Initiation, written by Imogen Rose, is a
fantastic book! When I first began
reading Indie books, Imogen was one of the FIRST that I ever came across. Ever since that first meeting, I have been
sucked into her books, unable to pull myself free from their grasp. With that being said, let’s get on with the
review!
At
the beginning of Initiation we meet
Cordelia, a demon Princess, who is beginning her new school year at The Bonfire
Academy in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Upon
her arrival, she is immediately called into to meet with Jagger, the student
body President. Jagger is half fey and
evidently too amazing to resist! They
end up locking lips, which is bad by itself because she already has a
boyfriend, Quinn, but now there’s a bigger problem: they have synched. Yep, they can now FEEL each other within
themselves.
Enter
Faustine Spencer, the half-human, half-demon, daughter of the demon King of
London. Cordelia has been assigned as
Faustine’s mentor, so now this tasty morsel has to be protected. What could go wrong in a school full of
paranormals, right? The smell of human
blood drives most of them crazy, so how is she supposed to survive until
dinner? Unless she is dinner....
Moving
on! The whole premise of this book is
that Cordelia must help Faustine adjust to her life as a half-demon, which is
no easy task in this world. Their lives
are at risk every step of the way and there’s danger lurking around every
corner. There’s no possible way they’ll
make it out alive....or is there?
I
LOVED this book from the moment I stepped into Cordelia’s world. There’s action, romance, and intrigue, all
rolled into one. Just to set the record
straight on this one: I’m all for Jagger, if I must say. There’s something so primal when a guy gets
possessive....just saying. The
characters are also quite fun and entertaining, which keeps the story moving
along quite nicely. If you love a good paranormal
read with some fresh twists, take a look at Initiation. Before you do, make sure you read Bonfire
Academy so you’ll know exactly what is going on, since this is the book after
that one. I hope you enjoy! Don’t let the demon princesses haunt you too
badly...
EXCERPT FROM
INITIATION:
“Yes. Why did you ask for
me?”
“Ah, straight to the
point.” His eyes narrowed into slits. “Very plucky. Most would have the sense
to be more fearful and not ask questions,” he growled softly.
I held my breath,
controlling my instincts. A snarl was always a signal for me to transform. But,
I held back, on full alert.
“I was told that about you.
And that’s one of the reasons you’re here. You’ve been appointed as a mentor.”
It was my turn to smirk. I
got to my feet. “I can’t be appointed anything. Thanks for thinking of me,
though. I guess it’s some kind of honor. But, no thanks.” I made my way to the
door.
And crashed right into
Jagger’s chest. I should have anticipated his move; lightning-fast location
transfer was something covered in the first semester. I clumsily stepped back,
then met his darkened gaze.
He lowered his head,
brushing his nose along my neckline, breathing me in. I stood dead still,
letting my fingers fuse. I shivered as his lips found my right ear, his every
breath forming icicles against my skin. Then, he touched my fused fingers.
“Easy, demon princess.
Relax.”
I boiled over with anger.
Who the fuck did he think I was? Some silly human girl who’d melt under his
pathetic attempt at intimidation? Not so.
“Step back, and I will.” My
words were supposed to come out in a firm demonic growl, but instead, they
slithered out in an unfortunate raspy whisper.
He chuckled under his
breath and took a half step back. He needed to be taught not to mess with
demons. Slapping the smirk off his face would be too much of a cliché. My
mischievous demon instincts took over.
As the corners of his lips
curled into a leer, I jerked up my arm and swiftly wrapped my fingers around
the back of his neck, pulling his face down to mine. His eyes widened in
surprise, but he made no move to resist as I stood on tiptoes and roughly parted
his lips with mine. I kept my eyes wide open, gazing into his, as I explored
his mouth, drinking him in. He yielded under my touch. The kiss became more and
more fervent, until a surge of hot and cold, of terror and excitement, zapped
through me–and him, by the surprise on his face–leaving us shocked and unable
to move. Our eyes remained locked together as we stood suspended in time.
Jagger looked as dazed as I
felt. His eyes searched mine, but I had nothing to offer, no explanation. Then,
it hit me. Dad had mentioned the extremely rare phenomenon. I raked through my
mind, trying to remember what he had said.
Listen for his heartbeat,
synch with it.
An Interview with
Jagger
I
have to be honest. I approached this interview with some hesitation, perhaps even
a little trepidation. After all, even though I feel I know him a bit through
Cordelia, I’ve never experienced Jagger directly. As he sits before me, I can
empathize with Cordelia. He is impossibly magnetic, his aura both powerful and
dangerous, the only release, a hint of humor gleaming in his silver-gray eyes.
IR:
Jagger, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Are you excited about
starting a new year at the Academy?
Jagger: My pleasure. I am,
though I’m not exactly sure what my role will be this year. I guess I’ll find
out when I get there.
IR:
So, you’re not heading back as the Student Council President?
Jagger: I wouldn’t think
so. That position is usually only awarded for a year. Plus, my time at the
academy is officially over.
IR:
Why are you going back, then?
Jagger: Mainly to keep an
eye on my brother, Ryker.
IR:
And Cordelia?
Jagger: Yes, hmm. You said
that you had some questions from my fans...
IR:
I do! Here is one from Sean Sweeney. He wants to know what you got Cordelia for
Valentine’s Day.
Jagger: Myself. However,
like any girl, she obviously needed a “token” as well. I got her a little
secret something from Harry Winston.
IR:
Nice! The next question is about Cordelia as well. Al Kunz, the infamous celeb
book blogger, aka The Snake, wants to know what really happened on the slopes.
He wants details.
Jagger: He couldn’t handle
the details.
IR:
LOL! There you have it, Al! Moving on... Michelle Cable wants to know what you
thought when you first saw Cordelia and what you thought of that electrifying
kiss.
Jagger: That she’s stunning
is apparent to all who are lucky enough to behold her. I was struck by her
beauty as soon as I saw her, when she first arrived at the academy. It was my
policy to stay away from demons, though. Every kiss with her is electrifying,
but I’m guessing you mean our very first kiss. I was shocked, but immediately
realized what had happened.
IR:
Too bad that doesn’t happen to humans. Synching sounds unbelievably intimate...
Jagger: It is, but the
realization that one is bound forever to this one being frightening, too.
That’s unnatural in the supernatural world.
IR:
I can see that. Faustine seems to bridge the gap between the human and the
paranormal worlds. My daughter Lauren wants to know what you think of Faustine,
and Vickie Boehnlein wants to know if you’re scared of Faustine.
Jagger: I love Faustine.
She’s like a little sister to me. I feel very protective of her, even though I
know that she can take care of herself. And yes, I’m scared of her. I’d be
stupid not to be. She’s one of the most powerful demons I’ve ever come across.
IR:
Demons seem to like their food, meat in particular. Lynn O’Dell would like to
know if you prefer filet mignon or T-bones?
Jagger: I’m not a demon,
but I do prefer Filet Mignon.
IR:
That doesn’t surprise me. I have a last question from my friend Allirea
Brumley. She wants to know what’s going to happen to you next?
Jagger: I’m not a Wanderer,
so a trip into the future to answer that is not possible. Say “hi” to her from
me, though. I love her name... Allirea. Is she a faery?
IR:
Ha, ha. No, I don’t think so. Thank you so much, Jagger!
About
Imogen Rose:
Imogen
Rose is the author of the bestselling series, Portal Chronicles, which has
attained cult status within indie literature and become a favorite among teens
and adults alike. An immunologist by profession, Dr. Rose published her first
work of fiction in 2010. She now writes full time and is currently working on
her second teen series, Bonfire Chronicles. Imogen was born in Sweden and has
lived in several places, counting London among her favorites. She moved to New
Jersey in 2001. A self-confessed Hermès addict, Imogen freely admits to being
obsessed with Kurt Cobain. She enjoys shopping, traveling, watching movies, and
hanging out with her family, friends, and Chihuahua.
Stalker Links:
Buy Links:
Paperback / Hardback / Kindle / Kindle UK / Nook / iBook Store / Smashwords
Awesome interview..i love character interviews and this was fun, adding book to my list!
ReplyDelete:)!
ReplyDelete