has a weakness for people in need. The problem is she tries to help anyone and everyone she comes across and when she doesn’t succeed, she takes it very hard. I like the way Ms. Krafton presents Sophie’s character. The first half of the book follows Sophie as she interacts with the various people in her life, including her best friend Jared, who is a priest. Sophie’s relationship with her cat Euphrates, Fraidy for short, is also particularly entertaining. While this meandering pace is an interesting way to get to know Sophie, it also means that the first half of the book moves a bit slowly. Readers will need to exercise a bit of patience in order to reap the rewards of the story.

Not long after Sophie meets Marek, she falls for him pretty hard. Something tells Sophie that Marek is dangerous, but she ignores this feeling and pursues a relationship with him anyway. I didn’t get to know Marek nearly as well as Sophie. Sophie kept saying Marek was dark, mysterious, and that she had a powerful connection with him, but this connection never really came alive in my mind. Sophie and Marek spend a lot of time getting to know each other, especially after she learns about the paranormal world he inhabits. However, a lot of those moments take place behind the scenes. I liked that this approach allowed me to use my imagination, but it would have been nice to have a few more details filled in. This would have made picturing Sophie and Marek as a couple easier.

One of the things I like most about Bleeding Hearts is the concept that demivampires and vampires are a more evolved species that have lived side by side with humans for centuries. The connection to Egyptian mythology is also thought provoking. I would have liked a bit more detail on the history of the demivampires and their battle with vampires. Ms. Krafton provides enough information to keep the story moving, but when I finished reading I still felt like my understanding of the paranormal world Ms. Krafton created was incomplete.

The pacing really picked up during the second half of the book. Sophie and Marek find themselves at the mercy of a powerful and ruthless vampire who wants Marek for his own nefarious purposes. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how they were going to find their way out of this treacherous situation. I was extremely surprised and also deeply unsettled at how they ended up escaping. Marek crosses a line when battling the master vampire and I’m not entirely sure that he and Sophie will be able to survive the consequences. This relationship will surely be tested in the next book.

Overall, I think Bleeding Hearts is a good book. Sophie is certainly an entertaining character and the mythology of the paranormal world she inhabits is intriguing. Readers looking for a different kind of vampire story might want to give Bleeding Hearts a try. (less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Kirsty Vizard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-put-down, paranormal, pararomance, shapeshifters, vampires

Sophie Galen is an agony aunt who cares about people - she may say too much. One afternoon she walks into the Egyptian display at the museum and meets a mysterious man, whom she feels drawn to. Through Marek, Sophie is introduced to a world of Vampires and Werewolves and it unleashes a power in her she never knew existed . . . .
During the first two chapters I was unsure what my opinion was of Bleeding Hearts. Sophie was a negative character and seemingly happy to remain to cocooned in her little...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Rachel at theJeepDiva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

I chose to review this book on my birthday because I love vampires. However, I got more than I thought I was because this story combines two of my favorite topics vampires and Egyptian mythology. I absolutely loved the story and can’t wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next. I give the book 5 stars.

Sophie is capable of doing something I am not good at. She gives good advice and she tries to save everyone. She also has had a few people in her life that no matter wha...more

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May 10, 2012 Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is broken up into 3 sections, so I think talking about each section on its own makes the most sense for me. I really liked the first part. It takes you through the life of Sophie Galen, and really helps you get to know her. Krafton does a great job making her relate-able. The way that Sophie meets Marek is adorable as well. In a museum? I love it. There is definitely instant attraction.

I wish there was more to the week Marek kept coming to Sophie's apartment every night. There was much...more This book is broken up into 3 sections, so I think talking about each section on its own makes the most sense for me. I really liked the first part. It takes you through the life of Sophie Galen, and really helps you get to know her. Krafton does a great job making her relate-able. The way that Sophie meets Marek is adorable as well. In a museum? I love it. There is definitely instant attraction.

I wish there was more to the week Marek kept coming to Sophie's apartment every night. There was much that was implied as far as what was told about the history of Vamps and Demi Vamps, but we don't get to be privy to those conversations. I felt like I was missing out some.

And then of course there is her best friend, the Priest ex-boyfriend Jared. I love him. He kind of drops out of the second part of the book and makes a grand re-appearance in the third part, but I am getting ahead of myself. I don't know about you, but I would love a friend like him. Someone who knows me that well, but there is no pressure for *anything* to happen, and who won't judge anything I do or say. That would be lovely.

So, section one gets a solid 4 stars from me.

Section two, on the other hand, opens up just a week or two later, but Sophie is already a part of the DV's lives. Lounging in the office, joking with Marek's brother like they have known each other for years ... it all seemed rushed. Maybe if more time had passed it would have grated on my nerves less. It just was too fast. It was too close to "insta-love" for comfort.

This is also when you get a better idea of vamp politics and who runs what. As well as find out more about the Sophia. I thought that was a good try to put a new spin on the vampire mythology, but it just didn't work for me. I don't want to ruin the story for you, just suffice it to say it made them all seem a bit too whiny.

Section two winds down with some bad stuff, a nice evening, and then Sophie doing the dumb heroine thing and not listening to what Marek tells her to do. Section two drops the story to 3 stars.

Section three ... well there isn't a whole lot I can say without spoiling the book. I found parts to be very predictable, not that that is a bad thing. I was just reading along and thought to myself, "I bet _____ happens" and I was right. There were some things I didn't understand, such as someone being excluded from the group. There were definitely some loose ends that I am hoping will be tied up in a second installment. Section three gets 3 1/2 stars.

Overall, I give this 3 1/2 stars. It was a good read and there were parts where I had a hard time putting it down, but I thought some parts of the story were a bit weak, and could have possibly been helped by further explanation. I still recommend you read this if you want a new spin on vampires, and I will be looking forward to a book 2.(less)

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Oct 13, 2012 Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-review-books

Book exchanged for a review~Per Goodreads rules~

Sophie Galen is an advice columnist for The Mag. She personally believes that there is good in everyone and tries to help her fellow man whenever she can. She cares for everyone she meets except for Donna The Stapler Nazi. Sophie's editor Barbara knows that she can count on Sophie to go the extra mile when is comes to work. Sophie is best friends with a priest named Jared who shares a past history with her. She loves to browse around the local muse...more Book exchanged for a review~Per Goodreads rules~

Sophie Galen is an advice columnist for The Mag. She personally believes that there is good in everyone and tries to help her fellow man whenever she can. She cares for everyone she meets except for Donna The Stapler Nazi. Sophie's editor Barbara knows that she can count on Sophie to go the extra mile when is comes to work. Sophie is best friends with a priest named Jared who shares a past history with her. She loves to browse around the local museum especially the Egyptian Section. Sophie meets Marek, a handsome stranger, that also shares his like for Egyptian Culture especially about Isis. Marek is intrigued by Sophie and yet finds himself wanting to protect her at all costs whether Sophie knows it or not. When Marek tells Sophie that he's demivampire or DV Sophie isn't freaked out by this information which surprises Marek. Marek introduces Sophie to his world and family. Rodrian is Marek's brother and business partner. He's also father to Shiloh whom he adores greatly. Marek's business and political contacts are worried about a new tax bill that could damage the DV and humans alike if it's passed. The Mag is working on an article that will show the pros and cons of tax bill. Marek is worried that the Master will strike out against the whole population. Marek has been working on personal research about The Sophia Oracle and believes that Sophie is the one. How does Jared help Sophie? Is Marek keeping secrets? Is Sophie really the Oracle? Will the tax bill be passed? What are the Master's plans? Will Sophie accept Marek's world? Your answers await you in Bleeding Hearts.

I love the unique twist about vampires and other paranormal creatures. I found that I loved alot of Sophie's characteristic. She is so giving and full of compassion that you want to be just like. The world needs more Sophie's in it. Marek isn't your typical bad boy persona yet he has all the qualities of an Alpha male. I would be interested in seeing this story continue into another book. I thought the author did an excellent job with the creation of this story. I look forward to reading more of their works.(less)

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Jun 02, 2012 Urban Fantasy Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

To read this review and others like it check out my site www.ufreviews.com

I am a huge stickler for books needing a good opening. There is nothing worse than opening a book and wanting to be pulled into a world quickly and then it taking a third of the book to get into it. This book does a really good job of the beginning. It brings you in really quickly to the characters and the world. There isn't a lot of info dumps (something that also drives me crazy in beginnings of books), so I am more tha...more To read this review and others like it check out my site www.ufreviews.com

I am a huge stickler for books needing a good opening. There is nothing worse than opening a book and wanting to be pulled into a world quickly and then it taking a third of the book to get into it. This book does a really good job of the beginning. It brings you in really quickly to the characters and the world. There isn't a lot of info dumps (something that also drives me crazy in beginnings of books), so I am more than happy to report that this book has a pretty solid beginning that I can say I really enjoyed.

The pacing of the novel itself was really good and enjoyable. I didn't feel like there was a lot of downtime within the book, but I also didn't feel like there was too much action all the time either. It was a really well balanced book. I think a combination of the pacing as well as having a solid well written beginning resulted in me really enjoying the character of Sophie. I felt like I knew her pretty well and when I was reading about her I would want to know more. I liked who she was as a person so it was really easy for me to enjoy reading a story about what was going on in her life.

This story has a pretty big romantic element with in it, which is perfectly fine with me, I love a good love story. But for me this particular love story suffers from a very common syndrome in books, the "non-organic love story". What I mean by this is when two characters are suddenly and inexplicably in love with each other. People, in my opinion, take time to fall in love with one another, and this is especially true in books. Yes two people can fall in lust, and that's perfectly fine, but when they are inexplicably in love it just doesn't feel right to me and is slightly annoying.

I also would like to say that I really enjoyed some of the world building elements in this book. There was a lot of Egyptian elements in the book, and I have to say I love that in the book. I love anything that takes history and uses it in really cool ways to come up with some really cool concepts, and this book did that really well for me.

I did enjoy reading this book, and I think anyone who enjoys reading urban fantasy would enjoy reading this book. I think there are some good concepts in the book and there is a lot of really solid world building. I liked the book overall, and anyone looking for a fun and enjoyable read you should check this out.(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Brandy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a fantastic book! You know how sometimes in books there are slow spot and then really action packed spot? This book carries a steady stream of vivacity. I found it very hard to put down. From the beginning you will be charmed to Sophie's character. She's a coffee loving, kind, witty, brave advice columnist who meets a wonderful Man named Marek one day while walking through a Museum. They have an instant connection and start spending much time together. Sophie can feel that there is dar...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Laurie: Almost Faemous rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received a copy of Bleeding Hearts from the Read to Review on Goodreads so thanks to the authors and mods for making this possible.

Ok so this was a first for me, this book was a DNF. I tried I really really did but it took me a week to get half way through and I still could not get into the story. The main character Sophie is an advice columnist for a magazine when on a personal trip to a museum she meets Marek and discovers the world of vampires and demivamps and what her place in it is suppo...more I received a copy of Bleeding Hearts from the Read to Review on Goodreads so thanks to the authors and mods for making this possible.

Ok so this was a first for me, this book was a DNF. I tried I really really did but it took me a week to get half way through and I still could not get into the story. The main character Sophie is an advice columnist for a magazine when on a personal trip to a museum she meets Marek and discovers the world of vampires and demivamps and what her place in it is supposed to be. A romance develops between her and Marek and one day she is needed to save his soul and stop him from becoming a soulless vampire...that was as far as I got.

I absolutely loathed the character Sophie, she was uptight, annoying and if this were a real person I wouldn't be able to spend five minutes alone in a room with her without either slapping her or wanting to get her laid, so she'd stop being so holier than thou. Marek was pretty much every vampire you've ever read about tall, hot, rich and metaphysically uber powerful and of course broody. An all grown up Edward Cullen without the sparkles. The supporting characters were just as uninteresting and all they seemed to do was tell Sophie how wonderful she was and how their lives would be a disaster without her to steer them in the right direction...that got old quickly.

There was supposed to be a romance between Sophie and Marek but honestly I didn't find much in the way of chemistry between them, mostly dialogue of Sophie trying to find out what his issues were so she "could help cuz that's what she does". There was no physical relationship between them described at all and before you jump all over me thinking I am looking for porn that's not the case. A romance of any kind, paranormal or not is selling you a fantasy of an idealized relationship between two people and that includes the physical. The part where Sophie feels there connection is so much more than physical just made me roll my eyes.

The vamps in this book are pretty much like everyday citizens, they have children run businesses until they lose their souls and become bloodthirsty killers. After losing their soul there is no going back from that they are damned after that. That tied into the whole religious theme I found throughout the first part of the book. Sophie's first love and current best friend is a Catholic priest and there was quite a bit about her faith and I was reading it wondering is this a Christian Romance with vampires. Which is fine, but I am probably not the best audience .

While reading Bleeding Hearts I looked over some of the reviews and the book seems well received so I truly do wish the author every success with it. I appreciate how much works goes into penning a novel but this definitely was not for me.(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Samantha (Book Lover's Cozy Cafe) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-books, favorites, own, read-2012, urban-fantasy

this book was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!!

The moment I picked up this book and read a few pages I was hooked, I had stayed up all night reading this and had spent a part of today finishing it up. It was totally a boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, girl falls for boy, girl finds power, boy goes fights enemy, and girl loses boy story. Mareck, was interested in Sophie the moment he met her, Sophie became interested in the first moment she had thought she met him. They dated for a but, then one night they w...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bleeding hearts was something else.
The story was different than I thought it would be. I thought it would have more romance but if it had, it wouldn’t have been as good as it is.
If you like Twilight, Vampire academy or other vampire series, you’re going to sink your teeth into this one. The author made her own race of vampires, which was very original and fun, especially how powerful they are, what they can do with their mind. I really liked how it was different from other vampire series becau...more Bleeding hearts was something else.
The story was different than I thought it would be. I thought it would have more romance but if it had, it wouldn’t have been as good as it is.
If you like Twilight, Vampire academy or other vampire series, you’re going to sink your teeth into this one. The author made her own race of vampires, which was very original and fun, especially how powerful they are, what they can do with their mind. I really liked how it was different from other vampire series because today, it’s one the most popular stories and I’ve been one of those who’ve loved it.

The characters were all different but had their own qualities.
It’s a typical beginning, girl meets boy and they fall in love, which is always sweet and necessary, for me anyway.
Sophie is a columnist writer at The Mag and is giving people advice, which is her gift. Although she seems content with her life, later on, we learn that she’s struggling with her own demons, and past mistakes. You can't help but feel her pain as well.
Marek, oh where to begin. He’s the dark mystery man that most women fall in love with which I did (kind of reminded me of Dimitri in VA). The only sad thing is that he isn’t real. Even though he's handsome, he's very insecure and get's easily jealous, which was fun to see.
Like Sophie, he’s struggling to keep his soul and we get to see how much Sophie is like his own sun in the darkness. We see him develop throughout the story.
Rodrian is Mareks brother and one of my favorite characters. Brilliant business man, outgoing and that character you can't help but like. I laughed when Rod and Soph argued. I wonder if there will be something between them but we’ll have to find out later.

The story was very well written and excellent vocabulary.
The author put a lot of thought and research into this story. I loved how the DV, vampires and werewolves are descended from the Greek god and goddesses, and it makes me want to learn more about it.
Even though this is a dark story, it also has humor and I would definitely recommend it to others!
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Oct 11, 2012 Aryana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-r2r, paranormal-romance, vampires, read-2012

Along the years I have read a lot of vampire books and have seen different takes on the same subject, some of them really clever but many others not so much. So when I looked at this book’s blurb I thought it was just another one to add to the long list of books to add to the "forget pile". But I was pleasantly surprised, the characters were well built, the story was fresh enough to keep me wanting to know more and more about Sophie and Marek and I couldn't stop reading it.

Sophie's character wa...more Along the years I have read a lot of vampire books and have seen different takes on the same subject, some of them really clever but many others not so much. So when I looked at this book’s blurb I thought it was just another one to add to the long list of books to add to the "forget pile". But I was pleasantly surprised, the characters were well built, the story was fresh enough to keep me wanting to know more and more about Sophie and Marek and I couldn't stop reading it.

Sophie's character was really interesting to get to know, she was nice to everyone but without being weak. Sometimes she was actually too nice and always wanting to help someone, trying to sort out their problems, but that was also what made her so likeable, the need to have a purpose in life and making a difference to people. Giving advice is also what she does for a living, being the agony aunt for a local magazine. I totally loved Marek, he was so dark but at the same time so sweet and he always kept Sophie safe no matter what. The way that he treats Sophie throughout the whole book totally makes the book so worth the read. Even at the end (I’ll not spoil it for you!) he did what he thought was best for her and I can’t wait for the next book, I really really need to know what happens next.

The only negative thing I would say is that I would have liked to actually read their sex scenes and that is the reason why I'm giving it four stars and not five. It didn't feel right to have such chemistry between them and then just gloss it over when the sex finally happened. I think adding the scenes would have really helped cement the connection that they slowly built since the beginning. Also Marek’s ability to touch Sophie's inner emotions and enhance her sexual desire towards him had loads of possibilities and should have been explored in depth.
Aside from this I really enjoyed the book and I’m eagerly waiting for the next one to come out.

Book kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Feb 27, 2012 Tricia Schneider rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge-books, e-book, vampires, urban-fantasy, werewolves

I’ve been looking forward to reading this story since I first heard about it. The waiting was well worth it! BLEEDING HEARTS hooked me from the very first page. I loved Sophie’s wit, sarcasm and bravery. She handled things a bit better than I would have in the same situation! Marek’s overwhelming darkness drew me to him. He was sexy, dark and oh, so dangerous! The mythology behind the vampires in this urban fantasy was something I haven’t read before and I loved the Egyptian angle. Sophie pulled...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-romance

I'm kind of on the fence about this book. On the one hand, it kept me interested, I wasn't bored, and I didn't hate the main character. On the other it had a lot of issues.

First of all, I like that Sophie was an advice columnist, that set her up for her "calling" well and it was interesting that she had a best friend/ex lover who was a priest. That was interesting. I was intrigued about her vampire world and the levels that a vampire could become, I thought that was kind of original and a uniqu...more

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Nov 20, 2012 DeAnna Kinney rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was o entertaining. It was sensual and yet the relationship was also sweet and enduring. The pace of this book, once it got going was somewhat intense indeed, but I liked that about it completely. A fun and engaging read.

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Jun 25, 2012 Franny (Mind Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to say I am really happy that the author asked me to review the book, because the story was really amazing!
I think that I could relate a bit to the character because she's an adult. Sophie works as a columnist for a magazine, and right from the beginning you can feel the halo of mystery that floats around her. Something happened in the past, and this still haunts her.
She meets Marek during a museum visit, and you can tell there's a sort of connection. Soon enough, Sophie discovers a bran...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a confusing book to review. The best way I know how to say it, is that it had a lot of 4 star moments, but it had a lot more 2 star moments.

The biggest problem with the book in my opinion was the pacing. We start with a premonition in the opening chapter, and we don’t get any more information for almost a fourth of the book. Then we get a sudden reveal, and back to nothing happening for another fourth of the book. What in the world is supposed to make me get through this suspense? The on...more This is a confusing book to review. The best way I know how to say it, is that it had a lot of 4 star moments, but it had a lot more 2 star moments.

The biggest problem with the book in my opinion was the pacing. We start with a premonition in the opening chapter, and we don’t get any more information for almost a fourth of the book. Then we get a sudden reveal, and back to nothing happening for another fourth of the book. What in the world is supposed to make me get through this suspense? The only reason I kept reading was because I got the book as a review copy and felt obligated to finish.

In retrospect, I imagine it was supposed to be the love story that kept me distracted. Perhaps if that had been done well, then I would have joined Sophie in following its unexpected development and then it would have added even more to the plot later on. Instead, I found the relationship very forced and unnatural, and couldn’t figure out why we were spending any time at all with it. They supposedly enjoyed talking for hours, but the only examples we have of that are research related or depressing, and the attraction was only described as how hunky he was or something. I just wanted to get on with the story.

I will take my own advice and briefly highlight my remaining thoughts on this book:
- the emotional descriptions in the book were all technically proficient, but lacking a core spark or authenticity to make it real to me
- the author knows how to write poetically, and I would occasionally admire a flowery phrase, but more often I found the embellishments distracting and hard to read past
- the storyline and contexts were very disjointed. I often got confused jumping from scene to scene, and back again, and motivations and descriptions would change, sometimes in the same scene, that left me wondering what was really happening
- the lack of information on the paranormal universe was very frustrating, and our naivety was used against us in contrived plot twists that could have been avoided with a few simple questions
- the word "evolution" was used to describe a process that was not evolution, which I found annoying
- The main character was presented as an intelligent, cautious person, and yet she made at least two incredibly foolish decisions that seemed out of place and ruined the character for me

All that said, by the time I got to the end of the book, I actually did care about the characters. The critical scenes at the end of the book actually were hair-raising and I flipped from page to page. And during a few moments I actually thought I might shed a tear or two. But these moments were unexpected because I was so numb at the point to what was going on. I remember thinking at the halfway point, wow, this book could have been so much better if they had just deleted the first 20 chapters. It was like that. The book definitely had potential, the author obviously is gifted, but too many things kept getting in the way to make it anything but an average book, hence 3 stars.

For those interested in more details that I seem to have regurgitated in a fit of passion, you can unhide this review spoiler section, which does contain at least one spoiler. (view spoiler)[

This seemed to be true for a lot of the emotional content in the book. Sophie appeared to have a vitriolic emotional response to her coworker Donna, but Donna seemed to be a very one dimensional character, and there was never a compelling reason given for Sophie’s extreme hatred of her, other than as a plot element. In another section, Sophie was describing a loss as "when breath was pulled from me like a taffy string, making my lungs bunch up and stick shut." Who is thinking of taffy string when they are grieving? It was as if the emotional descriptions in the book were all technically proficient, but lacking a core spark or authenticity that made it real to me.

The author obviously knows how to write poetically, I will give them that. Sometimes I found myself admiring a phrase, like how a character stayed in a hot tub "as long past al dente as I could tolerate", or how her premonitions were suffocating like wearing a turtleneck. However, I felt that the author didn’t know when to hold back, and more often I would read a line, like "the sky wore a low ceiling of iron gray with a wispy under-layer of near-black that skulked slowly by" and I was so distracted that I would lose my place in the book.

As to the storyline, it was very disjointed. Characters would sometimes ask a question and never get an answer. Sometimes a scene would be described in such a way that you thought it was over, and then you would find you were still there; or the opposite, a new paragraph would suddenly be hours or days from the previous one.

In addition to the erratic storyline, there were erratic changes in context. One minute the brothers had no egos, the next minute they have healthy egos. One minute a pseudonym is a special case for The Mag, the next minute she always uses pseudonyms for her freelance work. One minute vampires have to disappear back to their lair when the sun comes up, the next minute one is riding down the street on a motorcycle at lunch hour.

The main character was presented as this intelligent, cautious person, and yet she made some huge leaps of poor logic that just didn’t make sense and ruined the character for me. The biggest example, of course, is when she is scared for her life after Frank’s murder and can barely keep from clinging to Marek, but then when he leaves her at his safe house, she decides to sneak out to the city without telling him, even though all their lives are obviously in danger. This was such a ridiculous decision it could have easily ruined the whole book by itself, but there were other examples. Like when Marek sends out his wave of need to Sophie, and she interprets it as a request for salvation. Her response is okay, I promise, but she doesn’t even know what that means yet. The real Sophie would have wanted all the facts; she had just found out he was a vampire for Christ’s sake!

I will confess to some things that intrigued me about the book, which is probably why I wish I had enjoyed it more. The mythology behind the vampires and the Sophia was interesting, and I was curious where that was going and whether there were any hawk hybrids flying around. I also liked the fact that Sophie was not just painted as an advice columnist, but actually had some good scenes where she was giving useful advice to people. The full vampire scenes were creepy as hell and reminded me more of a Dan Simmons or Anne Rice vampire world, rather than the glossier Laurell K Hamilton or Charlaine Harris worlds of more recent fame. Also I was impressed that the author had the guts to end the story on such a down note, ending her relationship with not just one, but two main characters in brutal fashion, forcing Sophie to do some serious soul searching. I must say that one of the reasons I was so disappointed with certain aspects of the book was because I found certain other aspects so intriguing. Ah, well. (hide spoiler)]
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May 12, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 12-new-authors, review-books, ntoya-may

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't all that enthused. It was incredibly slow and didn't draw me in as quickly as some books I've read, but I stuck with it because the premise of the book intrigued me greatly. Once I got a couple chapters in, I was hooked. I loved the way Marek and Sophie interacted. I loved the way the story developed. I absolutely loved how the vampires were integrated into the story.

Sophie is an advi...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Witchy Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

This novel was given in exchange for an honest review. Review conducted by Elphie at Witchy Reviews

Honestly, I did not know what to think whenever I was asked to review this novel. As you all know, I am a sucker for vampires and witches so the synopsis was right up my alley. When I saw the cover, I was a little if-y. I know, I know, I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I did. Bleeding hearts? At that point, I did not know what I was getting myself into. But, putting my cover biased aside,...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Sapphyria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-romances-challenge

I'm so glad the author approached me to review her debut Urban Fantasy novel "Bleeding Hearts." I was hooked from the start and enjoyed being pulled into the world of Sophie and Marek. Sophie is a very strong heroine with a great personality and inner strength that is enviable. Marek is dark and brooding and it's no wonder Sophie connected with him the first time she saw him in the museum. The addition of Egyptian mythology was excellent! This is a story that tests the love between its character...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Jonel Boyko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arrs, first-installment-of-series-to-read, series-to-follow

Any book that can evoke more than one intense emotion is worth reading. And I don’t mean a little giggle here, a little tug at your heart there. I mean, full blown laughing out loud at one point, bringing tears to your eyes at another, edge of your seat curiosity and suspense at yet another point. This novel provides that to the reader, and more.

The history and mythology wound through and into this story is absolutely brilliant. Not only is it wound seamlessly into the storyline, but it is also...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Toni rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-book-i-own, r2r, series, 2012-release

Bleeding Hearts, was Great read, it had me sucked in from the first page!!! I was drawn to the characters and loved Sophie’s sarcasm and bravery. She done great handling everything. I loved Marek and his dark side, no wonder Sophie was so drawn to him! Sophie and Marek meet in a museum and start talking and spending time together. Once the relationship grows, they witness a crime, where Marek is forced to tell her the truth and it all starts from there!!

I loved the story and characters! Ash Kr...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Niina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge, absolutely-beautiful, vampire-read, whoa-loved-it, superb-urban-fantasy

Sophie Galen has a great deal of empathy for her fellow man, she's an advice columnist, destined to help people, unable to turn another way, but when she meets Marek she sees a man tortured and dark, and she knows he needs her help, wither he wants to acknowledge it or not.

Marek is drawn to Sophie, her light and kindness, a stark opposite of his life as one of the Demivampires, a creature evolving to be a vampire, one of the dead soulless monsters.
Marek suspects she's a Sophia Oracle a woman wit...more Sophie Galen has a great deal of empathy for her fellow man, she's an advice columnist, destined to help people, unable to turn another way, but when she meets Marek she sees a man tortured and dark, and she knows he needs her help, wither he wants to acknowledge it or not.

Marek is drawn to Sophie, her light and kindness, a stark opposite of his life as one of the Demivampires, a creature evolving to be a vampire, one of the dead soulless monsters.
Marek suspects she's a Sophia Oracle a woman with the essence of Isis with the power to help the demivampires, to stop the evolution to something straight out of nightmares.

Bleeding Hearts was absolutely amazing reading experience! Krafton writes with heart, emotions and skill and it shows! I absolutely loved the language, it was perfect, engaging and entertaining the reader. I rarely come across books so well written, but Bleeding Hearts was so enjoyable to read that you could tell the first few pages in that is was going to be great!

The plot was deep and thorough, this book was an introduction to the demivampire world, everything got told, and it was done gradually over time while the plot still moved on and the characters become people instead of staying as just mere characters. I loved the subplot, and it kept nagging in the back of my mind as the main plot proceeded, loved it!

The characters were completely believable, they shared common emotions, big and small and they all became likeable and some lovable. Sophie, in who's point of view the whole book is in, you can't help but love she's generally sarcastic in the wholehearted way and not just when it suits the story. She's really wise and kind, without being a push over or stereotypic oracle. She was so entertaining to read, a superb heroine!

The romance was in the background, there was some but not much, I loved Marek's passion and intense focus on Sophie but seriously who dates and waits over a month to hit the sack together when the attraction so obviously is there. That was the only thing that lowered the rating of this book - I would have wanted more romance, it wouldn't have had to be graphic or anything, but I needed to have it there. But it's no more than a ½ star knowdown as the book is so good even without the romantic element being stronger.

In all Bleeding Hearts was a super read! And I highly recommend it to Urban Fantasy lovers and Sweet Paranormal Romances fans - and if you aren't a lover or a fan but can stand vampires give this ago, the writing is fantastic!(less)

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Sep 12, 2012 Chris P rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received this book in exchange for an honest review...
The story of Sophie & Marek is touching and emotional (although lacking in the physical). The author builds the characters beautifully. However I just wish she would have went into more detail with the Egyptian mythology...I love the idea (reminds me of Anne Rice but different)! At the end of the book I was left hungering for more info on the world of the demivamps and the relationship with the Fallen. I liked that once the DV "fell" th...more

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