Promotional Post: Double Promo: The Beast Without & The Orchard of Flesh by Christian Baines #Reviews #Giveaway

Arcadia Trust Series

 Book One: The Beast Without

Author: Christian Baines
Book: The Beast Without
Series: Arcadia Series (Book 1)
Publisher: Interactive Publications
Publication date: May 23, 2013
Length: 236 pages


Reviewed by Meredith



Synopsis

Reylan is everything a Sydney vampire aspires to be: wealthy, handsome and independent, carefully feeding off companions plucked from the gay bars of Oxford Street.

When one of those companions is killed by Jorgas, a hot-headed young werewolf prowling his streets, Reylan reluctantly puts his cherished lifestyle of blood and boys on hold to help a mysterious alliance of supernatural beings track down the beast. It can’t be that hard... not when Jorgas keeps coming after him.

But there’s more to this werewolf than a body count and a bad attitude. As their relationship grows deeper and more twisted, Reylan tastes Jorgas’ blood, reawakening desires the vampire had thought long dead. And what evolves between them may be far more dangerous than some rival predator in the dark...

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Review

This is quite the creative paranormal tale. I’m going to address one of my favorite parts about this story first. The “labelling” Vampires are Blood Shades, Werewolves are Flesh Masters, Witches are Shapers, and the invisible are Cloak Masters… I hope I didn’t mess that up lol. It seems like a silly simple thing but it really sets the tone for the creativity you’re in for when you read this. 

The MC’s of this are Reylan and Jorgas. Reylan is a loner blood shade who is happy with hanging at gay clubs and drinking his fill, leaving his conquests very sated. Jorgas is a flesh master, a young one at that. And he kind of attaches himself to Reylan.

Reylan is ordered to bring Jorgas to The Arcadian Trust alive. And so their adventure begins.

This paranormal has similarities to typical Vamp/Were books but the author absolutely weaves his own creativity through it as you can tell by the names of the Paras.

There’s complex plotting, darkness, sexual tension, and yeah… horror! Now there are some unanswered questions that I’m optimistic will be answered in future books.

This is a brutal magical world. No glitter and sunshine. But it’s beautiful in its creativity. Entertaining, fun, suspenseful!

Book Two: The Orchard of Flesh

Author: Christian Baines
Book: The Orchard of Flesh
Series: Arcadia Trust Series (book 2)
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Publication dates: August 16, 2016
Length: 282 pages

Reviewed by Meredith




Synopsis

Reylan's last assignment for The Arcadia Trust brought a rebellious human servant under his roof, and a volatile werewolf lover named Jorgas into his bed, leaving the self-reliant Blood Shade--known to the outside world as vampires--in no hurry to risk his immortality for them again. But when a new terror starts disappearing humans from a bad part of town, Reylan must do everything in his power to keep Sydney's supernatural factions from the brink of war. Having an ambitious, meddlesome human in the mix is only going to make things worse...especially when that human is Jorgas's father. Reylan will need all his determination and cunning to keep the peace under his roof, between the night's power brokers, and in his lover's troubled heart.

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Review

This is book two of Christian Baines Arcadia Trust Series. Book one is The Beast Without. We are back with Reylan and Jorgas and their human servant. Okay, Reylan’s human servant who has issues with Reylan drinking him. It’s clearly a complicated relationship.

There’s murder, mayhem, disappearances and naturally Reylan is smack in the middle of it all and has to help make things better. 

There’s a wonderful build to this story. It does have some sexual hotness but not erotica per se. The ending was good but a tad flat for me.

Honestly I do love this world and these characters. The magic and mystery that is all around is fantastical in so many ways. It’s a terrific story for the lover of paranormal, horror, and complex plots. Very entertaining without question.

Author Bio

Born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Christian Baines has since lived in Brisbane, Sydney, and Toronto, earning an MA in creative writing at University of Technology, Sydney along the way. His musings on travel, theatre, and gay life have appeared in numerous publications in both Australia and Canada.

Dual passions for travel and mythology have sent him across the world in search of dark and entertaining stories. His first novel, The Beast Without, was released in 2013, followed by an erotic short story, The Prince and the Practitioner.

His second novel, Puppet Boy was released in late 2015.

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Giveaway

One lucky reader will get to own one of these great books!

You can choose The Beast Without or The Orchard of Flesh

Contest will end on August 21st

Winner will be contacted via email. Thank you!

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