Reviewed by Jess

TITLE: Sigil Fire

SERIES: Sigil Fire #1

AUTHOR: Erzabet Bishop

PUBLISHER: Naughty Nights Press

LENGTH: 278 pages

RELEASE DATE:  November 13, 2018

BLURB:

Sonia is a succubus with one goal: stay off Hell’s radar. But when succubi start to die, including her sometimes lover, Jeannie, she’s drawn into battle between good and evil.

Fae is a blood witch turned vampire, running a tattoo parlor and trading her craft for blood. She notices that something isn’t right on the streets of her city. The denizens of Hell are restless. With the aid of her nest mate Perry and his partner Charley, she races against time before the next victim falls. The killer has a target in his sights, and Sonia might not live to see the dawn.

REVIEW:

I’ve enjoyed some of Bishop’s sexy short stories before, but I was unfamiliar with her paranormal fiction, which seems to be her forte. This isn’t a terribly original urban fantasy story, but a steamy meant-to-be romance between powerful ladies always make for a compelling read.

At the start, we don’t know exactly who the main character is in this story. Fae, a vampire and user of blood magic, keeps dreaming about a beautiful red-haired woman in need of rescue from a dark entity that feels all too familiar. Fae struggles with her mixed heritage, knowing she needs darkness to survive, and she trades protective tattoos for a humane drink of blood from her clients. But then we actually meet Sonia—a model and uniquely powerful succubus who is destined to change Fae’s life.

The plot and mystery of this story is action-packed and flows off every page. It isn’t hard to follow—it’s a classic tale of angels versus demons, dark versus light, destiny versus choice. The drama at the beginning involving stripper succubi being picked off one by one wasn’t my favorite, since it never seemed to tie into the villain’s actual goal. It felt more mean-spirited and explicit than compelling. But when Fae and Sonia meet and we discover what they mean to one another, the stakes get higher and the action gets more intense. I ended the story in the edge of my seat.

If you tend to avoid non-con or rape storylines in your romance, you may shy away from this one. It isn’t explicit at all, but since the villain is a rapist and murderer of succubi, it can be a little hard to stomach. There’s also a lot of M/F flirting and seduction, and even though it is often a means to an end rather than actual romance, it still might an unpleasant surprise for strictly F/F readers.

In addition to the first book in the “Sigil Fire” series, this volume also includes the short story “First Christmas,” which is much sweeter and fluffier. It seemed familiar, and then I realized I had already read an edited version in last year’s Unwrap These Presents, a lesbian holiday anthology from Ylva. I definitely enjoy it more now that I have been introduced to Sonia, Fae, and their world.

This is a solid paranormal romance with a gritty urban setting, a steamy romance, and tons of potential for more stories. I’m eager to see what Fae and Sonia do next.

RATING: 

BUY LINK: 

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