Try it Tuesday (10)

'Try it Tuesday' is a weekly meme hosted here at Bookaholics where each week me and Ninfa take turns to recommend a book we think you should try and why.

This week’s pick is

Dark time by Dakota Banks
Growing up in a 19th-century funeral home might have set the tone for Dakota Banks's life. In her debut fiction, she proves the point by conjuring up an infernal tale about a burned-at-the-stake witch who refuses to let bygones be bygones. Two hundred years of savage carnage later, the demonically inclined Susannah Layton, now known as Maliha, decides that she wants to retire, but unless she can perform some good deeds quickly, she will be consigned to the very hottest parts of hell.

Why I’m choosing this book

Because it's fantastic! Lots of action, mythology, sexy characters and a lot of fun!

Five reasons I love this book

1. Maliha's back story is heartbreaking and I love it.
2. Jake Stackman...one word for you: YUM!
3. The relationships described in the book are so real, it makes the story incredibly involved for the reader.
4. There's a lot of action and some incredible twists in the plot that keep it fast, furious and delightfully fresh.
5. The mythology of the story is just breathtaking: Demons, Ageless Assassins, Gods...it's such a wonderful new world to explore and it definitely drew me in from page 1!

Who I think will love this book
Urban Fantasy lovers will really enjoy this, and anyone that likes a fast, eventful plot with high tech gadgets, a strong heroine and a group of fantastic characters to get to know, in this first installment of "The Mortal Path series"

I hope this inspires you to pick up the book, and if you do

Let me know what you think!

Deliverance - Review by Ninfa

“Deliverance” (Adult Urban/Paranormal Fantasy)

Book 3 in “The Mortal Path” series
by Dakota Banks

Maliha's back!

Story: Maliha Crane has given up immortality as a Sumerian Demon slave and chosen the Mortal Path, a difficult road to pay off the debt she owes, for the lives she has taken during her killer years.
But now she has a higher purpose, not only can she save herself, but if she finds the fabled shards of Anu's diamond Great Lens, she can destroy the Demons that plague the Earth and save humanity, changing life forever.
This, however, could cost her the thing she prizes the most: her family of friends.
Can Maliha sacrifice the lives of those she loves for the greater good? Or can she find a way to save her friends and still carry on the Mortal Path?
The Demon Rabishu is not the only one on Maliha's trail and more Ageless assassins are ready to strike her down.
Compromises and earth shattering discoveries await her on the path to redemption...

I've been waiting for what feels like ages for the third instalment in the Mortal Path series, and as always, Dakota Banks has delivered an incredible read that I have thoroughly enjoyed.
“Deliverance” is sizzling hot and full of the trademark action that accompanies this fantastic series.
I absolutely loved this book!
I never thought “Deliverance” could top “Dark Time” and “Sacrifice”, but Dakota Banks has managed to add to Maliha's story without making it sound repetitive, something not many authors can accomplish.
“Deliverance” is fresh, fast paced and adds so much flavour and background to the series that I can't help but wonder what awaits us in book 4!
Maliha's growth as a character is still engaging and believable, her choices harder as she gets closer to her goal, as it should be.
Her interaction with her friends and the weaving of different back stories only adds to the incredible tapestry of emotions explored in the book and I enjoyed meeting the new characters (Elizabeth is such an incredible portrayal of pure evil! I just loved to hate her!), as well as getting to know the more familiar ones better.
The plot is outstanding as usual, full of twists and turns and incredible revelations. FANTASTIC.
There aren't many books that keep me guessing until the end but I have to admit the last few pages of “Deliverance” gave me quite the thrill. I simply did not see the end coming and I look forward to the next stage.
Some characters are lost in this book (I will not go into details as I don't like to give spoilers!), but it all wraps up nicely, setting the scene for more struggles to come.
This series is definitely one of my favourites of all time and I cannot wait for the next book!!!
All I can say is:
Wow. Incredible. Love it! Buy it!
And if you haven 't read this series...WHY?!?! ;)

Also from the author: “Dark time” and “Sacrifice”, Books 1 and 2 in “The Mortal Path” series (check out my reviews in this photo album).

You'll love it if you like: Action books packed with thrills and hi-tech gadgets, Urban Fantasy, Mythology based stories, kick ass heroines and awesome storytelling!

If you'd like to know more about the author, or “The Mortal Path” series, head on to Dakota's official website:

http://www.dakota-banks.com

or join her Facebook page

or Twitter

Happy reading Bookaholics!

Guest post: Dakota Banks and a giveaway

My thanks to the ever-gracious Mist and Ninfa for inviting me to talk with you, the readers of Bookaholics Book Club.



Friends, let’s set the scene for our get-together. I’ll take the lumpy chair and you can have the sofa. Squeeze up there a bit, there are a lot of you. Mist comes around with tea. I inhale the steam rising from my cup, which not only clears my head but my sinuses too.


Everyone cozy? Good. Let’s talk about ... demons.


Merriam-Webster’s primary definition says that a demon is:
1 a : an evil spirit
   b : a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin
Fairly general, right? I’ve known bosses who definitely fall under b, possibly even a.


The Mortal Path books are based on Sumerian mythology, and that includes the concept of demons. In contemporary Christianity, demons are usually considered to be fallen angels. Not so in earlier times, when demons were associated with a specific disease or other bad outcome for a person.


For example, the ancient Hebrews believed that if you left a jug of water uncovered at night, a demon of blindness would settle on it, and anyone who drank the water in the morning would become blind. I think beliefs like this come about because someone in a village noticed a pattern; three people drank from uncovered water containers and later became blind. The water may have had nothing to do with it, or everything to do with it if there were parasites or bacteria in it. The people had noticed cause and effect, but couldn’t explain what happened between the two. Must be a demon at work.


The Sumerians had a whole raft of demons for all kinds of diseases. The ones from their mythology that I’ve chosen to use have a particularly charming set of attributes. They are:

• Muttabriqu – Lightning Flash
• Sarabda – Taker of Possessions
• Rabishu – Croucher (bent, crooked, cringe in fear)
• Tirid - Expulsion
• Idiptu – Evil Wind
• Bennu - Fits
• Sidana – Staggers

In the Mortal Path books, these demons are still alive thousands of years after the Sumerian civilization is gone, and they play an active role in our current time. A nasty active role, since I’ve generalized them into being responsible for the things that plague our global society: war, disease, chaos, destruction, you name it. The things that keep humanity from becoming all it can be, like weights around our collective ankles.


Maliha Crayne, trying to redeem her soul that she sold to Rabishu, also has a bigger goal in mind. She wants to destroy all of the demons and free Earth of their influence. She has to collect seven shards (one for each demon) of a massive diamond to do it. When she has all seven, they will glom together to form a lens. With the lens, she can read a tablet that lists the weaknesses of each of the demons, allows her to gain control over them, and then she can destroy them. The demons aren’t taking this lying down, though, so she has a fight on her hands.


This is heading into some deep stuff. Are we flawed humans meant to be without our tormentors (demons) on Earth? Do we, and Maliha in particular, have the strength and freedom of will to accomplish that? What would such a world be like? Take away outside influences that have been pushing us in the direction of war, hatred and fear, and give us paradise on Earth—a chance for humanity to blossom beyond our current limited dreams. Would we then muck it up on our own? Stay tuned. To paraphrase Buzz Lightyear, “To Deliverance ... and beyond!”

Now a quick passage from Deliverance (not the opening).

When Amaro arrived at Maliha’s public condo, she was wearing a white uniform, soaked with sweat, and using two swords. She was doing lunges to skewer an invisible opponent and fierce swings that sent an invisible head flying across the room. Items from the kitchen cabinets had been lined up on a counter and systematically destroyed as though someone had taken a chainsaw to them. She’d been practicing with her whip sword, a deadly weapon she wore coiled in a sheath around her waist. The whip sword had two long, flexible blades that an expert user could snap and swing at terrific speeds, severing limbs or whatever else was in the way. It was a vicious weapon and she used it with great skill.
“Okay, I can see you’re seriously pissed,” Amaro said. “Tell me about it.”
His voice broke into her trance. She stopped and lowered the swords to the floor, making sure she caused him no injury. Amaro moved closer.
“Seeing you like that was kind of scary,” he said.
“So is what’s in that envelope.” She nodded her head in the direction of the packet on the
counter.

Links:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter: @dakotabanks

 Want to win this fabulous swag bag? Check out the details then fill in the form:

Deets

• Giveaway is international
• The copy of Deliverence will be sent seperately when it becomes available but the swag will be sent straight away.
• Giveaway will run for two weeks until March 19th and the winner will be announced in the rafflecopter app below.
• Following is not required but it will gain you extra entries.