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Blood & Stone

(Venom Valley #3)

Hank Edwards (Goodreads Author)

4.18 · Rating details · 39 ratings · 14 reviews

Josh Stanton’s mother has been held prisoner by the vampire Balthazar for fifteen years. As Balthazar has turned the residents of Belkin’s Pass into vampires under his control, Josh, his lover Dex, former saloon girl Glory, and US Army Sergeant Walker Maxwell fight to contain the undead uprising.

As Josh struggles to control his power to raise the dead, the group is pursued ...more

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Published March 5th 2014 by Wilde City Press

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· 39 ratings · 14 reviews

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Aug 02, 2014 Ann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favorite-mm, broken-boys, country-boys-and-small-towns, for-sharknado-and-zombie-reasons, historical, mm-rereads, mm-series, mystery, pnrs-shifters-ghosties-scifi-etc

Holy hellfire this series has EVERYTHING and it's all made of AWESOME!

1. Cowboys
2. Indians
3. Whores
4. Vampires
5. Zombies
6. Witches
7. Curses
8. Wolves of all sorts
9. Moody and broody apocalyptic foreshadowing
10. Sexytimes!

So, reading that list it would seem like this series could seriously just end up as a hot mess of crazy, but the balance of all the elements was done so well, that I was completely sucked in to Venom Valley from book one.

Dex and Josh went through soooooo much and neither one wou ...more

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Aug 27, 2014 Lisa The Novel Approach rated it it was amazing

Vampires and Werewolves and Deaders… Oh my!

I’ve been such a huge fan of this series since Bounty (later renamed Cowboys & Vampires upon its re-release with Wilde City) was published back in 2011. Hank Edwards has taken the wild, wild West and populated it with the undead, the walking dead, werewolves, and all the danger, action, and suspense it takes to make a book nothing less than an old fashioned page-turner. Not to mention elevating Blood & Stone to the flawless diamond in this spark Vampires and Werewolves and Deaders… Oh my!

I’ve been such a huge fan of this series since Bounty (later renamed Cowboys & Vampires upon its re-release with Wilde City) was published back in 2011. Hank Edwards has taken the wild, wild West and populated it with the undead, the walking dead, werewolves, and all the danger, action, and suspense it takes to make a book nothing less than an old fashioned page-turner. Not to mention elevating Blood & Stone to the flawless diamond in this sparkling gem of a series.

The American West was never quite as untamed as the one that’s sprung forth from Hank Edwards’ imagination; nor has a mismatched group of heroes and heroines ever fought so valiantly against so unnatural an enemy, a deadly foe that surely would have left even Bram Stoker applauding. Or, quaking in his Victorian boots, one of the two. The series has come to a pinnacle in Blood & Stone, with no shortage of adrenaline pumping, contentious, breathtaking, and even a few heart-wrenching moments, and it was nothing short of a stellar performance on the part of the author.

The first two books in this series, the aforementioned Cowboys & Vampires, and its sequel Stakes & Spurs, are the TV Western turned inside out and strange brewed with one part Twilight Zone and one part Underworld. Blood & Stone has done nothing short of upping the stakes (no pun intended) and elevated this series to epic status. From its tightly plotted and engaging narrative to the characters themselves, who can now be named among some of my all-time favorites, this episode of the Venom Valley chronicles not only earns every one of its stars but has also earned a place as one of the best books I’ve read so far this years.

Josh Stanton and Dex Wells, our staunchly devoted romantic heroes, are feet to the proverbial fire in this book. Not only must they find and kill the most dangerous vampire ever to hit Venom Valley but they must do so while working against extraordinary odds. There is temptation to be found here, there is the cold, harsh reality that Dex is merely one bite away from becoming the undead against whom our heroes must do battle, and this provides an undercurrent of tension in Blood & Stone that does nothing but complement the danger these two men face.

A historical romance laced with horror, Native American mysticism, and paranormal fantasy—if you’re looking for something fun and out of the ordinary, the Venom Valley series may be exactly what you’re looking for.

...more

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Mar 21, 2014 Susan65 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: blogger-girls-blog, absolute-favorites

Evil vampires, killer wolves, a surprise werewolf, an army of reanimated corpses, special powers, secrets and romance. Seriously, is there anything missing that could make this story any better? I don’t think so and I highly recommend this series to those who like to get a little freaked out, grossed out, and shocked a bit when they read about their gay heroes.

One of the things I really enjoyed and appreciated about this series is that each installment begins right where the last book left off. Evil vampires, killer wolves, a surprise werewolf, an army of reanimated corpses, special powers, secrets and romance. Seriously, is there anything missing that could make this story any better? I don’t think so and I highly recommend this series to those who like to get a little freaked out, grossed out, and shocked a bit when they read about their gay heroes.

One of the things I really enjoyed and appreciated about this series is that each installment begins right where the last book left off. You feel a continuity that allows the story to flow smoothly and without backtracking to try and remember what happened in the previous book.

Dex, Josh, Glory, Walker, and the rest of the survivors are still fighting for their lives against Balthazar and his legion of vampires and killer wolves. They are slowly losing ground, and survivors, as the vampires begin to methodically burn the town out from under them. Eventually they will either have to make a stand, or run for their lives during the daylight hours.

The decision to run was taken from them as their shelter is burned out from under them and they decide to aim for Walker’s fort, hoping that it’s still standing, safe, and that they can get to it before the sun sets.

This is a horror story with a touch of paranormal, but there is also the romance that has blossomed between Dex and Josh since book one. It is definitely not your typical romance as they spend the majority of their time just trying to survive. However, the love between Josh and Dex is very real and they just want to get past all this vampire nonsense so that they can finally be together as a couple.

Unfortunately, Balthazar has other ideas, and so does Walker, so that romance will have to be taken in little secret kisses here and little gropes there. Now Walker was trying my nerves throughout the story, and so was Josh. I understood Walker having an attraction to Josh and no loyalty to Dex, but Josh should not have given Walker mixed messages. Dex was pissed and so was I. I know you can’t help who you find yourself attracted to but come on Josh, you are exhausted, dirty, fighting for your life, trying to keep Dex from turning into a vampire, trying to build a relationship with Dex AND you find yourself attracted to Walker? Not good man, not good.

But the good news is that there is no cheating, there is no taking the attraction any further than being aware that he finds the other man physically attractive, and so I was fine with it. Dex, not so much and so the tension between Dex and Walker was almost as thick as the skulls that they had to crack to re-kill the reanimated dead. Yeah, that was real pleasant…ew. I still get creeped out over that undead army of reanimated corpses; so gross, and I am going to have nightmares thinking about those ghoulish cadavers.

I love horror, I love paranormal, and I love gay romance, so this is a winning series for those who want something a little (a lot) different than your every day contemporary gay romance novels. I get off on getting the bejeebus scared out of me and reading my Nook with my head under the covers. You get that and more with this final installment of the Venom Valley series. So take a stroll through 1860’s Belkin’s Pass and let me know how it worked out for you.

Overall Impression: I loved it

See this this review and more at: The Blogger Girls ...more

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Sep 03, 2014 Xing rated it liked it

Shelves: biob

Blood & Stone is the third and final entry into the Venom Valley series. Now that Josh and Dex are reunited, they are set with the final battle against the vampires. In this book, the POV expands to include Walker. That makes it four characters we are head hopping between: Dex, Josh, Glory and Walker. Honestly, as much as I like Glory, I was getting really tired at this point with so many people sharing word space (any chapter that contains Gloria's POV always has “the warmth of Ohanzee” rep Blood & Stone is the third and final entry into the Venom Valley series. Now that Josh and Dex are reunited, they are set with the final battle against the vampires. In this book, the POV expands to include Walker. That makes it four characters we are head hopping between: Dex, Josh, Glory and Walker. Honestly, as much as I like Glory, I was getting really tired at this point with so many people sharing word space (any chapter that contains Gloria's POV always has “the warmth of Ohanzee” repeated like ten times and was getting on my nerves). I literally felt that Walker's POV did absolutely nothing to enrich the story. Sure, it gave us more insight into his past, but that happens pretty much at the very end of the book – at that point, I really could have cared less. I also felt like one-third or even half of the story could have been deleted, and it would have been even BETTER. Most of the book was literally preparing for the fight, which got boring fast. The vampire/wolf fights were also losing its touch and felt like a repeating scene throughout the book.

Was Blood & Stone all bad? Nope. I still really enjoyed the times when Josh and Dex were able to find time to themselves. Sure, the sex was great, but I loved the non-sexual intimacy between them while they fight for their lives. While Glory annoyed me with her POV, reading about her from Josh and Dex's POV was fine. I did enjoy most of the side characters as well, since they became part of this little vampire-killing family living out in the West. It really is a cast of very diverse people.

So overall, the series was “okay” for me. It had a prominent beginning, which fizzled out in book two mostly due to bad pacing, but recovered somewhat in book three. It had a charming (and not so charming) cast of characters that were mostly engaging. The story itself was solid, though its execution wavered while the story progressed. The Venom Valley series isn't perfect, but you should give it a try if you're a fan of historical paranormal stories.
...more

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Sep 07, 2015 a_fret_argent rated it it was ok

Shelves: cowboys-in-love, annoyed-the-hell-out-of-me

While I felt the series was promising after the first book, by the time I finished this one I was so ready for it to be over.

I was genuinely creeped out by the imagery of the opening scene between Josh and Agnes, but by the time Walker (view spoiler) showed up I was rolling my eyes. There were way too many different paranormal angles, and all of them except the main vampires arc felt superfluous to me. I kept waiting for something big- some grand climax- and the ...more

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Mar 07, 2014 Dianne Hartsock rated it it was amazing

Holy horrific zombies and bloodthirsty vampires! This story grabs you by the throat from the very first lines and runs you through exciting and often deliciously gruesome battle scenes, intricate attacks and retreats. You suffer the heartache of lost friends and the joy of stolen intimate moments between our heroes. If you want a book that makes your blood rush and keeps you turning the pages, this is it! Another great story in the Venom Valley series.

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Jul 08, 2017 Sammy Goode rated it it was amazing

Okay, I must freely admit—I LOVE this series. I have from its beginning and this third installment, Blood & Stone, has not left me the least disappointed! Hank Edwards has really managed to make this Venom Valley series one that has remained slightly creepy in oh so good a way, sexy without throwing in constant sex scenes between his two leads, and highly entertaining to boot. If you have not read the other two books in this series, I am afraid that this review will contain spoilers from the
Okay, I must freely admit—I LOVE this series. I have from its beginning and this third installment, Blood & Stone, has not left me the least disappointed! Hank Edwards has really managed to make this Venom Valley series one that has remained slightly creepy in oh so good a way, sexy without throwing in constant sex scenes between his two leads, and highly entertaining to boot. If you have not read the other two books in this series, I am afraid that this review will contain spoilers from the rest of the series as I attempt to recap the current story. Also, this novel really does hinge upon the reader knowing all that has happened previously, so I want to encourage you to start with the first book in this series, Cowboys and Vampires, Venom Valley #1. Now, onward to the recap!

When we last left our ragtag group of heroes, Dex had managed to escape the thralls of the evil vampire Balthazar and was back with his lover and best friend Josh. However, the cavalry had arrived and one, Sergeant Walker Maxwell was not only in charge, but attracted to Josh, as well. Dex spends a great deal of this novel trying to reassure himself that Josh is in love with hi and continually fights the raging jealousy he experiences every time he sees Josh with Walker. Unfortunately, Josh himself feels Walker’s pull once too often and must continually remind himself that he is in love with and committed to Dex. All these sexually charged encounters take place while the men are literally running for their lives, chasing down and killing Balthazar’s growing minions and attempting to find a way to kill the evil vampire and free Josh’s mother from his clutches. In the meanwhile, Glory is staving off Balthazar’s attempts to sway her to joining him by clinging to the spirit warrior that has walked with her since her father blessed her with him upon his death. When Balthazar finally realizes he cannot detach Glory from her spirit companion and enthrall her, he lures her out in the only way he can, by going after her cast off tribe.

This novel was perhaps the most action packed of the three. Never one for too quickly providing resolution for his various story threads, author Hank Edwards takes his time bringing this series to its climax. Consequently, there are many heart stopping moments, gripping action scenes and one episode after another of near death experiences. Incredible secrets are revealed about Walker and more explanation and depth is given to Josh’s ability to control the dead. The relationship between Dex and Josh goes through growing pains and the idea that Dex has been changed forever due to being twice bitten by Balthazar is manifested in his behavior in and out of the bedroom, so to speak. Yet they hang onto each other, continually assuring the other of their love.
...more

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Aug 11, 2017 DeWanda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, kultd

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Oct 05, 2017 Shannon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: gay-lesbian, kindle, kindle-loan, paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 23, 2018 Erica rated it really liked it

What a ride! An all around wonderful series.

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Jan 24, 2017 Michael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-0-own-ebook, historical_mm, horror, paranormal-vampires, paranormal_mm, romance_mm, western_mm, z_amazon, sex_low, paranormal-wolf

3.5 Stars

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Mar 11, 2014 Tori Thompson rated it really liked it

Have you read the first books? You’ve GOT to read the first books! They are wonderful! So go read them then come back….

So. Josh raises the dead, there are nasty vampires, cowboys, prostitutes, Native Americans, and Dex. Josh and Dex have been friends forever, each having secret feelings for the other, but keep it to themselves. Big dramatic stuff happens, Josh and Dex get really friendly and it is hot! More stuff happens, Dex gets kidnapped by the bad vampire, Josh and Glory the prostitute try t Have you read the first books? You’ve GOT to read the first books! They are wonderful! So go read them then come back….

So. Josh raises the dead, there are nasty vampires, cowboys, prostitutes, Native Americans, and Dex. Josh and Dex have been friends forever, each having secret feelings for the other, but keep it to themselves. Big dramatic stuff happens, Josh and Dex get really friendly and it is hot! More stuff happens, Dex gets kidnapped by the bad vampire, Josh and Glory the prostitute try to save what’s left of the townsfolk, meet the hot Army Sargeant that Josh lusts after, and Dex gets free. Reunited and it feels so good! Except the bad vampire is still out there, Josh is still lusting after the Sergeant, Dex feels guilty over something he did with the bad vampire, and Josh’s long lost mother is being held captive by the bad vampire. All caught up for Blood & Stone!

Blood & Stone picks up right where the last one ended, right in the middle of the action. Dex, Josh and crew are trapped in the church which gets set on fire. This begins a night of running from burning building to burning building as Belkin’s Pass is destroyed around them. Dex and Josh are devastated by the loss of the town that has been their home their entire lives. They are also feeling a separation between them growing as they are each dealing with internal issues. It’s hard to see, they have spent as much time apart as together in the last two books and I want them to be together so badly. The group makes it to Walker’s Army fort and settles in the make a plan to deal with Balthazar…

Lots of action and drama happens, including a bit of really naughty sex between Josh and Dex. There isn’t much time or privacy for a lot of sex, with the vampires trying to kill them, but they do have a hot rondezvous in the bathhouse. Dex gets all alpha on Josh and…. well, you can guess! Walker has some secrets, and is still sniffing around Josh, making Dex even more tense. Glory flits around, does some smart stuff and some stupid stuff, Walker’s soldiers are sometimes annoying and sometimes helpful. Vampires And wolves are killed, Indians are rescued and participate in the finale, and Walker’s secrets are revealed. The big finale is quite dramatic and lots happens! Both good and bad. Although I was still confused about Josh’s mother at the end.

I’ve enjoyed this whole series, it felt like a season of a TV show, or a mini series. Books one and two ending with cliff hangers, then the third ending with a big finale. There was a great cast of characters, Dex and Josh were certainly the stars, but Glory, Walker, Beatrice, Balthazar, Sally, Ohanzee, and the others on both sides of the battle all added a lot to the overall story. Sometimes additional characters are just there, but several of these had their own stories and issues. There was lots of action, moving from place to place, several fight scenes, and of course the ending action sequence. Very clear lines between good and evil with an epic battle. Well more of a running battle through the three books. A little bit of horror, with the vampires, wolves, and Josh’s walking dead, a little bit of romance between Josh and Dex, also Glory and Ohanzee. Walker adds conflict to the romance between Josh and Dex, but doesn’t destroy it. I wish there had been more sex, but I get why there wasn’t. There was no time or opportunity, so it’s not a complaint, it didn’t ruin the story or anything, I just personally like a bit more sexy times in the books I read!

If you like paranormal romance novels, you’ll probably like this series and this book. They are just on the edge of cheesy, in that old western TV show way, but that is not a bad thing! Somewhat like the movie Cowboys and Aliens, action and adventure. The writing is good, this one wasn’t quite as good as the others, I’m not sure why exactly. A few scenes just seems stilted maybe, or rushed. Not enough to detract from my enjoyment, but something was slightly off. But I still really liked the whole series and this was a great wrap up book!

A copy of this book was provided for reviewing. The original review posted at www.sidlove.com! ...more

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May 03, 2014 Joyfully Jay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sammy

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

Okay, I must freely admit—I LOVE this series. I have from its beginning and this third installment, Blood & Stone, has not left me the least disappointed! Hank Edwards has really managed to make this Venom Valley series one that has remained slightly creepy in oh so good a way, sexy without throwing in constant sex scenes between his two leads, and highly entertaining to boot. If you have not read the other two books in this series, I am afraid that this review w ...more

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Aug 27, 2014 Kathleen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: western, favorite-series, paranormal, cowboys, au

Zombies, vampires, and romance in the Old West! I so very much liked this series. I had a few niggles, but it was well written and edited, something I always appreciate in the romance genre. The characters, both primary and secondary, were fleshed out and quite likeable. If there are more planned for this series, I'm in. Highly recommended.

EDIT: I'm amending my four stars to 4.5 stars, and rounding up to five. I may have had my niggles, but this was original, atmospheric, with very good characte ...more

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About Hank Edwards

Hank Edwards

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Hank Edwards is a curious mix of practical realist and feral dreamer. He is a fan of absurd comedy, as evidenced in the sizzling and hilarious Charlie Heggensford Fluffers, Inc. series, as well as Plus Ones, his wacky rom-com. He also loves a good mystery and suspense story, which inspired his Up to Trouble series, featuring FBI Agent Aaron Pearce and his lover Mark Beecher who met during one case ...more