Crimson Ties
(Crimson Nights Saga, Book 2)
by V.L. Moon and J.T. Cheyanne
Not everything in Heaven is as holy as it seems…
In Crimson Ties, the second installment of the Crimson Nights Saga, Laziel is nowhere to be found, and with the ferocity of Malachi Denali’s vampiric temperament growing out of control, Rome’s Vatican enclave and those that dwell there risk everything to keep their King’s throne out of Darklon De Sangue’s treacherous hands.
As Darklon’s mental state deteriorates, his treasonous plans to overthrow Malachi know no bounds. With Arial dancing upon a deadly double-edged sword and working to gain Darklon’s trust, this continuing saga keeps everyone on tenterhooks as new treaties are strengthened and friendships are forged by oaths and blood.
Will Laziel return in time to save Malachi from those that threaten the male he loves, or will the fury of Malachi’s disdain for emotion see Laziel ascend if he refuses to accept the hand that destiny has dealt him and the gift of his angel’s love?
With emotions running high, and Malachi’s past turning up to haunt them both in the form of the mysterious Vischeral Bourne, the twists and turns may prove too much for Laziel and his vampire. While Malachi and Laziel struggle with fate, an alliance with the wolves and the secrets behind the Nephilim and their sadistic Queen threaten to rock the very foundations of the supernatural world.
Who knows what ties will bind and which will fade away.
With a high element of supernatural romance and erotic sexcapades between male lovers, Crimson Ties may not be to some people’s taste, but for those brave enough to step into the wicked world of Laz and Lachi, we hope that you will read and thoroughly enjoy…
“Neat trick, vampire king, but you still can’t fly.” The self-appointed leader taunted.
“Maybe not asshat, but I was trained by an angel to fight you bastards, and I don’t need wings to snatch your ass out of the air.” He ported again. When he took form, he wrapped powerful thighs around the half-breed’s waist. Even as the bastard bucked, Malachi’s fingers dug into his wing mounts, and with a brutal tug; he ripped the wings from the male’s back. They tumbled from the air with the male screaming in agony. Blood fountained out of the holes in his back. It saturated Malachi’s clothes before he could port away. The harsh beat of wings told him the last combatant fled rather than face the same fate.
Back on the ground, Malachi faced the lone survivor; the scared Nephilim who begged for his life. Raspy breaths evidenced he still lived. Malachi knelt over him, placed his fingertips against the male’s forehead and plunged into his mind. Clariel. Malachi sucked in a breath. An unusual Nephilim, and young, only twenty-five in human years when his breed could live hundreds.
More interesting to Malachi, the male’s soul didn’t bear the taint of the other Nephilim. Fear and confusion ruled his thoughts. He’d been dragged into the training program, the source of his knowledge. Malachi rifled through the information, but breathed a sigh of relief at the holes in their intel. Unsurprisingly, it was Clariel’s first venture into the war.
Due to the lack of wings, the others had beaten him, ridiculed him. A familiar face drifted across the male’s thoughts, Gregori, and then another that drew a frown, Celix. Malachi pulled his hand back and contemplated the youth. Every instinct, every feral thought urged him to end the male where he lay. He slid a hand under Clariel’s head, grazed his chin with the opposite one. So easy, a quick twist and one more enemy gone.
“Please, I know you will kill me.” Malachi’s gaze flipped up to meet pain filled violet eyes. “They say when your eyes are red like that, it’s time to retreat.” His hand lifted and settled over the wound in his side. “I don’t think I’ll be able to outrun you,” he quipped and tried for a half-hearted smile.
“I know what he is, and I refuse to condemn him for it.” His own words to Laziel slipped through the savagery seething in his mind. Clarity returned slowly as coherent thoughts coalesced in his mind. Arial was fallen, yet Malachi sensed the goodness in him. Laziel’s teachings played on his barely there conscious; all life was sacred. Clariel’s soul radiated righteousness. Not the beautiful glow of his Laziel, but still a warmth that reminded him of the Seraphim.
Carefully, he slid his arms under the injured Nephilim and rose. “You will not die this day.” A startled gasp gurgled from the Nephilim’s throat.
“I don’t understand,” he babbled as Malachi started to walk. “You’re not going to…you won’t kill me?”
Malachi glanced down at the young one. “It seems I have a fucking soft spot for angels with virtuous souls.” An incredulous look passed over the mixed breed’s face. “Don’t get all happy yet, kid. I’ll expect an oath of loyalty if you live, Clariel.” Wide eyes went even wider when his name slipped from Malachi’s lips. “And, whatever information you have on Darklon De Sangue.” And Celix, but he left that name unspoken for the moment.
“Maybe not asshat, but I was trained by an angel to fight you bastards, and I don’t need wings to snatch your ass out of the air.” He ported again. When he took form, he wrapped powerful thighs around the half-breed’s waist. Even as the bastard bucked, Malachi’s fingers dug into his wing mounts, and with a brutal tug; he ripped the wings from the male’s back. They tumbled from the air with the male screaming in agony. Blood fountained out of the holes in his back. It saturated Malachi’s clothes before he could port away. The harsh beat of wings told him the last combatant fled rather than face the same fate.
Back on the ground, Malachi faced the lone survivor; the scared Nephilim who begged for his life. Raspy breaths evidenced he still lived. Malachi knelt over him, placed his fingertips against the male’s forehead and plunged into his mind. Clariel. Malachi sucked in a breath. An unusual Nephilim, and young, only twenty-five in human years when his breed could live hundreds.
More interesting to Malachi, the male’s soul didn’t bear the taint of the other Nephilim. Fear and confusion ruled his thoughts. He’d been dragged into the training program, the source of his knowledge. Malachi rifled through the information, but breathed a sigh of relief at the holes in their intel. Unsurprisingly, it was Clariel’s first venture into the war.
Due to the lack of wings, the others had beaten him, ridiculed him. A familiar face drifted across the male’s thoughts, Gregori, and then another that drew a frown, Celix. Malachi pulled his hand back and contemplated the youth. Every instinct, every feral thought urged him to end the male where he lay. He slid a hand under Clariel’s head, grazed his chin with the opposite one. So easy, a quick twist and one more enemy gone.
“Please, I know you will kill me.” Malachi’s gaze flipped up to meet pain filled violet eyes. “They say when your eyes are red like that, it’s time to retreat.” His hand lifted and settled over the wound in his side. “I don’t think I’ll be able to outrun you,” he quipped and tried for a half-hearted smile.
“I know what he is, and I refuse to condemn him for it.” His own words to Laziel slipped through the savagery seething in his mind. Clarity returned slowly as coherent thoughts coalesced in his mind. Arial was fallen, yet Malachi sensed the goodness in him. Laziel’s teachings played on his barely there conscious; all life was sacred. Clariel’s soul radiated righteousness. Not the beautiful glow of his Laziel, but still a warmth that reminded him of the Seraphim.
Carefully, he slid his arms under the injured Nephilim and rose. “You will not die this day.” A startled gasp gurgled from the Nephilim’s throat.
“I don’t understand,” he babbled as Malachi started to walk. “You’re not going to…you won’t kill me?”
Malachi glanced down at the young one. “It seems I have a fucking soft spot for angels with virtuous souls.” An incredulous look passed over the mixed breed’s face. “Don’t get all happy yet, kid. I’ll expect an oath of loyalty if you live, Clariel.” Wide eyes went even wider when his name slipped from Malachi’s lips. “And, whatever information you have on Darklon De Sangue.” And Celix, but he left that name unspoken for the moment.
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Crimson Reign
(Crimson Nights Saga, Book 1)
A pulse of light preceded the gift of life breathed into the coldest and darkest of souls. Bathed in the glow of celestial love and swathed in a blanket of black satin wings nestled a king among kings, a vampire born to destroy the decay threatening to eradicate the race he was destined to save.
An angelic heart torn by yearning, suffering and pain throbbed to the rhythm of the life he created; a life prophesied in the scriptures by the Creator’s own hand. A vow of servitude given in blood sealed the fate of a Seraphim’s heart and tied it eternally to the creation he craves, protects… loves.
Ancient treaties are lost and reborn, rising from the ashes as the Nephilim ravage the vampire race. The deviant desire that soared in Malachi Denali’s blood threatens to bring Rome to its knees when Malachi’s world, his soul and his heart are brutally shattered and torn apart.
Will purity born of an angel’s love be enough to calm the savage mind of Malachi Denali? Or will Laziel be doomed to a life of purgatory for loving the life he was gifted to create…
This is not a HEA, or even a HFN….Who knows what will happen to seal their fate…only time will tell. Vampires, angels, demons and wolves together with love, betrayal, sadness and yearning make up the ongoing story that is…
Crimson Reign
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Laziel breathed his heart and soul into Malachi, the last pureblood, and king of the vampire race. Malachi depends on Laziel to help him control the darkness in his soul, and for centuries the two have maintained their secret bond.
Darklon De Sangue, vampire elder, vehemently opposes Malachi's progressive ways and is determined to see the king dethroned and the old vampire order restored. His cruelty knows no bounds, and he is willing to use whatever means necessary to bring Malachi to his knees. Roman, Darklon's long abandoned son, is suddenly recognized by his father and brought to Malachi's Italian enclave but is vastly unprepared for the political machinations of palace life.
Cophious Dane lives for his job as a New York beat cop. Like most humans, he has no idea that paranormal beings exist. All that changes late one night when he catches sight of a vampire feeding. Attempting to convince his fellow officers of the crime he witnesses proves futile, and he accepts a transfer to Alaska rather that face spending the rest of his career behind a desk. Vischeral Bourne never expected to encounter the one man who saw him when no one else did. His vampire side dreams of golden eyes, but dreams quickly turn to nightmares when he meets Copi, his new partner, and scents the one man his vampire can't seem to resist.
Crimson Reign is a paranormal adventure with an intense and complicated storyline. Essentially three stories within one, it is well developed. As the transition between characters, locations and plot lines are slowly drawn together the vision of this writing team comes to light. While careful attention must be paid to the smallest detail, the drama, intense sexuality, and raw emotionalism more than makes up for the effort that must be put into reading Crimson Reign.
With dark themes, and moments of pure brutality that may be disturbing to some readers, I would recommend Crimson Reign to readers who are fans of BDSM/erotica, complex stories and aren't opposed to the less than happy ending the author's kindly warned us was coming... I'm so glad I didn't read this until after Crimson Ties was released, because I think the anticipation probably would have killed me!
Crimson Ties
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Please read my review of Crimson Reign before reading this review, as they are as closely intertwined as the stories themselves.
Oh, my goodness. I didn't think that the developing storyline of The Crimson Nights Saga could get any more intense, but was I ever wrong!
Even better than the first book; Crimson Ties gripped me from the very first page, picking up right where Crimson Reign left off, and taking me on a sensual, action packed and dramatic roller coaster ride that I never wanted to end!
This epic story kept me up reading through the night... I just couldn't put it down. The foundation that was set initially is the bedrock from which Crimson Ties takes flight. It contained everything that I loved about the first story and magnified it one-hundred times. Passionate, heart wrenching, emotionally engaging and suspenseful, with darkness that fearlessly skirted the edges of depravity, I really don't have words to describe how deeply Crimson Ties impacted me.
The writing is outstanding and the amazing duo of J.T. Cheyanne and V.L. Moon are imposing in their creative genius. I would give this more than 5 stars if I could, and place it at the top of list for the 10 best books of 2014!
Laz and Lachi Publications is the combined writing team of J.T. Cheyanne and V.L. Moon. The two met in 2010, fell hard and fast for each other and married in April 2014. They write both independently and together in the gay erotica and gay paranormal genres. They also have a couple of contemporary romance novels under their belt.
J.T. Cheyanne
After a lifetime of reading and at the suggestion of friends, I finally put fingers to keys and started writing my own stories. It's been a wildly amazing ride full of tears, exhilaration and plain old hard work. Thankfully, my three beautiful children support my craziness and encourage me to continue something I love. While we both have solo work, Venus and I thrive on the work we do together. What a small world it is indeed Mr. Disney when a small town girl from Alabama can find and write with a big city girl from England. What a ride it has been and continues to be!
Aspiring writer and mother of two, I enjoy nothing more than losing myself to the rather madcap workings of my imagination. Blessed with some of the dearest friends, I have to admit that its through their guidance and perseverance that I am able to write what I feel and enjoy. An avid book reader and a lover of long dark winter nights tucked up with a rather fruity glass of red and my partner in crime J.T. Cheyanne, we aspire to conquer the world with our love of Vampires, angels and wolves alike. As well as some mighty fine Gods and a deluge of hot Gay romance.
*OVER*
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Thank you so much Carly. I loved your reviews and I'm so thrilled you enjoyed the books/.
ReplyDeleteIt was my pleasure. You're welcome on my blog anytime! :D
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