Beauty is a Blade – A Thousand Scars for You Book 1

There is no force more compelling on Earth or in the parallel realms than forbidden love

There is no force more compelling on Earth or in the parallel realms than forbidden love. It beguiles and inevitably self fulfills. It finds a way. Right or wrong, forbidden love can be a very beautiful thing, but that beauty is a blade, and it has a razor’s edge.

Impossibly, love blooms amidst a savage gender war that has raged for millions of years within a parallel realm. The Pentavi shapeshifters – an all female clan, and the Sinteverete sorcerers – an all male clan, were sworn enemies; divided and forced to fight by their insatiable and conspiratory Elders; they were forbidden to procreate, but made ageless by magic. The two genders were only vulnerable to death during battle, and battle was all they knew.

Layluna, a hardened Pentavi warrior, starts to suspect her Elders’ voracious appetite for war is a ruse. She and her mate, Maysiff are determined to uncover The Elders’ true designs, and end the never ending war that has plagued the clans since the dawn of time. Unbelievably, they are joined by Vasser, a true immortal Sinteverete sorcerer, and head of the undying Nevuscar. He too shares their suspicions surrounding The Elders, and the three of them embark on an epic mission of bloody satisfaction.

Forbidden love writes itself into the story, and proffers a child of incredible power. She may be the only way to end the war, unite the clans, and eliminate The Elders, but she would have to survive first.

★★★★★
The characters were complicated and captivating with very interesting back story and great world-building. This book is a fabulous beginning of a very promising series. Thrilling and exciting and I was hooked. What a read.

goodreads review

★★★★★
Written in first person, multiple POV, this is the beginning of a dark fantasy series. Unlike anything I’ve read before, Justin does an amazing job detailing every scene, and there is a ton of steamy parts mixed in with the violent ones. If you’re into horror and steam, this is definitely the beginning to a great series. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

bookbub review

★★★★★
I loved the characters and the world building in this book. The author did a wonderful job in describing the different realm, interesting characters, and the various monsters within the realm. While there is a significant amount of violence within the story due to the warring clans, it is beautifully and artfully done with a twisted sense of romance.

Amazon review