An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Ruby Callaway Trilogy Book 1)

I enjoyed the struggles that the characters had to work on throughout the story. It built sympathy and connection to the characters. I would recommend reading the prequel first. I will definitely be reading the next book.

I have to say I'm a bit conflicted about this book. On one hand it gets sort of confusing what with the time loop and all. But on the other the characters make up for it. It seems straight forward at first find and stop the bad guy, but then you find its not so simple and maybe the Bad Guy isn't quite the evil you thought. Book is certainly a plot twister, so like I said Interesting.

This is a very promising story with an interesting premise. I would be giving this a four star review if it were not for the editorial issues. This is the first book I have read from this author and I will read others but this authors books will not be a priority in my library.

This book is very closely linked to the science fiction genre so I had difficulty getting into the story. Anyone who enjoys Sci Fi should find this book satisfying. Definitely recommend reading the prequel first although this is a stand alone book that leads to the next one in the series.

I liked this book but found it to be cluttered. There were things that made you stop and question if you read something right. I liked the time loop concept, and if you could ignore the little mistakes it was an enjoyable reAD . Was the bomb needed so much? Absolutely not...

This is a solid read. Lots of detail and depth. I love a strong heroine especially one with supernatural skills. It was not a fast read but I hung in there until I just couldn’t put it down. This one was free. I just may have to buy the rest of the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Great paranormal romance with a tough female lead. I got hooked into the story from the first chapter and didn't want to put this story down. Definitely a must read.

Extremely confusing at first, until the reader understands the time loop. It took persistence on my part to continue until I understood the actual protagonist and villain. A nice resolution at the end, so I am willing to try the second book.

Kindle Unlimited, writer of Bone Realm (Ruby Callaway #0.5) Lightning Blade (Ruby Callaway Book 1)

Storm Pale

little bit of this that and the other from Demon Rogue (The Half-Demon Rogue Trilogy Book 1) to Blood Frost (The Half-Demon Rogue Trilogy Book 2) on to Moon Burn (The Half-Demon Rogue Trilogy Book 3) with the 3 set making it easy for no cliffhangers just get this one, or get them separately and just read straight through.Bought some separately, then buy trilogy or get on ku, simple.

I'll admit I wasn't sure how I felt about the book for the first half or so. I felt like there was some backstory I didn't know, but should (like Ruby's relationship with Pearl, or her life before the internment camp). I saw in another review somewhere that there is a prequel novella available on the author's website, but frankly, I don't usually stalk the author until I have actually read something and become a fan. That being said, once I get into the story, I really liked this book. The time loop was an interesting twist, as well as the reasoning behind why someone would want to start a time loop in the first place. It could be a bit confusing at times to remember what had happened in each "day," but since Ruby was having that issue herself, it didn't bother me too much.

Overall, plot was fast-paced and interesting, I liked Ruby and Roark and am interested in how they will interact in future books, and while there were a few editing errors, they weren't so bad that I was jerked out of the story. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, and may be going to see if I can get that prequel as well.

DETAILS:

Lightning Blade is the first full-length novel of The Ruby Callaway Trilogy by D.N. Erikson. The trilogy is supplemented with an additional standalone prequel, and it's currently pending the final novel. It includes: Bone Realm - Book #0.5; Lightning Blade - Book #1; Shadow Flare - Book #2; & Blood River - Book #3. It's categorised as urban fantasy and it's one of two trilogies that take place in the same universe (The Half-Demon Rogue Trilogy is complete and supplemented with an additional standalone prequel, it includes: Storm Pale - Book #0.5; Demon Rogue - Book #1; Blood Forest - Book #2; & Moon Burn - Book #3). D.N. Erikson has shown a willingness to offer the first completed trilogy as a boxset with an appropriate discount. It excludes the prequel, for which both respective books (Bone Realm & Storm Pale) are available as newsletter/follower free downloads, not available for purchase.

Prequel reviews are on Goodreads. Below links are easily deduced by label, the review is on Demon Rogue (see above):
Author Page the store - https://www.the store.com/D.N.-Erikson/e/B01G9SWQZS/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Review - https://www.the store.com.au/review/R378UFS2IRVBGM/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01G9FG15C.
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SYNOPSIS:

Realmfarer Ruby Callaway is a unique supernatural being who is accordingly rare in the world from which she originates. Lightning Blade takes place in a dystopian version of the world and is set in the year 2039. Ruby was born as Rebecca around the turn of the nineteenth century. Now more than two centuries later her lifestyle is a far cry that of Rebecca's, in more ways than just how the sands of time have influenced the landscapes around her. The first time she cheated deatha was over two centuries ago. Following the respective period leading up to and including those events (see Bone Realm for the origin story), she emerged decades later as a changed woman in more than just name. In just the past week, however, she's managed to cheat death twice as many times as that in the first two centuries. Emerging from the Weald with extremely rare and highly sought after gifts, awaiting her was the Seer Pearl. She'd seen Ruby's emergence in one of her visions.

Ruby is now a bounty hunter, her skill set having broadened during her partnership with Pearl; her first attempt at a similar venture being at the core of her time in the Weald. She must be a believer in practice makes perfect to be willing to tempt fate a second time. Beginning the current story as a prisoner in one of the seven hundred Supernatural Internment Camps across the country, she a strong and bold survivor who refuses to be cowed. For the wrongs committed against her and her's she fights back when the situation arises, killing without any lost sleep if that's what is called for.

FBI special agent Roarke, noteworthy for being law enforcement's resident expert in the identification and profiling of supernatural perpetrators, offers her a reprieve from yet another of her countless stints in the camp's Dark Room. It's one place that even manages to cause cracks in her courage, the underlying cause of most nightmares. Even though Ruby attempts to come across as playing hardball, deep down there's very little she wouldn't do to avoid the barbaric torture in such places, save perhaps stopping from carrying out her list. For her conscience, nothing could stop her list.

With conditional release under Roarke's guardianship on the table as long as she agrees to aid in the capture (or execution if she's reading the insinuations correctly) of the country's most sought after serial killer, a necromancer believed to be called Marshall, she sees no reasons not to agree irrespective of the fact that she would've agreed to just about anything. The looming of the Dark Room seeing to that. Better still, if she plays her cards right then hopefully she'll find a way to maneuver things in wsys that'll permit some further names on her list. Nearly as important, Ruby also figures that a miniscule chance might arise that if she can prove her worth in ways the FBI would be unable to otherwise obtain, then perhaps a temporary reprieve can become permanent.

But soon after release, Marshall lures Roarke with a particular kind of honeypot he's unable to resist. As a consequence, she meets Marshall during this callout. He is so taken and intrigued by her essence that he's never encountered the likes of, and thus she is dragged into the complex web the necromancer has been establishing. She's added to a twenty-four hour Groundhog Day with Roarke when Marshall stabs her in the heart with a rather curious knife that Roarke carries in his arsenal. Even though her essence is of such a unique nature, Marshall assumes that like Roarke she'll be unaware of the time loop once her death incorporates her into it.

Although unaware of the reasons why, when Ruby awakens her memories promptly lead her to realise she is aware of the repitition in the Groundhog Day she shares with Roarke. She hopes this will give her an edge in beating Marshall before he catches onto her awareness. She assumes the game isn't just the smokescreen, that Marshall must be doing more than killing a government official and broadcasting it on a yearly anniversary date, but finding out isn't an easy thing to do when the calender starts each day anew.

The first possible deeper meaning she catches onto is a scary consideration, leaving her with the hope that she's wrong. She must undertake the very difficult role of participating without giving away that she is aware of all she's learning. Not only that, she is also restricted by only being able to investigate what needs to be discovered in ways that also won't give away that she's aware. This aspect is much harder given Marshall has his own preconceived notions of how far and what they can be investigating. Not to mention the dilemma over IF and HOW she makes Roarke aware, a task that cannot be easily achieved given her inclusion in his investigations was not instigated by the FBI's desire to use her skills. It is actually one of the camp's captains of security who, in his ambition to elevate his position, first made Roarke aware of her potential value to the investigation.

Any deviation could theoretically mean that Marshall learns of her awareness before she solves the riddle. To further progress she not only has to ask all the right questions, she has to do it in a manner that won't give away her situation. She also must establish the quickest method in order to get further before the clock starts again. Any perceived sentience will surely see Marshall cancelling her participation, it's only his intrigue in her that keeps her going as it's actually Roarke who drove Marshall's infatuation in the game he's designed in some weird fulfillment of his desires.

She doesn't for one second think that Marshall wouldn't or couldn't go further in simply killing her or Roarke permanently. Given his immense power - a prerequisite of the essence needed for time magic - he'd likely be capable of killing them both in a heartbeat (no pun intended). In a loop none can understand that it even has the capacity to exist, anything can happen when a Lightning Blade clashes with a Crimson Angel.
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OPINION:

It should indicate at least moderate recommendations that following my experiences of Demon Rogue, that I went out and grabbed the first trilogy boxset and both prequels. I also found Lightning Blade being offered at an introductory special and I have since added Shadow Flare to it, the second novel of Ruby's trilogy. Presently I have reviewed Demon Rogue and both prequels, but I've been somewhat remiss with the other books, something I plan to remedy over the next few weeks. Please don't interpret my lax attention as reluctance on my behalf. Regardless of when you read my review, it's worth doing a quick author search on your preferred retailer platform(s) for discounts; I've added the store's author page with this in mind. I've also included the link to my review of Demon Rogue.

In a manner that can be likened to Edge of Tomorrow the mystery herein is intriguing in the sorts of ways that elicits problem solving skills. Such efforts are further extended in thoughts about the ways that Ruby can achieve her needs in the framework provided. This inevitably involves a bunch of internal predictions resulting in a lot of 'I reckon', and 'I knew it'; thoughts about how a loop can be considered in positives relating to how to use it to best advantage, about trial-and-error. There are also a couple of further movie examples that readers might recognise in regards to loops. Such as Groundhog Day and The Arq. Most will know the setup in Bill Murray's romcom. The latter is more in keeping with the science fiction based suspense involved in the first example.

For those who haven't seen it, it's about a device created to answer an energy production crises, a not all to unfamiliar problem of the modern age. Its design deals with perpetual motion physics where once the technology is set in motion by a powerful electrical surge, the device is thereafter meant to run itself; along with tens-of-thousands homes. During a bumbled robbery the arq sets something in motion alright, a slowly reducing loop. Similarly as herein and the other examples, you could learn to see the conundrum as a serendipitous glitch that allows you to solve a riddle you otherwise might fail to do so, or a potential demise that you can come back from. You could say it's a matter of glasses being half empty or half full.

The landscape is ruled in totalitarian interests of human populations no longer unaware of the supernatural. A time span where fear mongering is realised through staggering subjugation. Human capacities to relegate, marginalise and dominate come from a marriage between science and technology, driven by a corporation's dissection of people in order to see what makes them tick so that the knowledge developed continues to drive the bottom dollar and share prices into unequalled profits. Whatever can be learnt and replicated is a means to profit bankrupted in the areas of the rights of the living people subjected to these practices. As profits increase the corporation is driven to further its knowledge of in order to maintain steady increases.

The general public and private, business and government sectors are maintained by artificial factors that create a reliance upon the means of production owned by the corporation, establishing an unavoidable symbiosis until society no longer knows how to function without the things the corporation sells. In some ways we already experience similar situations in our real world example of the reliance on medication and pharmaceutical giants who profit from what is essentially human sickness. In the use of another movie example to help form an impression of the underlying principles I'm reminded of Resident Evil's Umbrella Corporation; MagiTekk might produce both similar and different resources that the world herein has become reliant on, but it treats the population with as little morality as Umbrella does. That is to say that people don't exist, only products and test subjects do.

In regards to the use of internment camps and torture (the Dark Room), locations hidden away from the public eye that might manage to produce sympathisers if they knew the true extent of policies to interrogate, experiment, and dissect, then we don't have to look too far to see that such possibilities are lacking realism, or even that they're purely fictional. Superiority is ensured by keeping marginalised populations alive but under such inhospitable climates and conditions that leave them so disenfranchised and under staggering individual duress that it's next to impossible for them to unite and mount any effective resistance. Some would ask why not simply eradicate then?

To which there's likely two main reasons, the first and biggest is that they serve as perfect examples warning others who might be shaped in such ways to tow the line. Second is that it may not ever be possible to eradicate when members of the respective groups can glamour and blend in. The ramifications of the warning in the first reason also mean that when it's absent sympathisers can be motivated to offer assistance, something they won't do if the first reason provides all the necessary incentives to not provide help. Whilst this isn't an overt aspect of the story's commentary from the perspective of wrong and right, you'd have to be blind not to see it. It's always an effective teacher who permits and promotes their students to work something out for themselves.

Under such conditions not only is retention more effective, those who've realised it for themselves can then also show the aptitude to then go away and apply that learning elsewhere, which pure rote learning doesn't do as well at. In essence the same can be said of really good fictional writers, who instead of using facts and non-fiction knowledge they use their story to get you there; just along a different pathway. If this fictional climate and Ruby's experience of it was to be manipulated, to say include Jews during Nazi Germany, or going back further to the case of Hebrew slaves used by ancient Egyptians to build their monuments, or even to the slavery of indigenous peoples not only past but also still present in some modified forms, then you would give it an A+ for methodology. In many ways, like techniques are among the underlying principle of what folk lore, fairy tales, and other traditional storytelling is designed to transmit, concepts like morality and learning wrong from right through lasting enjoyable tales.

As an ingenious coining of MagiTekk as the corporate entity's logo, the analysis of how perfectly it is named shows an outstanding capacity of lateral thinking on the part of its creator, D.N. Erikson. It has a rare diaphonous quality of being so simultaneously complex and simple at the same time. It achieves so many purposes that you cannot help but wonder if the story came first, and then the business logo arose from the need to supply a suitable name; or if the business name came first, and the story was written at length to describe the many concepts wrapped up in a single logo. I'll leave it as an implication so as not to spoil any discovery of your own part, but I challenge you to see how and why this deduction is possible. As a clue, I will highlight that to see the perfection you should think about the following items: the who, the how, the why, the where, and the when. Once you've read about it in relation to these critical items, then you might arive at a deduction regarding how intuitive and informative the corporate logo is: how it's without equal.

This book is fast paced entertainment with characters who drip mystique, and a plot similarly enriched with as much mystery. Ruby is a great character for whom there's so much depth that I expect we'll still be learning things about her in the final chapters of the third book. She's definitely one of the most unique quality the book has.There's also a lot that is said without actual voicing, sometimes the best way to address concepts with mixed opinions. There's no reliance on any messy love triangles or relationships that have broken down only to now see the parties needing to work together, which are two areas that can be overused to create drama. Mind you, not that a little lust or arousal isn't sometimes warranted and almost always appreciated. Problem solving and reading between the lines are common factors entertaining your thoughts as you simply enjoy a great story rich in content. The landscape develops with much clarity that isn't reliant on distinguishable world building.

I have a preference and deep appreciation of storytelling that achieves necessary tasks covertly, as a matter of course in telling the plot. Overt world building for me tends to slow books down with often no appreciable differences in how clear the environment becomes. Drawing attention to any of the things necessary for understanding a story always feels artificial and overly technical. I enjoy most the natural writing styles where authors doctor their tale in ways where you pick up on so much without it being shoved in your face whilst it waves flags with the caption, look at me! So there's plenty of positive features making it a worthy read, and I only had one area of knowledge regarding what's taken place in the timeframe between the prequel finishing and this book beginning. But as some things aren't always discovered all at once, I'm reluctant to mark down based on what I perceive as an area that could benefit from more delineation. I get the impression that the future books will star various events that'll elicit flashbacks that will solve more of this riddle

LightingBlade is supernatural, for twenty-one years she has been imprisoned tortured with her need for vengeance and revenge it is the only thing that has kept her going. But no one knows her name or what she is. Until Special Agent Colton Roark from the FBI offers her freedom in exchange in helping him capture a necromancer, which she accepts. But when she meets the necromancer and is killed, she realizes she's in a time loop so each day starts over when she dies and tries to get a little further each day. The writing is good. I did like the characters but I felt that LightingBlade was lacking in her supernaturalness (yeah I know that is not a word) for being locked up and being also known as the Crimson Angel I guess I wanted more from her in toughness and power, but I did like her attitude.
*(I Volunteered For Arc Review)*

Lightning Blade is the first book in the Ruby Callaway series of books. Lighting Blade is about Ruby Callaway. The book starts out with Ruby, also known as Rebecca, in a Tempe Supernatural Interment Camp. She is immediately told to get on her knees and Captain Stevens then puts zip tie curffs on her wrists and drugs her with a mild sedative. She finds out the FBI wants to use her for something but she is not sure what right away. Ruby had been reborn as a Realmfarer after cheating death, which granted her the ability to tell who was lying and detect something about the future. When awareness of the supernatural became public knowledge, they freaked out and wanted it controlled and so Ruby had been in the camp since then, for twenty years, watching it grow around her. She was told she was remain there for the rest of her life. Now Special Agent Coton Roark, and the FBI want Ruby to find and kill a serial killer. I will leave it to you to read from here.

This book was good. Since this book was the first in a series, and trying to set up the history of the characters as well as explain how the world worked, there were places it was a little confusing and slow. But after the characters were developed the story much along great. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers with a paranormal twist. People who enjoy paranormal stories would enjoy this story as well.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

I received this as an Advanced Reading Copy. I have to be honest that I didn't sign up for it the first time it came up. I'm a little burnt out on Urban Fantasy over the past 10 years or so. It popped up again because they needed more reviewers. I don't get very much fantasy or science fiction popping up so I decided to go ahead and sign up for it. I am glad I did.

The book turns out to be very good. Given the fact that Supes are put into prison camps or required to live in ghettos, I was a bit afraid it would be political. It was not. I am not terrible fond of the Groundhog Day plot either. But it was an interesting story with interesting characters. The complete background on both main characters is not revealed so there are lots of things left to explore in future books. The book effectively generates interest in future novels as the writing style lives up to the expectation.

The only thing off about this book is that the title is the nickname for the male character in the book yet the book doesn't really feel like it is about him. It is Ruby's story. It feels like it was given the wrong title.

I began "Lightning Blade" as a way to pass the time while I'm waiting for some of my favorite authors to release books later this month and next month. I had fair expectations, but I didn't expect much. So I was pleasantly surprised when this book drew me in and held me to the pages until the very end.

"Lightning Blade" is the story of a woman, Ruby Callaway, and her search out of a time loop. As a fan of "Groundhog's Day", I expected a bit of campy humor and some regular time loop tropes. But Erikson leaves out all the humor, tropes, and goes into the darkness. Ruby goes through various versions of hell every time she screws up a loop, taking her and the readers to a dark place in the human soul.

I won't say anything more about the story, but if you like fantasy books that bring on the nitty and gritty of real life, this book is for you.

I loved this book, however I do agree that Bone Realm (free on author's website} should be read first. That being said, I was consumed by the book. Once I got into it there was non-stop action (and violence) both inside the prison and out. The humans are trying to control or eradicate the paranormals. Ruby is the only being that realizes the world is in a time loop. Ruby must work with FBI Agent, Colton Roark, to stop the Necromancer before he is unstoppable. First they need to understand what he's after before they can stop him. I like when Colton gave Ruby a secret phrase to remind him he can trust her when time resets the day. I highly recommend this book, but it will keep you captivated until the end. I read nonstop (except when I couldn't stay awake anymore) because I HAD to know what happened next. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I found myself skimming this book in some parts just to get to the end. It wasn't BAD and I think the next books will be better. I didn't fully understand why Colten needed her help in the first place. She's doesn't come across as being very skilled or strong. It was mention many times about her being rare and the last of her kind but I'm not quite sure what she does besides get "feelings" about things. I think that was the biggest issue for me.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite complicated from the start, but I stuck with it and once I got into the story, it was very action-packed and engaging. I love paranormal mysteries and this one didn't disappoint.
The main character, Ruby, is strong and able to handle herself, even if her morality is questionable at first. Her partner, Roarke, seems to be a bit of a jaded boy scout and I liked him from the beginning.
The time loop and paranormals not being the dominant species made for an intriguing plot and the worldbuilding was thorough enough that I could imagine the scenery. Also, I liked that there was a resolution at the end of the book, but that there was more to come.
My main problem with the book was a lack of information about Ruby's past and feeling like I'd missed something, which was one of the reasons why it took time for me to get into the story. I'm now aware of a prequel and will go find and read it in order to hopefully clear up any lingering questions, but it would have been better for its existence to be made known at the start of the book rather than the end.
Overall, a gripping read and I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Took me a bit to get into; but after that it was fast-paced action until the end. Ruby is a Realmfarer; however no one knows her name or what she is. Even after reading, I'm not quite sure what exactly that is; but I plan to read the prequel from the author's web site and hopefully find out! One gift of hers is being able to recognize when she's stuck in a timeloop and it's up to her to end it. Partnered with FBI agent Colton Roark, she lives a life akin to Bill Murray's in "Groundhog Day"; making mistakes and fixing them in the following loop. Set in a future where supernaturals are confined to internment camps; solving this puzzle is her only chance at freedom. Great read with a lot of violence that isn't too gory for someone who isn't into that. A good read.

The idea of the story sounded interesting, but in the end I kind of felt meh about it. Ruby Callaway is...I don't know what. She ages 1 year for every 20 that pass. The blurb says she's a bounty hunter but the story was about her being stuck in a time loop. Every time she dies, she reboots back in the detention center where she started. She "partners" up with FBI agent Colton Roark each day but it seems like he was always dying and she would just go on trying to figure out the mess without him before she was killed herself.

The book had a unique story line and parts were interesting and kept me intrigued, other parts didn't seem to make a lot of sense. Not a lot of surprises here. Ruby, a trained killer in prison for the past 20 years, is visited by Coulton, an FBI agent who wants her help in getting a necromancer who is killing and causing destruction. They are caught in a loop and Ruby is the only one remembering what happens from each day as they repeat, which she uses to try to change the outcome and get closer to catching their target. With more clarity and more background material it could be an excellent book. I voluntarily agreed to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

I was given this book for an honest review. Ruby meets Colton and together they struggle to stop an evil necromancer. Is the necromancer doing all the wrong things for the right reason? Not telling, you have to read the book to find out. I will tell you I really enjoyed this book once started I couldn't put it down until the end. Ready for the next book in Ruby's story.

I really enjoyed this book as storyline was different and characters were well thought out and realistically flawed giving them more depth.

Ruby is supernatural​ bounty hunter who has been incarcerated for over twenty years and is only released to FBI agent Colton Rouke to hunt down a necromancer who has been on a killing spree for years that is manipulating time.
The world is very different from when Ruby was last free, author does a great job showing us her adjustments and frustration to the changes as well as the time issues (don't want to give to much away here).

Will definitely look for book 2 in this series!

I received this book for free with the promise of an honest review. I was initially impressed by the simple fact that this author knows English and has an incredible editor. That counts for at l east 3 stars by itself. The other 2 are simply because the story line is so involved and intense that I found myself slowing down my reading speed so that I could digest everything. The characters are engaging and realistic, the plot twists, turns and keeps one on edge, without relying on sex or sexual innuendo. I caught myself talking to others about this book, which is a rarity for me. In short, I have a new favorite author. I am on my way to buy book 2 now.

Ruby is being held in a supernatural prison. All she does is make lists of the people responsible for her families murders. An FBI agent, Colton has been watching her and decides to help. What she has to fight against is a continual time loop. The last spray starts over again and again. And everyday she has to convince Colton about the loop.The killer kills her everyday and then the next she wakes up in jail. Can the two find I a way to stop it and kill the murder? I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

This book wowed me from the very first chapter. Ruby is strong, sassy, and such fun to read. Colton also help keep things interesting. Having totally caught up on the Kate Daniels series (by Ilona Andrews) I wasn't sure where to go next for a book with a strong, interesting female lead. Well, I found it here. The plot is amazing, and I won't spoil it, but I will say I highly recommend this book. I was able to pick up a free copy, and I'm so glad I started this new series.

I would have given this book more stars but I just felt the lack of real back ground about Ruby or any really good hints distracted me a lot while reading as I kept reading. The loop was a good story line but it did get a bit old which I think is due to not really connecting with Ruby. I will probably give book 2 a go as the story/writing came together more at the end.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Awesome! Here is a brand new idea for an epic fantasy series. Getting released from jail after 20 years is a dream come true. However getting killed isn't. But waking up alive is stunning. Why is she caught up in this. Every time she dies she comes back - why? Is the killing necromancer to blame? Great characters and vivid imaginative surroundings bring the book to life. A must read.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*

I really wanted to like this book but it really feel short for me. It just didn't capture my attention and I had to push myself just to get thru the book. It wasn't bad but it just didn't interest me like I thought it would.

This is a five star read for me since it comes from the "Half Demon Rogue" world and is packed with characters that are original. A bit futuristic and completely original it combines the best elements of multigenre worlds. It is a must read for Kate Daniels and other similar world lovers.

I like the book, however, there are some chapters in the book, that could have just been ignored, I like the general idea/theme of the book but there are some moments when the author gets everything right and then ruins the moment with an out of place comment, and there is a part where you just want to skip some chapters because it does not contribute to the 'theme' of the book, also there are many hints referring to the end of the story prematurely (like referring to the necromancer as the good guy.),

This is the first time I have read from this author and must say that this is a good book, it could have been better, but I like it as it is.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book. Truly loved this story. Ruby and Roark's characters are super colorful. Ruby has been locked up for 20 years, and Roark gets her released to help him catch the Necromancer.
What he doesn't know is he is stuck in a time loop.
Well worth reading, and I will be reading more in the series :)

I just finished reading this book and I couldn't put it down until I read it through. Well, that's not quite true, but it was such good read that I hated to put it down. Fast pace, excellent character, twist at every turn and a unique plot all found in this gem of a book. I'm on my way to reading the next one in the series.

I received an ARC of this book and decided to wrote a review.
This story is Groundhog Day on steroids except the hero and heroine die at least half of the time. Who Idais behind the time loop? Why have they chosen to involve a supernatural being and an FBI agent? Can they break the cycle?
A well-paced and riveting story.

I should mention that I received a free copy in exchange for a review and I am delighted to give it a top rating. Groundhog day with lots of violence! Right until the end I wasn't sure how it would work out.

This book started out great but failed to keep my attention. I never did finish this book. I do plan on finishing it later and updating or posting a new review. Maybe it was just that I didn't have my mind on that particular story plot at the time (I tend to do that alot).

Love me some sci-fi novels to get into. Glad I decided to read this as it was a pretty good read. I likr the characters and Ruby is pretty awesome and seems to learn from her past and mistakes. A good start to a new team and looking forward to getting into the rest of the series.

The book itself is a good read, although at some times a little confusing from conversations between the characters and placements. It is almost like watching a tv episode and then having it cut right to another scene and still trying to catch up to what happened.

An Urban Paranormal Ground Hog Day? Yes, please! And this is exactly what Lighting Blade Gives you. A kick ass Heroine with interesting powers? check! Lightening Blade is a fun read and I enjoyed it. Ruby Callaway is quickly becoming one of my favorite book heroines. A must read series!

I really loved this book. I just loved the main character, Ruby. All the characters were awesome. It's well written and reads fast. No sexual content but some violence. But nothing to gory. Great plot and lots of action. Looking forward to more from this author.

This book turned out to be so much more than I expected. The summary intrigued me enough to give it a try, and it didn't take me long to get sucked into the story. The story itself surprised me in the turns it took and kept me on my toes. This was such a great read! I can't to read the next one!

I loved this book, however I do agree that Bone Realm (free on author's website} should be read first. That being said, I was consumed by the book. Once I got into it there was non-stop action (and violence) both inside the prison and out. The humans are trying to control or eradicate the paranormals. Ruby is the only being that realizes the world is in a time loop. Ruby must work with FBI Agent, Colton Roark, to stop the Necromancer before he is unstoppable. First they need to understand what he's after before they can stop him. I like when Colton gave Ruby a secret phrase to remind him he can trust her when time resets the day. I highly recommend this book, but it will keep you captivated until the end. I read nonstop (except when I couldn't stay awake anymore) because I HAD to know what happened next. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Awesome! Here is a brand new idea for an epic fantasy series. Getting released from jail after 20 years is a dream come true. However getting killed isn't. But waking up alive is stunning. Why is she caught up in this. Every time she dies she comes back - why? Is the killing necromancer to blame? Great characters and vivid imaginative surroundings bring the book to life. A must read.

I received an ARC of this book and decided to wrote a review.
This story is Groundhog Day on steroids except the hero and heroine die at least half of the time. Who Idais behind the time loop? Why have they chosen to involve a supernatural being and an FBI agent? Can they break the cycle?
A well-paced and riveting story.

I have voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. The book starts out slow and rather confusing, but when it picks up the whole experience makes it worth while. The characters are well developed and make an interesting duo.

A time loop. An evil necromancer. A badass heroine. A (slightly) rogue FBI agent.

What do you do when you're the only person who remembers and knows there is a time loop? Follow Ruby and find out...

An interesting time based fantasy, definitely worth the read