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Dark Judgement #2
Bitten By Ecstasy
A brutal attack left Bastien Sarris for dead. But a chance encounter with a mysterious female drags him back from the brink of death—and transforms the hippogryph healer into a monster he doesn’t recognize. Now a terrible hunger consumes him—one that is becoming impossible to satisfy. Desperate for a cure, he hunts the cruxim who cursed him to a hellish existence. But the petite warrior ignites a fierce desire for her body that overwhelms the sweet call of blood.
For three hundred years Sinéad lived and hunted as a cruxim—a winged vampire hunter. But one sacrificial act stripped her immortality, leaving her human, vulnerable and unprepared for the reappearance of Bastien in her life. The hippogryph is harder and colder than she remembers…and he triggers an onslaught of need within her that is as powerful as it is unfamiliar. She craves his kiss, his touch. Yet even as she surrenders to this newfound passion, she faces a crucial decision—betray the man she’s come to love and regain her immortality, or save Bastien and condemn herself to a human life and death.
For three hundred years Sinéad lived and hunted as a cruxim—a winged vampire hunter. But one sacrificial act stripped her immortality, leaving her human, vulnerable and unprepared for the reappearance of Bastien in her life. The hippogryph is harder and colder than she remembers…and he triggers an onslaught of need within her that is as powerful as it is unfamiliar. She craves his kiss, his touch. Yet even as she surrenders to this newfound passion, she faces a crucial decision—betray the man she’s come to love and regain her immortality, or save Bastien and condemn herself to a human life and death.
- GenresRomance
207 pages, ebook
First published June 21, 2013
1 person is currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Naima Simone
167 books2,157 followersPublished since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”
She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 4, 2015
You know what makes me sad about this series and why I prolonged reading this book because of the lawsuits against Ellora's Cave. This series is under this publishing company which means any other books in this series is now on hold by the author which is understandable.
Bastien Sarris a healer amongst his people the Hippogryph was brutally attacked by one of his own, left for dead and he would have been if not for the petite Cruxim Winged Vampire Slayer by the name of Sinead, who is an empath and 300 years old saved him from dying. Then she disappeared and Bastien is back amongst his people and best friend Nicolai Abioud. What Nicolai doesn't realize is that Bastien is still a Hippogryph he is also something else and he has to find the person who changed him into whatever else resides within him. Although Bastien leaves Nicolai's home against his wishes, he can't tell his friend what he is because he doesn't know but what he does know is this, he has an insatiable thirst for blood and finding the Cruxim who saved his life is high on his list.
Sinead has lived centuries over, doing what she was born and trained to do, hunt Vampires who feed on the innocents. That is her job and sole focus, nothing else matters to her. Then one day, a call so deep and sorrowful called out to her while she was hunting, the need was so broken that she had to respond and what she found nearly undid her. A dying Hippogryph lying on the rocks of the ocean, she hoists him up and takes her to one of her hideaways and saves him. But what he did was pull at something within her she didn't know existed for herself, so in self preservation mode she flees from him. In her mind she did her part by saving him but its time for her to go. This selfless act though stripped her of immortality and thrust her into a mortal body, she is now human.
Bastien sets off to find her in Ireland, Sinead is fighting a vampire in a dark alley in her mortal body and the man she saves, wounds up saving her. After that what happens here, is a story of redemption, love and forgiveness. Their story had a lot of action and steaminess too it and I was completely vested in this couple. They truly needed each other, who Bastien was in love with in the past was not his mate and it took him almost losing his life for him to realize this. Sinead although she was no longer immortal went 300 years without ever feeling anything for another until Bastien entered her life.
These two the yin and the yang were explosive and potent together and I loved every minute of it.
The downside to this is there are other Hippogryphs in this story that I don't know if we will ever read about them because of the current situation going on at Ellora's Cave publishing house. I would love to read to be able to read their individual stories as well. But who knows maybe author Naima Simone will be able to bring it to fruition and I sure hope so.
Well Until My Next Review Ciao Bellas!
Bastien Sarris a healer amongst his people the Hippogryph was brutally attacked by one of his own, left for dead and he would have been if not for the petite Cruxim Winged Vampire Slayer by the name of Sinead, who is an empath and 300 years old saved him from dying. Then she disappeared and Bastien is back amongst his people and best friend Nicolai Abioud. What Nicolai doesn't realize is that Bastien is still a Hippogryph he is also something else and he has to find the person who changed him into whatever else resides within him. Although Bastien leaves Nicolai's home against his wishes, he can't tell his friend what he is because he doesn't know but what he does know is this, he has an insatiable thirst for blood and finding the Cruxim who saved his life is high on his list.
Sinead has lived centuries over, doing what she was born and trained to do, hunt Vampires who feed on the innocents. That is her job and sole focus, nothing else matters to her. Then one day, a call so deep and sorrowful called out to her while she was hunting, the need was so broken that she had to respond and what she found nearly undid her. A dying Hippogryph lying on the rocks of the ocean, she hoists him up and takes her to one of her hideaways and saves him. But what he did was pull at something within her she didn't know existed for herself, so in self preservation mode she flees from him. In her mind she did her part by saving him but its time for her to go. This selfless act though stripped her of immortality and thrust her into a mortal body, she is now human.
Bastien sets off to find her in Ireland, Sinead is fighting a vampire in a dark alley in her mortal body and the man she saves, wounds up saving her. After that what happens here, is a story of redemption, love and forgiveness. Their story had a lot of action and steaminess too it and I was completely vested in this couple. They truly needed each other, who Bastien was in love with in the past was not his mate and it took him almost losing his life for him to realize this. Sinead although she was no longer immortal went 300 years without ever feeling anything for another until Bastien entered her life.
These two the yin and the yang were explosive and potent together and I loved every minute of it.
The downside to this is there are other Hippogryphs in this story that I don't know if we will ever read about them because of the current situation going on at Ellora's Cave publishing house. I would love to read to be able to read their individual stories as well. But who knows maybe author Naima Simone will be able to bring it to fruition and I sure hope so.
Well Until My Next Review Ciao Bellas!
August 31, 2016
This is the second book of the Dark Judgement series. I read the first book of this series, but that was a little while ago and had forgotten some of the specifics such as bondmate but Naima Simone covered it just enough to remind or educate the reader without belaboring it. Therefore, this book can stand on its own, but is better if read within the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book but was a little hesitant to read the second for fear of it being essentially the same story -- simply changing the character names which is unfortunately very common. It was not the same story, but a great addition to the series. Bastien and Sinead are totally different characters than Nico and Tamar from the first book. Sinead is a Crumix who are winged immortal female warriors who hunt bad vampires. Crumix are just one type of immortal in this series and a unique and innovative literary construct. Bastien is a hotter than hot hippogryph who through a healing process after a terrible attack has been changed into a vampiric version. Both Bastien and Sinead are physiologically wounded when they meet up. The don't completely trust one another despite a deep connection and draw. This story shows them coming to terms with who they are as well as growing as individuals and learning to trust.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book but was a little hesitant to read the second for fear of it being essentially the same story -- simply changing the character names which is unfortunately very common. It was not the same story, but a great addition to the series. Bastien and Sinead are totally different characters than Nico and Tamar from the first book. Sinead is a Crumix who are winged immortal female warriors who hunt bad vampires. Crumix are just one type of immortal in this series and a unique and innovative literary construct. Bastien is a hotter than hot hippogryph who through a healing process after a terrible attack has been changed into a vampiric version. Both Bastien and Sinead are physiologically wounded when they meet up. The don't completely trust one another despite a deep connection and draw. This story shows them coming to terms with who they are as well as growing as individuals and learning to trust.
May 18, 2014
We briefly met Bastien in Under His Wings (Dark Judgement #1) but this book can probably be read stand alone. Bastien is a Beta male hippogryph and an extremely talented healer. He was heading to see his best friend Nico (Dark Judgement #1) after his girl dumped him when he was viciously attacked and left for dead. He would have died but was found and saved by Sinéad - a cruxim—a winged vampire hunter. In saving him she changed them both. He ends up craving blood. When he hunts her down to see if she can change him back he is shocked to find she is now human. And now the object they both need to give them a chance to return to their former selves has been stolen by the vampires. They need each other and find themselves falling for each other.
I liked Sinéad from the start. Bastien not so much. Of the two she got it worse and just from going against her nature to nurture him back to health and he was the whiney one. Fortunately right about the time I was going to give up on him he manned up and got his stuff together. The sex scenes are hot and in the first half of the book mostly takes place in their imaginations. Naima Simone has a gift for a turn of phrase and her descriptions leave no doubt.
I liked Sinéad from the start. Bastien not so much. Of the two she got it worse and just from going against her nature to nurture him back to health and he was the whiney one. Fortunately right about the time I was going to give up on him he manned up and got his stuff together. The sex scenes are hot and in the first half of the book mostly takes place in their imaginations. Naima Simone has a gift for a turn of phrase and her descriptions leave no doubt.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews