Void of Course Boulevard of Bad Spells and Broken Dreams Book#1
Paranormal, Romantic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fae Vampires, Witches, Werewolves
Champagne Book Group
May 26, 2022
Kindle
420
Amazon
Taina Aponte, the sole survivor of an arson fire that killed her family, was taken to safety in Puerto Rico by her grandmother to escape the wholesale destruction of The Bronx. Thirty years later Taina, now a witch and still haunted by her memories, is back in the hood.
She’s inexperienced in urban magick and ill-prepared to battle the roving gangs of dhampirs and werewolves that set The Bronx aflame and wrested control from the police. But time is running out to find those who set the fire—and why.
Taina’s search for the murderers uncovers a vast werewolf/dhampir conspiracy—and an alliance of fae to aid in her quest for justice. It’s not long before she realizes she needs more than the elderly santera who teaches Taina mysterious Santeria rituals.
She enters into an uneasy alliance with Arnaldo Arroyo, a reformed addict turned community activist who schools her his own special mix of sex magick and brujería.
The truths she uncovers shake her faith in everything and everyone she ever knew. Will she give up and run? Or will she accept the mandate of the orishas to restore the balance between good and evil and take back the neighborhood?
Reviewed by Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Twenty-six years ago, at the age of 5 Taina Aponte lost her parents and sister when their apartment became engulfed in flames. Taina was the only survivor because out of desperation her mother threw her out the window saving her life. Taken to Puerto Rico by her grandmother and raised there she now finds herself consumed with the desire to find who killed her family despite how much time has gone by.
Taina is now in the Bronx where she lost everything and is looking for any information that will lead to the killers but all she remembers from that time is that someone caught her and the detective investigating the case was detective Kelly. If she can find the man who caught her, she is convinced that she will be able to get answers, unfortunately, she has no idea how her search will affect her life.
She is met by Raul Rivera a dhampir willing to help her but what would his price be for that help. She finds that her ex-girlfriend has contacted a friend, Arnaldo Reyes, enlisting his help in protecting Taina. Arnaldo is an ex-drug dealer and user with a very shady past and though he has done everything in his power to make up for his past she finds herself needing his help even though she doesn’t really trust him.
Raul wants her to join him and treats her with respect, as much as someone like him can but there is the other evil, Lupo Lopez the leader of the werewolves who wants to control Taina and Arnaldo comes to her rescue when she is trouble, which is very often. Helping her are the fairies who hide their presence by appearing as birds, squirrels, rats and other small creatures. It was the fairies that not only offer her aid but believe she is the White Witch who will be the savior when a battle between good and evil happens. They are also the ones that presented her with a small white dog who will become her best friend and protector, small but deadly.
Taina gets a job as a victim’s advocate and most of the cases involve her two enemies, Raul and Lupo, which puts her in the line of fire. She is surrounded by Raul’s gang, Lupo’s gang that includes zombies, so her life is in constant danger. She discovers that both Raul and Lupo were involved in her family’s death but as she closes in on the person who threw the match, she will lose her faith in all those around her. Her magic is not powerful, but she is determined to stop Lupo and Raul even if it costs her life.
This book is perfect for anyone who loves paranormal, zombies, fairies, werewolves, vampires, magic, surprises, lies, violence, secrets and sex. I especially loved it because I was born and raised in the Bronx and visited many of the places mentioned in the book, it was like a visit to my past. The book does leave a lot of unanswered questions which I can’t wait to have answered in the next book, hopefully it won’t be a long wait.
ROMANCE/PARANORMAL/FANTASY
