Cursed Series (#1-#3) by Amy Braun
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Urban Fantasy
Wanted by law enforcement. Chased by drug cartels. Hunted by demons... Constance Ramirez has more than her share of problems when it comes to protecting her adopted sister, Andromeda. Especially since Andromeda isn’t fully human, and her strange powers are dangerous and out of control. But Constance will do anything to keep her safe, which won’t be easy with bounty hunters hired by the drug cartel she betrayed looking to capture her, and savage monsters seeking to take Andromeda for their own dark purposes. Being a big sister has never been so hard... Or so deadly.
4 out of 5 (very good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Connie has been running from her sister for ages, From law enforcement agencies, from the drug cartels and from the red demons who appear all over. But she needs help now to find out what Andromeda really is, because with her growing powers, its clear she is not fully human. Dark and so deliciously deadly! I really enjoyed this! Constance found, quite literally, Dro as a baby and her family adopted her. As she grew, Dro developed powers and it became clear she was not of this world. After a massacre in their home town, Connie took Dro and ran across the border to try to find her father's people. That didn't turn out so well. Connie and Dro have been running for so long but now, with Dro's powers growing, and her inability to control some of them, especially while she sleeps, its painfully obvious to Connie that she needs help. To find out who Dro really is, and to help her control the fire. What they find, with Max and Manny and a pair of angels, is that Dro is much more powerful and much more deadly than any of them realised. She is the key to open the gates to both Heaven AND Hell, and if Lucifer gets his way, and the gates are opened, no one is safe. It is just single person POV, with only Connie having her say but I didn't mind it too much here. It is quite violent, graphically so and I did enjoy it, which surprised me. Sometimes I don't like to read such detailed fighting descriptions, but I did enjoy it here. It is clean, but Connie and Warrick, the demon slayer who joins their little group, have something brewing and I hope we get that in Dark Divinity, book two, which I have to read next. 4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
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Urban Fantasy
Hell has risen. Heaven is descending. Sacrifices are made... It’s been two months since Constance Ramirez’s adopted sister Andromeda was used as the Key to opening the Gates of Heaven and Hell. They escaped with their lives, but made countless enemies as a result. Now that demons are beginning to weave into ordinary lives, their only hope is to find a way to close the Gates of Heaven and Hell before the angels and demons begin a war. Something that becomes only harder as one of Constance’s deadliest enemies resurfaces. But as they struggle to stay alive and find the Gates, they learn that a huge sacrifice will be required if they succeed, and this time, Constance isn’t sure the cost will outweigh the reward...
3 out of 5 (good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is book two, and I would STRONGLY recommend you read Demon's Daughter first. It will give you a better picture of what Connie and Dro went through to get to this point. With both gates now open, Earth is at war with itself. Half the world is praying for redemption and half is doing just as it pleases, and its going to, quoting the book, Hell in a hand basket. The only way to save the world is to close the gates, with Heaven's gate being the priority. But that will mean all the angels on earth, currently fighting the demons let loose by their gate opening, will be stranded and they will have no way to return. They will become mortal and will, eventually, die on earth. Its far darker than book one, and so much more bloodier. I said in my review for book one, that I didn't mind the fighting so much, but this book seems to be ALL fighting. Con and Dro, and the other fighting the demons, fighting the angels in places too. It was, for me, too much, hence the star drop. Still rather clean, but Con and Warrick do (eventually!) get their act together and give in to their feelings for each other. Dro comes face to face with her father again, and it surprises him, how much her power has grown. She still isn't able to defeat him, not yet, but time will tell on that one. Connie comes face to face with two of her nightmares: Mateo, whom she thought she loved, while working for the cartels, and who betrayed her and Drake, the bounty hunter sent by the cartels to bring Con in. Both these men stand side by side with Lucifer. The angels stranded on earth are also after Dro, because Michael wants Dro gone, the abomination that she is. But Gabriel has a change of heart, and realises that, while born of Lucifer, her heart is that of her mother, an angel kidnapped long ago and is pure. I'm still not sure how this is all gonna play out, and it is keeping me on my toes. But thats a good thing! so, because there is so much more violence than book one, 3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
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Urban Fantasy
Demons are free. Angels are fallen. Hope is dying... Constance Ramirez and her adopted sister, Andromeda, have stopped Lucifer’s plan– They have closed the Heaven Gate and kept the demons out. But their choice came with brutal consequences, and now every angel on earth is trapped in their mortal body. All that remains is closing the Hell Gate and establishing a balance once and for all. That means returning to the city of Constance’s nightmares, which has become a haven for murderers and monsters. But even more dangerous than their hunt is that Andromeda’s powers and instincts are turning darker, and this time Constance doesn’t know how to protect her. Constance is ready to fight for her life, but her enemies have plans she can’t begin to imagine, and they’re prepared to make her suffer... Trust is lost and hearts are broken in the epic conclusion in Amy Braun’s Cursed trilogy...
3 out of 5 (good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Again, I stress, read books one, Demon's Daughter and two, Dark Divinity before reading this one. You really do need it! Now that Heaven's Gate is closed, Lucifer grows stronger and the devastation he is causing grows greater by the day. Connie, Dro, Max, Warrick and Sephiel continue to figure out what they need to do to close Hell's Gate. And the answer is something none of them expected. Help does, however, come from a few unexpected sources. Although this rounds the trilogy off and it ends perfectly, this book is my least favourite, and its again because of the very detailed and long descriptions of Connie fighting. Demons, Angels, her sister, all of them come in great detail and I found myself glancing over them and skipping those scenes. They really were too much. I didn't see how it was going to play out, until the very end when it did, and that was a good thing. I really wasn't sure if Dro was actually going to go the way she did, or go the opposite way. (trying really hard not to give anything away!) Connie alone has her say during these three books; it didn't bother me so much in book one, but as the series moved on, I noticed it more. I know I say it often enough, and I will continue to say it, but I do prefer multi POV books. Maybe if Dro had a say from time to time, instead of all the fighting, I might have enjoyed the second two books more. Because again, of the fighting, BUT also because I was kept guessing... 3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award for “author voice, world-building and general bad-assery,” and the One Book Two Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn't writing, she's reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.
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