Friday, August 22, 2014

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Night's Honor


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Thea Harrison is the pen name for Teddy Harrison. Thea has traveled extensively, having lived in England and explored Europe for several years. Now she resides in Colorado. She wrote her first book, a romance, when she was nineteen and had sixteen romances published under the name Amanda Carpenter.

She took a break from writing to collect a couple of graduate degrees and a grown child. She experienced waitressing as a teenager, has worked as an activist for a non-profit consumer rights organization, has been a receptionist, an office manager, a penniless graduate student, a director of development and research, and a single mom. Her graduate degrees are in Philanthropic Studies and Library Information Science, but her first love has always been writing fiction.

Her paranormal Elder Races series began May 3, 2011 with Dragon Bound, which won RT Book Review’s Book of the Year Award, and the Romance Writer’s of America RITA in the paranormal romance category.

All five of her full length novels in the Elder Races series have won Top Picks from RT Book Reviews. Book two in the series, Storm’s Heart, and book four, Oracle’s Moon, hit the USA Today bestseller’s list, while book three, Serpent’s Kiss, hit the New York Times extended bestseller list. Her fifth book, Lord’s Fall, hit both the USA Today and the New York Times extended lists.

She adores animals and currently resides with two small dogs that have very large personalities.Connect with Thea online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.


Night's Honor
ELDER RACES Book #7

RELEASE DATE 9/2/14!

Buy from Amazon / B&N

On the run from her former employer, Tess knows that she’s vulnerable on her own amongst the Elder Races. That’s why she decides to audition to become the human attendant of a powerful Vampyre of the Nightkind demesne. But while her position affords her the safety she seeks, her protector turns out to be more than she bargained for.

The right-hand man of the Nightkind King, Xavier del Torro is both terrifying and alluring. While his true nature frightens Tess, she can’t ignore the appeal of his innate sense of integrity and self-restraint. Thrown into Xavier’s world, Tess must quickly learn to navigate the dangers—both to her life and to her heart. But the biggest threat comes from her own past….

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Vivacious Valkyrie - Marta:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

This is the seventh full length book in the Elder Races series and it's a series that I love! These books feature various types of creatures from Wyr who naturally can have both an animal and a human form, to Fae - both light and Dark - we even get to meet powerful Djinn, but perhaps the most complicated of all would be those said to have had the Serpent's Kiss, and most commonly referred to as Vampyre! These feared and unnatural creatures are created not born, however they start Vampyres will do whatever is necessary to survive!

Tess is on the run and there's no place to hide. She needs the sort of protection that only a truly powerful member of the Elder Races could offer but although down she's not out! Tess has a plan, become an attendant of a Vampyre and maybe just maybe the threat of starting an all out war to get at her will save her life. Vampyres gather once a year to choose new servants and Tess wangles her way in but she wasn't prepared to be chosen by the monster known as Xavier del Torro! He is the right hand man of his king and his fearsome reputation for violence is legend but for some reason he offers her a position within his home and it's a chance for safety that Tess cannot turn down.

Xavier is master in his own home and bows down to none but there's something about the human Tess that intrigues him. Tess is clearly terrified to be near him so why would she choose to offer herself as an attendant? She is intelligent and capable so why would she want to hide from the world? Xavier has no qualms in taking her in but what he won't do is take her at face value , oh no if Tess has a secret then Xavier will find out what it is! Tess might have run towards one monster but if that's the case just what is following her? Maybe she is out of the frying pan and into the fire!

When you pick up an Elder Races book as a reader you expect action and romance, but this story has a different feel to it. It's not as action packed as some but focuses more on a journey of self discovery. The heroine Tess is strong and capable and oh so brave when she faces Xavier, the Vampyre she offers her blood to but hers is a complicated life. I really liked her as a heroine and thought her both plucky and quite bold but I wasn't convinced that her plan actually made sense. Hiding within the household of one of the most prominent Vampyres would surely get her noticed! Luckily Xavier's plans for her meant she was kept secreted away which allowed her character to develop and gain insight.

Xavier was a complete revelation as previously he has been portrayed as a character that not many would find pleasant! In this story we see a side to him that surprises the reader, he is a man of great depth and nothing seems to faze him. His checkered history is explored but most surprising is his humanity . This is a vampyre with a soul who actually cares and his level of sensitivity was astonishing to read. He's not the usual tall dark brooding muscle bound hero, no he is only slightly above average in form and yet his presence is such that he dominates and fills the space he inhabits. Clearly a man of action but wily enough to know how to use words . Yes he is impressive!

I realize some readers might be disappointed that a Vampyre was the hero in this story and the heroine Tess seems to come out of nowhere but that's what I enjoy about this author's work . Expect the unexpected with Ms Harrison and enjoy the ride because no matter what these larger than life colourful characters will delight and enthrall you.

Night's Honor



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