House of the Rising Sun

Crescent City #1

by Kristen Painter

Augustine lives the perfect life in the Haven city of New Orleans. He rarely works a real job, spends most of his nights with a different human woman, and resides in a spectacular Garden District mansion paid for by retired movie star Olivia Goodwin, who has come to think of him as an adopted son, providing him room and board and whatever else he needs.

But when Augustine returns home to find Olivia's been attacked by vampires, he knows his idyllic life has comes to an end. It's time for revenge—and to take up the mantle of the city's Guardian.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Fae, Magic, Romance

403 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Kristen Painter likes to balance her obsessions with shoes and cats by making the lives of her characters miserable and surprising her readers with interesting twists. She currently writes award-winning paranormal romance, paranormal women's fiction, and cozy mysteries. The former college English teacher can often be found on twitter @Kristen_Painter, Facebook at www.facebook.com/KristenPainterAuthor where she loves to interact with readers and her blog: http://kristenpainter.com/blog/.

Reviews

[Douglas Meeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another book I was on the fence about it being a 4 or 5 star effort, the story here is addicting and pulls you in with each page but the heroine is SO unlikeable for about half the book it interferes with my ability to really enjoy the book as much as I think I could have but then again, it does show growth which is one of those things that I complain about in other reviews where the heroine nevers seems to learn anything.

I guess that comes off like a rant but I loved the book, Augustine is a wonderful character and while a bit flawed he is a near perfect hero. Harlow made the transition from bitch to TSTL to likeable in a couple of chapters around the 50% mark. The ending pages are near perfect for this novel and leave you with that nice warm feeling you get with really good books.

The myriad plots in this book are too numerous to cover in a review but the main ones are evil vampires in the city brought here by someone (we must kill them and find out who brought them here), Harlow has a huge secret she must deal with to keep out of prison (I tend to dislike plots around "character A does not tell character B something"). Harlow's prison problems actually gets resolved pretty well but her obsession over her Father is going to cause more problems.

A bit of political maneuvering, a bit of "who can I trust" and some very good action round out this novel and make it addicting although the price may keep some fans away until a drop in price ($10 at this writing)

Bottom Line: It IS a really great story even though I was ready to dump the heroine several times before she finally got a clue :) She turns out pretty good but you will hate her for about half the book, Augustine you will like, a few secondary characters are lovable and the story is addicting so maybe 4.5 Stars and I will round it to 5 since I stayed up very late to finish it so obviously I liked it more than sleep :)

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............



I'm trying to justify the two stars, and all I can think of is that it's not as horrific as some of the one star books I've read. Just tedious and boring.

And lazy.

Lazy world building.

"Ahh, I need to figure out where to set my new series. How about NOLA. NOLA is built-in cool. And let's throw in some fae. Fae are sexy. I'll give em random special powers. I dub you a fire elf. And you are a fortune telling elf. And you can be a computer elf." (not even kidding. there are hacker elves.)

"And let's have vampires and witches. We'll have some good witches. And voodoo witches. And we'll have other witches who can...uh...who do, uh...well, some spell making witches. Oh, and a fortune telling witch."

Lazy romance.

"Let's start with the sweet-but-with-a-troubled-past playboy character. He's gonna be out and about to get it on with three hos, but then he sees the heroine and instantly wants to drop all other women for her for the rest of his life. Let's have em kiss right away. And it'll be super hawt. And then their relationship will be all sexual tension after that because of their hawt kiss."

Lazy character development.

"My mom is so stubborn, she refused to tell me anything about my dad, and that ruined my life, because I've never been a complete person since I never knew my dad. And I haven't really talked to my mom for the last 20 years because she gets all dodgy when I ask about my dad, who I've always wanted to know about, but I'm gonna drive cross country to ask her for $850K to bail me out of a tight spot, and when she dies, I'm gonna realize what a crappy daughter I've always been and do everything my mom always wanted me to do. Be all she wanted me to be."

"Oh, and when I finally meet my dad, he's going to be all smooth for like the first 30 minutes. He'll be like this super powerful crimelord kingpin who kind of rules the world. And he has someone who helps to control his carefully cultivated image so the world only sees what he wants them to see. Except that must be a really hard job because the second time I meet him he can't hold in his inner psychopath and practically assaults me."



There are more issues with this book, but I've already put more time and effort into my review than the author put into her book. I'm out.

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

A couple of recent experiences have made me extremely wary of spin-offs, so it was probably a good thing I didn’t know House of the Rising Sun was one until I was already well into it. I’ve never read Kristen Painter before this, and I’d definitely wanted to give this series a fair shot. So perhaps it’s to her credit that I didn’t even know this was a spin-off novel until I read the author interview at the back of the book – not once did I feel lost or in over my head even if I hadn’t read her House of Comarré series. Right away, I liked how this book was the perfect jumping-on point for a new reader, which is a quality I think all spin-offs should strive for.

Augustine, who was a side character in House of Comarré gets to star in his own series here, returning to his hometown of New Orleans after some time away. He’s playing fast and loose, having very few responsibilities and getting to enjoy the attentions of human women who find his Fae heritage irresistible. He also gets free room and board whenever he wants in a luxurious Garden District mansion, thanks to his adoptive mother Olivia Goodwin, the retired movie star. It’s a good life! Little wonder then why he’s so fiercely reluctant when asked to be Guardian of the city. But when the vampire gangs start attacking innocent tourists and those he loves, Augustine finds he might not have a choice.

Meanwhile, Olivia’s biological daughter Harlow gets into a massive amount of trouble, having been convicted of cyber-hacking. Completely broke and unable to pay the exorbitant fine, she decides on the lesser of two evils and hits up her mom for help rather than go to jail, even though the two have been estranged for years.

What struck me early on was that neither Augustine nor Harlow seemed to be capable of taking responsibility of their own actions. Augustine wasn’t too bad – though it was a bit off-putting the way he figured he could get away with doing something wrong with no repercussions. When threatened with the Guardianship, all he could think about was how it would affect his cushy life. Guess what, Augustine, punishment usually goes hand in hand with breaking the rules! There’s really no sense in resenting it.

Ultimately Augustine redeemed himself in my eyes, stepping up to fulfill his role. On the other hand, Harlow’s attitude left a bad taste in my mouth and did not really fade until the very end. It was revealed early on that her estrangement from her mother was due to Olivia refusing to divulge the identity of Harlow’s father. That’s a fixation Harlow NEVER allows us to forget. Hearing her go on about it, you’d think every single one of her life’s misfortunes could be traced back to Olivia withholding her father’s name. Harlow's introductory scene even involved her wishing daddy would come bail her out of trouble, if only she'd known who he was, and that she’d never have been duped into a cybercrime if only he'd been in her life in the first place. Somehow, I just don't buy that. Plus, Olivia was not as bad a mother as Harlow made her sound. Characters tend to play a huge role in my enjoyment of a novel, so it was unfortunate that Harlow started off so self-absorbed and entitled, and her inability to admit "Hey, I screwed up, and it was my own fault" really grated on me.

But how I adored the Kristen Painter’s portrayal of New Orleans in this series! If she’d had wanted the atmosphere of a never-ending party, she certainly nailed it. It’s the perfect setting when it comes to a haven for fae, vampires, witches and other supernatural creatures. I loved the scene of Nokturnos, a noisy and boisterous night of festivities where everyone just wants to have fun. Can’t really blame Augustine for being so happy-go-lucky when the mood’s just so positively infectious, and world building is simply phenomenal.

Apart from the hiccups with the characters, I actually quite enjoyed this book and had a lot of fun with it. In fact, I thought the last page came far too soon, and wish ending hadn’t been so rushed. These characters have a lot of potential to grow, with Augustine having won me over already, and Harlow is well on her way to becoming a more sympathetic character. I’ll admit it – I’m raring to find out more. All in all, House of the Rising Sun is a promising start, and I look forward to the next book.

[Carmel (Rabid Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I was super excited when I first discovered this novel because I’ve been meaning to give Kristen Painter’s writing a try, and although I’ve heard great things about her HOUSE OF COMARRE series, I have a more difficult time playing catch-up than I do jumping on the bandwagon at book 1. HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN has a lot going for it including captivating characters, detailed world-building, and a strong plot. Overall, I thought it was a good first installment, and a great introduction to Painter’s new CRESCENT CITY universe. However, I did have a major issue with Harlow; I found her to be very self-absorbed and I couldn’t sympathize with her daddy issues. She does get better as the story progresses, and I’m all for character growth, but her brattiness was just too extreme that it was difficult to see past it.

I really loved the world-building in this first installment—I wish there had been more of it! The CRESCENT CITY universe is so rich and diverse that I was hoping for a background chapter or maybe a glossary to help fill-in some of the blanks. Now, it’s my understanding that Augustine’s a secondary character from this author’s first series, so I’m assuming I would have probably benefited from starting with HOUSE OF COMARRE. But, already I find myself fascinated by all of the different types of fae. What sets the Shadeux apart from the Smokesinger and the Raptor? Vampires, shifters, witches, and voodoo further complete the picture, and help ensure that all paranormal readers will be able to enjoy this book no matter their preferred poison.

Harlow. Where do I begin? She and I did not get off to a good start. I found her bratty and very self-absorbed, and my opinion of her didn’t change until well past the mid-way point. I struggled to understand why she chose to alienate herself from her mother because of a man (her dad) she never met. Her attitude towards her inheritance on the tail end of her mother’s death was distasteful, and her prejudice against the fae was unjustified, especially given her genetics. Harlow does eventually begin to grow, and I found myself liking the character she might one day become if she continues down her new path. Unfortunately, the author made her heroine a little too hateful to the point that Harlow’s behaviour actually overshadowed some of this novel’s other merits.

Augustine is a phenomenal character, and I can definitely understand why he earned his own spin-off series. I liked how his dark and light sides battle each other; he wants to do right by Olivia, his mom and Harlow, but it’s so hard to please everyone, and revenge has a way of twisting even the best of intentions. I enjoyed the diversity and scope of Painter’s secondary characters; Dulcinea, Fenton and Lally were insta-favourites, and I look forward to learning more about their backgrounds and seeing what roles they will play as this series progresses. It’s also worth mentioning that the villain is especially heinous, and I’m optimistic that the hunt is going to be almost as satisfying as the eventual final showdown.

New Orleans is a great setting for this story, and the author makes good use of her location. I enjoyed the beginnings of Kristen Painter’s main plot arc, and see a lot of potential for future installments. HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN has one major downfall, but otherwise delivers on all fronts. I have high hopes for CITY OF ETERNAL NIGHT.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by Kristen Painter that I've read, and it works well as a stand-alone even though it's set in the world of at least one previous series and brings in characters from those books.

The setting is New Orleans, a generation or two into the future, and the richness of the writing style let me feel the lushness of the Garden District, where much of the action takes place. Other parts of the city might feel more matter of fact, but the naming of streets in the oldest part brought back personal memories, so I felt very much in the scene.

The intimate writing style might be called "third person close and omniscient." We don't just get into different characters' minds--in dialogues we learn how each participant feels at every point in the conversation, along with thoughts the other person's remark evokes and so on. This is especially true of the two main characters, Harlow Goodwin and Augustine Robelais. And even though these two, and many of the other characters, are either fae or partially fae, they come across as warmly human; the fae part seems to have more to do with powers, ability, and of course dangers than anything that's other than human in their personalities.

There are quite a few varieties of fae here. Augustine is part smokesinger and part shadeux, and I was never clear on which of his powers came from which side--but it didn't really matter for the story to work. He was quite happy being what he was, and we get to experience his development as a person from something of a free-wheeling scoundrel to a responsible leader of the community in furious combat with invading vampires. He faces danger readily, and I could easily root for him.

Harlow was harder to accept for many reviewers, though some agree that she shapes up around the halfway point in the book. Because of Painter's way of writing, we get to know her much more closely than is usual for this genre, and that's where the editor in me got into some difficulty. The problem isn't that she's been living in Boston as a free-lance computer hacker for the past fifteen years, completely estranged from her mother Olivia back in New Orleans; families have rifts, and family rifts are at the heart of a lot of good literature (viz. Mauriac). It's the nature of the rift.

Olivia is a former movie star who got pregnant by someone whose identity she doesn't reveal. She raised Harlow to adulthood, always refusing to tell her anything about her father. It's for your own good, she'd say. Now Olivia is part fae, the "haerbinger" variety that I'm still not too clear about, and Harlow is extremely unhappy about being even the tiniest bit fae. She has to wear gloves because skin-to-skin contact sends the other person's psyche right into her in a most upsetting way. Of course, she was ostracized as weird during adolescence. But the point is made along the way in the story that her fae side is stronger than her mother's. What does that say about daddy?

Well, Harlow is desperate for her daddy, whether alive or dead, to be totally human. So Olivia's refusal to spill the beans makes her a totally horrible person for Harlow. And it seems there's nothing else that's really keeping them apart. Harlow's unrealistic hang-up (hey, Harlow, you have to wear those gloves, your mother doesn't) was hard to accept as a major motivating factor in this story. It's obvious all along to the reader that he must be some kind of fae, and remember, there are many kinds, so why isn't Harlow facing up and trying to find out what kind, so she'll know what she is?

I didn't mind that Harlow got herself into trouble in the immediate backstory and now faces a huge fine or two years in prison as an accessory to a cyber crime. She has three weeks before she pays the fine or reports to prison, so she goes to Olivia in New Orleans as her only hope, as Olivia is quite wealthy. The awkwardness of that interaction, after fifteen years of refusing to communicate, would have been quite understandable, but it's compounded by this incongruous and unwarranted argument that erupts once again over her father's identity. In a word, gah. And she goes on like that.

Well, I've dwelt on only a few things in this review because the most important parts of the plot come between pages 70 and 90 in my edition, and the blurb doesn't reveal them. The main story has to count as spoilers, so what can I tell you?

In general, then, it's an exciting story, full of action, with more than half a dozen well-rounded characters whom we get to know very well, inside and out, with death, grief, heavy guilt feelings, and a need for revenge being lightened by humor and warm feelings. And I think you do feel better about Harlow before the end. Romance? Maybe as the series develops; the beginnings are there. Recommended.

[CasPerfitz~SLiTsReaD · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

Close to 30% through, I was about to give up and just stop reading… it just wasn’t holding my attention, and worst, I was hating the lead female character, but I’ll get back to that in a bit. Let’s just say, I’m glad I didn’t give up on this one, cause then the story did picked up it’s pace and I was then enthralled by the story.

The year: 2068… The setting: New Orleans or known to the vampires as La Ville Éternelle Nuit (City of Eternal Night.)

When a fae had her heart broken by her lover, she cursed the city and it became a vamp playground… So the Elektos, the high fae council, made a counter spell erasing the memory of New Orleans from a vampires mind when they left. But, someone has been bringing the vampires back in, promising them La Ville Éternelle Nuit to whoever can pay the price. So the vampires are back running amok… leaving behind dead tourist...

Enters the hero, Augustine, a very powerful fae who he had no plans in becoming a Guardian of the city… that is until Olivia, the person who saved him from the streets and gave him a home, was attacked by the vampires.

Then there’s the heroine, Harlow. She is Olivia’s daughter, who hates being a fae and is obsessed in finding out who her father is and which Olivia had vehemently refused in letting her know. And because of this, Harlow moved away and stopped talking to her mother. But Harlow is in trouble financially, and is left with only one person she could ask for help, her mom.

One of the huge reason I almost quit reading this book was Harlow. I thought her selfish, childish and cold. So selfish that even with her mom’s demise, she was still thinking of herself. Well, the good part is, her character was definitely getting a reaction out of me, though not in a good way. And I was wondering, how can she even redeem herself? But yes, there was character growth when one was showed it’s error. Yet, I feel like she needs to prove herself more. And then there is her out of place jealousy, some might think it endearing, I thought it childish.

Whereas Augustine is the perfect hero. None of those possessive alpha male type… but the sensitive, smart, protective and no nonsense kind of man. And did I mention powerful? I am totally digging Augie. ;) I loved reading his POV.

Great world building, I loved the futuristic touch like the fae’s gadgets ;) … Intriguing storyline… Surrounded with a lot of mystery that will keep you guessing, lots of surprises and action scenes. I also really appreciated that the romance angle did not overwhelm the main story.

As this is just the start of a series, there are some unsolved mystery surrounding both Harlow and Augie’s parentage, particularly their father. I am really more intrigued in finding out the extent of Harlow’s power and the mystery that is her very evil father.

All in all, a very promising start a series. ;)

Written in multi POV's.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted at The Book Nympho



First Thought
Kristen Painter continues to weave a complex world and characters. She is a master at world building and a great example of what Urban Fantasy is all about.

What I liked
I liked that Painter gave us more Fae with the House of the Rising Sun. Her other series is more about vampires so it’s nice to learn more about other supes. And what better city to have as a back-drop than NOLA?

Augustine is a great character. He’s complex. Even though he is the hero and main character he has a dark side. He had a rough childhood with that momma of his.

I like that our other main character, Harlow, is not likeable at first. She comes off as a little selfish and naive but by the end of the book she has grown up some and I think she will only get better over the course of the series.

What Could Have Been Better
The story takes place in the future 2040+ but everyone is still acting very old South. With the advancement of technology I think some of the manner of speech is a little too old school even for the South.

Will I continue the series?
Yes. I really enjoyed the world that Painter has created and I can't wait to read more about Auggie.

 
Narration
Elijah Alexander has a rich and masculine voice. I enjoyed his portrayal of Augustine, Harlow and the non-dialogue parts of the novel. But his voices for all the females (save Harlow) were so distracting that it pulled me out of the story and I felt like I was loosing important information at times because I could not connect with what was going on.

After I thought more about the narration I did enjoy it once I just let go of the fact that Alexander took great liberty with the accents of many of the characters. After quizzing Kristen Painter on Twitter I learned that all the characters are for the most part NOLA natives and should not have foreign accents. So I continued to listen while suspending by disbelief. I  believe I will listen to the next installment with that same attitude. I'll listen for enjoyment of the story and not judge the choice of voices the narrator picks for the characters. It actually kind of made some of the characters more interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

[Steelwhisper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Facile and boooooooooooooooooooooooooring...

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first Kristin Painter book. I'd read so many great reviews about her House of Comarre series so I was excited to get the first book in this series from Netgalley (in exchange for my honest review).

The blurb only talks about Augustine, but Harlow, Olivia's estranged daughter appears to have a co-starring role in the series. Harlow is part fae, part human and supposedly for her safety, her mother put Olivia in a boarding school and refuses to tell Harlow about her father and the relationship deteriorated from there. Harlow is arrested for a cyber crime and comes to her mother for the cash to pay her fine, but her mother is killed before that can happen. Meanwhile Augustine is recruited by the Elektros (the fae "government")to be their bounty hunter. There are vampires killing people and he has to stop it. Olivia divided her estate between Augustine and Harlow which worsens Harlow's resentment about Augustine's role in her mother's life. Of course, Augustine and Harlow are attracted to each other and actually meet the night before Harlow shows up to see Olivia. House of the Rising Sun is definitely urban fantasy, the romance, if you want to consider the limited interaction between Harlow and Auggie romance, is minimal.

Being the first book, I understand there has to be a lot of set up, but I just found it slow and tedious. Augustine and Harlow aren't terribly likable and some points didn't make sense.

Why would Olivia send Harlow to a human boarding school for safety? Olivia's home can be (and is) warded and she lives in New Orleans which is a Haven (a city governed/made safe for fae by the Elektros) where the Elektros will take care of Harlow's father if he shows up.

How does Harlow not know about Augustine? He's lived with her mother since he was 13. Surely she didn't live at the boarding school 365 days a year for 5 years. Their ages aren't discussed, but if he's older than she it's even more preposterous because he would have been living there before she went to boarding school.

I also felt there were some inconsistencies with Augustine's mother. At the end, she's a nun, but when he meets with her earlier in the book there's no mention of it?

Both characters are hybrids, but the details of what they get from their fae blood isn't spelled out except for a tiny bit here and there. If you've got a variety of fae, tell us what the differences are between them, what powers/abilities they have.

I just never got invested in the characters or cared what happened to them. Having read the first book, I would consider reading the second if I got a free copy from Netgalley or the library, but I wouldn't honestly recommend House of the Rising Sun to anyone else unless I knew for certain it would get paid off in the next book.

BTW: so far there's no indication of why this book was named House of the Rising Sun. Nothing to that effect is mentioned in the book. I also feel the cover is misleading. In this book Harlow "reads" objects, she's not a leather wearing, sexy ass kicker.

One other thing, Augustine killed his first person at 8 and he was supposedly so scary at 13 Olivia was leery about taking him in. He's not scary at all and not much of an alpha type in this book.

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Wow.
Those of us who are familiar with Kristen Painter House of Comarré series knew to expect great things from her new urban fantasy adventure. However, I don’t think any of us expected this level of improvement over her previous work. As good as House of Comarre was, the Crescent City series is urban fantasy at its best, a shining star that promises to be even brighter in future installments. The two series are even vaguely linked, but rest assured, once can be fully enjoyed and understood without the other.

House of the Rising Sun is mostly told from two points of view: those of Augustine Rabelais and Harlow Goodwin. I connection with the two protagonists, Augustine especially, is instant and very strong. The prologue reveals a single scene from Augistine’s dreadful childhood which immediately causes us to develop protective feelings toward him, feelings that only strengthen once we discover what kind of man he’s become. The amount of strength and resolve he must have needed to outgrow such horrendous circumstances and become a charming, upstanding man is admiration worthy and quite staggering.

Harlow is a bit more difficult to understand and like, at least at first. While Augustine learned kindness from those who were kind to him – namely his benefactor Olivia Goodwin – Harlow had no such opportunities. The Harlow we meet is closed and self-centered, focused on her own needs and careless of other people’s feelings. She’s a bit spoiled and so afraid of everything, and she constantly hides behind her computer screen, preferring a life online to actual human contact. But as Harlow starts caring about those around her, our own affection for her grows stronger, and by the time we finish the story, she is just as dear to us as Augustine.

Augustine and Harlow are complete opposites in everything, but their attraction is undeniable. This being a real urban fantasy novel and not a paranormal romance disguised as one, the focus is primarily on the war between the fae and vampires, a war in which our Augustine, as fae Guardian of New Orleans, has a lead position. The romance, however, is a constant subtle presence in the background, and only Harlow’s reluctance to trust keeps things from progressing too fast. As it is, the slow burn of their feelings is a true delight and we’re left with so much to look forward to in future installments.

House of the Risings Sun is without question the best new urban fantasy I’ve come across in a very long time. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Lila · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 75%.

Ok, I decided to leave this book at 75% mark, but I hated it since 15% mark. If I manage to read half of a book, I tend to stick to it to end, even if I know I wouldn't like it, so can you imagine how annoyed I was if I left it then?

I never read Painter before, but urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres and this story is set in New Orleans. Hell, the setting was my main hook.
So, our hero Augustine was ok, if rather generic lady-man character (we are in Nola, of course there has to be Gambit character). You know the type.. he sleeps with women, but he doesn't feel anything for them and they leave him empty and he forgets them after... I am so tired of this. Why can't a guy enjoy company of ladies and various night stands and then meet a girl who rocks his world? You don't have to slum other girls to make me see how heroine is unique (hint: she is the one because she is different then other girls. Yawn.).
Which brings me to heroine and my main reason for dnf'ing. I couldn't stand her. Author decided to make her a nerdy and recluse,so she is great with computers and yet she can't seem to find the most basic information. And I hated her voice. Author didn't so anything to show us she is geeky, she just said it is and you have to create a picture in your head with every stereotypical thing attached to it. Her mother is a famous actress and they don't have a good relationship because her mother refused to tell her anything about her father. So, we are spending a lot of page time with her dwelling how hurt she is because that left a huge hole in her, and she must know who he is... And yet, all she do is alienating her mother- she refuses to stay in touch with her- because... a way to fulfill that huge gap lack of your father left in your life is to throw your mother out of your life, too. -__-
It's ridiculous. Her need to know who her father was so overplayed and to make it her entire purpose to do anything was just not working for me. Every time she was in a scene I was annoyed I had to leave it.

[Olga · Rating 2 out of 5]

To put it nicely, I'm

I really wanted to like this book because a friend recommended it. It started okay and then lost me. I just never got invested in the characters or cared what happened to them, and I honestly wanted to. Augustine and Harlow aren't terribly likable and Harlow behaves like a disrespectful, immature, spoiled brat throughout the entire book. The constant whining about her father drove me mad more than once. I wanted to see some growth at the end, some incentive to keep going with the series but it never came.

My biggest issue is that I didn't get the chance to read a story, the author just showed me what she wanted me to see. Like watching a movie and constantly hearing a voice that tells you who did what and why. To add insult to injury we even got one of the bad guys' POV just to drive the point home. Phrases like I hope he never finds out it was me who [insert villainy thing to do here] were what killed it for me completely. WTF really?! I can figure out that much in a book without reading one of the villains’ POV, thank you very much.

And my last problem and I promise to stop here, is that I always expect the heroine to be told that she can’t fight the villain, that it’s better if she stayed home safely and let the guy take care of everything. But I always expect her to fight back and say things like The hell I can’t! I’m going and you’ll have to deal with it! Only that it was not what I got here. Harlow chose to stay home and watch TV! I’m not too fond of this type of damsel in distress.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣]

Q:
Procrastination assassinates opportunity.—Elektos Codex, 4.1.1
(c)

[Michelle Leah Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

Great book! The world building was stellar, the characters instantly likable, there was plenty of conflict on each page, the book started with a bang and instantly kept my interest, and even though it was the first of a 'new' series, there wasn't that dreaded data dump that makes you want to scream "get on with it already". It did have a graceful build, but from about 48% on it was constant action and like all good books should, left me wanting more after the last page was turned.

Augustine is an amazing hero and his escalation into the Guardian of the Haven city of New Orleans means... yep, more Augie in future installment. Woot! :) Harlow was one of those heroines that you really, really dislike at the beginning because there's so much left to conjecture, but she really grows on you as the book continues and the chemistry between the two is undeniable. The supporting characters - both on the protagonist and antagonist side of the spectrum - were necessary, compelling, and left me wanting to know more, so I hope that we do, indeed, learn more about them as the series progresses.

While CRESCENT CITY is a spin-off of THE HOUSE OF COMARRE it stands well on its own, and new readers will be able to jump in without issue.

Would I recommend House of the Rising Sun? Absolutely! I'm really looking forward to book #2. This is a very intriguing new Urban Fantasy series with lots of supe groups and plenty of action. Right up my alley...

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received this book for free from the AUTHOR in exchange for an honest review, and will also be participating in the House of the Rising Sun Book Blitz on 05/13/2014. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0

*My Thoughts*

House of the Rising Sun, the first book in the Crescent City series, could actually be considered a spin off from Painter's House of Comarré series since Augustine was a secondary character that appeared and helped Chrysabelle out of a tight situation when she traveled to New Orleans.

**READ MORE OF MY REVIEW HERE**

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

*Recvd via NetGalley/Orbit 03/06/2014* Published: May 13th 2014 by Orbit

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a beta-reader on this book. It's great! Already dying to get next book in series and this one hasn't even been published yet! Be looking for it!

[Parajunkee · Rating 4 out of 5]

PJV Quickie: I have not had the chance to read Kristen Painter before HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN. I was told I must though, so I gave in (such a chore!) and was not disappointed. Painter packed a punch with her great world building and her intense plot. The world was rich, the characters were very three dimensional and she created a setting that was believable. I can’t wait to read on in the series. There were some discrepancies in plot threads and the heroine was not so likeable, but the book was a must read in my opinion. Now I have to go back and read Painter’s first series!

Review: Painter’s world in HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN is a sort of futuristic setting that has the benefit of the inclusion of paranormal creatures. Faes have been introduced to the world along with shape-shifter, vampires and witches. Within this world Haven cities have become popular, these are cities where Fae are protected by Guardians and are free to roam without danger. New Orleans is one of those cities and we become quite familiar with a few particular fae that call New Orleans home, the first being Augustine. Augustine is a mixed fae who is brow-beaten by his mother from a very early age until she finally kicks him to the streets. Luckily he is adopted by a part-Fae movie star Olivia, who saves him and makes him into the great man he is.

Harlow is the second character in the series, she is Olivia’s daughter and returns to New Orleans because she is facing criminal charges and needs money to pay for her crimes. She hasn’t spoken to her mother for a long time because her mother refuses to divulge her father’s name. When Harlow returns she is set to enjoy her last days of freedom and hopefully talk her mom into helping her out, even though she doubts she’ll get any assistance from the mother she has ignored.

During the time both Faes are in the city, vampires descend and cause chaos in the streets of New Orleans, no one knows who let them in and why they are doing this. But, their actions hit close to home for both Harlow and Augustine and their lives will never be the same.

My thoughts ranged on this book. I enjoyed the book, but I did notice some glaring plot points that didn’t add up. I also wasn’t a fan of Harlow. She was a spoiled brat and I didn’t like her reactions and thought the other characters reactions to her were forced. If anyone acted like Harlow in real life, other people’s reactions to her would be very negative – instead of them trying to help her. I’ll set the scene. Harlow returns to New Orleans and the first things she does, after basically ignoring her mother for a few years, is ask for money. When her mother does finally help her, Harlow’s first reaction is to tear everything down, take the money and run. She basically tells the people closest to her mother to go, she states that she is taking what she can and getting back to Boston. She insults the culture of New Orleans, insults her mother, insults her mother’s friends and then acts moody and stand-offish the entire time. Her character eventually does grow, once she finally is faced with her father, but to me that is a little too late and a character with such glaring personality issues couldn’t possibly have a come to Jesus moment jut from realizing her mother was right from the start. Another issue that is a little wonky – why didn’t Olivia just tell her daughter…”your father is Pure Evil!” It might have cut through a lot of drama.

Augustine on the other hand was a hero. He was perfect. Strong, capable, a little vulnerable, funny and just a great character. You could tell he was a well-established character in her other series. I just don’t’t see him falling for Harlow, which seems to be the direction of the series. Come on Augustine, you can do so much better.

The mystery behind the story was great, but Painter did leave us hanging with a lot of threads not tied up at the end. Which I wasn’t too fond of, but will accept since it will hopefully be rectified later in the series. I know one task was completed, but the main reasoning behind the vampires in the city were not and there were numerous bad guys still out there plotting – so that is a bummer. I wanted to see the loose ends tied up.

Finally, I did notice some timeline issues. Painter never spoke ages, but Augustine and Harlow I assumed were near in age – so when did Harlow leave her mom if her mom adopted Augustine at 14ish? Was Harlow an older woman? I was confused. Why didn’t Harlow really know about Augustine if he had been with Olivia so long?

That just irked me, through the whole story. The final culmination of events also took me by surprise. The characters took the time to visit lawyers, watch movies, but the finale was wrapped up very easily, with little fan-fair. Seemed rushed and I turned the final page expecting to read more…but found Acknowledgements. That is always a jolt. But, it was satisfying to some degree.

Overall though, I highly recommend this title and hope for a bit more awesome from Kristen Painter. This series should rock. Even though it was futuristic, she still captured the feel of New Orleans and you can tell she’s spent many visits here embracing our culture. Nice, Kristen, that was awesome. I wish we had Faes for real here.

Favorite Part:

Lolly. She was the best and her Mint Julips, I just want to give them a try. The scene where she fixed Harlow Mint Julips was wonderful.



Recommendations: Adult novel but nothing to watch out for, the violence is mild, language is clean and there is only talk of sexy-time and no actual nookie, this is not a romance, even though their is a hint that the series will focus on a Romance between Harlow and Augustine. Recommended for Karen Marie Moning, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kresley Cole fans.

[Christal · Rating 4 out of 5]

See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!

I read and enjoyed Kristen Painter's Comarré series, but I think House of the Rising Sun might have topped them all. There was just something about this book that worked a little bit better for me and I loved the characters.

Augustine had a small role in Chrysabelle's story but House of the Rising Sun was all his. I loved learning more about him and his shadeux/smokesinger fae heritage. I absolutely adored his relationships with the other characters, especially Olivia and Dulcinea. He was brave and honorable, but not above getting a little dirty if it meant protecting someone he loved. Harlow was a little more difficult to love. She started the book as a very prickly character and it was hard to feel bad for her. The one thing that I did agree with her about is that he mother should have told her something about who her father was. I know Olivia thought she was protecting her, but really all she did is leave Harlow open to being taken advantage of. Over tim Harlow did grow on me; she wasn't always the most "aware" character but she did got much better by the end and I enjoyed seeing her working with Augustine. Lally was another fascinating character. She had been Olivia's maid and friend for ever and she stays on to take care of Augustine and Harlow. Lally was hilarious but quite the straight-talker; I loved her! I do think there is something more about Lally than we know now and I can't wait to see what it is.

The vampire villains behind House of the Rising Sun weren't as big a part to the story as I had originally thought. While they were a driving force behind everything that happened, they were actually wrapped up pretty easily. There was so much more going on in this book, though, and I am especially intrigued by Harlow's father and his true intentions. I am sure that we will see more of him in the next book. Another intriguing aspect is Olivia's fate and just how strong her fae heritage was. I think learning more about Olivia will help shed light on Harlow herself.

I highly recommend House of the Rising Sun to fans of urban fantasy. Reading the Comarré series is not a requirement for this new series, but it might fill in a few little knowledge gaps. It was an interesting series on its own and I think that fans of it will also love this one. Kristen Painter doesn't disappoint and she has created a wonderful extension of her world for fans!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for providing an ARC copy of this book!

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Johnna

3 STARS

Review copy provided for an honest review


The House of the Rising Son is a complex story of love, turmoil, along with good versus bad. Augustine is a fairy, a Fae, who has had a tumultuous upbringing, but loves his City of New Orleans. Olivia Goodwin, a famous actress who is Fae, as well, is Augustine’s friend and advocate, Olivia helped save him from his self and has ultimately made Augustine the protocol son of New Orleans. Olivia’s daughter, Harlow, along with Olivia’s confidant Lally, add layers to the story that are yet to be explored. New Orleans is another character in this unique tale. The vengeance of the other world players of vampires, good and bad fairies, along the witches playing with their spells and voodoo for bigger roles in wanting to be the keepers of the City and the historical power that only New Orleans has to offer. The House of the Rising Sun explores the many dimensions of the other world. The book explores the good and bad using spells, enchantments, powers, but most importantly love to set a dynamic stage for an enjoyable series. Book one leaves the reader with wanting more, seeing how the players develop, and ridding the City of the bad guys. I am looking forward to reading book two and seeing how the characters develop and mature.

[Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this spin-off of her previous House of Comarre series, Painter takes us deeper into the Fae world in New Orleans and places us firmly in the corner of Augustine, a Fae we met briefly in the previous series. He was an intriguing character then, if infuriating at times, and now I adore him. The other characters, Olivia and Harlow, are also fantastically real. Olivia, in true southern lady fashion, manages to be both "proper" and yet scandalous in the same breath. Harlow, her daughter, is PAINFULLY shy, with reasons you find out as you read. Which makes you, or at least made me, empathize with her on a level I didn't know was possible.

As always, Painter's writing is crisp and easy to follow, and detailed enough that you can picture yourself in the scene. Having been to New Orleans ... once ... we don't really need to talk about that ... it was easy to picture the city as she took you along for the ride. The story focuses more on the mystery, as do most Urban Fantasies, however for those of you that like a slow-build romance, I think we have that to look forward to as well.

I really enjoyed this story, even more than the HoC books this series is based on, and am eagerly, if not impatiently, awaiting the next installment.

[Lori {Romancing the Dark Side} · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating new paranormal world set in the perfect place, New Orleans! While I couldn't fully connect with the protagonist Harlow (in this installment), I'm smitten with the book's hero Augustine. Looking forward to revisiting this world soon! *Full review coming soon*

[Taylor Alice Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF :/

[A. Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am being generous by giving this book 3 stars. It wasn't poorly written but it took too long for the author to get to 'meat and potatoes' of the story. It took too long for the main characters to meet and then the story seemed rushed. The events of the story were too neatly wrapped up.

With that said ... I like the direction the story is taking. I also like that the author set this tale in New Orleans. Liked the male lead Augustine a lot. His character is well developed but I cannot say the same for Harlow or the other characters. I just didn't care for the female lead (Harlow) and felt that Augustine needed a better character to be his female lead and love interest. I did like the the mixing of the old and the new (like plastic money and the newspaper being a rare item). The 'Crescent City' series has a lot of potential and I am hoping that the characters are developed further in the books to follow.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars DNF at 178 pages. This book has a spectacular opening chapter, but never really worked for me after that. It was hard to get invested in the characters, magic, plot, and I never really felt a strong connection between the characters. I also didn't love the writing style.

Oh, well. I've heard good things about this author's other series, so I still might try that sometime.

An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.

[Runningrabbit · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF This was so ordinary it bored me to tears. The style annoyed, the conversation was nothing much, the characters were cliched, and the initial story of romance was so predictable it was ridiculous. blah blah blah

I might give it another try, merely because Maja has given it such a good review - but at this time, I'd have to be desperate, but it's a bit of an indictment that I've ditched it in the first few chapters..

[Shannon Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent start to a new series. However, I was a bit disappointed. Painter's Comarre series hooked me from the start, I fell in love with her characters and their world. This book didn't have that same effect on me. While parts were entertaining, it was easy to set aside. I will definitely check out the next installment, hopefully it will have more appeal.

[Moira · Rating 3 out of 5]

1.3.2017 - 3*
Má to mužského protagonistu.
Má to skvělý nápad.
Má to docela dobře propracovaný svět, i když, co jsem pochopila, je to spin-off jiné série autorky. To nic nemění na tom, že je propracovaný.
Má to nádhernou obálku. A kick-ass název.
Mělo to skvělý začátek, kouzelnou atmosféru a příslib. A New Orleans pozadí... oh my, na tento kousek jsem se těšila.
A stejně je to pro mě jen průměrná kniha, jelikož mi strašně nesedl styl psaní.

Co mi neustále lezlo na nervy - hlavní hrdinka. Problém je, že... všechno. Nejsem si jistá, zda ji Painter neudělala záměrně nesnesitelnou, aby se mohla vyvíjet, ale... Holčina, která má ráda komixy, je geek, miluje RPG, Kristova noho, měla bych se s ní totálně sžít od strany jedna. Místo toho jsem ji ale nenáviděla. Pro to, jak bez páteře byla. (Několikrát v knize bylo zmíněno, že naopak páteř má. Haha. Well, abych nebyla nespravedlivá, tu a tam se ozvala, ale o páteři bych rozhodě nemluvila.) Ale i to bych překousla, jelikož charaktery jsou různé. Taky byla tak trochu k ničemu. Má mít tyhle super hackerské schopnosti a udělala s nimi ve výsledku nic. Opět, občas pomohla, se svými fae dary, ale nemohla jsem se zbavit damsel in distress pocitu, až příliš, především, když kolem ní Augustin poskakoval jako věrný pes. Co mě iritovalo nejvíce - její předsudky, její názory a fakt, že vše věděla nejlépe a odmítala naslouchat, ne tvrdohlavě, ale ignorantsky si stála za svým. A byla nevděčná. Sobecká a vyloženě dětinská. Možná mě to tak iritovalo, jelikož jí to všichni nechávali procházet a z nějakého důvodu ji chápali. oO Ke konci knihy se to zlepšilo, ale většinu příběhu jsem z ní byla prostě jen znechucená.
Co nechápu je - v knize se objevuje jiná ženská postava a ta je dokonale normální a oblíbila jsem si ji. Takže autorka umí napsat ženský charakter. Jen si prostě jako hlavní vybrala Harlow a já ji nemohla snést.
Augustine byl broučínek. Až na jeden iracionální fakt Instalove pro Harlow? Když ta se k němu chovala pomalu hůř, než k hadru? Je to takový šarmantní chlapec, a on si stýská po nedospělé, dětinské krůtě, která jej nenávidí pro něco, za co nemůže - aka že je fae?, byl dobrou postavou a já jej měla ráda.
Všechny postavy byly více méně dobré. Trochu ploché, jelikož jim autorka nevěnovala příliš prostoru...
Ale to může být celkově stylem psaní. Z celé knihy mám neurčitý pocit jednoduchosti a povrchnosti. Ne povrchnosti aka že je nahlíženo na vše jako na podřadnější a vše je egocentrické, ale povrchnosti jako že autorka jen lízla povrch a nešla vůbec do hloubky, což dalo celé knize jaksi prázdné vyznění.
Jsem s tou knihou tak nějak nespokojená, ale jelikož jsem to navzdory tomu všemu dočetla, což se ne vždy stává, nejspíše to má něco do sebe. Možná si i přečtu druhý díl, jelikož bych ráda věděla, jestli se Harlow změní, jestli Augustine dostane rozum a kam vše, co se stalo, povede.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well shit. I just wrote this whole thing, was proofreading it and lost it! Let's see if I can piece my thoughts together again.

Gah, this was not good. One reviewer called it lazy and another called it facile and boring. Both are accurate descriptions of the book and describe my opinion perfectly. The author has some interesting ideas, but just drops them all in willy-nilly, with no attempt to situate them in any sort of world building.

Both "main" characters are just cardboard cutouts of PNR heros/heroines. He's protective and she needs protecting. There isn't really anything more to either of them. But Harlow is especially poorly sketched out. Augustine at least goes out and does things. Harlow just basically sits home and frets, waiting for someone else to solve her problems. Want to know how important she is to the story? She's not even mentioned in the book's description, despite her sexy image being used to grab readers attention. (And it should be added that the actual character lives in baggy sweatshirts to cover her physique. So the image really is just to sex the cover up.)

There is a semblance of plot. It has to be Augustine who protects the city, because reasons. Harlow hasn't much spoken to her mother for decades, because reasons. She has to come home now, because reasons. Olivia has never told Harlow who her father is (despite it destroying their relationship), because reason. Olivia took Augustine in, because reasons. BUT NONE OF IT REALLY HOLDS UP TO THE LIGHT. And frankly a lot of it isn't even believable.

Lastly, the timeline is hinky. Ages aren't ever stated, but they can be approximated with the information provided, and Olivia seems far too old to be Harlow's mother. And all of Harlow's childhood is basically glossed over with "sent to boarding school." Despite this, there seems to be several missing years in there. And if 20+ years pass, am I to believe Olivia never mentioned essentially adopting a son? Again, it's all a product of lazy writing.

All in all, I'm very glad to be finished with this. By the end, Harlow's intense unlikeable-ness was becoming too much to bear. Painter apparently couldn't even put in enough effort on her behalf to make her palatable. The narration, done by Elijah Alexander was fine. But again, choosing a male narrator for a book with a female main character on the cover, should tell you who the focus of the book is really on. (I actually wouldn't call Harlow a main character at all.)

[Brooke Sillaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Round up to 3.5 stars.

[Katy Cannon]

The writing style is very V.E. Schwab.