Solstice (Solstice Chronicles #1)
by Bryan W. Dull
Genre: Horror/Paranormal
Book Description: In Gavin Moxley's world, there is no thin line between right
and wrong. In a personal crusade to help sever a line of disease carried by a
clan of vampires; Gavin has no choice to be ruthless. The Vampires are
purposely infecting the human population…waiting for humans to actively pass it
on to each other. Gavin takes no chances and executes them one by one. Not
strong or powerful, finding humans before they turn into full vampires is ideal
and Gavin’s best bet. Yes, this is Gavin’s life… …And nothing ever changes it
until a young half breed vampire with special abilities, Solstice, attaches and
makes herself a fixture in his life when she asks for his help and protection
and when a reluctant Gavin agrees he joins a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
There is no safe place and the pair are constantly watching their backs. Torn
between his hate and his love for Solstice Gavin is thrown into a moral dilemma
that only he can figure out but two things are clear… His faith and Humanity
are being tested and the past is not always forgotten.
4 out of 5 starsI received this book as an ARC from the author.
Gavin is a vampire hunter. He hunts humans who have been 'infected' and kills them before they fully turn. Gavin, like any good main character hero sort, has a past that continually haunts him. Gavin's past has made him a bit cynical, but he is overall a good guy. When he meets Solstice, he can't just turn her out on her own, no matter how much he would like to. Gavin is the sort of guy that makes a great main character, and he might just be getting his second chance at life.
Solstice is a half vampire, half human. She is alone in the world, and all she really wants is to be normal. She appears sweet and innocent, but there is a danger lurking underneath the surface that we only get a very small glimpse of in this book. I love the mystery surrounding Solstice. Even though she is the book's namesake, we really don't know very much about her, but just enough to peak interest.
I enjoyed the author's writing style. The story flowed smoothly and was easy to read. Gavin's sarcastic wit and humor was refreshing in this dark story. Really the only thing that brought this book down for me was the prologue. The scene itself was powerful, and I really liked the potential there but felt it just didn't deliver. I can't really put my finger on what is bugging me about it, though. It very well could be the third person narration, which I'm not a huge fan of, but I just think it could have been given more force.
As I said above, I received an unedited ARC, so there were many grammatical errors and a few timeline issues in this book. I heard that Solstice was picked up by a publisher, so going through that process and an editor should fix all of those issues. Overall I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to see where the author takes it. Thank you to Bryan Dull for letting me read your book!
Equinox (Solstice Chronicles #2)
by Bryan W. Dull
Genre: Horror/Paranormal
Book Description: Confined in an old plantation home with Vampires lying in
wait Gavin and Solstice are forced to wait them out until sunrise that is
perilously approaching. Unbeknownst to them the remnants of the house are even
more terrifying than what is lying in wait outside. Solstice is coming into her
own and her feelings for Gavin begin to come to light. Gavin is stuck in the
memories of his deceased family, but the apparition he sees that resembles his
dead daughter doesn’t help. Lying in wait to escape at the first chance
possible, will they make it through the vampires and the supernatural creatures
that have inhabited the home for a very long time? “Equinox” ups the ante in
the Solstice trilogy, and no one involved will come out the same.
4 out of 5 stars
The first thing I have to say about Equinox is that cover is just a tad creepy. I love it! Continuing the story right where the first book left off, Gavin and Solstice find themselves hiding out in an abandoned plantation home, waiting out the vampires who are trying to break down the door.
The first thing I have to say about Equinox is that cover is just a tad creepy. I love it! Continuing the story right where the first book left off, Gavin and Solstice find themselves hiding out in an abandoned plantation home, waiting out the vampires who are trying to break down the door.
There was so much going on in this book, and the story was taken to a completely new level. Besides the vampires trying to get Solstice, they also have the phantoms of the home they are taking shelter in causing trouble and making Gavin question his sanity (who wouldn't faced with a haunted house?). Additionally, Solstice is growing up and growing into her abilities, and it is a struggle for her as she learns how to use those abilities.
To make things even harder for them, the relationship between Solstice and Gavin is constantly changing. Where he used to see Solstice as a daughter, a child who needed protecting, at some point he realizes she isn't so little anymore, and she is not as sweet an innocent as she once appeared to be. Solstice herself went through a lot of changes in this book, growing up emotionally and becoming more self aware.
The author took a different approach to this story, writing it in third person narrative rather than first person from Gavin's point of view. While it seems odd to switch narrative styles from book to book, I can understand why he did it, and it works here. There was a lot going on in this book and seeing things just from Gavin's point of view would have been limiting. Although I missed being in his head, we still got his wit and humor in this book as well, bringing a bit of fun to the story.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt
Gavin threw down his imaginary cigarette in a hateful manner and proceeded to walk in the deep snow towards the shed. In the back of his mind he knew that any chance for escape is minimal given the height of the snow he had to tread across; it would slow him down. He had to quick on the draw if vampires emerged. Dammit it all to hell, I should have brought my halogen light to make an escape easier.
As he got closer to the dilapidated shed, unaware, ghostly children started to emerge to the windows of the house from inside. They watched as this pit of rage of a man started to march down to beat of his own drum and possible death. The children started placing their hands on the windows. One child occupied each window facing the back yard. They knew something was about to happen.
About the Author: Currently living in Cincinnati, OH with his wife (and fellow author Brandy Michelle) and their daughter. Bryan W. Dull goes leaps and bounds to get away from the norm and be his own person; with himself and his writing. Since middle school he has always known what he was good at: entertaining and telling stories. He has been consistently writing and coming up with plots for the last twenty years, but just recently decided to share one with the world. His first novel, "Solstice" is a vampire book inspired by his daughter and noir literature. Born in Anderson, IN, Bryan has also lived in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina (where "Solstice" is based). Being a lover of all things art and pop culture "nerdism"; his interests lie in film, television, comics, games, anime, and books. For a short while, Bryan dabbled in voice acting work only to shift his focus to his family and writing. His favorite authors include; Chuck Palahniuk, Robert Kirkman, Clive Barker, Ernest Cline, and Neil Gaiman Social Links:
Blog: http://bryanwdull.blogspot.com/
Webpage: www.Bryanwdull.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Solstice.Chronicles
Twitter: BWDull
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/bwdull/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829383.Bryan_W_Dull
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