Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter Review

Goodreads Synopsys:  Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless--and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost...until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.


Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation--or her ultimate damnation?


Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter is the first in the Angels of the Dark series.  Zacharel first appears in Gena's Lords of the Underworld series.  The cold, unfeeling angel just posed too much of a challenge and I was just dying to read his story and see what it would take to break him down.


Zacharel is forced to lead an army of men who are all at risk of losing their wings.  The problem is, when they screw up, Zacharel pays the price.  He basically just takes what is dished out and doesn't have any kind of connection with his men.  He holds onto the wall he has built and has refused to care about anything or anyone.   Then he finds Annabelle who chips away at his carefully built wall.  I'm really glad that this is a spin-off and that we met Zacharel before.  It really helped to build his character and you have other experiences that show just how cold he is.  Of course I was also happy to have the appearance of some of the Lords.  Love me some Lords of the Underworld!  This book does work nicely as a standalone too, so that early introduction to Zacharel is not absolutely necessary.


Annabelle is a great character.  I'm surprised she's not a complete wreck after everything she's been through and all on her own too.  She's tough, has to be after fighting the demons for 4 years and putting up with the lifestyle found in an institution.


Oh, and I have to say.  I love clouds.  I want one.  They are better than mansions.


I loved this start to the Angels of the Dark series.  The whole process of the Winged Wonder's transformation was awesome and the ending was a big surprise.  Most of the time I can guess at the bad guys, but this one truly surprised me.  If you haven't picked this up already, I recommend it!  A big 5 stars from me!

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

It has been a very long time for me.  There have been so many books I've been excited about that I haven't taken the time to do much of anything else.  One of those books was Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost.  I had been awaiting that one with nervousness and excitement.  I loved Vlad in the Night Huntress books, but would I love him when we got to know him a little better?  Would it be awkward being in this world, but without too much of two of my favorite characters?  I had this ambivalence with the Night Huntress World books too.  I liked them, so I was hoping to at least "like" Once Burned.

I was not disappointed at all!  We didn't see as much of Vlad's sense of humor or aloofness, but more of his dark side.  He is a firm leader with no tolerance for threats to what he considers his.  He takes his position very, very seriously.


In this first book of the series, we are introduced to Leila.  She is a human with a very powerful gift.  Well, I will call it a gift, but it is something that has made Leila's life hell.  There is an enemy of Vlad's that wants to use Leila's powers against Vlad.  The question will be, does Leila choose to help this enemy or will she look to help Vlad.


Leila is a very powerful woman.  She has got some skills that make her a really valuable ally.  My question is, does she live up to someone I think that Vlad should be with.  I'm on the fence with that.  I think that Vlad should be with someone that brings out the fun in him.  Thankfully we have more books coming up for them that will hopefully let me connect a little more with Leila.


All in all, I really enjoyed Once Burned.  The ending action was intense and had me holding my breath a little.  Always a good sign!  It's the first in the series so get in on it now!  If you've read it already, comment it up!  I want to hear what you thought!