Customer Reviews

Carved in Stone (Les Gargouillen, Book 1)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A book where gargoyle's, not were's or vamps or aliens, are the dark hero's in turmoil? Interesting!

Rachel and Nathan, our main couple, meet during a art gallery showing and are instantly attracted. Each has their own troubles though. Rachel is there as part of an interpol mission to take down an assasin.Policework has been her lifes work since as a small child she saw her family killed by what she thought were monsters...Nathan is an excomunicated gargoyle who has lived 14 lifetimes in different ages before he was reborn into this one. Now he has decided to end his existance for good since he has been shunned by the others of his dwindeling kind.

They meet again after Nathan stumbles into Rachel's hit man and does the work for her. But she has a feeling he's not all he appears...and Nathan's freinds will need both of them to come help the gargoyles if they are to survive. Together they uncover a secret about that long ago attack on Rachel's family...

Vickie Taylor introduces us into a new world of Gargoyles, men who can shapeshift into animal forms and help protect humanity. Nathan Cross is a griffin, roughened and tortured from past lives and cynical towards what he must do. Rachel Vandermere is a smart, brave woman who is introduced into Nathan's world.

I really enjoyed this book. It's not easy to successfully create a paranormal world with rules, terms, and history that is believable, but this novels does that and more. The writing is flowing and well done, and the emotions, want, and love between Rachel and Nathan is very apparent through the novel. I only wish that they had actually said "I love you" aloud...although, I suppose it's not entirely necessary since they are connected so, but it still would have been a nice plus.

As I said, I just loved this book and am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, Connor's story called Flesh and Stone.

I'm not sure if I liked CARVED IN STONE, a paranormal romance by Vickie Taylor. When I first heard about it, I couldn't wait to read it. After all, the hero, Nathan, is a gargoyle. I thought to myself, how clever and original! Then I read it....

First of all, I really did like how the author played with the idea of a gargoyle hero. She created an interesting history about a race of men cursed with the ability to shape-shift into gruesome creatures with the express purpose of helping mankind. That alone was worth reading about.

But there were problems with the book. For one, the book is called CARVED IN STONE, and Nathan is described by the heroine as having a earthy, rocky scent. Yet these gargoyles don't turn into stone, and there's no other stone connection at all. That was bizarre ... and a little disappointing.

Some things I also found disappointing were the love scenes, which didn't come across as sensual to me. Maybe it was the language. I know that the term "hand job" jarred me when I read it. It was a little too crude for me.

Also, the first "heroine in danger/hero saves her" scene with the "hood" in the bar was cheesy. In the middle of a fight, in which the "hood" is holding a knife to her throat while Nathan threatens him, Rachel actually rolls her eyes and makes a caustic comment about having better things to do that day than listen to their pissing contest. I was the one rolling my eyes then. I just can't take the story seriously if the author doesn't try to attempt a little realism when it comes to human interactions.

Another issue is that the ending to the story doesn't wrap things up, plot-wise. In fact, you have to read the next book, FLESH AND STONE, to find out who the "bad guys" are that threatened Nathan and his fellow gargoyles in CARVED IN STONE. I find that rather unsatisfying.

Going back to the plot ... well, let's just say the plot rambled around a bit. It starts off with Rachel, an Interpol officer, trying to track a killer, then veers off to her tracking down a gargoyle who killed the killer, then veers off to strangers trying to kill the gargoyles. All the while, Nathan and Rachel fall in love, even though he's one of the monsters she's trying to destroy.

Anyway, for me, CARVED IN STONE is a so-so book, saved only by the fact that the hero is a gargoyle. It was interesting to read, as well as fast paced. I finished it quickly. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into it. There were too many things that put me off (including the contrived ending). Still, I'm planning to read the next book, in hopes that the writing will improve. After all, the concept fascinates me. Gargoyles. Very cool idea. Just wish the book was better executed.

***For those who like shapeshifter romances, the best I've ever read are about werewolves. Try TO CATCH A WOLF by Susan Krinard or KILLING MOON by Rebecca York. Or, try THE SELKIE by Melanie Jackson, which is a solid romance about a man who is half-seal.***

You know a book is excellent when it is still intriguing the second time you read it! Nathan Cross is a Gargoyle, a race of men cursed to be the protectors of humans while wearing the guise of beasts. He is also an outcast from his congregation as he has spurned the old ways; Nathan refuses to choose a mate so that she can bear a son and he can consequently be reincarnated. Rachel Vandermere is an Interpol agent who has dedicated her entire life to looking for monsters ever since she witnessed her father's murder. Rachel believes her father was murdered by a winged monster and thus she is terrified when her search leads her to Nathan and he reveals his Gargoyle self to her. Nathan is confused as to why he can't alter Rachel's memories and why she hears the Calling- a high pitched whistling sound that only Gargoyles can hear as they call for help. Vickie Taylor has created a fascinating world complete with political intrigue Gargoyle-style. Until I read this book, I had never even considered Gargoyles as heroes. Highly recommended!

I don't think I have ever read a book on gargoles. Nice having a new take on the paranormal romance. I really liked the beginning of the book. Taylor begins with the six year old herione of the story getting her daddy to look under the bed, in the closet, etc. for the "monsters." She really just wants all his attention for herself since there is a new edition to the family. The chapter ends when the same six year old watches her parents murdered as she and her baby brother hide in the cupboard beneath the stairs. A very dramatic beginning to the story. Definitely grabs the reader. I simple felt I could not put the book down until I discovered the reason behind her parents murder. It also set the premise of why the herione was so driven to find the "monsters" she witnessed killing her parents.

Excellent book, I gave it four stars instead of five because I thought the story lagged around the middle.

The first thing that attracted my attention was the ridiculous cover on this book. I couldn't wait to find out what the book was about, seeing as many book covers have nothing to do with the contents of the book these days. Then I discover the main character is a gargoyle, and I was thinking that sounded even dumber than the cover looked. So, there was the challenge. Was this book really that dumb? Or did it just suffer from a dumb, boring cover? It didn't take long to see that it was indeed the cover that was the only disappointing thing about "Carved in Stone".

Rachel Vandermere is traumatized at a young age when she sees her parents brutally murdered. Not only did she witness the crime, but she saw a hideously grotesque monster that night too, something she has never been able to forget or let go of. Now in her thirties, she works for Interpol. On an investigation to catch an assassin in Chicago, she runs into Nathan Cross, an art history professor, at the Museum of Fine art and is immediately suspicious of him. When said assassin ends up dead later that night, she runs into Nathan again at the scene of the crime. She's convinced that the hideous monsters she knows exist have something to do with the crime - and that Nathan knows what is going on. Nathan is of course hiding his true nature from her and throughout the book will try to hide not only his nature, but those of the rest of his people that reside in Chicago too. They are gargoyles, an ancient race of creatures created to watch over and protect mankind. In the days of their creation, they were a revered and celebrated race, but as civilization advanced, they faded further and further into the background till they had become all but myth in present day. Nathan has been estranged from his fellow gargoyles, but because of Rachel's determination to discover the monster she saw that night long ago, he must once again return to the fold to help ward off unwanted attention. But times are changing, and an evil is lurking over the gargoyles. An ancient race that has adhered to strict traditions may have to find a way to compromise with modern times if they want to save their dying race.

I was so pleased and delighted to discover a book with such a unique concept. Sure, there are similar elements in it to other paranormal romances, but the author has managed to twist them into a very enjoyable and fresh read. Rachel is an admirable heroine with some great hidden secrets of her own, while Nathan is a terrific hunky and heart-throbbing hero with a tortured and shadowed past. Think Angel of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, but without the messy blood sucking. The history of the gargoyles is presented to readers up front, with no holding back despite the obvious intent to create a new series. We know right off the bat why they are gargoyles. I was prepared to be rolling my eyes the whole way through this one, but couldn't be happier to report that this is a one hundred percent must read for anyone that enjoys excellent paranormal romances. I'd give it ten stars if Amazon's scale went that high. Watch out Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon! Make room for newcomer Vickie Taylor because she's sure to be a huge success.

Orphaned as a child by a mysterious attack in the middle of the night, Rachel Vandermere has lived under the shadow of that night for years. Never does she suspect when she meets Nathan Cross that she is going to face the mosters that killed her family again. Nathan is a man alone, or he would be if he was a man. Cursed over a thousand years ago, Nathan has lived more lives than he can count, and is ready for it to end. He is a shape shifter, a gargoyle who takes on a monster's form to avenge the innocent. Unwillingly, he is drawn to Rachel; neither suspecting the danger their love brings to their lives, or the old wounds that will be opened when they come together.

*** Though shape shifter romances are fairly common, as are romances with immortal beings, this is a somewhat different spin on both. Though you like as not will think you know where the story is heading, there is a twist that makes it worthwhile, if for no other reason than to read something that hasn't quite been done before. ***

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

As a young girl, Rachel Vandermere saw her parents brutally murdered by a monster. Everyone thought she was making it up as a way to deal with her grief, but she knew better. That creature was real and she dedicated her adult life to proving it.

Nathan Cross is one of an ancient cursed race, sworn to protect innocents from evil for all of eternity. He is a gargoyle, immortal and hating it. Born again and again over the centuries with memories of all that came before, he is weary of this life and agonizing over what is lost. When he meets Rachel, all his pain is before him again.

Rachel knows something is different about Nathan the first moment she sees him. Little does she know just how different. When she starts to investigate a murder to which some of the gargoyles were witnesses, she must track them down to get to the bottom of things. He is sworn to protect his people's secret at any cost, but his passion for her consumes him. But what will happen when she discovers he may hold the key to her parents' deaths? And how will she react to discover he is one of the very monsters she seeks?

This is one fabulous story that will keep readers turning those pages all the way to the end of the book. This reviewer never would have considered a gargoyle as a sexy and stirring tortured hero but it sure works here. This is a very unique premise for a story and that in itself would be enough to keep one interested. The characters are compelling and the background on the gargoyles is fascinating, which also adds to the reader's desire to see what will come next.

Nathan is a driven man. He is torn between his desires to leave behind what his people expect of him and his longing to belong to something. He's a loner, having broken tradition by trying to modernize the gargoyle society. When he meets Rachel, his desire for her goes against everything he thinks he wants. The fact that she hates his people, without knowing anything about them makes his relationship with her quite rocky.

Rachel has seen and survived horrors no one would believe, and that has colored everything she thinks and feels. Her drive to prove the existence of monsters could, and has, made her an object of ridicule with many people. She is strong willed and full of passion in her beliefs, which make her a very intriguing person. Her whole world is knocked off kilter with this latest case and sets things in motion for the shocking discovery she makes towards the end of the book.

Carved in Stone is the first book in a new series by the newcomer Vickie Taylor. If this story is anything to go by, future books by this author will be just as impressive. This is an author to watch as she is bound to become a future star.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2005. All rights reserved.

While I like science fiction and fantasy books, as well as stories about vampires and werewolves etc, I recognize that it's hard to tell that kind of story and make it believable and fresh. Vickie Taylor has managed to do both with a subject (Gargoyles) that is even harder to do well than the above mentioned subjects. How do you turn ugly monsters into sympathetic heroes? Read the book. She does it with skill.

As with most books of this kind our hero, Nathan Cross is a tortured soul and Rachel Vandermere is our plucky courageous heroine, but Ms. Taylor gives them a depth you don't always find and they are fully realized characters that you believe in and come to care for. This book is fast paced, sexy and suspenseful and I sure hope she has more of this world in store for us. I can't wait.

This is an outstanding book! I really cannot say enough about it. I cannot wait for Flesh and Stone next April (what an awfully long year)! I do not want to ruin anything so all I will say is READ it and ENJOY! Nathan and Rachel absolutely sizzle and it is great fun to watch them fight the attraction and lose :) This on is a real winner!