Graced by Amanda Pillar – A Book Review

Posted June 5, 2019 by Booksandblurbs in Reviews, Urban Fantasy / 1 Comment

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Graced: The Graced Series

(The Graced Series – Book 1)

by Amanda Pillar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy

Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down and Dirty

This is an interesting start to a complex series, though it can get confusing. Nice to pick up on Kindle Unlimited.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

Vampires suck.

Well, that’s the nicest thing city guard Elle Brown can say about them. Her opinion of shifters isn’t much better, either. And her second full time job – keeping her special little sister safe from either race – has just gotten harder, now that the vampire Dante Kipling has taken an interest in Elle’s life.

Dante is a scientist fascinated by human anatomy. Despite his last two experiments failing, he is convinced that the answers to his questions lie within Elle Brown. Though he’s been told to stop his work, he’s convinced that humans with special eye colors are different, and he’s determined to find the proof – even if it means risking both his and Elle’s lives.

The first full-length novel in the stunning Graced series is perfect for fans of Nalini Singh, Richelle Mead, and Anne Bishop.

Thoughts on Graced

Intriguing

This book grabbed me from page 1, but it took some time to make sense – and I am still not fully sure I “get” it. The cast of characters is diverse and often flamboyant, standing out in the story and on the page, including owning their own POV chapters, so much so that I often questioned WHO the main characters were.

All in all, it was an intriguing and fascinating ride, one that deftly crafted a new, brutal world filled with creatures of both nightmares and dreams.

Perspective

Third Person, Multiple POV

Ending Type

HEA, Episodic within series

Rating

R (Sex is fade to black)

Pros:

World building. Even if it’s foggy a bit or stutters, the concepts behind the scenes are captivating.
Characters who seem so human, even when they are not.
Societal Norms are both modern and Medieval, a dichotomy that messes with the mind. There is accepted, and even celebrated gay marriage, yet the class system devalues any moral advancements.

Cons:

Sometimes it is TOO much.
Frequent POV changes.
Fade to black intimate scenes…. there was too much tension for that tease.
Ending felt abrupt. There should be another book with THESE characters alone.

Verdict

4 out of 5 Stars

Overall, this is a good Urban Fantasy and one that should probably find its way to your Kindle. There are issues, but nothing that discourages enjoying this complex and vivid world.

Published June 17th, 2017

344 Pages