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The Blood Inheritance Trilogy #1
Dissension
Fists are pumping, bodies gyrating, sweat dripping—booming music drowns out all other noise in the dark club. Leisha, dressed in skimpy, revealing clothes, eyes her victim. As soon as he sets eyes on her, she knows he's hers. He becomes excited as despicable thoughts of murder run through his mind, all readable by Leisha's abnormal senses. After a bit of small talk, they are soon both out the door, Leisha pushed against the wall. The man pulls out a knife, ready to cut up this beautiful woman. Leisha smiles as she deflects the knife and bites into his neck, sucking every ounce of life from this abominable man.
It wasn't always this way.
Leisha was once a loving mother with an ideal family. Though this was over two thousand years ago, Leisha still holds that time dear to her heart. But for now, she must focus on trying to escape the eternal and bloody war between her kind—the Vampires—and the Immortals, an undying race sworn to destroy her people. Soon, Leisha finds herself captured by the government only to be saved by a young and mysterious human girl. What entails is the beginning of a long and torturous journey as Leisha and her newfound friend run for their lives while searching for the one thing that can end it all—the prophecy child.
It wasn't always this way.
Leisha was once a loving mother with an ideal family. Though this was over two thousand years ago, Leisha still holds that time dear to her heart. But for now, she must focus on trying to escape the eternal and bloody war between her kind—the Vampires—and the Immortals, an undying race sworn to destroy her people. Soon, Leisha finds herself captured by the government only to be saved by a young and mysterious human girl. What entails is the beginning of a long and torturous journey as Leisha and her newfound friend run for their lives while searching for the one thing that can end it all—the prophecy child.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
19 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
About the author
Adrienne Monson
15 books67 followersAdrienne Monson has always had a voracious appetite for books. When she became a stay at home mom, she finally listened to her muse and began writing.
She enjoys Zumba, kickboxing and weightlifting. She also loves delicious foods, which is why she has to work out so often.
Dissension and Defiance is available where books are sold. Deliverance, the final installment of the Blood Inheritance trilogy is slated for release April 2016.
Eyes of Persuasion is a mashup of paranormal and historical romance, found exclusively on Amazon.
She enjoys Zumba, kickboxing and weightlifting. She also loves delicious foods, which is why she has to work out so often.
Dissension and Defiance is available where books are sold. Deliverance, the final installment of the Blood Inheritance trilogy is slated for release April 2016.
Eyes of Persuasion is a mashup of paranormal and historical romance, found exclusively on Amazon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 9, 2016
Dissension by Adrienne Monsoon was a break I needed. I have been reading a lot of YA lately, and a lot of contemporary kind of books. Although I have had a lot of fantasy as well, it was high time for me to get back to some good old paranormal books. This one fulfilled my want for that perfectly. This novel is packed with vampires – a familiar concept, and also something called Immortals which was new and unique. I liked the mix of what I was comfortable with and also something new to toy with too.
While this novel is the first one in a trilogy and does set up some storyline plots for future books, it also has its own plot arc for this book which leads to a conclusion as well. Many first books in a series just seem to miss out on that little essential thing to make the first book splendid. But this one gave us answers, an exciting climax AND also a few questions left open for book two!
The main characters in this book were Leisha, a vampire, and Samantha who is a normal teenage girl. Well, as normal as you can get when you’re having visions. I love reading from their points of view until they met, and their fast friendship was so easy to understand. I loved Leisha’s personality especially. She is a vampire but she doesn’t like killing people for their blood unless they are necessarily bad people. As usual when it comes to being an unwilling vampire, I liked the internal conflict it brought to her. Samantha as well was just a teenage human girl, but she knew she had importance. She was smart beyond her years and tried to be the best person she could be in all her decisions. She was way too sweet for me to ever dislike!
I also really approved of the storyline too. There are hints of a war between the Immortals and Vampires seeing as they are natural enemies. However, a prophecy and a promise child also come into play. There was a lot of torture too – it never gets too graphic but I think it just shows how serious both sides were when it comes to hating themselves. And as well as these two paranormal parties there are also the humans who are trying to capture paranormal creatures and experiment on them to understand. They put an interesting little twist on everything.
While I did like the characters and did care for them, I still felt a little bit distant. There wasn’t as deep of a connection as I would ideally want. What I did like about what Monson did was that these characters all had history between them already. As the story goes on we get more parts to the story and hints as to what their backgrounds are. I liked that there was suspense and a slow unraveling of the situation.
Overall, I loved this story. The fast pace and the action kept me on my toes. There are all these characters ploying and fighting to be leader. I cannot wait to know what happens in book two (which I already have!)
This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
While this novel is the first one in a trilogy and does set up some storyline plots for future books, it also has its own plot arc for this book which leads to a conclusion as well. Many first books in a series just seem to miss out on that little essential thing to make the first book splendid. But this one gave us answers, an exciting climax AND also a few questions left open for book two!
The main characters in this book were Leisha, a vampire, and Samantha who is a normal teenage girl. Well, as normal as you can get when you’re having visions. I love reading from their points of view until they met, and their fast friendship was so easy to understand. I loved Leisha’s personality especially. She is a vampire but she doesn’t like killing people for their blood unless they are necessarily bad people. As usual when it comes to being an unwilling vampire, I liked the internal conflict it brought to her. Samantha as well was just a teenage human girl, but she knew she had importance. She was smart beyond her years and tried to be the best person she could be in all her decisions. She was way too sweet for me to ever dislike!
I also really approved of the storyline too. There are hints of a war between the Immortals and Vampires seeing as they are natural enemies. However, a prophecy and a promise child also come into play. There was a lot of torture too – it never gets too graphic but I think it just shows how serious both sides were when it comes to hating themselves. And as well as these two paranormal parties there are also the humans who are trying to capture paranormal creatures and experiment on them to understand. They put an interesting little twist on everything.
While I did like the characters and did care for them, I still felt a little bit distant. There wasn’t as deep of a connection as I would ideally want. What I did like about what Monson did was that these characters all had history between them already. As the story goes on we get more parts to the story and hints as to what their backgrounds are. I liked that there was suspense and a slow unraveling of the situation.
Overall, I loved this story. The fast pace and the action kept me on my toes. There are all these characters ploying and fighting to be leader. I cannot wait to know what happens in book two (which I already have!)
This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
March 20, 2016
I received Dissension in return for an honest review from the author. Leisha is one of the oldest vampires at just over 2000 years old but it wasn’t her first choice to become one. Forced into becoming a vampire to save her daughter she’s been forced to live a life rejected by the man she loves and with the her maker determined to bring her back to the fold. With a looming battle between the vampires and immortals Ptah has forced her to come home to fight. Leisha has a few loose ends to tie up but finds herself attacked by military men who know how to take a vampire down.
Samantha’s mother died leaving her at the hands of the father she’s not known since she was little and things are awkward between them. Yet Samantha is hiding a secret from her father that she has the gift of premonition and when she finds out that he is torturing a blonde woman she does everything in her power to sneak in and save her. Little did she know at the time that she was saving a vampire from being tortured. Together the duo race across the world in hopes of getting away from the humans hunting them pulling Samantha deeper into the supernatural world. Will Leisha be able to get her out? What about the mission that Ptah has planned for her?
I like Leisha a lot as a character she’s a vampire but unlike the immortal’s believe she has her soul which makes her care what happens to the humans. I like the innocent relationship with Samantha it’s very sisterly giving both girls what they needed right now in life as they both deal with loss of loved ones. I wasn’t sure about Tafari at first because I didn’t like the way that he was treating Leisha but he does redeem himself in the book. I love Samantha she’s just a sweet heart and may just happen to be the bridge that fixes Leisha’s relationship with Tafari. I kind of liked Nik’s way of treating Samantha even though he’s a vampire maybe things will work out.
I hate to admit this one has been sitting on the shelf for a few weeks but at last I finally had the chance to dive in. Right from the start we are drawn into Leisha’s world while she’s a vampire she isn’t your typical vampire because she has a soul and only feeds to survive. I really felt that I was able to connect with both her and Samantha as both voice share an equal part of the story. I love the unique spin on vampires that have a super human rival the immortals as well as the human government playing a key role. I enjoyed every moment of dissension the story is brilliantly done capturing the heart as well as the imagination. I love the authors story telling she’s done a beautiful job creating a story that draws the reader in till the very last page. I know I had a hard time putting it down because I had to know what would happen next for the girls. I also loved that our hero is a vampire who doesn’t sparkle but is gritty and real she just stuck me as what I would expect vampires to be if they are real Dissension is the first installment of an exciting new series that brings a new voice to the urban fantasy world. I highly recommend if you like vampires that you check it out.
Samantha’s mother died leaving her at the hands of the father she’s not known since she was little and things are awkward between them. Yet Samantha is hiding a secret from her father that she has the gift of premonition and when she finds out that he is torturing a blonde woman she does everything in her power to sneak in and save her. Little did she know at the time that she was saving a vampire from being tortured. Together the duo race across the world in hopes of getting away from the humans hunting them pulling Samantha deeper into the supernatural world. Will Leisha be able to get her out? What about the mission that Ptah has planned for her?
I like Leisha a lot as a character she’s a vampire but unlike the immortal’s believe she has her soul which makes her care what happens to the humans. I like the innocent relationship with Samantha it’s very sisterly giving both girls what they needed right now in life as they both deal with loss of loved ones. I wasn’t sure about Tafari at first because I didn’t like the way that he was treating Leisha but he does redeem himself in the book. I love Samantha she’s just a sweet heart and may just happen to be the bridge that fixes Leisha’s relationship with Tafari. I kind of liked Nik’s way of treating Samantha even though he’s a vampire maybe things will work out.
I hate to admit this one has been sitting on the shelf for a few weeks but at last I finally had the chance to dive in. Right from the start we are drawn into Leisha’s world while she’s a vampire she isn’t your typical vampire because she has a soul and only feeds to survive. I really felt that I was able to connect with both her and Samantha as both voice share an equal part of the story. I love the unique spin on vampires that have a super human rival the immortals as well as the human government playing a key role. I enjoyed every moment of dissension the story is brilliantly done capturing the heart as well as the imagination. I love the authors story telling she’s done a beautiful job creating a story that draws the reader in till the very last page. I know I had a hard time putting it down because I had to know what would happen next for the girls. I also loved that our hero is a vampire who doesn’t sparkle but is gritty and real she just stuck me as what I would expect vampires to be if they are real Dissension is the first installment of an exciting new series that brings a new voice to the urban fantasy world. I highly recommend if you like vampires that you check it out.
March 7, 2013
****FINAL RATING: 4.10 STARS****
CATCHALL
Vampires, you guys! I was nervous to read that book because vampires are an often-overused paranormal, but it sounded so good that I had to read it anyway. And I am so, so happy that I did! Dissension really blew me away with it's uniqueness and it was as intense and suspenseful as I could have hoped for. It was not a disappointment at all and I was definitely kept up late reading it.
THE HEROINES
LEISHA
I loved Leisha from the very beginning. She doesn't take any nonsense from anyone. She knows who she is and what she's capable of and if anyone stands in her way they had better be prepared. However, we quickly learn that her outward appearance is built up to mask her inner vulnerability. She's a vampire, yes, but she never wanted to be. I loved reign the conflict in her head of the choices she made, and how regret and the need for survival became intertwined.
SAMANTHA
Samantha, at first glance, is a relatively ordinary girl. Except that she isn't. She has visions sometimes, but she's learned to keep that a secret. However, that doesn't keep her from acting on them, which is how she ends up getting mixed up with Leisha and the vampires. She's determined and brave, and while she's young she doesn't let people walk all over her.
There are love interests...but right now I'm not going to go into detail about them. I will say they are fantastically layered characters and neither of them is who they seem to be at first, but talking about them without spoiling something seems a daunting task.
THE PLOT
Dissension not only brings an entirely new game to the table where vampires are concerned, but takes the much-overused idea of a prophecy and makes it into something new and creative that I fell head over heels for. There's intrigue, drama, romance–and nothing is ever as it first seems.
There were tons of plot twists, and lots of things that changed as time went on. There was also great character dynamic. The relationship between Leisha and Samantha was a favorite. Even though they met by crazy circumstance, they formed a strong sisterly bond of love and seeing that in action was moving. The other character relationships were just as detailed.
Furthermore, I loved the pacing. It moved quickly enough that I couldn't put it down but not so quickly that I got lost. And everything that happened fit into the story somehow. There were no mundane scenes that stuck out to me as being irrelevant, and sometimes things look bleak only to come together by pure coincidence.
This book also involves flashback, which you guys probably know I can be iffy about, but the way it was done left no room for dissatisfaction. Leisha's memories are clear, and the way her past fits into her present is smooth.
As I mentioned above, Dissension is a unique and original vampire story. Te vampires in this book do draw from traditional vampires in some ways, but the ways they don't set them apart and that's what's made me really like them. They break from the status quo.
Dissension was overall a fun, suspenseful book with a fabulous plot and spectacular character dynamic.
THE ROMANCE
Dissension doesn't have a ton of romance, which actually really worked for me in this book. There is a little, but it's not the main focus at all, and it's more of a precursor than anything. You can see a few different pairings set up, but nothing really happens. I enjoyed seeing the chemistry and in some cases history between the characters but at the same time it was really nice to have this as a side plot. Of course, I'm definitely looking forward to more romance in the next book.
THE WRITING
For a debut novel, Dissension has layered, detailed writing and a complex world. It isn't fully fleshed out as much as I would have liked but it is a first book so there's likely to be more. The writing borders on simplistic at times and becomes more vivid in others, creating slight inconsistencies, but overall I still found it enjoyable and easy to immerse myself in.
THE ENDING
I was very, very happy with the note that Dissension ended on. Without feeling overly dramatic or random, it still left me wanting so much more. There's not much closure but there's definitely going to be more to come and enough was resolved in the end that I don't feel like it's being dragged out. I think this was very well thought out and I'm impressed.
WRAPUP
I definitely loved this book, and getting the next book is high on my list of priorities. I'm definitely a fan now and will let Adrienne lead me wherever she feels like it. I'd absolutely recommend this, too! Vampire and paranormal fans, you've met your match. This is considered an adult book but it has a lot of crossover appeal.
FINE.
Read more of my reviews on Sparkles and Lightning!
CATCHALL
Vampires, you guys! I was nervous to read that book because vampires are an often-overused paranormal, but it sounded so good that I had to read it anyway. And I am so, so happy that I did! Dissension really blew me away with it's uniqueness and it was as intense and suspenseful as I could have hoped for. It was not a disappointment at all and I was definitely kept up late reading it.
THE HEROINES
LEISHA
I loved Leisha from the very beginning. She doesn't take any nonsense from anyone. She knows who she is and what she's capable of and if anyone stands in her way they had better be prepared. However, we quickly learn that her outward appearance is built up to mask her inner vulnerability. She's a vampire, yes, but she never wanted to be. I loved reign the conflict in her head of the choices she made, and how regret and the need for survival became intertwined.
SAMANTHA
Samantha, at first glance, is a relatively ordinary girl. Except that she isn't. She has visions sometimes, but she's learned to keep that a secret. However, that doesn't keep her from acting on them, which is how she ends up getting mixed up with Leisha and the vampires. She's determined and brave, and while she's young she doesn't let people walk all over her.
There are love interests...but right now I'm not going to go into detail about them. I will say they are fantastically layered characters and neither of them is who they seem to be at first, but talking about them without spoiling something seems a daunting task.
THE PLOT
Dissension not only brings an entirely new game to the table where vampires are concerned, but takes the much-overused idea of a prophecy and makes it into something new and creative that I fell head over heels for. There's intrigue, drama, romance–and nothing is ever as it first seems.
There were tons of plot twists, and lots of things that changed as time went on. There was also great character dynamic. The relationship between Leisha and Samantha was a favorite. Even though they met by crazy circumstance, they formed a strong sisterly bond of love and seeing that in action was moving. The other character relationships were just as detailed.
Furthermore, I loved the pacing. It moved quickly enough that I couldn't put it down but not so quickly that I got lost. And everything that happened fit into the story somehow. There were no mundane scenes that stuck out to me as being irrelevant, and sometimes things look bleak only to come together by pure coincidence.
This book also involves flashback, which you guys probably know I can be iffy about, but the way it was done left no room for dissatisfaction. Leisha's memories are clear, and the way her past fits into her present is smooth.
As I mentioned above, Dissension is a unique and original vampire story. Te vampires in this book do draw from traditional vampires in some ways, but the ways they don't set them apart and that's what's made me really like them. They break from the status quo.
Dissension was overall a fun, suspenseful book with a fabulous plot and spectacular character dynamic.
THE ROMANCE
Dissension doesn't have a ton of romance, which actually really worked for me in this book. There is a little, but it's not the main focus at all, and it's more of a precursor than anything. You can see a few different pairings set up, but nothing really happens. I enjoyed seeing the chemistry and in some cases history between the characters but at the same time it was really nice to have this as a side plot. Of course, I'm definitely looking forward to more romance in the next book.
THE WRITING
For a debut novel, Dissension has layered, detailed writing and a complex world. It isn't fully fleshed out as much as I would have liked but it is a first book so there's likely to be more. The writing borders on simplistic at times and becomes more vivid in others, creating slight inconsistencies, but overall I still found it enjoyable and easy to immerse myself in.
THE ENDING
I was very, very happy with the note that Dissension ended on. Without feeling overly dramatic or random, it still left me wanting so much more. There's not much closure but there's definitely going to be more to come and enough was resolved in the end that I don't feel like it's being dragged out. I think this was very well thought out and I'm impressed.
WRAPUP
I definitely loved this book, and getting the next book is high on my list of priorities. I'm definitely a fan now and will let Adrienne lead me wherever she feels like it. I'd absolutely recommend this, too! Vampire and paranormal fans, you've met your match. This is considered an adult book but it has a lot of crossover appeal.
FINE.
Read more of my reviews on Sparkles and Lightning!
April 15, 2017
Dissension by Adrienne Monson *4.5 Stars*
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I am surprised with how much I loved this book. Vampire books are not my favorite style. I don’t dislike though, I just keep putting other kind of books on the top of my TBR. However, this book took me by surprise. It's so good that I caught myself saying that famous phrase “just one more chapter”.
Leisha is one of the oldest vampires on Earth. She is strong, fearless and selfless. She doesn’t like to be a vampire, especially when Tafari, a dear person to her, is an “Immortal” and that makes them enemies.
There is a difference between vampires and Immortals, just in case you are wondering, they are not the same kind at all (I’m not spoiling, go read the book).
All Leisha wants is to be left alone, but a possible war between the two kinds forces her to go back to Ptah's lair, the first vampire brought into this world. Ptah leads the vampires for two thousand years and he has built a rule system that is not meant to be broken or punishment is the consequence.
Samantha, a sixteen years old girl, is caught up on the middle of this fight and Leisha takes her under her wings, visioning to protect the girl, who became too special and attached to her.
Samantha has a special gift and she is a very likable person. She is loyal to Leisha in all possible ways, even if she is doing wrong, she is thinking it is right.
Tafari believes Leisha doesn’t have a soul and that any words coming from her mouth can only be lies.
-“Why else would you wish to be an immortal instead of the monster that you are? “
-"I’m the same. My soul hasn’t left me; it is only my body that is different.”
He only sees what he thinks is true, but does he know the whole story? For that reason he hates Leisha. Or at least he thinks he does.
-”I know that a person has to agree to become a vampire or the metamorphosis will not work.”
Immortals claim to be walking between humans to protects them. They say the vampires are monsters. But is it too much to remember a coin has two sides?
“I once saw an immortal shoot a human so that a vampire would not be able to drink their blood and restore the vampire’s energy.”
From there you can have an idea how novel will turn out to be. Leisha trying to protect Samantha, who is trying to help Leisha, who is struggling with her past and a war , that us suppose to eradicate one of the two species from Earth, Vampires or Immortals. Tafari struggles with his duty and his feelings and trust (or no trust ) in Leisha.
A great passage for me is a talk between Samantha and Tafari. Makes you wonder if his hate for Leisha is reasonable or if Samantha’s love is questionable.
“Why do you hate Leisha so much?” She asked Tafari. “Why do you love her so much?” he countered.
This book has a great pace. The story is good enough to keep you with your eyes wide open and the development is great. However, I wish I had the same insight on the Immortal habits as I had on the Vampires. The connection between the characters is good, although we have to keep in mind all the time that Samantha is special and maybe this is the reason everyone creates strong and friendly connection with her so fast. I felt sympathy towards Leisha and could connect with her very easily. The writing is good despite some grammar mistakes. What I loved the most was the end. I was spinning my mind wishing that a certain character could still be around or have some kind of special participation this far on the book, and when I gave up and thought I was giving too much credit to my own imagination, it came the twist. It wasn’t predictable, but I do have tendency to create all possible scenarios in my head. This book is really good and I do recommend!
*I received a copy of this book from the author and this does not affect my opinion on this review.
December 10, 2016
This review was first posted here: http://karatheredhead.blogspot.com/20...
I have been in a horrible book slump this fall/winter, so I am thankful to Dissension for being another book to bring me out of it! I have not read many books where there were Immortals, so I found this really interesting. Of course, I was familiar with Vampires! There is a lot going on in this book, and at times you will feel empathy for the "bad guys", I know I did. You will definitely want to have time to sit and read this book as it is very hard to put down, and once I got to 80% there was definitely no stopping until the very end. Not to spoil anything, but there is a great twist at the end, that I didn't even guess. I love when an author has the ability to fool me!
I loved all the characters from the strong and somewhat stubborn Leisha to Samantha, who all the characters pretty much love in the story as well! One of my favorite characters was Nik, and I hope to find out more about him. Ptah was one of the scariest vampires I have read about and his lover Annette wasn't exactly sweet either. Then I also found myself liking some of the Immortals, so when they have the next war, who will I root for?
Needless to say, I cannot wait to read the rest of The Blood Inheritance Trilogy (Defiance and Deliverance).
I give Dissension 5 out of 5 stars!
I have been in a horrible book slump this fall/winter, so I am thankful to Dissension for being another book to bring me out of it! I have not read many books where there were Immortals, so I found this really interesting. Of course, I was familiar with Vampires! There is a lot going on in this book, and at times you will feel empathy for the "bad guys", I know I did. You will definitely want to have time to sit and read this book as it is very hard to put down, and once I got to 80% there was definitely no stopping until the very end. Not to spoil anything, but there is a great twist at the end, that I didn't even guess. I love when an author has the ability to fool me!
I loved all the characters from the strong and somewhat stubborn Leisha to Samantha, who all the characters pretty much love in the story as well! One of my favorite characters was Nik, and I hope to find out more about him. Ptah was one of the scariest vampires I have read about and his lover Annette wasn't exactly sweet either. Then I also found myself liking some of the Immortals, so when they have the next war, who will I root for?
Needless to say, I cannot wait to read the rest of The Blood Inheritance Trilogy (Defiance and Deliverance).
I give Dissension 5 out of 5 stars!
February 21, 2013
Loved it and so thankful I got to review this one! Thanks Jolly Fish Press and Adrienne for this one!
Leisha is one of the oldest vampires and she lives each day fighting that. She tries her best to live in a world where all others will leave her alone but it’s never that easy. Not only is she a predator and needs to kill to survive, she is something she never dreamed she could become. She use to be a loving mother and wife and lived a life she never knew she would have, love, but she did and now so long after she still hurts for it. But now there is a war raging between her kind, vampires, and the Immortals. An undying race pledged to finish her kind. After being captured by the government then rescued by a human girl everything changes. But do they change for the good or bad? Will Leisha get her life back? Will the war kill her and all she has ever known?
Dissension was for sure a roller coater ride! I loved it! It had danger, heartache, excitement and so much more. You all must read to understand! When Samantha enters the story with Leisha it gets even better. You get the whole story and wow what a story this was! I don’t want to give too much away so its hard for me to say too much.
I loved the fresh new story of vampires and the introduction to the immortals. I enjoyed Leisha and all that her character went through and just her overall part in this one. I really enjoy reading a story when there are characters I can feel like I am part of their story. Adrienne did an amazing job with that; she made me feel part of the story and did an awesome job describing each character and all that was happing in this one. I never felt lost, or board. I can’t wait for the next in this story. Get excited because I know you will all love it!!
Leisha is one of the oldest vampires and she lives each day fighting that. She tries her best to live in a world where all others will leave her alone but it’s never that easy. Not only is she a predator and needs to kill to survive, she is something she never dreamed she could become. She use to be a loving mother and wife and lived a life she never knew she would have, love, but she did and now so long after she still hurts for it. But now there is a war raging between her kind, vampires, and the Immortals. An undying race pledged to finish her kind. After being captured by the government then rescued by a human girl everything changes. But do they change for the good or bad? Will Leisha get her life back? Will the war kill her and all she has ever known?
Dissension was for sure a roller coater ride! I loved it! It had danger, heartache, excitement and so much more. You all must read to understand! When Samantha enters the story with Leisha it gets even better. You get the whole story and wow what a story this was! I don’t want to give too much away so its hard for me to say too much.
I loved the fresh new story of vampires and the introduction to the immortals. I enjoyed Leisha and all that her character went through and just her overall part in this one. I really enjoy reading a story when there are characters I can feel like I am part of their story. Adrienne did an amazing job with that; she made me feel part of the story and did an awesome job describing each character and all that was happing in this one. I never felt lost, or board. I can’t wait for the next in this story. Get excited because I know you will all love it!!
March 3, 2013
The Basics: Leisha is an unwilling vampire, bound to the laws of vampire society, who still hopes to make peace with her estranged husband, one of the magically endowed Immortals sworn to eradicate all vampire kind. Samantha is the teenage human girl who stands by her through her balancing act between the two forces, rather than return to her father, who wants nothing more than to test the limits of supernatural creatures in his shadowy government lab.
The Downside: Dissension reads a lot like a summer action flick in book form, and it runs into a lot of the same problems. Our heroes are usually motivated through the non-stop series of action scenes by little more than an improbable blend of nobility and extremely poor impulse control, and they tend to lose consciousness with little provocation when they become inconvenient to said scenes.
The Upside: Did I mention non-stop action? If vampire action flick in book form is what you’re looking for, Dissension delivers. The first few chapters alone offer vampire feedings, breaking into top secret government facilities, and a helicopter chase, and it doesn’t slow down from there. There’s no skipping over the darkness, violence, and sexuality that are supposed to come with vampires. Noble as Leisha and the others heroes are, she doesn’t get to keep her hands clean, and there’s no shortage of fully twisted villainy for her to oppose. These are vampires with all the lovely nasty bits left deliciously intact.
(This review and others originally posted on www.fjrtitchenell.weebly.com)
The Downside: Dissension reads a lot like a summer action flick in book form, and it runs into a lot of the same problems. Our heroes are usually motivated through the non-stop series of action scenes by little more than an improbable blend of nobility and extremely poor impulse control, and they tend to lose consciousness with little provocation when they become inconvenient to said scenes.
The Upside: Did I mention non-stop action? If vampire action flick in book form is what you’re looking for, Dissension delivers. The first few chapters alone offer vampire feedings, breaking into top secret government facilities, and a helicopter chase, and it doesn’t slow down from there. There’s no skipping over the darkness, violence, and sexuality that are supposed to come with vampires. Noble as Leisha and the others heroes are, she doesn’t get to keep her hands clean, and there’s no shortage of fully twisted villainy for her to oppose. These are vampires with all the lovely nasty bits left deliciously intact.
(This review and others originally posted on www.fjrtitchenell.weebly.com)
February 4, 2015
I absolutely loved this book. I loved how Liesha lives her own life instead of just living to kill people. I also loved the love story between a vampire and an immortal, the greatest enemies of all time, but yet, they still learn to forgive and love again.
January 31, 2017
Cliche, predictable and corny. A bunch of things weren't explained, they just happened and it drove me crazy. Kindle deal that I purchased or I wouldn't have trudged through.
March 4, 2014
I am going to start out by saying, you should read this book. The second half is worth it. But I gotta be honest. I am not sure how this book is getting three stars from me. At about chapter 8, I was ready to throw this book out. Confusing passive voice littered the first half of the book. The writing was a nightmare and not in a good vampire novel way. Then Chapter 8 arrived and it was basically a prologue dropped into the middle of the novel, telling a story we basically had figured out anyway. And chapter 7 included the first half of the prologue but seen as a story told by Leisha to Samantha. I gleamed about one paragraph of needed detail from that entire back story. At this point, the book was barely holding on to a single star.
But I need two things to like a book. First, it has to be good enough to keep me up at night and second I have to want to read the second book. At about chapter 12, I was certain the answer to both would be no. But then I read the second half, in one late night. I couldn’t put it down. I am pretty sure I will read book 2 when it comes out.
This leaves me to wonder if the first half was written a long time ago by a much younger Adrienne Monson, who finally grew up as a writer before finishing this story.
Book Details
Dissension is vampire novel published by Jolly Fish Press in February of 2013. It is clean enough to be young adult but has a story line targeted to both adults and young adults.
The novel’s premise
Samantha, a sixteen year old girl, moves in with her father after her mother dies. After a premonition, Samantha discovers her father works for the government in a facility that is torturing other people.
Samantha rescues Leisha from the government facility only to find out that Leisha is a vampire. And from that moment on, Samantha is pulled into the vampire world.
Editing
Quality: Below Average
The number one issue this novel had was passive voice and mostly in the first half. The editors should have highlighted these lines and Adrienne should have written much better sentences. For example, in one scene Leisha is shot in the shoulder and then this was the following line: “She hissed at the pain and was immediately up in the air.” So this sentence is starts out active, “hissed”, and but ends up passive with “was immediately up in the air.” Why is she in the air? Did the bullet knock her in the air? Or did she jump? After re-reading, I feel like the author meant she jumped. But at this point I was pulled out of the story.
Ambiguous sentences also riddled the first half of the novel. This is probably a symptom of the passive voice. For example, Leisha is in desperate need to escape and there is a line: “Leisha didn’t waste any time killing them.” This sentence is very ambiguous. I assumed it meant she wasn’t going to take the time to kill them because escaping was more important. I was wrong. That line meant that Leisha killed them quickly. There was another ambiguous sentence when she “took no time” to rush at two men.
I am pretty sure that “realer” isn’t a word and should be “more real” instead. No it didn’t appear to be used as slang.
There was a missing space and comma issues.
I could go on. I had 30+ issues highlighted, mostly passive voice or eBook errors and other editing issues. Almost all of them are in the first half of the book.
More than the author, Jolly Fish Press should really take responsibility for this editing mess. If they had would have sent the passive voice and ambiguous sentences back to the writer, her story might be closer to 4 stars.
Imagination and Uniqueness
OK, so this an area where Adrienne excelled. Her imagination was top notch. This is the only reason I kept reading the book after the issues in the first half.
The history was well envisioned. The government facility and Samantha’s rescue of Leisha was done in rather simple but believable way.
The world of the vampires felt dark and dirty and evil, just like it should. It is amazing that this book somehow stayed PG for me. OK, maybe there was enough violence to make it PG-13 but even the violence wasn’t described in detail, allowing our imaginations to do the work.
Characters
There are two main characters and mostly the point of view is theirs.
Leisha is a two thousand year old vampire. Samantha is a sixteen year old girl. Their lives become intertwined and we follow these two characters throughout the story.
When both the characters were together, the point of view was not always done clearly. Sometimes it was hard to know if we were reading Leisha or Samantha’s thoughts. The POV character was easy to figure out, but needing to stop and figure it out pulled me out of the story each time I needed to do so.
The main villain Ptah, is described as an extremely evil chaos demon which entered a human creating the first vampire. However, when we see him, he seems to not be so much evil as he seems quite and calm. He is desperate for Leisha to embrace her vampire nature and join him. I kept being told he was evil, but I never really saw do much evil. I think what Victor and Annette did in her premonition at the end was far more evil than anything we ever see Ptah do.
Supernatural Powers
In this book, Samantha sees visions of the future. The vampires are fast and heal rapidly. The immortals are strong and heal even more rapidly. Vampires also have other small gifts. Leisha can read minds. Nick can lure people to him. Annette can invade a mind.
I really think the immortals needed more explanation. Other than long life and healing, what do they have?
eBook Quality
Quality: Average
This book seemed to be formatted tightly. The margins are smaller the most eBooks and the space between sentences was smaller. This was both good and bad. The tightness gave me a slightly more book-like read. However, the margins had problems when coupled with italics. Certain letters, like F, were cut off on the right side.
The ellipsis were done incorrectly. They should have been done with non-breaking spaces.
These little things pulled me from the story.
But I need two things to like a book. First, it has to be good enough to keep me up at night and second I have to want to read the second book. At about chapter 12, I was certain the answer to both would be no. But then I read the second half, in one late night. I couldn’t put it down. I am pretty sure I will read book 2 when it comes out.
This leaves me to wonder if the first half was written a long time ago by a much younger Adrienne Monson, who finally grew up as a writer before finishing this story.
Book Details
Dissension is vampire novel published by Jolly Fish Press in February of 2013. It is clean enough to be young adult but has a story line targeted to both adults and young adults.
The novel’s premise
Samantha, a sixteen year old girl, moves in with her father after her mother dies. After a premonition, Samantha discovers her father works for the government in a facility that is torturing other people.
Samantha rescues Leisha from the government facility only to find out that Leisha is a vampire. And from that moment on, Samantha is pulled into the vampire world.
Editing
Quality: Below Average
The number one issue this novel had was passive voice and mostly in the first half. The editors should have highlighted these lines and Adrienne should have written much better sentences. For example, in one scene Leisha is shot in the shoulder and then this was the following line: “She hissed at the pain and was immediately up in the air.” So this sentence is starts out active, “hissed”, and but ends up passive with “was immediately up in the air.” Why is she in the air? Did the bullet knock her in the air? Or did she jump? After re-reading, I feel like the author meant she jumped. But at this point I was pulled out of the story.
Ambiguous sentences also riddled the first half of the novel. This is probably a symptom of the passive voice. For example, Leisha is in desperate need to escape and there is a line: “Leisha didn’t waste any time killing them.” This sentence is very ambiguous. I assumed it meant she wasn’t going to take the time to kill them because escaping was more important. I was wrong. That line meant that Leisha killed them quickly. There was another ambiguous sentence when she “took no time” to rush at two men.
I am pretty sure that “realer” isn’t a word and should be “more real” instead. No it didn’t appear to be used as slang.
There was a missing space and comma issues.
I could go on. I had 30+ issues highlighted, mostly passive voice or eBook errors and other editing issues. Almost all of them are in the first half of the book.
More than the author, Jolly Fish Press should really take responsibility for this editing mess. If they had would have sent the passive voice and ambiguous sentences back to the writer, her story might be closer to 4 stars.
Imagination and Uniqueness
OK, so this an area where Adrienne excelled. Her imagination was top notch. This is the only reason I kept reading the book after the issues in the first half.
The history was well envisioned. The government facility and Samantha’s rescue of Leisha was done in rather simple but believable way.
The world of the vampires felt dark and dirty and evil, just like it should. It is amazing that this book somehow stayed PG for me. OK, maybe there was enough violence to make it PG-13 but even the violence wasn’t described in detail, allowing our imaginations to do the work.
Characters
There are two main characters and mostly the point of view is theirs.
Leisha is a two thousand year old vampire. Samantha is a sixteen year old girl. Their lives become intertwined and we follow these two characters throughout the story.
When both the characters were together, the point of view was not always done clearly. Sometimes it was hard to know if we were reading Leisha or Samantha’s thoughts. The POV character was easy to figure out, but needing to stop and figure it out pulled me out of the story each time I needed to do so.
The main villain Ptah, is described as an extremely evil chaos demon which entered a human creating the first vampire. However, when we see him, he seems to not be so much evil as he seems quite and calm. He is desperate for Leisha to embrace her vampire nature and join him. I kept being told he was evil, but I never really saw do much evil. I think what Victor and Annette did in her premonition at the end was far more evil than anything we ever see Ptah do.
Supernatural Powers
In this book, Samantha sees visions of the future. The vampires are fast and heal rapidly. The immortals are strong and heal even more rapidly. Vampires also have other small gifts. Leisha can read minds. Nick can lure people to him. Annette can invade a mind.
I really think the immortals needed more explanation. Other than long life and healing, what do they have?
eBook Quality
Quality: Average
This book seemed to be formatted tightly. The margins are smaller the most eBooks and the space between sentences was smaller. This was both good and bad. The tightness gave me a slightly more book-like read. However, the margins had problems when coupled with italics. Certain letters, like F, were cut off on the right side.
The ellipsis were done incorrectly. They should have been done with non-breaking spaces.
These little things pulled me from the story.
August 21, 2017
Enjoyable read
It took me a little while to get into the story but after a few pages I found myself unwilling to put the book down. Now I want to start the next one asap.
It took me a little while to get into the story but after a few pages I found myself unwilling to put the book down. Now I want to start the next one asap.
April 13, 2013
A friend of mine gave me this book and told me that I had to read it. Now, I am not a big fan of Fantasy but decided I should not discriminate and give it a chance. So… trying to keep an open mind, I read it, and to be perfectly honest, I expected something better than I experienced primarily based on my friend’s recommendation and the numerous glowing reviews scattered all across the internet (which were most likely paid for by the publishing company--I’m just sayin’). Anyway, here’s my non-discriminatory review of Dissension. This book is mediocre at best. 'Pretentious' is the word that keeps coming to mind. The story is cliché and predictable, the characters weak and one-dimensional, and the writing style reminds me of something I was assigned to read in junior high school. While drudging through it, I often asked myself, "Why should I care about these characters?" I found the two female lead characters far too similar. The rhythms in their speech patterns made it extremely difficult for me to differentiate between the two and I would often find that my mind would begin to wander, making it apparent to me that the day’s to-do list was far more interesting than the words on the page. I would then forget who was speaking and wonder why I was continuing to invest my time trying to get to know these bland characters. Truth be told, I’m not exactly sure why I kept reading. I lost interest after the first chapter. If it weren’t for my integrity (or stubbornness--whatever you want to call it) to always finish what I start, then I probably would’ve stopped reading after the first paragraph. This book was targeted at an adult audience, but I can’t figure out why. I think I counted two bad words (hell and bitch if I remember correctly). I was warned about the violent decapitation scenes, too, but the description (or lack thereof) was so convoluted and disjointed that I struggled to identify what was actually happening in those so-called “violent” scenes. Once in a while the author would throw a big word into the text to remind me that she's intelligent and educated, but those look-how-smart-I-am words were always so poorly placed that they took me out of the story completely. The best thing about this book is the cover. However, I will say it is commendable that the author set a goal to write a novel and actually accomplished that goal. Writing a novel (good or bad) takes a lot of time, dedication, and commitment, and for that, I believe she deserves some recognition. But, I will also say I am shocked that someone else thought this book was good enough to publish, good enough to spend countless hours editing, copy editing, and formatting. And not to mention spending thousands of dollars designing, printing, and marketing in order to get it out on the bookshelves and in the hands of the readers (like me). I’m just glad I did not have to open my wallet for this one. Fortunately, I think this book is destined for a long and lonely shelf life and hopefully will not torture other readers as it has tortured me. I don't know… maybe I’m the anomaly here; maybe it’s as good as the rest of the World Wide Web says it is, but this book was not for me and I would not recommend it to anyone, ever. But that is what’s so great about reading, or indulging in any kind of art for that matter (art, books, music, movies, etc.). It is all completely subjective. This book, in my opinion, is nothing remarkable. The emotion conjured in me was little to none and failed to leave a lasting impression, obviously. Well, I suppose it made enough of an impression to get me to take the time to sit down and write this review, but I rarely review the books that I love. Now, you may read the exact same words that I did and experience something entirely different. And if fang-less Vampires spawned by some underground Demon are what you’re looking for, then this book and its numerous redundant descriptions of the color and viscosity of their blood might be what satisfies your appetite. Whatever the outcome, positive or negative, I’m just glad there are authors out there willing to share their words and give me something to read and ponder. After finishing a book and spending the next several days contemplating what I just read, I am always grateful for the experience because it reminds me that I am still here, still reading, and still alive.
March 17, 2013
WHAT MY STARS MEAN:
5 Stars--the book had a profound impact on me. It touched me on some special level and lingered with me long after I'd finished reading it.
4 Stars--I loved this book. If I don't own it, I will buy it so I can read it again and again.
3 Stars--I enjoyed the book but may have had an issue or two with it.
2 Stars--I had more than a few issues with it.
1 Stars--I hated it.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Fists are pumping, bodies gyrating, sweat dripping—booming music drowns out all other noise in the dark club. Leisha, dressed in skimpy, revealing clothes, eyes her victim. As soon as he sets eyes on her, she knows he's hers. He becomes excited as despicable thoughts of murder run through his mind, all readable by Leisha's abnormal senses. After a bit of small talk, they are soon both out the door, Leisha pushed against the wall. The man pulls out a knife, ready to cut up this beautiful woman. Leisha smiles as she deflects the knife and bites into his neck, sucking every ounce of life from this abominable man.
It wasn't always this way.
Leisha was once a loving mother with an ideal family. Though this was over two thousand years ago, Leisha still holds that time dear to her heart. But for now, she must focus on trying to escape the eternal and bloody war between her kind—the Vampires—and the Immortals, an undying race sworn to destroy her people. Soon, Leisha finds herself captured by the government only to be saved by a young and mysterious human girl. What entails is the beginning of a long and torturous journey as Leisha and her newfound friend run for their lives while searching for the one thing that can end it all—the prophecy child.
MY TAKE
Over the years I've begun a number of vampire series. Some I got into and some not so much. I haven't tried a new one in a long time. Monson gives us an interesting twist with this one, as much for the human Samantha (and her seer-like dreams) and the Immortals.
The almost immediate bonding that takes place between Leisha and Samantha (the young and mysterious human girl) was interesting and something I hope will be explained later in the series. Both end up taking surprising risks to protect the other, which was unexpected in two people who had known each other such a short time.
I was disappointed in Samantha's emotional response to the big face off at the end. I won't spoil the ending by saying anymore except that perhaps her adolescent focus was supposed to be the reason and it will be part of her character growth through the series, but I thought it lessened her. Maybe I just expect people to think outside of themselves more.
There's a nice plot twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
5 Stars--the book had a profound impact on me. It touched me on some special level and lingered with me long after I'd finished reading it.
4 Stars--I loved this book. If I don't own it, I will buy it so I can read it again and again.
3 Stars--I enjoyed the book but may have had an issue or two with it.
2 Stars--I had more than a few issues with it.
1 Stars--I hated it.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Fists are pumping, bodies gyrating, sweat dripping—booming music drowns out all other noise in the dark club. Leisha, dressed in skimpy, revealing clothes, eyes her victim. As soon as he sets eyes on her, she knows he's hers. He becomes excited as despicable thoughts of murder run through his mind, all readable by Leisha's abnormal senses. After a bit of small talk, they are soon both out the door, Leisha pushed against the wall. The man pulls out a knife, ready to cut up this beautiful woman. Leisha smiles as she deflects the knife and bites into his neck, sucking every ounce of life from this abominable man.
It wasn't always this way.
Leisha was once a loving mother with an ideal family. Though this was over two thousand years ago, Leisha still holds that time dear to her heart. But for now, she must focus on trying to escape the eternal and bloody war between her kind—the Vampires—and the Immortals, an undying race sworn to destroy her people. Soon, Leisha finds herself captured by the government only to be saved by a young and mysterious human girl. What entails is the beginning of a long and torturous journey as Leisha and her newfound friend run for their lives while searching for the one thing that can end it all—the prophecy child.
MY TAKE
Over the years I've begun a number of vampire series. Some I got into and some not so much. I haven't tried a new one in a long time. Monson gives us an interesting twist with this one, as much for the human Samantha (and her seer-like dreams) and the Immortals.
The almost immediate bonding that takes place between Leisha and Samantha (the young and mysterious human girl) was interesting and something I hope will be explained later in the series. Both end up taking surprising risks to protect the other, which was unexpected in two people who had known each other such a short time.
I was disappointed in Samantha's emotional response to the big face off at the end. I won't spoil the ending by saying anymore except that perhaps her adolescent focus was supposed to be the reason and it will be part of her character growth through the series, but I thought it lessened her. Maybe I just expect people to think outside of themselves more.
There's a nice plot twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
October 9, 2013
Vampires and Immortals: a millennia-old battle between two powerful entities, one woman's tragic fate, and the teenage girl who gets thrust into the middle of this dark, brooding, and complicated world. I'm not a typical reader of romance or the vampire genre, so this story was a bit different from my usual tastes.
I liked Leisha. She had an interesting history, a complicated past, and most of the conflicts in the story rose and fell around her decisions and her weaknesses. I felt for her when things got hairy. She was the character driving the plot and making most of the decisions, and the one with the most to lose.
Samantha, on the other hand, was more of a tag-along, and her actions and reactions felt a bit predictable to me. I think the other characters, aside from Leisha, took to liking her a little too easily. It felt a little weird to me that Samantha eventually endeared herself to everyone she met considering the company she was keeping (Leisha the vampire), even if it wasn't right at first.
I also felt like Leisha and Samantha's POVs were very similar. They spoke with similar language and their internalization was so similar that I wasn't quite sure who's perspective we were looking from at times and I hunted for a few lines at times to figure out who's head we were in now. If Leisha and Samantha's thoughts and language/attitudes had been differentiated a little more I think it would've been a smoother transition between the two for me.
I liked Tafari. I liked that the "immortals" weren't just the epitome of "good" against the "evil" vampires. They had weaknesses too: cruelty, pride, blood thirst (in a way), but they weren't as corrupt. They felt believable to me. I also thought the author did a good job of communicating Samantha's position in the way of making me not really want to trust the immortals completely more than the vampires because they both have their ulterior motives. That was great.
As I got into this story more I was intrigued. I really liked learning about the powers the immortals and the vampires had, and discovering things along with the characters like what happens when a vampire drinks an immortal's blood. I also liked learning about Leisha's history and how she came to be a vampire opposite her husband Tafari who became an immortal sworn to kill vampires. Those were the most intriguing parts for me. And Samantha's unusual ability was cool, too. There were also some really good plot twists in the middle, and toward the end especially, that I found pleasantly surprising and satisfying.
I liked this story, and I genuinely look forward to seeing the rest of the trilogy come out. I'm intrigued to find out what will happen now that a new order of vampires is rising in the wake of the turnover.
I liked Leisha. She had an interesting history, a complicated past, and most of the conflicts in the story rose and fell around her decisions and her weaknesses. I felt for her when things got hairy. She was the character driving the plot and making most of the decisions, and the one with the most to lose.
Samantha, on the other hand, was more of a tag-along, and her actions and reactions felt a bit predictable to me. I think the other characters, aside from Leisha, took to liking her a little too easily. It felt a little weird to me that Samantha eventually endeared herself to everyone she met considering the company she was keeping (Leisha the vampire), even if it wasn't right at first.
I also felt like Leisha and Samantha's POVs were very similar. They spoke with similar language and their internalization was so similar that I wasn't quite sure who's perspective we were looking from at times and I hunted for a few lines at times to figure out who's head we were in now. If Leisha and Samantha's thoughts and language/attitudes had been differentiated a little more I think it would've been a smoother transition between the two for me.
I liked Tafari. I liked that the "immortals" weren't just the epitome of "good" against the "evil" vampires. They had weaknesses too: cruelty, pride, blood thirst (in a way), but they weren't as corrupt. They felt believable to me. I also thought the author did a good job of communicating Samantha's position in the way of making me not really want to trust the immortals completely more than the vampires because they both have their ulterior motives. That was great.
As I got into this story more I was intrigued. I really liked learning about the powers the immortals and the vampires had, and discovering things along with the characters like what happens when a vampire drinks an immortal's blood. I also liked learning about Leisha's history and how she came to be a vampire opposite her husband Tafari who became an immortal sworn to kill vampires. Those were the most intriguing parts for me. And Samantha's unusual ability was cool, too. There were also some really good plot twists in the middle, and toward the end especially, that I found pleasantly surprising and satisfying.
I liked this story, and I genuinely look forward to seeing the rest of the trilogy come out. I'm intrigued to find out what will happen now that a new order of vampires is rising in the wake of the turnover.
October 17, 2013
Dissension by Adrienne Monson, book one in The Blood Inheritance trilogy.
Though not for those squeamish about blood, Dissension takes the reader on a journey unlike any other vampire story I've heard of. This is an interesting and fast-paced telling of an age-old war between vampires and immortals which commenced from the day of their origin thousands of years before. A difficult romance between two main characters who hope for unification accompanies the story as an underlying dilemma to overcome. Prophecy is told of a child who will affect the war as each division races to find the child first, each hoping to utilize him for their own purposes.
Monson executes her scenes with an effective hand, allowing the reader to picture exactly what needs to be seen and experienced. Dissension introduces an interesting take on vampire and immortal origins that no other book or movie have touched as far as I know (though I’m no authority on vampire lore). Monson establishes an interesting and intricate romance between her main characters, adding an intriguing twist at the end concerning a particular association. Monson also integrates multicultural characters throughout the book, appealing to readers of all ethnicities.
There’s no harsh language in her story (though I think “hell” or “damn” might have appeared once or twice). There are, however, quite a few violent images, including plenty of blood, breaking bones and fighting with knives and guns, as the aggressive and even sadistic lives of the vampires influence the content.
Overall, the story is fast-paced and keeps the reader interested to the end. Monson wraps up many events in the first book, while others remain open, leaving the reader curious about how the next two books will continue the war between vampires and immortals. How will the prophecy child appear and what role will he play in the entire event?
NOTE: This book is not for young readers or adults sensitive to brutal imagery as there is a violent overtone about the book (similar to what one might see and hear on CSI shows). Though Monson doesn't describe explicitly, she insinuates about sadistic sex, torture, murder and even the disturbing implication of vampires feeding on a mother and her newborn babe, all of which make this a read one for a strong and mature mind.
Though not for those squeamish about blood, Dissension takes the reader on a journey unlike any other vampire story I've heard of. This is an interesting and fast-paced telling of an age-old war between vampires and immortals which commenced from the day of their origin thousands of years before. A difficult romance between two main characters who hope for unification accompanies the story as an underlying dilemma to overcome. Prophecy is told of a child who will affect the war as each division races to find the child first, each hoping to utilize him for their own purposes.
Monson executes her scenes with an effective hand, allowing the reader to picture exactly what needs to be seen and experienced. Dissension introduces an interesting take on vampire and immortal origins that no other book or movie have touched as far as I know (though I’m no authority on vampire lore). Monson establishes an interesting and intricate romance between her main characters, adding an intriguing twist at the end concerning a particular association. Monson also integrates multicultural characters throughout the book, appealing to readers of all ethnicities.
There’s no harsh language in her story (though I think “hell” or “damn” might have appeared once or twice). There are, however, quite a few violent images, including plenty of blood, breaking bones and fighting with knives and guns, as the aggressive and even sadistic lives of the vampires influence the content.
Overall, the story is fast-paced and keeps the reader interested to the end. Monson wraps up many events in the first book, while others remain open, leaving the reader curious about how the next two books will continue the war between vampires and immortals. How will the prophecy child appear and what role will he play in the entire event?
NOTE: This book is not for young readers or adults sensitive to brutal imagery as there is a violent overtone about the book (similar to what one might see and hear on CSI shows). Though Monson doesn't describe explicitly, she insinuates about sadistic sex, torture, murder and even the disturbing implication of vampires feeding on a mother and her newborn babe, all of which make this a read one for a strong and mature mind.
February 2, 2013
Leisha is one of the oldest vampires and all she wants to be is left alone. She is feared by other vampires and hated at the same time. The Master Vampire does not like her sense of independence and needs her for the fight against the Immortals. But who are these Immortals? Samantha is a young girl with a very special gift. Her father works for a government agency who is experimenting on vampires. When Leisha and Samantha meet in an unexpected way, they will need each other to survive what is about to come. They will need to trust each other.
From the very first pages of this novel I was drawn into the world Adrienne Monson created. I wanted to keep reading until the end. What kind of vampires would they be and other "immortals" who didn't drink blood intrigued me. In fact, I read this novel over the course of 5 hours. My husband was kind enough to watch the kids while I read.
It was refreshing to read an explanation of the origins of vampires that I'd not heard before. You'll enjoy this part of the novel. It was very clever. And I liked that it was not riddled with sex. Anne Rice was amazing with her vampire series but it was filled with so much sex it turned some people off from the great storyline. Thank you Adrienne for sticking to a wonderful story. I believe all of the relationships that you have created. I found myself getting sad several times wondering what would happen to certain characters. I am invested in their futures.
The ending was a perfect place to stop and keep us wanting more. I for one cannot wait until the second book comes out. I will need to make sure I sign up for that review too! I am going to tell everyone I know who loves the paranormal and vampires that this book is a must for their shelves in 2013.
From the very first pages of this novel I was drawn into the world Adrienne Monson created. I wanted to keep reading until the end. What kind of vampires would they be and other "immortals" who didn't drink blood intrigued me. In fact, I read this novel over the course of 5 hours. My husband was kind enough to watch the kids while I read.
It was refreshing to read an explanation of the origins of vampires that I'd not heard before. You'll enjoy this part of the novel. It was very clever. And I liked that it was not riddled with sex. Anne Rice was amazing with her vampire series but it was filled with so much sex it turned some people off from the great storyline. Thank you Adrienne for sticking to a wonderful story. I believe all of the relationships that you have created. I found myself getting sad several times wondering what would happen to certain characters. I am invested in their futures.
The ending was a perfect place to stop and keep us wanting more. I for one cannot wait until the second book comes out. I will need to make sure I sign up for that review too! I am going to tell everyone I know who loves the paranormal and vampires that this book is a must for their shelves in 2013.
February 25, 2015
I loved the intro to the story! The first few pages had me spellbound, and I found the introduction to the main character to be quite enjoyable.
But after a few pages, it kind of lost me. There was a scene near the beginning that could have had A LOT of tension and excitement to it (a confrontation between the main vampire character and her enemy), but it just didn't have it.
Then the secondary character was introduced, and I felt like it watered down the story a bit more. The way the two are introduced is a little hard to believe--this shy, unassuming teenage girl breaks into a highly-restricted government lab and shuts down the electricity. It just doesn't happen like that in real life!
Then the teenage girls almost immediately forms this emotional bond with the vampire character, who seems old enough to be her mother, but they have an older/younger sister thing going on. It wasn't realistic, and had a distinctly amateurish flavor to the way it was handled. There was almost no tension or uncertainty between the two characters, but they basically went from total strangers to BFFs overnight.
The girl, Samantha, showed far less surprise than she should have when it was revealed that Leisha was a vampire. The way Leisha's back story was told was quite weak--coming off more as a monologue than a story being told from one friend to another. There were quite a few typos, words being misused, and the dialogue sometimes felt stilted or unnatural.
That being said, I did like the conflict between the Immortals and vampires. Though what the Immortals are and what they can do is never properly introduced, they served as an intriguing antagonist. The twist at the end was one I could 100% respect--it totally took me by surprise.
But after a few pages, it kind of lost me. There was a scene near the beginning that could have had A LOT of tension and excitement to it (a confrontation between the main vampire character and her enemy), but it just didn't have it.
Then the secondary character was introduced, and I felt like it watered down the story a bit more. The way the two are introduced is a little hard to believe--this shy, unassuming teenage girl breaks into a highly-restricted government lab and shuts down the electricity. It just doesn't happen like that in real life!
Then the teenage girls almost immediately forms this emotional bond with the vampire character, who seems old enough to be her mother, but they have an older/younger sister thing going on. It wasn't realistic, and had a distinctly amateurish flavor to the way it was handled. There was almost no tension or uncertainty between the two characters, but they basically went from total strangers to BFFs overnight.
The girl, Samantha, showed far less surprise than she should have when it was revealed that Leisha was a vampire. The way Leisha's back story was told was quite weak--coming off more as a monologue than a story being told from one friend to another. There were quite a few typos, words being misused, and the dialogue sometimes felt stilted or unnatural.
That being said, I did like the conflict between the Immortals and vampires. Though what the Immortals are and what they can do is never properly introduced, they served as an intriguing antagonist. The twist at the end was one I could 100% respect--it totally took me by surprise.
February 27, 2014
I suppose it's my fault I stayed up too late reading this book, but these days, it's common practice to blame someone else for all our mistakes. So I'll blame Ms. Monson for writing something that I had to force myself to set down.
I'll avoid the obvious comparison to Twilight--since I'm sure plenty of other reviewers will provide that--and just go with what I read.
This made for easy reading, and had a new adult feel and was gritty in its own way. Not really something for young teens, but not as bad as some of the stuff you see on TV.
What I found most compelling about the book was its primary protagonist, Leisha, a woman who became a vampire almost against her will. Her struggle to maintain what shreds of her ancient humanity she can endeared her to me. Heaven only knows how much I've struggled against the darker side of things.
Tafari was a solid, stable character with his own past. I look forward to seeing how he plays out in the next two books.
I wish I could have gotten to know Samantha a bit better. She sometimes seemed almost more like an accessory to Leisha, though I caught glimpses of why so many characters liked her.
The foundations for a deep, rich world are there--I'm anxious to see where Ms. Monson goes with them in future books.
If I had to offer a "dissenting" voice, I'd mention only that it could use a better editing job, and maybe a few more contractions in the dialogue; so many characters seemed so formal, even though I would have expected otherwise on many occasions.
I picked up a copy of this book at one of Ms. Monson's signings, and I'm glad I did.
I'll avoid the obvious comparison to Twilight--since I'm sure plenty of other reviewers will provide that--and just go with what I read.
This made for easy reading, and had a new adult feel and was gritty in its own way. Not really something for young teens, but not as bad as some of the stuff you see on TV.
What I found most compelling about the book was its primary protagonist, Leisha, a woman who became a vampire almost against her will. Her struggle to maintain what shreds of her ancient humanity she can endeared her to me. Heaven only knows how much I've struggled against the darker side of things.
Tafari was a solid, stable character with his own past. I look forward to seeing how he plays out in the next two books.
I wish I could have gotten to know Samantha a bit better. She sometimes seemed almost more like an accessory to Leisha, though I caught glimpses of why so many characters liked her.
The foundations for a deep, rich world are there--I'm anxious to see where Ms. Monson goes with them in future books.
If I had to offer a "dissenting" voice, I'd mention only that it could use a better editing job, and maybe a few more contractions in the dialogue; so many characters seemed so formal, even though I would have expected otherwise on many occasions.
I picked up a copy of this book at one of Ms. Monson's signings, and I'm glad I did.
January 4, 2013
Finally! The return of a compelling vampire story that does NOT lack the raw roots of vampirism, as we have been forced to endure in the sterile tweenie Twilight world of today's pop vampire culture!
Dissension has imminent danger, a tasteful violence, the emotional journey, and new conceptions of a vampire world that fascinates you as it sucks you in, and it introduces a new foe to the vampire reign heretofore unseen: the immortals.
The fact that the lead character, forced-vampire Lisha's, former husband is now her greatest enemy, and the internal conflict that eats at her throughout the book, makes for a very unique and tormented character arc.
The story is well mapped out, each new fork in the path adding another character of interest, who holds a new key and twist to the overall outcome. Nowhere in the road is the comfort of safety, just danger at every turn, and a hope for an end, which keeps your attention glued to the pages.
I believe the still languishing romance between Lisha and her husband will appeal to those who connect with the emotions of the characters, but, gratefully, the book is still packed with action and intrigue for those who like a thrill ride.
Spoiler Alert: Big cliff hanger at the end. But what else would you expect from a book series? I'm looking forward to Book 2. I hope to find it escalating the menacing danger even more, as Book 1 has.
Dissension has imminent danger, a tasteful violence, the emotional journey, and new conceptions of a vampire world that fascinates you as it sucks you in, and it introduces a new foe to the vampire reign heretofore unseen: the immortals.
The fact that the lead character, forced-vampire Lisha's, former husband is now her greatest enemy, and the internal conflict that eats at her throughout the book, makes for a very unique and tormented character arc.
The story is well mapped out, each new fork in the path adding another character of interest, who holds a new key and twist to the overall outcome. Nowhere in the road is the comfort of safety, just danger at every turn, and a hope for an end, which keeps your attention glued to the pages.
I believe the still languishing romance between Lisha and her husband will appeal to those who connect with the emotions of the characters, but, gratefully, the book is still packed with action and intrigue for those who like a thrill ride.
Spoiler Alert: Big cliff hanger at the end. But what else would you expect from a book series? I'm looking forward to Book 2. I hope to find it escalating the menacing danger even more, as Book 1 has.
February 20, 2013
What do you do when your very existence is an anathema to you, the love of your life has wanted to kill you for 2,000 years, your stalker ex is back, and you’ve a teenage girl dumped into your lap that can’t go home?
When you’re Leisha, one of the original vampires, you do the most logical thing—foment dissention in the ranks of vampire-dom in the hope of getting your mundane life back.
Dissension, written by debut author Adrienne Monson, takes the reader on a thrill ride spanning kidnapping, torture, murder, blood lust, slavery, government conspiracy, psychic abilities, and hints about a mysterious child—all in Book One of The Blood Inheritance Trilogy.
Fans of vampire lit will find much to like here from an origin mythology to hints of a final destiny. Most interesting is the developing relationships between the characters as they uncover miscommunications and misconceptions about each other that have ruled their actions for 2000 years. With all the conspiracies and chess pieces swirling around, what I really want to know is can Leisha ever get back to being a wife and mother and what’s going to happen to teenage Samantha, Leisha’s thinly veiled substitute for the family she lost?
Guess I’ll have to read book 2 to find out!
Note: I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher for my honest review.
When you’re Leisha, one of the original vampires, you do the most logical thing—foment dissention in the ranks of vampire-dom in the hope of getting your mundane life back.
Dissension, written by debut author Adrienne Monson, takes the reader on a thrill ride spanning kidnapping, torture, murder, blood lust, slavery, government conspiracy, psychic abilities, and hints about a mysterious child—all in Book One of The Blood Inheritance Trilogy.
Fans of vampire lit will find much to like here from an origin mythology to hints of a final destiny. Most interesting is the developing relationships between the characters as they uncover miscommunications and misconceptions about each other that have ruled their actions for 2000 years. With all the conspiracies and chess pieces swirling around, what I really want to know is can Leisha ever get back to being a wife and mother and what’s going to happen to teenage Samantha, Leisha’s thinly veiled substitute for the family she lost?
Guess I’ll have to read book 2 to find out!
Note: I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher for my honest review.
July 5, 2021
Posted first on my Blog The Purple Booker
I bought this book on a whim at the thrift store, along with the second in the series. I was not sure what I would think of it, honestly the was a case of buying the book because I liked the covers. Sometimes judging a book by it's cover is a good thing because this book turned out to be a really enjoyable read.
I am a sucker for a vampire story so that part I knew would be ok, I mean I liked Twilight. (I know I know. You can see my old comments if you want to ha ha). That said, I really found myself enjoying the set up of the vampires and the immortals as counter sides of the coin, instead of a standard human hunter type story. Leisha is an instantly likable character and I truly felt myself connected to her. I felt even stronger about that connection when I knew more about her story and her past. I don't want to give anything away, but she was wronged there is no doubt about that.
Leisha is not only saved by a human girl when she is captured, but she saves that young lady herself in different ways. I like the reminder throughout this book that we are not all one thing or another. We all have multiple sides to us, some good some not so good. Don't judge someone on one thing alone. If you are looking for a unique take on Vampires and a great story over all, this is a good book for you.
I bought this book on a whim at the thrift store, along with the second in the series. I was not sure what I would think of it, honestly the was a case of buying the book because I liked the covers. Sometimes judging a book by it's cover is a good thing because this book turned out to be a really enjoyable read.
I am a sucker for a vampire story so that part I knew would be ok, I mean I liked Twilight. (I know I know. You can see my old comments if you want to ha ha). That said, I really found myself enjoying the set up of the vampires and the immortals as counter sides of the coin, instead of a standard human hunter type story. Leisha is an instantly likable character and I truly felt myself connected to her. I felt even stronger about that connection when I knew more about her story and her past. I don't want to give anything away, but she was wronged there is no doubt about that.
Leisha is not only saved by a human girl when she is captured, but she saves that young lady herself in different ways. I like the reminder throughout this book that we are not all one thing or another. We all have multiple sides to us, some good some not so good. Don't judge someone on one thing alone. If you are looking for a unique take on Vampires and a great story over all, this is a good book for you.
May 6, 2013
When you pick this book up and start reading it (yes, you WILL read it *waves hand across your face*), don't be fooled by the first chapter. It initially appears to be a very erotic novel, and you might even start asking yourself why a half-naked man didn't fill the front cover, but worry not. The sleazy rapist gets his comeuppance. In Adrienne's novel, vampires don't eat animals. They feed on worthless rapists and murderers. At least that's the case with the protagonist, Leisha.
If you've never read a REAL non-Twilightish vampire book before, you might find yourself distressed in Dissension's complexities, but don't become discouraged. Don't stop reading. By the time you get to chapter 8, everything comes together. The author will enthrall you through simultaneous fulfillment and anticipation.
I loved Monson's unique descriptions of vampires and immortals, as well as the conflict and tension between them. To make a non-spoiler point, I especially enjoyed the relationship between Samantha and her father. Hands down, I would give this book a solid five stars. I'll be waiting anxiously for the rest of the Blood Inheritance series to come out.
If you've never read a REAL non-Twilightish vampire book before, you might find yourself distressed in Dissension's complexities, but don't become discouraged. Don't stop reading. By the time you get to chapter 8, everything comes together. The author will enthrall you through simultaneous fulfillment and anticipation.
I loved Monson's unique descriptions of vampires and immortals, as well as the conflict and tension between them. To make a non-spoiler point, I especially enjoyed the relationship between Samantha and her father. Hands down, I would give this book a solid five stars. I'll be waiting anxiously for the rest of the Blood Inheritance series to come out.
June 23, 2016
The synopsis
The story follows Leisha who over 2,000 years ago used to be a loving mother and have the perfect family. But that was long ago. She now focuses on escaping the ever growing war between her fellow Vampires and The Immortals. Soon she is captured by the government. When a young woman rescues her, they both go on the run in search of the prophecy child whom can save them all.
The review
For a vampire book, this was great! I'm a lover of the dark and mythological creatures (i.e vampires, shifters, etc) and this was well done! A lot of twists were thrown in and the book kept me captivated by Adrienne's writing. Characters were well developed and the central plot idea played out well. Adrienne's imagination was well played out for all characters and the plot. However i did find the book moved a little slow in the first half, it picked up later and I could not put it down. The only other thing I found were grammatical errors in the passive voice and ambiguous sentences. However I felt this could be placed more on the editor than Adrienne herself. Still a 4 star read and i think everyone should give it a chance.
The story follows Leisha who over 2,000 years ago used to be a loving mother and have the perfect family. But that was long ago. She now focuses on escaping the ever growing war between her fellow Vampires and The Immortals. Soon she is captured by the government. When a young woman rescues her, they both go on the run in search of the prophecy child whom can save them all.
The review
For a vampire book, this was great! I'm a lover of the dark and mythological creatures (i.e vampires, shifters, etc) and this was well done! A lot of twists were thrown in and the book kept me captivated by Adrienne's writing. Characters were well developed and the central plot idea played out well. Adrienne's imagination was well played out for all characters and the plot. However i did find the book moved a little slow in the first half, it picked up later and I could not put it down. The only other thing I found were grammatical errors in the passive voice and ambiguous sentences. However I felt this could be placed more on the editor than Adrienne herself. Still a 4 star read and i think everyone should give it a chance.
March 8, 2013
It was okay. Here's the thing: if it's teen vampires, I won't bother. If it's adult vampires, so long as they're "REAL" vampires...I still won't bother. A friend of mine suggested this as a fun, escapist read...and that's exactly what it is. I'm NOT a vampire fan. I think the genre has been done to DEATH. (...pardon the pun...) That said, this is a fun adventure that held my attention, was well-written, and is a great freshman book for those who love this genre. I don't. I'd have given it 4 stars, but I really do think the genre has been harped on way too long, and the subject matter bores me. Not Ms. Monson's fault. I will say, though, that the 3 stars is because I'm a huge Dan Brown/Tom Clancy/Steve Berry fan, and the action sequences left something to be desired. (Ms. Monson clearly lacks a military-type background and is more "paranormal" than "action" author.) Solid 3 stars; sorry I'm such a tough, opinionated critic, but if you're a paranormal or vampire fan, you'll enjoy this one!
June 17, 2013
Okay, I read this book because I know the author personally! She lives just a handful of streets away from me. It is so amazing that she has achieved her dream of writing and of being published! I just had to read this to support her. That being said, I only gave it three stars because I actually do not prefer vampire novels, vampire movies, etc. I do believe I would have given it four stars, otherwise. I was impressed with Adrienne's writing and realized I was actually looking forward to and quite curious as to what was to come next for Leisha and Samantha. There were enough twists and turns to keep me interested. This was not a predictable book, which I liked. I was expecting something very "Twilight" like and I'm so happy it wasn't like the Twilight novels. It kept me reading on. I want to find out what happens between the Immortals and the Vampires next, so I guess I will have to read the next book in the trilogy!
July 4, 2013
I am giving this 4.5 stars, actually, and I don't think it's just because I'm biased with her being my friend and critique partner (you can find my name in the acknowledgements--just sayin'). I'm giving it 4.5 because it's different from any other vampire novel I've read. Instead of feeling fantastical, this vampire world seemed almost real. And these vampires aren't pretty. Or nice. But some of them (Leisha) would rather be a good, normal person. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the friendship between the MC vampire Leisha and the human, Samantha. Not only did I like to see a vampire book that focused on something other than being seduced by a sharp-toothed Don Juan, but I thought the friendship was sweet and authentic. I'm looking forward to reading the (finished version of the) next book in this series!
April 29, 2013
Overall I think the author had a creative twist on the vampire world, but it was entirely possible to create that world without the vile descriptions. She used graphic, often sexual words, to describe things that could have been explained just as well, if not better, without the dirty view of them. I can see WHY she wrote the first chapter as she did, but I would have shut the book that second if I hadn't been promised that the filthiness would ease. In my opinion, it could have eased off even more. She is a talented author, though, and good with words. The characters were believable and relatable. The book read smoothly and didn't leave holes, which I am often frustrated with from other authors. I look forward to the next book to see if the tension remains without the smut.
July 22, 2013
wow! What an exciting read! This story flowed so easily I read it faster than most books and that's a positive thing for me. I didn't have any trouble at all getting to know the main characters and loving them! the anticipation of where the story would take you was page after page and hard to put down. except for the very beginning, the book did not have hardly any "flat" spots of dragging on, very nice! My attention was held from beginning to end as the plot continued to thicken. with many questions still to be answered and a bit of a twist at the end left me HUNGRY for more! Here's hoping Adrienne delivers yet another stunning continuance to this story!
May 20, 2013
If you enjoy a good vampire story, then Dissension, an adult paranormal book by Utah author Adrienne Monson, should be on your to-read list. The book has a fast pace, intriguing characters and interesting vampire lore. The vampires are seriously tough, which results in some great action scenes. I enjoyed the two female main characters – one vampire, one human – and their close relationship and the main female vampire has a story that will break your heart.
Content note: Frequent violence, including some gore, and occasional sexual references.
Content note: Frequent violence, including some gore, and occasional sexual references.
June 22, 2013
I am being very kind to this novel because, for what it is (a vampire novel) it was quite good. Having said that, I'm reminded why I do not like vampires (except when written by Terry Pratchett). 1)There is no humor. I guess if I had to live forever maybe I would become very serious too? 2) They are all so very sensual. If I lived forever, wouldn't I find more to life than sex and lust? Perhaps not...
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