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Alternate cover edition of ASIN B079SSSJ2J

"She is too sinful to be Divine
and too righteous to be Damned."


Nocturna; a hybrid, an all around smart ass, and the owner of The Apothecary, a night club for all the denizens that walk the earth to play amongst humans, is about to have her life altered by the Creator of all.

The last Arbiter has fallen and a new one must be chosen, one of both Divine and Damned blood. She will be both judge and executioner for the supernatural races, choosing how to punish or bless the souls brought before her.

Within her first week with her new status, Damned from all over are disappearing and disturbing videos of Damned being tortured and killed are surfacing. When Lord Monroe, one of The Infernal leaders of the Damned, becomes one of those who are missing, the Damned begin to point their fingers at The Rites; the Divine soldiers who are part of The Order of Abel. The clock is ticking, and it is her responsibility to find who is responsible and pass judgement. With the help of Enoch, an Infernal of the Damned, and Larkan, a Rite of the Order, Nocturna travels to Lord Monroe's estate, hoping to find clues as to what happened to him and all the others.

Her integrity and her heart will be pushed and pulled in all directions as she faces the biggest dilemma of her existence; can she make the decision that is right for the lives of all, not the decision that is easiest for her. Will she stay true and lead the world into peace? Or will she choose sides like all the Arbiters before her and lead them all to destruction?

**This is a Reverse Harem Dark Romance that is recommended for ages 18+. There are elements of violence, such as torture and a body count, and steamy scenes that are sure to light you on fire. If you’re into that sort of thing, then boy do we have the book for you!

296 pages, ebook

First published March 30, 2018

242 people are currently reading
787 people want to read

About the author

K.B. Ladnier

16 books38 followers
Pen name of K.B. Everly

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,214 reviews2,340 followers
April 23, 2018
Great story but a cliffhanger

The Arbiter is a supernatural that is part divine and part infernal. She has super powers and is kind of a judge on supernatural beings issues. Someone is trying to destroy the new Arbiters life as soon as she received her power from the deceased Arbiter. Lots of action, great fantasy, and reverse harem situation. The only complaint I have is it's a "to. be continued" book. Boy do I hate cliffhangers.
Profile Image for Andrea.
2,143 reviews1 follower
October 5, 2020
2.75

I enjoyed the premise of the story, but overall parts of the plot made little sense in the long run.

description

So- We have the Damned which includes beings like vampires, werewolves, demons, succubus and incubus ect. that were cursed by their Creator long ago and whose souls will always be sent to be tortured when they die.

Then we have the Rites- who are maybe part Angel? Devine?
They have uncorrupted souls- and after being given free will they have a choice of staying in Heaven, or if they choose can reside with humans on Earth- and are tasked with policing the Damned.

Then we have the Arbiter who has both Damned and Devine DNA and has ultimate power over both races to basically be judge, jury, and executioner. (Even if they are given no tools besides power to actually make this happen. How about guide or manual or something!)
Just heres the power- figure it out.

description


x--------------------------------------------x


Spoilery Stuff:

So where this book really fell apart for me was Enoch. I get we can't always get answers for the story to be 'mysterious' and to avoid info dumps...

description

but if the characters are continuously not asking reasonable questions (or any it seems), or constantly just letting things go, or just ignoring the elephant in the room--then the plot kind of makes no sense and just makes the characters seem a little dumb.

description

-Like just letting Enoch go over and over even though he's obviously involved
- or not asking Larkin who they were there to spy on in the first place, and just having sex and moving right along
- or not just getting the Werewolf leader and asking him questions on what they found in the cabin
- or just letting Enoch go with out even trying to bring him in and just saying "good luck with that"
- or really all of the little things that fall by the wayside

Also why did she let the guards bind her again after killing those first two?
Yeah for plot purposes to have the auction scene- but she could have just killed them, let her people out, and then gone for the rest of the kidnappers. It just didn't make sense that she killed two people and then let them bind her again and make her weaker.
Why not go after them from a place of power?

description

Its like when you have big scenes planned out- but have to force your characters to get there.
Profile Image for Marguerite (M).
767 reviews653 followers
Read
April 12, 2018
Rating : ?

I am beautiful, yet deadly. I love as fiercely as I hate. I have the ability to be compassionate, but the power to be cruel. I live in the light, but dance in the dark.
I am the perfect balance the Creator has been looking for, and I could never have foreseen what kind of life this new power has given me.
My name is Nocturna, and I am the Arbiter.


- The story was good ;
- The writing was good ;
- The characters were good ;
- The pace was good.

Everything was good! But I'm not sure I liked it.

Wait, that's not entirely true. I did enjoy it, but maybe my expectations were too high I was simply disappointed?
But the book fell short on being epic which should have been the case. The blurb was great and the potential was amazing. I felt that something was always missing, whether it was the characters or the plot, like some kind of sparkle. Or maybe not enough risks were taken? I don't even know for sure. But I'm certain that I'm looking forward the second book to see how everything develops.
Profile Image for Tiblu.
1,255 reviews49 followers
April 8, 2018
A big hot mess ...

Nothing here felt fully developed,the world (very little world building)
Nocturna the h ( better than most but not really enough), The H’s Monroe, Larkan ( I’d have preferred Larkin because even in my head It feels rather clunky when said ) and Enoch (who
isn’t explained to anyone a 10th as much as he should be) has secrets that can’t be revealed to others yet,but honestly we’re never given a good enough sense of him or his relationship to Nocturna to really make him anything more than an annoying confusing buzz to all of the chaos that is supposed to be a story...
When the story starts with Nocturna being attacked by four humans and yeah she starts seeming rather cool,and a little bad as ( can’t add the other s ) but quickly I felt bored and overwhelmed by all the inner monologuing that pulled me out of the story not into it ....
But the story never seems truly focused,always a bit random, we never really learn why exactly the humans wanted to kidnap her, it’s like someone knew Nocturna was to be the next Arbiter and was after her from the start,Why ?
It’s one of the many things that are left unanswered in this book...
But the story never seems truly focused,always a bit random, we never really learn why exactly the humans wanted to kidnap her, it’s like someone knew Nocturna was to be the next Arbiter and was after her from the start,Why ?
It’s one of the many things that are left unanswered in this book... things just seem to happen like that,
Without warning during her cabaret dance routine she’s suddenly struck as the arbiter, when the heads of the various sects of the “Damned”
( btw I gotta say I can’t say I like a world structure where just about any and all supernaturals are all ( excepts Rites I.e. Angels ( I think) ) are classified as damned that doesn’t seem fair) ( anyway) feel this they all of course must go meet her, Monroe the head of the stirge/vampires is determined to meet her first... Enoch is there buzzing around like he does through out the story but Nocturna gets overwhelmed and gets drunk, something that no matter how strong and “bad as” we are told she is alcohol is always her first go to when ever she’s stressed or overwhelmed or upset or nervous ....
Aaaaaaaaaa, No! A true Bad As drives others to drink when times get hard not the other way round..
And Thats how her and Monroe becomes her lovers,she wakes up hungover not even remembering what happens til the flashbacks start and then they just seem to become a thing... Huh ? No real getting to know each other, now many moments, maybe a sorta mate pull per say but that’s it, one drunken night together and Monroe is the bf/lover of her dreams, sweet and kind, generous and sexy and for some reason never jealous ( and almost like he knows it’s coming) of Larkan when he continuesto be pulled into Nocturna’s orbit as well and he becomes her lover as well...
Shakes her head,nothing seems planned very little is explained and She takes these two men to her easily all the while growing as a TSTL h and keeping secrets from them an not sharing anything she doesn’t have to....
One minute it’s the classic I’ll just bury my head in the sand and pretend and it will all just go away and the next it’s “these are MY PPL I must protect and defend them !
Really ? This was seriously random at times, one moment Lark is taking her to stakeout a place soo he can show her the no good he suspects Enoch is up to,then suddenly she’s starving for energy and they have sex in his truck and leave,without a word or thought about Enoch... Huh?
Honestly it just kinda continues like that, Nocturna wanting to hide her head in the sand one moment, act like a bad A the next all the while not fully trusting the ppl around her with things they NEED to know if they are going to be smart and work together and then either turning to alcohol or running of in classic cliche TSTL manner to giver herself over to the bad guys w/our a care or a clue or even a hint to anyone ...
I can’t respect characters like that, I’m told they are smart and intelligent and a bad A but they run around like a clueless chicken with their heads cut off....
Ppl are saved in the end despite the TSTL behavior of the h and no one holds it against her,silly sweet Monroe even acts like it was a smart plan all along... Love is blind,even then you stumble into it drunk ?
Btw Monroe is the name of a town in North Louisiana,just a couple hours from the Arkansas and border,soo why is it a Cajun name ? North La. is rather different in attitude from South La.... Why not Armand, or Landry or Remy ? Just a thought ;)
I know that’s a small thing but I know the area and it struck me off and also when a book really starts to grind on your last nerve ,like ppl even the smallest things start to bug you or tick you off ...
I won’t be back and I can’t recommend this,while you might read it and like what bothered me I can’t say you should ...
Have fun,my search continues for my next great read...

449 reviews62 followers
January 16, 2019
Dnf at 23%. The writing in this one was really bad (malapropisms, typos, and spelling and grammar issues everywhere), and when the MC went from 0 to 100 in an instant and started having sex in a closet with someone we’d just met and she seemed to hate, I bailed.

The MC is a Tough Girl caricature who loves coffee, and many things she said didn’t even make sense: “I’d really like to kill you right now for annoying me, but I’m not your stereotypical Damned who flies off the handle just because you’re insulting my mama. I will, however, rip your guts out for a whole lot less.” . . . How is that not flying off the handle? There were other weird moments as well, like when she called the authorities for help and they said they were on their way even though she hadn’t told them her location or when she said “He’s the one who stabbed me” even though there’d been no mention of her being stabbed in her fight. Furthermore, the prologue read like an encyclopedia entry of exposition.

I just wasn’t into this at all.
Profile Image for Jeanny.
2,048 reviews171 followers
May 29, 2019
This world fascinates me. The plot is interesting.
The arbiter’s juxtaposition existence captivates me.
I’m truly hooked & do recommend this book. Will be continuing this series. 5 stars
Profile Image for Jennifer G.
2,872 reviews54 followers
March 22, 2018
Nocturna is a halfie, half Damned, half Divine. She is the owner of The Apothecary, a nightclub catering to both sides and humans; a place where everyone can be themselves, feed their desires and be safe. She's also the new Arbiter, the judge and executioner for the supernatural races, choosing how to punish or bless the souls brought before her. Her first week in her new position is not an easy one. Damned are disappearing and videos show them being tortured. Her ex, Enoch, the one responsible for her only broken heart reappears after 100 years and is one of the Infernal. Each paranormal race is represented by a leader, their Infernal Liege. She's also undeniably attracted to the Striege Liege, Monroe, so when he becomes one of the missing, Nocturna with the help of Larkan, a Rite of the Order (the paranormal police) begins her search for Monroe. She will do whatever it takes to get him safely back. Even if that means sacrificing herself. Larken and Enoch are equally determined to keep her safe. Nocturna will face a challenge like no Arbiter before her, one that will test her heart and her honor. But she is not like the former Arbiters. She is loving, hateful, compassionate and cruel. She is the perfect balance.

The Arbiter is fantastic; imaginative and addictively entertaining. The story consumed me from the beginning to the end, suspenseful, sexy, compelling. The writing is vividly descriptive and the characters are rich and complex. Nocturna is a great lead female. She's smart, sassy, loving, tough, and fair. Monroe is an absolute sweetheart, Larken is a hot, holy surprise, and Enoch is heartbreaking.

The intensity of this book has stayed with me. It's one of those reads you can't put down; a read through the night thriller. Now I find myself obsessing about it. I can't wait for more.
Profile Image for Rachelle.
62 reviews5 followers
April 16, 2018
2.5 Stars

This had a great bones but I found the characters one dimensional. They were flat, lacking any depth. For a bunch of people who were hundreds of years old, it was very annoying that they lacked maturity, cunning, or wisdom that comes with great age. Especially Nocturna who screeched and yell like a 15 year old and then buried her troubles in booze. She is a reactionary character who doesn't take the initiative. We don't discover much about the Arbiter and what that entails. We know practically nothing about the different factions the arbiter is supposed to balance. Her lovers--because there isn't any romance between her and the people she takes to her bed--are just as one dimensional as Nocturna is. Enoch is more fleshed out than Larkin or Monro and some of that is because his POV was more revealing than the others. Which just makes me dislike Nocturna, Monro, and Larkin all the more. She and Enoch parted ways over 100 years ago and every single time Enoch entered the room she had a temper tantrum and screamed at him. Seriously, grow up.

The blurb hints as a mystery to solve but stuff falls into Nocturna's lap without her doing much of anything. At 60% she still didn't have her ducks in a row and the last 25% was utterly frustrating. She ran around acting hot headed. Reacting to everything and never going on the defensive until things happened to her. The labeling of betrayal at the end was really the last straw for me. Her pettiness with Enoch came with a lot of assumptions and no proof or facts because no one sat down and talk things out like adults.

There was plot hole when it came to there being thousands of years of Arbiters and there being no written records or some one responsible for putting new Arbiters in power.

The 1st person present tense had issues with strange sentences that didn't make sense and grammar problems. There were also misspelled words, wrong words, missing hyphens, and sometimes the wrong pronouns were used such as "my" should be "her".

I have seen discussions of non-consensual sex for this book. There is a scene of angry sex which was consensual, and another were Nocturna is so drunk that she doesn't remember having sex. I think the objection to that scene is because of the rape culture on college campuses with drunk women. The thought is if they are intoxicated then they can't give consent. In this scene, Nocturna doesn't care that she had drunk sex. She is okay with it so technically, not rape and not dubious consent.
Profile Image for Missy Brown.
1,750 reviews30 followers
March 30, 2018
I love these two authors together!! And The Arbiter is a hit! Nocturna is such a fun character. She is strong, capable of great power, freaking hilarious and snarky, loving, loyal and just awesome! Monroe is alpha hotness, and a total sweetheart to Nocturna. He wanted her and went after her. Larkan, is wow!! All I can say about him is I Want, bad!! Then there is Enoch, the ex, who threw her away years ago never to look back. Or did he? Once I started this engaging read, I could not stop! I read The Arbiter in one setting, it was that good. I would recommend this “cant put down” story and I absolutely cannot wait to see where they go next!

Nocturna is a half breed, half damned and half divine. Which allows her to be the next Arbiter when the old one dies. She is the owner of a nightclub where she caters to both sides and humans. She keeps the peace there and has for years. Her new job as Arbiter is judge and executioner to the supernatural races. Kinda freaking out but knowing she has no choice, she starts taking on her responsibilitys. She draws in a cast of characters that are both dangerous and dangerous to her heart.
Profile Image for Christina.
169 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2018
Gritty & Awesome!

I was hesitant about this story after reading the blurb. It didn’t suck me in at all BUT I also happen to be a loyal fan to one of the authors and knew that sometimes the best treasures are hidden and for her I’d give absolutely anything a try.

I’m really glad I went for it. This story is gritty, it’s raw and it’s about a woman who is pretty damn confident in her skin and aware of her feelings, desires, and makes the hard choices. There was a level of maturity in her that is lacking in a lot of books these days and it was great to read. She has her flaws, don’t get me wrong but she wasn’t making the super obvious & stupid mistakes most protagonists seem to. She got dealt a not so pleasant hand and turned it around and made the best of it. In fact she OWNED it as far as I’m concerned. She’s got a lot to learn & grow and a helluva conspiracy to unravel but I’m invested in finding out exactly how she does that, while continuing to develop the relationships around her.

My favorite part of this book is that while the romance is definitely happening, it is not her priority and main focus. I love a woman who can have a balance of being a woman falling in love and I woman who kicks butt & takes names. Great job to the authors!
Profile Image for Book Addict.
1,563 reviews
March 30, 2018
This is a fantastic new series by two very talented authors! What an exciting and terrifying world they have created! I was completely captivated by this book as soon as I started reading and could not put it down until the very end! Nocturna is a intriguing MC, she is strong and capable and with her power you can just see how terrifying should would be to her enemies! Monroe and Larkan are a great combo to help centre Nocturna and it is hard to pick who is my favourite- I would like to learn more about Larkan though! This book is full of power, light and dark and action!! I can’t wait to see where the story takes us in the next book! A truely exciting story and highly recommended!!
255 reviews
April 2, 2018
Not for me

I got this after a recommendation on Facebook and had I read the blurb I probably wouldn't have got it. I enjoy reverse harem books and I think that's where this was going but I am not a fan of demon/damned, hell/heaven type books and whilst I can see this book puts a different spin on it, it's just not for me. That being said, if you do like those kind of books you should get this it's written well and I can see the story will progress so I'm assuming it'll be a series. I wanted a bit more character building though and I also feel like given the time span of their lives a bit more history could have been in place rather than one incident from the titanic which just felt out of place. I also prefer a slow burn and this was not it. This review is based solely on my own preferences so I can keep track of all of the books I have read. If you do not have those same preferences I think you will really enjoy this book
Profile Image for Brenna Joyce.
169 reviews4 followers
May 14, 2018
This book was ok. It was a fast read and I never got bored. It’s a little over the top on some things and the main character “Nocturna” (*insert eye roll here* because her name sounds ridiculous) is a little on the too perfect/special snowflake side, but also kind of stupid. Also she’s a huge lush whose answer to her problems is to get drunk. Then have sex. Everyone loves her. I don’t know why...she’s just *amazing* I guess? I do like the both sides aspect and look forward to seeing how the story plays out if I even remember this series by the time it the next book is here.
Profile Image for Kelly Marie.
596 reviews8 followers
October 14, 2018
First, the cover of this book is amazing! Second, the premise of the story is incredible! Third, I can’t wait for the sequel!

“There’s always a fine line between everything. Love and hate. Cruelty and compassion. Pure and tainted. Light and dark. Most fail on either side of the spectrum within black or white, but none fall on that line that flows through the grey areas. No one is a perfect balance of all those things.”

This is what the Arbiter is supposed to be. Nocturna is a half breed. Half Divine and half Damned. There are very few halfies in the world and the Creator chooses one to be the Arbiter. The Arbiter is judge and jury over the Damned and Divine. Nocturna believes in a place that both beings can be themselves as long as nobody breaks the rules. She has created a sort of sanctuary for both within her club, The Apothecary. One eventful night and her world is rocked when she becomes the Arbiter. She finds that a past love and heartbreak, Enoch, is part of the Infernal who are the leaders of the Damned. She falls for Monroe, another leader of the Infernal. And has an incredible bond with Larkan, a Rite with the Divine. As they find out that Damned have been abducted and tortured they all find that they are part of the bigger picture and need to save these souls and stop the torturing. At the same time we are finding that not everyone on their team are loyal and their are traitors in the midst. Monroe ends up being captured, one of her dearest friends are abducted and her friend’s husband has been killed. Nocturna has to turn herself over to the bad guys in order to try and save the ones she love. And all the men in her life are going to be needed to keep her balanced between the Divine and the Damned.

This is a dark paranormal reverse harem story that is very intriguing. There is a lot going on within the big picture. It is dark and mysterious and is intense on the emotions evoked. It seemed to me like there was a lot of world building going on but some things were missed or rushed. Some of the characters were a little underdeveloped in my opinion. There was always just something out of reach. Overall though, I really enjoyed the story. There is a cliffhanger and I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to see how the story develops. It’s a wicked start to what I am sure will be an intense series!
Profile Image for CoullCat.
158 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2018
I was first drawn in by the awesome cover, I absolutely love it. There was a lot of hype surrounding the release of this book, and by the time it was delivered to my kindle I was quite excited for this dark reverse harem. After turning the last page, I felt that The Arbiter both excelled my expectations and left me disappointed.

Ladnier and Slaven have created a dark world where those of Damned and Divine blood walk a fine line between barely coexisting and all out war. Throw in a bold main character who has the blood of both the Damned and the Divine and the bad mouth to go with it, plus some meddling humans intent on torture, and you have an interesting book.

Unfortunately for me, there were a couple of things that detracted from the storyline.

I feel like I must be reading a different edition to this book from everyone else who has left a review. Not one person mentioned the many, many editing mistakes. I was getting rather annoyed that such a promising book had so many grammatical errors. Also, I did notice that on more than one occasion Ladnier and Slaven excelled at showing. But then we would also get the telling of the exact same thing straight after the fact, which meant there’d be two sentences straight after one another that would be saying the exact same thing.

Now, errors aside, I did enjoy The Arbiter. I feel that the longer I leave it, the more I will appreciate the book and I’d recommend picking this read up. There are a couple of things I do want to make clear though:
•This is a DARK book - torture, murder, alcohol etc. - but there is only consensual sexy times, none of the forced kind.
•There is insta-lust, and things do move rather quickly (not necessarily a bad thing). The word LOVE, however, does get thrown around after a very short amount of time.
•If you like your werewolves Twilight style, then... actually nevermind, that’s like comparing wine to beer; completely different sides of the spectrum.
•I think think this book would make a good tv series (love to see the Apothecary all done up as described)
•The songs mentioned in this book are killer - In This Moment are a fave of mine and their song, Half God Half Devil, was perfect for the MC, Nocturna.



Profile Image for Jodie-Leigh.
141 reviews4 followers
May 22, 2018
This book. Man, this book! I've been waiting what seems like a bazillion years for this book (patience is no longer my thing, it seems), and I was not at all disappointed. It was definitely worth the eons I spent counting down until it popped up on to my kindle!

The storyline is incredible ad greatly intriguing! I was immediately drawn in from the very first page. I loved the Damned and Divine aspect, how there's only one powerful being that keeps the balance between the two. I loved the paranormal creatures that are in the book, from Lupin to Strige, they were all fascinating to read about. It was all very well thought out and executed. The writing styles of both authors blend effortlessly
and is very consistent throughout the book. The book is very edgy, dark and beautiful, with that splash of danger that will keep your eyes glued to your devices!
The characters are very addictive. Nocturna is awesome. She's confident, strong and bold. She knows who she is and rocks it. She's, in short, a badass. Monroe is, although a Damned, a complete sweetheart. His laid back attitude is easy to get used to. He's gentle and sweet when it comes to Nocturna, but can kick butt when he needs to, and that just makes him more amazing. Larken is very intriguing. Being a Rite, he's never
experienced feelings, so reading about the feelings he has for Nocturna is very interesting. It gives him a cute quality that the others don't really have. Enoch is a total jerk, but he has his reasons for it. I'm kind of obsessed with the jerks when it comes to books, though, so there was no surprise when I immediately fell in love with him. All three of them are very addictive and easy to become obsessed with.

All-in-all, it was an amazing read! I gladly give five starts and would highly recommend. You won't be disappointed!
Profile Image for Tracy Hoyt.
97 reviews2 followers
April 9, 2018
Oh so wickedly awesome!

Ladies! What did you do to me?! I'm so emotionally exhausted right now, and I need a massage and sleep! This book put me through hell and heaven! Nocturnal is one bad ass woman, and she is tested and pushed beyond her limits in this story! She takes to her role as Arbiter, and adapts well to her new power and place because, at heart, it fits her to a T. Her men, what can I say, I love the Larkan and Monroe sandwich, yum! Enoch? I know he did not endear himself to anyone. Yet, as a reader, I have the benefit of some omnipotence and insider information that the characters do not. I know there is so much more going on under the surface, and he definitely needs redemption, but I feel he is doing what he must, for now. The hits come at Nocturnal faster than we can track, but she continually perserveres. There is a larger deception, and plan that we get hints at. I have my suspicions, but I know the lovely authors have many more surprises in store for us. The heat is instantaneous in this book, and, it is ALL consensual and so damn sexy!!! The scenes change rapidly in the story, one minute I'm breathless and hot under the collar, the next, I'm a wreck, tearful, angry, and chewing my fingers to the bone! I'm so looking to read more, I need more Nocturnal in my life! Please read! You will love and live it as much as I did! I can't wait for more!!!!
Profile Image for Toma.
834 reviews
April 30, 2018
It was really difficult to rate this book. Mainly because I really liked it but after trying to pinpoint what exactly I liked, I found so many things that irritated me that it threw me out of the loop.

To begin with, I really liked the world building and the very idea of giving 'angels' and 'demons' another angle. However, I could not relate to Nocturna. I liked that she was sassy and outspoken but she was also immature at times. I could not figure out Monroe but still I like the character. Enoch, on the other hand really irritated me. I do get that that was the point but I suppose in my eyes his character was moody and broody without the sexy part. So totally not attractive. Also I expected much more from Larkan. Maybe more reluctance or something but he was the character I usually root for while in this book he was 'meh'. So I expect quite a lot more of character development for Nocturna, Larkan and Enoch in the next book(s).

In terms of RH, I wanted at least a discussion whether having multiple partners is normal. Now everyone just jumped right in and it did not seem convincing.

I was not in love with the writing style, it just did not flow effortlessly but it did not bother me that much. I enjoyed the plot (although action was a bit forced at times), I hope the characters and relationships will develop more in the next book and will definitely read the next one. Four stars from me are sort of an advance payment which I hope will return in full.
Profile Image for Cassandra Cobb.
189 reviews4 followers
May 2, 2018
Let me just say I loved this book! From the beginning (as we are given a prologue to give backstory to just what kind of world we're about to jump into), right up until the end (with a teaser of some Unknown entity behind the scenes), both K.B. Ladnier and Brandy Slaven have given us a great story with a different look on the supernatural world.

This story follows all the trials and tribulations faced by The Arbiter as she begins to learn about the true evil in the world, but not everything is as it seems. With a world of both heaven and hell, we gain an understanding of just how precarious the balance is between good and bad. The main characters are great - Nocturna, a Divine/Damned hybrid who comes into power she never wanted, Larkin the Divine, who is stumbling through emotions he's never felt before, Monroe the Strige Damned, with a heart of gold trying to do right by the world, and Enoch the Baellock, straight out of the bowels of Damnation.

With a book like this it's no wonder these ladies have such a great following. I'm really excited to read the next book in the series and find out who this Unknown is that is pulling some strings and just what is in store for Nocturna and her men!
Profile Image for Tamara Tabor.
52 reviews
March 31, 2018
Let me just be the first to admit I didn't have very much hope for this book. I think that was just based on the cover mostly. I just wasnt falling in love with it. That being said man am I soooo glad I read this book. I absolutely fell in love with the characters!

Talking about characters... oh my word do I love the characters in this story. I love the more down to earth vibe they gave Nocturna. For me she is a breath of fresh air that I much needed. Monroe is... just *heart eyes* I cant explain it well enough. Larken... MY GOD that is one hot man... and then Enoch... breaks my heart.

This book has everything I could have hoped for and honestly I want to read it over and over because its just so surprisingly well written. I feel like this will be a book that you can read over and over and still love it and find new things each read that maybe you didn't pay attention to the first time around. Standing ovation from me.
Profile Image for Danita.
130 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2022
Lacking in plot and character development. Strongly reminded me of the Dark Elements by Jennifer Armentrout.

I heard that the premise of this book was excellent, and it was a bit interesting. Sadly, it felt underdeveloped. Characters appeared out of no where. Without spoiling things, when characters died, I felt no attachment or sadness. There were random sex scenes as well that I skipped over, so warning on that. They were extremely random.

The main character is strong and independent simply because she states that about herself. Characters fall in love because they said they did. Lots and lots of telling instead of showing.

In addition, I felt like this book needed additional editing. One of the main characters is a 600 year old vampire who was born and raised a Cajun in Louisiana. I’ll let you do the math there.

Not the best start to the new year and I doubt I’d read more in the series.
Profile Image for Tracy.
26 reviews
March 23, 2018
What a fantastic collaboration from two excellent authors! I absolutely love this new world they have created! This is a dark erotic paranormal RH thriller and sucked me in straight away. I really enjoyed Nocturna as the MC - while funny, sassy, kick ass, and blunt she also has a vulnerable side that I think adds to her relatabilty. I enjoyed getting to know her, some of her back story and watching her grow into her new abilities and role as The Arbiter. Her guys are as different from each other as chalk and cheese but each provides the perfect balance for their girl which is something her new role depends upon. Monroe is charming and laid back, Larkan is steadfast and more serious and Enoch, while persona non grata (I'm hoping he redeems himself) is danger and strength. This is a great read and I would definitely recommend it!
8 reviews
March 30, 2018
awesome read!! dark yet thrilling. Nocturna is a half breed who comes into the power of the arbitrator which is a type of judge jury and executioner for the supe world, their job is to balance the power of light and dark but not choose a side, they must remain neutral with both sides. she has been running her bar "The Apothecary" for a century and has very strict rules for both light and dark to follow, we'll turns out that she inherits the role of the arbitrator and she may just be the best arbitrator the light and dark has ever seen. while she is settling into her role mysterious disappearances begin to happen to the dark supes and she's on a time line to find out who, but the answer may be closer to home than she wants to believe. Nocturna is an amazing kick a** MC and her guys aren't half bad either. I promise you won't be disappointed!!
Profile Image for Stephanie Meadath.
55 reviews
March 31, 2018
This book was an amazing collaboration between 2 amazing authors. It follows the story on how the half Damned and half Divine Nocturna, the mistress of the badass Apothecary night club that serves as a sanctuary to both sides, becomes the new Arbiter. Along with her new role comes some new men in her life (from both sides) along with a blast from the past. So now Nocturna not only has to deal with keeping balance between both sides but Damned are starting to disappear including one of Noturna's guys and a friend. I absolutely LOVED Nocturna and how badass she is and her guys are hotter than hot. I cant wait to see what happens next and to have more of Nocturna and her guys!!!! And I also have to thank K.B and Brandy on coming up with my new favorite quote and possible future tattoo: "Too sinful to be Divine, and too righteous to be Damned."
Profile Image for Danetta Sutton.
74 reviews7 followers
March 28, 2018
The collaboration of these two authors was everything I expected and more. Nocturna was born a hybrid of both damned and divine blood. The creator has chosen her as the next Arbiter. Judge and Executioner to all the supernatural races. Her decisions will either bring peace or destruction. If you love MC's with sass and badass combined, then you will love Nocturna. Add a few men with the wow factor and you have a story that is a hit on all levels. Darkness, betrayal, past lovers with secrets, attacks and mysterious disappearances are just some of the things she has to deal with. Trust me when I say, this will be your next go to one click series. Cannot say enough how great this book is. Your next MUST READ !!
Truly anticipating the next book from these master storytellers.
1,254 reviews
March 31, 2018
I stayed up late for 2 days reading this book (damn work and real life obligations haha)!! I loved Nocturna, definitely high up on my list of favorite MCs! I appreciated the world K.B. and Brandy created in their first coauthor adventure together. The book flowed really well, couldn't even tell it was by 2 very different authors (I have read both but I couldn't distinguish who wrote what!). Haven't picked a favorite guy yet, usually one jumps out at me as an instant fav, but I will wait for Book 2 to make that decision 😜😊

Definitely recommend you pick up this book! I loved the dark undertones in this; it was a great palette cleanser with some of the happier/peppier books I had been reading haha. I cannot wait for the next book, hopefully we won't have to wait too long ❤️
34 reviews
April 2, 2018
Cover is kinda creepy

I’m not gonna lie....when I first saw the cover it kinda freaked me out and I wasn’t sure how well I was going to like the book but I shouldn’t have worried because Brandy has never let me down. I loved the book.
It’s about the damned and the divinity and the arbiter. The arbiter is the mediator between the two and can only be replaced if they are killed or choose one side over the other. The previous arbiter is killed so in steps our MC. She doesn’t want the position but she truly is the best person for the job. She runs a bar where both races are welcome and you best believe she keeps the peace between them so she’s the perfect person for the job.
I won’t go into too much more detail because you should definitely read this book.
Profile Image for Aimee.
230 reviews6 followers
March 30, 2018
This was a really awesome story. The MC is one tough add kicking lady and I can definitely get behind her things need to be balanced attitude, even before she gets tapped to be the Arbiter! The world this is set in is very neat and I like how the set up and hierarchy is handled for the different Damned species and Rites. The storyline and conflict is quite fascinating and shows you a darker side to people that you don't always see in the day to day. I am definitely curious to see how this storyline continues to play out. Find out who the true bad guys are and how everyone will not only handle the aftermath from this book but with what is surely to come! Definitely a recommended read!
Profile Image for ☆ Ceri.
41 reviews3 followers
March 30, 2018
Wow! Holy heavenly Damned!!

This book is great, I read it in one setting. I love the concept of the Divine and the Damned. The good vs bad, light and dark, white and back, then lots of grey. This book has been well thought out. The main character, Nocturna is a badass half breed: both Divine and Damned. She has her own life going the way she wants until suddenly it gets turned on its axis, the creator making her the new Arbiter. I love how from the get go it's been action packed, dark, and sexy. She experiences loss, love, treachery, danger, and everything inbetween.

I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.
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