Review of JABRIL, Vampires in America #2, by D. B. Reynolds

JABRIL, Vampires in America #2
D. B. Reynolds
ImaJinn Books
Published July 15, 2009
ISBN: 9781933417875
Genre: Paranormal romance
Length: ebook, 252 pages
Author Requested Review
D. B. Reynolds Website

Houston, Texas—Cowboy boots, baseball and journeys to the stars . . . right?

Wrong. Because Houston is also home to Jabril Karim, one of the eight powerful Vampire Lords who control all of North America. And as Private Investigator Cynthia Leighton will soon discover, not all Vampire Lords are created equal. For Jabril is the face of evil in the new world, a vampire who values no life but his own, who enslaves those he desires, steals whatever he covets and destroys anyone who stands in his way.

Running from L.A. and its seductive Vampire Lord, Raphael, Cyn sees the Houston job as a welcome refuge, a place to get away and heal her broken heart. But Texas will be no vacation. For in Jabril Karim, Cyn will confront a true enemy, one who will go to any lengths to satisfy his lusts, enrich his coffers and expand his power.

Fighting for the lives of two young sisters, Cyn’s journey will take her through the streets of Houston and back to L.A., where the human police are determined to bring Raphael down for the murder of one of their own. But the danger doesn’t end there. For Jabril has set his sights on Cyn, and he will stop at nothing to have her.

My Ratings
Review

Sexual

JABRIL doesn’t skip a beat and picks up right where RAPHAEL ended. Cyn, suffering from a broken heart and wanting to put distance between herself and Raphael, heads to Houston, Texas, when she is offered a job from the powerful Vampire Lord, Jabril Karim. Unfortunately, when she meets Jabril, she is disturbed at what she finds.

Lord Jabril hires Cyn to find his runaway “ward”, Elizabeth. He is also aware of Cyn’s connection with Raphael. Jabril is a sleaze. He is cruel and uses his minions and blood slaves for his nefarious, selfish purposes. Cyn accepts the assignment to find “Liz” and secretly decides to get Liz’s sister, Mirabelle away from Jabril.

Liz and Mirabelle have been under Jabril’s care since the death of their parents many years ago. Mirabelle was turned into a vampire by Jabril, but Liz was not. He needs both sisters for one thing: their inheritance aka money. These sisters are as different as night and day. Liz has a strong backbone, learns to take care of herself, and has managed to stay away from Jabril for the most part. Whereas, Mirabelle has become sacred and cowed, submissive to a point of slavery.

Cyn is ever the badass heroine with a heart of gold. She does get Mirabelle away from Jabril and back to LA at the peril of her own safety and heart. She has to call on Raphael for his protection for Mirabelle, and Mirabelle must formally ask Raphael’s permission to live in his territory. The reconnection of Cyn and Raphael begins (read “hot and bothered”). As Raphael opens up to Cyn and reveals a bit of his past, he makes a confession. It is a tender and moving moment when Cyn realizes just how vulnerable love has made Raphael.

“So, having at last met a foe I could not defeat, I fled,” he said in disgust. “Rather than face you in my weakness, I thought to leave you behind, to forget about you, which I thought was surely possible. After all, how could one human overwhelm me with feelings in such a short period of time?”

JABRIL is captivating with the evolution of Mirabelle and the development of Cyn and Raphael. But the shit hits the fan when Jabril decides to intercede and make his play. That is when the action really starts and our girl Cyn comes to life. Beware: bloody, gory vamp violence with a bit of good ‘ole human know-how mixed in to even the odds. I expect nothing less from Ms. Reynolds! JABRIL ends with a superb twist I sure didn’t see coming!

Review of SOPHIA, VAMPIRES IN AMERICA, BOOK #4 by D. B. Reynolds

SOPHIA, Vampires in America #4
D. B. Reynolds
Publisher: ImaJinn Books
April 28, 2011
ISBN #9781610260497
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author Request Review
Novel, 244 pages
D. B. Reynolds Website

The Pacific Northwest . . . home to lush forests and constant rain, to lumberjacks and computer geeks, especially those of the vampire kind.


Sophia, beautiful and deadly, has spent the last hundred years dancing her way through the balmy nights and hot-blooded men of South America. But when her Sire sends an urgent summons, Sophia rushes home to Vancouver only to find he has disappeared, leaving nothing behind but three dead vampires and a letter with Sophia’s name on it.

Colin Murphy, a former Navy SEAL, came to the Northwest seeking a quiet place to heal the scars earned in more than a decade at war. But when someone starts killing local vampires and torturing their mates, Colin takes on the mantle of a warrior once again as he sets out to find the killers and do whatever it takes to stop them, even if that means hunting with vampires.


Following her Sire’s trail of death to a small town in northern Washington, Sophia unexpectedly discovers the heat of a South American night in Colin’s arms. But all too soon Sophia and Colin find themselves in a race to uncover the killers before the next dead vampire is Sophia herself.

My Ratings
Review

Sexual

SOPHIA is Book #4 in the Vampires in America series. Although I haven’t read the first three books in the series, I didn’t have any problem acclimating to the nuances of this wonderful, preternatural world. There are actually two stories running concurrently here: Sophia and Colin along with Raphael and Cyn. SOPHIA began with a helluva hook and didn’t let up.


After many years, Sophia is summoned back to Vancouver by her Sire, Lucien. When she arrives, Sophia finds Lucien missing and three Vampires of the nest murdered. Her inquires lead her to Seattle. While just outside of Seattle, Colin, a former Navy SEAL and “sort of police” receives a call about gun shots being fired. When he investigates, he finds a woman – a Vampire’s mate – horribly beaten and on the verge of death.


Lord Raphael controls all of the US territory west of the Rockies. Because of his connection with his “children”, he feels two of his Seattle nest vampires being destroyed. He gathers his staff and they travel to the compound looking for the ones who did this.


Cyn (Cynthia) is Raphael’s human mate. She is an ex-law officer and feels very protective of Raphael, much to his consternation. She takes a lead role in the investigation. And you can only imagine how Raphael feels about that!


To complicate matters, Sophia and Colin have a history, *wagging eyebrows* but they haven’t seen one another for 10 years. The stage is set as all of the players converge in the Seattle area.

Raphael raked his gaze over the remaining vampires. “An outrage has been perpetrated on us, and it will not stand. No one. . . no one touches what is mine and lives. Prepare yourselves gentlemen. Tomorrow, we hunt.”

In a world where the vampires are out, they still suffer prejudice. A small faction of fanatics has an elaborate plan to push their agenda to the forefront. As the investigation gets under way and the relationships heat-up, the vampires start to show their true colors.


The story line of SOPHIA is riveting. These vamps (and humans too) are ruthless when it comes to protecting their own. Lord Raphael is the uber-alpha leader. None of his children or visiting vampires gives him any lip. The only one that gets away with it is his mate, Cyn. You won’t find any twinkling, day-walkers here. The vampires are merciless when necessary, but honorable and loyal and, oh so HAWT!


I could gush on and on about this book, but I’ll just hit on the things I enjoyed the most. The witty repartee between Cyn and Colin, and the close relationship they develop. Raphael and Cyn: She gives as good as she gets. Duncan, Duncan, DUNCAN! The plot twists and turns. The violent encounters and sexy escapades!


SOPHIA is a rollicking good time!