Hey! I'm Val from StuckInBooks. My blog is mostly YA, NA with a little adult thrown in. I love urban fantasy the most. Sometimes when you read a lot of books, you find an author that doesn't get the attention that you think they should. That's my thing with M.R. Merrick and his series, The Protector. That's why I'm advocating for Chase Riley Williams.
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| Bradley James as Chase |
Let me introduce you to Chase.
Blond with dark blue eyes
Has a fighter body and knows how to use it
Turning 18 at the beginning of Exiled
Demon hunter
Kicked out of the circle on his 15th birthday for not coming into his elemental power
Pursued by demons of the underworld
Any demon gunning for him better have back-up cause he's damn good
Head strong
Jumps before he looks
Doesn't really do well with being told what to do
He loves french toast
He loves french toast
Determined
Snarky
Has a lot to learn
Over the series he learns it
What I love about Chase is that he really is a typical snarky eighteen year old boy that over the course of the series turns into a powerful demon hunter who doesn't drink the kool-aid but can think for himself. Let me give you a favorite scene so you can learn more about him.
I shot dark blue eyes to Marcus. "You know as well as I do, nothing I can do is worse than this, so back off!" I didn't expect for it to come across so harsh, but I didn't have time to worry about his feelings. I wasn't about to lose someone else.
EXCERPT
Bones crunched and Rayna's arms snapped, reversing which way they bent. She tumbled off the bed and clawed at the floor near my feet. Muscles flexed and strained, scarring the hardwood. Splinters slid underneath her nails, causing her fingers to bleed.
"Please..." Rayna gasped. She slurred her words as fangs jutted from red gums raw with pain. She winced in agony and her eyes pleaded, letting a single tear trickle down her cheek.
"How do we stop it, Marcus?"
Marcus shook his head. "We can't. She has to fight it."
"We have to do something. It's killing her."
"This is the only way I know..."
I looked at Tiki and worry owned his face. White, triangular pupils expanded over solid, orange eyes, and he flinched at the sound of Rayna's bones grinding together. His frame filled the doorway, muscles flexing beneath the caramel flesh of his shirtless body. Messy, black hair hung in his eyes and he continually brushed it away.
Willy's face was pale for an instant, quickly changing to match the bright red paint on Rayna's walls. His chameleon skin flickered back and forth between colors as panic filled his eyes. Blood and clear fluid dripped from his face, but he didn't seem to notice. He was frozen in fear, watching his friend's body break and change before him. This is was the first shift Willy had been here for. I didn't think he was quite ready for it.
Frustration won me over and I dropped to the floor, hoping the claws didn't strike me again. I laid my hands over Rayna's body and called my magic back.
"Chase, don't. You could do more damage than good," Marcus said.
I shot dark blue eyes to Marcus. "You know as well as I do, nothing I can do is worse than this, so back off!" I didn't expect for it to come across so harsh, but I didn't have time to worry about his feelings. I wasn't about to lose someone else.
The invisible hand inside me wrapped around the cool rush of my element and tugged it back to the surface. I pulled the wash of water from my soul and let if fill my body. The magic shuddered and the liquid moved under my skin as power prickled through me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
"Chase, don't," Marcus said.
"I'm trying!" I yelled, quickly reeling my anger back and letting the element calm me. "It's a lot more than any of us have done for her so far."
Water was a healing and calming element, but it could be as deadly as any other. Marcus was right to be worried; my control was weak at best, but I couldn't watch this. Not again.
Magic ran up my body, into my shoulders, and down my arms in a wave of power. My fingertips tingled as it left me and flowed into Rayna's body.
I focused on calming Rayna. I didn't want to hurt her, and I wasn't sure healing the wounds would help. I focused my energy and hoped if I put enough power into sedating the beast, Rayna could regain control.
The moment my magic filled her, Rayna's earth element pushed back against me, trying to intertwine with mine. It was Rayna's way of reaching out to me.
Our elements met and wrapped themselves in each other, coursing from her body to mine in a circuit of power. Our bodies were one in that moment, our elements just an extension of ourselves. My magic moved through her, dancing beneath her skin as it fed off her power.
I imagined a small creek moving over stones, wearing the rough edges down until they were smooth. That gentle flow of water would push the beast back and carry Rayna to shore.
The beast retreated as the magic splashed through. Feeling the monster's resistance, I forced it back, letting the energy thrust it into the corner until it surrendered. I waited until I was sure it was gone before I turned my focus to her injuries. (From the beginning of book 2, Shift)
Here is the brand new, NEVER seen before series trailer....
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| Bradly James as Chase |
Go Chase!!! I voted!! I will try to keep spreading the word to vote throughout the day!!!
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