Customer Reviews

Night Life (Pharaohs Rising, Book 1)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The reviewer who wrote that this book is filled with plotholes is absolutely right. I've never seen a less cohesive plotline. One dimensional and poorly thought out characterization (especially of supporting characters), bad dialogue, and nonsensical storytelling outweighs bonus points for a promising premise, an interesting take on vampirism and quasi-New Kingdom history. The book really falls apart after the main characters fall into bed together as if the author realized she had nothing more to say and hastily tied all the plot threads together haphazardly. In this way we are left with several key questions that remain unresolved and undermine the entire structure of the book . . .

How did any of these ancient Egyptians turned into vampires? What was the point of the bizarre elixir Adrian drinks in the forward if everyone he knew as Pharoah turned into a vampire without drinking the same thing? What is the Soul Gatherer and how does it affect our main characters (other than as a super convenient way to scare off the rather pathetic villain)? Then there is the question of just who is Christine to Adrian? Did they have a past life together? Is she some Egyptian goddess, is she really She-Who-Must-Be-Feared?

Throughout the novel we are told time and again that Adrian senses great evil but once the villain (irrationally) reveals himself, he is disarmed quite easily and even calls out to his mama as he is destroyed. Even if I could get around the plotholes, I can't forgive such a useless villain. There was no sense of urgency, no sense of peril. I found myself rolling my eyes instead of enjoying the suspense.

This novel truly had potential but needed someone of Susan Squires' or Meljean Brooks' caliber to pull it off. I think Elizabeth Guest bit off more than she could chew with this book. She wanted epic but produced cheesy. I know she plans this book to be the first in a series. It makes me shudder.

Reading this book was a unique experience for me. I've never enjoyed the first part of a book so much, only to be so disappointed by the end. I blew through the first half - I couldn't put it down. Then I started to get frustrated with the story. This is the first in a new series about (dead) ancient Egyptians awakening in their tombs to become immortal, vampire-type creatures. I kept waiting for some explanation of how and why this happened to these characters. I guess I expected some legend- and world-building. As well as I can tell, these characters become immortal because (thanks to some trivial twist of fate) they were lucky enough not to be embalmed and mummified when they died. That's it? That's the explanation? The premise is great, but the execution is weak.

Finally, I had to force myself to finish the last few chapters after the confrontation with "the bad guy." This not-so-climactic climax was foreshadowed throughout the book by the hero repeatedly sensing (or smelling) evil. When the confrontation does occur, the evil turns out to be something of a spoiled, petulant child. Not very scary at all. And the final confrontation is won thanks to a few incantations (I think. I went back and re-read it for this review, and I'm still not sure how, exactly, good and love triumphed over evil.) Oh well.

I love a good paranormal romance, but the problem with paranormal stories of all kinds is sometimes writers try to get away with stories, plot points, or conclusions that don't make sense simply because they can use paranormal elements to explain something away. (It's paranormal; it doesn't have to be logical.) I think that happened a lot in this book.

He had been a warrior and a king. He'd had many wives and children. He'd been revered as a god and had more wealth than most men could ever imagine but he had gone to his tomb without the one thing he desired most....his soul mate, the "beautiful one" who had haunted his dreams, dreams never to be realized. The great pharaoh had been betrayed by one of his own.

On his deathbed the man now known as Adrian King had performed a special ritual thus insuring his return to life. He had awakened and is once more a man to be reckoned with in a new desert kingdom as owner of the Royal Palace hotel and casino in Las Vegas. But eternal life had its price, even for a pharaoh.

Egyptologist Christine Day has had "waking dreams" of ancient Egypt since her childhood. She believes this to be some form of genetic memory. Her grandfather had spent his life searching without success for the tomb of the great king and warrior Merneptah Seti. As he'd approached the end of his life Christine had promised that she would someday find his king for him.

Asked to share her knowledge at an international conference in Las Vegas, Christine finds herself exploring the Royal Palace. She is highly impressed with Adrian's collection of Egyptian antiquities even though many are reproductions. While wandering through King's domain Christine has another one of her "waking dreams" this time of herself and a mystery lover. Her dream is disturbed by none other than the enigmatic casino owner Adrian King, who inexplicably resembles her dream lover to a tee.

Adrian has been drawn to the woman's perfume, a secret recipe he'd created for the soul mate he'd met only in his dreams before his untimely death. He is puzzled as he is unable to read her emotions as he can with other humans until she smiles and he recognizes her as his "beautiful one." How ironic that he should find her now when he cannot have her. Adrian has already felt the urges that edge him ever closer to becoming what he most dreads, an Eater of Blood and a Breaker of Bones a.k.a. a vampire. Others have arisen as well, his trusted friend General Rahotep, Maya the instrument of his betrayal, and Seth the betrayer himself. He must keep his beloved safe even if it means sending her away. Fortunately Christine Day has always been a great believer in fate.

Though the vampire genre is currently in vogue, this tale was a true original. The world building is phenomenal. The vampires are woven into the intricate plot rather than the other way around. Christine is not the traditional alpha heroine either. She is strong, intelligent, and devoted but doesn't go around kicking vampire butt and instead relies on faith and love to rule the day. This story held the reader in its thrall from the first page straight through to the very last. Tears will flow as the mighty warrior is forced to choose between his rightful destiny, to lie in the arms of his beloved, or to sacrifice all to save the soul of his twisted betrayer. Ms. Guest has proven herself to be a gifted storyteller. I look forward to the next installment. I highly recommend this read.

For PNR Reviews

Pharaoh Merneptah Seti was determined to live, even if he had to risk the invocation that turn out to be as much of a curse as a blessing. Now, in modern day Las Vegas, Seti lives as Adrian King. He catches the scent of a perfumed oil he created for a woman he dreamed about over thirty centuries prior. Christine Day, renowned Egyptologist, has also dreamed throughout her life of Merneptah Seti. Will their love be strong enough to defeat the forces gathering against Adrian?

Elizabeth Guest has put an interesting spin on the vampire theme. The Egyptian storyline is one I don't remember reading in other vampire books and it is refreshing to see such a unique approach. The overall ambiance of the tale was quite enjoyable and really upped my appreciation for NIGHT LIFE.

The romance between Christine and Adrian is rather briefly set up. Elizabeth Guest relies on the concept of their lifelong dreams of one another as the basis for such quick development. Fans looking for more of a drawn out romance may not be as appreciative of NIGHT LIFE as those who are more interested in the paranormal angle. The last portion of the book was one wild ride as Ms. Guest pulls out all the stops for a thrilling ending! NIGHT LIFE is a quick read but vampire fans should not miss out on this tale, if only because of the creative approach taken by Elizabeth Guest.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

... I'm disappointed.

I don't mean it in a horrible way, but... I'm disappointed.

I love vamps, Egypt, and Vegas. And sexy pharaohs. But... there was a lot wrong with this book. As a first in a series, it has promise, and I plan to read the rest of the series out of sheer curiosity and because, as I said above, I didn't hate the book.

In short, we had a decided lack of characterization, weak side characters, weak villain, a heroine who became less interesting as time went by, weak dialogue, no world-building, and, let's face it... the vampirism was lacking.

One at a time, now...

I loved the "flashbacks". Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for historical fiction and such. But, even in the beginning, I was a little confused. Seti did this ritual... how? Huh? What? Maya was... huh? But still, I figured it'd work itself out and explain itself.

Nada. Nihil. Nope. No such luck. The extent of our world-building suggests that all it takes to become an "Eater of Blood and Breaker of Bones" (no, I'm not letting myself get out the Book of the Dead to see if that's in there) is to be buried without embalming.

Damn, no one embalm me.

Side characters -- please! When they're introduced, we get a tantalizing taste! And then they go bye-bye so quickly...

Who's this guy Christine Day is hanging with? Huh? He disappeared so quickly I almost want to say that his presence in the book was worthless. Bruce? Bryce? Didn't really need him in the book.

I want to see more of Rahotep. Second to Seti he intrigued me the most -- though, really, I think I'd have liked to see him as the traitor rather than Seti's son, who we hadn't even heard about before...

Maya would be an interesting character -- in the right hands. Vampire turned Parisian fashion designed -- please, Guest, give us longer books, with just as much description and lots more plot and character development!

Seth? Huh? Who's this now? Ah. Our token baddie.

Christine was interesting until the (hot) first sex scene with Seti. Then she became, frankly, a spineless pansy. We have a brilliant Egyptologist. And sure, she's going to likely fuck the pharaoh. I won't be a hypocrite -- I would too.

But somehow this turns her into a clingy girl who seems somehow useless for the rest of the book.

Oh, yes, sex scenes. Pretty good erotica. Except for the dialogue, which consisted of sighing one another's names at various volumes. Can do better. Still, hot. Can't complain horribly. And a few fun twists for how vanilla it was.

Wait... wait... why did I buy the book again? I know there was the Egypt and Vegas thing, but I think there was something else that started with a 'v'.

... vampires?

Oh, that's what happened to those two pointless characters that I still can't figure out the purpose of. Someone drained their blood, right? And then Seti is struggling with all this nonsense about his true nature... uhm... oh, yeah -- because he wasn't embalmed he'll start wanting blood. But he protected himself! He tells his secret name to Christine. Who then apparently can use it against him if he turns on her.

He never does. He never really shows his fangs except to break free of handcuffs and save the damsel in distress. Then he goes out into the desert, kills the bad guy with an incantation, and tries to kill himself unsuccessfully, all the while becoming human in the process.

This is a vampire series! Give us one bite? Please?

Oh, yeah. that's right. Christine saves the day by... singing a lullaby. And Seti Jr., who wants to kill Daddy for cliche "I wanted the throne!" reasons, thinks she's a demon.

But she's not!

Or is she? We never find out or hear more about this soul-gatherer demon she supposedly is. Yet another mess of confusion.

Author, if you want to do better, write like you did for the first few chapters. Please -- it was good! And really, don't be afraid to world-build.

Read it for fun in an afternoon -- even if you are left scratching your head.

Elizabeth Guest spins a fascinating and exotic tale. The story line is a unique twist that made this a real page turner. The Egyptian premise was what attracted me to this new series. I was not disappointed. The author obviously had done her homework on Egyptian history. A fascinating culture comes to life in a new and exciting way with bigger than life characters. The passionate love story is enchanting. Bravo!

An ancient pharaoh is betrayed by those closest to him. As he lays dying, he performs a sacred ritual that will allow him to live again. And, boy, does he! Now he's Adrian King, billionaire owner of a Las Vegas hotel and casino and a modern empire builder. He has everything a man --- or a super man --- could ask for ... except for the woman he has dreamed about for thousands of years.

Enter Egyptologist Christine Day. She's smart and beautiful and she has a special connection to all things ancient Egyptian. She, too, has dreams. Dreams that are about to come true. Adrian only hopes her dreams and his don't become nightmares for there are others who have awakened from his previous life and they intend to finally finish the king off.

Two things really stood out for me about this book. The powerful love story between the hero and heroine, and the incredible Egyptian mythology and background material. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I've never read a book like this before. The author is truly a fresh and original voice in paranormal romance. I can't wait to read the next book in her series!

While the premise of this book was interesting, it definitely failed to deliver. The author starts off with a tale of treachery/court intrigue in ancient Egypt and then jumps to the modern day where the story is almost immediately derailed by TRUE LOVE. For the whole "destined soulmates" thing to work any author needs to spend a little more than 2 chapters working through how the couple is going to deal with this sudden complication - unfortunately, in this book, some unexplained overpowering attraction has them jumping into bed together rather quickly. That and it's always irritating when a supposedly highly educated woman becomes the limp-noodle, arm clinger and doesn't do much else beside be useless for most of the story. Finally, the author repeats herself ad nauseum re-iterating the ancient 'legend' which foretells of the meeting of the two soulmates - after the first 3 mentions of the legend I think most of us got it. I always find ancient Egypt an interesting addition to any storyline, but even that plot twist didn't save this book from being anything but 'blah.'

I bought this book based on the AAR review, they are usually reliable. Well this one was the exception that proves the rule, as other people have mentioned here, there are literally NO explanations provided for anything that happens. Egyptians just die, happen to wake up 'vampire' and immortal, and take it from there. There are no explanations for practically anything that happen in the book, but there are pages and pages devoted to the oil the hero made for her,or embalming procedures (which was actually a good bit) and useless other tidbits. If the author actually sat down and tried to infuse some logic into her next story, it might be readable. This one was not.

Good paranormal/alternate reality authors ( JR ward, Nalini Singh, Sherrilyn Kenyon, to name a few) are so popular not only because of their excellent prose styles, but also because they devote a lot of time and thought to interesting and thorough world building...this author would do well to take her cues from them.

From the first page, this book grabbed me and didn't let go. It was absolutely well done, well researched and rich in character, tone and language. Lush, sexy and just great in so many ways! I was up late at night reading this, just could not put it down. Can't wait for the next book in this series!