RELEASE by M.R. Merrick ~ Tour kick-off, Review & Giveaway

 

Welcome to the RELEASE Blog tour!

There are over more than 75 blogs participating in this fabulous tour!

Check out the full schedule here!

 

After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems.

Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates.

Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna.

One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.

My Thoughts:

 

5 stars - Action and imagination explode to make this one unforgettable!

I love the imagination of M.R. Merrick.  The world he has crafted in The Protector series is Urban Fantasy at it's best.  There's enough real life in it that I'm comfortable, not overwhelmed trying to keep track of a whole different existence.  Next he adds all my favorite kinds of paranormal creatures, vampires, shifters, demons and more.  Add to that a few demon hunters, witches, and some magic.  Mix thoroughly with trips to other worlds, a seriously freaky vampire council that even scares Vincent and some loving between Chase and Rayna and you have the makings of a fabulous book.

All of the action and save the world craziness from Exiled and Shift were still going strong in Release, but there are some interesting additions to this third book.  Chase is really showing sign that the challenges he has faced have changed him - in other words he realizes that he shouldn't run head long into everything without thinking it through.  I love how he really does figure some things out in this one.  I will admit that that growth comes at a cost, but I'm truly proud of Chase and how far he has come.

Still totally LOVE Rayna.  She's figuring out who she is and that's still the strong, powerful girl that can kick your butt, thank you very much.  But there's more to her, so much more.  I thought she came a long way in Shift but this book adds even more.  What's totally awesome is that she's not broken by the challenges she faces but she become even stronger and she opens up a little bit.

What's even better is that Chase and Rayna are figuring things out between each other as well.  I've read a lot of paranormal/fantasy books where the main characters fall all over each other in a matter of chapters and so often it feels rushed or much too instant.  What I've learned to love about The Protector series is that the relationship between Chase and Rayna develops at a more normal pace.  They set things aside to deal with the mess of Riley but may now be rethinking that option.  It just feels right.  Well played.  Want a taste of that?  Check out my swoon from a couple weeks ago.

This book cannot be reviewed without mentioning Vincent.  He plays a much bigger role in this book and he certainly is the vampire that I love to hate.  I've tried very hard to cut him some slack but there's just no other way to put it.  Vincent is an ass and I truly love that about him.  He has the best lines too.  I about peed my pants laughing a few times.  So I cannot resist giving you just a hint of one of my favorite scenes with Vincent. 

Streams of sunlight broke through and landed on Vincent.  It took a moment before he noticed and a shrill sound shot from his lips.

"I'm melting!" he yelled.  He dove to the ground, rolled away from the newly made sunbeam, and unknowingly stopped in the one I had created when I fell.  Vincent lay on his side in the fetal position while sunlight beamed down on him.

"Wait a minute," I said, stepping closer.

Vincent's hand covered his head, as though that would protect him from the sun's touch.  Beams of light reflected off his pale hands, but they didn't catch fire and they didn't burn -- they didn't even smoke.

"Vincent," I said.
"Get it away from me!"
"Vincent, the sun is touching you."
"What?"  (Kindle location 1134)

Hehe. I so loved that scene.  And trust me, Vincent deserved to be traumatized by the sun and a whole lot more.  His "I'm melting!" line goes down as a classic.

There are so many secondary characters that rock in this book.  My favorite is Willy, the shuddering demon.  Best demon ever!  I love Tiki, Marcus and Grams too.  All with strong personalities that just make this book such a strong read.

So lets add things up, shall we?  Fabulous action, incredibly imaginative world building, strong main characters that have made signification growth, some well paced attraction between the mains, awesome secondary characters with enough personality to warrant their own book, and now add the twists and turns of a outstanding plot and you have a great urban fantasy read.

I loved this book.  The ending has me begging and hassling M.R. Merrick to get on with writing book 4.  I cannot wait to read how this series will end.

If you enjoy the YA urban fantasy/paranormal scene, then make sure you pick up this series for sure!

****Giveaway*****

 The tour giveaway is AWESOME & is INTERNATIONAL!

Grande Prize Pack (3 Winners)

3x Signed paperbacks (Exiled, Shift, Release)

3x Signed 8x10 posters (Exiled, Shift, Release)

5x Bookmarks

1x Notebook (Winner’s choice of cover)

1x Magnet

Runner-up Prize Pack (5 Winners)

1x Signed paperback (Winner’s choice of Exiled, Shift, or Release) with signed poster

1x bookmark (Winner’s choice)

1x Magnet

Secondary Prizes A (10 Winners)

Release eBooks

Secondary Prize B (10 Winners)

1x bookmark (winner’s choice)

1x The Protector magnet

Winners will be chosen as follows: First 3 names drawn from Rafflecopter will get the grand prize. The following 5 names get the runner-up prize. The following 10 names win ebook copies of Release, and the final 10 names win the swag pack.

There will also be multiple opportunities to win signed paperbacks, signed posters, notebooks, swag packs, and bookmarks throughout the tour on both Twitter (@MRMerrick) and Facebook Fan Page .

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Oh and I have a giveaway still going on for eBook copies of M.R. Merrick's books!  This one has 3 winners.  Choice of EXILED, SHIFT or RELEASE eBook.

Check it out below.



a Rafflecopter giveaway