Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter

"On the way home from school, I stared out the bus window dreamily. The world outside no longer existed. I lived in my own world and I liked it there."That's my favorite line in the book. It pretty much sums up Aurora's character, in my opinion. And as a writer, I can relate to it.So, where to begin...This is officially my new favorite YA paranormal series, and I really don't like a lot of paranormal YA with the exception of Jennifer Armentrout's Lux and Covenant series. I guess when I say "not much paranormal YA", I really just mean vampires.I'm a Twilight fan.I wrote my own vampire series.I love vampire films.So, yeah. I'm tired of vamps at the moment, no matter how much I love these classic monsters and the million different ways they can be re-created.Which is why this book was completely refreshing!It was all the mystery and romance found in Twilight, except it was MUCH sexier, and all around...better. Way better. On top of that, it's a slayer series, so if you are a geek like me who loved shows like Buffy, then this will be right up your alley. There's action, blood, and violence, oh my.Okay, back to the reasons this series rocks...Aurora Sky. First, that name says it all--how badass is that name? Even better than the heroine's name is her character. She's strong, believable, and not at all wishy washy or "I'm so cool, and I know it." One minute, I really believed she was this scared teenager who is thrust into this situation that she totally doesn't want any part of, and the next she's trying to blend in and just be a normal teen at school. Then she's believable when her feelings are hurt because she's lonely, her so called "friends" start treating her like crap, and she can't quite seem to fit in anymore. So she starts to do what most teenagers do when they feel singled out...she rebels. No one really takes the time to even stop and consider how she feels about the traumatic event she went through. So she gives Aurora a makeover, which involves a little something like this:Kill first vampireGet drunkKiss a boyLose virginityObviously, these things don't change much for Aurora. They don't make her feel alive again or make the pain go away.But enter the next reason this book rocks, and Aurora starts to come to life again...Fane. When Aurora starts to rebel a bit, she flings herself straight into Fane Donado's arms. Oh, my my my. Where do I begin with Fane? He had me at this description:He had one of those disastrous looks that captured my attention--like Edward Scissorhands. (This is only my favorite movie and character of all time, so I'm a bit biased here.)And then these lines:"Don't worry, Aurora Sky. You don't have to invite me home." His teeth flashed when he grinned. "Yet."Fane lowered the cigarette and pointed it at me. "I do like your legs." Despite the cold, my cheeks heated and were quite possibly the only warm part of my body. The cold had officially gone to my brain."These pasty things?""Pale. Ivory. Silk." Each word was like a caress. "Your skin is a thing of beauty."Fane was not Scott. He'd eat me alive.The setting. How often do we see vampire hunter stories take place in the beautiful, cold, dark, and snowy wilderness of Alaska? Yeah, not often. And the way it's written, it's completely entrancing. I felt like I was there, and so removed from the world. The descriptions were fabulous. The setting was perfect for Aurora's character. As she finds out what's happened to her and what she has to do, her surroundings mimic her mental state--they are numb, desolate, and stark. Yet there's this cold, still beauty all around her. She even compares it at one point to "walking on the moon", and I could feel that myself, could visualize it all. I just loved the contrast and parallels there. Awesome stuff. I admit I am also a bit biased when it comes to the setting because I love that region of the world and think it's gorgeous. Oh, and I used to work at the Arctic exhibit at Sea World haha. So...I have a fascination with the terrain, wildlife, aurora borealis, and just that environment in general.Before I go all fangirl (too late, I know) and ramble on some more, I'll just say...read this book! Fane is no Edward Cullen, and Aurora is no Bella. I'm already dying for the second book. Unfortunately it looks like I'll have to wait a while for book 2 to come out, but I'll be first in line when it releases.

I loved it so much!! The sass and Humor is on point! The danger is real and once you start reading you wont be able to put it down!!! Its so addicting!!! I got this special hardback Duo edition and its gorgeous!!!!I really liked Aurora aka Sky. Almost dying can make you do one of two thing: Rebel and YOLO or Caution and grateful- Aurora unfortunately is given one choice; Become a Hunter or die again and this time for good. Im happy she was able to balance a few things- not perfect but im exited for book two!!! 😈😈😈 A must read! Im rooting for my favorite vampire and hunter! ♥️

Once again I have found a good book in this story. I found it hard to put it down until the end.

Aurora Sky just wants to finish out high school so that she can flee the frozen lands of Alaska for warmer weather and college. However, a nasty car accident leaves her life in the hands of some interesting secret government scientists that see a hidden potential in her. Now she’s stuck in Alaska receiving her necessary regular injections and paying off her debt by hunting vampires. As if high school was socially awkward enough.I really liked how this was government sanctioned and assisted vampire hunting. I also liked that Aurora was given no choice about it and while she’s not terribly happy to have this life forced upon her, she pulls herself together and gives it a good try. Aurora’s blood can paralyze a sucking vampire for a short period of time, so she can turn around and behead the horror. Now, she just needs some fighting skills and a few sidekicks.There’s plenty of action in this urban fantasy and I quite enjoyed all that. After all, if you are going to sit down to a vampire hunt, you need some good action scenes. There are nice breaks in between these scenes, giving depth to the book. For instance, since the car accident, Aurora has a very reasonable fear of being in vehicles and even driving. This obviously cramps her dating scene. Then there’s plenty of discussions with her assigned body guard. Home life is awkward too as her father has taken off while her mother feels both guilt (for signing off on the government procedure that kept her daughter alive) and huge relief (that her daughter is alive to be a bit miffed about the whole situation).Then there is the romance element. So, there’s this somewhat bad boy at high school – Fane Donado. Obviously, this is the guy she’s going to fall for. Yet he has a secret and it is one that could put a permanent end to their budding romance. While I found the individual scenes flirty and even a little hot at times, the obviousness of Fane’s secret blared loud and clear. So, once Aurora figures it out, I am wondering if she’s been paying attention to all that special vampire hunter training or not. Over all, Aurora comes off as a little angsty, which is normal for someone who just had their life trajectory up ended, and pretty smart…. until she meets Fane. It’s like all her wits got pushed to the side and I felt it was too much even for puppy love to explain.Also, this is a little pet peeve of mine. Why do we have a supernatural person who is a few hundred years old thinking it would fun to move to Alaska and go back to high school, again? It smacks a little of teen predator. I know this is a somewhat common theme right now in the vampire urban fantasy world, and yet it still gives me the creeps, just a little. So, I had to shove that tidbit aside and pretend Fane was as old as he acted in order to be OK with the romance.Over all, it was an enjoyable quick listen. There’s several elements I enjoyed and I intend to check out the next in the series to see how Aurora meets her next challenge.Narration: Em Eldridge had the perfect voice for Aurora – she was the teen who just had her life turned up side down, going through all these emotions and recovery, and settling into her new super secret life of vampire hunting while trying to finish out high school. Yep. Eldridge did an amazing job of portraying all that. She also had distinct and believable male voices and some wonderfully chilling vampire sounds as well.

Had some interesting parts. Would love to see how Aurora love life ends with her vampire crush! Will she be able to keep their relationship a secret?

Three and a half from meThis has been a book I've seen recommended a lot so I'm glad I finally found the time to begin this series. I'd thought it was aimed at a younger audience with its teenage heroine Aurora, but actually there's content here that does have more adult tones.Essentially Aurora is one of the very few that have a rare blood type and with a bit of scientific jiggling her blood can be poisonous to vampires. Now that was an angle I hadn't seen before so I was very interested to see how far this storyline could go. Aurora is sent back to school to await her first assignment as a vampire hunter but all is not exactly going according to plan. This good girl resents the changes thrust upon her and a new belligerent Aurora starts walking the halls. Suddenly those who previously didn't really see Aurora start to take notice of her as she steps out of her previously light world and into a much darker reality.I liked the ideas behind this and it was fun seeing Alaska used as a setting. The concept of the types of vampires and how hunters could work amongst them just didn't quite gel with me though. A lot of this story is based around Aurora and her changes at school which brings me to supporting characters . There's smarmy agents, catty school friends and of course nasty and perhaps even nice vampires! Two male characters stood out so I'm guessing the author intends to (hopefully) flesh them out but if honest I struggled to like Aurora. I did sympathise with her admittedly but her attitude truly sucked! Not snarky just snotty, childish at times and so reckless I wanted to shake her. If you enjoy vampire stories it's worth a shot but for this reader it's a little disappointing but as the first in the series I'm hoping it will improve .

Title: Aurora SkySeries: Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter (#1)Author: Nikki JeffordFrom: AmazonGenre: Paranormal, Urban FantasyRelease Date: 9th December 2012Challenges: Online Book ClubLinks: Goodreads - AmazonWhen Aurora Sky is in a car accident she thinks that it is the end for her, but she soon ends up waking up in a top secret government facility with several of her organs replaced. As a member of a rare blood group, Aurora has been selected to receive genetic advancements and become a vampire hunter. Except that's not what she wants and she quickly finds herself in a vastly different position to the one she thought she was in...Wow. Aurora Sky was not what I expected. I thought it'd be an enjoyable YA read and what I actually got was that bit grittier and that bit better than I thought. I really felt that Aurora was a real character. She felt real emotions and did things and said things she shouldn't as a result. Basically she was a teenager acting like a teenager and I couldn't help but like that!I liked how the romance wasn't as cut and dry as in some books. It was clear from the beginning that Aurora was attracted to Fane in some way, but he wasn't the main guy on her radar. I thought what she went through with Scott was actually far more realistic (unfortunately) for teenage girls. Though I was definitely finding myself in the Fane camp.Dante is clearly going to add another element going forward too. He was kind of charming but I couldn't help but think that he was a bit of a bad boy. I'm not sure I can see him as the right kind of guy for Aurora, but that could all change in future books I know.The other thing I really liked was Aurora's growing friendship with Noel, and her antagonism with Valerie. I thought that they seemed to make her seem more like a normal girl as well. So many authors ignore the friends and frenemies (which is what I'm classing Valerie as for now) and it was good to see one not doing so!I loved this book, and am hoping to continue the series soon!

Transfusion was a fantastic book that kept me on edge and propelled me to keep on turning the pages to read more and more. This novel was incredibly unique with such an interesting, well thought out and fascinating plot that I didn't want it to end! Throughout the entire book, you can easily tell how fresh, fun and original everything is, right down to the littlest of details.Aurora Sky is a bit of a social outcast, but is determined to keep calm and carry on throughout her remaining time left at High School. Aurora has been accepted at a top league college, Notre Dame, and can't wait to get out of her small town in Alaska. Suddenly, Aurora is in a car crash that leaves her fatally injured and on the verge of death - until suddenly, the government steps in with a proposal. Aurora's mother happily signs away her daughter's future to the government to save Aurora's life. The downside (at least, Aurora think so), is that she has now unwillingly become a Vampire Hunter. With the help of a special vaccination created by the government, mixed with her rare blood type, Aurora's blood temporarily paralyses any Vampire who may happen to bite her. Aurora is sent out into the field, with her mentor, Dante, to assassinate any Vampires that she finds.I loved Aurora's character; she was such a typical teenager that it made me smile. She's stubborn, hot-headed and doesn't get along with her parents very well. Other than that, Aurora is also funny, smart and well grounded. Obviously, Aurora has been through a lot, but I found that throughout the novel her character was constantly growing and maturing into an even better version of her original self. I was constantly laughing at different things Aurora would say or do; she has that teenage arrogance and witty sarcasm that made me like her character even more.As for Fane's character, I loved him from the start. He's dark and mysterious, brooding and alluring. I've probably mentioned how much I love those characteristics in male characters before - but I'll say it again - I love them! Alongside with being all mystifying and puzzling, he was also really sweet, kind and cares a great deal about the people in his life. The book doesn't got a whole lot deeper into Fane's character, which was a bit disappointing, but none the less, I thought his character was great.I loved the fact that the relationship between Aurora and Fane was not insta-love. Sometimes I can read it and enjoy it, but most of the time it really irritates me because things just don't happen like that in real life. Aurora and Fane's relationship grows and blossoms into a passionate and sweet relationship. They connected on a whole different level and the chemistry between them was really intense. I loved how they took time to get to know each other and how much Fane took care to Aurora. It made their relationship even more believable and sweet.Although I was pretty much in love with this book, I ended up bumping it down a star because at times, the plot got a little confusing and often one scene would suddenly jump quickly to another with no warning what so ever. I also thought that the novel was a little rushed and wished it could have gone into a little more detail in certain places. However, these things did not diminish my opinion of Transfusion. I thought Nikki Jefford's writing was amazing and captured the everyday teen's actions and personalities really well - I'll definitely be reading more by Nikki Jefford in the future. Overall, I really enjoyed reading Transfusion - it was such a fantastic read - and I can't wait for the sequel to be released!

A great start to the series! And definitely like no other Vampire Hunter books.Aurora is signed up to a government section in return for saving her life after a lethal car crash. In fact, her mum signed her up for it.Aurora is NOT happy. She just wanted a normal life, to graduate and to attend Notre Dame Uni and get the heck out of Alaska!Now she cant. She cant move out of Alaska. Shes stuck and has a little rebel against it. The mysterious Fane suddenly appeals to her.....not sure why.....but all is revealed....and no matter what she cannot help wanting to be with him.She is introduced to the vampire world in many different ways. In the government section she now has to obey, she is sent on assignments with new partner, Dante, she attends vampire house parties, she socialises with informants and vamps alike.All because she has the rare blood type....shes sent in as a chew toy to stun the vamp before killing them...Not what Aurora had envisioned in her future.....

Wow, what a fantastic story, Although Aurora's Transition to vampire hunter is not through her choosing, she soon realises that sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done when faced with that level of evil. But life isn't that straight forward and as with humans, there are good and bad vamps, what's a hunter to do ?A love interest in the form of Fane brings an interesting twist to the mix especially as he's a vampire and just how will he react when he finds out that Aurora is tasked with killing his kind ? Like her life needs to get anymore complicated right !The characters are great and instantly likeable, well, most of them and with an interesting plot which has a good mix of action, tension and excitement this story had me hooked instantly. I can't wait to start the next book.