PUBLISHER: Avon Books
PUBLICATION DATE: November 27, 2012
PUBLICATION DATE: November 27, 2012
FORMAT: Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9780062064622
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9780062064622
It's not easy being a Vampire Angel.
No one knows that better than Trond Sigurdsson. In the centuries since he last went out drinking and wenching with his Viking buds, Trond has been a gladiator, a cowboy, a ditch digger . . . even a sheik. But now he's the baddest of them all: a kick-ass Navy SEAL kicking butts of terrorist immortals with the help of his hotter-than-Hades female partner, police officer-turned-Special Forces operative Nicole Tasso--whom Trond dearly hopes to "partner" with very shortly in a whole different way.
The "cop" part of Nicole tells her there's something bizarre about her gorgeous godlike teammate. But her "all-woman" side can't help wondering how great it would be to have a virile Viking in her bed. Trond has secrets galore, but Nicole feels certain she can dig them out--and really get to the heart of this powerful, unnerving stranger whom she may be risking her soul to love.
MY REVIEW:
I received this book for review from the publisher as part of the author's virtual book tour with TLC Book Tours. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.
I was immediately intrigued when I read the synopsis for this book: A Viking vampire angel? What's not to like?
Captain Trond Sigurdsson will forever be 29 years old. He died in the year 850 A.D. in the age of the Vikings. Trond, along with his six brothers, are all Vangels: Viking Vampire Angels. Each brother is representative of one of the seven deadly sins, with Trond's being sloth. His motto was, "Work smarter, not harder." His mentor is St. Michael the Archangel, and the Vangels have been assigned to kill demon vampires (aka Lucipires or "Lucies") and to save the nearly-lost human souls. Trond's original penance was to serve as a Vangel for 700 years but, because he has erred a number of times over the centuries, the years have piled on and he has served over 1,000 years and counting.
Lucipires prey on humans that are on the brink of some particularly harsh sin. They bite the neck of the victim to put them in a state of stasis and then blow their unholy breath into the victim through any orifice, which puts them in a weakened state and more vulnerable to temptation. A victim will have the scent of lemons about them. Once the victim has committed the final sin to seal his fate, the Lucipire will drink from him until he is drained and the victim is then taken to the Underworld.
St. Michael has received word that Jasper, the king of the Lucipires, has sent some of his minions to recruit some Navy SEALs. St. Michael sends Trond and a younger Vangel, Karl, to join the SEAL's training program on the pretext that they were Jaegers from a top-secret Norwegian Special Forces team.
When Trond meets Lieutenant Nicole Tasso, a 28 year-old Navy WEAL ("Women on Earth, Air, Land and Sea"), there is an immediate attraction but neither wants to admit it. Because Vangels are supposed to be celibate, Trond cannot get involved with a woman. Besides, her peppiness rubs him the wrong way. He is more of the lazy-type (hence, his slothful nature), and Nicole is his polar-opposite in that department. She constantly listens to motivational tapes and is a "can-do" type. She was victimized by an abusive husband, and she has no desire to get involved with another man at this point, but Trond has awakened feelings in her that she thought were dead.
The chemistry between Trond and Nicole was red-hot, particularly during Trond's infamous "near-sex" escapades. I thought that I would be put off by the military lingo, but I wasn't. It took me a bit to get used to all the acronyms, but then I found a handy glossary at the back of the book which helped me a great deal. I really liked Trond. Again, I repeat: He is a Viking vampire angel - what is not to like? I liked the playful banter between Trond and Nicole, and I also liked Trond's effect on Nicole. She was a different woman with him around, much more daring and confident which was so unlike her former self. Nicole came a long way with her past, which began even before she was married, since her father is also an abusive man who actually had the gall to side with his son-in-law instead of his own daughter saying that Nicole always "needed a bit of discipline." Argh, what an awful man!
Hill is a new-to-me author, and I like her spin on the usual vampire which made for a very unique story. I also like that she injected a lot of sarcasm and humour into the book.
I did not realize that this was the second book in the Deadly Angels series. Nonetheless, I did not find that I was lost for not having read the first one in the series. However, I plan to go back now and read that one!
Captain Trond Sigurdsson will forever be 29 years old. He died in the year 850 A.D. in the age of the Vikings. Trond, along with his six brothers, are all Vangels: Viking Vampire Angels. Each brother is representative of one of the seven deadly sins, with Trond's being sloth. His motto was, "Work smarter, not harder." His mentor is St. Michael the Archangel, and the Vangels have been assigned to kill demon vampires (aka Lucipires or "Lucies") and to save the nearly-lost human souls. Trond's original penance was to serve as a Vangel for 700 years but, because he has erred a number of times over the centuries, the years have piled on and he has served over 1,000 years and counting.
Lucipires prey on humans that are on the brink of some particularly harsh sin. They bite the neck of the victim to put them in a state of stasis and then blow their unholy breath into the victim through any orifice, which puts them in a weakened state and more vulnerable to temptation. A victim will have the scent of lemons about them. Once the victim has committed the final sin to seal his fate, the Lucipire will drink from him until he is drained and the victim is then taken to the Underworld.
St. Michael has received word that Jasper, the king of the Lucipires, has sent some of his minions to recruit some Navy SEALs. St. Michael sends Trond and a younger Vangel, Karl, to join the SEAL's training program on the pretext that they were Jaegers from a top-secret Norwegian Special Forces team.
When Trond meets Lieutenant Nicole Tasso, a 28 year-old Navy WEAL ("Women on Earth, Air, Land and Sea"), there is an immediate attraction but neither wants to admit it. Because Vangels are supposed to be celibate, Trond cannot get involved with a woman. Besides, her peppiness rubs him the wrong way. He is more of the lazy-type (hence, his slothful nature), and Nicole is his polar-opposite in that department. She constantly listens to motivational tapes and is a "can-do" type. She was victimized by an abusive husband, and she has no desire to get involved with another man at this point, but Trond has awakened feelings in her that she thought were dead.
The chemistry between Trond and Nicole was red-hot, particularly during Trond's infamous "near-sex" escapades. I thought that I would be put off by the military lingo, but I wasn't. It took me a bit to get used to all the acronyms, but then I found a handy glossary at the back of the book which helped me a great deal. I really liked Trond. Again, I repeat: He is a Viking vampire angel - what is not to like? I liked the playful banter between Trond and Nicole, and I also liked Trond's effect on Nicole. She was a different woman with him around, much more daring and confident which was so unlike her former self. Nicole came a long way with her past, which began even before she was married, since her father is also an abusive man who actually had the gall to side with his son-in-law instead of his own daughter saying that Nicole always "needed a bit of discipline." Argh, what an awful man!
Hill is a new-to-me author, and I like her spin on the usual vampire which made for a very unique story. I also like that she injected a lot of sarcasm and humour into the book.
I did not realize that this was the second book in the Deadly Angels series. Nonetheless, I did not find that I was lost for not having read the first one in the series. However, I plan to go back now and read that one!
MY RATING:
4 stars!! It was really good, and I would recommend it! A big thanks to TLC Book Tours and Avon Books for the opportunity to review this book!
This book qualifies as:
#94 for my 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#7 for my 2012 Paranormal Romance Challenge
#4 of Category 1 for my 2012 Immortal Reading Challenge
#4 for my 2012 Vampire Reading Challenge
#66 for my New Author Reading Challenge 2012
#43 for my 2012 ARC Reading Challenge
Letter K for my A-Z Book Challenge 2012
#13 for my 2nds Challenge 2012
#27 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge V
#17 for my Review Copy Wipeout
View all my reviews
#7 for my 2012 Paranormal Romance Challenge
#4 of Category 1 for my 2012 Immortal Reading Challenge
#4 for my 2012 Vampire Reading Challenge
#66 for my New Author Reading Challenge 2012
#43 for my 2012 ARC Reading Challenge
Letter K for my A-Z Book Challenge 2012
#13 for my 2nds Challenge 2012
#27 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge V
#17 for my Review Copy Wipeout
View all my reviews
About the Author
Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than ten years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons.Find out more about Sandra at her website, follow her on Twitter, and connect with her on Facebook.
Tour Schedule
Tuesday, November 27th: From the TBR Pile
Tuesday, November 27th: Literary Feline
Wednesday, November 28th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Monday, December 3rd: Mom in Love With Fiction
Tuesday, December 4th: Book Spark
Wednesday, December 5th: Romancing the Book
Thursday, December 6th: Book Sniffers Anonymous
Monday, December 10th: Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
Thursday, December 13th: Michelle’s & Leslie’s Book Picks
Monday, December 17th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Friday, December 21st: For the Love of Film and Novels
Friday, December 28th: Darlene’s Book Nook
TBD: My Escape
TBD: Book Reviews by Molly
Tuesday, November 27th: Literary Feline
Wednesday, November 28th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Monday, December 3rd: Mom in Love With Fiction
Tuesday, December 4th: Book Spark
Wednesday, December 5th: Romancing the Book
Thursday, December 6th: Book Sniffers Anonymous
Monday, December 10th: Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
Thursday, December 13th: Michelle’s & Leslie’s Book Picks
Monday, December 17th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Friday, December 21st: For the Love of Film and Novels
Friday, December 28th: Darlene’s Book Nook
TBD: My Escape
TBD: Book Reviews by Molly
Design by Parajunkee Design
A vampire angel- a strange combo. It seems like a mixed up plot, but since you rated it so high I might check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt is a strange combo, but it works in this case! Part of the reason why I rated it so high was the book's uniqueness.
DeleteI hope you enjoy the first book in the series as much as you liked this one!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour. I'm featuring your review on TLC's Facebook page today.
My pleasure, Heather!
DeleteI'm looking forward to reading more of this series!
I love some good banter, and quite a few people have commented that the author does a great job in that regard. I'm also intrigued by the "near-sex" scene!
ReplyDelete