Claire Willis

This book has four stories by four different authors.

The Phoenix Project by Jacquelyn Frank : Held captive, Amara is subjected to bizarre experiments that test her sanity. But nothing prepares her for being locked away naked with a sexy ex-cop... after they have been pumped full of drugs that increase their sexual appetites.

Crystal Dreams by Kate Douglas : When Lemurian Guard Darius chases a demon spirit to Earth he faces a lethal battle between good and evil. His ally is Mari, a breathtakingly beautiful human who unknowingly hold the key to victory. But before the war is over, Darius's desire for his mortal companion threatens to erupt - and could cost Mari her life.

Spark of Temptation by Jess Haines : Blackmailed in to taking a treacherous case, PI Sara Halloway is thrust into a demon war. Sara seeks guidance from a charismatic mage, but their hunger for one another soon becomes a deadly distraction...and the danger surrounding them only makes their urges more powerful.

My Soul to Take by Clare Willis : New Orleans native Dr. Maggie Dillon thought she left her past behind her - until she's enrtaptured by a handsome patient who has been possessed by a malevolent spirit. To find a cure Maggie revisits her magical roots and unleashes a primal lust too vital to ignore.… (altro)

Nocturnal provides a great opportunity to try out some new authors that might not already be on your 'to-read' list. Each story is a stand-alone story in itself, but at least two of them tie into other stories.

The first story, The Phoenix Project, is my personal favorite. There's just something about the storyline itself, combined with the characters, that really made this one stand out for me. If I had to describe it in one sentence, it would be 'a werewolf story without werewolves'. Within a very short amount of time, a new and realistic world is created; a world where innocent men and women are reduced to mere lab rats, a world where you wake up every morning knowing this day could be your last. Amara and Nick are characters I grew to care about and I received a whole lot of satisfaction when the results of experimentation turned out to work in their favor. I don't know if this is the last that we'll see of them and the rest of the Morphates, but I really hope this isn't the end of their story.

I thought Crystal Dreams started off a little slow, but it soon found it's footing and maintained a steady pace. Darius at first seems like a nice enough guy, but doesn't quite fit the hero mold. At the same time, Mari at first seems feisty but otherwise helpless when facing a paranormal enemy. Watching the two of them grow comfortable with their abilities (and each other) is the driving force behind the enjoyable storyline. This is one of those aforementioned stories that tie into other work, and I'll continue to follow the Lemuria/Earth battle against demons in Hellfire.

Spark of Temptation was something I've anticipated since learning it was an adventure featuring two of the characters from Hunted by the Others. At the end of that book, we kind of get a hint that something happened between private investigator, Sara, and Arnold the mage, but a hint is all we get at that time. Spark of Temptation provides a double treat by being an exciting story and revealing exactly what happened between the two of them, as well as providing more intensity and drama with Royce and the White Hats. The story also provides a hint of it's own - Sara received an interesting injury towards the end of HBTO and there are signs that there might be more to this than meets the eye.

My Soul to Take is a paranormal story with a hint of horror and the two genres work perfectly together here. Maggie is by-the-book doctor who has to come to terms with her past when confronted with Derek, a patient who appears to be possessed. Watching her come to terms with the possibility of Derek's problem existing beyond the realms of conventional medicine is an interesting journey and the final battle is one that will have you anxiously turning the pages to find out who wins. I also thought the malevolent Edgar was a picture of perfect evil. You'll despise him and fear him at the same time.

Four great stories make for one great book, and the variety of the subject matter will keep you entertained from cover to cover.… (altro)

Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

I had never read anything by any of the authors in this anthology apart from Jess Haines, and apart from Jess’s story, I’m not likely to seek them out after reading their efforts in NOCTURNAL. All in all, this is a very disjointed collection containing a hardcore erotic story, two paranormal romances, and an urban fantasy.

The Phoenix Project by Jacquelyn Frank was by far the most sexually explicit thing I have ever read. The story is 130 pages long and I would say that at least 120 of those pages were sex scenes. The story itself, what little there was, was actually pretty interesting. In a dystopian world, people are abducted from their homes, imprisoned, and used a lab rats until they die. Amara and Nick are genetically altered and thrown into a room together naked. They quickly discover an almost painfully animalistic need to mate, along with a few erotic alterations to their bodies. Lots, and lots, and lots of shockingly detailed graphic sex follows. Hardcore erotica is really not the kind of thing I enjoy reading, so I’m feeling somewhat at a loss as to how to rate this one… ?/5 bats

By comparison, Crystal Dreams by Kate Douglas (100 pages), about inter-dimensional demons and the immortal warriors devoted to destroying them, was tame, although it also contains several long graphic sex scenes. When demons target a magic shop owner, the warrior vows to protect her and falls in lust, sorry love, along the way. The world building was intriguing, but mostly wasting in this tale. Worse, neither character was particularly strong. Darius was tired as the stoic warrior who succumbs to a pretty face, and Mari wasn’t half as sparkling as the crystals she sold…2/5 bats

Spark of Temptation by Jess Haines (102 pages) was the reason I wanted to read this anthology and it didn't disappoint. Focusing on two supporting characters from Jess's excellent urban fantasy debut Hunted By The Others, this story picks up at the end of the previous book while Shiarra is still recovering in the hospital and shows us how her investigating partner Sara and the mage Arnold got together. This is a solid urban fantasy in a complex world of recently revealed Others (non-humans), with likable characters, paranormal peril, and one super sexy vampire. Unlike the other three stories in NOCTURNAL, this one is subtly sexy without any actual sex…4/5 bats

The last story, My Soul to Take by Clare Willis (starts on 333) involves a doctor in a psychiatric ward and her possible possessed suicidal patient. It can be difficult to establish a credible romance in short stories, but I almost feel like this story didn’t even try. Within seconds of meeting each other the characters are making out declaring their love only pages later. There is also a side plot where the doctor tries to reconnect with her sister after years of estrangement following the suicide of their mother, but again it fell flat…2/5 bats

Sexual Content: From obscenely graphic erotica in one story, only references to sex in another, and everything in between.… (altro)