Book Blurb:
Blaize and the Maven
by Ellen Bard
Publisher: Parchment Publishing
Genre: Paranormal romance
Release date: 7 October 2015
Blaize is a powerful but inexperienced energetic. Having only just passed her first Chakra Trial, Manipura, fire, she is sent to Canada to an expert Maven to be trained in her second energy: Ajna, or the mind.
Her Maven is the mysterious and reluctant Cuinn, who has problems of his own - disturbing dreams that appear to show him standing against the destruction of the energetics race. When he discovers that Blaize is part of the prophecy, he knows her training needs to be accelerated - but he’s not prepared for the heat she brings to his normally calm and ordered world.
But both Cuinn and Blaize have secrets of their own, secrets that could destroy their partnership before it’s begun - a partnership that has a far greater importance than they realize.
Will they learn to trust each other before it’s too late?
The first in a captivating series of romance and magic, family and loyalty, love and power.
Find out more about the book on Goodreads and pick up a copy from Amazon - make sure to grab a copy today while it is a special price of 0.99!
Take the CHAKRA Quiz to find out what dominant chakra you are
He reached for her, and with nowhere to go, her back against the dressing table, she couldn’t dodge him without looking like a child. But he only took her hand in his.
“We’re connected now, Blaize.”
“I know.” His hand felt cool, dry, and comforting. She wasn’t sure whether to wrench hers away or to grab him with her other hand and pull him in tight.
“It’s more than just the Maven-Adherent connection.”
“Sexual attraction’s a powerful connection, true.” She refused to give an inch.
He moved a little closer. Too close. “It’s more than that, Blaize.”
His breath rifled through her hair. His scent was musky and male, and she felt light-headed. To hell with it. She’d made her intentions clear. If he wanted to pine for a relationship, that was his problem. And anger made for heat. And she was in her element in hot weather.
She licked her lips, and looked up at him. She slowly reached to put a hand on his hip. His hair, messy as always, cast shadows on his face in the dim evening light of the room, and his eyes, almost lost in darkness, fixed on hers. Her hand slipped around to his lower back and dipped to touch the skin underneath his black chinos. He took an audible breath. His hands went to her head, cradling it in his hands. She shivered as one of his hands cupped her neck and drew it towards him.
She was transfixed. Hypnotised. Her nerve endings were on fire with anticipation. His body lined itself up against hers. He leaned down towards her mouth, and she closed her eyes and tilted her face up, ready. It was going to be a wild ride.
He dropped a light kiss on her mouth … and then, nothing. She opened her eyes in confusion. He’d gone. She heard him call back up the stairs, “We will talk, Blaize.” The front door shut and the lock snicked behind him.
She was still in the same place minutes later after his footsteps had died away.
What the fuck?
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My Review:
4 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense, Witches--
Blaize has been waiting for this day for the last five years while she trained, the day she would pass her Practitioner Trial and be given the status of Practitioner. But after passing the test instead of the time off to figure out her life and freely use her fire gift, she is instead shipped off to a new Maven to work on her next gift- a Maven who has no interest in training a new student. What Blaize does not know, is that she is part of a prophesy that could cost her as well as her whole society their lives.
I will admit that I know nothing about Chakras except that different bodies regions have different chakras and each is to serve a different purpose and interaction. The magic system in this story is based off chakras, powering each kind of magic that the practitioner uses. I liked how the dominant magic that a person had also inspired certain personality traits which makes me question which came first- the personality spawns the power or the power creates the personality. The way the user could manipulate the magic was really fun, each gift had uses and strengths and I liked how they could be combined to create something better. It was a really unique magical system I have never seen before and not it has peaked an interesting in learning about chakras.
Ok, so I feel like a little bit of an idiot that I did not realize this was a romance. Keep in mind, that is no issue with me since I believe almost all books could use a dollop of romance to keep things interesting, but for some reason the synopsis just not lead me to the conclusion Blaize and the Maven was a romance. And boy was this the tension filled, slow burn kind where every encounter with the two made me want to keep reading or scream to kiss already! The animosity that was between the two from their first encounter was transformed into the best kind of sexual chemistry and I loved it!
I really loved that while this is the first book in the series and the underlying villain is still out their plotting, the romance aspect of the story was resolved in the best of ways.I feel like this was the perfect blend of magic, action, danger and romance. I was reading about the other books in the series after I finished this story, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the next book features another group of main characters (both of which I love from this story!) to find love and kick evil in the ass.
I am reviewing a complimentary copy of this title.
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Check out the next book in the series!
Book Blurb:
Caught at the centre of a dramatic prophecy, the safety that Tierra has wrapped around herself for the last few decades of her long life has been shattered. On top of that, her long-standing crush on her best friend has turned into something she can no longer ignore. Always happier looking after others, she finds she needs to step out of her comfort zone, and fast. She’s a Master in both her energies - if she can just remember how to use them.
Fintan loves the thrill of danger, risk and battle. But the prophecy doesn’t just include him, it includes his friends - the only people he calls family. He’s ready to fight to protect them, but what he isn’t ready for is for the idea of Tierra in danger.
A mysterious teenager seems to have the key to some of the prophecy’s secrets. Tierra is a lot better suited than Fintan to coaxing the information out of the frightened girl - but that’s going to put her smack in the middle of the fight.
Is Tierra brave enough to put herself front and centre in the conflict?
And is Fintan hero enough to let her?
Tierra and the Warrior is the second in The Energetics Series, where love and loyalty must stand strong against vengeance and danger. Click to buy it now!
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Author Bio:
I’m a fiction author who writes paranormal romance, full of enchantment, intrigue, action and romance. My writing blends my background in psychology and my experiences travelling the world with a love of magic, fantasy and a (mostly!) happy ending.
I’m a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, and continue to work as an international management consultant. Over the last 15 years I’ve worked in countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including China, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
I also write non-fiction, and recently, with UK publisher Watkins, launched ‘This is for you: A Creative Toolkit for Better Self-Care’, under the name Ellen M. Bard (
http://ellenbard.com/this-is-for-you/ ).
My passion for other lands and cultures helps inform my writing, as does my desire to try new things – from art classes to Krav Maga, the self-defence system.
I’m a passionate and dedicated reader myself, working through between 80-100 books a year – read my reviews on
goodreads here.
Born in the UK, I currently live in an apartment nest in Bangkok with my Fox, where I (almost!) never have to feel the cold.
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