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Deadglass #1
Hearts of Darkness
In the first of a dazzling new romantic trilogy, one woman’s courageous search plunges her into a millennia-old supernatural war—and an irresistible passion…
Nurse Kayla Friday has dedicated her life to science and reason. But for her, Seattle is a place of eerie loss and fragmented, frightening memories. And now the only clue to her sister’s murder reveals a secret battle between two ancient mythologies…and puts Kayla in the sights of lethally-sexy werewolf mercenary Hart. He’ll do whatever it takes to obtain the key to the Gate of the Land of the Dead and free what’s left of his soul. But seducing the determined Kayla is putting them at the mercy of powerful desires neither can control. And as the clock ticks down to hellish catastrophe, the untested bond between Kayla and Hart may lead to the ultimate sacrifice.
Nurse Kayla Friday has dedicated her life to science and reason. But for her, Seattle is a place of eerie loss and fragmented, frightening memories. And now the only clue to her sister’s murder reveals a secret battle between two ancient mythologies…and puts Kayla in the sights of lethally-sexy werewolf mercenary Hart. He’ll do whatever it takes to obtain the key to the Gate of the Land of the Dead and free what’s left of his soul. But seducing the determined Kayla is putting them at the mercy of powerful desires neither can control. And as the clock ticks down to hellish catastrophe, the untested bond between Kayla and Hart may lead to the ultimate sacrifice.
328 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
91 people are currently reading
714 people want to read
About the author
Kira Brady
7 books127 followersKira Brady is an award-winning author of paranormal and contemporary romance. Her debut, Hearts of Darkness, was named one of the Best Books of Summer 2012 by Publishers Weekly, which called it, "Dazzling...thrilling...irresistible."
Kira grew up in a small Scandinavian town on the shores of Puget Sound, where she fell in love with cardamon braid and Kringle, which inspired her new series of interconnected sweetly spicy, humorous, sport romances set in a cozy, small Scandinavian town in the Pacific Northwest. Up next: LOVE AND PICKLEBALL, Salmon Bay book 1, in which a cinnamon roll pickleball coach falls for the sexy crossword-obsessed divorcee, with solvable crosswords, bad pickle-puns, and hot closet escapades.
Her Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance series, The Deadglass Trilogy, was published in print, ebook, and audiobook by Kensington Zebra and Blackstone Audio. This apocalyptic series is set in a grisly, fantasy Seattle where ghosts and shapeshifters fight to control the cracked gate between the living and the land of the dead. Publishers Weekly hailed the series as, “Seamlessly weaving threads of Babylonian, Norse, and Northwest Native American fables, Brady creates a dark, rich tapestry. The trilogy ends as it began: with beautifully rendered prose and multidimensional characters who capture readers’ hearts.”
When not writing, Kira loves reading, hiking, pottery, knitting, learning to play pickleball, and spending time with her family. She loves hearing from readers!
Let’s connect!
Website: kirabrady.com
Newsletter: subscribepage.io/kirabrady
Instagram: instagram.com/kirabrady
YouTube: youtube.com/@KiraBradyAuthor
Facebook: facebook.com/kira.brady
Kira grew up in a small Scandinavian town on the shores of Puget Sound, where she fell in love with cardamon braid and Kringle, which inspired her new series of interconnected sweetly spicy, humorous, sport romances set in a cozy, small Scandinavian town in the Pacific Northwest. Up next: LOVE AND PICKLEBALL, Salmon Bay book 1, in which a cinnamon roll pickleball coach falls for the sexy crossword-obsessed divorcee, with solvable crosswords, bad pickle-puns, and hot closet escapades.
Her Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance series, The Deadglass Trilogy, was published in print, ebook, and audiobook by Kensington Zebra and Blackstone Audio. This apocalyptic series is set in a grisly, fantasy Seattle where ghosts and shapeshifters fight to control the cracked gate between the living and the land of the dead. Publishers Weekly hailed the series as, “Seamlessly weaving threads of Babylonian, Norse, and Northwest Native American fables, Brady creates a dark, rich tapestry. The trilogy ends as it began: with beautifully rendered prose and multidimensional characters who capture readers’ hearts.”
When not writing, Kira loves reading, hiking, pottery, knitting, learning to play pickleball, and spending time with her family. She loves hearing from readers!
Let’s connect!
Website: kirabrady.com
Newsletter: subscribepage.io/kirabrady
Instagram: instagram.com/kirabrady
YouTube: youtube.com/@KiraBradyAuthor
Facebook: facebook.com/kira.brady
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
October 24, 2012
Heart of Darkness, Deadglass #1, by Kira Brady
Grade: D+
“She wasn’t fool enough to think she could keep him. She didn’t want to. Bad boys didn’t come home for dinner every night at six o’clock sharp. Bad boys sometimes didn’t come home at all. She’d had enough of people she loved not coming back.”
Let me start by saying that I was so excited to review Heart of Darkness, especially after hearing all the buzz about it and it being compared to the Fever series which I love. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting but I really disliked what I got. In the first twenty pages I had my first “Really?” moment which was quickly followed by my “Are you freaking serious!” moment both of which continued on for the rest of the book. I usually try to not put spoilers in my reviews but I am going to in this one so if you don’t want to know about the book stop reading this now.
Kayla Friday has come to Seattle to claim her sisters dead body and find out how she was really killed after not believing the coroner ruling it a drug overdose. Kayla is shocked to discover her deceased sister pregnant and the most gorgeous man she’s ever laid eyes on asking her questions about a necklace that was supposedly in her sister’s possession. Hart is a werewolf and blood slave to Norgard, a shape shifting dragon who controls most of Seattle. Hart’s mission is to find the necklace Norgard’s lover escaped with and bring him her sister for his freedom.
As I mentioned before I had a lot of “Seriously?!?” moments while reading this book and the first occurred in the very beginning when Kayla is devastated over her sister’s death and watching Hart light the body on fire and not even five minutes later she’s thinking of how attractive he is and how much she wants him. I’m sorry but I felt like I got whiplash from the dramatic change of emotions Kayla went through in all of five minutes. This was the point that I started to really dislike her and know that this story was not for me.
Usually after the first hundred pages of a book if I’m rolling my eyes as much as I was with this one and scoffing out loud I would DNF it but with Hearts of Darkness it was so bad that I couldn’t stop reading. No matter how much of a jerk Hart was I kept reading. Kayla is being a weak female and needs to grow a backbone and I keep reading. Hart and Kayla are making out in the most inappropriate times and yep I keep on reading. I have never read a book that I disliked so much but I couldn’t put it down. It’s for this reason only that I give the book a D+ and not an F because there is some brilliance in getting someone to keep reading something the hate.
With all that being said I really was disappointed with Heart of Darkness and especially Kayla. The funny thing is that I like Grace whose book will follow this one and I might actually read it. I did love the world that Mrs. Brady created and I am interested to see what happens next. This is again why I didn’t flunk the book because it does have me thinking to the next one and wondering about the other characters. I really hope the books in this series because there is potential but it was just delivered all wrong for me.
Grade: D+
“She wasn’t fool enough to think she could keep him. She didn’t want to. Bad boys didn’t come home for dinner every night at six o’clock sharp. Bad boys sometimes didn’t come home at all. She’d had enough of people she loved not coming back.”
Let me start by saying that I was so excited to review Heart of Darkness, especially after hearing all the buzz about it and it being compared to the Fever series which I love. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting but I really disliked what I got. In the first twenty pages I had my first “Really?” moment which was quickly followed by my “Are you freaking serious!” moment both of which continued on for the rest of the book. I usually try to not put spoilers in my reviews but I am going to in this one so if you don’t want to know about the book stop reading this now.
Kayla Friday has come to Seattle to claim her sisters dead body and find out how she was really killed after not believing the coroner ruling it a drug overdose. Kayla is shocked to discover her deceased sister pregnant and the most gorgeous man she’s ever laid eyes on asking her questions about a necklace that was supposedly in her sister’s possession. Hart is a werewolf and blood slave to Norgard, a shape shifting dragon who controls most of Seattle. Hart’s mission is to find the necklace Norgard’s lover escaped with and bring him her sister for his freedom.
As I mentioned before I had a lot of “Seriously?!?” moments while reading this book and the first occurred in the very beginning when Kayla is devastated over her sister’s death and watching Hart light the body on fire and not even five minutes later she’s thinking of how attractive he is and how much she wants him. I’m sorry but I felt like I got whiplash from the dramatic change of emotions Kayla went through in all of five minutes. This was the point that I started to really dislike her and know that this story was not for me.
Usually after the first hundred pages of a book if I’m rolling my eyes as much as I was with this one and scoffing out loud I would DNF it but with Hearts of Darkness it was so bad that I couldn’t stop reading. No matter how much of a jerk Hart was I kept reading. Kayla is being a weak female and needs to grow a backbone and I keep reading. Hart and Kayla are making out in the most inappropriate times and yep I keep on reading. I have never read a book that I disliked so much but I couldn’t put it down. It’s for this reason only that I give the book a D+ and not an F because there is some brilliance in getting someone to keep reading something the hate.
With all that being said I really was disappointed with Heart of Darkness and especially Kayla. The funny thing is that I like Grace whose book will follow this one and I might actually read it. I did love the world that Mrs. Brady created and I am interested to see what happens next. This is again why I didn’t flunk the book because it does have me thinking to the next one and wondering about the other characters. I really hope the books in this series because there is potential but it was just delivered all wrong for me.
February 9, 2012
One of the best paranormals I've read in a really long time. The Deadglass mythology is such a fascinating blend of Norse, Native American, and Babylonian--yeah, you read that right--that puts an interesting twist on dragons and shifters. Just ask Kira about her inspiration; it's almost as good as the book. The atmosphere that Kira creates is so strong and reminded me at times of both Victorian London (all the spirits make the electricity spotty) and Gotham City. There are ghost musicians in a jazz club, intoxicating chocolates, an irresistibly tortured hero, and a really chilling scene at Gas Works Park. And get ready for a wholly unexpected ending!
Also, I want my own deadglass.
Also, I want my own deadglass.
October 28, 2012
1.5 stars - A couple moments but mostly hated it.
Orphan girl with family problems from a hidden paranormal bloodline has hidden powers that are only revealed when she does X (in this case it's loses her virginity). Really, this is part of the "original" setting and story that I've heard so much about? How about a hidden race of 'guardians' protecting the humans from the dangers of the world beyond? Yeah, that's been done to death before too. How about a lone wolf, who has his internal sense of honor that nobody else sees, being trained as a warrior and instantly falling for the heroine for no reason whatsoever? Is there a single thing in this book that is original or new? Yes. Seattle is utterly destroyed at the end of it all.
I think the biggest thing about this is I just didn't like the writing. At all.
Orphan girl with family problems from a hidden paranormal bloodline has hidden powers that are only revealed when she does X (in this case it's loses her virginity). Really, this is part of the "original" setting and story that I've heard so much about? How about a hidden race of 'guardians' protecting the humans from the dangers of the world beyond? Yeah, that's been done to death before too. How about a lone wolf, who has his internal sense of honor that nobody else sees, being trained as a warrior and instantly falling for the heroine for no reason whatsoever? Is there a single thing in this book that is original or new? Yes. Seattle is utterly destroyed at the end of it all.
I think the biggest thing about this is I just didn't like the writing. At all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2013
I really wanted to love this book. Dragon shifters are usually a big win for me. The same goes for scruffy heroes with low self-esteem who learn their self-worth through the love of a good woman. Unfortunately, this one didn't knock it out of the park the way I hoped it would. It wasn't bad; I just had a lot of trouble connecting to it.
The story begins with our heroine, Kayla, traveling to Seattle to identify her dead sister's body. When she arrives, she learns quickly that there is an entire world she knows nothing about. Her sister was intimately involved with a community of shapeshifters at war with one another. Just before her death, she gained possession of a powerful necklace that both sides want to get their hands on. And only Kayla can find it.
Enter our hero. Hart is a wolf shifter who was cast aside by his own people. Now he is a blood slave to their enemy, the Drekar (the dragons.) He has been tasked with securing the necklace to gain his freedom. Of course, he has no idea that he'll fall head over heels for the woman who is supposed to be his mark.
The first half was really slow for me. It spends a lot of time laying the groundwork for the series. We learn about the ancient feud between the Drekar and the Kivati, a shapeshifter race that is supposed to protect humanity. We learn about the dastardly plan of Norgard, the Drekar leader. And we learn a lot about the mythologies of the key players. Stories of old gods, Norse legends, powerful prophecies. It was all interesting, but not all that engaging.
As for the romance... that didn't really pull me in either. Kayla is basically too good to be true, a virgin nurse in her mid-20's with a heart of gold. She wants to Do The Right Thing. Help people. She trusts Hart immediately, but for no discernible reason. There's no explanation for her virginity, especially since she is attractive and gives it up to Hart without much hesitation. As for Hart, his character works better for me. Though it's not clear why Kayla affects him so much while no one else ever has, I am always more forgiving of shifters with mate bonds who fall in love fast. I like that he struggles in his decisions and that he ends up being such a good guy.
Things really picked up for me in the last third of the book. I enjoyed the sex and the bond between Hart and Kayla. I liked watching her come into her power. The secondary storyline with the Raven Lord and his young fiance got infinitely more interesting and the climax was really exciting. I think the series has potential. Maybe my inability to invest is a symptom of first-book-itis. Maybe there was just too much I had to learn and it interfered with my connection to the characters. I'm not sure. I'm glad I stuck it out, because it really did get better. And I want to read more, even if only to find out what happens with poor Lucia.
Rating: C+
The story begins with our heroine, Kayla, traveling to Seattle to identify her dead sister's body. When she arrives, she learns quickly that there is an entire world she knows nothing about. Her sister was intimately involved with a community of shapeshifters at war with one another. Just before her death, she gained possession of a powerful necklace that both sides want to get their hands on. And only Kayla can find it.
Enter our hero. Hart is a wolf shifter who was cast aside by his own people. Now he is a blood slave to their enemy, the Drekar (the dragons.) He has been tasked with securing the necklace to gain his freedom. Of course, he has no idea that he'll fall head over heels for the woman who is supposed to be his mark.
The first half was really slow for me. It spends a lot of time laying the groundwork for the series. We learn about the ancient feud between the Drekar and the Kivati, a shapeshifter race that is supposed to protect humanity. We learn about the dastardly plan of Norgard, the Drekar leader. And we learn a lot about the mythologies of the key players. Stories of old gods, Norse legends, powerful prophecies. It was all interesting, but not all that engaging.
As for the romance... that didn't really pull me in either. Kayla is basically too good to be true, a virgin nurse in her mid-20's with a heart of gold. She wants to Do The Right Thing. Help people. She trusts Hart immediately, but for no discernible reason. There's no explanation for her virginity, especially since she is attractive and gives it up to Hart without much hesitation. As for Hart, his character works better for me. Though it's not clear why Kayla affects him so much while no one else ever has, I am always more forgiving of shifters with mate bonds who fall in love fast. I like that he struggles in his decisions and that he ends up being such a good guy.
Things really picked up for me in the last third of the book. I enjoyed the sex and the bond between Hart and Kayla. I liked watching her come into her power. The secondary storyline with the Raven Lord and his young fiance got infinitely more interesting and the climax was really exciting. I think the series has potential. Maybe my inability to invest is a symptom of first-book-itis. Maybe there was just too much I had to learn and it interfered with my connection to the characters. I'm not sure. I'm glad I stuck it out, because it really did get better. And I want to read more, even if only to find out what happens with poor Lucia.
Rating: C+
June 10, 2012
Hearts of Darkness has to be the most unique book that I have read this year. It is definitely the furthest outside of my typical reading box/comfort zone. This story had so many different elements that I loved, the blend of mythologies and legends, the characters that I never knew which side they were fighting for, and then there is the setting. Kira has created a very dark Seattle that I never would want to visit. The crime is high, the political system is corrupt and beyond broken, anyone can be bought for a price, and the humans are completely blind to what they living among.
Kira has mixed Native American folklore, Babylonian mythology, paranormal elements of shifters and ghosts, a mild almost steampunk element with the technology and the characters attire, and then readers are still given the mystery of what happened to Kayla’s sister. The way that she has blended these elements makes for one incredible tale wrapped in a book that is impossible to put down.
I am still is shock over the ending of this book. At the beginning readers meet Kayla who has traveled to Seattle due to her sister’s untimely death. Kayla immediately finds out that multiple people are looking for a necklace that she had in her possession at the time of her death. To point out that as the pages turn there is so much more going on than a missing necklace would be a massive understatement. It took me a few chapters to really get into Hearts of Darkness. Once this book gets going it picks up speed and never slows down. The ending is amazing and I never saw it coming. It is not a cliffhanger, but an intensely shocking game changer.
The spine of this book lists it as paranormal romance. Hearts of Darkness feels more urban fantasy to me than it did paranormal romance. There is a couple and they do get a happily ever after, but the romance was minimal and seemed to be more of a side story in this book. I’m big on the pursuit with any romance. I never got that with Kayla and Hart. I think I got more invested in their roles in the overall story than I did in their romance.
The romance was my only disappointment and it is a mild disappointment. Kira’s story telling is phenomenal. The Seattle she has created is so very dark and gritty. I think this book should be a must read for anyone who enjoys paranormal or fantasy reads. It is so different from everything else out there. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book. I’m so curious about the changes that were made with the ending of Hearts of Darkness. I want to know how these changes are going to affect the characters and the world.
Kira has mixed Native American folklore, Babylonian mythology, paranormal elements of shifters and ghosts, a mild almost steampunk element with the technology and the characters attire, and then readers are still given the mystery of what happened to Kayla’s sister. The way that she has blended these elements makes for one incredible tale wrapped in a book that is impossible to put down.
I am still is shock over the ending of this book. At the beginning readers meet Kayla who has traveled to Seattle due to her sister’s untimely death. Kayla immediately finds out that multiple people are looking for a necklace that she had in her possession at the time of her death. To point out that as the pages turn there is so much more going on than a missing necklace would be a massive understatement. It took me a few chapters to really get into Hearts of Darkness. Once this book gets going it picks up speed and never slows down. The ending is amazing and I never saw it coming. It is not a cliffhanger, but an intensely shocking game changer.
The spine of this book lists it as paranormal romance. Hearts of Darkness feels more urban fantasy to me than it did paranormal romance. There is a couple and they do get a happily ever after, but the romance was minimal and seemed to be more of a side story in this book. I’m big on the pursuit with any romance. I never got that with Kayla and Hart. I think I got more invested in their roles in the overall story than I did in their romance.
The romance was my only disappointment and it is a mild disappointment. Kira’s story telling is phenomenal. The Seattle she has created is so very dark and gritty. I think this book should be a must read for anyone who enjoys paranormal or fantasy reads. It is so different from everything else out there. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book. I’m so curious about the changes that were made with the ending of Hearts of Darkness. I want to know how these changes are going to affect the characters and the world.
August 13, 2012
I enjoyed this book tremendously! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! I was reading it outside in the rain because I was so excited!
I thought that the world was very well built and original. It wasn't quite steam punk or post apocalyptic or magical, but a perfect blend of all of them. More importantly, Hart and Kayla were such warm characters and so perfect for each other. I was so excited about their HEA. I also loved that they were such real and human characters, with financial and emotional problems that were so relatable. The side characters were great as well. Lucia's story was so heartbreaking and I can't wait to learn more about her. I think that if the next books in the series are as well written as this one, Kira Brady will be as popular as JR Ward or Kresley Cole. I guess what I am saying is that if you like PNR, read this one already!
I thought that the world was very well built and original. It wasn't quite steam punk or post apocalyptic or magical, but a perfect blend of all of them. More importantly, Hart and Kayla were such warm characters and so perfect for each other. I was so excited about their HEA. I also loved that they were such real and human characters, with financial and emotional problems that were so relatable. The side characters were great as well. Lucia's story was so heartbreaking and I can't wait to learn more about her. I think that if the next books in the series are as well written as this one, Kira Brady will be as popular as JR Ward or Kresley Cole. I guess what I am saying is that if you like PNR, read this one already!
April 11, 2014
Kayla Friday, a nurse, has always believed in logic and reason and science. She doesn't believe in the paranormal, or myths or what she can't prove is real. Kayla's sister has been killed and she has come Seattle, to find her sisters killer. While examining her body, discovering her sister was pregnant when she died, she comes face to face with Hart, a sexy werewolf mercenary. Hart is demanding the location of the "key" which was in her sisters possession. Kayla has no idea that this search for this "key" would bring her perfect logical world down around her ears. Hart will do whatever it takes to free his soul, even if that means seducing and betraying a innocent woman who has wormed her way into his heart. But soon time runs short, and Hart and Kayla will have to rely on each other to stop the end of the world, if they survive that is...
Hearts of Darkness is the first in this trilogy by Kira Brady. This is a brand new author to me. Through my library I am able to access a few free digital audiobooks. I kept seeing this title pop up and always available, so I thought I should give it a shot. Little did I realize how much I would fall for this story. At first it starts out a bit slow, but once Hart and Kayla meets, all bets are off, these two are explosive together. This story is the beginning of a thrilling romance that is guaranteed to quicken the beats of your heart and get the adrenalin pumping. When I first read the blurb for the book, I thought well it seems to have a little conflict right, nothing too exciting just enough to keep me interested.....well let me tell you boys and girls, there is enough action and intensity to thrill you down to your toes. I could hardly get enough of this book and when it was over I was a little sad. Over ten hours long, and I still wanted to story to keep going. I found myself so enthralled by Kayla and Hart and wanting to see how they would ever get their HEA. Because every time I thought it would happen, something else would change the circumstances to the plot and keep me so fascinated I had a hard time putting it down.
Hearts of Darkness intensity is a bit comparable to Moning's Fever series, only this is a romance~~no doubt about it. The world that Kira Brady creates is full of mythical creatures of all shapes and sizes, with a few gods, ghosts and shape shifters and magical beings. So if you adore anything that goes "bump in the night" than this book is for YOU!!! This world seems so vivid and real and there were a couple of times while listening to this, I didn't want to go to sleep, thinking that this world might be real. Crazy how books affect us human beings so, but I guess I am mortal. The romance between Hart and Kayla is so precious and intense and wildly passionate. I loved every moment of seeing these two form their unique mating bond. I was cheering for Kayla and Hart all the way. Hart is so bad boy, like the king of bad boys. A mercenary, shifter wolf, and blood slave to a corrupt man, who has a soft spot for a naive Kayla who has no clue the world that surrounds her. Hart is so sexy and boy I just wanted to kiss him all over. He needs some good loving and a strong woman and that is Kayla. At first I had a couple of issues with Kayla, she seemed so naive and not able to adjust at first. But when she gets dragged into this world, and her life is put in danger, that is when she starts to show her true colors and I LOVED her as the heroine. She was perfect for the role, and a solid match for Hart. Hart is used to being obeyed and Kayla has her own mind, and stands up to Hart like no one else ever does.
Overall Hearts of Darkness is a thrilling paranormal romance, with a world that is surreal, a plot to keep you at the edge, characters to captivate your senses, and a story to enthrall you heart, body and soul!!! A THRILLING ROMANTIC TALE!! I can hardly wait to see what happens next...
Hearts of Darkness is the first in this trilogy by Kira Brady. This is a brand new author to me. Through my library I am able to access a few free digital audiobooks. I kept seeing this title pop up and always available, so I thought I should give it a shot. Little did I realize how much I would fall for this story. At first it starts out a bit slow, but once Hart and Kayla meets, all bets are off, these two are explosive together. This story is the beginning of a thrilling romance that is guaranteed to quicken the beats of your heart and get the adrenalin pumping. When I first read the blurb for the book, I thought well it seems to have a little conflict right, nothing too exciting just enough to keep me interested.....well let me tell you boys and girls, there is enough action and intensity to thrill you down to your toes. I could hardly get enough of this book and when it was over I was a little sad. Over ten hours long, and I still wanted to story to keep going. I found myself so enthralled by Kayla and Hart and wanting to see how they would ever get their HEA. Because every time I thought it would happen, something else would change the circumstances to the plot and keep me so fascinated I had a hard time putting it down.
Hearts of Darkness intensity is a bit comparable to Moning's Fever series, only this is a romance~~no doubt about it. The world that Kira Brady creates is full of mythical creatures of all shapes and sizes, with a few gods, ghosts and shape shifters and magical beings. So if you adore anything that goes "bump in the night" than this book is for YOU!!! This world seems so vivid and real and there were a couple of times while listening to this, I didn't want to go to sleep, thinking that this world might be real. Crazy how books affect us human beings so, but I guess I am mortal. The romance between Hart and Kayla is so precious and intense and wildly passionate. I loved every moment of seeing these two form their unique mating bond. I was cheering for Kayla and Hart all the way. Hart is so bad boy, like the king of bad boys. A mercenary, shifter wolf, and blood slave to a corrupt man, who has a soft spot for a naive Kayla who has no clue the world that surrounds her. Hart is so sexy and boy I just wanted to kiss him all over. He needs some good loving and a strong woman and that is Kayla. At first I had a couple of issues with Kayla, she seemed so naive and not able to adjust at first. But when she gets dragged into this world, and her life is put in danger, that is when she starts to show her true colors and I LOVED her as the heroine. She was perfect for the role, and a solid match for Hart. Hart is used to being obeyed and Kayla has her own mind, and stands up to Hart like no one else ever does.
Overall Hearts of Darkness is a thrilling paranormal romance, with a world that is surreal, a plot to keep you at the edge, characters to captivate your senses, and a story to enthrall you heart, body and soul!!! A THRILLING ROMANTIC TALE!! I can hardly wait to see what happens next...
August 16, 2012
4.5 Feathers
This review also post at link: Under the Covers Book Blog
Hearts of Darkness is an outstanding debut novel for the Deadglass series. With a very intricate world and character building, Ms. Brady did a superb job of creating a world of mix mythology, shape shifters, ghost, and dragons.
I do have to say how impressed I am with this book. I was skeptical of the world building as I had a bit of trouble understanding it in the prequel, Hearts of Fire (Deadglass, #0.5). Though it was slow in the beginning, THIS book had just the right length to better describe this world.
In a nut shell, this world revolves around two clans who are in battle with each other for centuries. It is between the Kivati shifters who are of different animals of Native American mythology and the Drekar, dragon shifters which had the Norse mythology back ground. Both clans are living in secret among humans but always in battle for power.
Kayla’s sister (Desiree) recently passed away and being the nurse that she is, finding out the exact cause of her sister’s death is important to her. To do just that, Kayla visits her sister’s town (alternate world of Seattle) and unraveled a lot more than she expected.
On the other hand, we have Hart Lupus of the Kivati clan but has little contact with any Kivatis since he was a child. This Wolfe shifter is an independent mercenary who’s worked for the Drekar. Indentured for 15 years, he is at a point of earning his freedom. The question is, will he survive this last mission to get what he wants?
Both on a mission to find answers, our Hero and Heroine decides to work together to better their chances. And yes, they worked!
A bad boy tamed by the strong heroine, Kayla and Hart are good together. They had a lot of sexual tension and their intimate moments were pretty hot. I really enjoyed reading about them.
Speaking of hot, I wanted to note the leader of the Kivati, Emory Corbette. He has totally captured my eye. If you’ve read the novella, he is Alice's brother who seemed eager to rule and push for what he believes in. We see what type of a leader he became after all these years. He and Princess Lucia, the harbinger of destiny has a very intriguing relationship and one I would love to follow.
Though the overall romance was good, I felt like there was more focus on the plot. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing because the plot was pretty damn good, IMO. It was full of excitement, suspense, lies and betrayals along with magic, ghost, shifters and mix mythologies. While there is a HEA, this book may have been categorized in the PNR genre but IMO; there is a big UF feel about it. Overall a great read and I recommended it to both PNR/UF fans.
*ARC provided by publisher
This review also post at link: Under the Covers Book Blog
Hearts of Darkness is an outstanding debut novel for the Deadglass series. With a very intricate world and character building, Ms. Brady did a superb job of creating a world of mix mythology, shape shifters, ghost, and dragons.
I do have to say how impressed I am with this book. I was skeptical of the world building as I had a bit of trouble understanding it in the prequel, Hearts of Fire (Deadglass, #0.5). Though it was slow in the beginning, THIS book had just the right length to better describe this world.
In a nut shell, this world revolves around two clans who are in battle with each other for centuries. It is between the Kivati shifters who are of different animals of Native American mythology and the Drekar, dragon shifters which had the Norse mythology back ground. Both clans are living in secret among humans but always in battle for power.
Kayla’s sister (Desiree) recently passed away and being the nurse that she is, finding out the exact cause of her sister’s death is important to her. To do just that, Kayla visits her sister’s town (alternate world of Seattle) and unraveled a lot more than she expected.
On the other hand, we have Hart Lupus of the Kivati clan but has little contact with any Kivatis since he was a child. This Wolfe shifter is an independent mercenary who’s worked for the Drekar. Indentured for 15 years, he is at a point of earning his freedom. The question is, will he survive this last mission to get what he wants?
Both on a mission to find answers, our Hero and Heroine decides to work together to better their chances. And yes, they worked!
A bad boy tamed by the strong heroine, Kayla and Hart are good together. They had a lot of sexual tension and their intimate moments were pretty hot. I really enjoyed reading about them.
Speaking of hot, I wanted to note the leader of the Kivati, Emory Corbette. He has totally captured my eye. If you’ve read the novella, he is Alice's brother who seemed eager to rule and push for what he believes in. We see what type of a leader he became after all these years. He and Princess Lucia, the harbinger of destiny has a very intriguing relationship and one I would love to follow.
Though the overall romance was good, I felt like there was more focus on the plot. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing because the plot was pretty damn good, IMO. It was full of excitement, suspense, lies and betrayals along with magic, ghost, shifters and mix mythologies. While there is a HEA, this book may have been categorized in the PNR genre but IMO; there is a big UF feel about it. Overall a great read and I recommended it to both PNR/UF fans.
*ARC provided by publisher
July 19, 2012
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
Kayla's life gets turned upside down when her sister is murdered and she finds out that the things that go bump in the night are real. Seattle has been taken over by a plethora of supernaturals, and in her search for answers she finds herself caught in the middle of a centuries old war. But most of all, she has caught the attention of Hart, a werewolf mercenary who will stop at nothing to make his mark. But that may change as a fragile spark flames between them even as the world crumbles around them.
The romance between Kayla and Hart seemed so unlikely and yet it somehow really worked for me. Kayla is so innocent and everything that is pure and good, while Hart can only be described as damaged with very rough edges. Unlike other shifters, he never fully merged with his animal side and cannot control it. Long ago abandoned by his kind, Hart hasn't had a moment's peace in his life due to the massive struggle to control his more deadly half. So, it is o wonder he is so angry and bitter at the world. Honestly if Hart's perspective hadn't been shown with his vulnerabilities, I would have said that Kayla is incredibly naive for trusting Hart. Yet, those glimpses into his true feelings show just how damaged he is, and how much he really needs her despite how much he fights it. Her softness and need to help others added to his rough edges really makes them quite perfect for one another.
The mythology behind Hearts of Darkness is a tangled weave of Norse, Native American, and Babylonian blended in with shape-shifters, dragons, and wraiths. It definitely made for an interesting combination to say the least. The setting may be in a modern day Seattle, but it had more of a Steampunk feel due to the wraiths destroying the power network. There are monocles, and steam powered vehicles to compensate for the lack of power as well as other gadgets. Also, the shifters seem to have surrounded themselves with rules of propriety and other controls that remind me of the Elizabethan era in a last ditch effort to keep them from fading out.
I'll admit that I was a little put off by all of the different elements together as the learning curve made things slower in the beginning. However, once things started to flow a little faster, I really started to appreciate the uniqueness of the story. I don't think I've ever read something quite like this, which can be very hard to come by in the very saturated paranormal romance genre. I have a feeling the next installment will be a little faster now that the massive amounts of world building are established. All in all, Hearts of Darkness was a decent start to the Deadglass series, and promises a solid block of entertainment.
Kayla's life gets turned upside down when her sister is murdered and she finds out that the things that go bump in the night are real. Seattle has been taken over by a plethora of supernaturals, and in her search for answers she finds herself caught in the middle of a centuries old war. But most of all, she has caught the attention of Hart, a werewolf mercenary who will stop at nothing to make his mark. But that may change as a fragile spark flames between them even as the world crumbles around them.
The romance between Kayla and Hart seemed so unlikely and yet it somehow really worked for me. Kayla is so innocent and everything that is pure and good, while Hart can only be described as damaged with very rough edges. Unlike other shifters, he never fully merged with his animal side and cannot control it. Long ago abandoned by his kind, Hart hasn't had a moment's peace in his life due to the massive struggle to control his more deadly half. So, it is o wonder he is so angry and bitter at the world. Honestly if Hart's perspective hadn't been shown with his vulnerabilities, I would have said that Kayla is incredibly naive for trusting Hart. Yet, those glimpses into his true feelings show just how damaged he is, and how much he really needs her despite how much he fights it. Her softness and need to help others added to his rough edges really makes them quite perfect for one another.
The mythology behind Hearts of Darkness is a tangled weave of Norse, Native American, and Babylonian blended in with shape-shifters, dragons, and wraiths. It definitely made for an interesting combination to say the least. The setting may be in a modern day Seattle, but it had more of a Steampunk feel due to the wraiths destroying the power network. There are monocles, and steam powered vehicles to compensate for the lack of power as well as other gadgets. Also, the shifters seem to have surrounded themselves with rules of propriety and other controls that remind me of the Elizabethan era in a last ditch effort to keep them from fading out.
I'll admit that I was a little put off by all of the different elements together as the learning curve made things slower in the beginning. However, once things started to flow a little faster, I really started to appreciate the uniqueness of the story. I don't think I've ever read something quite like this, which can be very hard to come by in the very saturated paranormal romance genre. I have a feeling the next installment will be a little faster now that the massive amounts of world building are established. All in all, Hearts of Darkness was a decent start to the Deadglass series, and promises a solid block of entertainment.
August 26, 2013
The best thing about this book is the cover. Really. I mean, if I had a shelf entitled "could kick my own ass for continuing the series", this would be on it.
I really didn't like the prequel but I was giving it the benefit of the doubt, hoping the first book would be better. Shifters, Pacific Northwest, contemporary. Usually that's my kind of thing, but not with this. The plot is a hot mess from start to finish.
Kayla is just a dumbass. She arrives in Portland to claim the body of her sister who died mysteriously. Strange things, weird events and people shifting into animals don't seem to faze her. When Hart - an anti hero if ever I met one - tells her to get out of town, she stubbornly says she won't leave until she discovers why her sister died. Don't get me wrong, I would be insane with grief if my sister died, but if a truly scary man tells me in no uncertain terms to GET OUT OR POSSIBLY DIE, you can bet your sweet ass I'm leaving skid marks. Sister is dead, I can't do anything more for her than grieve. Getting myself killed won't help her in any way. But, like a true TSTL heroine,she stubbornly plows ahead like a bull in a china shop and ends up needing to be rescued more than once.
Hart was kinda sexy in a scary way. He's a werewolf shifter, unable to control his totem form when the moon brings on the change. He's scary, did I mention that? He's also sexy and broody and thinks only for his future. Anti-hero. He feels a smathering of guilt but not enough to risk his own bacon, until the end when he is overwhelmed by guilt for a woman he's known 3 days and goes for the last hurrah to rescue her (yet again).
The worldbuilding is way too complicated in my opinion. A mixture of Native American and Norse mythology with Babylonian cult worship thrown in for funsies. It didn't flow well and in parts it felt like I was missing key elements to the story, which were never addressed again. Oh, and thrown in some steampunk. *eye roll* Ms Brady - it just didn't work for me.
1.5 stars / D-
I really didn't like the prequel but I was giving it the benefit of the doubt, hoping the first book would be better. Shifters, Pacific Northwest, contemporary. Usually that's my kind of thing, but not with this. The plot is a hot mess from start to finish.
Kayla is just a dumbass. She arrives in Portland to claim the body of her sister who died mysteriously. Strange things, weird events and people shifting into animals don't seem to faze her. When Hart - an anti hero if ever I met one - tells her to get out of town, she stubbornly says she won't leave until she discovers why her sister died. Don't get me wrong, I would be insane with grief if my sister died, but if a truly scary man tells me in no uncertain terms to GET OUT OR POSSIBLY DIE, you can bet your sweet ass I'm leaving skid marks. Sister is dead, I can't do anything more for her than grieve. Getting myself killed won't help her in any way. But, like a true TSTL heroine,she stubbornly plows ahead like a bull in a china shop and ends up needing to be rescued more than once.
Hart was kinda sexy in a scary way. He's a werewolf shifter, unable to control his totem form when the moon brings on the change. He's scary, did I mention that? He's also sexy and broody and thinks only for his future. Anti-hero. He feels a smathering of guilt but not enough to risk his own bacon, until the end when he is overwhelmed by guilt for a woman he's known 3 days and goes for the last hurrah to rescue her (yet again).
The worldbuilding is way too complicated in my opinion. A mixture of Native American and Norse mythology with Babylonian cult worship thrown in for funsies. It didn't flow well and in parts it felt like I was missing key elements to the story, which were never addressed again. Oh, and thrown in some steampunk. *eye roll* Ms Brady - it just didn't work for me.
1.5 stars / D-
September 10, 2012
Hearts of Darkness started off really slow for me. In fact, it was almost a DNF because the first chapter was so excruciatingly slow. However, I am glad I stuck it out and finished the book. It had me on the edge of my seat wondering about what was going to happen next. Almost all of the plot twists were a complete shock to me. I predicted none of them before they happened. The book had a couple of sex scenes but nothing overly smutty. It didn't make me uncomfortable. I liked that the final battle lasted for about 50+ pages. It didn't end in one chapter. A lot of the books I have been recently the last battle has ended in one chapter or just a few pages. Hearts of Darkness was a refreshing change of pace. I ended up liking all of the characters when I was done with it. Throughout the book I hated Norgard. I hoped that he died in a fiery inferno. However, when I was done with the book, I felt a lot of pity and sympathy for him. He was still a jerk, but he was a jerk who able to feel human emotions, such as love. Kira Brady wrote a great debut novel. I am so glad I stuck with it. I can't wait to read the next book when it is released.
September 27, 2012
This was one of those books that I lost a lot of sleep over. I stayed up too late reading it and woke up early thinking about it. I consumed it over one weekend, What first drew me in was the heroine, who is smart and makes realistic choices, two things that are "musts" for romance heroines.
The hero, Hart, is amazing. Total wolfy stud. He's an antihero from the get-go and it was such a pleasure being in his head to watch the process of him beginning to care about the heroine and fall in love with her.
I'm in awe of Brady's skill at crafting atmosphere. The Seattle of her world is one dark, dismal, complicated place. Every detail, even the trees and the clouds and buildings, anchor the mood.
I simply cannot wait until the next Deadglass book.
The hero, Hart, is amazing. Total wolfy stud. He's an antihero from the get-go and it was such a pleasure being in his head to watch the process of him beginning to care about the heroine and fall in love with her.
I'm in awe of Brady's skill at crafting atmosphere. The Seattle of her world is one dark, dismal, complicated place. Every detail, even the trees and the clouds and buildings, anchor the mood.
I simply cannot wait until the next Deadglass book.
April 22, 2013
The overall concept of this book was very intriguing. However, the execution was a bit off. This was an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of novel. Shapeshifters, dragons, Native American AND Norse AND Babylonian mythology, post-apocalyptic city, paranormal romance, steampunk, urban fantasy, ghosts, missing heir, immortals, lone wolf with checkered past is redeemed by love, frightened virgin learns she has awesome powers and fights to save world. . . . And the romance? Please. Too bodice-ripper for me, aka totally unbelievable and horribly sexist. Why must romance writers persist in perpetuating the notion that women want to be owned?
July 7, 2013
Confession. This book did something right because I immediately bought the next in the series, Hearts of Shadow (Deadglass). My willingness to spend cashy-money on the follow-up to Hearts of Darkness happened despite my feelings for the hero and heroine in Hearts of Darkness.
Wazz-her-name (leaving this to show how little the character resonated with me) and Hart are stock characters from paranormal romance. The innocent, saintly woman whose magical vagina tames the muscle-bound, hirsute, rage monster, aka, the hero.
As a feminist, I have always found the use of "pussy" as a derogatory euphemism for "weak" particularly insulting since the vagina is probably one of the strongest organs in the human body. I mean, dude, it's made of muscle. On the other hand, the idea that a few minutes of happy-fun time in the right 'gina will turn a savage beast into an obedience school graduate is cheesier than Wisconsin. In Hearts of Darkness, the trope gets extra lactose-intolerant oomph with the inclusion of the word "virgin." Because if an ordinary hoo-ha can sooth the savage werewolf, just imagine what the addition and subsequent removal of a hymen can do?
Oy vey.
So, the story. (*Looks up heroine's name, because, seriously, I already forgot.*) Twenty-five-year-old Kayla Friday, an ER nurse, is in Seattle on a grim mission. Her younger sister has been killed and Kayla is needed to identify the corpse. It's probably just as well she isn't in town to visit the Space Needle or wander through the Pike Place fish market, because this Seattle is a broken down, low-tech version of itself. (The rest of the United States, btw, are presumably as they are now. It's just Seattle that's a technological wasteland.)
Seattle has been rendered a kind of techno-ghetto by the presence of a gaping hole into the spirit world where legions of restless ghosts escape and wander the city, fucking up cell phone coverage and frying electronics. And in this gaslamp version of Seattle, two shapeshifting races vie for power: the Drekar (dragons), led by Norgard; and the Kivati (crows, thunderbirds, cranes, etc.), led by Corbette.
Hart, the hero, is technically Kivati, but because he can't keep his wolfy side from snacking on adorable children, has been cast out and taken in by the Drekar, where he now serves as Norgard's blood slave. But not for long, if he can just get a couple more missions under his belt.
One of those missions being the retrieval of a necklace/McGuffin, stolen from Norgard, from Kayla's sister--her now dead sister. Hence, the meet cute (I typoed "meat," heh) at the coroner's office. In short, Hart arrives as Kayla is staring in dismay at the carcase that was her sister; he does the growly, manly-man thing, demanding the necklace, etc., until the Kivati arrive and ... do the manly-man thing and demand the necklace.
Kayla is like, "Huh?" But in the inevitable fight that breaks out (because we need an excuse to rip Hart's shirt and show off his physique), she "rescues" Hart, promising to bring Corbette the McGuffin if the Kivati will spare Hart's life. So, voila, Hart's conflict. He finds himself playing along with Kayla's attempt to find the necklace for Corbette, all the while knowing that when he gets his hands on the thing, he's taking it straight to Norgard.
So what worked for me? The story is grounded in a crazy-fun mashup of Norse, Native American and Babylonian mythology. The worldbuilding is a tad shaky, especially if one considers the fact that the rest of the United States is apparently unconcerned by Seattle's serious issues with infrastructure. But the antagonists and secondary characters are intriguing, including the rape-y, awful, Norgard.
This is where I explain my purchase of the next book. In the few hundred words that he is present, Norgard's little brother, Leif Asgard, totally rocked my world. Intellectual, nerdy, yum. And pairing him with Grace, the kind of goth-girl, wraith slayer? Promising.
But...Hearts of Darkness.... Hart is technically my fave kind of hero, the kind with a big, fat "ANTI-" before the moniker. And, as such, he's, um, okay. There's enough dry humor there so save him from being completely simian, but in general, he's still a paint-by-numbers paranormal romance hero. I.e., if you like possessive, controlling men with bodies by testosterone overdose, and significant anger management issues, you'll love Hart. Me, well, no. Just no.
Thing is, Hart would have been tolerable if every other sentence in his internal dialogue didn't go like this: "Kayla is too good for me; she's a healer; a pure soul." Not a direct quote, but close enough. On and on about how wonderful Kayla was, even though he'd only known her like, uh, two days.
Naturally, this was punctuated by how much he needed to fuck her, lick her tits, etc. on endless loop, over and over.
And Kayla, for all that Hart "tells" us how fab she is, what a saint (ugh), is really kind of bland. Admittedly, I've encountered worse heroines, but since like Hart, most of her internal dialogue is about her romantic counterpart, I really never get in her head. It's not a spoiler to note that Kayla isn't an entirely mundane heroine, magic-wise. But the story line skimps on her mastery of her abilities in favor of building the not-relationship between her and Hart. Again, lust isn't a relationship. Oh, and the fact that Kayla was gorgeous, 25 and a virgin, was preposterous. Not because some people don't save it for marriage, but because Kayla apparently had no reason, religious or otherwise, for doing so. And, the instant her magical tunnel of love is needed to keep Hart civilized, she's nekkid and ready to go.
Four stars for the original approach to urban fantasy and mythology, and two for the love story.
Wazz-her-name (leaving this to show how little the character resonated with me) and Hart are stock characters from paranormal romance. The innocent, saintly woman whose magical vagina tames the muscle-bound, hirsute, rage monster, aka, the hero.
As a feminist, I have always found the use of "pussy" as a derogatory euphemism for "weak" particularly insulting since the vagina is probably one of the strongest organs in the human body. I mean, dude, it's made of muscle. On the other hand, the idea that a few minutes of happy-fun time in the right 'gina will turn a savage beast into an obedience school graduate is cheesier than Wisconsin. In Hearts of Darkness, the trope gets extra lactose-intolerant oomph with the inclusion of the word "virgin." Because if an ordinary hoo-ha can sooth the savage werewolf, just imagine what the addition and subsequent removal of a hymen can do?
Oy vey.
So, the story. (*Looks up heroine's name, because, seriously, I already forgot.*) Twenty-five-year-old Kayla Friday, an ER nurse, is in Seattle on a grim mission. Her younger sister has been killed and Kayla is needed to identify the corpse. It's probably just as well she isn't in town to visit the Space Needle or wander through the Pike Place fish market, because this Seattle is a broken down, low-tech version of itself. (The rest of the United States, btw, are presumably as they are now. It's just Seattle that's a technological wasteland.)
Seattle has been rendered a kind of techno-ghetto by the presence of a gaping hole into the spirit world where legions of restless ghosts escape and wander the city, fucking up cell phone coverage and frying electronics. And in this gaslamp version of Seattle, two shapeshifting races vie for power: the Drekar (dragons), led by Norgard; and the Kivati (crows, thunderbirds, cranes, etc.), led by Corbette.
Hart, the hero, is technically Kivati, but because he can't keep his wolfy side from snacking on adorable children, has been cast out and taken in by the Drekar, where he now serves as Norgard's blood slave. But not for long, if he can just get a couple more missions under his belt.
One of those missions being the retrieval of a necklace/McGuffin, stolen from Norgard, from Kayla's sister--her now dead sister. Hence, the meet cute (I typoed "meat," heh) at the coroner's office. In short, Hart arrives as Kayla is staring in dismay at the carcase that was her sister; he does the growly, manly-man thing, demanding the necklace, etc., until the Kivati arrive and ... do the manly-man thing and demand the necklace.
Kayla is like, "Huh?" But in the inevitable fight that breaks out (because we need an excuse to rip Hart's shirt and show off his physique), she "rescues" Hart, promising to bring Corbette the McGuffin if the Kivati will spare Hart's life. So, voila, Hart's conflict. He finds himself playing along with Kayla's attempt to find the necklace for Corbette, all the while knowing that when he gets his hands on the thing, he's taking it straight to Norgard.
So what worked for me? The story is grounded in a crazy-fun mashup of Norse, Native American and Babylonian mythology. The worldbuilding is a tad shaky, especially if one considers the fact that the rest of the United States is apparently unconcerned by Seattle's serious issues with infrastructure. But the antagonists and secondary characters are intriguing, including the rape-y, awful, Norgard.
This is where I explain my purchase of the next book. In the few hundred words that he is present, Norgard's little brother, Leif Asgard, totally rocked my world. Intellectual, nerdy, yum. And pairing him with Grace, the kind of goth-girl, wraith slayer? Promising.
But...Hearts of Darkness.... Hart is technically my fave kind of hero, the kind with a big, fat "ANTI-" before the moniker. And, as such, he's, um, okay. There's enough dry humor there so save him from being completely simian, but in general, he's still a paint-by-numbers paranormal romance hero. I.e., if you like possessive, controlling men with bodies by testosterone overdose, and significant anger management issues, you'll love Hart. Me, well, no. Just no.
Thing is, Hart would have been tolerable if every other sentence in his internal dialogue didn't go like this: "Kayla is too good for me; she's a healer; a pure soul." Not a direct quote, but close enough. On and on about how wonderful Kayla was, even though he'd only known her like, uh, two days.
Naturally, this was punctuated by how much he needed to fuck her, lick her tits, etc. on endless loop, over and over.
And Kayla, for all that Hart "tells" us how fab she is, what a saint (ugh), is really kind of bland. Admittedly, I've encountered worse heroines, but since like Hart, most of her internal dialogue is about her romantic counterpart, I really never get in her head. It's not a spoiler to note that Kayla isn't an entirely mundane heroine, magic-wise. But the story line skimps on her mastery of her abilities in favor of building the not-relationship between her and Hart. Again, lust isn't a relationship. Oh, and the fact that Kayla was gorgeous, 25 and a virgin, was preposterous. Not because some people don't save it for marriage, but because Kayla apparently had no reason, religious or otherwise, for doing so. And, the instant her magical tunnel of love is needed to keep Hart civilized, she's nekkid and ready to go.
Four stars for the original approach to urban fantasy and mythology, and two for the love story.
September 14, 2012
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2012/09/review-...
Favorite Quote: “My enemy’s enemy, is my friend.“
Kayla Friday never expected to become embroiled in a supernatural war when she arrives in Seattle to identify her sister’s body. A nurse, she is unable to accept the coroner’s cause of death and is determined to search the city until she finds out exactly what happened to her sister. This brings her to the attention of Hart.
Hart. A dangerous unbalanced wolf shifter and mercenary, he will do anything to obtain a relic that Kayla’s sister had in her possession when she died. Trapped in a slave bond to his boss, Hart is forced to do his bidding if he ever wants his freedom, even seduce and betray the one woman whose scent drives him mad and marks her as his.
Kayla’s investigations place her directly between two mythological factions-each determined to use her in their ancient battle for control. Kayla and Hart join forces to find the relic before hell unleashes on Earth and consumes everything around them, including their love.
Kira Brady’s debut, Hearts Of Darkness, is a noir fantasy that draws from Norse, Babylonian, and Native American legends, shapeshifters, and ghosts to build a unique world begging to be explored. A faint steampunk vive flows through the story as we see stream run engines, victorian clothing, and various other aspects that point towards this genre. My main problem with this book is how slow it was to connect with at first. The first half of the book sets up for this trilogy, giving back story and set up and it slowed the book down. A sedate pace picks up half way through the story, morphing into a roller coaster ride of action, suspense, and mystery. The main conflict blends nicely with the plot lines and our characters’ dialogue is an engaging mixture of seriousness and snark.
In this world, humans and supernaturals live together in an alternate present day Seattle with most humans having no idea of the danger that lives amongst them. Humans only see what they can explain, which leaves the supernatural community safe to wrestle for control amongst each other. Seattle is controlled by two dominant shapeshifter clans-the Kivati and the Drekar. The Kivati’s are are charged with guarding the gate that separates the mortal world from the spirit world and keeping the human population safe. The Dekars are dragon shapeshifters who came through the mystical gate and proceeded to attempt to take it over. They exist by drinking the souls of humans. Both the Kivati and the Drekar are slowly becoming extinct due to their never ending war.
Kayla Brady is forced to confront all the above and more when she begins to investigate her sisters death and the circumstances behind it. A human with no knowledge of supernaturals, Kayla gets a crash course in the corrupt world that she is attempting to navigate. Forced by the Kivati to find the relic or suffer the consequences, Kayla leaps in both feet first. Kayla is an interesting character to get to know in that she is made up of many contradictions. She is stunningly naive on some things yet amazingly astute in others. She spent her whole life taking care of her baby sister yet seems to know nothing about her, yet is able to provide answers to prophecies that have puzzled all for hundreds of years. She’s not your average heroine. She isn’t a warrior. She’s a healer and her attitude and actions reflects that. She sees the good in everyone and doesn’t question much which gets her into a majority of the trouble she finds herself in.
Hart, our hero, is a prime example of trouble. A broody, growly wolf shifter, he was outcasted from the Kivati clan as a child and is now slave bonded to the head of the Drekar clan-Sven Norgard. A lethal mercenary who cares for no one or nothing except finishing this last job and earning his freedom. Kayla proves to be a problem though. He is physically attracted to her, and the honorable part of him that has survived despite the evil he has been coated with, struggles to gain control of his heart. He finds himself torn between his slave bond, which magically compels him to act against his will, and his heart, which wants Kayla for his own. Their romance is mainly physical and while I enjoyed their interactions, I found the chemistry lacking. They aren’t given enough time to explore their attraction amidst the chaos and it showed.
The secondary characters are an interesting crew whose personalities and actions keep you on your toes. Each are developed to the point of being able to hold their own story. Neither the Kivati or Drekar are honorable clans. Each has ulterior motives and are adept in the art of deception. Norgard, leader of the Drekar, is a nasty villain yet there is a part of him that appeals to you. I really want to learn more about his brother Leif. Corbette, leader of the Kivati, also leaves a bitter taste in your mouth but it seems appearances can be deceiving. The overall premise in here is that good and evil are subjective and redemption can be earned, even in your darkest hours.
Even with my slow start in the beginning, I am looking forward to the second installment, Hearts Of Shadows-releases May 2013. I predict this one will read faster as the majority of the setup and world building was established in here.
Rating: C
Favorite Quote: “My enemy’s enemy, is my friend.“
Kayla Friday never expected to become embroiled in a supernatural war when she arrives in Seattle to identify her sister’s body. A nurse, she is unable to accept the coroner’s cause of death and is determined to search the city until she finds out exactly what happened to her sister. This brings her to the attention of Hart.
Hart. A dangerous unbalanced wolf shifter and mercenary, he will do anything to obtain a relic that Kayla’s sister had in her possession when she died. Trapped in a slave bond to his boss, Hart is forced to do his bidding if he ever wants his freedom, even seduce and betray the one woman whose scent drives him mad and marks her as his.
Kayla’s investigations place her directly between two mythological factions-each determined to use her in their ancient battle for control. Kayla and Hart join forces to find the relic before hell unleashes on Earth and consumes everything around them, including their love.
Kira Brady’s debut, Hearts Of Darkness, is a noir fantasy that draws from Norse, Babylonian, and Native American legends, shapeshifters, and ghosts to build a unique world begging to be explored. A faint steampunk vive flows through the story as we see stream run engines, victorian clothing, and various other aspects that point towards this genre. My main problem with this book is how slow it was to connect with at first. The first half of the book sets up for this trilogy, giving back story and set up and it slowed the book down. A sedate pace picks up half way through the story, morphing into a roller coaster ride of action, suspense, and mystery. The main conflict blends nicely with the plot lines and our characters’ dialogue is an engaging mixture of seriousness and snark.
In this world, humans and supernaturals live together in an alternate present day Seattle with most humans having no idea of the danger that lives amongst them. Humans only see what they can explain, which leaves the supernatural community safe to wrestle for control amongst each other. Seattle is controlled by two dominant shapeshifter clans-the Kivati and the Drekar. The Kivati’s are are charged with guarding the gate that separates the mortal world from the spirit world and keeping the human population safe. The Dekars are dragon shapeshifters who came through the mystical gate and proceeded to attempt to take it over. They exist by drinking the souls of humans. Both the Kivati and the Drekar are slowly becoming extinct due to their never ending war.
Kayla Brady is forced to confront all the above and more when she begins to investigate her sisters death and the circumstances behind it. A human with no knowledge of supernaturals, Kayla gets a crash course in the corrupt world that she is attempting to navigate. Forced by the Kivati to find the relic or suffer the consequences, Kayla leaps in both feet first. Kayla is an interesting character to get to know in that she is made up of many contradictions. She is stunningly naive on some things yet amazingly astute in others. She spent her whole life taking care of her baby sister yet seems to know nothing about her, yet is able to provide answers to prophecies that have puzzled all for hundreds of years. She’s not your average heroine. She isn’t a warrior. She’s a healer and her attitude and actions reflects that. She sees the good in everyone and doesn’t question much which gets her into a majority of the trouble she finds herself in.
Hart, our hero, is a prime example of trouble. A broody, growly wolf shifter, he was outcasted from the Kivati clan as a child and is now slave bonded to the head of the Drekar clan-Sven Norgard. A lethal mercenary who cares for no one or nothing except finishing this last job and earning his freedom. Kayla proves to be a problem though. He is physically attracted to her, and the honorable part of him that has survived despite the evil he has been coated with, struggles to gain control of his heart. He finds himself torn between his slave bond, which magically compels him to act against his will, and his heart, which wants Kayla for his own. Their romance is mainly physical and while I enjoyed their interactions, I found the chemistry lacking. They aren’t given enough time to explore their attraction amidst the chaos and it showed.
The secondary characters are an interesting crew whose personalities and actions keep you on your toes. Each are developed to the point of being able to hold their own story. Neither the Kivati or Drekar are honorable clans. Each has ulterior motives and are adept in the art of deception. Norgard, leader of the Drekar, is a nasty villain yet there is a part of him that appeals to you. I really want to learn more about his brother Leif. Corbette, leader of the Kivati, also leaves a bitter taste in your mouth but it seems appearances can be deceiving. The overall premise in here is that good and evil are subjective and redemption can be earned, even in your darkest hours.
Even with my slow start in the beginning, I am looking forward to the second installment, Hearts Of Shadows-releases May 2013. I predict this one will read faster as the majority of the setup and world building was established in here.
Rating: C
January 30, 2020
I am not a "warewolf" or a supernatural love story fan. Though the plots were good, I did not enjoy reading.
September 9, 2017
I enjoy books with a good love story, and chemistry. The storyline was unique rest characters and interesting, I do feel like some of the story line could have been better explained, or developed by may come out in the sequels.
August 10, 2012
I knew I wanted to read this book right when I read the summary, I’m a sucker for any book with werewolves or shifters…and this book had both!! Before starting this book, I read several reviews that compared this series to Karen M. Moning’s Fever series. I love the Fever series as much as the next reader, but after reading this book the similarities to the Fever series are the main heroine trying to find out who killed her sister and her sister’s link to a supernatural world. Other than those two tid-bits, the similarities ended there. This is one of the most original paranormal romances I’ve read all year; I love everything about this book from the characters, to the appealing world-building.
The novel takes place in an alternate Seattle, where ghosts/Wraiths are the cause of the occasional black outs around the city and the unknowing humans are dependent on the old invention of gas lamps to light the dark. Kayla Friday, our heroine of the novel arrives in Seattle to identify her sister’s body and what she doesn’t know is that she just walked right into a war that has been brewing between two shifter races for control of the city. The two main shifter clans are The Kivati (Native American) who can shift to any animal on the totem pole) and the Drekar (Norse) who are Dragon shifters.
I really enjoyed the world that Mrs. Brady created. She did a wonderful job of blending Native American, Babylonian and Norse Mythology together for a flawless story with strong-unique characters. Kayla, I don’t really know how I feel about her, there were times when I admired her and other times felt annoyed with her. Hart, was the typical tortured-bad boy, alpha male which will have readers swooning over him. There were also secondary characters that made a lasting impressing such as; Grace, a small girl known as The Reaper, Oscar another fellow comrade of Hart, Lucia the prophesied princess, Sven the Drekar and many more. The pacing of the book was great, it keep getting more interesting with each page and never let up even till the end. There were so many interesting characters in this book, and what I like about this book was that there wasn’t necessary a bad guy or a good guy...everyone was in the gray area. Everyone made their choices because they believe that it was the right thing to do, which was refreshing to see from the norm of other books.
There were a lot of twists near the end of the book, which took me by surprised…totally didn’t see it coming! This is a first book in a planned trilogy, and while the book ended on a good note for our main hero/heroine the ending sets the next book up for a whole new problem that needs to be solved. I highly recommend this to Urban Fantasy, Paranormal and even Fantasy Fans. If you’re looking for a new, refreshing read full of complex characters, and a dark and gritty world look no further….this series is worth checking out! I can’t wait to read book 2, Hearts of Shadow which comes out May 2013.
The novel takes place in an alternate Seattle, where ghosts/Wraiths are the cause of the occasional black outs around the city and the unknowing humans are dependent on the old invention of gas lamps to light the dark. Kayla Friday, our heroine of the novel arrives in Seattle to identify her sister’s body and what she doesn’t know is that she just walked right into a war that has been brewing between two shifter races for control of the city. The two main shifter clans are The Kivati (Native American) who can shift to any animal on the totem pole) and the Drekar (Norse) who are Dragon shifters.
I really enjoyed the world that Mrs. Brady created. She did a wonderful job of blending Native American, Babylonian and Norse Mythology together for a flawless story with strong-unique characters. Kayla, I don’t really know how I feel about her, there were times when I admired her and other times felt annoyed with her. Hart, was the typical tortured-bad boy, alpha male which will have readers swooning over him. There were also secondary characters that made a lasting impressing such as; Grace, a small girl known as The Reaper, Oscar another fellow comrade of Hart, Lucia the prophesied princess, Sven the Drekar and many more. The pacing of the book was great, it keep getting more interesting with each page and never let up even till the end. There were so many interesting characters in this book, and what I like about this book was that there wasn’t necessary a bad guy or a good guy...everyone was in the gray area. Everyone made their choices because they believe that it was the right thing to do, which was refreshing to see from the norm of other books.
There were a lot of twists near the end of the book, which took me by surprised…totally didn’t see it coming! This is a first book in a planned trilogy, and while the book ended on a good note for our main hero/heroine the ending sets the next book up for a whole new problem that needs to be solved. I highly recommend this to Urban Fantasy, Paranormal and even Fantasy Fans. If you’re looking for a new, refreshing read full of complex characters, and a dark and gritty world look no further….this series is worth checking out! I can’t wait to read book 2, Hearts of Shadow which comes out May 2013.
Read
October 16, 2012Nurse Kayla Friday is in Seattle to identify her sister's body. This is not Seattle as we know it. The Gate to the other side is broken, and dark spirits are moving in the wrong direction. As a result, electricity is failing, and the city is disintegrating. Kayla, like most humans, has no idea what's going on. Within minutes of arriving at the morgue, however, Kayla finds herself in the middle of a war between two mythologies she never knew existed.
I read about half of this, mostly because I liked the idea of the world building. It's like nothing I've ever read, pitching creatures inspired in Ancient Babylonian and norse mythology (the Drekar) against Native American bird shifters (the Kivati), and incorporating the idea of wraiths, dark spirits that can possess humans and feed off them.
The plot is that Kayla's sister got her hands on a very special necklace belonging to the Drekar, and Kayla must find it and give it to the Kivati. She immediately latches on the hero, Hart, as he seems to be the only person willing to help her navigate this weird new world (albeit grudgingly). Problem is, Hart has made some sort of blood oath to return the necklace to the Drekar. Meanwhile, we discover that, in the wrong hands, the necklace could bring about the end of the world.
So, the world and the story had the potential to be great. Unfortunately, they never really gelled for me. The world was actually rather boring, complicated rather than complex. And I'm fine with gradual revelations, but even after reading half the book, I didn't really understand who hated whom and why, and why someone would want to bring on Armaggeddon. Worse, I didn't care.
The romance didn't help. Kayla is boring in this first half, as she's perpetually out of her depth and doing stupid things. She's improbably a virgin, too, of course, the kind whose attraction towards a man every sensible person would be scared shitless of makes her go silly in the most dangerous circumstances. She's the naive nurterer type, who decides to trust someone for no reason, just because he makes her go gooey inside. As for Hart, who's a renegade shifter of a lower status than the birds and working for their enemies, he's a generic tortured hero with absolutely nothing to distinguish him.
Disappointing.
MY GRADE: It was a DNF.
I read about half of this, mostly because I liked the idea of the world building. It's like nothing I've ever read, pitching creatures inspired in Ancient Babylonian and norse mythology (the Drekar) against Native American bird shifters (the Kivati), and incorporating the idea of wraiths, dark spirits that can possess humans and feed off them.
The plot is that Kayla's sister got her hands on a very special necklace belonging to the Drekar, and Kayla must find it and give it to the Kivati. She immediately latches on the hero, Hart, as he seems to be the only person willing to help her navigate this weird new world (albeit grudgingly). Problem is, Hart has made some sort of blood oath to return the necklace to the Drekar. Meanwhile, we discover that, in the wrong hands, the necklace could bring about the end of the world.
So, the world and the story had the potential to be great. Unfortunately, they never really gelled for me. The world was actually rather boring, complicated rather than complex. And I'm fine with gradual revelations, but even after reading half the book, I didn't really understand who hated whom and why, and why someone would want to bring on Armaggeddon. Worse, I didn't care.
The romance didn't help. Kayla is boring in this first half, as she's perpetually out of her depth and doing stupid things. She's improbably a virgin, too, of course, the kind whose attraction towards a man every sensible person would be scared shitless of makes her go silly in the most dangerous circumstances. She's the naive nurterer type, who decides to trust someone for no reason, just because he makes her go gooey inside. As for Hart, who's a renegade shifter of a lower status than the birds and working for their enemies, he's a generic tortured hero with absolutely nothing to distinguish him.
Disappointing.
MY GRADE: It was a DNF.
June 26, 2013
Heart is a man on a mission for his freedom. A blood bond has held him in a life of servitude for the past 15 years now he has to do two more jobs and then he is free. The first thing he needs to do is get a necklace, no problem. Kayla’s sister ahs been murdered and now she has left her home in Philadelphia to go to Seattle to find out what has happened to her sister. In a chance meeting at the morgue no less Kayla and Heart come face to face. Kayla needs someone to help her solve her sister’s murder, but she is in for a surprise life in Seattle is full of mythical and supernatural creatures and in her attempt to find her sister’s murdered she finds herself in the middle of a war
This is one of those books I picked up off the library bookshelf and found myself pleasantly surprised. The beginning is a bit challenging due to trying to understand all of the different myths and characters but it comes together pretty quickly. The world is quite unique there is some Native American lore combined with dragons and wraiths. Sometimes it felt like a steampunk book with the steam powered cars and the wraiths reeking havoc.
I also liked the characters, it was interesting to see Heart the mercenary find himself. I liked Kayla but sometimes she seemed a bit to perfect. It just seemed odd that she is so accepting of this world that killed her only family member, trust Heart without any clear reason and wants to help everyone. I guess I just wanted her to slip up a few times freak out or hit someone. I was also very interested in the Raven Lord, Leif and Lucia I really want to read more about them in the next book.
The plot moves along swiftly and there are quite a few things elements of surprise. Personally the end left a lot to be desired parts were wrapped up to neatly in a bow but there is another book :-). If you are looking for a true PNR this one feels a bit more like UF but there is romance the story seems to be more about the situation at hand than the romance. Personally for me this worked out great.
This is one of those books I picked up off the library bookshelf and found myself pleasantly surprised. The beginning is a bit challenging due to trying to understand all of the different myths and characters but it comes together pretty quickly. The world is quite unique there is some Native American lore combined with dragons and wraiths. Sometimes it felt like a steampunk book with the steam powered cars and the wraiths reeking havoc.
I also liked the characters, it was interesting to see Heart the mercenary find himself. I liked Kayla but sometimes she seemed a bit to perfect. It just seemed odd that she is so accepting of this world that killed her only family member, trust Heart without any clear reason and wants to help everyone. I guess I just wanted her to slip up a few times freak out or hit someone. I was also very interested in the Raven Lord, Leif and Lucia I really want to read more about them in the next book.
The plot moves along swiftly and there are quite a few things elements of surprise. Personally the end left a lot to be desired parts were wrapped up to neatly in a bow but there is another book :-). If you are looking for a true PNR this one feels a bit more like UF but there is romance the story seems to be more about the situation at hand than the romance. Personally for me this worked out great.
August 6, 2012
Hart was your typical good looking dude with an attitude and a sense of humor. He was damaged. He was the guy who did bad things and basically needed a female (Kayla) to see pass that evil. He was the type of character that was strong and will protect the girl (Kayla) no matter what.
Kayla was your strong-but-actually-weak female lead. She reminded me of Olivia Dunham at first with her need to find things out, and needed to protect people. But as I read on, she became someone like Orihime, who was a goody two shoes. She trusted people who I think I wouldn't trust right away. She was innocent and pure. She needed to be rescued by others (yeah, definitely Orihime). I'm sorry to say, I'm not a fan of Orihime typed character.
The creatures are well described. Can you imagine seeing a man sized crow? That would be a sight! Dragons! WOOT. My favorite mythical creature. I really enjoyed how Kira weaves myths, and legends in the book. It was a joy to read. Along with myths, Kira was able to update the old into the new. A lot of the things mentioned (such as technology) were very updated (think of CIA tech).
The action started about 10 pages in. The fighting was well described, Kira provided enough details for readers to understand but not too much to bored us. I do have to say the beginning of the book was quite predictable so it was easy to skim through.
The hidden war really reminded me of Bleach with the battles between Soul Reapers and Hollows. There was a gate and it was weakened. Ghosts and such destroyed a lot of the city. Humans were unaware of all the fighting. Seattle was really described as a place that every reasonable person should be scared of. A lot of the settings reminded me of the show Supernatural (especially the ones with vampires, and the Alphas) but also Gotham City but with a Steampunk and Victorian twists.
Kayla was your strong-but-actually-weak female lead. She reminded me of Olivia Dunham at first with her need to find things out, and needed to protect people. But as I read on, she became someone like Orihime, who was a goody two shoes. She trusted people who I think I wouldn't trust right away. She was innocent and pure. She needed to be rescued by others (yeah, definitely Orihime). I'm sorry to say, I'm not a fan of Orihime typed character.
The creatures are well described. Can you imagine seeing a man sized crow? That would be a sight! Dragons! WOOT. My favorite mythical creature. I really enjoyed how Kira weaves myths, and legends in the book. It was a joy to read. Along with myths, Kira was able to update the old into the new. A lot of the things mentioned (such as technology) were very updated (think of CIA tech).
The action started about 10 pages in. The fighting was well described, Kira provided enough details for readers to understand but not too much to bored us. I do have to say the beginning of the book was quite predictable so it was easy to skim through.
The hidden war really reminded me of Bleach with the battles between Soul Reapers and Hollows. There was a gate and it was weakened. Ghosts and such destroyed a lot of the city. Humans were unaware of all the fighting. Seattle was really described as a place that every reasonable person should be scared of. A lot of the settings reminded me of the show Supernatural (especially the ones with vampires, and the Alphas) but also Gotham City but with a Steampunk and Victorian twists.
February 20, 2015
3 stars = I liked it with some reservations.
Overall I liked Hearts of Darkness, but since I am exceedingly character-centric in my reading, that was more in spite of the characters than due to them since most of the supporting characters in Hearts of Darkness are 'gray hats' at best - though it looks like a few good women, some living and some dead, are able to at least touch the heart of these bad (and badder- well actually pretty evil) guys, if not exactly redeem them. And the romance between very very good leading lady Kayla and her lying, thieving, killer of a bad boy with a heart of a protector Hart was fine, if a bit predictable. But where Hearts of Darkness managed to shine is that the back story set in a world woven from Native American, and Norse myth – and populated by shape shifting wolves, birds and dragons – actually builds to an amazing action-packed apocalyptic climax.
So while I am not exactly sure what direction this series is headed at this point after the ending which reshapes the world – which is pretty much the same feeling that I had from reading the prequel Hearts of Fire – the teaser for the next book left me curious enough about the next book and the next not-too-good-not-too-bad pairing that I will likely check out the next book too. (As a warning, the story contain attempted rape, and reference to off-screen rape.)
Overall I liked Hearts of Darkness, but since I am exceedingly character-centric in my reading, that was more in spite of the characters than due to them since most of the supporting characters in Hearts of Darkness are 'gray hats' at best - though it looks like a few good women, some living and some dead, are able to at least touch the heart of these bad (and badder- well actually pretty evil) guys, if not exactly redeem them. And the romance between very very good leading lady Kayla and her lying, thieving, killer of a bad boy with a heart of a protector Hart was fine, if a bit predictable. But where Hearts of Darkness managed to shine is that the back story set in a world woven from Native American, and Norse myth – and populated by shape shifting wolves, birds and dragons – actually builds to an amazing action-packed apocalyptic climax.
So while I am not exactly sure what direction this series is headed at this point after the ending which reshapes the world – which is pretty much the same feeling that I had from reading the prequel Hearts of Fire – the teaser for the next book left me curious enough about the next book and the next not-too-good-not-too-bad pairing that I will likely check out the next book too. (As a warning, the story contain attempted rape, and reference to off-screen rape.)
August 19, 2012
Oh geez, I really really enjoyed this book. I loved the mythology and the very non-black and white characters. This is a paranormal romance with a definite urban fantasy feel. It takes place in a dark Seattle where the feud between the Kivati and the Drekar, both powerful races of shapeshifters, ever rages. Kayla has come to Seattle to find out what happened to her sister. She doesn't believe the story that her sister died of a drug overdose. On her mission to find out the truth, she is approached by Hart, a wolf shifter, who is looking for a necklace he believes Kayla's sister stole from his boss.
The book is a bit dark and focuses a little more on the story than the romance, but not enough for me to feel like the romance was lacking in any way. The side characters were just as fascinating as the main couple. Brady gave just enough of a tease into these characters' lives to make me really really look forward to reading their books, especially Corbette and Lucia's. They have the most complicated relationship. How will they finally come together? Apparently I will have to wait until February of 2014 when Hearts of Chaos is published to find out. That makes me a little sad.
Very, very well done.
The book is a bit dark and focuses a little more on the story than the romance, but not enough for me to feel like the romance was lacking in any way. The side characters were just as fascinating as the main couple. Brady gave just enough of a tease into these characters' lives to make me really really look forward to reading their books, especially Corbette and Lucia's. They have the most complicated relationship. How will they finally come together? Apparently I will have to wait until February of 2014 when Hearts of Chaos is published to find out. That makes me a little sad.
Very, very well done.
July 19, 2012
Kayla Friday has flown to Seattle, to ID the body of her sister. Being a nurse she knows most certainly that her sister didn't die of a drug overdose and is bound to find out what happened. Werewolf, Hart is on a mission to find the rest of his soul and what he needs he believes is in the the hands of Kayla.
Great read! The beginning was a bit slow for me, but it eventually picked up. I loved all the different mythologies this book included. Kayla & Hart's journey wasn't an easy one, but I loved it all the same. I'm a sucker for HEA and this story had a great ending. The story reminded me a little of Moning's Fever series, which makes me think this book will definitely appeal to Fever fans. Especially considering our hero Hart, is one sexy werewolf. This is Kira Brady's debut novel and she has done a smashing job with world building. Set in an alternate Seattle.... while I've read a lot of books set in Seattle, stepping into Brady's Seattle felt gritty and dark, but also new and fresh at the same time.
Hearts of Darkness is an engrossing read, filled with shifters, ghosts and magic. A story that both paranormal romance and urban fantasy readers will want to devour.
Great read! The beginning was a bit slow for me, but it eventually picked up. I loved all the different mythologies this book included. Kayla & Hart's journey wasn't an easy one, but I loved it all the same. I'm a sucker for HEA and this story had a great ending. The story reminded me a little of Moning's Fever series, which makes me think this book will definitely appeal to Fever fans. Especially considering our hero Hart, is one sexy werewolf. This is Kira Brady's debut novel and she has done a smashing job with world building. Set in an alternate Seattle.... while I've read a lot of books set in Seattle, stepping into Brady's Seattle felt gritty and dark, but also new and fresh at the same time.
Hearts of Darkness is an engrossing read, filled with shifters, ghosts and magic. A story that both paranormal romance and urban fantasy readers will want to devour.
January 1, 2015
Do you ever read a book and think “I should DNF this, why don’t I DNF this?” because that was this book for me. The whole time, I kept thinking that, and yet I kept listening. I don’t have a good explanation as to why I actually finished it, but I did.
Everything just felt super cliched and predictable. There were no surprises, no twists, no depths. This was a simple story that follows a very predictable plotline and features a weak female and stereotypical bad boy. Cue eye rolling that almost hurt. I kept hoping for something to make me sit up and think “yes, this is why I’m reading this”, but it just never happened.
I listened to the audiobook, and it helped to pass the time, even if I eye rolled and snorted my way through the story. The narration was… forgettable. Honestly, I can’t remember anything about it, whether it was good or bad, even though I finished the story not too long ago. I have no intention of relistening, or listening to the next book in the series, so I guess I’ll never know what I thought.
Everything just felt super cliched and predictable. There were no surprises, no twists, no depths. This was a simple story that follows a very predictable plotline and features a weak female and stereotypical bad boy. Cue eye rolling that almost hurt. I kept hoping for something to make me sit up and think “yes, this is why I’m reading this”, but it just never happened.
I listened to the audiobook, and it helped to pass the time, even if I eye rolled and snorted my way through the story. The narration was… forgettable. Honestly, I can’t remember anything about it, whether it was good or bad, even though I finished the story not too long ago. I have no intention of relistening, or listening to the next book in the series, so I guess I’ll never know what I thought.
November 12, 2014
Hearts of Darkness is book 1 in
The Deadglass
series by Kira Brady. This is a story in Seattle, a town that I love and try to visit frequently, but nothing like the Seattle in this unique story. At the core of the story is a necklace. All kinds of Native American, Babylonian, dragons and shifters.
World, almost post-apocalyptic Seattle, and character building was done exceptionally well to complement a very convoluted story line. What fascinated me is the inability to predict the next set of action, and since I listened to this on audiobook, I actually played it through 3 times to figure out what I slept through and enjoyed it more each time.
Kayla and Hart romance was interesting and both characters could find more ways to generate dissidence and then ways to overcome.
I truly liked this book and am anxious to get to the next in the series.
World, almost post-apocalyptic Seattle, and character building was done exceptionally well to complement a very convoluted story line. What fascinated me is the inability to predict the next set of action, and since I listened to this on audiobook, I actually played it through 3 times to figure out what I slept through and enjoyed it more each time.
Kayla and Hart romance was interesting and both characters could find more ways to generate dissidence and then ways to overcome.
I truly liked this book and am anxious to get to the next in the series.
November 7, 2013
3.5 stars This is a new series and a new author for me and it has a lot of potential. Didn't quite live up to it's potential, but not a bad start. I'm not sure if it quite knows whether it's Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance, however. There is a romance in the story but it's not always in the forefront of the story. The worldbuilding seems to be a mishmash of Norse mythology, shifters, magic and not sure what else. The biggest issue I had is there seemed to be a lack of tension in the story even though there was quite a bit of action. But I will definitely be reading the next one as it left me intrigued.
November 20, 2012
I think I would give it maybe a 2.75 actually. I didn't really like the two main characters AT ALL. There were a disturbing number of almost rape scenes, but some parts of the story were interesting. I liked when they talked about the steampunk items and fashion even though that was a very small part of the book. I actually might give other books in this series a chance because I liked some of the characters. I also liked some of the mythology but the story seemed to just jump around a bit.
February 23, 2014
Great start with fresh, unique settings and plots. The characters quickly fell into stereotypical roles, and of I course the same old tired rape scene that's ubiquitous in these types of books. Poorly done. I was really excited about the whole ghost age and new types of supernatural brings, but it just left a sour taste in my mouth.
February 14, 2017
I gave up after 80% of the book. It was so boring. I didn't like the heroine of the book. And of course she was a virgin... I would kind of understand if it was a male author who had strange phantasies... But why do Amrican female author's heroines have to be virgins? But the guy of course has a lot of experience. Makes me want to vomit
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