Read Along and Interview - Sabina Kane Series by Jaye Wells Plus Giveaway!

We have come to the conclusion of the Sabina Kane Read Along!

 The past few months getting to know Sabina have been great, but now its time to get to know the lady behind her - author Jaye Wells.

The hosts of this read along - myself, Jennifer from The Book Nympho, and Jenese from Readers Confession - have split Jaye's interview into three parts. Below you will find my three questions and Jaye's responses. Then head on over to the other two blogs to see their three questions and responses. And while you're at The Book Nympho, check out the discussion for Blue-Blooded Vamp, the final book in the Sabina Kane series!

Our reviews of Blue-Blooded Vamp:
Goldilox and the Three Weres
Readers Confession
The Book Nympho

Oh yeah...and ENTER TO WIN an ebook copy of Jaye Wells' next release: Meridian Six, releasing soon!

Interview

Goldilox: Did you know when you started the series how things were going to play out with Lavinia and the shift of focus onto Cain?

Jaye: I didn't, actually. Cain really started pushing himself into the mix in book three, Green-Eyed Demon. By that point, I went with it because it made sense to me because Lilith and Cain's relationship drove the world building and was still causing ripples in Sabina's world.


Goldilox: How did you choose the various locations that the series would be set in (L.A., New York, New Orleans, Italy...)?

Jaye: I have a complex relationship with Los Angeles, which influenced why I chose it as a setting for the vampires. Since one coast was dominated by them, I figured the other coast would be dominated by the mages, thus New York became the home of the mages. New Orleans was chosen for two reasons: 1) It was somewhat neutral ground and 2) It's one of my favorite cities to visit and I wanted an excuse to go. :)

Italy was a more complicated decision. First, I wanted the final book to have a grand setting. I'd been to Italy while I was writing The Mage in Black, and had a lot of first-hand experience with some of the setting I chose. I also wanted to take the gang back to the Old Country to see a little bit about how the Dark Races got along there. Plus, Italy just has so many awesome spots --catacombs, bone chapels, Oracle grottos, etc.


Goldilox: Is there a little bit of you in Sabina? Or is she totally different than you?

Jaye: All of my characters are me to some extent. However, I tell people I am most like Giguhl in public, but in my private life I'm more like Sabina. Take that however you'd like.

Jaye Wells is a USA Today-bestselling author of urban fantasy and speculative crime fiction. Raised by booksellers, she loved reading books from a very young age. That gateway drug eventually led to a full-blown writing addiction. When she’s not chasing the word dragon, she loves to travel, drink good bourbon and do things that scare her so she can put them in her books. Jaye lives in Texas with her husband and son. For more about her books, go to www.jayewells.com.

Check out Jaye's upcoming works:

Dirty Magic

Add to Goodreads

Pre-Order at Amazon

Meridan Six

Add to Goodreads

Check out at Jaye's site

**Now finish the interview!**
@ Readers Confession
@ The Book Nympho

Enter to win an ebook copy of Jaye Wells' upcoming release: MERIDIAN SIX! 
(INT as long as you can receive ebooks)

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Review: Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells

Blue-Blooded Vamp
(Sabina Kane #5)
Jaye Wells
Release: May 22, 2012
Add to Goodreads   Buy at Amazon

The epic conclusion to the amazing Sabina Kane urban fantasy series.

Sabina Kane is on the hunt. Her prey: Cain, the father of the vampire race and the one who murdered her family and her friends. Unfortunately, Cain is hunting Sabina, too. The one man who holds the key to defeating Cain is, of course, Abel. A mage with secrets to spare and, hopefully, the power to match it. Unfortunately, for Sabina, he's in Rome and may not want to be found.

Sabina sets out for Italy with her friends, Giguhl and Adam Lazarus, to track down the only man who can get her the revenge she hungers for. But will he help her or oppose her? And just who is Abel, really? Worst of all, when Sabina figures out the goddess Lilith has a plan for her - she realizes this trip is getting deadlier by the minute.

As they say: when in Rome - SURVIVE.

Review:

The final book in the Sabina Kane series. The conclusion of this fun read-a-long of the series. I can't believe how far Sabina has come and how much has gone down in this series but one thing is for sure - I'm so very glad I got to read it all!

Blue-Blooded Vamp is the conclusion to the five book Sabina Kane series. While my favorite is still the previous book, Silver Tongued Devil (due to its emotional roller coaster and all the shocking events at the end), I still loved Blue-Blooded Vamp and am left satisfied with the ending Wells gave us.

In this one, Team Awesome sets out to a new location: Rome. I loved the new backdrop of Italy and thought it was a great place to end the series. We also get to see another location I've been wondering about for a while: Irkalla.

Almost everyone who was even remotely important in any book in the series makes at least a slight appearance in this one, as is often the way of final books in a series. Most of the appearances fit with the story and didn't really feel forced so that was nice. Giguhl, who is still my favorite sidekick maybe ever, and Adam, who I don't find meltingly hot but like as Sabina's 'other half', are both prominent characters in this story just like all the others. Some characters from the past also appear unexpectedly so that was a welcomed surprise as well.

I wasn't at all surprised by all the information we learn about Abel and from Abel and if you've been making predictions about who Abel is and what's going on with him then you are probably right. When Abel and his team join up with Sabina and her team we get some new characters and after having them for a bit, I must admit, it kind of felt like they'd been in the series all along.

Are you annoyed with all the generic words and phrases of this review yet? Man, its hard to review the final book in a series! I can tell you NOTHING!

All you need to know is that this is a terrific, if slightly drawn out, ending to a fantastic urban fantasy series. When I started this read along I was excited to get into another UF series, but when I began the first book I wasn't sure if Sabina was for me. By the end of Red-Headed Stepchild, however, I was hooked. Sabina's unwavering sarcastic bitchiness, her dark sense of humor, and that independent "You can't tell me what to do" attitude grew on me so much and I finished this series loving Sabina and placing her in my top UF heroines. Wells managed to let her grow throughout the story, but still stay loyal to who the character is and I just love that!

If you haven't tried out this series yet and love urban fantasy then this is a must read! For lovers of this series this is an ending that will make you happy.

Recommended for fans of: urban fantasy, sarcastic snark, vampires, mages, and funny and horny sidekick demons.

Part of the Sabina Kane Read-A-Long! Check out the discussion post and interview with author Jaye Wells starting tomorrow!

    

  4/5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:

Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane #1)

The Mage in Black (Sabina Kane #2)
Green Eyed Demon (Sabina Kane #3)

Review: Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells

Green-Eyed Demon
(Sabina Kane #3)
Jaye Wells
Release: March 1, 2011
Add to Goodreads   Buy at Amazon

Things to do:

1. Rescue sister.
2. Murder grandmother.
3. Don't upset the voodoo priestess.

The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. Her sister has been kidnapped by her grandmother, the Dark Races are on the brink of war, and a mysterious order is manipulating everyone behind the scenes.

Working on information provided by an unlikely ally, Sabina and her trusty sidekicks--a sexy mage named Adam Lazarus and Giguhl, a Mischief demon--head to New Orleans to begin the hunt for her sister. Once there, they must contend with belligerent werewolves, magic-wielding vampires and--perhaps most frightening of all--humans.

But as much as Sabina is focused on surviving the present, the past won't be ignored. Before she can save those she cares about most, she must save herself from the ghosts of her past.

Review:

Sabina Kane is back in Green-Eyed Demon, the third in this urban fantasy series by Jaye Wells. Sabina continues to grow in this book, but her growth is still expectedly slow and I must admit I wouldn't have it any other way. I enjoy watching her become a more likable character and learn to rely on her friends (as well as learn to call them 'friends', period), but she still retains that independent attitude and that sarcastic snark that make her such a great UF heroine.

Adam and Sabina's relationship has more of a center stage role here, but I think Adam was actually sexier in previous installments. I don't know why, but now that their relationship seems more likely I'm not as into Adam anymore. The fact is, the romance isn't the most important thing in this series, just a nice addition. The real focus is Sabina's character and the action.

This is an urban fantasy through and through and the plot and action are certainly the star. Sabina is still after her grandmother, evil vampire Dominae Lavinia Kane. This hunt is especially important now that Lavinia has kidnapped Sabina's sister, Maisie, and the search for her drives pretty much all of the plot. Giguhl is back as Sabina's terrifically funny and loyal demon sidekick and I love how he provides some humor as well as some touching moments here. There are also some new side characters introduced while in this book's setting of New Oreleans that I really grew to love.

All in all, this is another great book in the Sabina Kane series. I'm really happy to have started this series and I look forward to reading the next one. This one ends with some game-changing events that really make me curious what will happen in the fourth book, Silver-Tongued Devil. 

Recommended for fans of: urban fantasy, bitchy heroines, sexually ambiguous fae, game-changers, vampires, and mages.

    

  4 / 5 stars

If you've read this book, head on over to the Read-A-Long discussion, at The Book Nympho this month:

Click on the picture to discuss!

My reviews of other books in this series:

Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane #1)

The Mage in Black (Sabina Kane #2)

Sabina Kane Read-A-Long (2) - The Mage in Black

Sabina Kane Read-A-Long!

This is the second discussion in the Sabina Kane Read-A-Long hosted by myself, Jennifer from The Book Nympho, and Jenese from Readers Confession!

Today we're discussing book two in the series, THE MAGE IN BLACK by series author Jaye Wells. You can find my review of the book HERE.

*SPOILERS!*

Quick recap:

• Sabina has headed to New York with Adam to meet her long lost twin, Maisie.

• She meets her incredibly nice sister, who is just a little more friendly and girly than Sabina is, as well as Adam's aunt Rhea, her assistant Damara, and their 'leader' Orpheus.

• Sabina reconnects with vampire and ex-partner Slade, who is now known as The Shade and runs  demon fights out of the basement of his club.

• We meet the Lone Wolf werewolf pack, headed up by Michael Romulous. Even though Sabina and him meet on less than stellar terms, they end up becoming allies.

• Rhea and Maisie believe from Maisie's visions that Sabina is The Chosen One, the reembodiment of Lilith who will help unite the dark races

• We learn a little more about the Caste of Nod, who apparently have Sabina's Dominae grandmother Lavinia in their pocket and seem to have it out for Sabina.

• Sabina kills a Fae member of the Caste in self defense, runs away from the mages, has sexy times with Slade, and escapes a murder attempt by Damara.

• Sabina, Adam, Maisie, and the werewolves fight a slew of vampires and demons back at mage headquarters. After the fight it is discovered that they have kidnapped Maisie and taken her back to Livina.

Now...let's discuss!

Leave your answers to these discussion questions or any other thoughts on the series that you may have in the comments below!

1. How do you think Sabina has grown or changed? Do you think Adam and Maisie have affected her and what's your opinion of them?

2. Aw, sweet demon love...do you like new addition, Valva?

3. How do you expect Sabina's mage abilities to develop in future books? Do you think she'll become more powerful than the other mages?

4. What's up with the owl, Stryx? 

5. What do you think of Slade (and his tryst with Sabina...) and do you think we'll see him in the future?

6. Can Orpheus be trusted?

Alright, chat it up!

Read-a-Long Schedule:

3/29/2013: Green Eyed Demon
review/discussion @  The Book Nympho  

 4/26/2013: Silver Tongued Devil 
review/discussion @ Readers Confession

5/31/2013: Blue-Blood Vamp
review/discussion @ The Book Nympho  

Review: The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

The Mage in Black
(Sabina Kane #2)
Jaye Wells
Release: April 1, 2010
Add to Goodreads   Buy at Amazon

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, the leader of the vampire race, just tried to kill her. When she arrives in New York to meet the mage side of her family, the reunion takes the fun out of dysfunctional.

On top of that, the Hekate Council wants to use her as a pawn in the brewing war against the vampires. Her mission will take her into the bowels of New York's Black Light district, entangles her in mage politics, and challenges her beliefs about the race she was raised to distrust. And Sabina thought vampires were bloodthirsty.

Review:

The Mage in Black is the second book in Wells' Sabina Kane series. This gritty and exciting series is urban fantasy to the core, complete with a heroine who can and will kick your patootie.

In the first book in this series we watched as Sabina's whole world came down around her ears and she was forced to grow and adapt. In this sequel, Sabina's growth continues and I really like her character. She's a tough bitch who would fight to her death, never one to give up. But her exterior is steadily, if not slowly, cracking in the presence of handsome mage Adam and her mage sister Maisie. Some readers are apparently on the fence about how likable Sabina is, but I actually love her toughness and appreciate how author Jaye Wells shows us small changes in Sabina without compromising her true character as the series continues.

In The Mage in Black we finally meet Sabina's long lost sister, who has grown up as a mage. I liked the different setting of New York and exploring the world of the mages. We even get to meet some werewolves! The new setting and characters make the story feel fresh and, as was the case in the first book, the plot is pretty darn fast-paced.

Adam, the sexy mage Sabina is trying like hell to fight her attraction to, is absent for a while in the middle of the book and while I missed his presence his space was filled by a new character. Don't worry, I don't smell a solid love triangle or anything, but this new character is *quite* likable. I'm looking forward to where Sabina and Adam's sort-of-relationship goes in the future. I have a feeling book three might give them some more time together.

I'm really enjoying this urban fantasy series and highly recommend UF fans give it a go!

And if you've read the first two books, join us tomorrow here on this blog for the Sabina Kane Read-A-long second discussion, co-hosted by Jennifer at TheBook Nympho and Jenese from ReadersConfession!

Recommended for fans of: dark urban fantasy, heroines that shoot first and ask questions later, mage politics, sexy vampire trysts, the Dreg City series by Kelly Meding, the Shaede Assassin series by Amanda Bonilla, and the Charlie Madigan series by Kelly Gay.

    

  4 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane #1)
Read-A-Long Discussion Book 1

Review and Read-A-Long Discussion: Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Red-Headed Stepchild
(Sabina Kane #1)
Jaye Wells
Release: April 1, 2009
Add to Goodreads   Buy at Amazon

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she's on. She's never brought her work home with her---until now.

This time, it's personal.

This book is part of a read-a-long I am co-hosting with Jennifer from The Book Nympho and Jenese from Readers Confession. If you've read the book or plan to read it in the near future, please join us for the discussion, which is hosted this month at The Book Nympho. You can check it out HERE! 

 We will be reading the rest of this series over the next few months. Check out the read-a-long schedule at the end of my review and please join in on the fun!

Review:

Red-Headed Stepchild is the first in the Sabina Kane urban fantasy series focusing on half vampire, half mage, full assassin Sabina. This UF  has it all: a few of the paranormal world's staple supes, a kick ass leading lady, and a great combination of mystery and mayhem.

When I began reading, I wasn't sure how well Sabina and I were going to get along. She is fully committed to being an assassin for the rulers of the vampire world, which includes her very controlling and secretive grandmother. Sabina does whatever her grandmother says and kills whoever her grandmother tells her to kill, usually without question, and this is evidenced by her actions at the book's opening.

Sabina is a typical assassin in that she's a hard ass who keeps to herself and has few friends. But what's great about this story is Sabina's growth during this book. As she gets involved in the story's plot and meets others outside of the vampire race she becomes a slightly warmer and friendlier person and I look forward to seeing how she continues to grow throughout the series.

The characters that lead to Sabina's growth include a mysterious and frustrating mage, Adam, with whom a romantic relationship will most likely continue to develop in future books (this one was light on the romance but still managed to have some occasional sexy moments) and a hilarious, naive nymph named Vinca who provided some lighter moments in the book.

Another character was the demon who becomes bound to Sabina, Giguhl. At first he was just a comedic relief type of character but eventually I grew very attached to him and he provided some heart for the story.

The world of the Sabina Kane series is one vampire lovers will enjoy, with vampires behaving as they should: going outside only at night, drinking blood from unsuspecting humans, and not really interacting much with the human population. Vamps like to stick among their own here, with special rooms in bars and clubs for those of the fanged variety. This isn't a book where humans are aware of the paranormals. We didn't learn too much about the mage side of things, as Sabina has shunned that half of her for most of her life, but it looks like book two is steering us in that direction. I'm interested to see how the world of the mages compares to that of the vampires.

All in all, I finished this book feeling glad that I read it and satisfied in the story. I was more engaged in the second half of the story than the first, but overall I am pleasantly surprised and can't wait to crack open the next in the series!

Recommended for fans of: urban fantasy, vampires, Deadtown series,  Dreg City series, and hairless demon cats.

    

  4 / 5 stars

Read-a-Long Schedule:

1/25/13: Red-HeadStepchild
review/discussion HERE 
2/22/2013: The Mage in Black
review/discussion @  Goldilox and the Three Weres 

3/29/2013: Green Eyed Demon
review/discussion @  The Book Nympho  

 4/26/2013: Silver Tongued Devil 
review/discussion @ Readers Confession

5/31/2013: Blue-Blood Vamp
review/discussion @ The Book Nympho  

On the LAST Friday of every month we will post our reviews, share our favorite quotes and there will be about 3 discussion topics/questions to talk about.

Please feel free to follow me and my co-hosts: