I’m Still Alive by Jade Austin
This review is from 2021 and is kept here for reference. Titles, prices and availability may have changed.
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Recommendation
What a thrill ride this vampire story is! Azalea is a new vampire and you really see her struggles in coming to terms with her new reality. Her character is strong and very engaging and I loved her interactions with Chad, Conner and Florence. I found myself loving some characters more than others, but what’s a good story without some sort of an antagonist? Behind every page is a new twist and a new turn and the way that Jade writes makes you just want to swallow this vampire world whole. It’s like you cannot get enough. I love that you saw glimpses into their forbidden life like with vampire orgies, and I really enjoyed that the passion seemed to be deeper than one of a human connection. The story never dragged, the plot was intricate and exciting and the chemistry built between the characters was explosive. Seriously, a breath of fresh air when it comes to fantasy, vampire novels.
Excerpts
The open door quickly revealed at least twenty naked bodies, piled together, connecting in different ways. I peeled my eyes away, but it was as if the image was burned into the back of my eyes. Teeth marks covered their skin as they bled and moved together rambunctiously.
Florence’s hands hardly moved as I attempted to swat them away from me. He still had me pressed up against the wall, asserting his dominance like the beast he was.
His hand began to tremble as he ran it up my leg and he softly kissed the hand that obscured my neck.
“Florence,” I began, trying to find a balance between letting him down easily and screaming at him to never touch me again.
“I’ll kill him if you don’t let me, Azalea,” he threatened between cracks in his voice, continuing to kiss my skin eagerly. “I’ll tear him apart. I’ll do it slowly and I’ll make you watch the whole thing.”
Publisher synopsis
Run
Don’t cry.
Just get away.
All Azalea remembers from before on that deserted London road are the pouring rain and the agonizing pain inflicted by a single bite. Forced to learn of her traumatic past through vivid nightmares, this new vampire tries to piece together the truth as she navigates a world no mortal knows exists. When romance and hope start to blossom, several barriers are cast towards her, including the wrath of one who is not prepared to share. As circumstances turn violent, any chance at a normal life is vanquished. Enlisting the aid of creatures she once believed to be a myth, Azalea begins to fight, but how can she thrive in a world where her own darkness surrounds her and she finds herself constantly haunted by the colour RED?
Follow Azalea through book one of the trilogy, where fantasy mixes with mystery, a forbidden romance, and darkness.
Just get away.
Don’t cry.
Run.
Review published September 21, 2021