Killing is the only life Xavian Ramir knows. But now the elite assassin wants out, vowing to start anew after one last job…
High priestess Afina Lazar is running for her life, desperate to protect the magical amulet entrusted to her care. When Barbu’s hired killer finds her, she knows her only chance of stopping the warlord’s rise to power is to convince this enigmatic — and handsome — hunter that she is more valuable alive than dead. Together, they will undertake a dramatic adventure through a magical world where love and redemption come at a terrible price.
Mirabelle8
Posted December 4, 2012
Fantastic!!
I just finished reading "Knight Awakened" By Coreene Callahan.
I loved her characters Xavian Ramir and Afina Lazar
It's a story of trust and love between Afina, a high priestess and Xavian an ex-assassin. She never wanted to be a high priestess, but she had no choice. Both wanted to escape their past of nightmares and have a second chance together. Beautiful story of love in a magical world of assassins and dragons.
Lots of action and intrigue in this fantasy romance.
This is the first book in the Circle of Seven series. if you like a fantasy romance, then this book is for you. I recommend Ms. Callahan's book.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Reviewed by ANGELA & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog
Knight Awakened is a phenomenal start to Circle of Seven series. A world with prophecies, witchery and dragons, Ms. Callahan delivered a brilliant story ~Under The Covers
Knight Awakened is a phenomenal start to Circle of Seven series. A world with prophecies, witchery and dragons, Ms. Callahan delivered a brilliant story. What I have learned about this author after reading Dragon Fury is that she is great at world building. I have also come to expect lots of action, suspense and romance complete with steamy scenes. Knight Awakened has all that and then some. Ms Callahan surely did NOT disappoint!
'And out of the ashes seven warriors shall rise. Bringers of death, they shall wreak vengeance upon the earth, until shadow is driven into darkness and only the light remains.” ~The chronicles of Al Pacii/Knight Awakened
A completely different world from her Dragon Fury series, this book is set in the 1300′s AD. Life all around is not easy. Torture, slavery aNd death are everywhere but most of all, power and control is always at play. Xavian Ramir, an assassin hired to capture Afina Lazar’s, the Priestess of Orm for that very purpose. She alone has the power over who rules Transylvania. The question is what will Ram do with her.
Xavian and Afina are complete with strength, weaknesses and with a complicated past. In my opinion, it makes their actions more realistic and understandable. I thought they were good together. I love that their romance was not rushed. They did not have an insta-love but their attraction was definitely palpable. They had some sexy scenes together, you will not be disappointed in that department.
The secondary characters were also intriguing. The two villains, Hallal and Vlad played their role well. They are who you would love to hate. Power hungry and pure evil. Henrick, is one I’m sure to have a book of his own. Skilled, deadly but has a good heart. I’m betting he will be an alpha to his mate.
Take note that this is neither a pocket book size story nor a typical Historical Romance. The novel is longer than full-length and it has an EPIC feel to it. Mark my words, this series will make it’s mark in the Historical and PNR genre. This is definitely one of the my best reads for 2012!
The official video of Knight Awakened is up on You tube and the characters were as I imagine them to be. I thought it would be cool to get a good visual of the two sexy leads. Look it up.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.jessisabookworm
Posted February 19, 2013
Really a very fun book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am hoping for another in the series- the characters were well developed, the story was interesting. A good, light read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Rating: 4.5
Heat Rating: 3 out of 5
Knight Awakened is the first book by Coreene Callahan that I've ever read. However, let me assure you that it won't be the last. This first book in the Circle of Seven series was a great read and I can't wait to learn more about this world.
What did I love about this book? Well let's start with the sexual tension. It was full of it. The sparks flying off of Xavian and Afina were more than enough to set my heart ablaze. I couldn't wait till they got it on.
The characters in this book were quite engaging. Xavian was supposed to be this hard shelled assassin yet he rescued a bunch of boys from the evil man that had taught him to kill. I loved these two sides of Xavian. Whereas yes he was this powerful and strong male, within him lay a man who strove to do what was right. Afina was a great character too. It must have taken great strength to leave all that she had known in order to protect her kingdom from Vladimir. I admired her determination.
I must say that basically everything about this book was fantastic from the characters right down to the storyline. It was full of breathtaking action. I highly recommend this book because it will enthrall you on many different levels. I guarantee that you will be instantly swept away by this tale.
TurningThePagesBlog
Posted January 10, 2013
A few months ago I was contacted by author Coreene Callahan to review the first book in her Circle of Seven series and as soon as I read the summary that she provided I knew I would be in for a real treat. However, the book got pushed to the side until last week when I finally (sorry Coreene!) got around to it and I am so glad that this was my second read of the year.
This book was everything I hoped it would be and more. Coreene Callahan created a wonderful story that is a fantastic mixture of historical fiction, fantasy and romance. This book is set in Transylvania during the 1300s and that added to the uniqueness of the novel. I have never come across a book like this before but I'm very glad I discovered this one.
The plot was wonderful. There's murder, fighting, secret societies,magic, romance and dragons all between the covers of this book. I loved the sense of adventure that I felt as I was reading Knight Awakened. There were so many plot twists that the author really kept me on my toes when it came to guessing what would happen next.
I loved the romance aspect between Afina and Xavian. Neither character was perfect and I thought it was wonderful how they fought their attraction to each other for awhile before they decided they were tired of the tension. As a couple I think they might just be on their way to becoming one of my favourite couples. They didn't have a case of the dreaded insta-love and I liked the way their relationship evolved as the story went on. Plus the fact that Xavian, who is the epitome of what an alpha male should be bent to Afina's whim was nice to see.
I thought the characters were great. Afina has a lot more to her than it seems especially in the beginning. I wasn't sure what to think of her when the book first started because I was afraid she would be a helpless damsel in distress but I was pleased to see that she learned just how strong of a woman, and mother she really was. Nothing is more important to her than the safety of those she cares about and it was lovely to see her realize how strong and brave she could be in the face of what seemed like insurmountable odds.
Xavian was the perfect alpha male for the role in Knight Awakened. He's a killer and has done some horrible, horrible things to other people but throughout the novel he redeems himself as he learns to love, comfort and protect Afina and her wee one a little girl of two years old names Sabine. He even goes so far as to attempt to protect Afina from the Goddess whom she now serves before he relented and accepted her role in both of their lives now.
The other characters in the novel were interesting too and while they don't appear in the novel for extended periods of time I did like reading things from their point of view and learning why they were after the couple.
Overall, I loved this book. I thought it was a fantastic read and I couldn't get enough of Afina and Xavian's romance! I highly recommend this to everyone looking for a different type of romance novel. This isn't the typical historical or paranormal romance but is a fantastic mixture of both genres with a lot of action. I can't wait to read more by this author and I'm very much looking forward to reading the second book in Coreene Callahan's Circle of Seven series.
Overview
Killing is the only life Xavian Ramir knows. But now the elite assassin wants out, vowing to start anew after one ...