Dark Eyes: White Lies by M.R. Noble BLOG TOUR: The Write Reads BLOG TOUR

 

Blackmailed into espionage, Karo must lie to one man while she fights her cravings for another. As spy partners, Karo is forced to work with Andre, the vampire she swore to never trust again. The accidental vampiric bond they have threatens to bend her into submission. But is her will actually weak, or does she want an excuse to give in?

Roman’s patience teeters on Karo’s deception. Bitter, desperate, and vengeful, Karo dutifully completes her missions while withholding data from her uncle Loukin’s operation. She swore to get out from under his thumb, even if she has to break a few hands. Each assignment brings her closer to uncovering his goal, and using it against him, but she also draws closer to new foes. And they all want the same thing—Karo’s secrets.

White Lies is the riveting follow-up to Karolina Dalca, the first book in the series. A fantastic read from start to finish. The world-building and characters are more established and subsequently, I found it easier to distinguish between all the different magical creatures and their roles.

Karo and Andre are thrown together once more as they complete spying missions for Loukin. Their bond is as strong as ever and Karo ultimately ends up having to make the choice between him and Roman. But this is only one small element of the story.

The action and suspense are nail-biting all the way through as Andre, Karo and her allies work their way through assignments while Karo simultaneously works her own agenda to free herself from her uncle's control. Karo is the driving force in most of the action scenes and is capable of defending herself and launching attacks without much help from the male characters. I love how self-sufficient she is and determined to do things her own way without interference. She stands up for herself when her relationship with Roman goes awry and admirably does not hesitate when their interests do not align.

Roman surprised me in the book and I'm wondering how he'll fair after this.

The story is a real rollercoaster of drama, suspense and action and just when you think the story is settling down something else happens that sends the characters off to even more dangerous situations making this book impossible to put down.

White Lies ends on a cliffhanger and all I can say is when's the next book out?! I can't wait.

Dark Eyes: White Lies is out now.

AMAZON

BLOG TOUR The-Write-Reads BLOG TOUR -Karolina Dalca, Dark Eyes by M.R. Noble

Blurb

Blindsided by an attack that destroys her home and blamed for murder, Karolina Dalca, a half-vampire, escapes, only to plunge into the magical societies from which she was sheltered.

Betrayed by those around her, she abandons her dreams of becoming an investigator and flees, trusting only herself. Her police internship would never prove more useful. Hoofing it through the wilderness, she makes it to her university dorm, dishevelled but delightfully deflowered.

Enter a full vampire: one wielding dark magic and a ride out of Canada. A fugitive from the law, Karo complies with his demands to escape, unsure whether his requests are bewitched. She vows to clear her name and avenge her mother's death, but Karo's family secrets aren't so easily left behind.

About the Author

M. R. Noble has played a tug of war between science and art her whole life, but the rope broke when she wrote the first line of The Dark Eyes Series. Immersed up to her keyboard in paranormal romance and urban fantasy, she enjoys blending the real with the surreal. The only drawback is she misplaces her mug while dreaming up her next scene, and soon finds herself six cups overpoured.

Keeping to her Lake Simcoe roots, she is a member of the Writers Community of York Region (WCYR), where her muse is made not found.

FOLLOW M. R. NOBLE ON BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-r-n...

                                                                    🌟🌟🌟🌟

               The start of a paranormal fantasy series worth sinking your teeth into.

This is an action-driven story from start to finish. In fact, the story starts so fast that it took me a few minutes to get my bearings on what was happening and who everyone was. 

The author does not shy away from gory scenes and I loved that all the guts and gore really reflected that it was vampires, werewolves and other magical beings doing the maiming and killing.

Karo was an interesting character and I enjoyed watching her character develop under extreme circumstances. As well as being half vampire she is half gypsy and has different powers that she can call on. Fire being one of them but she also has the ability to draw on light when needed. She also has the timely support of Roman and Andre when the fight gets sticky. The love triangle that was simmering in this book will no doubt add even more conflict and tension as the series progresses. It will be fun to watch Karo navigate that dilemma.

A few terms were new to me. I was a little confused about what or who the dyads and the forged were but I didn't have time to ponder because the action took over and they were simply just labelled goodies or baddies in my mind. 

I loved the ending. Karolina has now become unwillingly embroiled in vampire politics and her life back in Canada will be tricky if she is to walk a fine line between protecting her country whilst simultaneously working for her shady uncle. The cloak-and-dagger aspect of her new role has me on tenterhooks to discover what will happen next. 

Amazon          Goodreads

The Awakening Fire (The Ancient's Blood #1) by Cassidy Faline (2022)

 

Even though the Ancients have been gone from the world for nearly a thousand years, their law still holds sway over the minds of men. Three men hold a claim on the kingdom's empty throne, each jockeying for power with their own conflicting ideology. With unrest brewing among the citizenry, violence breaking out between the lords, and a dark secret kept just under the palace floors, can the kingdom of Retall survive another war of the Ancients?

                                                                  Star rating 4.5

The Awakening Fire is a dark, twisty tale full of complex characters, suspense and action.

Most of the characters have to make morally grey and strategic decisions. I was surprised at a couple of decisions Hiero made and I'm left wondering what the consequences will be for him down the line. I liked Hiero and I rooted for him to find a way to become king however I'm not sure if the power will be a corrupting force in the end.

As unlikeable as Lord Teris was, it was Lord Kiad who stood out as completely evil. I felt compelled to read through the dark scenes involving him and Gannon and it built up my anticipation for seeing Gannon or Kaiden execute retribution. He got away quite lightly compared to the misery he inflicted on his slaves.

Lamont is another figure who I liked even though I wanted Hiero to win the throne. It will be an interesting read to see Lamont drum up support for another power grab and whether or not his new allies will be trustworthy.

Even though the story is about three men vying for the throne I was surprised at the lack of strong female characters. Sheila was a big disappointment. A king needs a strong and clever queen beside him and I'm not sure that Sheila is made for it. Time will tell and I'm looking forward to reading more to find out.

Buy Link AMAZON UK