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A Rush of Wings (The Maker's Song #1)

by Adrian Phoenix (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 3,029 ratings · 307 reviews

HIS NAME IS DANTE.

Dark. Talented. Beautiful. Star of the rock band Inferno. Rumored owner of the hot New Orleans nightspot Club Hell. Born of the Blood, then broken by an evil beyond imagination.

HIS PAST IS A MYSTERY.

F.B.I. Special Agent Heather Wallace has been tracking a sadistic serial murderer known as the Cross Country Killer, and the trail has led her to New Orleans,...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published January 8th 2008 by Pocket

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Paranormal in New Orleans

1st out of 180 books — 199 voters

The Best Urban Fantasy

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Jan 03, 2010 Nichole (Dirty H) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, vampires, urban-fantasy, favorites, 2009-re-reads, angels, books-i-own

Holy crap, this book was fantastic!
It was getting rave reviews from some trustworthy people on the different paranormal groups I belong to, so I knew I'd like it, but I was prepared to be at least a little bit let down, because let's face it, nothing ever lives up to the hype, right?
Well, this one did.

This is a very dark urban fantasy novel about an FBI agent, Heather, who has been following a serial killer for 3 years. The hunt leads her to New Orleans, where she becomes entangled with a vampir...more

20 likes · like · see review

Sep 07, 2009 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of dark urban fantasy & tortured heroes

Shelves: urban-fantasy, pnr-vampires, adrian-phoenix, 2009-reads, favorites, favorite-romance-series, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, badasses-hunks-in-leather, heroine-i-adore, made-me-cry, hero-antihero-gamma, hero-bad-boy-playboy, pnr-angeldemon-fae-magic-witch-misc, older-gal-younger-guy-cougar, hero-im-gaga-over, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, hero-addict-excon-lawtrouble-thief, series-makers-song, hero-bayou-cajun-french-nola, tattoos-piercings-body-art, heroine-kickass-spirited-strong, first-person-pov, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, hh-musician-rocker-singer-popstar, 5-stars, hero-brooding, paranormal-romance, hero-uber-tortured-zsadist-esque, violence-reader-discretion-advised, heartbreaking-gutwrenching-romance, hh-famous-celebrity, hero-tattalizing, i-read-no-longer-own-sold-swapped, star-crossed-lovers

5 stars – Vampire Romance/Urban Fantasy

Wow...fan-freaking-tastic! There’s no way I can sum up this book or do it adequate justice with my review, so I’m only giving a quick rundown of why I loved it. I’ve seen a lot of rave reviews from readers and critics, and I agree that it’s definitely deserving of the hype.

FBI Special Agent Heather Wallace is investigating a sadistic serial killer known as the Cross Country Killer. When the case leads her to Club Hell in New Orleans, she finds herself draw...more

14 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2009 Moderatrix Lori rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-2009

Like other reviewers have mentioned, this is a pretty dark Urban Fantasy read. Dante is so terribly damaged that whether he'll ever be healed remains to be seen. I'm glad there's a sequel because I want a HEA for this character. Whether he gets it in the next book remains to be seen. I loved this book because after reading so much PNR lately, it was rather refreshing not to have an author wax poetic about the male leads cock. There was one sex scene in the entire book which isn't usually enough...more

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 06, 2011 FlibBityFLooB rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: witty-i-am-not, vampires, urban-fantasy-or-paranormal

*sigh* I wanted to like this book, I really did. However, something didn't click with me at all. I was fighting not to skip entire sections of the book. Unforunately, I didn't succeed and couldn't finish the entire book. I was very skim-happy in the end. It likely is just my personal preference, but I'll try to explain the things that I didn't like in general...

Perhaps it was the overuse of adjectives, metaphores, and explanations of smells. I might have known after re-reading the first sentence...more

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2009 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of dark Paranormal Suspense

Shelves: 2009, urban-fantasy, para-romance, incendiary-leading-men

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have conflicted emotions about this book. There were several aspects of it that i absolutely loved. First and foremost, i ADORED the character of Dante. He was the perfect blend of dark, sexy and mysterious. Phoenix's writing style was wonderful. She painted a world that truly came to life, and made me feel like i was right there, walking the streets of New Orleans with Dante & Heather.

However, there were also a few things i didn't like. The author kept the story moving at a fast pace, but...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 01, 2009 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews, urban-fantasy

Two things attracted me to this book. Firstly the cover, it's pretty great. Sadly the cover is very misleading.Our girl Heather doesn't dress like this anywhere in the story. Nor is there mention of a tattoo on her arm.I know Authors don't have much say in the cover art but, I always find it sad when the covers don't match the story or characters at least a little. And the second thing that drew me to this book is that it takes place in New Orleans. I have never been there myself, so I love read...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2009 The Flooze rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all dark/urban fantasy lovers

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, vanquished_2009, owned

Wow. Just...wow. You know when everyone around you tells you a book is phenomenal, different and unique, and you just have to read it because they swear that you will love it?

And you imagine that it could never live up to the hype?

A Rush of Wings lives up to the hype. It soars above and beyond the hype, grips you in its gritty, blood-stained talons and drags you through one searing image after another, forcing you to traverse the landscape of disturbed minds, fathomless pain, and offering a flee...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jun 29, 2010 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My dear Goodread friends told me to read A Rush of Wings. I believe they used every positive superlative possible to describe this book and then some. Suffice it to say I had high expectations and didn't expect anything less than perfection.

Which is most probably the reason why I was disappointed in the beginning. The first few chapters seemed like a tv pilot episode where characters are introduced in a “this is person X who has daddy issues and many more wounds to be opened up this season”-kind...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 22, 2009 Lianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy, vampires

It's hard to review this book because while there were certain elements I really enjoyed, there were a lot I didn't. While usually I would simply forget and move on in cases like this, I actually found myself wanting to read the second novel (which I did).

My main problem with this book was the plot. While it wasn't necessarily dull, it seemed very long-winded. When it came down to it, the plot could have been condensed and made tighter. But I think Phoenix wanted to use the time to establish a b...more It's hard to review this book because while there were certain elements I really enjoyed, there were a lot I didn't. While usually I would simply forget and move on in cases like this, I actually found myself wanting to read the second novel (which I did).

My main problem with this book was the plot. While it wasn't necessarily dull, it seemed very long-winded. When it came down to it, the plot could have been condensed and made tighter. But I think Phoenix wanted to use the time to establish a believable relationship between the two main leads, Heather and Dante. Which, fair enough. But at it's most basic level, the plot was far too ABC to warrant such a long book.

As for the characters; I did like Heather. It's not often that I read urban fantasy where the heroine is, and remains, human. I appreciated that she was more of a proactive character than the others. But on the other hand, after a while, she seemed to have very little personality.

Dante is a different story. I found his character refreshing to a degree because while he was a vampire, he was also still a young man (being a naturally-born vampire). Sometimes I struggled to take him seriously, however, especially with him being the lead singer of an underground rock group. Experiencing his supposedly-profound lyrics through the author was... not good. But he did have personality. A Cajun-Goth with attitude and a fucked-up past sounds very cliched, and it reads that way quite often. But Phoenix never seems to fall into the bad habit of flat-out mocking the Goth/youth culture, and I appreciated that.

I think the book also benefited from it's third person perspective. While on the whole, it dragged the book out more than necessary (including several character perspectives, etc.), it was a nice change to be in the head of the "hero" (Dante) rather than just the heroine. I think this is why Dante had more personality than I was expecting.

So, while not a fantastic, satisfying read on the whole, it still had something about it. It made me want to read the next book. But I've yet to figure out what exactly worked for me.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 20, 2012 Madame X rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst-up-to-eleven, awful-do-not-read, paranormal-urban-fantasy, vampires

This is one of those rare books I just couldn't finish; I got about halfway through and gave up. As a result, I'll keep the review short.

The whole book seemed to be about adoring, worshiping, idolizing, whatnot, Dante Prejean. Dante is a sexy, rock-star vampire which ought to be pretty cool, but he's also fragile, weak, self-destructive, and childish. He seemed like a little boy to me, always needing to be coddled and taken care of, and I didn't like him.

Because I didn't understand the worship o...more

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Apr 10, 2009 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-paranormal, vaginal-urban-fantasy

This style reminded me SO MUCH of JR Ward. If you like BDB then pick this up.

I found the lead character totally not credible as an FBI agent and the love interest NOT sexy, so it's not my cup of tea. However, seen lots of raving going on about it on forums, so like I said, BDB fans rejoice.

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 08, 2009 CJ - Secret Charm rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of darker vampire stories

Shelves: mystery-meets-supernatural, paranormal-porn, vampires, women-detectives, fiction

I gave this book five stars because it actually had a plot! It had a beginning, middle, end and though it became a little raunchy at times - it was good raunchy, as in, it made sense to the character and the story.

Heather and Dante are an unlikely pair but they are great together. The story is dark and twisted, full of blood and gore plus the twisted trappings of a psychotic conspiracy theory (including lab, torture and pedophilia).

This book is not recommend for the faint of heart. Meaning, if y...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2012 Gabriella marked it as did-not-finish

I didn't actually finish this as it really wasn't my cup of tea.

I could not get into the book, I didn't find it exciting and it didn't make me want to keep reading.
For me it was boring and slow. The characters were flat, they had a name and a desciption like an ID and that was it.

I suppose it did have an okay basic plot but the constant change of POVS and the crazy to understand words and different language thing was really annoying and then that you had to flip to the back of the book all the...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2012 Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of PNR and thrillers and ppl who are not sqeamish

Shelves: romance, own-physical-copy, reviewed, favourites, paranormal, memorable-men, vampires, adult

I've never read anything like this!

I must admit the writing irritated me at parts. I really wish I could replace every usage of the word 'belly' with 'stomach'. And the author really liked to reuse phrases. Several times someone trailed a finger along someone's jaw. More than once a car clicked and tinked. But her ability to describe a scene to you is amazing. Maybe she occasionally ran out of new ways to say it, and maybe I'm the only one who noticed, but the rest of the time I was completely d...more I've never read anything like this!

I must admit the writing irritated me at parts. I really wish I could replace every usage of the word 'belly' with 'stomach'. And the author really liked to reuse phrases. Several times someone trailed a finger along someone's jaw. More than once a car clicked and tinked. But her ability to describe a scene to you is amazing. Maybe she occasionally ran out of new ways to say it, and maybe I'm the only one who noticed, but the rest of the time I was completely drawn into her world. And I really enjoyed her affinity for the sense of smell. Every room and person had their own smell, a sense that is not usually focused on, it was like a completely new reading experience.

It read mostly like a really good thriller, full of conspiracies, cover-ups and secrets reminiscent of Bourne novels, with a little Criminal Minds mixed in. Which is a great combination, but then imagine a story such as this mixed into a world of vampires and fallen angels, supernatural powers, and other worlds of secrets. I have never seen a world like this before and there is nothing I can compare it to.

And I really appreciated Phoenix's version of the vampire mythos. She didn't stick with the usual 'steak to the heart', 'burst into flames' traits, but she didn't just ditch them all either (*cough* Twilight *cough*). She made a unique combination of new and old. And the two leads are great, but I think that goes without saying. The leads are important and I couldn't have enjoyed the book this much if I didn't love the leads. Heather was a great female character. A perfect balance of tough but still feminine and sexy, enough for her weaknesses to be believable. And of course Dante was perfect, a beautiful tortured soul.

But the image I cant get out of my head is of Lucien, standing with wings unfurled under the broken roof of a cathedral. Dante took everyone's breath away, but he was described as pale and 5'8”. Not my type. Lucien was described as 6'8”, handsome, and oozing power. I would love to see that, with his rushing wings as he swoops down and perches on Dante's rooftop like a gargoyle.

This book is very adult, with explicit sex and lots of blood and gore. Not for young readers.(less)

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Apr 07, 2013 Dangermousie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aaangst, paranormal, characters-with-superpowers, horrible-childhood-of-h-h, sensual-phrase-meets-eternal-sabbat, vampires, female-tough-agents, hurt-comfort, romance

I have just finished Adrian Phoenix's A Rush of Wings, the first book in The Maker's Song, a series of dark urban fantasy novels (they are not romances, though there is a romantic thread), and I need more asap (luckily, three more books in the series are out).

Heather Wallace, a Special Agent for the FBI, has been on the track of a grisly serial killer known as CCK (Cross Country Killer) for a while. His latest crime has let her to New Orleans and a young Goth musician known only as Dante - soon...more I have just finished Adrian Phoenix's A Rush of Wings, the first book in The Maker's Song, a series of dark urban fantasy novels (they are not romances, though there is a romantic thread), and I need more asap (luckily, three more books in the series are out).

Heather Wallace, a Special Agent for the FBI, has been on the track of a grisly serial killer known as CCK (Cross Country Killer) for a while. His latest crime has let her to New Orleans and a young Goth musician known only as Dante - soon Heather realizes that the killer is changing his modus operandi and is committing crimes to attract Dante's attention - but why that is, is the real question. Oh, and Heather is about to discover that vampires and other things that go bump in the night are real.

This book can get somewhat gruesome and is definitely very dark, so if that bothers you, stay away. If not, you should totally read it! I hesitate to give too much away, but there are creepy Government experiments, some good world-building, and protagonists (Heather and Dante) who I really...well, "like" might not be an appropriate word, but who I certainly root for desperately. I loved the writing style and I shipped Heather/Dante like mad (I dare you to not ship them - I dare you!). Heather is a great, tough, no nonsense heroine with the requisite past family tragedy (her mother was killed and her sister is in a psych ward from mental illness), who doesn't have that tragedy break her in any way. Dante is...well...I think the award for the worst past/childhood/life award has now been claimed. I actually spent the book hoping he would continue to black out his past! I mean, seriously. He's clinging to sanity by his fingernails and I am surprised he hasn't let go of that ledge a long time ago. (Though my favorite part of the book is when he does finally snap under all the stimuli and temporarily reverts into the part of him that is the Government-created psychopath and we read things from his POV).

Anyway, it was wonderful and dark and Heather/Dante forever, and I am off to get Book 2.(less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall: 3.5 Stars This is an excellent book, though I will say that the description and cover is misleading. They make the book out to be a romance, and it isn't. There is a romance in the book, but it's a secondary plotline. Since I prefer Urban Fantasy over Paranormal Romance, that was a pleasant surprise.

As a warning, I will say that this book is very dark. One of the main characters, Dante, is very troubled and his past is full of horrors. It's easy to lose yourself in the dark, brooding m...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Monique rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: disturbia-murder-and-nightmare-book

Okay so lets begin by first saying that this is solid 3.5 star but the way it made me compulsively read and the interesting plot made me round up the rating..I have never read a book quite like this and it makes me rethink whether or not I do like science fiction, epic rambling sagas and the goth, dark vampire, fallen angels and nocturnal life that this book was all about..This long novel is full of flashbacks, repetition of thoughts and a shroud of mystery that makes you want to read, read, rea...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read, kindlepurchase2010

Bought from Amazon

What I Loved: (in no particular order) Heather- she is one of the best non-paranormal heroins I have read in a long time. The fact that she not only holds her own against the para's in the book but never once gets over shadowed is a testament to how well written she was. Lucien- I wanted more about him but he was my second favorite character. He was strong yet vulnerable and even though he coulda/shoulda/woulda said something earlier than he did, I think that just boils down to...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

OMG!! What a ride!! This book was fantastic!! Believe me, A Rush of Wings is one of the deepest, best constructed, fast paced, scary, heart wrenching, and well written novels in the Urban Fantasy genre out there. This novel was absolutely amazing and the writing was superb!! This is without a doubt, one of the best novels that I've had the pleasure reading in a long while. I’m truly shocked and amazed that this BRILLANT author isn't better known in the UF circles. What a shame!

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Apr 08, 2011 Starry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. heather-main character,works for agent,chick dante falls for throughout the book
collins(nickname:trent)-a dude that works for agent
dante(real name:baptiste)-owner of club hell,the guy heather falls for throughout the book,vamp
von-vamp,works for dante
lucien(de noir)-vons friend,works for dante,a fallen,protective of dante, also...dantes dad!O:
larouss-detective
davis-detective
trey-dantes web-runner, vamp,simone's brother
thomas ronin-a journolist person for crimes,vamp
E-ronin's assistant
simone-femal...more

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Dec 27, 2010 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 3 of 5 stars

FBI agent Heather has one major goal in life, to stop serial killers, and speak for their victims. The current killer she is chasing, the Cross Country Killer, has been her target for three years. She gets her first major break when the case gets directly linked to a man named Dante who claims to be nightkind. When she realizes he just may the killer's next target she is determined to protect Dante even if he doesn't think he needs it. Tensions spark between them, both angry and sexual, and it h...more FBI agent Heather has one major goal in life, to stop serial killers, and speak for their victims. The current killer she is chasing, the Cross Country Killer, has been her target for three years. She gets her first major break when the case gets directly linked to a man named Dante who claims to be nightkind. When she realizes he just may the killer's next target she is determined to protect Dante even if he doesn't think he needs it. Tensions spark between them, both angry and sexual, and it has Heather questioning her motives. She'll need to keep a clear head if she wants to keep both her's and Dante's attached.

I enjoyed the characters in this book. Heather is determined to find the truth and speak for the victims. She also isn't afraid to stand up and do what she feels is right, even if it means landing herself in a major pot of hot water. Dante, on the other hand is definitely the sexy bad boy that you probably want to stay away from, but can't help but be drawn to. He is very stubborn, to the point of sheer stupidity at times, but also has a softer side that shows itself every once in a while. I think the two of them complement each other nicely and in time will be a great couple, as long as they don't let their own bullheadedness to get in the way.

There was one thing that really frustrated me about this book. Dante and the rest of his "people" all speak a lot of Cajun, and as I have no background in neither french, nor cajun, (I took Spanish in high school), it was hard to figure out what they were saying at times. Granted, she does have a cajun glossary in the back of the book, but it wasn't overly helpful after the fact. Since I read on the kindle, I couldn't have just flipped back and forth while reading to look it up, and that was a little frustrating. I'm hoping now that I've read it, I'll have a little bit better of an understanding of the dialect in the next book.

This is definitely one of those books that you have to really pay close attention to or you will get lost. Both the reader and the characters are kept almost completely in the dark, and it was very confusing at times. That being said, it held my attention well and I think as the series continues and the secrets of the past get slowly revealed, things will start to fall into place. I will say that it is very suspenseful, and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the answers. I'm really eager to continue on to the next book and hopefully unraveling the mystery that is Dante.(less)

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Sep 19, 2010 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-antihero-sleuth, paranormal-fantasy

I give this a five star it's set not so distant in the future where technology has progressed, Heather is a strong beacon for good, strong, stubborn, intelligent & a superbly readable character.
As is Dante, not your stereotypical male supernatural protagonist but multi-faceted, with fully fleshed out intriguing supporting characters that you can distinguish individually from everyone else.

The world & story are very dark, but I personally did not find the violence & torture gratuito...more

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Sep 03, 2010 Paulina Twiggs rated it 3 of 5 stars

The premise of this book is interesting. It had lots of ingredients I like in my books: a strong heroine who doesn't become a ditz when she meets the hero, vampires, fallen angels, seeing the plot from a serial killer's POV. Because of this I really wanted to love this book, but I had a bit of a hard time sticking with it.

Heather Wallace is an FBI agent following the Cross-Country Killer (CCK), who has been murdering men and women all over the country. Now the killer has ended up in New Orleans...more The premise of this book is interesting. It had lots of ingredients I like in my books: a strong heroine who doesn't become a ditz when she meets the hero, vampires, fallen angels, seeing the plot from a serial killer's POV. Because of this I really wanted to love this book, but I had a bit of a hard time sticking with it.

Heather Wallace is an FBI agent following the Cross-Country Killer (CCK), who has been murdering men and women all over the country. Now the killer has ended up in New Orleans and has added messages in the victims' blood - "wake up". In the course of her investigation she meets Dante, sort of owner of Club Hell, and lead singer of the goth band Inferno. He's of course gorgeous and mysterious and tortured. And he has fangs. Murder, mayhem and romance ensue.

I had a hard time pegging what exactly about this book dissatisfied me. I came to the conclusion that the writer tried to include too much into the book, and consequently left too much unanswered. Besides the serial killer there was an FBI conspiracy, highly unethical and immoral "scientific" testing, gangs of vampires, and angels with nebulous loyalties. Nothing was really explored fully, and I was left with many, many questions, most of which would be too spoilery to include here. I also was a little tired at the end by the hero's constant mental torture. I understand the reason for his anguish, but it was rather exhausting that he never seemed to have any moment of happiness, and even the romance - while having a pretty hot sex scene - didn't seem to cheer him up at all. Dante's friends seemed to be overly mysterious, never really sharing even after they decided to trust Heather. And the ending was rather unsatisfying for me, even though it was realistic.

As mentioned above I did like the romantic scene, and there were some touching scenes between Lucien and Dante, made even moreso the more you learn about them. I did like the fact that Heather, unlike so many UF/PR heroines out there, never becomes a ditz about Dante. She remains a strong and intelligent character even as she loses her disbelief in vampires and fallen angels. I also like the mythology the writer uses surrounding the fallen angels. I wish she had gone into more detail about the vampire mythology. Several things were unclear about the vampires, how characters came to be turned, why there are gangs, and what has caused the rivalry, etc.

Overall, it wasn't a bad book, just incomplete in some areas. Since it is only the first in a series, I'm giving the benefit of the doubt. I hope the next book provides more answers and background. I give it 2.5 stars.(less)

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Jun 01, 2010 Kyleigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first read the synopsis, truthfully I felt rather iffy on it. Vampires and FBI agents? I really didn't know what to expect. I'm certainly glad I stuck with it and read it! It was fantabulous. Talk about a full throttle ride of adrenaline. From the very get go I was immediately drawn in, when another body has been added to the victim list of the CCK. The killer's patterns have changed, his MO different, but that doesn't throw Special Agent Heather Wallace off. She's certain that the CCK is...more When I first read the synopsis, truthfully I felt rather iffy on it. Vampires and FBI agents? I really didn't know what to expect. I'm certainly glad I stuck with it and read it! It was fantabulous. Talk about a full throttle ride of adrenaline. From the very get go I was immediately drawn in, when another body has been added to the victim list of the CCK. The killer's patterns have changed, his MO different, but that doesn't throw Special Agent Heather Wallace off. She's certain that the CCK is still at large and has a gut feeling that it's some how connected with Club Hell right next door.

Dante, the leader singer for Inferno, and rumored owner of Club Hell is as smoldering hot as his name implies. Gorgeous, pale, talented, and oh ya. He's a vampire. I was at first conflicted with Dante's character. Pigheaded, stubborn, and does the complete opposite of what you tell him to. He's infuriating but his good looks and large heart certainly make up for it. Dante does the whole goth/emo sex god thing, and he rocks it. Frankly I usually hate guyliner. For some reason with Dante, I don't mind. :P While Dante is totally infuriating, he is the most loyal and protective person. He fiercely protects his friends and those close to his heart. His screw the world attitude doesn't hide his compassion however. He never thinks of himself, only his friends. It's a trait that I greatly admire.

I liked how the POV's changed and the reader got a glimpse of everyone's thoughts. It was a nice touch to get inside the CCK's head and other "darker" characters. I loved how the story really focused on following the CCK and didn't turn into a total "goo-goo eyed" Dante is so hawt plotline. Adrian stayed true to the story and I really appreciate that. It had the potential to go off with too many sex scenes and could have lost the story, but it DIDN'T! It was the perfect balance. I absolutely loved the story, and I thought the romance was just right. Though at times I was craving more!

When I finished I think my reaction was something similar: "OMG! THAT'S IT?! I WANT THE SECOND ONE!" Though at first I was a tad disappointed with the ending, looking back I realize it was for the best. Heather truly cares for Dante, but she realizes she needs to step back and look at her life rationally. So many things have changed for her, that throwing herself into a relationship that she doesn't fully understand the implications of, isn't the wisest choice. I respect Heather for her decision and I eagerly await the sequel! I just need to get my claws on it!!! Absolutely wonderful read! (less)

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Apr 30, 2010 Indiaskye rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, books-read-in-2010, vampires, favorites, they-should-make-this-a-movie

"A Rush of Wings" is one of the best books I have read in a long time ... it is compelling, fascinating, a fast-paced thrill-ride from beginning to end, and has a cast of really great characters! I finished it in 2 days, reading deep into the night because I just could not put this book down.

Mind you --- this is not a sappy love story. The romance between Heather and Dante is an important part of the story (and it is very believably written), but it is not THE central part. More than anything,...more

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Dec 06, 2009 Jacqie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pretty good urban fantasy/romance. For a change in most urban fantasy, we don't have a first person point of view narrated by a chick who's chockful of attitude and wearing kick-ass shoes. The female protagonist is a rather traditional, honorable FBI agent. The male lead does ooze sexuality and wear a dog collar and latex without looking cheesy, somehow, and he's very free with his affections considering he was horribly sexually abused. I'm not sure how his pan-sexual self is going to be able to...more

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Apr 04, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Rush of Wings follows F.B.I. special agent Heather Wallace as she pursues a serial killer across the country. The trail has brought her to New Orleans, Club Hell and the rock musician Dante - a man who claims to be a vampire. Heather believes Dante to be the killer's next victim, but the situation is so much more complicated than she could have imagined. As she tries to unravel the truth about Dante, she comes to realize she's just one small pawn in a much bigger game. Dante's past holds the k...more A Rush of Wings follows F.B.I. special agent Heather Wallace as she pursues a serial killer across the country. The trail has brought her to New Orleans, Club Hell and the rock musician Dante - a man who claims to be a vampire. Heather believes Dante to be the killer's next victim, but the situation is so much more complicated than she could have imagined. As she tries to unravel the truth about Dante, she comes to realize she's just one small pawn in a much bigger game. Dante's past holds the key to everything, but the cost of him remembering may be more than she wants to pay.

A Rush of Wings is very much urban fantasy. It has vampires that are vampires, not angsty, sighing by the moonlit window guys and gals, these are the real, rip your throat out without breaking a sweat, deal.

The story has a multi-stranded plot which slowly comes together as the destinies of all the characters collide. Heather is torn between wanting to protect Dante - who in a nice change from the usual vampire novel is only 23 and several years younger than her - and acknowledging that she may need protecting from him. Heather is a strong heroine, she doesn't fall apart when she finds out about this other world that lives alongside our own, but neither does she meekly accept it either.

Dante himself is a tortured hero. A victim of horrific abuse, he has a past he can't remember, and unfortunately seems to bring pain to those closest to him. Only half-vampire he has a power that he can't control and which, if he's not careful will bring him even more unwanted attention.

I loved the contrast and similarity between Heather and Dante. Heather who believes promises are made to be kept, not broken, but she knows that sometimes that's not possible. Dante who never lies, and who can't forgive those who lie to him. As you read the story, it's almost inevitable that they'll come together, but the question of whether they'll be able to stay together has yet to be answered.

A couple of nitpicks. To begin with I was having a slight problem keeping track of who was doing what among the large cast of characters. After I got into the rhythm of the book and finally got Simone and Silver straight in my head, I was okay. What made it easier was the fact that the major characters are so well drawn.

The cover - I'm not sure if at any point Heather wears a leather bustier and mini-skirt. In fact her default mode of dress seemed to be trench coat. (I know authors have little control over their covers but I'm mentioning it, just in case anyone was put off by the chick on the cover.)

And I didn't immediately cotton onto the fact that this is set slightly in the future. There are a couple of technological things that went over my head because I assumed that the book was set in the present. It's not until near the end of the book that I finally put two and two together and work out we're not quite in Kansas any more.

However, overall I very much enjoyed the story and this is another series that I will be following. (less)

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Apr 14, 2013 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: amnesia, fbi-agents, kick-ass-heroines, new-orleans, serial-killers, tortured-heros, urban-fantasy, vampires, 2013-electric-lime

A Rush of Wings
3 Stars

Much darker and grittier than my usual urban fantasy fare. The world building is original and compelling, the characters intense and the story engrossing. Nevertheless, I cannot say that I enjoyed the book - it was simply too strange.

The story revolves around Dante, a vampire/rock star, and the obsession that every single character, whether good or evil, has with him. As someone who finds this type of hero-worship anathema, it was difficult to identify with any of the chara...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Dottie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really did not want to like this one. I saw the cover, thought it was trashy, went on to browse through the first half of the book, then stopped and started from the beginning to give it the proper reading I have (unexpectedly) decided it deserved.

After reading the first two books of The Demon's Lexicon series, I started craving for more dark fantasy reads. While digging around for my next book love, I stumbled upon this and was more than a little turned off by the cover. Skimpily clad tattooe...more I really did not want to like this one. I saw the cover, thought it was trashy, went on to browse through the first half of the book, then stopped and started from the beginning to give it the proper reading I have (unexpectedly) decided it deserved.

After reading the first two books of The Demon's Lexicon series, I started craving for more dark fantasy reads. While digging around for my next book love, I stumbled upon this and was more than a little turned off by the cover. Skimpily clad tattooed woman? So not my thing. The only reason I didn't junk this was because I read it had a gorgeous tortured hero. And because there are few things I love more than a tortured hero, I just had to give it a try. I assumed A Rush of Wings was going to be another book about vampires and non stop kinky sex. To my complete shock and joy, it actually had plot! It also has FBI conspiracies, sadistic behavioral scientists, fallen angels and nightkind, a serial killer on the loose, a beautiful and tough as nails heroine, and a sexy tortured hero (I just had to mention this again) who also happens to be a musician (squeee!). It has action, mystery, intrigue, and romance. It has everything I could possibly want in a book and by the time I finished it I just knew that I have found my new favorite guilty pleasure. And because they say love is blind, I now love it enough to ignore the cover. But you know what, or more specifically, who the real reason for my obsession is? Dante. Actually, it's Heather and Dante together. Separately, they're both great characters. Together? They're explosive. They are beyond awesome. They are the kind that turns my brain to mush awesome. My love for them has reached a level that is embarassing. Excuse me while I swoon.

All in all, I never would have expected to love this book, but I'm glad it defied all my expectations. I can probably nitpick and look for plot holes (and it probably has quite a few), but why bother? I never said I was an objective reviewer. There are very rare books that I devour like they were written solely for me, and this is one of them. It's not quality literature by a long shot, but it's fun and addictive. And now I'm going to force myself to end this review before I go back to gushing about Dante and Heather and how much I ship them. (less)

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Jun 13, 2010 Julia Fitri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In A Rush of Wings is an interesting blend of Blade (the whole mother turned at birth thing), Anne Rice’s Lestat (the vamp rock star thing), Constantine (the angels part), J.D Robb’s Eve Dallas Series (the no nonsense cop with a heart and a need to stand up for the dead), and Dark Angel (the whole government conspiracy and experiment thing) and…huh, well it seems to have everything.

Heather Wallace, an FBI Agent of the Seattle branch has been after the same serial killer for three years. Basicall...more

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About Adrian Phoenix

Adrian Phoenix writes urban fantasy and is the author of The Maker's Song series, (book five, On Midnight Wings to be released February, 2013)and the Hoodoo series, the third book, Black Moon Mojo will be out in 2013. (and the forthcoming Sons of Darkness series.)

She lives in Springfield, Oregon in a zombie-free home (except when meeting deadlines) with four cats, Amiga, Diabla, Keats, and Ember a...more

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A Rush of Wings (The Maker's Song #1)

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