White Hot Hot Hot

Just finished re-re-re-listening Burn For Me today and I just can't wait for White Hot. Just. Can't. Gimme. Please.

Last Breath; Templar book 2 by Debra Dunbar

I jumped to this book right after Dead Rising, I'm almost a nonstop- reader/listener, I always have some book that I'm reading. So, after Dead Rising, I spent my last credit to buy this on Audible.

This started right after where Dead Rising left. But now, Aria has a whole new enemy to track and bring to justice. Someone or something is killing local mages, who have been naughty doing morally and legally unacceptable magics to ward of some unknown evil.

Aria pairs up with an open-minded detective Trelawney, she starts to track down the killers, and the mages to bring them to justice.  She reconciles with her ex-bff Raven from Haul Du, and tries to move on from her forbidden feeling to Dario and start dating again.

But nothing goes as planned. Aria has to face some heartbreaking losses, to hard decisions and think what justice truly is and is it OK to deliver the said justice herself.

I found interesting in this book the demon summoning and the angel lore. Aria's accidental high was relatively funny, but nor hilarious. Plot was easy to follow and narrator sill did an excellent job. Cover was beautiful.

Aria still was whiny and hypocritical. I find "deep and thoughtful" inner monologue extremely boring and this book had it's own share of it. This time I didn't feel her attraction towards Dario and it felt forced. Plot was predictable and the villain was obvious. And why the hell she always has to be sleep deprived? I don't get it.

This series truly isn't as brilliant as The Imp from the same author. I might pick up the next installment if I don't have anything else to read.

Dead Rising; Templar book One by Debra Dunbar.

As a fan of the Imp series by Debra Dunbar, I was intrigued to hop on to this series as well. I've been listening the Imp series book-per-day pace on a row, so I'm on a serious series-burnout with Samantha Martin and Gregory, and I needed some change. More thoughts about The Imp coming soon.

I listened this book as an audiobook. Narrator Elizabeth Phillips was really good. She didn't make male voices annoying or awkward, which many female narrators actually do. She was articulate and easy to follow, her pace was good, not too fast or too slow, and her voice is pleasant to listen. She fit well to role of Aria and I liked her overall performance.

To the story itself. Aria was bit whiny at times, religious stuff annoyed me a bit but it was part of being a Templar, so it was natural. Dario and his seductive vampire routine (which I'm so over, btw, too much vampire-obsession in my past. One word for you, Spike!) was surprisingly believable and I felt Aria's attraction, it wasn't forced. I actually ship them.

What annoyed me the most was that Aria was naive girl at times and her saviour-of-the-world complex was frustrating. "Hey, here is a bunch of blood-sucking murderers! Oh they really try not to kill their blood-slaves, they even last for two months! I feel so sorry for them, I must save them from this guy who's family those bloodsuckers murdered and who is seeking for revenge! I must save this guy too, he's just a pilgrim strayed from his right path!" Ugh.

What I liked this book was the worldbuilding. Not too much detailed or too exaggerated,  it was subtle and easy to follow. The whole templar-angle was interesting.

The book lacked the banter and humour of the Imp series, but I don't think that's  a bad thing.

I will be reading (or listening) the next installment. I actually bought it right after I finished this one.