A Time To Rise (Gigi’s Review)

Title: A Time To Rise
Author: Tal Bauer
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: May 2, 2016
Genre(s): Paranormal/Horror/Vampires
Page Count: 319
Reviewed by: Gigi
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Blurb:

History says the Knights Templar were destroyed in 1307.
History is wrong.

Vampires haunt the sewers beneath Rome, revenants desecrate graveyards, ghouls devour helpless passersby, and incubi stalk dark alleys and seedy nightclubs in Italy’s capital. Deep in the Vatican, a brotherhood exists, sworn protectors of the earth, and they stand firm against monsters from the dark depths. Operating in secret and silence, they protect our world from the sinister, the etheric, and the evils that exist beyond the Veil.

But it’s a lonely life, and Alain Autenberg knows that more than most. His lover was ripped from him years ago, and he vowed never to get close to another soul again. Even when the loneliness presses down on him, and his empty heart cries out for something more.

Something more comes in Cristoph Hasse, a new soldier arriving in Rome to serve in the Pontifical Swiss Guard. Young, brash, and fitting in at right angles everywhere he goes, Cris struggles in the murky, deceptive labyrinth of the Vatican. Propelled forward by a past he can’t understand, Cris collides with Alain, and both men crash headfirst into the darkest secret of the Vatican…and of the world.

A Time to Rise contains adult content suitable for mature readers only.

Hold on to your hats folks! This one is intense!

If you are looking for warm and fuzzy vampires, like the or , you won’t find them here. The vampires in are some serious kind of bad ass villains. If you are looking for warm and fuzzy ghosts, like or , same story. Bad. Ass. Mother. Fuckers.

I am not a fan of paranormal MM romance. If you discount shifter books, I can only think of two paranormal romances I’ve liked: The and . But because I loved Tal Bauer’s so much, I wanted to give this book a try and wiggle out of my reading comfort zone. The results weren’t spectacular.

While this book was engaging and wonderfully written, it was far too much for me. There is some serious gore here and since I don’t read paranormal, I’m not sure if it is extreme or not, but my stomach roiled more than once during several of the scenes. (I’m anxious to hear how experienced paranormal readers interrupt this one.) I really liked both
Alain and Cris, but they spent most of the time fighting their attraction to one another, leaving little time for romance. We did get one spectacular sex scene *fans self* but their relationship was much more “love story” than lust or romance. When they finally admitted their feelings, it was glorious and the feels were overflowing.

If you like a complex story-line with gore and real-live goblinesque creatures, along with hints of romance and love, this is your book. Me? I’m going to crawl back into my comfort zone. I like to think of it like a vacation: I’m glad I stepped out for a bit and I did enjoy myself for the most part, but I’m happy to be back home and in my own bed.

FYI: the story ends as HFN. There were a lot of questions left unanswered, so I’m assuming there will be a sequel.

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