A.N. Meade's Blog

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Beyond Time is the second book in the Dark Order of the Dragon series. This book centers around a shifter character named Christian Lancelot Du Lac who is the best friend and guard to book one's Jared. Sandra Bischoff's concept of a shifter as uniquely her own as was her concept of vampires from book 1, Beyond the Sun. I don't want to give too much of that away in the review, but it was a pretty fun spin on things. The setting of this book keeps the medieval theme, even throwing in a few new characters. I also like that we got more depth on Zephyr's character in this book. Not only did we learn more about what he did and his role in the past, but also quite a bit more about the character of who he is as a person. I also really liked the relationship between Lance and Elizabeth. The way that they interact with each other feels very real, and their dialogue is well written and funny. I think their romance is in a lot of ways more relatable than that of Jared and Alex even because the reader can sympathize with Elizabeth since she is human and thrown into this mix of paranormal creatures and motives. Elizabeth is also quite a bit younger than Alex, and not nearly as experienced in the ways of the world.

It's a quick paced read, and there is quite a bit of action that weaves around the theme of Lance proving himself and finding love in a very unexpected place (and time for that matter). He has some very difficult decisions that he has to work through. There is some fairly graphic violence, but it is significant to the character development. I only get upset with an author/series when they make you sympathize with their characters and then those characters are hurt without explanation or resolution. None of the violence is for shock factor alone. The end of this book is the best part of all and every loose end that you've been toying with from the beginning is tied up. I wasn't left wanting for a satisfied conclusion to the book. The overall theme of this one is love, and that overshadows everything else that is happening.

I mentioned in my review of Beyond the Sun, what a talented world builder Sandra Bischoff is, and she doesn't let you down in Beyond Time. The way that she blends fantasy, medieval culture, and contemporary paranormal concepts is something that still blows my mind. I can't wait to see what the focus of book 3 will be. I would recommend Beyond Time to anyone who is a fan of shifter books, medieval fantasy, or paranormal romance. The way that Sandra Bischoff has written the Dark Order of the Dragon series is reminiscent of the Others series, where while it involves some of the same characters, they can be read as stand alone books if you like. I have read countless vampire and paranormal books. This series is one of my top favorites, and has earned it's place on my reread shelf.

**** 4 stars!
Recommended for: romance fans who love a good ending


Truly Mine focuses on the themes of long lost love and regrets. Most people have those "what if" moments that if they could have just spoken how they really felt it might have changed everything. Sometimes it takes life experiences to know what you want. Tyler and Truly certainly have those in spades.

I don't want to give anything away so I won't go into specifics but there is a big surprise toward the end that adds a lot more depth to the whole story. It's something that I haven't ever seen done before and it leaves room to explore the topic of sexuality in a lot more depth. I was watching a rerun of Masters of Sex while I was reading and I just kept thinking, Truly Mine would be so much more interesting as a movie or a series. I could see Truly working on some sex research in a way that didn't make me feel sorry that such great actors were left with characters so flatly written.

Overall it's a unique twist on the long lost love story. The writing is solid, and I think it's definitely worth a read. Not many books can hold my attention without a supernatural spin, but I found myself flipping page after page and staying up until the early morning to finish this one. It's a great book for romance fans who love a good ending.

Looking for your next vampire romance?

In honor of Love and War's upcoming release, get all four books in the Marked by the Vampire series for only 99 cents each until 8/24.

Buy link for Amazon:
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Looking for your next Vampire Romance? Marked is now 0.99! Get it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Marked-1-N-Mead...

Love and War won't be out until the 24th, but you can get a free preview here:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/4621622...

You can pre order Love and War for only 0.99 cents for a limited time at:
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My manuscript for book 4 is done! I'll be working with the formatting and then putting it up for pre-order. Also, I'll be doing Advanced Reader Copies so anyone interested in getting one of those, email me at mountainwhisper@gmail.com and I'll gladly send you a copy to review.

Get Marked for 99 cents for a limited time!
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