Vengeance Born (A Novel of the Light Blade, #1)

by Kylie Griffin

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born...

Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na'Reish King, longs for more than her tormented life among her father's people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she's gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy...

With the Na'Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na'Reish Horde have increased. As Chosen-leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons-and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival.

When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father's dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council-and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into civil war...

• ISBN10: 0425245365
• ISBN13: 9780425245361
• Publish Date: 7 February 2012 (first published 1 February 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 18 June 2016
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425245361

Reviews

[Vicki]

I feel like I found a hidden gem with this book! Definitely more romance than fantasy, with some of my favorite tropes. I loved watching the romance blossom between Annika and Kalan. Coming from opposite worlds and forced to depend on each other as fugitives on the run, you can see them start to question all they know and overcome their prejudices. And, of course, their feelings for each other start to slowly grow into something more. The build-up was great....I loved it! The only thing that slightly bothered me was that once they both admitted their feelings for each other, they were immediately in love with each other. It just felt a little rushed, like they fell in love after a two week road trip, and afterwards Kalan was just a little too perfect.

Although I do love a heavy dose of romance, I did feel like the plot was a bit rushed at the end. Maybe it's supposed to set us up for the next book, but since the next book focuses on a different set of characters, I can't help but feel a little gypped. I really wish more book series would just stick with the main characters in the first book throughout the series instead of switching for each book. I never feel like I get enough of the characters that drew me into the series in the first place.