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Ashen Twilight #1
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight
From award-winning author Rae Lori...
Enter the world of the Ashen Twilight Houses
A 98,000 Paranormal Romance Fantasy ~ First in a Series!
"An exceptional read."
Coffee Time Romance Reviews ★★★★
“a well-written, intricate story. ...vivid and beautiful, evoking images in my mind that were like watching a movie as I read it.”
Bitten By Books ★★★★★
Enter the world of the Ashen Twilight Houses
Ariya, an Aziza Faerie, crosses into the mortal realm to escape a vicious and deadly elemental creature. She discovers an underground world of Nightwalkers, Lycans and Shifter Elves hiding beneath human's eyes. When she falls for the Nightwalker Regent Prince Jace Archane, love and loyalties are tested as an age-old rivalry unmasks a new enemy.
A 98,000 Paranormal Romance Fantasy ~ First in a Series!
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2009
179 people are currently reading
1651 people want to read
About the author
Rae Lori
22 books142 followersThroughout her writing career, Rae has written comic book and film related articles which have appeared in online publications such as Comic Stack, Suite101, CinemaGap and Dark Moon Rising. As a result, her alma mater's English course chose one of her articles as an example for how to write an article. She also served as editor and contributing writer of her school newsletter. For her contributions to the newsletter and her leadership, she has won various Success & Leadership awards sponsored by her alma mater where she received her BA in Media Arts & Animation.
Her manuscript, Hotel Sunset, won an Honorable Mention award in the 73rd Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Under various pen names, she has written books, novellas and short stories that run the genre gamut of science fiction, fantasy, short roman noir and paranormal romance and many more waiting to drip onto the page.
A fan of David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock, she also has a love for film, vampires and visual storytelling which she couples with the art of the written word to tell her stories. While penning her works, she loves to create artwork that explores her strong female characters and the men in their lives.
Rae also has a reader profile where she posts her favorite reads and recommendations at Goodreads. Feel free to add or follow her! http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12...
Her manuscript, Hotel Sunset, won an Honorable Mention award in the 73rd Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Under various pen names, she has written books, novellas and short stories that run the genre gamut of science fiction, fantasy, short roman noir and paranormal romance and many more waiting to drip onto the page.
A fan of David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock, she also has a love for film, vampires and visual storytelling which she couples with the art of the written word to tell her stories. While penning her works, she loves to create artwork that explores her strong female characters and the men in their lives.
Rae also has a reader profile where she posts her favorite reads and recommendations at Goodreads. Feel free to add or follow her! http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 12, 2010
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight tells the story of Ariya, a “sheltered” Aziza fairy living in another realm unknown to others. There is an evil entity that has been terrorizing her and her family and certain tragic circumstances soon force her to escape her once safe haven to what they call the “mortal realm”..in order to seek safety. She quickly comes to find that there are “other” immortals in this world that she has read/studied about but never truly believed existed.
Jace Archane , a 600 year old “playboy” vampire who is constantly trying to “shirk” responsibilities, comes to her aide when she runs into trouble upon first arriving. There is an instant attraction that both of them feel “internally” but outwardly try to fight... it soon becomes evident, however, that they must work together to bring down this evil that has now followed her from her home into his.
This wasn't your typical PNR story about just a vampire or a were shifter..it had a little bit of everything!...vampires, werewolves, elves, and fairies... it's not often that you get to read a story that features them all...so that part, for me, was very enjoyable! The beginning of this story started out a little bit slow for me and I was a little bit nervous because it was reading , at first, like a historical..but the story soon moved into present day and at that point the storyline eventually picked up pace. I have to admit that I was a little unsure as to whether or not I was going to like this book ...I was afraid that it was going to be more Urban Fantasy, which I'm NOT a huge fan of, than PNRomance..although I LOVE everything “paranormal”...in my BOOKS...there HAS TO BE a romantic element to it! I'm happy to “report” that Rae Lori did NOT disappoint! I liked that even though there was that “instant” attraction between Jace and Ariya the author didn't immediately throw them together..she created a nice, slow, sweet build up to their relationship and the sexual tension between the two of them and their eventual hook up was enough to satisfy any die hard romantic. There was also a good suspenseful storyline that kept you guessing up until the very end and I really enjoyed the interaction between Jace and his friends. Having said that...I can't wait to see where Rae Lori plans on going with this series...whether she will continue on with the same couple as the “feature” couple ...or whether she will eventually move on to focus on other characters that we've been introduced to. There are a few in particular that I would LOVE to see find “their” mates. I already have the 2nd book in hand and can't wait to get start reading about Jace and Ariya's continuing saga. Rae Lori can add one more fan to her, I'M SURE, growing list of fans. This is definitely a series that I will continue to follow! Any fan of this genre..whether UF or PNR will want to pick this one up!
Jace Archane , a 600 year old “playboy” vampire who is constantly trying to “shirk” responsibilities, comes to her aide when she runs into trouble upon first arriving. There is an instant attraction that both of them feel “internally” but outwardly try to fight... it soon becomes evident, however, that they must work together to bring down this evil that has now followed her from her home into his.
This wasn't your typical PNR story about just a vampire or a were shifter..it had a little bit of everything!...vampires, werewolves, elves, and fairies... it's not often that you get to read a story that features them all...so that part, for me, was very enjoyable! The beginning of this story started out a little bit slow for me and I was a little bit nervous because it was reading , at first, like a historical..but the story soon moved into present day and at that point the storyline eventually picked up pace. I have to admit that I was a little unsure as to whether or not I was going to like this book ...I was afraid that it was going to be more Urban Fantasy, which I'm NOT a huge fan of, than PNRomance..although I LOVE everything “paranormal”...in my BOOKS...there HAS TO BE a romantic element to it! I'm happy to “report” that Rae Lori did NOT disappoint! I liked that even though there was that “instant” attraction between Jace and Ariya the author didn't immediately throw them together..she created a nice, slow, sweet build up to their relationship and the sexual tension between the two of them and their eventual hook up was enough to satisfy any die hard romantic. There was also a good suspenseful storyline that kept you guessing up until the very end and I really enjoyed the interaction between Jace and his friends. Having said that...I can't wait to see where Rae Lori plans on going with this series...whether she will continue on with the same couple as the “feature” couple ...or whether she will eventually move on to focus on other characters that we've been introduced to. There are a few in particular that I would LOVE to see find “their” mates. I already have the 2nd book in hand and can't wait to get start reading about Jace and Ariya's continuing saga. Rae Lori can add one more fan to her, I'M SURE, growing list of fans. This is definitely a series that I will continue to follow! Any fan of this genre..whether UF or PNR will want to pick this one up!
April 27, 2009
For a full review, check the Bitten by Books website: http://www.bittenbybooks.com/
July 22, 2010
Not exactly my favorite, but it wasn't my worst either. I didn't fall in love with the characters (although I thought Jace was hot and liked the bad boy thing, but why a 600 year old immature and reckless vampire? Not too believable for me!). I didn't care if any of them died which tends to be a pretty bad sign for me as far as liking a book or not.
I felt rushed in learning the rules of this Urban Fantasy world. I would have liked a intro with more INTERESTING dialogue and less descriptions. The romance took forever to occur and when it did I really just wanted to finish the book quickly.
The flashbacks were tedious and long. Not even making that area's text italicised could fix it.
So although I praise Rae Lori for putting some ethnicity into this genre with well written prose! I found myself pretty bored with seen before conflict of damsel in distriss of big bad monster.
I felt rushed in learning the rules of this Urban Fantasy world. I would have liked a intro with more INTERESTING dialogue and less descriptions. The romance took forever to occur and when it did I really just wanted to finish the book quickly.
The flashbacks were tedious and long. Not even making that area's text italicised could fix it.
So although I praise Rae Lori for putting some ethnicity into this genre with well written prose! I found myself pretty bored with seen before conflict of damsel in distriss of big bad monster.
June 15, 2014
This is the first book I have read from Rae Lori and I will be coming back for more. I loved this story. It had so many things that I liked that I'm afraid I would have a mile long review. It had romance, vampires, faeries, werewolves, and just a great story all around. Great job. I cannot wait to read more.
July 28, 2014
Ariya has been dreaming of this mysterious figure for some time. Her dreams feel so real to her that she often wakes in a panic. Yet, after another one of her mystery man dreams, she awakes to find that the horror has reached into her real world. Her family sacrifices themselves to allow Ariya to escape to the mortal world. But once there, she finds that the evil hunting her as followed her there and is hell bent on devouring her as it did with the rest of her royal fae family. The mortal world is not as safe as she thought as she’s almost immediately attacked by rogue shifters. It is during that attack that she realizes the mysterious figure from her dreams resides in the mortal world and is a vampire.
Jace in all of his many years of being immortal has never seen a creature such as Ariya. Fae had long been rumored to be just a part of the fantasy tales we were told as children. Yet, in front of him, Jace finds a beautiful winged fae. He knows he shouldn’t get close to her, but with a single glance has managed to thaw his icy heart. Jace will stop at nothing to protect and claim her as his own, but he doesn’t realize that there’s more to Ariya that meets the eye.
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight is a rare debut novel that manages to uniquely twist the paranormal romance world. While it does feature all of our paranormal favorites, it’s the story and world building together that adds a charming quality to this tale. The various races are a part of a long tradition of the caste system with reagents for each division that into their own personal kingdom. Unlike most PNR novels, these various divisions do interact and co-mingle. Rae Lori has weaved a remarkably fast paced and engaging tale. I highly recommend A Kiss of Ashen Twilight to be added to your summer reading list!
Jace in all of his many years of being immortal has never seen a creature such as Ariya. Fae had long been rumored to be just a part of the fantasy tales we were told as children. Yet, in front of him, Jace finds a beautiful winged fae. He knows he shouldn’t get close to her, but with a single glance has managed to thaw his icy heart. Jace will stop at nothing to protect and claim her as his own, but he doesn’t realize that there’s more to Ariya that meets the eye.
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight is a rare debut novel that manages to uniquely twist the paranormal romance world. While it does feature all of our paranormal favorites, it’s the story and world building together that adds a charming quality to this tale. The various races are a part of a long tradition of the caste system with reagents for each division that into their own personal kingdom. Unlike most PNR novels, these various divisions do interact and co-mingle. Rae Lori has weaved a remarkably fast paced and engaging tale. I highly recommend A Kiss of Ashen Twilight to be added to your summer reading list!
March 5, 2010
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight by Rae Lori
Rae Lori's "A Kiss of Ashen Twilight" is an exquisite book full love, passion, heroism, and pain. The love story between Jace and Ariya is heart warming and painful at the same time, you will shed tears and become excited as you follow their journey together. Rae Lori's writing is amazing, delivering both tears and sighs of joy to the entranced reader. I was unable to put down the book and I kept wanting to read more and more of it. Within the Shadows of Mortals is well worth the read.
Reviewed by: Raven Kelly- ParanormalRomance.ca
Click Here to Visit ParanormalRomance.ca
Rae Lori's "A Kiss of Ashen Twilight" is an exquisite book full love, passion, heroism, and pain. The love story between Jace and Ariya is heart warming and painful at the same time, you will shed tears and become excited as you follow their journey together. Rae Lori's writing is amazing, delivering both tears and sighs of joy to the entranced reader. I was unable to put down the book and I kept wanting to read more and more of it. Within the Shadows of Mortals is well worth the read.
Reviewed by: Raven Kelly- ParanormalRomance.ca
Click Here to Visit ParanormalRomance.ca
February 14, 2009
All of you may have noticed that Rae Lori has been such a wonderful person to have helped me out with posted some of her reviews of books she's read and recommends to others. I've had the pleasure of interviewing her two months ago in December about her writing and her book
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight
, which is book 1 of her Ashen Twilight series. Well today I've just finished reading my ARC of the novel which Rae sent me an autographed print copy of for me to read and review. Haunted by dreams of a mysterious yet seductive figure that Ariya, the heroine, has yet to find out more about but then she awakens to a more dangerous nightmare. There is a vicious elemental creature out there and it has nearly wiping out her entire family except for her. Her parents have urged her to cross over into the mortal realm right before the elemental creature could get to her and there she is saved from another attack against strange shifter wolves. Her rescuer is Jace Archane, the hero, an immortal Nightwalker from the House of Blood within the Ashen Twilight House and he is also the very same man from her mysterious dreams that she has been having before.
I was a little confused about the House of Blood and all the other terms that they use in this book but I finally figured out what was going on as things started to become more clear. Now Jace and Ariya's attraction to each other is evident since the moment they met each other in that horrific fight when Ariya first came into the mortal realm.
Read rest of Review...
I was a little confused about the House of Blood and all the other terms that they use in this book but I finally figured out what was going on as things started to become more clear. Now Jace and Ariya's attraction to each other is evident since the moment they met each other in that horrific fight when Ariya first came into the mortal realm.
Read rest of Review...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2017
I received a free copy of this book.
First off, I want to say that I read my share of vampire novels and while I like some of them a lot others just don't do it for me. They tend to be kind of repetitive and I was looking for some new ideas when I started reading this book.
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight is the story of a vampire, Jace, and a fairy, Ariya. They meet after Ariya is attacked in her home realm by an Elemental and she needs to escape to the human world.
I had my troubles to get into the book because the first few pages where highly confusing for me. However, this problem was eventually solved when the whole two realm theory was explained. I really like the idea of having fairies thrown into a story with the usual supernatural suspects like vampires and shapeshifters.
I really liked the first half of the book because the story was fast-paced and interesting to read. The historical retrospects were great and I had a good time reading this book.
However, after the first half the book kind of lost me. I wasn't able to follow the decisions the main characters made. Especially when Ariya instantly decided that she found a new home in the Ashen Twilight house. I also wasn't able to understand the romance. It was nice but somewhat too rushed for me.
In the end, this book was a nice and fast-paced read. It definitely offered some new ideas for the vampire topic and I hope the series will further explore them.
First off, I want to say that I read my share of vampire novels and while I like some of them a lot others just don't do it for me. They tend to be kind of repetitive and I was looking for some new ideas when I started reading this book.
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight is the story of a vampire, Jace, and a fairy, Ariya. They meet after Ariya is attacked in her home realm by an Elemental and she needs to escape to the human world.
I had my troubles to get into the book because the first few pages where highly confusing for me. However, this problem was eventually solved when the whole two realm theory was explained. I really like the idea of having fairies thrown into a story with the usual supernatural suspects like vampires and shapeshifters.
I really liked the first half of the book because the story was fast-paced and interesting to read. The historical retrospects were great and I had a good time reading this book.
However, after the first half the book kind of lost me. I wasn't able to follow the decisions the main characters made. Especially when Ariya instantly decided that she found a new home in the Ashen Twilight house. I also wasn't able to understand the romance. It was nice but somewhat too rushed for me.
In the end, this book was a nice and fast-paced read. It definitely offered some new ideas for the vampire topic and I hope the series will further explore them.
October 21, 2010
I was able to get into it and it was good, but it didn't really start getting super, super, good until Jace and Ariya got together physically. There was a lot of chemistry between the two, but Jace was reluctant to be with her because of his little problem with killing the women he feeds from. For some reason, when he feeds, he kills the person, not on purpose, it just happens. He doesn't want that to happen to Ariya. It doesn't because she's fairy.
There was a lot of going back into the past which I liked but I was eager to get back to present day, and any scenes with Jace and Ariya.
I did like the different houses between the vamps, lycans, and shifter elves. And Ariya had wings! Usually that would make it seem hokey but I liked it. It worked for the book and character. In this book, the paranormal world is a secret, although a little of it was let out. Usually when I'm reading PR/UF, I like the paranormal aspect to be known but I didn't mind it hidden in this book.
I'm looking forward to the 2nd book, but from reading the excerpt not sure if it will all be about Jace and Ariya. I hope so!
There was a lot of going back into the past which I liked but I was eager to get back to present day, and any scenes with Jace and Ariya.
I did like the different houses between the vamps, lycans, and shifter elves. And Ariya had wings! Usually that would make it seem hokey but I liked it. It worked for the book and character. In this book, the paranormal world is a secret, although a little of it was let out. Usually when I'm reading PR/UF, I like the paranormal aspect to be known but I didn't mind it hidden in this book.
I'm looking forward to the 2nd book, but from reading the excerpt not sure if it will all be about Jace and Ariya. I hope so!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2011
Vampires, Shape Shifters, and Fairies Oh My! I Thought this was pretty good, I liked that they have a immortal leadership (Ashen Twilight House) where each immortal race rules and tries to keep them all in order and away from the eyes of mortals. I also loved Rae Lori's description of her Fantasy world and the historical part as well, took me to a place I could believe.
I thought all characters great. I liked all the action and mystery behind the elemental. I thought Jace and Ariya were good together but felt that the romance between them was a lil too slow, don't get me wrong I'm glad they didn't jump each others bones straight at the beginning. I was just hoping for more scenes of them together, what can I say sucker for romance and sexual tension.
I enjoyed reading this and will be looking forward to reading the next book to this series heres my vision of the hero and heroine
I thought all characters great. I liked all the action and mystery behind the elemental. I thought Jace and Ariya were good together but felt that the romance between them was a lil too slow, don't get me wrong I'm glad they didn't jump each others bones straight at the beginning. I was just hoping for more scenes of them together, what can I say sucker for romance and sexual tension.
I enjoyed reading this and will be looking forward to reading the next book to this series heres my vision of the hero and heroine
January 17, 2019
Mish mash story
What started out as an interesting premise, several paranormal species coexisting in Houses, quickly became a wandering mish mash story. The was very little character development, so their words and actions felt like they had multiple personality disorder. The H and h had a hot and cold relationship, but somehow managed to bond forever?
Glad I got a free copy, sad I kept reading, hoping it would get better.
What started out as an interesting premise, several paranormal species coexisting in Houses, quickly became a wandering mish mash story. The was very little character development, so their words and actions felt like they had multiple personality disorder. The H and h had a hot and cold relationship, but somehow managed to bond forever?
Glad I got a free copy, sad I kept reading, hoping it would get better.
May 31, 2017
I read book 2 before book 1 b/c I borrowed it and when you are borrowin that's the way it is. I enjoyed book 1 better than book 2. It was more interestin. I'm interested in book 3, but I only hope it's better than #2. Rae Lori loaned this book to me on Amazon, and if she's on goodreads, Thank you. I don't leave reviews on Amazon, only on here.
May 30, 2010
A Kiss of Ahen Twilight. Good book. I had a hard time getting into it but when I did I found myself loving it. Full of everything I love to read.
July 3, 2022
This book had an amazing first half. However, the second half kept me confused as it seemed the writer was a bit confused as to what she wrote in the first half. There were a lot of editing errors that got horribly worse in the second half. I really am disappointed as the first half was absolutely amazing. I DNF'ed 70% the way through because the plot lost me completely and the grammar errors were getting ridiculously frequent. I will be keeping an eye on this writer because she does show true promise.
June 30, 2021
Didn't Hold My Interest
*****Spoilers*****
Jace and Ariya, the former a 600+ year old nightwalker who eschews responsibility and Ariya the fae girl who races to the mortal realm in fear for her life from an elemental creature that had taken the power from her family, her mother and father killed until she's the last of her line. Although the book was written well, the story couldn't keep my attention. Jace and Ariya and their story were just meh.
*****Spoilers*****
Jace and Ariya, the former a 600+ year old nightwalker who eschews responsibility and Ariya the fae girl who races to the mortal realm in fear for her life from an elemental creature that had taken the power from her family, her mother and father killed until she's the last of her line. Although the book was written well, the story couldn't keep my attention. Jace and Ariya and their story were just meh.
January 15, 2022
A nightwalker and a faerie. Airya flees to earth to escape the murderers who are after her. Her only concern other than lying low is how iss she going to rule her kingdom.
When Jace heard wolves attacking a little faerie he steps up to help.
Jace and Airya begin their journey in this paranormal romance.
When Jace heard wolves attacking a little faerie he steps up to help.
Jace and Airya begin their journey in this paranormal romance.
Want to read
July 4, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/8/2020)! 🎁
August 1, 2020
Once again I have found a good book in this story. I found it hard to put it down until the end.
August 11, 2020
Not for me.
I got this book for free, otherwise I would not have read it. It is like a slightly trashier version of the Twilight world.
I got this book for free, otherwise I would not have read it. It is like a slightly trashier version of the Twilight world.
April 29, 2022
Not my type
May 8, 2014
***This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.***
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight is the story of a Nightwalker (vampire) Jace and a Fairy (Fae), Ariya. It starts out with Ariya witnessing the death of her parents by an elemental creature-the same creature that killed her sisters. She flees to the mortal realm, Phoenix to be exact, where she's set upon by a pack of wolves who threaten to tear her limb from limb. She's saved by Jace, a Nightwalker royal who has never wanted his birthright - a seat at the table of the ruling house-The Ashen Twilight house.
Ariya wakes up in Jace's bed and must decide whether or not to trust the Nightwalker. When the two start to develop feelings for one another, they both must decide whether their love is worth the hardship they will experience merging their two races. Along the way, they must also battle the elemental sent to kill Ariya lest the elemental destroy the human world to get to her.
There's a good bit to like in this book. The fairy and vampire lore was well integrated and explained. The author included bits such as Jace needing blood to maintain the beat of his heart. Ariya's Fae powers were well described and interesting. There's also a good bit of Scottish history that's told in flashbacks. If you like your romantic fantasy books with a good dose of history, you'll like those parts of it.
That said, this book could benefit from an edit pass focused on trimming some of the slower moving parts of the story. I found some of Jace's reactions less than satisfying particularly where his penchant for killing his meals was concerned. There were a number of plot points that were introduced and then left to languish and supporting characters, particularly from the Fae realm, who were under-used.
The romance was sweet and yes, romantic, but the sexual tension wasn't visceral enough. It felt like a foregone conclusion that Jace and Ariya would end up together and while that's assumed in a Paranormal Romance, it was a little too overt for my tastes in this book. While the forays into the past were interesting, richly described, and important to the plot, there were too many too late in the book and they detracted from the action. That said, the writing itself was well done and there were very few editing mistakes. The politics at the Ashen Twilight House were interesting and well integrated with the rest of the plot and the author wove in some misdirection as to who was behind it all in the end.
This isn't a bad book, but don't go into it looking for a fast-paced energetic read. It's a book that takes its time getting to where it needs to be and takes you through a wide swath of history while it does so.
***This review originally appeared on Author Alliance.***
A Kiss of Ashen Twilight is the story of a Nightwalker (vampire) Jace and a Fairy (Fae), Ariya. It starts out with Ariya witnessing the death of her parents by an elemental creature-the same creature that killed her sisters. She flees to the mortal realm, Phoenix to be exact, where she's set upon by a pack of wolves who threaten to tear her limb from limb. She's saved by Jace, a Nightwalker royal who has never wanted his birthright - a seat at the table of the ruling house-The Ashen Twilight house.
Ariya wakes up in Jace's bed and must decide whether or not to trust the Nightwalker. When the two start to develop feelings for one another, they both must decide whether their love is worth the hardship they will experience merging their two races. Along the way, they must also battle the elemental sent to kill Ariya lest the elemental destroy the human world to get to her.
There's a good bit to like in this book. The fairy and vampire lore was well integrated and explained. The author included bits such as Jace needing blood to maintain the beat of his heart. Ariya's Fae powers were well described and interesting. There's also a good bit of Scottish history that's told in flashbacks. If you like your romantic fantasy books with a good dose of history, you'll like those parts of it.
That said, this book could benefit from an edit pass focused on trimming some of the slower moving parts of the story. I found some of Jace's reactions less than satisfying particularly where his penchant for killing his meals was concerned. There were a number of plot points that were introduced and then left to languish and supporting characters, particularly from the Fae realm, who were under-used.
The romance was sweet and yes, romantic, but the sexual tension wasn't visceral enough. It felt like a foregone conclusion that Jace and Ariya would end up together and while that's assumed in a Paranormal Romance, it was a little too overt for my tastes in this book. While the forays into the past were interesting, richly described, and important to the plot, there were too many too late in the book and they detracted from the action. That said, the writing itself was well done and there were very few editing mistakes. The politics at the Ashen Twilight House were interesting and well integrated with the rest of the plot and the author wove in some misdirection as to who was behind it all in the end.
This isn't a bad book, but don't go into it looking for a fast-paced energetic read. It's a book that takes its time getting to where it needs to be and takes you through a wide swath of history while it does so.
***This review originally appeared on Author Alliance.***
October 8, 2014
In A Kiss of Ashen Twilight, Ariya is a faery, one of the princesses of Aziza the royal family. After an attack on her family drives her out of her realm, seeking safety she looks for protection within the Ashen Twilight House and with Jace Archane.
Jace is the nephew of the vampire leader of the house (the House of Blood, a part of the Ashen Twilght House. A vampire for hundreds of years, Jace has his life-the hunt, the secrecy-figured out...Ariya's the last thing he needs. But when a mysterious attacker, the 'elemental' brings danger to the Lycans, Shifter Elves, and the Nightwalkers, Jace and Ariya just might have to join forces. (Other summary, excerpt and second buy link here.)
I received an arc print book of this and I have to say that I'm really glad I did-it's from a small publisher and published as an e-book so I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise.
I will admit, however, that I did have a little bit of trouble getting into the book and the story. I think at least part of that was due to there being a lot of different characters that would sometimes be gone for a while and then pulled back in and the new mythology. I do think that a lot of that would be helped reading it as an e-book, though, because it would be easier to go back up and find things easier than it is to flip back pages in a print book (and because of how things were going with me, I couldn't read in long stretches so that didn't help).
But once I got into the story, I really idd enjoy it. I liked that there were so many different supernatural characters all involved in the story but none of them suffered for it--it wasn't that there were vampires and then other characters who happened to be lycans but only in name. The whole House aspect was done really well, too, with the different ruling heads for the different creatures; it also made it make sense for them to all be together so often.
With as much story as it sometimes seemed was going on, things were still explained well and the characters' pasts were brought in to explain things (and their actions).
Ashen Twilight is a paranormal romance that does focus a little more, in my opinion, on the paranormal than the romance (or than the sex)--if you're wondering since some paranormal romances are almost UF and some are almost straight romance :)
With two very well developed central characters, secondary characters that are not in the least bit superfluous and a terrific blend of romance and action, Ashen Twilight looks to be a great start to a new series.
A big thank you to Rae Lori for sending me this book :D
Jace is the nephew of the vampire leader of the house (the House of Blood, a part of the Ashen Twilght House. A vampire for hundreds of years, Jace has his life-the hunt, the secrecy-figured out...Ariya's the last thing he needs. But when a mysterious attacker, the 'elemental' brings danger to the Lycans, Shifter Elves, and the Nightwalkers, Jace and Ariya just might have to join forces. (Other summary, excerpt and second buy link here.)
I received an arc print book of this and I have to say that I'm really glad I did-it's from a small publisher and published as an e-book so I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise.
I will admit, however, that I did have a little bit of trouble getting into the book and the story. I think at least part of that was due to there being a lot of different characters that would sometimes be gone for a while and then pulled back in and the new mythology. I do think that a lot of that would be helped reading it as an e-book, though, because it would be easier to go back up and find things easier than it is to flip back pages in a print book (and because of how things were going with me, I couldn't read in long stretches so that didn't help).
But once I got into the story, I really idd enjoy it. I liked that there were so many different supernatural characters all involved in the story but none of them suffered for it--it wasn't that there were vampires and then other characters who happened to be lycans but only in name. The whole House aspect was done really well, too, with the different ruling heads for the different creatures; it also made it make sense for them to all be together so often.
With as much story as it sometimes seemed was going on, things were still explained well and the characters' pasts were brought in to explain things (and their actions).
Ashen Twilight is a paranormal romance that does focus a little more, in my opinion, on the paranormal than the romance (or than the sex)--if you're wondering since some paranormal romances are almost UF and some are almost straight romance :)
With two very well developed central characters, secondary characters that are not in the least bit superfluous and a terrific blend of romance and action, Ashen Twilight looks to be a great start to a new series.
A big thank you to Rae Lori for sending me this book :D
December 29, 2011
This paranormal romance is a good start to the series. The characters are strong and the plot is fast-paced. My attention was held from start to finish. The author, Rae Lori, really did her homework, including bits of Scottish history within the plot as well as some vampire, werewolf, and fairy lore. There were some slow spots in the book, the majority of them the flashbacks to the past, but they are needed to allow the reader to understand the history and evolution of the main and secondary characters.
The romance between the two main characters, Jace and Ariya, is one filled with tension. Each has responsibilities to their own people, but they still have an all-consuming love for one another. I look forward in reading how that relationship will continue to blossom throughout the second and third books of the series. I also want to see how Ariya will juggle her relationship with Jace in the mortal realm and still rule her kingdom in the Aziza realm. All in all, I thought this was a good read.
The romance between the two main characters, Jace and Ariya, is one filled with tension. Each has responsibilities to their own people, but they still have an all-consuming love for one another. I look forward in reading how that relationship will continue to blossom throughout the second and third books of the series. I also want to see how Ariya will juggle her relationship with Jace in the mortal realm and still rule her kingdom in the Aziza realm. All in all, I thought this was a good read.
July 20, 2014
Wow this has a little bit of every paranormal element in it. There is a lot of action and intrigue in it. Along with a nice romance and sex. Jace and Ariya are great together. He is a sexy vampire and she is a faire. If you love paranormal romances with intrigue and passion, the this first book in the series is for you.
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November 15, 2009If I were an aficionado of vampire novels, I'd give this novel 4 or 5 stars for its extraordinarily imaginative plot and characters, and its "page-turner" quality. Those who enjoy thrilling novels about vampires and other immortals, combined with paranormal romance, would love this book.
January 28, 2016
I really tried to like this book. I love the idea but there was no immersing myself in this story. There were a lot of dull details. I didn't care if the main characters or the myriad interchangeable minor characters lived or died. I got about 60% of the way and gave up.
June 15, 2009
An amazing book with awesome detail and history! I loved the characters and Rae is an excellent writer. I took my time with this story and truly loved it from start to finish!
July 13, 2009
Not horrible, but wouldn't read more of the series.
April 20, 2010
This was really good; very interesting twist.
March 11, 2012
Hard to get into not sure if I will continue with series.
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