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  • book,  Uncategorized

    SERIES REVIEW: The Vampire’s Club Books 6-7 by X. Aratare

    January 20, 2023 / 1 Comment

    The Vampire’s Club 6 – X. Aratare

    Lucas Daniels knows that witches and vampires are real.

    Lucas has discovered that witch blood flows through his veins and he can perform magic, but it is hardly within his control. And the more he delves into his gifts, the more dangerous they appear.

    Count Konstantin “the Wolf” Volk must keep Lucas’ parentage a secret from the Nomad while searching for a way to free himself and Lucas from Gaia’s plot. But how can he succeed when the Nomad sees and hears all?

    NOTE: THIS NOVELLA SERIES HAS CLIFFHANGERS! EVERY BOOK WILL END ON ONE. THAT’S MY NATURAL WRITING STYLE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE CLIFFHANGERS, WAIT UNTIL THE WHOLE SERIES IS PUBLISHED TO READ. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT


    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Bloodstream
    Artist: Stateless
    Album: Stateless


    The Vampire’s Club 7 – X. Aratare

    Lucas Daniels is a vampire… and a witch.

    Can he use his newfound powers to help Konstantin “the Wolf” Volk, the dangerous and mysterious Nomad, and the witch, Gaia, to stop the destruction of all vampires by the coven leader Rachel?

    If Lucas does, he’ll have to convince the Nomad that he is not a threat to Konstantin. While Konstantin wants only to protect his very new and special fledgling from the dangers that Lucas wants to help him face.

    The end of The Vampire’s Club Series!


    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Sore wa Matta Betsu no Ohanashi
    Artist: Amazarashi
    Album: Yuuhi shinkou higashizumu 


    When it was first released in 2019, I was ridiculously obsessed with The Vampire’s Club. The books had such intense level of USTs and squee-tastic moments I was reduced to incoherent gushing emojis. However, the start of Book 6 wasn’t working for me, so the series was stuck in TBR limbo.

    Recently, I had a sudden urge for vampire romance and decided to pick up where I left off. This time, Book 6 had me completely engaged.

    Admittedly, the emotional distance created by time reduced the impact the books had on me. I wasn’t a gushy stan anymore. I was more aware of how cringey some of the scenes were. Cringey like having Lucas’s mother speaking inside Konstantine’s head while the boys were having sex.

    Having read the author’s other works, The Fall and The Bodyguard, I’ve recognized certain themes and tropes they like to employ. The stories are dark and sensual, conjuring images of luxurious, dimly lit rooms heavy with musk.

    The stories feature relationships that are vaguely incestuous involving father figures. For instance, here we have Lucas’s stepdad attempting to molest him. The vampires use terms such as Childe, Sire, and Grandpere when referring to their creators and fledglings who are usually also their lovers.

    The heroes tend to be barely legal, naive, or innocent young men paired with a much older, worldly love interest. The series underscores that by having centuries-old Konstantine fondly calling college-age Lucas “nevinovnyy”, the Russian word for innocent.

    By Book 6, Lucas is not so innocent anymore, fully aware of what he can do, who his real mother is and what Konstantine is. Meanwhile, Konstantine agonizes over the fact that Lucas is the key to lifting his curse, but then his boy would have to pay the prize should the vampire turn him to save himself. The witches are also making their power move to destroy the vampires.

    Where the first five books were merely dark and gothic, Books 6 and 7 nearly crossed over to horror because now there’s blood, gore, rape and torture (the latter two were off page). Lucas unleashed was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before, a powerful killing machine who can go toe to toe with eldritch monsters from other worlds. And our boy hasn’t even showed 100% of his powers yet!

    Konstantine unlocks magical abilities like his Sire, The Nomad, is known for. Then realizes The Nomad’s secret identity. This part I cheered the most because Konstantine was abandoned by his Sire for centuries. Little did he know, The Nomad had always watched over him. The little tidbit I found really endearing was The Nomad was secretly Club Dyavol’s first customer!

    Much of the series was spent building tension, both the sexual and the deadly kind, so the big showdown when it exploded sent shockwaves that swept everyone. The fight scenes were thrilling and spectacularly gruesome!

    Some of the casualties were especially tragic, like Lucas’s foster mom. This part could have been written differently, less tragically, but I guess it was the way it was to completely cut off Lucas’s ties to the mundane world.

    Another gripe is that there were too much dialogue on what should have been a time for action. It happened when Lucas and his real mother teamed up. They received texts that Konstantine and The Nomad were in grave danger and needed to be rescued ASAP. Mother and son then proceeded to have pages of dialogue, all the while mentioning the urgency of the situation. It was like those scenes where a character is dying, but still managed to have a lengthy monologue. Meh!

    The Vampire’s Club 6 and 7 wasn’t quite what the first books were, but this finale pulled out all the stops! Lucas reclaimed his heritage and became so much more than anyone could have predicted. Konstantine reclaimed his Sire and his best friend, his beloved nevinovnyy, and his home Club Dyavol. A fairy tale ending for the vampire romance of my dreams!

    Overall, The Vampire’s Club is a heady mix of fluff and steam, dark and sweet. It’s pure escapism, seductive, enthralling, dangerous. Yes, exactly like our favorite undead creature.

    P.S.

    The Vampire’s Club is a serial. The books are meant to be read in order because seriously, that dream sequence and the elevator scene are two of the most unforgettable scenes of my entire reading life!

    Incoherent squees a.k.a. reviews:
    The Vampire’s Club
    The Vampire’s Club 2 
    The Vampire’s Club 3
    The Vampire’s Club 4
    The Vampire’s Club 5


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    The Vampire’s Club: US

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    REVIEW: The Vampire’s Club 4 by X. Aratare

    November 12, 2019 / 1 Comment
    49290030. sx318 sy475

    Lucas Daniels is in danger!

    Not from his mysterious new job, but from someone in his own house: his stepfather. Just when he thought Garrett’s intentions were all in his head, his stepfather’s actions send him running to Dyavol and Konstantin for protection.

    Count Konstantin “the Wolf” Volk will do anything to protect Lucas, and not only because Lucas’ blood may be curing him. When he finds Lucas under threat from every corner, he’ll do things he never thought possible in order to keep the young man safe. Cutting deals with ancient dangerous vampires, testing the bounds of his curse, even opening up the heart of his vampire Sanctuary itself to a mere mortal. Nothing is off limits.

    But while Konstantin is focused on keeping Lucas safe, could the real person in danger be Konstantin himself?


    For me, the hardest books to review are the rare 5-star books. There is the very real temptation to simply fill the page with incoherent squees and emojis bursting with heart eyes and stars and exclamation marks. So excuse me just a sec.

    The Wolf is claimed!!!!!! ♡☆*:.。.o(≧▽≦)o.。.:*☆♡ !!!!!!!

    And holy mother that elevator scene!!! (❤ω❤) !!!!!!!

    “Anything? Everything?” ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ。o○♡ !!!!!!!

    Now that’s out of the way…

    Book 4 of The Vampire’s Club finally has the evil stepfather making his move on Lucas (TW: sexual harrassment). The Volk family, the awesome Lizzie and the paranoid (and vocal) Xavier in particular, rallied to Lucas’ aid. They attempted their powers of seduction on Lucas’ mother to make her see the truth regarding the incident. However, they were met with the strongest mental barrier they have ever encountered. The evil stepfather has a mental wall as well…

    I could understand the spell on Lucas’ mom but the evil stepfather too? Hmm…

    On a happier note, we are getting a LOT of Lucas and Konstantin! Hence the explosion of emotions above. The plot thickens some more as two arch-enemies meet face to face. I am on tenterhooks!

    What exactly is Gaia’s plans for the vampires? Are witches and vampires truly enemies? Is Lucas the Trojan Horse the Nomad suspects he is? Will Lucas realize what Konstantin really is? Will Konstantin ever tell him?

    TELL HIM DAMMIT!!! Make him your fledgling!!!

    The Vampire’s Club continues to work it magic. I am completely enthralled. Let it seduce you too.

    P.S.

    The serial should be read in order. TVC books here
    X. Aratare books here

    Rating:
    5 Stars – absolutely perfect

    Soundtrack: Blood
    Artist: Hozier
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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
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FLICKer: E Vissero #shortfilm

Two young boys, awkwardly named Felice and Contento, secretly discover passion for one another in the attic of their house. But one doubt assails the spectator at the end of the short movie – are they brothers?

https://neverhollowed.com/2023/02/02/flicker-e-vissero/

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