Book Review of Gathering Storm: The Order of the Black Swan
Sponsored by Virtual Book Tours
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Blurb:
Gathering Storm, is the fifth installment in the serial saga, The Order of
the Black Swan. READING IN
ORDER STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
The story continues to touch on the
lives of former B Team members and their families while new characters and
situations are introduced.
THE NEWSLETTER: Z Team, a.k.a Zed
Company, is transferred to Jefferson Unit, which is being temporarily retired
as an active hunter facility and converted to a research / training
institution. Sol takes his first vacation – ever – leaving Glen in charge with
Storm supervising. Rosie is proving to be an extraordinary little girl and Deliverance
is in BIG trouble with her mother.
THE SURPRISES: Storm is really
not himself. Former members of B Team must reunite to preserve his image and
reputation. No one could have prepared for the surprises Rosie delivers,
least of all Glen.
THE ADVENTURE: The Ralengclan send a
second wave assassination team to Jefferson Unit at the worst possible time,
when it’s been left defended by only Z Team, Glen, the Lady Laiken and the
trainees.
Appropriate material for 17+
Smart. Sexy. Magical. A secret society, modern day knights, an accidental pilgrim from an alternate dimension, and a vampire like no other come together where chance intersects romance for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, proving that true love can find you in the strangest places, even far, far from home.
DESCRIPTION...
Minutes ahead of inevitable assassination, Elora Laiken is forcibly transported to an alternate dimension similar, but not identical, to her own. She is stranded. Alone. Far from home. A stranger in a "strangish" land.
Of course a girl could suffer worse problems than having gorgeous suitors. Perhaps more importantly, in the midst of an epidemic of vampire related abductions, can she stay alive long enough to choose between an honor debt, true love, or the breathlessness of single-minded passion?
Appropriate for 17+
Book Two: The Witch's Dream
SMART.
SEXY. MAGICAL.
From New York to Ireland to
Edinburgh to Siena to the Texas Hill Country to Napa Valley, a secret society,
a witch, a demon, a psychic, a berserker, an ex-vampire, modern day knights,
heroes, werewolves, elves and fae come together where emotions intersect. The
story maps a trail from rages to hunts to epiphanies, but, in the end, proves
that true love can find you in the strangest places, when you're least
expecting it, even when you're far, far from home.
DESCRIPTION: From New York to
Ireland to Edinburgh to Siena to the Texas Hill Country to Napa Valley, a
secret society, a witch, a demon, a psychic, a berserker, an ex-vampire, modern
day knights, heroes, werewolves, elves and fae come together where emotions
intersect. The story maps a trail from rages to epiphanies, but, in the end, proves
that true love can find you in the strangest places, when you're least
expecting it, even when you're far, far from home.
SYNOPSIS: Quintessential Black Swan knight, Engel Storm, was left behind when Elora Laiken chose his best friend. Now his heart is bruised and battered and he’s had it with love. But a transplanted witch who happens to be the world’s best tracker plans to do everything in her considerable power to change his mind.
The Witch’s Dream begins with B Team on temporary assignment to Black Swan headquarters in Edinburgh where they are supposed to fill in for stretched-thin resources and assist with a werewolf issue. They’ve been given permission to stop on the way to celebrate a special handfasting in an Irish castle.
When they reach Edinburgh, the afterglow of an elftale wedding quickly becomes all business. A missing person report turns into a demon abduction. A simple werewolf sanction becomes a diplomatic issue requiring the one thing Elora is no longer willing to give - finesse.
INCLUDES: Bonus Feature Interview with Rammel Hawking and the first chapter of Book 3, A Summoner's Tale.
Appropriate for 17+.Appropriate for 17+
SYNOPSIS: Quintessential Black Swan knight, Engel Storm, was left behind when Elora Laiken chose his best friend. Now his heart is bruised and battered and he’s had it with love. But a transplanted witch who happens to be the world’s best tracker plans to do everything in her considerable power to change his mind.
The Witch’s Dream begins with B Team on temporary assignment to Black Swan headquarters in Edinburgh where they are supposed to fill in for stretched-thin resources and assist with a werewolf issue. They’ve been given permission to stop on the way to celebrate a special handfasting in an Irish castle.
When they reach Edinburgh, the afterglow of an elftale wedding quickly becomes all business. A missing person report turns into a demon abduction. A simple werewolf sanction becomes a diplomatic issue requiring the one thing Elora is no longer willing to give - finesse.
INCLUDES: Bonus Feature Interview with Rammel Hawking and the first chapter of Book 3, A Summoner's Tale.
Appropriate for 17+.Appropriate for 17+
DESCRIPTION: A
secret society, a witch, a psychic, vampires, modern day knights, heroes,
elves, fae, assassins from another dimension, and fairytales come together
where emotions intersect. Two souls, joined by a mystical bond, separated by
distance, must simultaneously struggle through pain and darkness in an ultimate
confrontation with character and an ultimate struggle for life proving that
true love waits patiently through lifetimes and finds courage to survive. Even
in the strangest places. Even when you're least expecting it. Even when you're
far, far from home.
Erotic quotient: A little steam. No menage. No BDSM
What would you do
for love?
Moonlight, The Big Bad Wolf, is the fourth installment in the serial saga, The Order of
the Black Swan. READING IN ORDER STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
The story continues to touch on the
lives of former B Team members and their families while new characters and
situations are introduced.
THE NEWSLETTER: Ram and Elora move
into temporary quarters at Jefferson Unit to protect mother and baby. Storm
gives a surprising answer when he’s tapped by Sol to replace him as Jefferson
Unit Sovereign. Litha solicits her father to help Black Swan.
THE SURPRISE: B Team learns the
shocking truth about the origin of the vampire virus. Monq races to develop a
defense system to repel invasion by Stagsnare terrorists and assassins.
THE ADVENTURE: Desperation drives
Stalkson Grey to embark on an adventure beyond his wildest dreams in a bid to
save the Elk Mountain werewolves from extinction.
THE ROMANCE: In the process of
migrating the Elk Mountain werewolves to a new home, Grey learns that true love
can find you in the strangest places, even when you’re far, far from home.
17+ Steamy scenes. No menage. No
BDSM.
Author Information:
For the past fourteen years, Victoria has illustrated and
authored Seasons of the Witch calendars and planners and written several
non-fiction books on magickal arts. She lives in a town north of Houston known
as The Woodlands even though the idea of the witch in the woods may be a cliché.
She owns 7th House Publishing and contributes to its
enterprises. In addition to art and writing, she plays Classic Rock music
(keys, rhythm guitar, vocals). Married. Four children.
If you're looking for something new and different in PNR,
you've come to the right place.
I write unapologetic romances with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.
My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by the Reviewers' Choice Awards. Each of my books has remained on the Amazon best seller list in category every day since release. All three also earned the Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK award.
My work has been compared to J R Ward, Karen Marie Moning, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Lara Adrian. For example:
"I do see shades of Lara Adrian's Breed books and shades of J R Wards Black Dagger books, but this story is unique enough that it stands out all on its own and can stand up along side those other books and I think given time will elbow them out of the way with the rich story telling and deep emotional core that makes you want to know more." - Kerry, Musings of a Bookworm
The Order of the Black Swan is a series that is also a serial saga. Each book is an episodic installment in an ongoing story. Join me for the adventure.
Victoria Danann
I write unapologetic romances with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.
My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by the Reviewers' Choice Awards. Each of my books has remained on the Amazon best seller list in category every day since release. All three also earned the Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK award.
My work has been compared to J R Ward, Karen Marie Moning, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Lara Adrian. For example:
"I do see shades of Lara Adrian's Breed books and shades of J R Wards Black Dagger books, but this story is unique enough that it stands out all on its own and can stand up along side those other books and I think given time will elbow them out of the way with the rich story telling and deep emotional core that makes you want to know more." - Kerry, Musings of a Bookworm
The Order of the Black Swan is a series that is also a serial saga. Each book is an episodic installment in an ongoing story. Join me for the adventure.
Victoria Danann
Contacts:
Excerpt/Other:
(This
excerpt from Chapter 1 was included at the end of Moonlight.)
"'Tis a good thing that Stormy
and I are the bad asses that put the bad in Bad Company, else the two of us
might be intimidated by unhappy wives standin' over us with mean faces and
hands on delectably curvy hips."
"I concur," added Storm.
"You can concur until
the cows come home Sir Storm, but you are still NOT playing in the
Jefferson Unit Annual Rugby Match." Litha's voice was loud enough to make
the babies get quiet and listen.
"Yeah. What she said."
Elora couldn't really see what more could be added.
"We're playin'."
"We are."
"You. Are. Retired!" Elora
countered.
"Retired is no' dead."
"And I'd like to add
that we retired early. Lots of active duty hunters are older than we are
and they'll be playing. There's never been a match that didn't have B
Team represented and there's not going to be one this year either."
Elora huffed. "Since they
retired B Team as a commendation to you..."
"And you," Storm
added.
"Thank you for the thought, but
not really and I don't think any of you would enjoy having me play. Stop trying
to distract me. I'm in the middle of asking if you plan to still be repping for
B Team when you're ninety."
The husbands looked at each other.
They both sat on the sofa in Ram's and Elora's Jefferson Unit apartment with
their arms crossed and looking like they had dug in to be stubborn.
"She might have a point,"
Storm said to Ram.
"We're no' givin' any points or
any ground. With them 'tis always a slippery slope slidin' toward
capitulation."
Storm looked at Elora. "We're
not ninety now. We'll torch that bridge when we come to it. We're not even
nearing thirty. And we're playing."
"Aye. We are."
Ram and Storm uncrossed their arms
long enough to give each other a fist bump.
"Look," Elora began,
"you're both young, strong, still in your prime and tough as they
come."
"We're no' fallin' for the
flattery approach."
"I'm just saying that you're
also husbands and fathers with bones that can be broken and organs that can be
ruptured." Elora left out the part about how she also hated overhearing
the female spectators objectifying her husband. She already knew that he was
the stuff of nocturnal fantasy and didn't need to have that driven home by
listening to women talk about imagining him when they're with somebody else.
Ugh!
They were silent and resolute.
Resolutely silent.
Litha whispered something in Elora's
ear and they withdrew to the bedroom, closing the door behind them.
"What do you think they're
doin' in there?"
"I think they are saying that
they will have better luck with a divide-and-conquer strategy."
"Aye. 'Tis my thought as
well."
"Pact?"
"Indeed."
"Lust to dust."
"Sperm to worm."
"Womb to tomb."
Elora whispered to
Litha. "Quiet. Ram's ears are amazing."
"Then let's duck out for a
coffee. Or cocoa," she corrected.
When Elora nodded, Litha closed her
fingers around her fellow conspirator's wrist and they popped into the lounge
downstairs. The trip wasn't far enough to disturb equilibrium. It was no worse
than a fast elevator drop.
"It won't hurt them to watch
the babies for a little while."
Elora chuckled. "Neat
trick."
They picked out two of the comfiest
chairs, the ones that made sitting feel like a hug, and sat facing each other.
"Hmmm. Well, I'm thinking that
we're not going to get anywhere as long as they're together. They're feeding
off of each other and ratcheting up the resolve. We need to interrupt that
feed."
"Brilliant. Let us have yummy
drinks and then go to our separate bedrooms to see if we can't get their arms
uncrossed."
Litha smiled knowingly and initiated
a soft five.
"Does it strike you that
they're bein' too quiet?"
"It's your bedroom. You go
check."
Ram opened the door and said.
"Great Paddy loves a fuck. They're gone."
"What?" Storm got up.
"Gone. G.O.N.E. As in your wife
always brin's an unknown factor to the mix. Great Paddy, I'm glad we were never
assigned to hunt somebody like her." Ram ran a hand through his hair and
looked at Storm. "So. Guess who's babysittin'?"
Review:
I
love this series. This is a great series
for all those who love fantasy, shifters, time-travelers, elves, and vamps,
because it has them all. I have read all
of the books in this series, and I think this one is my favorite… but then I
think each one is my favorite.
This
book has wonderful imagery and sexy scenes.
I laughed and cried. I was on
pins and needles for large parts of the books.
I
give this book 4.5 out of 5 clouds.
This
product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my
opinions or reviews.
