Review Tour + #Giveaway: Pure Healing by Aja James @megami771 @GoddessFish

Pure Healing

by Aja James

GENRE: Paranormal, Fantasy Romance

BLURB:

Enter the world of Pure Ones, a race of immortal, supernaturally powerful beings who protect humankind, where sexual intercourse with anyone other than one’s Eternal Mate leads to a slow, painful deathwithin thirty days.

The Healer of the race, Rain, is the only exception to this rule. To harness and accumulate enough energy to heal severe wounds, especially as the war between her people and the vampire hordes accelerates, she must take a Consort once every ten years and draw strength from his blood and body. But as the war wears on, few Pure-males who are strong enough to serve as her Consort remain. Valerius, Protector of the race, is the strongest candidate.

Despite their instant attraction ten years ago when they first met, Valerius has staunchly avoided applying to be the Healer’s Consort. The brutality and violence he suffered as a Roman sex slave in his human life ate away at his soul, leaving a dark abyss of torment and self-doubt.

Now, as Rain’s strength drains with every healing act, Valerius cannot escape the fact that he may be the only one who can save her, and in so doing, afford his people greater hope for the future as battles intensify.

Will Rain and Valerius find their way to each other as the struggles between good and evil evolve?

Excerpt:

Valerius’ eyes were immediately drawn to the feminine outline behind the curtains. 

Contrary to his training and protocol, he barely registered the surrounding area, the ornate yet elegant furniture, the walls covered entirely with natural scenery that looked just as real and alive as the scrolls in the outer passageway, the whimsical splattering of multi-colored round paper lanterns across the ceiling, giving the chamber a cheerful glow. 

To his utter confusion and dismay, his heart doubled its tempo, and every nerve in his body became overwhelmingly sensitized.  He suddenly felt drugged by the faint, elusive fragrance of lilies and jasmine, and in reaction, blood rushed to his groin, hardening him in an instant.  His neck and face got what was left as he flushed deeply in mortification and anger at his total loss of discipline. 

In his two thousand plus years of existence as a Pure One, he had never, never, lost control.  Why his self-restraint deserted him now he couldn’t begin to fathom and didn’t have the luxury to even try, for he suddenly found himself not two feet before the Healer, sitting above him on the dais on a soft pedestal of pillows.  He executed a bow by rote, as if his body had developed a mind of its own. 

Valerius stopped short of raising his gaze to meet hers, however.  He knew that keeping his eyes lowered was a sign of submission which he’d never before allowed in himself, no matter the odds he faced.  But he swallowed his pride and locked his jaw, because somehow, somewhere deep within, he knew that meeting her gaze would change his world forever.

Instead, he peered through the filter of his lashes at the shape of her chin, and the enigmatic, fleeting smile that tilted the corners of her full, sensuous mouth. 

“Warrior,” she greeted him softly, pausing a heavy beat after greeting Sophia and Ayelet. 

When he continued to withhold his gaze, the corners of her lips tilted ever so slightly more, as if she were amused by his reticence.

But it wasn’t shyness that kept Valerius’ eyes lowered; it was self-preservation.

My Review:

I really love the new twist that the author Aja James has did with the vampires in the world of the Pure Ones. The vampires are made or created. Vampires are Pure Ones who have fallen. A fallen one is someone who has chosen to be turned or changed instead of dying.

Pure Ones can only have sex with their soulmate. If they have sex with anyone else then they will die a slow and painful death and are then given the choice to become a vampire or a dark one you might say or die.

Pure Healing has many different and interesting characters with different POVs but a few of my favorite was their Queen, a young girl still in college, who has a lot of growing up left to do.

Then we have their healer, Rain. Rain is the exception to the rule of not having sex with anyone other than your mate. Rain takes a Consort every ten years to replenish her energy so that she can continue to heal. She loves her job as the healer and has vowed to never take a mate or never to fall in love.

Valerius is the Protector of the Pure Ones. When Valerius was human he was used as a sex slave and the horrors that man went through I don’t see how he managed to go on with his life. All I can say is that he is one tough dude. He didn’t come away from it all unscarred; no he had his share of psychological problems.

A war has broken out between the vampires and the Pure Ones. Pure Ones are turning up dead, changed or disappearing. If they don’t find out soon who his changing, killing or taking their people what is to become of the Pure Ones’ race?

Pure Healing has been a great start to a whole new series. I love the new twist on the vampires and the new race of vampires or the Pure Ones. The world building in Pure Healing has been an epic journey leading us into the next chapter of the Pure Ones. Although I would have liked to have seen more action on the vampires but well maybe in the next book, right? I can’t wait to start the next book in the Pure Ones series, Dark Longing.

Pure Healing would be a great book for anyone who loves vampires and mixing a little pleasure as well is just a side bonus. I would definitely recommend Pure Healing to all vampire fans. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Aja has been writing stories since the age of six, and novels since the age of thirteen. While she'd be the first to admit that those early efforts weren't particularly good, she sure loved putting them down on paper!

The best part of writing, according to Aja, is that it’s completely organic, the way the stories develop. When the inspiration hits, she writes just so she herself can learn where the characters are headed because oftentimes, they take her by surprise! It is her ultimate dream to share her stories with as many readers as she possibly can.

Her other loves include art, cooking, old movies (anything with Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Clark Gable, and all the song and dance numbers because she can’t watch them and not be happy!)

She adores taking long walks with her husband and running after her two rambunctious kids. She has traveled extensively (all seven continents except Antarctica) and has a multi-cultural upbringing. She speaks two and a half languages and binge watch TV shows when the mood strikes.

Aja has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Comparative Literature and Economics and two Master’s degrees, one of which is in East Asian Studies.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Blog ~ Goodreads

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon or B/N GC

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.