Ensemble vampire series, this about Eris and Trynn

In Circle of Blood book 1, the series premise is established that six vampires working together to stop great evil will meet the reincarnations of lovers they lost long ago. The books change locations as horrible events happen on a global scale. Book 1 is in New Orleans and focuses on the lovers Tre and Della. Book 2 brings us to Cyprus and Eris.

I enjoyed several things in book 2, including the chance to get closer to both Eris and Snag as established characters. I have a soft spot for Snag and am eagerly waiting for his book, especially as I joked to one of the authors that his love interest HAD to be a dentist. I’ve got to see if the authors fulfill that comic promise. In any case, it was good to know these characters better because for me as a listener, I confused the male vampires Eris and Xander and female vampires Oksana and Duchess for each other quite a lot in the first book. When I wasn’t doing that, I was wondering if Eris and Snag were lovers.

That is obviously not the case since Trynn is the love interest for Eris in this book. Trynn is a savvy computer hacker. Eris finds her while he is helping to calm a horrible situation where she is held hostage by a potential suicide bomber in a bank. When they touch by accident as the situation is diffused, sparks literally fly. One situation might be calmed, but a completely new problem is presented: how to find each other and save as many innocent people as possible from some coordinated terror attacks.

The book is fast paced, and I think it could be read as a stand-alone. It would be better enjoyed in order after book 1. The action here amps up and flows into the 3rd book. There are several instances of cool vampire hijinks and Trynn, who seems afraid of nothing, daring to confront Snag. The rest of the group shows up at the end to help save Eris from his predicament.

As to the narration, Gwendolyn Druyor is the sound of RA Steffan. This works for me as a listener because she’s an excellent voice actress. She’s using a variety of accents, speaking slow/fast, and using a variety of professional tricks to create a quality listening experience. In this book, she used the kind of skill in narration that made it so that I wasn’t thinking about her performer at all, but I was thinking about the story.

Enjoyable book. Recommended to vampire fans, hacker lovers, readers who enjoy an ensemble series where one character gets to shine in each book, paranormal readers, and romance fans.

2 people found this helpful

I expected something better than this

The second book in the series is disappointing. I found the plot very annoying, didn't hold my attention. I think the narrative dido' chelps too much. In the end the book until it is for a brief moment a little interesting, but then gets monotonous. Unfortunately, this is not a book I would recommend.

1 person found this helpful

Though this is Book 2 It is a Stand alone story

I was asked by Author since I had not read or listened to Book 1 if I could listen to this book and if it was a stand alone book. With pleasure I can state that it is. I enjoyed the storyline and the interesting twists the author made to where these Vampires originated.

2 people found this helpful

Aries and Trynn

I like Vampire stories but usually gay ones and this is my first straight series I have listen to and to be honest I am enjoying it very much except for the mushy sex scenes so I fast foward. The author knows how to write a story that brings the characters alive and at the same time you seem to know them and want to know more and with help of the narrator it accomplished.
Each books is bases on the history of the character male or female how they became a vampire but it a story that tells a total different story of them than we usually hear.
Aries when he was turned he killed his life partner who offer herself to save him and in doing so he keeps a part of humanity but part of him is missing due to his soul torn into and the light part of the soul sent into hell.
Then you meet Trynn is a hacker by trade and working in Damascus checking how well different businesses security systems are. Aries is another vampire who is in town doing business and get involved in a bank robbery and suicide bomber and while in the bank he meets Trynn his soul mate who is the spirt of his love that he killed when a demon named Baal turned him. He must try to get Trynn to understand why this happening and keep her safe both physically during attacks oh her and a nuclear bomb that is planted in Damascus. Aries is know to leap before thinking and is captured and tortured to the pont of dieing and not being able to heal and he needs blood to heal and Trynn gives her blood to him and as Della is turned into a vampire.

Great book! Couldn't stop listening to!!!

I read the first book and chose to go on Audible.com for the rest of the titles in the series of Circle of Blood. Book Two: Lover's Awakening was great. I really couldn't stop listening to it. I went well past my bedtime each night and I take sleeping pills. I totally recommend this book IF you're going to read or listen to the series. You'd be totally missing out on something great if you don't.

Eris and Trynn

This is the second book in this series and although it is a complete story you would get more from it if you have read the first book. We were introduced to Eris and Snagg, as well as the other vampires, in the first book but certainly got to know them better in this story. Although Snagg still remains somewhat of an enigma.

Trynn is a top-notch globetrotting corporate security consultant by day but in her own time, she is a hacker who belongs to an anonymous group MASQUE, they spend their time uncovering some of the worst criminals the underworld has to offer. One day, as she is leaving after secretly checking the security protocols at a bank she, along with others, is held hostage by a potential suicide bomber.

Eris somehow senses her distress and enters the bank and tries, by means of his powers, to calm the man and defuse the situation. When Eris and Trynn touch fleetingly sparks literally fly and Eris recognizes in her the spirit of his long lost soul mate. That situation may be over but Trynn wants answers, how did he calm the man, was the charged feeling a one-time thing? To this end, she approaches Eris at his hotel and demands them but what Eris tells her seems to be too unbelievable.

The storyline is action-packed and has lots of drama but there was little time for any romance as Eris takes off to try a stop the detonation of some nuclear suitcase bombs which she has learned about and she is hunted by an evil force.

But Eris has taken on too much this time and needs the help of the rest of his family of vampires as well as help from Trynn who has a major decision to make.

I would love to tell you more but that would involve spoilers which I won't do but what I will say is that this series definitely has me hooked.

Once again this book is narrated by Gwendolyn Druyor an excellent voice actress who uses a variety of accents, speaks both slow and fast and gives each and every character a distinct personality bringing the story to life beautifully.

I was given this audiobook as a gift and am voluntarily writing my review.

rushed

it is a good story plan, just feels too rushed. they "fall in love" way too fast. love is not like that.

Loved it

I liked the voices of this narrator a lot!
Trynn is a professional hacker. She is sent into companies to see how well their security is. As she is leaving a building that she has tested she is stopped by a guy who has a bomb strapped to his chest. She and a bunch of people are held hostage by this !an who seam crazy. He is talking to someone who is not there.
Eris is searching for food when he hears a commotion and feels "evil" in the air. He enters a building and sees the bomber. He forces thoughts of serenity into the guys mind. The evil is fighting back. He has enough time to send the captives outside before the evil takes over again. Eris realizes that Phaedra, his love from a previous life has been reincarnated into one of the people that was captive.
Trynn is interested in the man who saved them. So using her hacker abilities, she finds out where Eris is staying. She goes to see him using the excuse that she wants to thank him.
Bael has taken over a man named Bastian and is trying to destroy the world through nuclear weapons.
Read to find out what happens to our two main characters as well as the other six members of their group.
A reviewer said that there was too many sex scenes. There waa only one scene and that was at the end. So use your own judgement but I liked this book and will be reading many more.

Distraction

There was a noise that was in the background all through the story. It sounded like a fan on low that needed oil. I enjoyed the story but noise was very annoying.