Doubling the Reviews, Doubling the Awesome Reads!

These two books are from the Fated & Forbidden series. A group of authors wrote stories which all took place in the same universe and share one amazing hook!

Dark Burn by Decadent Kane

Blurb: The challenge wasn't meant to be easy. They were set up to fail from the beginning.

Priya's the last of her kind...
After death takes the only family Priya has ever known, she ventures out to find others like her, those who catch fire and fly. But shadow hunters prowl the night ready to kill firebirds like her, and one has found her trail. After a narrow escape she runs into the kind of man she shouldn't want...a man with silver eyes as if the very moon has been trapped inside his gaze.
His help won't be enough when Nicholas finds her.

Doulzen is a shade by birth, shadow hunter by rite...
When an extinct white firebird flies through the night sky, fire blazing behind the creature, he knows he has to have it. Pulling the shadows in, he notches his arrow and downs his prey, but when he arrives to catch it, he finds a female running from someone instead. He promised himself he wouldn't be her protector, he'd get her where she needed to go, but when Nicholas shows up and takes Priya from him, Doulzen finds the mark that tells him she is his fated mate. With darkness at his heels, he will stop at nothing to get her back as his very existence relies on it.

When Priya and Doulzen find out each other's secrets, it will take a lot more than fate to bring them back together.

My review: Priya believes she's the last of her kind. A race of beautiful shifters called firebirds. When her Gran dies, she plans to visit family she never met in another city, but a man who is stalking her chases her away too quickly, and she is injured by a hunter. Doulzen is that shadow hunter, but he has no idea the mystery behind the creature he hunts. When he comes across Priya instead of his prey, he vows to help her in exchange for firebird feathers, but he might find more than he bargained for when her stalker steals her away. In that moment, Doulzen discovers she is his intended mate, and he'll stop at nothing to get her back.

A compelling paranormal romance that hooked me from the beginning and wouldn't let go. My heart went out to Priya immediately at not only the loss of her grandmother, but not knowing the anything about what she is and her past. Sheltered as she is, she's a strong and admirable woman. Doulzen is a sinuous hunter who must deal with finding out everything he knows may be a lie. The tension between him and Priya is sizzling. Nicholas is a detestable villain and puts the heroes in what seems like an impossible situation. Fast action, great tension, and oh-my-god twists.

Buy Dark Burn here.

Find Decadent Kane on her blog.

Fallen Ashes by T.F. Walsh

Blurb: As the last of her kind, Fallen awakes in a holding cell, but being locked up is the least of her problems.

She's been magically bound to a cocky Queen's Guardian named Saber. Because Fallen is the last dragon shifter in Tapestry, she's on everyone's hit list... especially his... but she doesn't have time to die by his hand. Fallen has to find her life mate in four weeks or else all of creation in her world will be destroyed.

Saber never asked to be brought to life. He certainly never wanted to be hexed and forced to transform into a mindless shadow assassin. Exiled from the Kingdom, he must rescue his stepfather from the Collector to prove his innocence. Otherwise he'll be hunted and killed. But his plans are temporarily put on hold when he's captured, imprisoned, and bound to a mysterious blond-haired vixen with a major fire addiction.

With time ticking away for Saber and Fallen, will the two be able to come together to defeat the Collector and save themselves, along with the rest of the world?

My review: Fallen is the last of her kind and trapped in a holding cell. Bound by some frustrating spell to a gorgeous Queen's Guardian named Saber, they escape and flee. Their captors hunt them relentlessly as they try to learn to work together. Fallen has no time for the chase. She must find her life mate within four weeks or her world will be extinguished. Saber doesn't believe in her dreams and is determined to prove himself innocent of being exiled by saving his stepfather from the same villain that captured him. They must hurry or all could be lost for both of them.

This is one of my favorite books from T.F. Walsh. It's a unique premise of two parallel worlds; one our modern day society and the other, a magical fantasy land filled with both darkness and beautiful wonders. Walsh's lush descriptions of places and the monsters really bring the story to life. I especially loved she included the Hoia Baciu Forest. It's a haunting and fascinating place in Romania.

Fallen is a heroine that kicks butt. She's immediately sympathetic, and I rooted for her from the first scene. Paired with Saber, she's fiery in so many ways! I do love the story behind Saber and what motivates him. The tension between the two of them is hot, and I loved seeing how they worked with the chaos of their emotions with the conflicts going on. Noah is a villain you'll love to hate, and you'll wonder often if he's more than a match for Fallen and Saber. Tons of action and mystery. I couldn't get enough of this story. I ate it up as fast as I could!

Buy Fallen Ashes here.

Find T.F. Walsh on her website.

A to Z Challenge - F is for Freakin' Fae

This is part of an ongoing story.

If you're just joining me now, please start with A is for Abby.

F IS FOR FREAKIN' FAE

"You scared that girl more than the monster." Abby wiped her face with an old towel from her car's trunk. She ignored the blood splattered fae when he held out his hand for one.

"I did not. She saw how handsome and heroic I am and swooned." Demetrius snatched the towel from her when she was done. The black blood was like jelly, but the stench didn't whet the appetite in the least.

"You came barreling in through her window growling like an animal just as I had the monster. The girl screamed and fainted." Abby opened the driver's side door and unhooked Tawa from her belt. She tossed the hippo into the backseat. "I told you to stay outside and watch."

Hey! I don't care if you're mad at that brute, but be a little more gentle with me. Tawa complained.

"The beast was going to suck you dry. If I hadn't helped-" Demetrius threw the towel back into the trunk and slammed it shut.

"It was not! I could've tied its proboscis in knots, but I was going for the quick clean kill. You're the one that made it messy." Abby sat in the driver's seat and jammed the keys into the ignition. This night had gone to hell. First a pack of monsters in the attic. She'd never seen so many together. They were usually solitary creatures. Then this damn annoying fae had attached himself to her and gotten in the way of what would have been an easy kill. The mess from the fight was extensive, but all evidence of the monster in the closet would be gone as soon as the sun rose. The little girl would remember, but her memory would fade with time. Unfortunately Abby's would not.

Demetrius stood beside the car with his arms folded. The moonlight highlighted and complimented his profile. Even covered in filth, he still managed to look hot. Abby yanked her door closed and cursed herself for noticing.

"Well?" Abby glared at him.

"Well what?" He snipped back.

"I'm going home now." She couldn't believe she was waiting for him.

Neither can I. Tawa huffed.

"Where do you live? I'll meet you there." Demetrius said with a nonchalance that made Abby frown all the more.

"It's a bit of a drive. Just get in." Abby sighed.

"I'm not getting into an iron box for the second time tonight." He stood his ground.

Ha! That's right. The fae hate cars. Tawa laughed. Drive off and leave him in the dust.

"All right then. Can't say it was nice meeting you. Bye." Abby shifted the car into drive and pulled away from the curb. She saw him curse and snarl in her rearview mirror and then run up to grab the passenger side door.

"I'm coming with you." Demetrius sat down and shut the door. His hand gripped the handle and he seemed to be concentrating on not looking ill. Yet that expression alone made him appear constipated.

"Don't worry." Abby smirked. "I won't take advantage of you in your weakened state." She drove down the street and headed to the highway.

"You can give it a try, if you'd like, babe." His sly smile made hers evaporate.

"Enough with the pet names already!" Abby gripped the wheel tight in both hands. "Freakin' fae. Prancing around all fancy and pretty, thinking they can have any woman or man. I'm sure you all laugh about it at court and drink your fruity fairy wines. I will not be one of those humans. Flirt with someone else."

"So you think I'm pretty?" His smile was weak, but it was still there, still tempting.

Open the car door and kick him out. He won't have the strength to fight you. Tawa offered up her suggestion. You should have listened to me.

"Enough with your comments too." Abby shot a look over her shoulder at the hippo. Then she poke Demetrius in the arm with a rigid finger. "You're an egotistical jerk. You're only here because of your blood debt or whatever. Act like you're an honorable being, for goodness sake."

"My honor demands that I give my life for yours if the situation demands it. I will hold true to it. Do not doubt me." Demetrius' voice was quiet and serious. He swallowed thickly. "I'm not one of those, as you said, freakin' fae from the court. Those are distant cousins and I dislike them as much as you. I'm of the wild, a hunter. One of the best of my clan. No prancing, no fruity wines, no silly gossiping."

No matter the chill of the night, Abby pressed the button to lower his window and let the fresh air wash over him. He breathed in deeply, looking a little less tense.

He's still an egotistical jerk. Tawa grumped.

"You're one of the Fearless. I have much to prove in your eyes it seems." Demetrius stuck an arm outside and rested his hand on the roof.

I wonder if he'll stick his head outside like a dog. The hippo chuckled, but it tapered off as she was ignored again.

Abby said nothing. Her gut told her he was being honest. He was also proving that he would risk a lot by riding in a car. It was clearly weakening him and making him sick. She sped up to get them to her place a little faster. She didn't know what she was going to do with him, but perhaps another person to fight with her with the increase of monsters lately would be a good thing.