A Rush of Wings

The Maker's Song #1

by Adrian Phoenix

HIS NAME IS DANTE.

Dark. Talented. Beautiful. Star of the rock band Inferno. Rumored owner of the hot New Orleans nightspot Club Hell. Born of the Blood, then broken by an evil beyond imagination.

HIS PAST IS A MYSTERY.

F.B.I. Special Agent Heather Wallace has been tracking a sadistic serial murderer known as the Cross Country Killer, and the trail has led her to New Orleans, Club Hell, and Dante. But the dangerously attractive musician not only resists her investigation, he claims to be "nightkind": in other words, a vampire. Digging into his past for answers reveals little. A juvenile record a mile long. No social security number. No known birth date. In and out of foster homes for most of his life before being taken in by a man named Lucien DeNoir, who appears to guard mysteries of his own.

HIS FUTURE IS CHAOS.

What Heather does know about Dante is that something links him to the killer -- and she's pretty sure that link makes him the CCK's next target. Heather must unravel the truth about this sensual, complicated, vulnerable young man -- who, she begins to believe, may indeed be a vampire -- in order to finally bring a killer to justice. But Dante's past holds a shocking, dangerous secret, and once it is revealed not even Heather will be able to protect him from his destiny....

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Angels

404 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2008

About the author

Adrian Phoenix writes urban fantasy and is the author of The Maker's Song series, (currently working on book 6) and the Hoodoo series, the third book, Black Moon Mojo and the forthcoming Sons of Darkness series. Her humorous paranormal Thinning the Herd was released January 2016.

She lives in Springfield, Oregon in a zombie-free home (except when meeting deadlines) with three cats, Keats, Emily, and Raven and has two sons, three grandchildren and three granddogs.

She loves to read and see movies, enjoys hiking with her granddog, Cielo, (immortalized in Black Dust Mambo and Black Heart Loa), and hanging out with friends.

She also loves creepy things and yearns to go on a paranormal investigation. She also hopes to do a haunted tour one day.

She also loves, loves, loves music – and anything by Trent Reznor is high on the list. She also loves to hear from my readers and fans, So please feel free to contact her!

Website: http://www.adrianphoenix.com
Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adrian...
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/adriannikolasp...

Reviews

[Katyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really tough one to review.

On the one hand, there was something to the story that drew me in. And I am honestly at a complete loss to say what that was. I have been turning it over and over since I finished the book last night, and I really don't know what had me so fascinated.

But on the other hand... there was a lot about this book that just didn't work for me. Let's start with:

Heather as an FBI agent was ridiculous. This was just the worst-fitting career choice for this character, as written, because she is just so... NOT an agent. She's emotional, naive, forgetful about things like, oh, her GUN. She's pretty easily baited. She's utterly unprofessional. This character was not at all written with the personality of an agent. Furthermore, the story doesn't even support the weak idea of her being an agent. Because, for a start, agents aren't sent after serial killers without partners. Honestly, I don't know why the author went this route with the character, but then didn't build any structure to support that story choice. I decided, early on, that I was just not going to be able to tolerate this book at all if I couldn't just utterly erase that aspect - I literally ignored all reference to her as an FBI agent. As a character, I liked Heather. As an agent, she was laughable. So I chose to focus on her as a character.

Moving on, the other big problem I had was: Dante was, in many many respects, like a child. A hyper-sexualized child, very innocent (in every way EXCEPT sexual, of course) and utterly without emotional maturity or socialization. This was a creepy combination. He was like this... teenaged big brother, struggling to protect his family, but without the maturity to deal with the world. It made him endearing... but the VERY sexual way that he was worshipped by everyone around him then felt mildly obscene. Especially given that this is a guy that, it is implied, has been a victim of prolonged and serialized sexual abuse... both by foster parents and by the creepy government agency that used him as a guinea pig. It honestly made the entire potent-sex aura that the author loved to surround him with... really creepy. I mean, he even SPEAKS like a kid, with dialog like "didja wanna" and "I don't hafta" ... everything about Dante projects young young young. Young and broken.

Aside from the creepy sexual vibe, Dante was a difficult character to connect to. He was fascinating, mysterious, and very compassionate / empathetic. He was also, frankly, a sociopath. I can't see any way a relationship - with anyone - can possibly work out. Which is maybe why I kept reading. The big driving questions that I was asking myself throughout this first book were "where can this possibly be going? how on earth can this resolve?"

Which leaves me vaguely curious about where the rest of the series goes, but not at all emotionally invested. I think I'd be just as happy reading summaries from here forward, to satisfy my curiosity. Which is weird to me, because it is so incredibly rare for me to not become connected, on an emotional level, with characters. I mean, I cry at commecials, for pity's sake. But at the end of this book, my entire reaction - emotionally and intellectually - was pretty much this:

"...huh."

[Nichole (DirrtyH) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap, this book was fantastic!
It was getting rave reviews from some trustworthy people on the different paranormal groups I belong to, so I knew I'd like it, but I was prepared to be at least a little bit let down, because let's face it, nothing ever lives up to the hype, right?
Well, this one did.

This is a very dark urban fantasy novel about an FBI agent, Heather, who has been following a serial killer for 3 years. The hunt leads her to New Orleans, where she becomes entangled with a vampire, Dante, who she believes the killer is trying to communicate with, and who may be the next target.

If you're turned off by "vampire" stories - please read this anyway! It's very different from all the other vampire books in the genre. It's a heartbreaking, hauntingly beautiful story about the ability to transcend the horrors of life, and the capacity for love and compassion.
It's dark, violent and unflinching but it still maintains that underlying glimmer of hope that keeps it from being depressing and instead makes it beautiful. I absolutely could not put this book down and now I'm anxiously waiting to read the sequel.

Please read this book!!! I mean it!

**Dec 2009 re-read**
This book didn't quite hold up but was still really good the second time.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars – Vampire Romance/Urban Fantasy

Wow...fan-freaking-tastic! There’s no way I can sum up this book or do it adequate justice with my review, so I’m only giving a quick rundown of why I loved it. I’ve seen a lot of rave reviews from readers and critics, and I agree that it’s definitely deserving of the hype.

FBI Special Agent Heather Wallace is investigating a sadistic serial killer known as the Cross Country Killer. When the case leads her to Club Hell in New Orleans, she finds herself drawn into the inner circle of mysterious club owner Lucien DeNoir, ethereal Goth rock god Dante, and the dark world of the nightkind.

Adrian Phoenix’s phenomenal debut A Rush of Wings, with its creative tale of covert government experiments, fallen angels, and vampires, is dark, violent, sexy, gritty, edgy, haunting, dazzling, action-filled, and completely unrelenting in emotional intensity. What to say about Dante? He’s dark, sexy, mysterious, and such a conflicted, damaged soul that bearing witness to his internal struggle and pain is completely heartbreaking. Heather is a strong, compassionate heroine with a deep-rooted need to help others, but can she save Dante?

I will warn you strict romance lovers that it’s a very dark, disturbing urban fantasy read with little romance and only one sex scene between the H/H. But, it’s one of the most unique, original ‘vampire’ books I’ve read, which is saying a lot for such a saturated genre, the plot is gripping and intriguing, the characters are fascinating, and the writing is excellent. I was completely sucked in and devoured it in one sitting, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the amazing Maker’s Song series. 5 stars!

FYI: There’s a very handy glossary/translation of words and phrases at the back of the book that I sure wished I’d known about before and while I was reading, instead of after the fact!

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was an accidental reread at first but then I was interested to see if I can give the series another go and maybe finsih it. But not quite sure yet
--

This was a fun story, however I had difficult to imagine Heater as an FBI agent. The story wasn't without some flaws but I enjoyed my time with it

[The Flooze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just...wow. You know when everyone around you tells you a book is phenomenal, different and unique, and you just have to read it because they swear that you will love it?

And you imagine that it could never live up to the hype?

A Rush of Wings lives up to the hype. It soars above and beyond the hype, grips you in its gritty, blood-stained talons and drags you through one searing image after another, forcing you to traverse the landscape of disturbed minds, fathomless pain, and offering a fleeting glimpse of the shimmering distant oasis of hope.

Dante's fragmented thoughts, his rage, and his compassion pound a beat through your veins, while Heather's determination and sense of justice heighten the tempo. Every facet of this book is dazzling, leaving you aching for more of the blistering emotions, more of the adrenaline-fueled action, more of everything and anything Phoenix is willing to give.

In this case, the hype, however great, cannot come close. Read it.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd been meaning to try out this book for a while, but for some reason I always bypassed it when looking for something to read. I guess I was never in the right mood. Well, I finally bit the bullet and read it.

Interesting is the word that comes to mind when I think of this book. The author did a fabulous of setting the atmosphere. Everything felt dark and gothic and intense. One of the lead characters, Dante, stayed pretty mysterious throughout. Even when I learned more about him I still felt kind of confused. I expect more information about exactly who and what he is will come further into the series.

I liked how all the characters had a bit of depth to them, even the side characters. The little family that Dante has gathered for himself was quite interesting. I wish that we had been given more detail about the specifics of it all. But I think the one I found the most interesting was Lucien. I was kind of hoping Heather would eventually drift his way, but alas...

I was not a fan of the frequent pov shifts in this book. I don't mind more than two pov's--it can really present a well rounded picture of the story--but this was way too many. It became tedious for me because I had very little interest in reading from most of their pov's. Also, it jumped too frequently to really get a handle on the person. So, a little less of that in the next couple books would be a boon for me.

The whole book was centered around Dante. How hot he is and how so many people worship him. I found it interesting as an aspect of his unique birthright. But his personality didn't really endear him to me as a romantic lead. He felt very, very young. He was all teenage angst and drama. Combined with his problem remembering things it intrigued me, but that was about it. Although once I learned about his childhood I felt much more sympathetic and patient with his mood swings.

Heather was likable, but she seemed to only be cast as an agent as a reasonable way for her to get close to Dante. She didn't seem to actually follow any police rules and I found it odd that she ran around in the field by herself. Also, why was an agent carrying a purse around constantly on the job? I could go on about the various unprofessional ways she behaved, but why harp?

I really felt that this book needed to be tightened up to really work for me. The plot was pretty simple, so it was odd to have it matched to such a languorous pace. The pacing was odd, and the actual delivery of the events and information was hard to read. It was like someone continuously talking. It makes it hard to focus on specific details so you keep having to ask the person to repeat themselves (or reread a section). It all just seemed to stream together for me in a blur.

Even though this was not a huge hit for me I still plan to read the next book. I was interested enough in it to want to know what happens next, especially after the way Heather left things at the end. I'm really curious to see where the author is going with Dante's story, and I hope we get more background on Lucien's race.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like other reviewers have mentioned, this is a pretty dark Urban Fantasy read. Dante is so terribly damaged that whether he'll ever be healed remains to be seen. I'm glad there's a sequel because I want a HEA for this character. Whether he gets it in the next book remains to be seen. I loved this book because after reading so much PNR lately, it was rather refreshing not to have an author wax poetic about the male leads cock. There was one sex scene in the entire book which isn't usually enough for me but it was worth the wait and because there was so much else going on in the story, I didn't miss the lack of sex. I loved the Cajun language that is liberally sprinkled throughout even if I did sometimes find it annoying to have to refer to the glossary in the back of the book repeatedly. I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel to this book.

[FlibBityFLooB · Rating 2 out of 5]

*sigh* I wanted to like this book, I really did. However, something didn't click with me at all. I was fighting not to skip entire sections of the book. Unforunately, I didn't succeed and couldn't finish the entire book. I was very skim-happy in the end. It likely is just my personal preference, but I'll try to explain the things that I didn't like in general...

Perhaps it was the overuse of adjectives, metaphores, and explanations of smells. I might have known after re-reading the first sentence four times in a row that I was likely not going to enjoy the author's style: "The sweet, cloying odor of blood and honey-suckle hung in the rain-misted courtyard like rancid smoke" I think the author was very taken with the idea of smells in the book. Another example, from page 19: "The sweet odors of clove, pot, and wine mingled uneasily with the smells of vomit and warring perfumes." No, it wasn't just the beginning of the novel that was crowded with flowery language and smells, it continued throughout the book ad nauseum. I guess it just wasn't my thing.

Perhaps it was the French that littered the novel. I usually don't mind French since I'm decently fluent, but there was some really sloppy French in this book. Maybe I was already annoyed, so it annoyed me more? Maybe it's a New Orleans thing. I don't know, but I hate it when there is poorly written foreign-language in a book.

Finally, for me, the story didn't grab me the way a lot of my favorite urban fantasy series have. Again, this is likely personal preference, so take my review with a grain of salt.

I really wish I had liked it. Oh well.

[AH · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Rush of Wings had the potential to be a totally awesome paranormal novel: It was set in New Orleans, which in my opinion is the perfect place for things that go bump in the night. The main character Dante is the lead singer for a goth/punk rock band called Inferno, so there is a cool factor there. It also has some interesting lore with vampires, Fallen angels, and other nightkind. There is even something for the conspiracy theorists to love, with shady government organizations that create and experiment upon psychotic killers.

Does it work? Yes and no. I did enjoy the book, though it took me a few tries to get into it. I liked the concept of the nightkind, and how the vampires communicated. I liked that Dante was a comparatively young vampire, only in his early twenties, unlike other vampire stories where the vampires are very old and set in their ways. Dante’s youth allowed him to have some vampire attitude. Dante’s powers were not fully developed, so he discovered his abilities as he went along. The heroine of the story is an interesting character. Heather is not your typical FBI agent. In fact, she doesn’t really seem to act as an agent at all. She seemed to follow her heart and her instincts more.

I did enjoy how Dante’s powers were described like he was creating beautiful music.

A few things did not work for me. There were constant flashbacks and point of view shifts that were a little confusing for me. My husband laughed at the cover of the book after I complained that Heather never did dress like that. I also found that the book ended a little abruptly for me.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It’s a good start to the Maker’s song series. I plan to read the next book.

[Kenya Wright · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got 15% in and couldn't finish it.

GOD!!! I wanted this to be good because I want to read a good paranormal mystery!

But it was so wordy, jumped around in too many heads, and just lost my interest.

"Standing behind Dante's stone bad-winged throne, Lucien shifted his gaze from the black bearded nightkind stranger at the bar and his sallow-skinned mortal companion, to keep a watch on the entrance."

"she tabbed open a can of Dr Pepper and took a long swallow of the cold, sweet plum-flavored soda as it hit her empty stomach like a chunk of ice.'

Dude--- its just a soda.

Its all like this long sentences that don't tell me anything about the damn story.

:-(

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This style reminded me SO MUCH of JR Ward. If you like BDB then pick this up.

I found the lead character totally not credible as an FBI agent and the love interest NOT sexy, so it's not my cup of tea. However, seen lots of raving going on about it on forums, so like I said, BDB fans rejoice.

[Monty Cupcake ☠ Queen of Bloodshed ☠ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This went on forever, the male mc, Dante, acts like he’s a teen - all I do what I want with no thought to others. While EVERYONE, male, female, arachnids, all think Dante is the most beautiful & compelling creature ever. He wears mesh, leather, and latex daily. Really? Latex daily? How is that practical? According to the Kardashians, latex is hot and sweaty and you have to put baby powder on the skin to even get into latex. Latex should not be used for clothes- makes you look like a walking condom.

Female mc was fine, besides falling for Dante.

Two stars because it had a lot of murder & bloodshed.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING book! Normally I'm not one for the first in a series, let alone Urban Fantasy, but WOW! Adrian Phoenix is an amazing author who lured me in almost instantly and hooked me and kept me wriggling on the baited hook! (okay sorry bout the fishing imagery-I made the hubby take the kiddos fishing so I could read this book!)

I won't summarize this book, since there is too much to summarize, but I will say that this one was very X-Files meets vampires. We have FBI agent Heather Wallace who has spent the past 3 years profiling the Cross-Country Killer. He leads her to New Orleans, and for some reason, his latest kill makes Heather feel the need to go inside the club the victim was found near(he was killed elsewhere and staged in an alley).
Dante owns Club Hell (ha ha) with club band Inferno (again ha ha) and can usually be found in his club. But Lucien (his father, though Dante doesn't know that yet) is very protective of him and won't let Heather near him. Too bad Dante never does what he's told. He feels a need to see what's going on downstairs. He and Heather have an instant connection-the noise in Dante's head quiets around Heather, and Heather is drawn to Dante.
Once Heather realizes that Dante really is a vampire, and a victim, she does everything she can to protect him. But Lucien is a Fallen (angel that is) and he feels he can protect Dante better than a human woman of 5'4" (Lucien's like 6'8"- and incredibly powerful, I would so take him in a heartbeat!).
The killer has been targeting Dante and Heather wants him stopped, but like all sociopaths, the killer's mind works on a completely different level than that of a normal human, and he believes Heather loves him, and he wants to please her with his kills.
It becomes so twisted, with conspiracy at the highest levels of the Bureau and betrayals from sources close to home-everyone believes something else. and I couldn't turn pages fast enough!
Dante's mind is fractured-it was done so on purpose by an evil sociopath named Joanna Moore who is high up in behavioral profiling and she is Nightkind herself. Which makes all the awful things she did to Dante, a True Blood, so much worse than anything I've ever read. So with Dante's mind being fractured, being near Heather is soothing. Their love scene is steamy and poignant. I loved the way Dante didn't want to lose Heather's scent, so he didn't shower the next day.
This is the first book in an Urban Fantasy series called the Maker's Song, and it does not suffer from "first book syndrome." If anything, it's an amazing story that is well-written and beautifully portrayed.
I will definitely read the next books in the series, especially since Heather told Dante she needed "time" and plans to leave for Seattle. I want to see them get at least a happily for now...anything to give the two of them some peace of mind. I really can't stop thinking about this book. In fact I haven't even started anything new since I can't get Dante and Heather and Lucien out of my head!
Well done, Adrian Phoenix, your characters are not only 'alive" for me, but won't leave my head!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have conflicted emotions about this book. There were several aspects of it that i absolutely loved. First and foremost, i ADORED the character of Dante. He was the perfect blend of dark, sexy and mysterious. Phoenix's writing style was wonderful. She painted a world that truly came to life, and made me feel like i was right there, walking the streets of New Orleans with Dante & Heather.

However, there were also a few things i didn't like. The author kept the story moving at a fast pace, but also tried to throw a myriad of information and twists and turns at you all at once, thus leaving me confused and frustrated at times, especially towards the middle of the book. I think Dante & Heather have the potential to be a great couple, but there was little to no build up of any kind of a romantic relationship between the two. At least on the page. The bond between them seems to have been more below the surface, which i can sort of appreciate, but still found a bit lacking. The emotions that are felt between the two are obviously strong, but i would have liked to see a bit more romance/spice along with the kick-butt action that Phoenix writes so well.

My biggest problem with the book, was everything that Dante ends up going through. Both in his past, and his present. I guess i ended up caring so much about his character, that reading about all the horror he had lived through was a little hard to take in. Of course, that right there is a testament to Phoenix's skill as a writer. The ending was definitely not sunshine and rainbows, but it definitely left things wide-open for future books.

But, despite my nit-picking, i honestly loved this book, and the world that Adrian Phoenix has created. I am looking forward to the rest of the series..

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things attracted me to this book. Firstly the cover, it's pretty great. Sadly the cover is very misleading.Our girl Heather doesn't dress like this anywhere in the story. Nor is there mention of a tattoo on her arm.I know Authors don't have much say in the cover art but, I always find it sad when the covers don't match the story or characters at least a little. And the second thing that drew me to this book is that it takes place in New Orleans. I have never been there myself, so I love reading books that take place there.

This is an Urban Fantasy novel, no denying it. It's dark & action filled and bloody at times. This was a good read.I really enjoyed reading the two main characters, Dante & Heather. They are what stood out for me. Dante is every bit the mysterious vampire and Heather the non-believer right up until she sees proof. This is a must read for any fan of Urban Fantasy.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dear Goodread friends told me to read A Rush of Wings. I believe they used every positive superlative possible to describe this book and then some. Suffice it to say I had high expectations and didn't expect anything less than perfection.

Which is most probably the reason why I was disappointed in the beginning. The first few chapters seemed like a tv pilot episode where characters are introduced in a “this is person X who has daddy issues and many more wounds to be opened up this season”-kind of way. I had to get into the style of writing, the frequent POV changing and the fact that this is a mixed genre: thriller/urban fantasy.

The main character Heather Wallace is likeable but still seemed kind of flat to me. The fact that Dante seemed to see her as a saviour seemed sudden, although at the end of the book, the reason for this is explained.

But enough with the bad because after a rough start I started to love this book.
First of all: I loved the originality. Second of all: this book is intense! In every way. I had a hard time putting it down. The atmosphere of the book, Dante’s horrific past: it literally grabs you by the throat.
I loved reading from the point of views of Dante and Lucien de Noir but seeing the world through S’ eyes was truly exhilarating.
The way the mystery surrounding Dante is unravelled shows Phoenix' writing quality. She is very good in writing an interesting plot with a lot of action and excitement. She also manages to draw you to most characters. As a reader you can’t help feeling sorry for Dante and your maternal instinct kicks in and you just want the take the boy home and take care of him.

There are two more books in the series. I already purchased the second one and I can’t wait to see how the story develops from here.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rush of Wings is the First installment in the Marker's Song series by Adrian Phoenix.
I'm late to reviewing this book. I read it a while back, but re-read it just last week for BBA. Both times in reading this book, I really enjoyed it. The characters are likable and interesting.

The main character, Heather, who is a FBI Special Agent is on the trail of the Cross Country Killer, also known as CCK, who’s the serial killer she’s been tracking for three years. And now, she's lead to New Orleans when the latest victim is found outside a bar called Club Hell. The owner of the bar is the VERY handsome Dante. While Heather is a mortal woman, Dante is a vampire musician. He not only claims to be a vampire, he's famous for it at Club Hell. Heather, on the other hand, doesn't believe in vampires. Come on! Dante gets migraines... he can't be a vampire! Can he?

Heather knows Dante has many secrets, and the closer she gets to him, the more the questions appear. He can't remember his past, but he knows it's not good. He's a tortured hero, who we all want to route for.

I was impressed with this book, and after reading it, went back to the store for book In The Blood (Book 2). Phoenix knows how to describe a scene. Walking into Club Hell, I felt as if I was really there, dancing and seeing Dante. *wink*
The only downfall was how different Heather is portrayed on the book cover. I really liked the cover art, but it SO isn't the way Heather really dresses. And thank God, we'd be reading an entirely different book then. Because what cop dresses like that? Unless undercover maybe? ha ha

Anyway, if your a fan of Paranormal Romance, action, vampires, fallen angels, psycho scientists & some lusty scenes, you'll be in for a treat with this book! I'd recommend this series to all vampire lovers!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sex and Gore and Torture...oh my! Wow. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Even though I had read some reviews that warned about the violence in this book, I still wasn't quite prepared for some of the more sadistic scenes. I'm not complaining, because the book was about a serial killer, after all. I am really not into the whole "goth is sexy" thing, but after reading this I can see how some people are. It also took me a while to get used to the Dante kissing dudes. Not that it really mattered, it was just a little bit of a shocker the first time it happened. It didn't affect how I ultimately felt about his sex appeal, but if my husband read it (yeah, right) he would probably be a little creeped out. The serial killer, E, was beyond creepy. And since you heard some of the story from his point of view it really added to the "ick" factor. I loved the fact that there were many interesting layers to this story. The serial killer, the Bad Seed project, the fallen angel/vampire hybrid, and many more that were more human in nature. Heather's dreams about her dead mother and sister, and Dante's relationship with his father. I also found the whole maker/unmaker storyline cool. I think it will be interesting to see where the author takes that part of the plot. In short, it was an impressive novel, and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yet again we have ANOTHER author in the genre who just has to call one of the male characters Lucien. The only difference is a different spelling! Gasp! How original. Seriously, why is there always a character called Luc, Lucas, Lucian or Lucien? Are we having imagination failures as authors or what! Jeez.

The characters themselves were far from believable. Having Hapless Heather as an FBI Agent was laughable to say the least. She is a hopeless, useless ditz! She's never survive training!

The book was very descriptive about mundane things which bored me. It reads more like a crime novel with a few supernatural creatures thrown in to call it urban fantasy. There are parts written in French which are annoying to readers who don't speak the language though I've seen comments in reviews about the French being poor. Even less useful huh. Plus changing POVs all the time bugs me.

Actually I just didn't like anything about this.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book five stars because it actually had a plot! It had a beginning, middle, end and though it became a little raunchy at times - it was good raunchy, as in, it made sense to the character and the story.

Heather and Dante are an unlikely pair but they are great together. The story is dark and twisted, full of blood and gore plus the twisted trappings of a psychotic conspiracy theory (including lab, torture and pedophilia).

This book is not recommend for the faint of heart. Meaning, if you don't like the darkness that can be associated with vampires then you may not like this. This is not a Sookie Stackhouse story (Though I love her!.

It reminds me of Interview With a Vampire with a touch of the X-Files with a dash of HellBlazer's John Constantine thrown in.

Is this book perfect? No. But it grabs your attention and forces you to read..

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a dark paranormal urban fantasy book that is based around vampires and a murder mystery then give this book a try.

I rated this book 4 stars instead of 5 because I had to skip through the CCK's point of view because he was a very sick man, and I just couldn't stomach what he did in the book. It was so unbelievably brutal, and it made me cry, and had me sick to my stomach.

While this book is extremely brutal and dark it also has some romance and vampire goodness as well which is what I absolutely loved about the book. The fact that Heather would go so far to make sure a nightkind, aka vampire was safe while she herself was human was awesome. But heather was also a great strong female lead in the book. She didn't take anything from anyone even if they were nightkind.

Dante the nightkind or one they also call a true blood was a very torchered individual, but he never gave up, and he never broke his word or promises. He was one of those dark brooding types that still cared. Despite all that he has been through he lets another human grow on to him, and that helps him to heal through all the emotional damage the CCK has caused to him.

I would call this book dark and beautiful, because while it does have plenty of dark gruesome moments, it also has a light at the end of the tunnel even it just for a little while. It also shows just how being a strong person can get you through so much.

I would recommend this book to adults due to extreme violence, and some gore as it is a vampire murder mystery/Paranormal romance. This book also contains sexual content as well.

[Literary Ames · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. My biggest complaint is that I didn't feel a connection between Miss FBI (aka Special Agent Heather Wallace) and Dante, yet they fell for each other though I don't know why. At the beginning I imagined Dante to be as Eric from True Blood with his throne in the club with a hint of pre-godhood Acheron with everyone adoring and lusting after him so I could understand Miss FBI's automatic attraction but not what attracted him to her except that she quieted the voices in his head. They spent very little time together and there was little to no sexual tension. They were forced together, there was no love between them. I think it would have been more realistic to pair her with Lucien.

2. I wouldn't call this book PNR, it barely qualifies as UF, it's more crime/horror as there is very little romance and only one sex scene.

3. The constantly changing multiple POVs was incredibly irritating. This didn't settle down until about two thirds of the way in. There were too many characters introduced in this way at the beginning, it was confusing.

4. The pace of this book is really slow it gets bogged down with the multiple POVs sometimes of the same events, only the last 100 pages or so does the pace pick up. This book is a depressing 500 pages long so you can imagine what a hard slog reading this was.

5. Though the inclusion of the French/Casjun words and phrases were a nice touch, I'm not fluent in these languages so I didn't always know what was said. I didn't notice the glossary until I finished the book which wasn't helpful, it should have been placed at the very beginning of the book instead of the end.

6. The cover did not represent what was inside the book. This cover was very misleading. Miss FBI did not wear leather, in fact she was one of the few who didn't wear it.

7. Background - questions were left unanswered about Miss FBI's past and her present circumstances. We have to assume she is single and living in Seattle and that she is alone with no family or friends except her boss Stearns. I had questions about Lucien and his whereabouts while Dante suffered, why he left his mother and what made him Fallen, though it was hinted at. Vampire politics were also hinted at with a mention of sanctions and councils but alas no elaboration.

8. Motivations - I didn't fully understand the motives and inner workings of the Bad Seed experiment/programme, or what exactly it was in relation to the FBI and the research lab.

9. Miss FBI's 'Are vampires real?' dilemma was dealt with badly. She was skeptical then sort of accepted it, was unsure, then had to see to believe. Bloody hell, make up your damn mind!

10. Characters - Dante was intriguing but he wasn't fully developed. You don't really get a proper sense of his personality other than being musical and having to do everything the hard way. His sexuality was unclear, he kissed men but generally in greeting as he did with the women. He'd suffered sexual abuse so maybe he didn't know himself if he was gay, bi or straight although we do see him participating in a threesome with another man there was no touching between them other than a kiss. He didn't seem sexy to me, he wanted to be a bad boy but in my opinion he didn't quite pull it off. He just seemed broken with no real hope of regaining control over his mind or his abilities. Collins peaked my interest but we see little of him and then he's discarded. Miss FBI was weak, there was very little to her, you got a vague sense of protectiveness and the need to do right but other than that she was a dull, flat character. We learn very little about the bad guys Ronin, E and Moore -they were just bad because the author had labelled them so there were no reasons behind their actions. Also members of Dante's household were thrust forward without much depth or explanation for their loyalty to Dante.

11. I was confused for most of the book. I had a hard time following what was happening and why or how Miss FBI made her deductions. Overall the story is very slow, dry and bland, hell we even know who the serial killer is from the beginning so there was no mystery to hold my interest. I was bored reading this and forced myself to finish it. My only positive emotion about this book was the relief I felt when I read the final page. Basically this was a waste of time. The writing is abysmal but the story had potential and that is the only reason why I'm giving this two stars instead of one.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Synopsis** HIS NAME IS DANTE.

Dark. Talented. Beautiful. Star of the rock band Inferno. Rumored owner of the hot New Orleans nightspot called Club Hell. Born of the
Blood, then broken by an evil beyond imagination.

HIS PAST IS A MYSTERY.

FBI Special Agent Heather Wallace has been tracking a sadistic serial murderer known as the Cross Country Killer...and the trail has led
her to New Orleans, Club Hell, and Dante. But the dangerously attractive musician not only resists her investigation, he claims to be nightkind: in other words, a vampire. Digging into his past for answers reveals little. A juvenile record a mile long. No social security number. No known birth date. In and out of foster homes for most of his life before being taken in by a man named Lucien De Noir, who appears to guard mysteries of his own.

HIS FUTURE IS CHAOS.

What Heather does know about Dante is that something links him to the killer -- and she's pretty sure that link makes him the CCK's next
target. Heather must unravel the truth behind this sensual, complicated, vulnerable young man -- who, she begins to believe, may indeed be a vampire -- in order to bring a killer to
justice. But what Heather doesn't know is that Dante's past holds a shocking secret, and once it is revealed not even Heather will be able to protect him from his destiny...

**Review** FBI Special Agent Heather Wallace is a profiler who has been trying to catch the Cross-Country Killer for three years, when denly the trail leads to New Orleans and Club Hell, where Dante Prejean performs with the Inferno, an industrial/goth rock band. Dante is a Cajun and a born vampire whose memories of his terrible past have been erased, leaving him vulnerable to the psychopathic killer, E, who knows all that Dante has forgotten. As E begins targeting Dante's loved ones, Heather must swallow her skepticism and work with Dante's vampiric friends and family to save him.

The cover of this book has absolutely nothing to do with Heather Wallace. She doesn't actually dress like this. She's supposed to be a professional profiler, who has also been searching into her own mothers death (murder) decades before. Her own father is a big wig in the FBI, but she really can't stand the man for what he allowed to happen to her mother. As for the characters; I did like Heather. It's not often that I read urban fantasy where the heroine is, and remains, human, and not suddenly wakes up the next morning finding out that, oops, sorry honey, but you're really half vampire, fallen, shape-shifter etc. I appreciated that she was more of a proactive character than the others. But on the other hand, after a while, she seemed to have very little personality.

This is a dark Urban Fantasy novel, filled with bloody scenes and characters who are truly evil. This includes a secret branch of the US government that was instrumental in playing with Dante's mind.

The next book in the series is In The Blood.

[Summer · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Rush of Wings is about FBI Agent Heather and her work on a serial killer case. She's been following the killer for years and believes a new case in New Orleans is his latest victim. The crime scene is directly in front of Club Hell owned by a mysterious man named Dante. Dante has virtually no past as far as Heather can track and so she decides to ask him questions. Dante and his friend Lucien try to avoid Heather, but when another murder takes place it becomes clear that Dante may be the next target.

I've heard a lot of good things about this book and I think that raised my expectations too high. I wish I would have known how often the book changes POVs too. I know I've mentioned this before, but I don't mind a book with multiple POVs so long as there isn't more than three and there's a decent amount of time spent with each narrative. Otherwise I have a hard time following the story or I feel like I can't really get immersed in it. At the beginning of this book you spend time with FBI agent Heather for several pages. However, after the first chapter it seems to change POVs every page and a half. While that may not bother some, it really threw me off. As for the characters, I liked Heather but the other characters didn't feel well rounded. Dante is mysterious and that definitely comes across the pages. But you don't really get a sense of his personality. You learn some information about him through other characters but when it's his POV you only get that he's in pain or he's avoiding Heather. I didn't finish it since it didn't get better for me the further I read. It just wasn't as great for me.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me the most notable thing about this book is its atmospheric and intense writing style, emotion-laden fluid prose in which individual fragments (often memories) are repeated over and over to function as themes in the musical sense. The presentation of events is sometimes clear but often a kind of streaming blur, and the point of view not only shifts rapidly from one character to another but blends what they're thinking and feeling, what they're remembering, and what they're actually saying. And it's very dark and violent.

It's also laden with Cajun French expressions and several words in Welsh that are translated for you in a glossary at the back of the book. Use it, or you will miss some key information that otherwise only emerges at great length. For example, the bouncer at Club Hell, named Von, is addressed on page 14 as llygad; if you look that up in the glossary, you find it means 'eye' or 'watcher' and it's labeled as "a Fallen/Elohim word originally." Look up Elohim, and the glossary tells you they are "the Fallen, the beings mythologized as fallen angels." In the story, Von has just been communicating telepathically with Lucien De Noir, the legal owner of Club Hell, so now you have an idea of his identity too.

And if you use the glossary again when you read chapter 6, you'll find out why the series is called The Maker's Song and what makes our main character Dante so very special. We already know from the publisher's blurb that he's a rare born vampire (they call themselves "nightkind" here), he's sensual and vulnerable, and he's the star of the rock band Inferno, which plays at Club Hell. He lived in a series of foster homes until, at age 18 five years ago, Lucien "took him in." It turns out that his memories are fragmented and traumatic; he was damaged mentally in ways that are never made clear (though eventually we find out who did it), and a great deal of the story is from his point of view. When you get to chapter 6 (and use the glossary) you learn the other main facts. Dante and other subjects were raised by a government-connected lab that controlled their foster placements and did gruesome things to them in between; Lucien hears Dante sing the anhrefncathl 'chaos song' and sees it transform a wharf rat into a winged creature, evidence that Dante may be the first creawdwr 'creator, maker/unmaker' since Yahweh.

I loved the telepathic communications (complete with mind-shielding) among the supernaturals and the emotional richness of the prose that makes reading feel like listening to a tone poem. But there was enough that I really didn't like to pull my rating down to 2 stars. It wasn't just the indistinct descriptions of many actions or the aberrant mythology or tucking basic information away in the glossary (along with the curious use of modern standard Welsh as the language of angels from millennia past). Two big things really got to me:

(1) The shifting points of view include the standard UF/PNR plot device of a normal young woman who's learning about supernaturals for the first time to lead us into the unfamiliar world of Dante, Lucien, and the others. Heather Wallace is a good, sympathetic anchor for the story who's grossly miscast as an FBI agent; in fact, the whole FBI in the story seems as far removed from the real thing as the Elohim mythology is from the book of Genesis. The serial killer she's pursuing, who targets Dante, was believable throughout, but Heather as an FBI agent certainly wasn't.

(2) Heather remains an ethical person, even though she falls for Dante with all his adolescent drama. But the sense of right and wrong stops with her; both Dante and Lucien have very dark emotions, rehearse them often in their thoughts, and readily do violence that goes far beyond self-defense. I could understand them, but I couldn't cheer for them.

[Ren Puspita · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

A Rush of Wings is what a vampire and urban fantasy novel should be. Dark, gritty, gore, horror, mystery, all mix to one ride to the hell. There's so many familiar aspect for debut novel from Adrian Phoenix. Yet, it's also feel original, fresh and outstanding. We have Dante (later know as Dante Baptiste), a rock star, a vampire, a tortured hero, also not just an ordinary vampire since his power is extraordinary, a creadwarh (I don't know if I write it right), a chosen people who can made and unmade everything. Nothing new, to be honest. Then, what make him fresh? Well, Dante just 23 years old! Gee, he's younger than me, and I never (never!) read a vampire hero that still in his twenties. Usually they already a billionaire (kinda ) with age surpassed my Grandpa (aka hundred years). It's refreshing and also make me understand all the madness he endured, because Dante is young. Too young for everything that happen to him, yet somehow he still show kindness to people he loved and cared.

The heroine, Heather Wallace, also nothing new about her. A cop (and kinda remind me of Eve Dallas. I wonder if any author that write heroine like Eve Dallas, is a fans of JDRobb. I will not said Dante is like Roarke, tho), stubborn woman to the core, think Dante is delusional because he declare himself as vampire, yet her feeling to this damaged man grow and who know that her mind is so open, she accept what Dante is in just 2 days? Also, she's older than Dante (her age is 31, give and take), maybe that explain her maturity and calm demeanor (also she's not TSTL). I like this couple, Heather and Dante might be my favorite couple in the future.

Adrian Phoenix not just write a complex hero, but also villains that make you disgust with what they'd done. The CCK, aka Elroy, aka E, guy who his past tied to Dante, he make me sick with his act. He's sociopath and so psycho, his obsession with Dante and Heather almost make me puke. Another villain like Johanna Manson, woman who alter Dante's mind and body also sick as fuck. To twist Dante since he was young then control him is beyond my imagination.

So many gore part happen, I suggest to not read this while you are eating, because Ms Phoenix doesn't shy away when write it. To show how gritty and real her version of the New Orleans. Other characters also make the story richer, like Lucien de Noir (a Fallen Angel, Dante's protege, in the beginning I think he's kinda Dante lover. But not), Von (Llygad, kinda like guardian maybe. I like him), Simone, and her brother Trey. No one is black and white and everyone have their own agenda, especially about Dante.

What make me reduce the star is because Ms Phoenix's writing style. For debut novel, she succesfully write her characters and create the world, but some part are repetitive, especially the "voice" inside Dante's mind and his past. Also some Cajun and Irish terms make me confused. There's some questions that left unanswered and Dante's mind still troubled him. For you that HEA lover, maybe you will a little bit disappointed, even imo, I can accept what Ms Phoenix do to Dante and Heather.

There's cliffhanger in the end, so I will definitely read the next, In The Blood. Try to order it to my friend, since the book is unavailable on Bookdepo and any import book I find, so I will wait a little bit longer.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really did not want to like this one. I saw the cover, thought it was trashy, went on to browse through the first half of the book, then stopped and started from the beginning to give it the proper reading I have (unexpectedly) decided it deserved.

After reading the first two books of The Demon's Lexicon series, I started craving for more dark fantasy reads. While digging around for my next book love, I stumbled upon this and was more than a little turned off by the cover. Skimpily clad tattooed woman? So not my thing. The only reason I didn't junk this was because I read it had a gorgeous tortured hero. And because there are few things I love more than a tortured hero, I just had to give it a try. I assumed A Rush of Wings was going to be another book about vampires and non stop kinky sex. To my complete shock and joy, it actually had plot! It also has FBI conspiracies, sadistic behavioral scientists, fallen angels and nightkind, a serial killer on the loose, a beautiful and tough as nails heroine, and a sexy tortured hero (I just had to mention this again) who also happens to be a musician (squeee!). It has action, mystery, intrigue, and romance. It has everything I could possibly want in a book and by the time I finished it I just knew that I have found my new favorite guilty pleasure. And because they say love is blind, I now love it enough to ignore the cover. But you know what, or more specifically, who the real reason for my obsession is? Dante. Actually, it's Heather and Dante together. Separately, they're both great characters. Together? They're explosive. They are beyond awesome. They are the kind that turns my brain to mush awesome. My love for them has reached a level that is embarassing. Excuse me while I swoon.

All in all, I never would have expected to love this book, but I'm glad it defied all my expectations. I can probably nitpick and look for plot holes (and it probably has quite a few), but why bother? I never said I was an objective reviewer. There are very rare books that I devour like they were written solely for me, and this is one of them. It's not quality literature by a long shot, but it's fun and addictive. And now I'm going to force myself to end this review before I go back to gushing about Dante and Heather and how much I ship them.

[Lianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to review this book because while there were certain elements I really enjoyed, there were a lot I didn't. While usually I would simply forget and move on in cases like this, I actually found myself wanting to read the second novel (which I did).

My main problem with this book was the plot. While it wasn't necessarily dull, it seemed very long-winded. When it came down to it, the plot could have been condensed and made tighter. But I think Phoenix wanted to use the time to establish a believable relationship between the two main leads, Heather and Dante. Which, fair enough. But at it's most basic level, the plot was far too ABC to warrant such a long book.

As for the characters; I did like Heather. It's not often that I read urban fantasy where the heroine is, and remains, human. I appreciated that she was more of a proactive character than the others. But on the other hand, after a while, she seemed to have very little personality.

Dante is a different story. I found his character refreshing to a degree because while he was a vampire, he was also still a young man (being a naturally-born vampire). Sometimes I struggled to take him seriously, however, especially with him being the lead singer of an underground rock group. Experiencing his supposedly-profound lyrics through the author was... not good. But he did have personality. A Cajun-Goth with attitude and a fucked-up past sounds very cliched, and it reads that way quite often. But Phoenix never seems to fall into the bad habit of flat-out mocking the Goth/youth culture, and I appreciated that.

I think the book also benefited from it's third person perspective. While on the whole, it dragged the book out more than necessary (including several character perspectives, etc.), it was a nice change to be in the head of the "hero" (Dante) rather than just the heroine. I think this is why Dante had more personality than I was expecting.

So, while not a fantastic, satisfying read on the whole, it still had something about it. It made me want to read the next book. But I've yet to figure out what exactly worked for me.

[♥ Rebecca ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read anything like this! I must admit the writing irritated me at parts. I really wish I could replace every usage of the word 'belly' with 'stomach'. And the author really liked to reuse phrases. Several times someone trailed a finger along someone's jaw. More than once a car clicked and tinked. But her ability to describe a scene to you is amazing. Maybe she occasionally ran out of new ways to say it, and maybe I'm the only one who noticed, but the rest of the time I was completely drawn into her world. And I really enjoyed her affinity for the sense of smell. Every room and person had their own smell, a sense that is not usually focused on, it was like a completely new reading experience.

It read mostly like a really good thriller, full of conspiracies, cover-ups and secret. Which is a great combination, but then imagine a story such as this mixed into a world of vampires and fallen angels, supernatural powers, and other worlds of secrets. I have never seen a world like this before and there is nothing I can compare it to.

And I really appreciated Phoenix's version of the vampire mythos. She didn't stick with the usual 'steak to the heart', 'burst into flames' traits, but she didn't just ditch them all either. She made a unique combination of new and old. And the two leads are great, but I think that goes without saying. The leads are important and I couldn't have enjoyed the book this much if I didn't love the leads. Heather was a great female character. A perfect balance of tough but still feminine and sexy, enough for her weaknesses to be believable. And of course Dante was perfect, a beautiful tortured soul.

But the image I cant get out of my head is of Lucien, standing with wings unfurled under the broken roof of a cathedral. Dante took everyone's breath away, but he was described as pale and 5'8”. Not my type. Lucien was described as 6'8”, handsome, and oozing power. I would love to see that, with his rushing wings as he swoops down and perches on Dante's rooftop like a gargoyle.

[AtenRa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading A Rush Of Wings is like riding the biggest and fastest roller coaster in the world:you know you want out from the moment you get on,you're constantly terrified,million emotions and thoughts go through your heart and brain,but you know deep down that in the end you're gonna completely and full heartedly enjoy it.

Phoenix managed to create a world with a little bit of everything in it.So you've got vampires, fallen angels, psychotic serial killers,secret government organizations all wrapped up into one novel.Her characters are very well and carefully developed, all their actions,however cruel and despicable,justified and without a hint of remorse.Except maybe Heather's character, which was the most obscure and not as well defined as the others, in my opinion.Also a minor flaw was the books length, I felt it got a tiny bit tiring at some points.

However, to say the story is unique, would be a huge understatement.Simply because this is not your average,everyday Urban Fantasy novel.It contains elements of a thriller novel, a horror novel, a romance novel,all fitted together perfectly,forming one of the most intriguing and compelling novels of all these genres combined.It's scary, it's dark, it's mysterious, it's funny,it's intense,it's passionate,it's moving.This book has it all.Highly recommend it.

One useful tip:if you feel completely lost at first, it's completely understandable.I know I did!Don't let that stop you from finishing the book, though.Everything is made perfectly clear after the first half of the book.