REVIEWS

BLOOD TALISMAN
ERIKA GILBERT
ISBN: 978-1-60592-045-0
July 2009
Noble Romance Publishing
www.nobleromance.com
E-book
$5.95
182 pages
Paranormal Romance
Rating: 5 Cups

Helene Sharp is a battle mage; she goes out and chases down rogue paranormals. She is not supposed to do any work without the mage council's authorization. When she finds her ex-lover and master vampire Lee Corady is in trouble, she soon goes behind the council's back to help.

Brett Corady is a skinwalker; he can ‘move-into’ other peoples bodies and totally control them. He is also the brother of the master vampire. Sincd he was once a vampire himself, he has a double loyalty to Lee. When a witch takes control of Lee and his vampires, using Lee’s blood Brett works with Helene to try and save them all.

Brett and Helene have to work to find out how to save Lee and his vampires, while keeping Helene alive because it seems the witch wants her dead. Lee is a good master and is fighting the witch with all his power. Between them, the three make a remarkable group. Meanwhile the tension building between them is more than that of co-workers, and Brett’s ability to enter Helene and control her movements proves to be an interesting hobby.

Ms. Gilbert has produced a novel with a new level of paranormal romance. The ability of her skinwalkers is amazing and opens a whole new area. Helene is a strong and fascinating character. She compliments Brett’s playful nature. They are both in total contrast to Lee’s domineering master vampire approach to life. As a reviewer my only question is do they find a mate for Lee?

Hollie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Review for Blood Talisman from Bitten by Books ~ 4/5 Tombstones

When this exciting and intriguing novel begins, Battle Mage Helene Sharp, while at the bar where she works, gets approached by a blue witch, a succubus, who attempts to enlist Helene’s help in tracking down some vampires who have killed a witch, a clear and very serious violation of a truce reached between vampires and mages after three hundred years of war. Unfortunately for Helene, some of the clues appear to lead back to Lee Corday, a master vampire and her former lover. Reluctantly agreeing to join in the hunt for the murderous vampires, Helene becomes especially curious when she observes a group of vampires all flocking to some unknown meeting place, not caring if they are observed by humans or not. When she sees a vampire able to withstand direct sunlight, she becomes worried.

Seeking to determine Lee’s involvement for herself, Helene arrives at his compound and immediately ends up being taken prisoner, tied up in bed with Lee himself. The witch behind the deaths and strange vampire behavior maintains control through the use of a bespelled talisman activated by Lee’s blood. Since sleeping with a master vampire earns one a spot in the colony, typically Helene would not have to fear any of those in Lee’s brood, but with the uncharacteristic behavior being exhibited by the vampires controlled by the witch, Helene fears all bets are off. The arrival of a skinwalker, a vampire able to leave his or her body and take over that of a human, confuses the issue further, as now Helene must deal with her attraction to the skinwalker in addition to tracking down and stopping the witch.

Gilbert infuses the narrative with a generous dose of humor throughout, and for the most part maintains just the right balance: “Call it female intuition, or maybe it was the smell of burnt waffles, but when I woke up I had the distinct impression I was not alone in the flat anymore” (Ch. 9). There are some truly creepy moments and images building to the final showdown. With engaging primary and secondary characters that propel the plot of her detailed universe and mythology, the author provides an enjoyable reading experience, and this reviewer looks forward to more from her.

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