Valiant by Laurann Dohner

I cannot gush and praise this book enough. I started it last night and didn’t stop until I finished, which wasn’t until after midnight. Many already know I am a huge fan of Laurann Dohner and this new book in the New Species series is only fueling my addiction. I was so glad it was two hundred plus pages.

This is the story of Valiant a New Species member who takes more after his animal DNA, physically and personably. Valiant has a reputation as the most dangerous and most feared New Species. Tammy works for a catering service and was given bad directions and ends up in Valiant’s territory.

I feel like a broken record, but I’ll say it until it no longer applies. LD knows how to keep you invested in a book. Halfway through the book I noticed my back was hurting and I realized I had been hunched over my laptop for almost two hours. It was that good. When Valiant’s character was introduced in a previous book I wasn’t sure if I’d be interested in reading his story because his animal side was so much more prevalent than Fury’s or Slade’s, but I am glad I took the chance. I knew from previous experience to expect murder, sex, treachery and romance. I wasn’t disappointed. I was also happy to see cameos of previous characters. I also knew to expect at least two run-ins with the human terrorist organizations that are against the existence of the New Species.

I loved how intense LD made Valiant. He was uber protective, uber possessive, uber sexual. He was just uber in all ways. Be still my heart. If you want an Alpha, Valiant is that and more.  I knew that New Species were an intense breed, but Valiant brought new meaning to that term. He felt everything so much more intensely than the average man so when he finally fell for Tammy he fell completely. LD has a reputation for writing nail biters and this release didn’t deviate from the norm. The love scenes were explosive and enough to make anyone blush. These two had such intense passion and chemistry that it literally jumped off of the page. And just when you think the two are going to get a HEA something else happens and they’re back in the fray.

Definitely a must read.

Fury by Laurann Dohner

There is something that needs to be addressed before the review. This series is similar to a present series by another famous author. If I didn’t address this issue then I’d be showing my bias. Yes, there are similarities (the fact that their DNA is spliced with animals and a few other things), but overall both series stand alone. 

One thing that is a constant with Laurann Dohner (LD) is her ability to immerse and pull you into the story in the first chapter. I was so horrified and so disgusted by how the New Species were being treated that I was automatically a fan and rooting for their freedom. I knew she could write action, build suspense, and was an expert (wd?) with love scenes, but after reading this new book my level of appreciation for her has skyrocketed.

This book is full of tension, sexual and plot wise. Neither Fury nor Ellie bother to hide the attraction they have for each other. It’s a build up to see who will give in first and what will push them both over the edge. The outer tension is the world’s reaction to the creation and existence of this New Species group. Naturally, there are the pro-New Species and there are the factions that are pro-Human.   

Besides the constant back-stabbing and murder plots, it was fascinating to see how the New Species were learning to exist outside of the labs. For example, the women were learning how to do everyday tasks as simple as vacuuming and using a microwave. It’s amazing how much we take for granted the doing of simple tasks. I was also interested in the steps New Species was taking to establish their own sovereignty. What I always enjoy about LD’s writing is that she keeps me on my toes. At the point where I get complacent and feel like I relax into the story she throws in a scene or conversation that literally makes you sit up and go WTF. Case in point, the part of the book where pro-Human fanatics broke into the New Species compound and were headed straight for the women’s dormitory. I actually sat up in my seat and reread the scene twice to make sure I got every dangerous description and detail.

As per usual, Laurann Dohner inserts characters that will have their own stories in the series. I honestly couldn’t find one whose story I was not interested in. I am extremely interested in reading the stories of the smaller female New Species. I did notice that the DNA the New Species were mixed with didn’t seem to be that important. It was mentioned that Fury was mixed with canine, but that is as far as it went. There wasn’t too much exposition into the DNA mixing. Maybe more will be explained in a later book.  

The antagonists in this book aren’t relegated to one person, but a group of people. There are adversary’s coming at the New Species colony from within as well as from the outside world, which opens up the book to the realm of espionage. And because there are so many positions inside the colony i.e. doctors, security, PR, etc. it’s difficult to pinpoint who the ‘bad guy’ is. An excellent plot device. I know I’ll love this series as much as I do the others.