Blood and Fire by Tori L. Ridgewood

Title:  Blood and Fire

Series:  Talbot Trilogy #2

Author:  Tori L. Ridgewood

Published:  Feb 11/14 by Melange Books

Length:  250pgs

Format:  ecopy

Genre:  paranormal

Shelf:  review

Rating:  ★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

What chance does one witch have against five vampires? Alone, not much. But Rayvin’s allies are gathering...

The battle between good and evil supernatural forces heats up in the long, cold November nights of the former mining town. But how will Rayvin’s motley crew of spellcasters and shapeshifters cope when they discover the threat they face is even greater than they imagined?

My Review:

This story was well written and approachable. Ridgewood’s descriptions are straightforward, allowing the readers to grasp the concept while still using their imagination to create the full scene. The story is action packed, keeping you moving every second. By jumping between various sub-plots to cover all of her characters Ridgewood covers a lot of story, giving you glimpses into each character’s plight. However, I found the storyline to be superficial at times, making it hard to fully immerse myself into. Ridgewood covers a lot of ground with a lot of intensity but doesn’t dig deep. I also found the recaps from the previous story to be much longer than necessary, detracting from the current story.

There are a variety of different characters in this novel, all important in their own right. I found them to be well developed in and of their role in the story, but not too much beyond that. It didn’t allow for a deep connection with the characters, but it did allow for the plot to progress more quickly. Ridgewood also depends greatly on character development from the first novel in the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read. It follows well from the first instalment in the series and leaves you wondering what’s next.

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Wind and Shadow by Tori L. Ridgewood

Title:  Wind and Shadow

Series:  The Talbot Trilogy #1

Author:  Tori L. Ridgewood

Published:   June 2013 by Melange Books

Length:  230pgs

Format:  ecopy

Genre:  paranormal romance

Shelf:  review

Rating:  ★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Rayvin Woods, photographer and natural witch. She just wanted to start her life over again after a series of misadventures. She didn't count on rekindling a lost love when she came home to Talbot...or battling a malevolent vampire and his coven for her life.

Grant Michaels, police officer. He thought Rayvin was a murderer. He will do whatever it takes to protect the community he loves from danger...but will he learn to trust his heart, and the word of a witch, before it's too late?

Malcolm de Sade, cunning vampire, imprisoned underground for a year by Charlotte Fanning and Pike Mahonen ("Mist and Midnight", Midnight Thirsts). His accidental release unleashes his hunger and ambition on a small, sleepy town…

***

Facing the past can be a nightmare. It's worse when a vampire is stalking you.

My Review:

This novel is intricately and captivatingly written. Ridgewood draws you in with her fantastic writing and keeps you there with the imaginative story. This is a quick read that will keep you hooked both intellectually and emotionally. Not only that, but Ridgewood is one of those rare authors who tells a unique tale that will appeal to many age groups without talking down to anyone or talking over their heads. The language used fits perfectly with the story at hand and the characters involved. She tells a story that unfolds on many levels at the same time, holding information back until it is relevant and creating suspense for the audience while also weaving a fetchingly hot romance between two characters.

The characters in this novel were well developed. I appreciated the way that they fit together while still standing alone as individuals. It was the best of both worlds. You got to know them as couples, families, and communities, but also got to know all of the major players individually.

This is definitely a one of a kind novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can’t wait to see what happens next in this series.

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