Guest Review: Rise of the Fallen – Donya Lynne

In the streets of Chicago exists an uneasy, centuries-old truce between vampires and their distant cousins, a race of shifters called drecks. Vampire enforcement agency, All the King’s Men (AKM), is charged with maintaining the truce, but when volatile enforcer Micah Black loses his mate and falls into the biological agony that results from the broken bond, he tests the boundaries of the truce by seeking out Apostle, a leader in the dreck community. Micah wants Apostle to kill him, a request Apostle is more than happy to fulfill.

When ex-Army medic Samantha Garrett inadvertently disrupts the plot and saves Micah’s life, a chain reaction sets Micah’s heart on a collision course with Sam’s, but he will have to protect her from Apostle and her obsessive ex-husband, Steve, if they will have a chance at forever. Can Micah hold his emotions together to keep Sam alive?

Series:  AKM #1
Release Date:  March 24, 2013
Publisher:  Phoenix Press
Source:  Book Monster Promotions
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

Micah Black was in a world of hurt when I first met him, and I was able to feel the pain. From the very first moment he was portrayed as a good guy deep inside who was in so much pain that he wanted to end it all. He’s edgy, protective, and loyal. He inspires annoyance and fear in most everyone he meets until he meets Sam.

Samantha “Sam” Garrett was just the right type of spunky, badass heroine I was looking for when I picked up this book.  She was this great combo of compassionate healer and protector that I loved. She has a core of strength that I was in awe of; to survive the things she survived without becoming bitter is amazing.

This is a vampire story but it was refreshing vampire story. I’ll admit I burned out on most vampire stories a few years ago, but occasionally I pick one up just to see if they’re my cup of tea again. Ms. Lynne knocks it out of the park for me. I’m looking forward to more AKM stories; she has such a great cast of characters that I must have all of their stories. The world and mythology was well established, and a new twist. The bad guys are intriguing because of the way they hide themselves among the humans, but I won’t tell, because that’s one of the things that I found so interesting about this world.
Overall, the characters were interesting, the world was strong and the sex was hot. I’ll definitely be picking up more of this series.

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