Malice Striker (Viking Vengeance #1)
by Jianne Carlo
Published by Etopia Press
57,000 words (eBook format)
Erotic Historical Romance
Contains Elements of Action, Adventure and Suspense
Heat Level: Sizzling
Available at:
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Malice-Striker-Viking-Vengeance-ebook/dp/B009OJ1OEO
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/malice-striker-jianne-carlo/1113323816
Jianne Carlo is holding a giveaway as part of her “Alpha Me Not” release at the same time as this barrage. The link to the contest is http://www.jiannecarlo.com/Contest.aspx.
Blurb:
Can a mere Viking save the daughter of a goddess?
WhenScotland’s King Kenneth orders his death and kidnaps his sister, the Viking Brökk—the Malice Striker—plans his vengeance: he’ll steal the king’s bastard daughter from Sumbarten Abbey and use her to buy his sister’s freedom. But his schemes go awry when his liege lord commands him to wed Skatha—and when he finds five women instead of one at the Abbey, none of whom will claim the King as father.
When the Viking abducts Skatha and her women, she’s bewildered. Why did Brökk seize her? Why does he want her for his wife? She weds him willingly enough when he threatens to kill her companions, but she vows to control her own destiny and escape. For if the Viking discovers her secrets, the laws of his people will force him to cast her aside…or kill her. And even Skatha, daughter of a goddess, might not escape the Viking’s wrath.
Warning: This title contains scenes of an erotic nature (highly explicit sex scenes/course language).
Excerpt:
What Lady Gráinne had to tell her next stupefied Skatha. She listened carefully and tried to memorize every detail.
The women washed her hair and scrubbed her flesh. They wrapped her in a blanket, used drying cloths to wring the moisture from her curls, and untangled her locks with a bone comb they found in a trunk.
All too soon, she heard the sounds of roaring male voices joined in ribald Gaelic and Norse song. Pecker, prick, the songs the warriors warbled resonated with these words she now recognized. All at once came the knowledge that the men sang of the act to come, the consummation, the penetration. Her head giddy, she fought to gulp in air as an unbearable weight compressed her chest.
“Hurry. Shed the blanket, climb into the bed, and lie under the linens. Remember what I told you. Do not fight him.” Lady Gráinne gave her a slight push.
Skatha nodded. Her mouth too dry to form words, she clambered into position. Her limbs froze, and her hands refused to obey the command to pick up the bowl with the lard.
“I will ensure the bed curtains remain closed.” Lady Gráinne brushed a kiss on Skatha’s temple. “God be with you, my little dove.”
’Twas only when she heard his voice that the paralysis shattered. She shoved the linen down below her waist.
He spoke Norse, assuring some warrior he would prick her well. The assembled men burst into a raucous limerick.
She grabbed the bowl of grease and slathered the gooey paste all over her private parts.
Push the grease inside as far as you can. Lady Gráinne’s instructions thundered in her mind. Skatha thrust her finger into her sheath again and again and again.
The men’s singing halted.
She stuffed the bowl under a bed cushion.
An icy draft blasted her bare shoulders.
Skatha jerked the sheets to her chin and curled her fingers into a fist when the mattress dipped.
He smelled of forest, leather, and ale.
She couldn’t breathe, her whole body as stiff and unyielding as a cold slab of marble. Skatha squeezed her eyelids shut. Was he looking at her? She tried to relax her facial muscles, to attain the serene expression that had served her well with visitors to the abbey.
The straw sighed under his weight.
She slid sideways and grabbed the linens to remain in place.
His hand, warm and rough, cradled one cheek. “Look to me, wife.”
Touch him oft. Caress his sword of penetration and ’twill be over in a thrice. Had she the courage to follow Lady Gráinne’s astonishing advice? Aye. Naught would stop her. Too much had been stolen from her. ’Twas time to take back.
She turned her head in the direction of his voice, opened her eyes, and laid her palm on his flesh. Hard. He was so hard. No give to his skin. And hot. ’Twas like touching a boulder that had been lying under a blazing sun.
He stilled.
She whisked away her hand feeling like she had been burned.
“Nay.” He captured her wrist, pressed his mouth to the vein throbbing on the underside, and licked the spot.
With his tongue.
Too stunned to react at first, Skatha tried to wrest from his grasp when he nipped the heel of her palm.
He kissed the top of her breast.
She gasped.
His mouth covered hers and his tongue plunged inside.
What madness this?
He stroked her teeth, touched the tip of her tongue with his, and then suckled.
A heated, prickling sensation gripped her insides. Of their own accord, her toes curled, and her fingers dug into his arms. He moved to cover her completely and nudged her legs apart with first one knee, then the other.
His breath came hard and harsh, the hot exhales swooshing over her ear and feathering her cheek. Skatha felt as if she had drunk too much mead; she was fevered, dizzy, and impatient. Though for what she knew not.
He settled between her legs, and she stiffened when his sword pressed down on her belly. Long, rigid, and throbbing. He moved side to side and his manhood slipped easily in the lard she’d swabbed over her woman’s flesh.
“Odin’s balls,” he muttered. “You are slick and ready.”
She opened her mouth to tell him about the grease.
Review:
Ms. Carlo had me at Viking. I’m on a Viking/Medieval/Fantasy kick right now. I re-watched Thor and The Avengers over the weekend and this book was a perfect fit for me. It had Scotland, Vikings, sexy times and world that I will definitely visit again. If you have never read a Jianne Carlo book, I highly suggest that you do.
Skatha is the kind of heroine I like in a medieval novel. Strong, unaware of her sexuality and not afraid of the hero. She is not a weak character by any means. She holds the ultimate power over Brokk in more ways than one. 🙂 There are too many secrets to tell so you will have to read it to find them all out.
Brokk is out for vengeance. He never bargained for Skatha. He thought, kidnap her, ransom her out and he would get his sister back. He got more than he hoped for with Skatha. Wedding her was easy, falling in love harder. Oh Brokk…sometimes, he needed a good swift kick but that’s what I love about historical heroes. They can be dense at times but ultimately, they know what to do.
The world building in Malice Striker is breathtaking. Its twist is the fantasy aspect. Yes, I pictured Scotland with all its beauty but with the mythology thrown in the mix, it made for a better world. I can’t wait to read about Brokk’s brothers.
If you like a historical/fantasy novel with many secrets and a breathtaking new world to immerse yourself in, I highly recommend Malice Striker. Of course, for some reason, I kept thinking about Thor. (which isn’t such a bad thing)
Award winning, author Jianne Carlo’s motto is simple: “Alpha Me Please”. While strong heroines, exotic locations, and cultural differences are her forte, she goes weak in the knees for warriors of any type: rebels, SEALs, Vikings, and bad-ass mercenaries.
Send her a man with an attitude and she’ll find the right woman to tame him.
Jianne’s writing career began in 2008, and since then she’s been lucky enough to have over twenty books published. Most of her books are TOP PICKs and several have been nominated for and won awards and prizes.
Nothing makes Jianne’s day more than an email from someone who’s read one of her books. So far, she’s received emails from almost every continent on the planet. Almost…
Contact Jianne at:
Email – Jianne@jiannecarlo.com
URL – http://www.jiannecarlo.com
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Thank you for hosting me and Malice Striker, Harlie. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed Brokk and Skatha’s tale. FYI, Death Blow, Viking Vengeance II releases on 12/07/12
Thank you for hosting me and Malice Striker, Harlie. I’m glad you enjoyed Brokk and Skatha’s tale. The second book, Death Blow releases on 12/07/12.
I would love to read this book. It sounds very good. Please enter me in contest.
Thank you so much for hosting me and Malice Striker, Hallie. I’m so glad you liked Brokk and Skatha’s tale. I, too, am a Thor fan. Sigh.