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Battles in the Dark
The Species Within
Kira, a huntress plagued by dreams of fire and pain has worked tirelessly to rid her city of the scourge that has nearly destroyed it...nostvores, mythlend creatures with dark and vast appetites for blood and sex. She does this not only because they had killed so many people in her life, but also because she has an edge that no other human had...she has their abilities. The problem was, these abilities were killing her and she feared time was no longer on her side. So the moment she found out that Darius, a nostvore leader was threatening to awaken an indestructible species to help him enslave all humans and mythlends, and that she may be the key to his plan, she knew her only choice was to risk her life with the little time that she had left and join her enemy to find out why, and to make sure his plan failed. If that wasn't dangerous enough, the more time she spends with the Vanatre nostvore Emmerich, and the mooran Kuron, who she brings with her for protection, the less she wants to kill them. Instead, she feels an unexplainable attraction towards them both, and she fears surrendering to such desire with either is a deadly game to play, for she would not only be risking her life, but quite possibly her heart.
380 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2013
21 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
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April 17, 2014
Favorite Lines “You really are special aren’t you?”
“Don’t look at the naked man. Don’t look at the naked man.”
“Gods! Where did you come from?” he said as he kissed her.
“Does it matter? I’m here now.”
“And thank the gods for that.”
“Deep inside him however, he knew that it would never be better without her.”
“That, my dear former leader…” he said between his fits of laughter. “…is your death.”
Good book! Great characters, kick ass scenes! Kira is a special human she's just like the supernatural but human. Her life long mission is to kill every nostvore and lycroulds she finds. What she doesn't expect is to end up working with those same supernatural to save the world and falling for one of them. So much drama shoved in the book. Emmerich has always been Raidan's second in command he always follows orders but when he meets Kira something changes. The fighting is epic, the drama is Intense. A action packed paranormal fabulousness!
Then ending made me need more! I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next!
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review
FOUR SPECIAL FAIRIES
“Don’t look at the naked man. Don’t look at the naked man.”
“Gods! Where did you come from?” he said as he kissed her.
“Does it matter? I’m here now.”
“And thank the gods for that.”
“Deep inside him however, he knew that it would never be better without her.”
“That, my dear former leader…” he said between his fits of laughter. “…is your death.”
Good book! Great characters, kick ass scenes! Kira is a special human she's just like the supernatural but human. Her life long mission is to kill every nostvore and lycroulds she finds. What she doesn't expect is to end up working with those same supernatural to save the world and falling for one of them. So much drama shoved in the book. Emmerich has always been Raidan's second in command he always follows orders but when he meets Kira something changes. The fighting is epic, the drama is Intense. A action packed paranormal fabulousness!
Then ending made me need more! I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next!
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review
FOUR SPECIAL FAIRIES
February 28, 2014
How does a human with “special abilities” go from hunting and killing every supernatural creature she can find to making the decision to stand with them? Kira’s hatred runs deep, but when she discovers that one of these ancient and dark creatures want to awaken an indestructible beast to take over and destroy the world, time becomes a commodity in short supply and action is paramount. It isn’t easy for Kira, as she learns that these creatures with their penchant for sex and blood have a very “human-like” side. Two in particular have made a dent in her hatred. Kuron and Emmerich each desire Kyra, but are either right for her? Are their intentions more than sex? When they face the enemy together, the ultimate sacrifice will be made, but will it be enough to save the world?
I’m not sure how author Kimberley Clark did it, but The Species Within, book one of the Battles in the Dark series has dark tension, sexual tension and some of the most fascinating and humorous love triangle scenes. Kira is tough, snarky and yet vulnerable to the feelings that are growing for her sworn enemies. Her abilities match their own and as a human, she has kept them hidden. Emmerich is an ancient who is tired of existing, his life is empty, but his newfound ability to actually love someone is fascinating to watch as he fumbles through it. Imagine an alpha leader, suddenly emotionally out of control! Kuron is another story, he, too is an alpha male, but he has an easier time with his feelings, not less painful, but he seems to accept them better. Together, these three make for some fantastic, tension-filled moments.
Ms. Clark has detailed her world beautifully, never hurrying along or cutting corners. Every dark moment, every battle and every romantic scene runs across that big screen in your mind and will leave you, in turn, clenching your fists, laughing out loud, on the verge of tears or reaching for the smelling salts and a fan. As clans band together to fight the greatest evil, there is a lesson here to be learned about making blanket opinions about those who live in the dark, enemies become allies, lovers and maybe friends of sorts, and, oh yeah, Ms. Clark can write hot and steamy scenes! This is a great foundation for a series to follow!
I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars!
Series: Battles in the Dark - Book 1
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Kimberley Clark
Genre: Adult Dark Paranormal Romance
Number of Pages: 402 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I’m not sure how author Kimberley Clark did it, but The Species Within, book one of the Battles in the Dark series has dark tension, sexual tension and some of the most fascinating and humorous love triangle scenes. Kira is tough, snarky and yet vulnerable to the feelings that are growing for her sworn enemies. Her abilities match their own and as a human, she has kept them hidden. Emmerich is an ancient who is tired of existing, his life is empty, but his newfound ability to actually love someone is fascinating to watch as he fumbles through it. Imagine an alpha leader, suddenly emotionally out of control! Kuron is another story, he, too is an alpha male, but he has an easier time with his feelings, not less painful, but he seems to accept them better. Together, these three make for some fantastic, tension-filled moments.
Ms. Clark has detailed her world beautifully, never hurrying along or cutting corners. Every dark moment, every battle and every romantic scene runs across that big screen in your mind and will leave you, in turn, clenching your fists, laughing out loud, on the verge of tears or reaching for the smelling salts and a fan. As clans band together to fight the greatest evil, there is a lesson here to be learned about making blanket opinions about those who live in the dark, enemies become allies, lovers and maybe friends of sorts, and, oh yeah, Ms. Clark can write hot and steamy scenes! This is a great foundation for a series to follow!
I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars!
Series: Battles in the Dark - Book 1
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Kimberley Clark
Genre: Adult Dark Paranormal Romance
Number of Pages: 402 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
November 26, 2013
Absolutely Freaking Amazing!
Kira have been killing mythlends for a time now. With the same strengths and DNA of two mythlends species but still human Kira packs one hell of a punch.
Hunting them alone at night, she keeps to her promise to destroy them all. But she never counted on the warrior Emmerich sent to bring her in to the Vanatre leader. She is an abomination, and a deadly one. They need to find out what she is and get rid of her. But when the leader of the Vanatre discovers that his enemy fears her, he changes his mind.
They soon discover Kira’s real purpose and that there is another female like her. When she agrees to help them in order to save mankind from the insane Darius, all hell breaks loose in her world. Kira is suddenly very aware of the warrior Emmerich and around every corner she battles the species within her trying to take control. But how long can she deny her DNA its right to reign?
What a freaking ride! I have been looking for another fix after the Fever series and here it is! Around chapter two I couldn’t help but think of the fever series and how amazing it was to discover another series that gives me the save amazing effect. Kira is one hell of a bad ass chick. She doesn’t take crap and is able to endure what some supernatural’s can’t even handle. I loved her deviant nature and the way she just keep pissing everyone off around her. What an amazing character Clark created here!
Clark went further and introduced Emmerich. He’s got the total package any female is looking for. Stubborn, strong willed and dominating he tries his best to control Kira and bring her down to her knees. But unfortunately for him she wasn’t just going to bow down and take it. Without knowing it, Kira was the one to bring him down to his knees and change his whole perspective of his world.
When the mooran Kuron is thrown into the package, also competing for her Kira’s affection, you know there is going to be a lot of male testosterone flying around. I freaking loved him. Smart mouthed and epically sarcastic he make she whole story even more amazing.
My conclusion at end of the book was that Clark created an amazing storyline with twists and turns and amazing characters. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one session. Yeah, it was that bloody good! So if you haven’t picked up this series and started to read it, get it now! I can’t wait to continue this story and get another fix. Well done to the author and I’ll be watching out for number two.
Kira have been killing mythlends for a time now. With the same strengths and DNA of two mythlends species but still human Kira packs one hell of a punch.
Hunting them alone at night, she keeps to her promise to destroy them all. But she never counted on the warrior Emmerich sent to bring her in to the Vanatre leader. She is an abomination, and a deadly one. They need to find out what she is and get rid of her. But when the leader of the Vanatre discovers that his enemy fears her, he changes his mind.
They soon discover Kira’s real purpose and that there is another female like her. When she agrees to help them in order to save mankind from the insane Darius, all hell breaks loose in her world. Kira is suddenly very aware of the warrior Emmerich and around every corner she battles the species within her trying to take control. But how long can she deny her DNA its right to reign?
What a freaking ride! I have been looking for another fix after the Fever series and here it is! Around chapter two I couldn’t help but think of the fever series and how amazing it was to discover another series that gives me the save amazing effect. Kira is one hell of a bad ass chick. She doesn’t take crap and is able to endure what some supernatural’s can’t even handle. I loved her deviant nature and the way she just keep pissing everyone off around her. What an amazing character Clark created here!
Clark went further and introduced Emmerich. He’s got the total package any female is looking for. Stubborn, strong willed and dominating he tries his best to control Kira and bring her down to her knees. But unfortunately for him she wasn’t just going to bow down and take it. Without knowing it, Kira was the one to bring him down to his knees and change his whole perspective of his world.
When the mooran Kuron is thrown into the package, also competing for her Kira’s affection, you know there is going to be a lot of male testosterone flying around. I freaking loved him. Smart mouthed and epically sarcastic he make she whole story even more amazing.
My conclusion at end of the book was that Clark created an amazing storyline with twists and turns and amazing characters. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one session. Yeah, it was that bloody good! So if you haven’t picked up this series and started to read it, get it now! I can’t wait to continue this story and get another fix. Well done to the author and I’ll be watching out for number two.
October 16, 2018
Fantastic. Absolutely loved it. Kira, the main character is like Buffy the vampire slayer multiplied by 10! An absorbing fantasy novel that deserves to be read by everyone. I warn you that you will want to read book 2 as soon as you finish this one. It is definitely an 'adult' fantasy with a lot of spice. Very much a page turner. :)
October 12, 2017
I love this book, the characters were fantastic, the lore was terrific (I am a bit of a lore buff) and my all time favourite character is Kuron. Not to go into spoiler territory but at a certain point, I even fist pumped in excitement because Kuron did something. That doesn't happen often when I read a book.
There are some sexy times in the book, but this never distracted me from the storyline. Even though the premise was straightforward, it showed how talented a storyteller Kimberley is as the story was marvellous and engaging as I read this in one sitting, which only my top 15 authors can do to me.
I would highly recommend this book!
There are some sexy times in the book, but this never distracted me from the storyline. Even though the premise was straightforward, it showed how talented a storyteller Kimberley is as the story was marvellous and engaging as I read this in one sitting, which only my top 15 authors can do to me.
I would highly recommend this book!
March 12, 2015
It's going to be hard to know where to start when reviewing this book. Let me just say, I'm going to have quite a bit to say, and not all of it will be complimentary. So if you are passionate about how great this book is, then I suggest you read no further. Although, if you are the author, I have made note of a few typos at the very end.
If however you are thinking of reading this book and trying to decide by reading reviews, then please read on. Also, if you appreciate a bit of snarkasm, you might enjoy my viewpoint.
If you love authors like Nalini Singh, then I would approach this book with caution. Yes, it is paranormal, yes it is "erotica" (in the way that it is over-flowing with overly descriptive sex scenes). But it holds a mere flicker of a candle to the true masters.
This is a novel of vampires and werewolves, with a ghoul involved. Sure, they are given new names - Nostvore and Lycrould (made-up words with no basis in any language that I know of - edcuate me if they are, please) - but they bear absolutely no fundamental differences from the stereotypical vampires and werewolves. Nostvore drink blood, they're sexy, they dislike sunlight and Lycroulds turn into wolves. Not really much more is revealed about the Lycroulds in this book, but maybe in the next the main character will get to include one of those in her mythlend harem. Anita Blake watch out, you've got competition and her name is Kira.
I did kinda like the ghoul. I mean, Mooran.
There are all sorts ofvampire Nostvore politics going on, mainly this clan hates this clan, that has co-operated with the werewolves Lycroulds in order to destroy the world by summoning a terrible displacer beast (I'll add his actual species later).
And the main character, Kira, hates mythlends (that's the supernatural beings) with a passion, killing them with vicious glee - although she does share her abandoned apartment building with the ghoul. This does not stop her getting all sexy with several of them though. She's not entirely human herself, either.
There's sex - a LOT of sex - not just between Kira and her bestial beaus, but between other side characters. This is definitely a story where quantity outweighs quality. The scenes themselves are almost clinical - "he did this, she moaned" - kinda dry and drawn out with plenty of detail but very little emotional involvement. They may have been sex scenes - but they weren't sexy. They felt more like instructional manuals (if you lick here or nibble there...). It's all tell, tell, tell with only the lightest smattering of show.
The main character is, frankly, a bitch, the male characters are OK but mostly flat and, for reasons of this being an erotica novel, extremely well hung. The relationships are conflicted and confusing - very much a love/hate thing going on between Kira and her beaus. One minutes she's trying to rip their pants off, the next minute she's ripping their heads off - mostly metaphorically. To her credit, at least she's as confused about her behaviour as the reader. The sex scenes are gratutious and over-worded.
There's also typos. No spelling mistakes, because the professional editing service clearly did a spell-check, but spell-checks do not pick up on mis-used words, including the consistent use of "Vile" instead of "vial" (and at least 3 more that I forgot to take note of).
But we shall end with my absolute favourite:
"So began a great war which ravished the mythlend population, nearly leading them into extinction."
Disclaimer: I read the ebook version, it is possible (although not necessarily likely) that some of the typos may have been fixed in the printed version.
If however you are thinking of reading this book and trying to decide by reading reviews, then please read on. Also, if you appreciate a bit of snarkasm, you might enjoy my viewpoint.
If you love authors like Nalini Singh, then I would approach this book with caution. Yes, it is paranormal, yes it is "erotica" (in the way that it is over-flowing with overly descriptive sex scenes). But it holds a mere flicker of a candle to the true masters.
This is a novel of vampires and werewolves, with a ghoul involved. Sure, they are given new names - Nostvore and Lycrould (made-up words with no basis in any language that I know of - edcuate me if they are, please) - but they bear absolutely no fundamental differences from the stereotypical vampires and werewolves. Nostvore drink blood, they're sexy, they dislike sunlight and Lycroulds turn into wolves. Not really much more is revealed about the Lycroulds in this book, but maybe in the next the main character will get to include one of those in her mythlend harem. Anita Blake watch out, you've got competition and her name is Kira.
I did kinda like the ghoul. I mean, Mooran.
There are all sorts of
And the main character, Kira, hates mythlends (that's the supernatural beings) with a passion, killing them with vicious glee - although she does share her abandoned apartment building with the ghoul. This does not stop her getting all sexy with several of them though. She's not entirely human herself, either.
There's sex - a LOT of sex - not just between Kira and her bestial beaus, but between other side characters. This is definitely a story where quantity outweighs quality. The scenes themselves are almost clinical - "he did this, she moaned" - kinda dry and drawn out with plenty of detail but very little emotional involvement. They may have been sex scenes - but they weren't sexy. They felt more like instructional manuals (if you lick here or nibble there...). It's all tell, tell, tell with only the lightest smattering of show.
The main character is, frankly, a bitch, the male characters are OK but mostly flat and, for reasons of this being an erotica novel, extremely well hung. The relationships are conflicted and confusing - very much a love/hate thing going on between Kira and her beaus. One minutes she's trying to rip their pants off, the next minute she's ripping their heads off - mostly metaphorically. To her credit, at least she's as confused about her behaviour as the reader. The sex scenes are gratutious and over-worded.
There's also typos. No spelling mistakes, because the professional editing service clearly did a spell-check, but spell-checks do not pick up on mis-used words, including the consistent use of "Vile" instead of "vial" (and at least 3 more that I forgot to take note of).
But we shall end with my absolute favourite:
"So began a great war which ravished the mythlend population, nearly leading them into extinction."
Disclaimer: I read the ebook version, it is possible (although not necessarily likely) that some of the typos may have been fixed in the printed version.
March 14, 2015
Ummm what can I say?
This book could have been written without the erotic crap in it and it still would be a complete story without it. And probably better.
Not reading book 2 or 3 - not worth my time.
Many editing mistakes makes it hard to read at times.
Other than that it was easy reading.
This book could have been written without the erotic crap in it and it still would be a complete story without it. And probably better.
Not reading book 2 or 3 - not worth my time.
Many editing mistakes makes it hard to read at times.
Other than that it was easy reading.
November 23, 2013
A great fantasy read!! I absolutely adore a special heorine who's tough enough to have everyone pondering if the big boys are good enough to play with her. Kira has a swirl of silver and blue eyes that glow when she uses the abilities that represent the two DNA streaks within her, DNA that come from a version of werewolves and vampires, only in this book they're known as lycrould and nostvores, and society doesn't know about them. Her parents' death at the hands of nostvores is the foundation for her reason of killing them, but with the ability to sense the deaths of all the mythlend's victims and the limit on her life, she makes it a mission to kill all of them and save her human race before time's up.
The book opens to her hunting a newly turned nostvore and letting the reader know what her world is like. There's a war against humans and mythlends (as the supernatural are called) but the media misjudges the deaths as a result of rivalry gangs. She then goes on to attack an entire faction of nostvores and lets one survive to give her leader a message of his impending death at her hands. Darius hears of the human with glowing eyes and is surprised that 'there is another', as he'd "found" one just like Kira years before. Intrigued, he visits Raidan, his old leader turned enemy, telling him about the threat, when in reality he's searching the mansion for a map that will help him move forward in his master plan. Raidan and his second in command, Emmerich, don't trust Darius and yet also noticed the fear in his eyes at the mention of a human that shouldn't exist, so Emmerich is sent to find her.
And he does, though his appearance distracts her in the middle of a hunt and gets her back sliced open. She surprises him with her abilities to sense him and almost injure him, and eventually he follows her back to her place. Her apartment is in the middle of an abandoned area that's heavily guarded by Kuron, a mooran that eats all living things by sucking out their essence. A mooran is very hard to kill, but she'd seen one killed and so used this information to survive a match with Kuron. The outcome was a pact that she'd keep the information to herself if he let her live in the apartment (which is in his territory) and continue to keep people, both human and mythlend, away. He's also attracted to her, but she trusts no mythlends, so is a total bitch to him so she doesn't forget to keep her guard up. When she dreams the same dream once again, something is different, and realizes it's the nostvore from earlier. He somehow found a way to visit her in her dream.
She catches him in her apartment only after she walks out of her bathroom naked (LOL!) and gets knocked out when she refuses to cooperate, though not before he tastes her blood (it surprises him) and the two make out. *wiggles eyebrows suggestively* She comes to, handcuffed to Emmerich's bed, and when she still refuses to answer any of their questions, they bring in someone to torture her. A man, I might add, who has a 100% success in getting info out of his clients... hehehe well dude's shit out of luck, because she tells him nothing, even after he gets frustrated with his tools and resorts to tearing into her. However, as soon as he tastes her blood, he freaks out, spits some in a tube, and then runs out.
Darius gets a clan of lycroulds to join him in attacking Raidan's mansion, and while under attack, Kira gets a visit from the other 'special human', who claims that she is the key, not Kira, but wants her out of the way anyway. She almost kills her but Emmerich comes back in time. After the battle, Raidan and the others learn from her blood that she is dying, and use that to get her to go with them to the other side of the world, where Darius will be heading to reawaken the Hunrati, an ancient vicious race that had been trapped and put asleep, they were so unstoppable.
Kuron goes with them and they all head to Elysia where the sleeping Hunrati are, along with Claritis and his own group of people, the only form of supporters that were willing to believe Raidan about the Hunrati and Darius. The adventure there is intense, and this is also when she starts to realize that she likes Emmerich and Kuron, but honestly, the whole time I was like, "Okay, when is she going to recognize something in the 'now dark and magical forest' or relate something to her nightmare and freak out?" And guess what- it came! I was just anticipating this scene, when they come across a part of the forest where their destination should be and she spots a woman from her dreams, and then the rest of them, and hears them say, 'You have come for us', before passing out.
Oh, backtrack. Okay, so whenever she has a nightmare, it's the same one. She's in a dark place all alone by herself, watched by many eyes, and being whispered to, telling her to join them. And then she gets set on fire from the inside out and is in eternal pain before turning into nothing but bones. Creepy and horrible, right?
So she wakes up and knows where they have to go, they get to the city Kartarus where Darius already is, and Kira goes after Shar, the other special human, after a battle unfolds. However, Darius had wanted that all along, because should his human fail to wake up the Hunrati, Kira's presence would be there to do it. And that's exactly what happens. While fighting with Shar, she gets stabbed and stumbles over the chamber's threshold that Shar had run to, the place where the Hunrati are to be awakened. A barrier goes up to trap her in, and Emmerich arrives too late. She's in familiar pain, and her heart aches at the thought of not knowing what could've been with Emmerich. She tells him she loves him, notices the symbols of power on the floor, and then chants a spell to get him out before making him promise to keep Darius from taking over the Hunrati. Then he's transported out of the chamber, and she blacks out.
When Emmerich realizes that she'd moved him out of the city, he goes back in the hopes to save her, but then the earth trembles and the city starts to crumble. He gets to the tunnel only to see its entrance caved in, and then the earth beneath his feet opens, taking at least half the city with it. There's no way she could've survived that, and it destroys something in him, before rage overtakes him and he joins the battle still going on. And then a ferocious roar pierces the night and stops the fighting, and feral snarls and screaming echo from within the city before everything turns silent.
"What was that?" asked Raidan.
"That, my dear former leader..." Darius said between his fits of laughter, "...is your death."
Large forms emerged from the dust, green eyes glowing with the sounds of gnarling teeth. Everyone's weapons turned toward the new threat to prepare for the worse, and then- IT. ENDS!!!!!
Occkkkkkk- that To be continued... totally killed me. Such a great cliffhanger though, haha. XD I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Mucho grande. Viele. The story, the adventure (the sex), the characters and Kira's development emotion-wise, the whole setting of the world (and the sex), the plot- I loved it all! When I saw that there was going to be a love triangle, I was a little weary, but the synopsis won me over because it just sounded too interesting to not try out. I'd endure a love-tri for this. XD And it wasn't bad! The way Kira was made me understand why she'd fall for both of them. For one thing, Emmerich and Kuron are mythlends, and she hates those races, but even when she realizes that she likes Emmerich, she also finds that she has feelings for Kuron, though she doesn't know what those feelings are. Emmerich is such an old, stubborn alpha ass learning to live again when Kira comes into his life. And Kuron, with his hot human form and scary-as-hell's-crack true monster form, is such a cutie with Kira while still being that mythlend that everyone gets cautious around. I mean, he does prefer mythlend flavor, after all. But he behaves... most of the time. :) And even some of the supporting characters made me smile, like Eagan or Hedona, the nostvore who delivered Kira's message to Darius in the beginning.
I think Kira was just such a cool chick, and very strong, though it also ends up being her weakness because it gets in the way of her being with Emmerich. Finding this book was like finding a delicious triple chocolate and peanut butter brownie in a sea of Easy-Bake oven cupcakes, I don't know why this tickled me so much, but it did!
Some might not like it because of the torture scene, with the cutting and slicing and dicing, and there is a multiple POV and a few alpha males. Oh, and sex. X) Really hot scenes, too! *sweats* LOL And okay, so I could be desperate here, but Kira has green eyes when they aren't glowing silver and blue. And the lycroulds and nostvores were created from two people (a woman close to death and a man bitten by a wolf) who were used in the spell to put the Humrati to sleep, and she is a human with both the mythlends' DNA... and there's a connection here between her and the Hunrati with that trippy dreams she has Ijustknowit! T_T I'm not crazy!
So overall, I love this, and if we have similar tastes, you'll go crazy over this too XD
Click here to read the first two chapters for free!
Happy Reading!
The book opens to her hunting a newly turned nostvore and letting the reader know what her world is like. There's a war against humans and mythlends (as the supernatural are called) but the media misjudges the deaths as a result of rivalry gangs. She then goes on to attack an entire faction of nostvores and lets one survive to give her leader a message of his impending death at her hands. Darius hears of the human with glowing eyes and is surprised that 'there is another', as he'd "found" one just like Kira years before. Intrigued, he visits Raidan, his old leader turned enemy, telling him about the threat, when in reality he's searching the mansion for a map that will help him move forward in his master plan. Raidan and his second in command, Emmerich, don't trust Darius and yet also noticed the fear in his eyes at the mention of a human that shouldn't exist, so Emmerich is sent to find her.
And he does, though his appearance distracts her in the middle of a hunt and gets her back sliced open. She surprises him with her abilities to sense him and almost injure him, and eventually he follows her back to her place. Her apartment is in the middle of an abandoned area that's heavily guarded by Kuron, a mooran that eats all living things by sucking out their essence. A mooran is very hard to kill, but she'd seen one killed and so used this information to survive a match with Kuron. The outcome was a pact that she'd keep the information to herself if he let her live in the apartment (which is in his territory) and continue to keep people, both human and mythlend, away. He's also attracted to her, but she trusts no mythlends, so is a total bitch to him so she doesn't forget to keep her guard up. When she dreams the same dream once again, something is different, and realizes it's the nostvore from earlier. He somehow found a way to visit her in her dream.
She catches him in her apartment only after she walks out of her bathroom naked (LOL!) and gets knocked out when she refuses to cooperate, though not before he tastes her blood (it surprises him) and the two make out. *wiggles eyebrows suggestively* She comes to, handcuffed to Emmerich's bed, and when she still refuses to answer any of their questions, they bring in someone to torture her. A man, I might add, who has a 100% success in getting info out of his clients... hehehe well dude's shit out of luck, because she tells him nothing, even after he gets frustrated with his tools and resorts to tearing into her. However, as soon as he tastes her blood, he freaks out, spits some in a tube, and then runs out.
Darius gets a clan of lycroulds to join him in attacking Raidan's mansion, and while under attack, Kira gets a visit from the other 'special human', who claims that she is the key, not Kira, but wants her out of the way anyway. She almost kills her but Emmerich comes back in time. After the battle, Raidan and the others learn from her blood that she is dying, and use that to get her to go with them to the other side of the world, where Darius will be heading to reawaken the Hunrati, an ancient vicious race that had been trapped and put asleep, they were so unstoppable.
Kuron goes with them and they all head to Elysia where the sleeping Hunrati are, along with Claritis and his own group of people, the only form of supporters that were willing to believe Raidan about the Hunrati and Darius. The adventure there is intense, and this is also when she starts to realize that she likes Emmerich and Kuron, but honestly, the whole time I was like, "Okay, when is she going to recognize something in the 'now dark and magical forest' or relate something to her nightmare and freak out?" And guess what- it came! I was just anticipating this scene, when they come across a part of the forest where their destination should be and she spots a woman from her dreams, and then the rest of them, and hears them say, 'You have come for us', before passing out.
Oh, backtrack. Okay, so whenever she has a nightmare, it's the same one. She's in a dark place all alone by herself, watched by many eyes, and being whispered to, telling her to join them. And then she gets set on fire from the inside out and is in eternal pain before turning into nothing but bones. Creepy and horrible, right?
So she wakes up and knows where they have to go, they get to the city Kartarus where Darius already is, and Kira goes after Shar, the other special human, after a battle unfolds. However, Darius had wanted that all along, because should his human fail to wake up the Hunrati, Kira's presence would be there to do it. And that's exactly what happens. While fighting with Shar, she gets stabbed and stumbles over the chamber's threshold that Shar had run to, the place where the Hunrati are to be awakened. A barrier goes up to trap her in, and Emmerich arrives too late. She's in familiar pain, and her heart aches at the thought of not knowing what could've been with Emmerich. She tells him she loves him, notices the symbols of power on the floor, and then chants a spell to get him out before making him promise to keep Darius from taking over the Hunrati. Then he's transported out of the chamber, and she blacks out.
When Emmerich realizes that she'd moved him out of the city, he goes back in the hopes to save her, but then the earth trembles and the city starts to crumble. He gets to the tunnel only to see its entrance caved in, and then the earth beneath his feet opens, taking at least half the city with it. There's no way she could've survived that, and it destroys something in him, before rage overtakes him and he joins the battle still going on. And then a ferocious roar pierces the night and stops the fighting, and feral snarls and screaming echo from within the city before everything turns silent.
"What was that?" asked Raidan.
"That, my dear former leader..." Darius said between his fits of laughter, "...is your death."
Large forms emerged from the dust, green eyes glowing with the sounds of gnarling teeth. Everyone's weapons turned toward the new threat to prepare for the worse, and then- IT. ENDS!!!!!
Occkkkkkk- that To be continued... totally killed me. Such a great cliffhanger though, haha. XD I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Mucho grande. Viele. The story, the adventure (the sex), the characters and Kira's development emotion-wise, the whole setting of the world (and the sex), the plot- I loved it all! When I saw that there was going to be a love triangle, I was a little weary, but the synopsis won me over because it just sounded too interesting to not try out. I'd endure a love-tri for this. XD And it wasn't bad! The way Kira was made me understand why she'd fall for both of them. For one thing, Emmerich and Kuron are mythlends, and she hates those races, but even when she realizes that she likes Emmerich, she also finds that she has feelings for Kuron, though she doesn't know what those feelings are. Emmerich is such an old, stubborn alpha ass learning to live again when Kira comes into his life. And Kuron, with his hot human form and scary-as-hell's-crack true monster form, is such a cutie with Kira while still being that mythlend that everyone gets cautious around. I mean, he does prefer mythlend flavor, after all. But he behaves... most of the time. :) And even some of the supporting characters made me smile, like Eagan or Hedona, the nostvore who delivered Kira's message to Darius in the beginning.
I think Kira was just such a cool chick, and very strong, though it also ends up being her weakness because it gets in the way of her being with Emmerich. Finding this book was like finding a delicious triple chocolate and peanut butter brownie in a sea of Easy-Bake oven cupcakes, I don't know why this tickled me so much, but it did!
Some might not like it because of the torture scene, with the cutting and slicing and dicing, and there is a multiple POV and a few alpha males. Oh, and sex. X) Really hot scenes, too! *sweats* LOL And okay, so I could be desperate here, but Kira has green eyes when they aren't glowing silver and blue. And the lycroulds and nostvores were created from two people (a woman close to death and a man bitten by a wolf) who were used in the spell to put the Humrati to sleep, and she is a human with both the mythlends' DNA... and there's a connection here between her and the Hunrati with that trippy dreams she has Ijustknowit! T_T I'm not crazy!
So overall, I love this, and if we have similar tastes, you'll go crazy over this too XD
Click here to read the first two chapters for free!
Happy Reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2020
Would have been a dnf except i was reading it for bookclub. Lots of fairly standard UF/PNR tropes but it didn't work for me. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, nor did it contain the necessary level of humor, snark or originality to engage me. And no - making up new names for standard vampires and werewolves doesn't count as originality. Also there was too much sex/lust with no actual connection between the characters. Especially the weirdly detailed sex scenes between random secondary characters on the bad guys side. And of course the heroine who has a superhot awesome supportive (and in this case also bad ass) guy friend in love with her instead chooses the arrogant a-hole who freaking kidnapped and participated in torturing her. Le sigh. And a stupid cliffhanger. This series is not for me.
February 13, 2014
I received this book from the author and Authors & Reviewers Group in exchange for a honest review.
Unique storyline and plot with interesting secondary characters who add to the story. It does feature a sort of love triangle which I am not a fan of, but it is resolved by the end of the book. It irritates me when the heroine can't make up her mind and strings along two guys. I debated whether to give it 3 or 4 stars, but in the end decided on 4 because the book kept me interested enough to want to read the second book.
Terms:
1. Mythlends - a name for all the different species of creatures.
2. Nostvore(vampire) - organized into clans with a primary leader.
They drink blood and are weakened in sunlight. Also, they have
superior strength, speed, and healing abilities.
3. Vanatre Clan - consists primarily of ancient nostvores. They have
tried to enforce the rules. The main rule is to not let humans
know that they exist. Raidan is their leader with Emmerich as his
second in command.
4. Mavator Clan - Darius is their leader. He broke away from the
Vanatre Clan for reasons that we do not find out about in this
book. Darius and Raidan have a history and that was the reason
Darius left. Darius is evil and mean. He wants to expose the
vampires to the humans. He is power hungry and wants to rule over
everyone.
5. Lycrould(werewolf) - Wolf-like creatures who live off of human
flesh.
6. Mooran - A hairless pale-skinned creature with a skull-like face
who can kill mythlends and humans with just one touch. Kuron is a
mooran who has protected Kira after she made a deal with him. I
really liked his character. He still was loyal to her even after
she hurt him.
Story: Kira is part human/part nostvore. So, she has their speed, strength, and healing abilities. One night, she is out hunting for nostvores and kills one. Hedona is with the nostvore she kills, but Hedona gets away. Kira follows her to her safehouse and kills the whole faction. Kira allows Hedona to live because she wants her to deliver a message to her leader Darius.
At the same time, the reader is introduced to Emmerich. Emmerich has become disillusioned killing his own kind. He no longer feels the glory of battle. His clan has been at war with the lycroulds and Darius for a long time.
Hedona arrives at the Mavator headquarters to deliver her message to Darius. She tells him that a human killed the nostvores at the safehouse. Hedona states that the human had eyes that glowed and swirled with blue and silver. Darius dismisses her and sends for Viktor(his mad scientist). Darius and Viktor cannot believe their is another one like Shar. Shar has been working with them in their bid to take over the world. Darius wants to awaken an ancient species and use them to his advantage. The Hunrati terrorized humans and mythlends alike until they were put to sleep and entombed beneath the city of Kartarus. Then, the city was hidden somehow. Darius enlists the help of the Lycroulds and their leader Javan.
Darius goes to Raidan to enlist his help to kill Kira. He refuses and tells him to deal with it himself. Emmerich is ordered to follow Darius and to get to Kira first. Emmerich does find Kira. Emmerich follows her home and kidnaps her. He takes Kira to his leader Raidan for questioning. They get no information out of her and resort to torture which still does not work. Suddenly, they are under attack by Darius and his clan. It is a ruse to steel a map that Darius needs to find the city of Kartarus. Darius gets away with the map, but Raidan just put in new security so they are aware of what map was taken. Kira is almost killed by Shar, but Emmerich comes to her aid just in time. In the aftermath, Raidan realizes he must stop Darius and to do this he needs Kira's help. He meets with her and she agrees to help.
The rest of the book deals with their mission to stop Darius. It is a perilous journey filled with dangerous creatures and non-stop action. Kira and Emmerich's relationship deepens throughout the book. It takes awhile for past prejudges to disappear in order for them to admit their love for each other.
Overall, a strong debut paranormal romance that ends on a major cliffhanger.
Unique storyline and plot with interesting secondary characters who add to the story. It does feature a sort of love triangle which I am not a fan of, but it is resolved by the end of the book. It irritates me when the heroine can't make up her mind and strings along two guys. I debated whether to give it 3 or 4 stars, but in the end decided on 4 because the book kept me interested enough to want to read the second book.
Terms:
1. Mythlends - a name for all the different species of creatures.
2. Nostvore(vampire) - organized into clans with a primary leader.
They drink blood and are weakened in sunlight. Also, they have
superior strength, speed, and healing abilities.
3. Vanatre Clan - consists primarily of ancient nostvores. They have
tried to enforce the rules. The main rule is to not let humans
know that they exist. Raidan is their leader with Emmerich as his
second in command.
4. Mavator Clan - Darius is their leader. He broke away from the
Vanatre Clan for reasons that we do not find out about in this
book. Darius and Raidan have a history and that was the reason
Darius left. Darius is evil and mean. He wants to expose the
vampires to the humans. He is power hungry and wants to rule over
everyone.
5. Lycrould(werewolf) - Wolf-like creatures who live off of human
flesh.
6. Mooran - A hairless pale-skinned creature with a skull-like face
who can kill mythlends and humans with just one touch. Kuron is a
mooran who has protected Kira after she made a deal with him. I
really liked his character. He still was loyal to her even after
she hurt him.
Story: Kira is part human/part nostvore. So, she has their speed, strength, and healing abilities. One night, she is out hunting for nostvores and kills one. Hedona is with the nostvore she kills, but Hedona gets away. Kira follows her to her safehouse and kills the whole faction. Kira allows Hedona to live because she wants her to deliver a message to her leader Darius.
At the same time, the reader is introduced to Emmerich. Emmerich has become disillusioned killing his own kind. He no longer feels the glory of battle. His clan has been at war with the lycroulds and Darius for a long time.
Hedona arrives at the Mavator headquarters to deliver her message to Darius. She tells him that a human killed the nostvores at the safehouse. Hedona states that the human had eyes that glowed and swirled with blue and silver. Darius dismisses her and sends for Viktor(his mad scientist). Darius and Viktor cannot believe their is another one like Shar. Shar has been working with them in their bid to take over the world. Darius wants to awaken an ancient species and use them to his advantage. The Hunrati terrorized humans and mythlends alike until they were put to sleep and entombed beneath the city of Kartarus. Then, the city was hidden somehow. Darius enlists the help of the Lycroulds and their leader Javan.
Darius goes to Raidan to enlist his help to kill Kira. He refuses and tells him to deal with it himself. Emmerich is ordered to follow Darius and to get to Kira first. Emmerich does find Kira. Emmerich follows her home and kidnaps her. He takes Kira to his leader Raidan for questioning. They get no information out of her and resort to torture which still does not work. Suddenly, they are under attack by Darius and his clan. It is a ruse to steel a map that Darius needs to find the city of Kartarus. Darius gets away with the map, but Raidan just put in new security so they are aware of what map was taken. Kira is almost killed by Shar, but Emmerich comes to her aid just in time. In the aftermath, Raidan realizes he must stop Darius and to do this he needs Kira's help. He meets with her and she agrees to help.
The rest of the book deals with their mission to stop Darius. It is a perilous journey filled with dangerous creatures and non-stop action. Kira and Emmerich's relationship deepens throughout the book. It takes awhile for past prejudges to disappear in order for them to admit their love for each other.
Overall, a strong debut paranormal romance that ends on a major cliffhanger.
February 28, 2014
How does a human with “special abilities” go from hunting and killing every supernatural creature she can find to making the decision to stand with them? Kira’s hatred runs deep, but when she discovers that one of these ancient and dark creatures want to awaken an indestructible beast to take over and destroy the world, time becomes a commodity in short supply and action is paramount. It isn’t easy for Kira, as she learns that these creatures with their penchant for sex and blood have a very “human-like” side. Two in particular have made a dent in her hatred. Kuron and Emmerich each desire Kyra, but are either right for her? Are their intentions more than sex? When they face the enemy together, the ultimate sacrifice will be made, but will it be enough to save the world?
I’m not sure how author Kimberley Clark did it, but The Species Within, book one of the Battles in the Dark series has dark tension, sexual tension and some of the most fascinating and humorous love triangle scenes. Kira is tough, snarky and yet vulnerable to the feelings that are growing for her sworn enemies. Her abilities match their own and as a human, she has kept them hidden. *I need to say that sometimes female heroines come off as too tough and hardened, Ms. Clark has managed to balance Kira's personality beautifully! Emmerich is an ancient who is tired of existing, his life is empty, but his newfound ability to actually love someone is fascinating to watch as he fumbles through it. Imagine an alpha leader, suddenly emotionally out of control! Kuron is another story, he, too is an alpha male, but he has an easier time with his feelings, not less painful, but he seems to accept them better. Together, these three make for some fantastic, tension-filled moments.
Ms. Clark has detailed her world beautifully, never hurrying along or cutting corners. Every dark moment, every battle and every romantic scene runs across that big screen in your mind and will leave you, in turn, clenching your fists, laughing out loud, on the verge of tears or reaching for the smelling salts and a fan. As clans band together to fight the greatest evil, there is a lesson here to be learned about making blanket opinions about those who live in the dark, enemies become allies, lovers and maybe friends of sorts, and, oh yeah, Ms. Clark can write hot and steamy scenes! This is a great foundation for a series to follow!
I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars!
Series: Battles in the Dark - Book 1
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Kimberley Clark
Genre: Adult Dark Paranormal Romance
Number of Pages: 402 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I’m not sure how author Kimberley Clark did it, but The Species Within, book one of the Battles in the Dark series has dark tension, sexual tension and some of the most fascinating and humorous love triangle scenes. Kira is tough, snarky and yet vulnerable to the feelings that are growing for her sworn enemies. Her abilities match their own and as a human, she has kept them hidden. *I need to say that sometimes female heroines come off as too tough and hardened, Ms. Clark has managed to balance Kira's personality beautifully! Emmerich is an ancient who is tired of existing, his life is empty, but his newfound ability to actually love someone is fascinating to watch as he fumbles through it. Imagine an alpha leader, suddenly emotionally out of control! Kuron is another story, he, too is an alpha male, but he has an easier time with his feelings, not less painful, but he seems to accept them better. Together, these three make for some fantastic, tension-filled moments.
Ms. Clark has detailed her world beautifully, never hurrying along or cutting corners. Every dark moment, every battle and every romantic scene runs across that big screen in your mind and will leave you, in turn, clenching your fists, laughing out loud, on the verge of tears or reaching for the smelling salts and a fan. As clans band together to fight the greatest evil, there is a lesson here to be learned about making blanket opinions about those who live in the dark, enemies become allies, lovers and maybe friends of sorts, and, oh yeah, Ms. Clark can write hot and steamy scenes! This is a great foundation for a series to follow!
I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars!
Series: Battles in the Dark - Book 1
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Kimberley Clark
Genre: Adult Dark Paranormal Romance
Number of Pages: 402 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
November 17, 2014
OH!!! Dont you just LOVE it when a book totally surprises you?? This one did.
I originally recieved this book as a free one when I purchased another book that sounded really good. I didn't even look at this one, nor the other that I got free, I simply read the one I wanted and filed the other two on the shelf. After coming across the second book in this trilogy, I plunged right in and I'm so glad I did!
Kira is human, but with powers that no other human has, but those powers are usually confined to mythlends, others, paranormal beings. Her friendship with a mooran is unusual too, but that might have something to do with that fact that she, and only she, knows how to kill him. But Kuron is more than a killing machine, as the story progresses, we see a deeper being, one with feelings. And those feelings are bought to the fore when Kira finds herself allied with her most hated enemy, the nostvores, and Kira is the key to saving the world. Second in command Vanatre nostvore, Emmerich, is left keeping an eye on Kira, and her mooran, who decides he must come along too. And he does more than keep an eye on her.
This book, it has it all, it has vampires (nostvores), of sorts, werewolves(lycroulds), of sorts, and all manner of beings that I have not come across before, the mooran, and the Hunati. It has magic and meyhem, it has evil beings planning on over taking the whole world and making them a slave to him. It has another like Kira, hen neither of them knew about the other. It has love and hatred, sex and violnece, idiots plans that all seem to come out good in the end. IT HAS IT ALLL!!!
Its extremely well written in the third person, we get a little bit from everyone, Kira, Emmerich, Kuran, and an assortment of baddies that I'm not really fond of. Its well worded, with all the emotions and feelings, and utter depravity of said baddies coming through loud and clear and making you just wanna turn page after page after page until.................
the end! And the end, well. You know the feeling, Im sure you do. You keep going, and going and going, until you cant go any more and you just wanna chuck the bloody kindle at the wall, cos this is a cliff hanging ending you did not see coming! It is the first part of a trilogy, but I didn;t really know that going in., perhaps if I had, I might not have had that chuck it at the wall feeling, but I'm glad I didn't. It might have led me to see an ending I did not get, and I would have been disappointed. I AM NOT dissapointed at this book, and I strongly recommend you read it.
Book two is already out and the third, I'm told, shouldnt be every so long.
I've filed it on the paranormal shelf rather than the vampire and werewolf shelf, since they are different to the norm, and because of all the other beings that appear. Ive also filed it on the over 18 shelf. It does get quite messy at some points, what with battling wolves, and baby vampires, and the wormy things, but its all good stuff!!
5 stars
I originally recieved this book as a free one when I purchased another book that sounded really good. I didn't even look at this one, nor the other that I got free, I simply read the one I wanted and filed the other two on the shelf. After coming across the second book in this trilogy, I plunged right in and I'm so glad I did!
Kira is human, but with powers that no other human has, but those powers are usually confined to mythlends, others, paranormal beings. Her friendship with a mooran is unusual too, but that might have something to do with that fact that she, and only she, knows how to kill him. But Kuron is more than a killing machine, as the story progresses, we see a deeper being, one with feelings. And those feelings are bought to the fore when Kira finds herself allied with her most hated enemy, the nostvores, and Kira is the key to saving the world. Second in command Vanatre nostvore, Emmerich, is left keeping an eye on Kira, and her mooran, who decides he must come along too. And he does more than keep an eye on her.
This book, it has it all, it has vampires (nostvores), of sorts, werewolves(lycroulds), of sorts, and all manner of beings that I have not come across before, the mooran, and the Hunati. It has magic and meyhem, it has evil beings planning on over taking the whole world and making them a slave to him. It has another like Kira, hen neither of them knew about the other. It has love and hatred, sex and violnece, idiots plans that all seem to come out good in the end. IT HAS IT ALLL!!!
Its extremely well written in the third person, we get a little bit from everyone, Kira, Emmerich, Kuran, and an assortment of baddies that I'm not really fond of. Its well worded, with all the emotions and feelings, and utter depravity of said baddies coming through loud and clear and making you just wanna turn page after page after page until.................
the end! And the end, well. You know the feeling, Im sure you do. You keep going, and going and going, until you cant go any more and you just wanna chuck the bloody kindle at the wall, cos this is a cliff hanging ending you did not see coming! It is the first part of a trilogy, but I didn;t really know that going in., perhaps if I had, I might not have had that chuck it at the wall feeling, but I'm glad I didn't. It might have led me to see an ending I did not get, and I would have been disappointed. I AM NOT dissapointed at this book, and I strongly recommend you read it.
Book two is already out and the third, I'm told, shouldnt be every so long.
I've filed it on the paranormal shelf rather than the vampire and werewolf shelf, since they are different to the norm, and because of all the other beings that appear. Ive also filed it on the over 18 shelf. It does get quite messy at some points, what with battling wolves, and baby vampires, and the wormy things, but its all good stuff!!
5 stars
January 29, 2014
Electrifying Compulsive Read!
The Species within, Battles of the Dark book one by Kimberley Clark, is an Erotic Urban Fantasy novel. This is not intended for anyone under the age of eighteen.
Kimberley Clark is one of the few favorite authors this year. She brings us a nostvores (vampires) and lycrouds(werewolves) world with a new taste that left me satisfied and craving for more.
The story evolves around a girl named Kira. But she isn't no ordinary human. She possesses unfathomable powers which she uses to hunt down the creatures who feed off humans and the one who killed the ones she loved, and erases them from existence. When she learns a enemy has threaten to awaken a species to enslave all humans, Kira determines to stop this plot.But to do that, she must come to terms with her enemy, the nostvores and Emmerich.
Emmerich, an immortal warrior and second command to the Vanatre would do anything for his leader, Raidan. He craved to fight thousands of battles and conquering the world. But times has changed and soon starts to feel depleted, lost. When his orders change to protect Kira, a human on a dangerous mission, he suddenly feels whole again as if his life has pieced back together.
Chemistry will start to fizzle between the pair. But will Kira let him in, a nostvore; a creature that hates so desperately, vowing to kill if she comes across, to get close to her? I can not say. You must read to find out!
The author introduces a lot of characters. All of them are perfectly strong in their own ways. She did an amazing job describing the characters emotions and including the amazing description of the other creatures she created in the world she introduces us too. (sorry trying not to spoil you) But what I like the most, is I got to see other characters view points; what they were thinking and relationships.
But what I disliked is one relationship took to long for them to get together. It irritated me. HOWEVER, the author intrigued me to read further and read further I did. I was complete satisfied with the results.
Kimberley Clark's The Species Within is a stroke of genius! It has it all action, romance, some what of a love-triangle going on, suspense. It has just the right amount in the right places. Including the romance scenes which isn't too much, or too little. Perfect!
The Species Within is an electrifying compulsive read that will keep you reading on hours end! I would highly recommend this novel to those who are eighteen and up. I CAN NOT WAIT to read book two :D
The Species within, Battles of the Dark book one by Kimberley Clark, is an Erotic Urban Fantasy novel. This is not intended for anyone under the age of eighteen.
Kimberley Clark is one of the few favorite authors this year. She brings us a nostvores (vampires) and lycrouds(werewolves) world with a new taste that left me satisfied and craving for more.
The story evolves around a girl named Kira. But she isn't no ordinary human. She possesses unfathomable powers which she uses to hunt down the creatures who feed off humans and the one who killed the ones she loved, and erases them from existence. When she learns a enemy has threaten to awaken a species to enslave all humans, Kira determines to stop this plot.But to do that, she must come to terms with her enemy, the nostvores and Emmerich.
Emmerich, an immortal warrior and second command to the Vanatre would do anything for his leader, Raidan. He craved to fight thousands of battles and conquering the world. But times has changed and soon starts to feel depleted, lost. When his orders change to protect Kira, a human on a dangerous mission, he suddenly feels whole again as if his life has pieced back together.
Chemistry will start to fizzle between the pair. But will Kira let him in, a nostvore; a creature that hates so desperately, vowing to kill if she comes across, to get close to her? I can not say. You must read to find out!
The author introduces a lot of characters. All of them are perfectly strong in their own ways. She did an amazing job describing the characters emotions and including the amazing description of the other creatures she created in the world she introduces us too. (sorry trying not to spoil you) But what I like the most, is I got to see other characters view points; what they were thinking and relationships.
But what I disliked is one relationship took to long for them to get together. It irritated me. HOWEVER, the author intrigued me to read further and read further I did. I was complete satisfied with the results.
Kimberley Clark's The Species Within is a stroke of genius! It has it all action, romance, some what of a love-triangle going on, suspense. It has just the right amount in the right places. Including the romance scenes which isn't too much, or too little. Perfect!
The Species Within is an electrifying compulsive read that will keep you reading on hours end! I would highly recommend this novel to those who are eighteen and up. I CAN NOT WAIT to read book two :D
April 21, 2015
I loved the story. While the world of Vampires and Werewolves has been done to death, this book brings a new light to the genre. Along with nostvores (vamps of olde) and lycroulds (werewolves at will) are joined by many other species, some of which I have never even thought about before. There's a twist on banshees, demons and soul suckers.
The book has a great plot, saving the world, who doesn't love that? Personaly, I thought Kira was too much of a whining little bitch to end up with TWO hot guys hurrying after her, creating the same form of love triangle that I hate - it's not 'will she, won't she' if it's obvious that she's ignoring the attentions of the nice guy friend who's been there for her forever.
You know, just once I would like the nice guy not to get screwed. Just sayin'.
As much as I would love to give this book a 5.5, which it does deserve, my policy is unfortunately to remove a star owing to bad editing. And, sadly, this one has awkward sentences, missing/doubled grammatical marks, redundancies like nothing else that make reading terrible, commas placed in random spots in sentences... Run the book by a good editor, and I will happily upgrade to its deserved rating.
I haven't loved a vampire book like this since ages ago (like, 8, 9 years). Ms Clark deserves much thanks for keeping me engaged like this. Kudos! Highly recommended to everyone who has become disillusioned with the Paranormal Genre. Oh, and the sex is steamy too. Yum!
4.5/5
PS. At the risk of sounding like a 15yo fangirl... "Oh my god, I LOVED Kuran! Massive <3s!"
The book has a great plot, saving the world, who doesn't love that? Personaly, I thought Kira was too much of a whining little bitch to end up with TWO hot guys hurrying after her, creating the same form of love triangle that I hate - it's not 'will she, won't she' if it's obvious that she's ignoring the attentions of the nice guy friend who's been there for her forever.
You know, just once I would like the nice guy not to get screwed. Just sayin'.
As much as I would love to give this book a 5.5, which it does deserve, my policy is unfortunately to remove a star owing to bad editing. And, sadly, this one has awkward sentences, missing/doubled grammatical marks, redundancies like nothing else that make reading terrible, commas placed in random spots in sentences... Run the book by a good editor, and I will happily upgrade to its deserved rating.
I haven't loved a vampire book like this since ages ago (like, 8, 9 years). Ms Clark deserves much thanks for keeping me engaged like this. Kudos! Highly recommended to everyone who has become disillusioned with the Paranormal Genre. Oh, and the sex is steamy too. Yum!
4.5/5
PS. At the risk of sounding like a 15yo fangirl... "Oh my god, I LOVED Kuran! Massive <3s!"
Read
January 6, 2015Kira is a huntress of mythlend creatures, especially nostvores who are the breed which killed her family. However, unlike any other human, she holds some of the abilities of both nostvores and lycroulds. These abilities are draining her human strength and will one day kill her...and her time is running out. Kira learns about one of the nostvore faction leaders taking steps to awaken an ancient, uncontrollable, and destructive species who he thinks will assist him in taking control of the humans and mythlends alike. She knows she must risk it all in order to ensure his plan to enslave everyone will fail. She is captured by the Vanatre faction of nostvore and the more time she spends with Emmerich, the enforcer, the more she is attracted to him. With the fate of the world on the line Kira doesn’t have the time for attraction and desire, especially to a hated mythlend. THE SPECIES WITHIN has an intriguing premise and fascinating characters. THE SPECIES WITHIN is a paranormal romance with an exquisitely complex main character in Kira, who has met her match in Emmerich. The adult situations were handled well, without being extraneous to the story at hand. I thought the paranormal/supernatural aspects, the world, and the characters were well developed. The action, romance, and suspense really brought the story to life and kept the pace moving. THE SPECIES WITHIN is a story I’d read over again.
May 28, 2015
Great book, thoroughly enjoyed it...
The Species Within by Kimberley Clark is my first read by this author and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read with a unique storyline.
This book is filled with larger than life, great characters, sexual tension, a love triangle and some thoroughly kiss ass adventure and action.
Kira has a hatred for all things Mythlend, she has special abilities which she uses to hunt down and kill. Kira, however, is part human and part Nostrove. She has speed, healing abilities and strength, plus she has the use of magical powers (a'kei). This makes her one very mean fighting machine. However, because of these abilities she is enlisted to help fight with the Mythelend she hates, the Nostvore. Emmerich (vampire) and Kuron (an essence eater) are the love interests for Kira, and oh what a web is written around these characters. I loved reading how the love triangle was going to resolve.
This book ends on a cliffhanger, but the second book is available. I give this book a well deserved five star rating.
The Species Within by Kimberley Clark is my first read by this author and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read with a unique storyline.
This book is filled with larger than life, great characters, sexual tension, a love triangle and some thoroughly kiss ass adventure and action.
Kira has a hatred for all things Mythlend, she has special abilities which she uses to hunt down and kill. Kira, however, is part human and part Nostrove. She has speed, healing abilities and strength, plus she has the use of magical powers (a'kei). This makes her one very mean fighting machine. However, because of these abilities she is enlisted to help fight with the Mythelend she hates, the Nostvore. Emmerich (vampire) and Kuron (an essence eater) are the love interests for Kira, and oh what a web is written around these characters. I loved reading how the love triangle was going to resolve.
This book ends on a cliffhanger, but the second book is available. I give this book a well deserved five star rating.
April 5, 2014
I was given a gift copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. So here it goes. This is the first book in the Battles in the Dar Series. Kira is a young lady who has unusual gifts. At an early age she saw her parents murdered by a mythical creature. From that day forward she made it her mission to hunt down said creatures and kill them all. During one of her “missions” she is spotted by Emmerich and things really start to get interesting. Here is the kicker because of her unusual abilities her body is giving out so she does not have much time. Due to this and other events that transpire she joins forces with a clan of nostvore to try and help stop another of their kind (Darius) from unleashing hell on earth. Kira has always thought that she was the only one like her but soon learns there is another. This is a great book and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
November 17, 2019
I got this book a few years back at comicon in Perth from kimberley herself, I originally kinda just wanted to make small talk with her but her enthusiasm persuaded me to buy the book. Vampires, Werewolves and all manner of beasts what's not to love was my thought and then I started to read. I never saw myself reading erotic novels if I'm honest but my god I started reading on the train and had to stop for fear of causing a scene when I had to stand up in front of the old lady across from me. The story is gripping and the sex scenes are inspiring. Kimberley signed the second and third in the series for me when I had her send me them shes responsive and kind.
December 11, 2017
Fantastic and compelling to the very end, with strong male and female characters there is something for everyone to relate to in this story and a story-line that forces you to keep turning page after page... a magnificent read and after i finished this one i ordered the second one in seconds... and the next one after that....
October 12, 2018
This book is amazing it has you hooked from the first chapter and I just couldn’t put it down. I had only read the first 50 pages when I had already ordered the next two books. It is well written from each characters perspective and I can’t wait to read what happens in the next two books.
February 6, 2019
A captivating novel, would easliy recommend to others in my own age group (20's) for an enticing experience.
May 29, 2014
This Novel simply leapt off the pages and had me hooked from page 1 - The Species Within is a hugely different style of novel than your typical Vampire feast, it's a bright light in what has become a very large overly used genre - Enter Kira a kick ass, sword wielding, Mythlend slaying one hell of a woman who has all of the speed, healing and powers of a Mythlend but is Human. She is one of a kind that has hidden under the radar slaying everything in her midst trying to level the field because the sudden spike in Nostvores activity, especially the newly turned who cannot control themselves at all, Kira has had to step up her game with more hunts and recently using her powers more. But these powers come with a price, a deadly one that is striping her of her life......
When she brings the fight to Darius and finds out just what he is planning she has to make a choice, a choice that will ultimately bring her into contact with a vampire that will not only make her blood boil but will make her skin tingle in ways that she hasn't felt before........
Enter Emmerich, one hell of a prise specimen of Vampire, that has the hardened toned body of centuries of being a warrior within the Vantre Army - he certainly makes Kira's head turn, so much so she get's injured during their first "meeting". Being Tied to his bed certainly helps too but you will see for yourself that things are not always what they seem and Kira has to fight against her instincts of being attracted to a Mythlend, she kills them, not beds them....or does she? Emmerich is just on of the brilliant male characters within this novel but he is certainly my favourite! He is sincere but demanding, sizzling hot to the point of over burn but cool and collected, he is a true man with true manly behaviours that make him more human than the normal vampires she has had to deal with in the past, even if he is a Vantre, he has humanity in him that surprises Kira and even Emmerich himself.
Kuron is the Maroon who has help protect her, has always shown interest in Kira but it is only when his life becomes in danger she realizes just how much he cares. She goes through her memories of how he has been with her through the years, his kindness, protectiveness, his perseverance no matter what to keep trying to get to know her and she begins to see him in a new light. This gorgeous stunning man has been here all the time right there in front of her, she has missed so much and now she is dieing her time limited can she begin something with him only to rip it away from him when she begins to fade? His decision to come with her when they embark on their dangerous mission instils a sense of peace within her soul, not only does she have an ally but also a kindred spirit, who knows what will happen on the road to hell?
The path that they all follow to try and stop Darius from completing his insane and catastrophic mission brings out the best and the worst in all of the party that follow trying to stop him but it also brings them all closer making it harder for Kira to sort through her jumbled feelings for Emmerich and Kuron......... Just who does she belong with? Will they make it in time before an ancient evil is awoken from their deep slumber to once again reek havoc among both humans, vampires and all Mythlend's alike?
A non stop, action packed novel with some amazing sexy, steamy sex scenes that also feature a very romantic if not unusual courtship between the characters. The level of fantasy within this novel is evident in the mystical and magical way that Kimberley Clark weaves this newly create world, I have not seen this level of attention to detail which creates an appeal so strong it's addictive since I read the Kindred Series by Nicola Claire
When she brings the fight to Darius and finds out just what he is planning she has to make a choice, a choice that will ultimately bring her into contact with a vampire that will not only make her blood boil but will make her skin tingle in ways that she hasn't felt before........
Enter Emmerich, one hell of a prise specimen of Vampire, that has the hardened toned body of centuries of being a warrior within the Vantre Army - he certainly makes Kira's head turn, so much so she get's injured during their first "meeting". Being Tied to his bed certainly helps too but you will see for yourself that things are not always what they seem and Kira has to fight against her instincts of being attracted to a Mythlend, she kills them, not beds them....or does she? Emmerich is just on of the brilliant male characters within this novel but he is certainly my favourite! He is sincere but demanding, sizzling hot to the point of over burn but cool and collected, he is a true man with true manly behaviours that make him more human than the normal vampires she has had to deal with in the past, even if he is a Vantre, he has humanity in him that surprises Kira and even Emmerich himself.
Kuron is the Maroon who has help protect her, has always shown interest in Kira but it is only when his life becomes in danger she realizes just how much he cares. She goes through her memories of how he has been with her through the years, his kindness, protectiveness, his perseverance no matter what to keep trying to get to know her and she begins to see him in a new light. This gorgeous stunning man has been here all the time right there in front of her, she has missed so much and now she is dieing her time limited can she begin something with him only to rip it away from him when she begins to fade? His decision to come with her when they embark on their dangerous mission instils a sense of peace within her soul, not only does she have an ally but also a kindred spirit, who knows what will happen on the road to hell?
The path that they all follow to try and stop Darius from completing his insane and catastrophic mission brings out the best and the worst in all of the party that follow trying to stop him but it also brings them all closer making it harder for Kira to sort through her jumbled feelings for Emmerich and Kuron......... Just who does she belong with? Will they make it in time before an ancient evil is awoken from their deep slumber to once again reek havoc among both humans, vampires and all Mythlend's alike?
A non stop, action packed novel with some amazing sexy, steamy sex scenes that also feature a very romantic if not unusual courtship between the characters. The level of fantasy within this novel is evident in the mystical and magical way that Kimberley Clark weaves this newly create world, I have not seen this level of attention to detail which creates an appeal so strong it's addictive since I read the Kindred Series by Nicola Claire
August 14, 2016
Clark has created a world based on ‘nostvore’ (vampires) and ‘lycrould’ (werewolves) amongst a whole throng of other ‘mythelands’ in The Species Within. With an interesting twist on the vampire legends, I can see where Clark has drawn her inspiration from where other books/authors left off, dragging the reader into the world she’s created…and I do so love a good vampire novel, and this one hasn’t disappointed.
Kira is a human with extraordinary abilities. Being part nostvore and lycrould gives her the edge when it comes to hunting down the mytheland creatures she blames for the death of her parents when she was a child. Determined to hunt them all down, she has a singular drive to fulfil this desire, drawing on her mixed blood to give her an edge when it comes to fighting these stronger, faster and more ferocious beings.
Emmerich is one of the stongest, oldest and most ruthless nostvore around. The second-in-command to the leader of the Vanatre (one clan of nostvore), he’s finding his life tedious, thinking that maybe death would be a more interesting option. That is until he discovers Kira. She is a puzzle which he wants to solve, but with Kira’s generally prickly demeanour, she makes it incredibly difficult for him.
After a series of attacks and raids, the Vanatre and the Mavator (another clan of nostvore) end up in a sort of chase to find a lost city where the leader of the Mavator wishes to begin a war to put his vampires back on top of the food chain and enslave all the other mythelands and humans.
After a relatively slow start, The Species Within definitely picks up the pace, drawing you into the story and making you invest yourself in the characters and their perils. Clark has done a great job by creating an interesting world with a deep history, but I would recommend keeping a notepad close by as there is a lot of terminology to get your head around. I found that this slowed my reading down as I was trying to remember who and what the terms referred to. But once I got used to all the terms, I found the whole book really enjoyable.
Kira is a pretty kick-ass character. With sass and awesome sword/knife-fighting skills, she’s a woman you wouldn’t want to piss off. The chemistry between her and Emmerich has been written in such a way that makes their relationship believable. Apart from the initial few chapters, the plot and their relationship evolves a good pace. As a reader, you get tantalizing hints at things/people/events that have happened in the past that keep you turning the pages (swiping your finger) to find out everything you can.
There are some great magical elements in The Species Within with something called a’kei, which I likened to ‘The Force’ from Star Wars in regards to there are only a few people who truly know how to wield it, and for those who can, it is a formidable weapon.
With great world building, there were elements of The Species Within that reminded me of fellow Aussie author Jacinta Marie’s My Demonic Ghost, but also with a little hint of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland in a warped, twisted kind of way.
This 446-page book is a real page turner once it gets started. If you love vampires and urban fantasy in general, I’d recommend you pick up a copy of Kimberley Clark’s The Species Within.
Kira is a human with extraordinary abilities. Being part nostvore and lycrould gives her the edge when it comes to hunting down the mytheland creatures she blames for the death of her parents when she was a child. Determined to hunt them all down, she has a singular drive to fulfil this desire, drawing on her mixed blood to give her an edge when it comes to fighting these stronger, faster and more ferocious beings.
Emmerich is one of the stongest, oldest and most ruthless nostvore around. The second-in-command to the leader of the Vanatre (one clan of nostvore), he’s finding his life tedious, thinking that maybe death would be a more interesting option. That is until he discovers Kira. She is a puzzle which he wants to solve, but with Kira’s generally prickly demeanour, she makes it incredibly difficult for him.
After a series of attacks and raids, the Vanatre and the Mavator (another clan of nostvore) end up in a sort of chase to find a lost city where the leader of the Mavator wishes to begin a war to put his vampires back on top of the food chain and enslave all the other mythelands and humans.
After a relatively slow start, The Species Within definitely picks up the pace, drawing you into the story and making you invest yourself in the characters and their perils. Clark has done a great job by creating an interesting world with a deep history, but I would recommend keeping a notepad close by as there is a lot of terminology to get your head around. I found that this slowed my reading down as I was trying to remember who and what the terms referred to. But once I got used to all the terms, I found the whole book really enjoyable.
Kira is a pretty kick-ass character. With sass and awesome sword/knife-fighting skills, she’s a woman you wouldn’t want to piss off. The chemistry between her and Emmerich has been written in such a way that makes their relationship believable. Apart from the initial few chapters, the plot and their relationship evolves a good pace. As a reader, you get tantalizing hints at things/people/events that have happened in the past that keep you turning the pages (swiping your finger) to find out everything you can.
There are some great magical elements in The Species Within with something called a’kei, which I likened to ‘The Force’ from Star Wars in regards to there are only a few people who truly know how to wield it, and for those who can, it is a formidable weapon.
With great world building, there were elements of The Species Within that reminded me of fellow Aussie author Jacinta Marie’s My Demonic Ghost, but also with a little hint of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland in a warped, twisted kind of way.
This 446-page book is a real page turner once it gets started. If you love vampires and urban fantasy in general, I’d recommend you pick up a copy of Kimberley Clark’s The Species Within.
January 23, 2016
I was lucky enough to pick up a paperback copy of this book at a Comic-Con and even briefly talked with Kimberly Clark. I just think supporting others struggling to make it huge is something I like doing. Either way this kind of had me hooked from the start with maybe it being lost towards the end as I;m reading The Hobbit as well but, I recommend this.
The plot is that there is a world beneath our own which includes people known as mythlends. There are different clans of Vampires, werewolves, something called Mooran which is known for being almost unkillable but feeds on other mythlends by draining their very souls and others. They find out that there is a human being that is killing them but unlike other human beings this one has all the abilites exclusive to mythlends. When 2 Vampire clans find out about this one takes her in for interrogation while the other plans on killing her. After an attack of clans they find out that the clan they're in a feud with is planning on resurrecting the Huntrati, giant panther like teleporting creatures that have no weakness and plans to control them, so with an uneasy alliance between the human, the clan of vampires that interrogated her and a friend of hers who's a mooran intent on keeping the vampires in check decide to take them out before they reach it with their own human of mythlend ability.
Well first of all I find the sex scenes in this book outright weird. They seem to base the core of the story between Kira and a Vampire named Emmerich and it seems like it's a physical attraction at first and that was how I was treating it but apparently it is meant to be a romantic relationship. That part of it just comes out of nowhere to me. The dialogue just shows them having a rocky at best relationship, bouncing between them feeling a sexual attraction to them being assholes to one another. There is another group of sex scenes between a couple of villains but that seems to go nowhere. Oh and this is a minor point but they never refer to the vampires as vampires but Nostvores and the Werewolves are called Lycrouds. I just don't see the point.
So what's good? Pretty much everything else. I like the world and I like the story as a whole. I liked the second half of the book when they're on an island and run into one weird monster encounter after another in the sense that it made me wonder what was next in store for the characters. I do think Kimberly Clark has a lot of imagination when it comes to these sorts of things. I do feel a tendency to read the next book in the series but I think that's mainly because it ends on a cliffhanger (which I can see why they did it, I just don't see the reason for it because the book is good regardless).
Whether you're lucky enough to get a signed paperback like me or an ebook I think this is an Urban fantasy worth reading. The best way I can describe this book is Underworld meets The Falconer by Elizabeth May right down to the kickass female protagonist, an index at the beginning and a cliffhanger ending. If that sounds like your thing then I would recommend it to you.
The plot is that there is a world beneath our own which includes people known as mythlends. There are different clans of Vampires, werewolves, something called Mooran which is known for being almost unkillable but feeds on other mythlends by draining their very souls and others. They find out that there is a human being that is killing them but unlike other human beings this one has all the abilites exclusive to mythlends. When 2 Vampire clans find out about this one takes her in for interrogation while the other plans on killing her. After an attack of clans they find out that the clan they're in a feud with is planning on resurrecting the Huntrati, giant panther like teleporting creatures that have no weakness and plans to control them, so with an uneasy alliance between the human, the clan of vampires that interrogated her and a friend of hers who's a mooran intent on keeping the vampires in check decide to take them out before they reach it with their own human of mythlend ability.
Well first of all I find the sex scenes in this book outright weird. They seem to base the core of the story between Kira and a Vampire named Emmerich and it seems like it's a physical attraction at first and that was how I was treating it but apparently it is meant to be a romantic relationship. That part of it just comes out of nowhere to me. The dialogue just shows them having a rocky at best relationship, bouncing between them feeling a sexual attraction to them being assholes to one another. There is another group of sex scenes between a couple of villains but that seems to go nowhere. Oh and this is a minor point but they never refer to the vampires as vampires but Nostvores and the Werewolves are called Lycrouds. I just don't see the point.
So what's good? Pretty much everything else. I like the world and I like the story as a whole. I liked the second half of the book when they're on an island and run into one weird monster encounter after another in the sense that it made me wonder what was next in store for the characters. I do think Kimberly Clark has a lot of imagination when it comes to these sorts of things. I do feel a tendency to read the next book in the series but I think that's mainly because it ends on a cliffhanger (which I can see why they did it, I just don't see the reason for it because the book is good regardless).
Whether you're lucky enough to get a signed paperback like me or an ebook I think this is an Urban fantasy worth reading. The best way I can describe this book is Underworld meets The Falconer by Elizabeth May right down to the kickass female protagonist, an index at the beginning and a cliffhanger ending. If that sounds like your thing then I would recommend it to you.
January 21, 2014
The Species Within (Battles in the Dark). Kimberley Clark.
Review from Jeannie Zelos Book reviews.
So, vampire type paranormals and romance – that's me hooked :) or so I though..in fact I struggled quite a lot to begin in getting to grips with this book. That's partly because Kimberley has taken the traditional vampires and werewolves, and extended them into something more. Throw in Kira a human whose not human, or at least has supernatural powers, and I was a bit lost. There were so many types of creature, and each of them against the other and with typically paranormal names, that I got quite confused and needed to keep flipping back to see who was what, and who was their enemy. About 30% in it began to gel and I found I enjoyed the book much more.
I liked the way Kira began so gradually to trust Kuron and Emmerich, despite hating what they were at the start. She slowly starts regarding them as people, disregarding the species part, and focussing on them as individuals. Behind that though is her lifelong distrust, so its naturally a slow process. That worked for me, I find it hard when stories have someone like Kira falling instantly in love with a type of person they've always hated. Kira cautions herself all the while, and tells herself its natural surface attraction to a handsome creature – that its not real, and constantly reminding herself what they are.
The way she and Kuron were brought into the expedition too worked well, almost against their will as a lesser of two evil options. I don't like easy success or quick fix answers, so when there were problems along the way I enjoyed how they lost people – it made it more real ( its a book, I don't like people really dying !!) It was clear early on that she, Emmerich and Kuron has qualities that would e useful in the battles including the ability to cast spells. The journey feels very real, with snippets of the mundane, like blood-bags for the Vanatre, and the differing needs between her and the others for food, toilets and sleep bringing the story to life. Its the minutiae details like that which make a difference for me very often. They make characters seem more real that just flat, fictional creations.
So – apart from the slow start I enjoyed it until I got to the end and ….argghhh, my real hate, a cliffhanger ending, one of those where you expect to continue when turning the page and...there's nothing, except a to be continued message. Readers of my reviews will know how much I HATE endings like that. I love series, am happy for the story to continue but need a conclusion to the current storyline. Others don't bother about this but I feel – especially when there's a long time between novels – that I lose the thread, the impetus of the story along with the wait. This is a very complex book and I can't see Kimberley cranking out another in just a few months – maybe – hopefully – the story is already written and just needs polishing before release. I can hope :)
Stars: three and a half. Would have been a good four if not for that cliffhanger :(
ARC supplied by Author
Review from Jeannie Zelos Book reviews.
So, vampire type paranormals and romance – that's me hooked :) or so I though..in fact I struggled quite a lot to begin in getting to grips with this book. That's partly because Kimberley has taken the traditional vampires and werewolves, and extended them into something more. Throw in Kira a human whose not human, or at least has supernatural powers, and I was a bit lost. There were so many types of creature, and each of them against the other and with typically paranormal names, that I got quite confused and needed to keep flipping back to see who was what, and who was their enemy. About 30% in it began to gel and I found I enjoyed the book much more.
I liked the way Kira began so gradually to trust Kuron and Emmerich, despite hating what they were at the start. She slowly starts regarding them as people, disregarding the species part, and focussing on them as individuals. Behind that though is her lifelong distrust, so its naturally a slow process. That worked for me, I find it hard when stories have someone like Kira falling instantly in love with a type of person they've always hated. Kira cautions herself all the while, and tells herself its natural surface attraction to a handsome creature – that its not real, and constantly reminding herself what they are.
The way she and Kuron were brought into the expedition too worked well, almost against their will as a lesser of two evil options. I don't like easy success or quick fix answers, so when there were problems along the way I enjoyed how they lost people – it made it more real ( its a book, I don't like people really dying !!) It was clear early on that she, Emmerich and Kuron has qualities that would e useful in the battles including the ability to cast spells. The journey feels very real, with snippets of the mundane, like blood-bags for the Vanatre, and the differing needs between her and the others for food, toilets and sleep bringing the story to life. Its the minutiae details like that which make a difference for me very often. They make characters seem more real that just flat, fictional creations.
So – apart from the slow start I enjoyed it until I got to the end and ….argghhh, my real hate, a cliffhanger ending, one of those where you expect to continue when turning the page and...there's nothing, except a to be continued message. Readers of my reviews will know how much I HATE endings like that. I love series, am happy for the story to continue but need a conclusion to the current storyline. Others don't bother about this but I feel – especially when there's a long time between novels – that I lose the thread, the impetus of the story along with the wait. This is a very complex book and I can't see Kimberley cranking out another in just a few months – maybe – hopefully – the story is already written and just needs polishing before release. I can hope :)
Stars: three and a half. Would have been a good four if not for that cliffhanger :(
ARC supplied by Author
January 18, 2014
*I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review*
When I first opened this book on my Kindle I thought ‘Wow, this is a long book!’ But after reading it…it wasn’t long enough. There are quite a few typos, but the storyline and characters were so well written and enjoyable that they were easily overlooked.
When you have a feisty main character there is bound to be humor, and Kira does not disappoint. She is a smartass who never lets her defenses down, even when facing someone who is charged with making those defenses drop and getting her to talk. She’s strong and brave and I loved her.
It’s obvious from the beginning how much Kuron feels for Kira, even if it isn’t to her. He’s faithful and honest and willing to stand by her side even if she decides to give her heart to another, though he never gives up hope or determination to be with her.
Emmerich is a very old nostvore warrior who was beginning to lose the passion he normally felt when facing a fight, but that all changed the night he first saw Kira. Fighting against everything he’s always known, trying to bypass the fact she was human and not someone he was allowed to get emotional involved with, he realizes he could forget her as easily as he could forget his own name. It simply wasn’t possible.
Torn between the desire to see all mythlend creatures dead and her growing attachments to both Kuron and Emmerich, Kari fights to understand how she could have feelings for either of them. Not only will she have to face those feelings, but she’ll have to discover exactly what feelings she’s experiencing and with whom they each lie.
When you get Kari, Kuron, and Emmerich together the banter is hilarious. Two creatures fighting for the attentions of a human who at first fights her growing attachments to either of them sets quite interesting scenarios.
The Species Within has humor riddled throughout, exciting battles, mysteries still to be uncovered, and very yummy sex scenes. I loved this book, with one exception…the ending. I think my eyes popped out of my head when I turned the page and saw that: To be continued… I cannot wait to read the next book!
My Favorite ‘Oh My Goodness I Think I’m Going to Cry’ Moment: There comes a time when a sacrifice must be made in order to save the others. Kira’s reaction to that moment had me all choked up, as did the one who made the sacrifice.
My Favorite Quotes: I have so many that I can’t possible list them all, but here’s a few:
“You’ve got to be kidding me…you’re turned on by this?”
“Don’t look at the naked man. Don’t look at the naked man.”
“She frustrated him, infuriated him, but she also made him want her because of, and in spite of, those feelings. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anybody in his entire life.”
When I first opened this book on my Kindle I thought ‘Wow, this is a long book!’ But after reading it…it wasn’t long enough. There are quite a few typos, but the storyline and characters were so well written and enjoyable that they were easily overlooked.
When you have a feisty main character there is bound to be humor, and Kira does not disappoint. She is a smartass who never lets her defenses down, even when facing someone who is charged with making those defenses drop and getting her to talk. She’s strong and brave and I loved her.
It’s obvious from the beginning how much Kuron feels for Kira, even if it isn’t to her. He’s faithful and honest and willing to stand by her side even if she decides to give her heart to another, though he never gives up hope or determination to be with her.
Emmerich is a very old nostvore warrior who was beginning to lose the passion he normally felt when facing a fight, but that all changed the night he first saw Kira. Fighting against everything he’s always known, trying to bypass the fact she was human and not someone he was allowed to get emotional involved with, he realizes he could forget her as easily as he could forget his own name. It simply wasn’t possible.
Torn between the desire to see all mythlend creatures dead and her growing attachments to both Kuron and Emmerich, Kari fights to understand how she could have feelings for either of them. Not only will she have to face those feelings, but she’ll have to discover exactly what feelings she’s experiencing and with whom they each lie.
When you get Kari, Kuron, and Emmerich together the banter is hilarious. Two creatures fighting for the attentions of a human who at first fights her growing attachments to either of them sets quite interesting scenarios.
The Species Within has humor riddled throughout, exciting battles, mysteries still to be uncovered, and very yummy sex scenes. I loved this book, with one exception…the ending. I think my eyes popped out of my head when I turned the page and saw that: To be continued… I cannot wait to read the next book!
My Favorite ‘Oh My Goodness I Think I’m Going to Cry’ Moment: There comes a time when a sacrifice must be made in order to save the others. Kira’s reaction to that moment had me all choked up, as did the one who made the sacrifice.
My Favorite Quotes: I have so many that I can’t possible list them all, but here’s a few:
“You’ve got to be kidding me…you’re turned on by this?”
“Don’t look at the naked man. Don’t look at the naked man.”
“She frustrated him, infuriated him, but she also made him want her because of, and in spite of, those feelings. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anybody in his entire life.”
January 18, 2014
*I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review*
When I first opened this book on my Kindle I thought ‘Wow, this is a long book!’ But after reading it…it wasn’t long enough. There are quite a few typos, but the storyline and characters were so well written and enjoyable that they were easily overlooked.
When you have a feisty main character there is bound to be humor, and Kira does not disappoint. She is a smartass who never lets her defenses down, even when facing someone who is charged with making those defenses drop and getting her to talk. She’s strong and brave and I loved her.
It’s obvious from the beginning how much Kuron feels for Kira, even if it isn’t to her. He’s faithful and honest and willing to stand by her side even if she decides to give her heart to another, though he never gives up hope or determination to be with her.
Emmerich is a very old nostvore warrior who was beginning to lose the passion he normally felt when facing a fight, but that all changed the night he first saw Kira. Fighting against everything he’s always known, trying to bypass the fact she was human and not someone he was allowed to get emotional involved with, he realizes he could forget her as easily as he could forget his own name. It simply wasn’t possible.
Torn between the desire to see all mythlend creatures dead and her growing attachments to both Kuron and Emmerich, Kari fights to understand how she could have feelings for either of them. Not only will she have to face those feelings, but she’ll have to discover exactly what feelings she’s experiencing and with whom they each lie.
When you get Kari, Kuron, and Emmerich together the banter is hilarious. Two creatures fighting for the attentions of a human who at first fights her growing attachments to either of them sets quite interesting scenarios.
The Species Within has humor riddled throughout, exciting battles, mysteries still to be uncovered, and very yummy sex scenes. I loved this book, with one exception…the ending. I think my eyes popped out of my head when I turned the page and saw that: To be continued… I cannot wait to read the next book!
My Favorite ‘Oh My Goodness I Think I’m Going to Cry’ Moment: There comes a time when a sacrifice must be made in order to save the others. Kira’s reaction to that moment had me all choked up, as did the one who made the sacrifice.
My Favorite Quotes: I have so many that I can’t possible list them all, but here’s a few:
“You’ve got to be kidding me…you’re turned on by this?”
“Don’t look at the naked man. Don’t look at the naked man.”
“She frustrated him, infuriated him, but she also made him want her because of, and in spite of, those feelings. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anybody in his entire life.”
When I first opened this book on my Kindle I thought ‘Wow, this is a long book!’ But after reading it…it wasn’t long enough. There are quite a few typos, but the storyline and characters were so well written and enjoyable that they were easily overlooked.
When you have a feisty main character there is bound to be humor, and Kira does not disappoint. She is a smartass who never lets her defenses down, even when facing someone who is charged with making those defenses drop and getting her to talk. She’s strong and brave and I loved her.
It’s obvious from the beginning how much Kuron feels for Kira, even if it isn’t to her. He’s faithful and honest and willing to stand by her side even if she decides to give her heart to another, though he never gives up hope or determination to be with her.
Emmerich is a very old nostvore warrior who was beginning to lose the passion he normally felt when facing a fight, but that all changed the night he first saw Kira. Fighting against everything he’s always known, trying to bypass the fact she was human and not someone he was allowed to get emotional involved with, he realizes he could forget her as easily as he could forget his own name. It simply wasn’t possible.
Torn between the desire to see all mythlend creatures dead and her growing attachments to both Kuron and Emmerich, Kari fights to understand how she could have feelings for either of them. Not only will she have to face those feelings, but she’ll have to discover exactly what feelings she’s experiencing and with whom they each lie.
When you get Kari, Kuron, and Emmerich together the banter is hilarious. Two creatures fighting for the attentions of a human who at first fights her growing attachments to either of them sets quite interesting scenarios.
The Species Within has humor riddled throughout, exciting battles, mysteries still to be uncovered, and very yummy sex scenes. I loved this book, with one exception…the ending. I think my eyes popped out of my head when I turned the page and saw that: To be continued… I cannot wait to read the next book!
My Favorite ‘Oh My Goodness I Think I’m Going to Cry’ Moment: There comes a time when a sacrifice must be made in order to save the others. Kira’s reaction to that moment had me all choked up, as did the one who made the sacrifice.
My Favorite Quotes: I have so many that I can’t possible list them all, but here’s a few:
“You’ve got to be kidding me…you’re turned on by this?”
“Don’t look at the naked man. Don’t look at the naked man.”
“She frustrated him, infuriated him, but she also made him want her because of, and in spite of, those feelings. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anybody in his entire life.”
July 31, 2014
I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.
I feel really bad about The Species Within, but I just couldn't finish it. I've spent days trying to connect with these characters and get invested in the plot. It's just not happening. I think that this COULD be a great fit for a lot of people, it just wasn't for me.
Why it didn't work for me:
- Too many POVs. There is a LOT going on and yet not enough. Because there's so many POVs there's a lot of story lines to keep track of and at the same time, the story moves forward very slowly because you keep jumping around.
- I was almost invested in the Main MCs story, but I can't grow to like her. She's just a bit too obstinate for me - it's like she's trying to be kick ass and while she easily could be, her attitude just isn't making her at all likeable for me.
- It's kind of paranormal romance and kind of urban fantasy, teetering on the edge of erotica. I like all these genres, but as it turns out, I guess I don't like them too combined. I can't get settled into the right reading mood because it just keeps changing.
So it didn't work for me and I'm calling it.
Time of death: 40%.
It had real promise and who knows, that last 60% might have done it if I could have pushed through.
This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.
I feel really bad about The Species Within, but I just couldn't finish it. I've spent days trying to connect with these characters and get invested in the plot. It's just not happening. I think that this COULD be a great fit for a lot of people, it just wasn't for me.
Why it didn't work for me:
- Too many POVs. There is a LOT going on and yet not enough. Because there's so many POVs there's a lot of story lines to keep track of and at the same time, the story moves forward very slowly because you keep jumping around.
- I was almost invested in the Main MCs story, but I can't grow to like her. She's just a bit too obstinate for me - it's like she's trying to be kick ass and while she easily could be, her attitude just isn't making her at all likeable for me.
- It's kind of paranormal romance and kind of urban fantasy, teetering on the edge of erotica. I like all these genres, but as it turns out, I guess I don't like them too combined. I can't get settled into the right reading mood because it just keeps changing.
So it didn't work for me and I'm calling it.
Time of death: 40%.
It had real promise and who knows, that last 60% might have done it if I could have pushed through.
April 30, 2014
I just finished "Battles in the Dark"... WOW! That's the word I would use to describe it. It was a fantastic read. Lots of adventure, paranormality, attitude, romance, and intimacy. .
The storyline was well written with no lag. Very detailed which added a lot to the story leaving the reader to "see" what was going on in the minds eye. There was excitement and adventure which kept me wanting to read it and see what would happen next.
The characters were great. Their personalities were well thought out and planned. They were realistic in their personalities. I enjoyed watching the development of the relationships. Kira was strong, beautiful, and something new. A human with the abilities of a vamp and were with some magic thrown into the mix. I loved Kuron - his being was something new for me. I would have preferred he be a soul sucker who was handsome all the time, but I would take him being cute most of the time. I thought his feelings for Kira were so sweet. Their friendship was one that was great to watch grow. Emmerich - just wow! What a hunk! He was every girls dream of a vamp. Centuries old, wise, hot, and knows what he's doing! I was so happy to see that he fell in love with Kira and that she felt the same in turn.
The background history that was related through the story added to the mystique and answered questions along the storyline. The intimacy was hot, detailed, and tasteful. I enjoyed it from the first encounter with Eagan and the blondes right up to when Emmerich and Kira consummated their relationship.
The storyline was well written with no lag. Very detailed which added a lot to the story leaving the reader to "see" what was going on in the minds eye. There was excitement and adventure which kept me wanting to read it and see what would happen next.
The characters were great. Their personalities were well thought out and planned. They were realistic in their personalities. I enjoyed watching the development of the relationships. Kira was strong, beautiful, and something new. A human with the abilities of a vamp and were with some magic thrown into the mix. I loved Kuron - his being was something new for me. I would have preferred he be a soul sucker who was handsome all the time, but I would take him being cute most of the time. I thought his feelings for Kira were so sweet. Their friendship was one that was great to watch grow. Emmerich - just wow! What a hunk! He was every girls dream of a vamp. Centuries old, wise, hot, and knows what he's doing! I was so happy to see that he fell in love with Kira and that she felt the same in turn.
The background history that was related through the story added to the mystique and answered questions along the storyline. The intimacy was hot, detailed, and tasteful. I enjoyed it from the first encounter with Eagan and the blondes right up to when Emmerich and Kira consummated their relationship.
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