If the price of safety is slavery, would you bargain your life?
A Bargain in Silver is book one of Josie Jaffrey's Solis Invicti paranormal romance series, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic London. A deadly infection threatens to wipe out humanity. The only people who can stem its advance are the Silver, a vampiric race who offer a simple exchange: protection in return for blood and subservience. It's not a deal that Emmy's willing to make, but as her world burns around her she finds herself in the arms of the enemy and the line between oppressor and saviour begins to blur. After an attack by the infected, Emmy is rescued by the handsome Drew who introduces her to the world of the Silver. Desperate to escape subjugation and confused by her attraction to him, she gathers what remains of her surrogate family and plans to make a break for freedom. But despite her efforts to resist, she is drawn further into the intrigues of the mysterious Silver through the agency of their ruler, the Primus: Solomon. Emmy refuses to submit to the cold and detached Primus and an attempt on her life makes it clear that he is unable to protect her from the political machinations of his race. As the connection between them deepens she must choose between her desire and her will to rebel, but can she trust his intentions when everyone is after her blood?
A Bargain in Silver (Solis Invicti #1) by Josie Jaffrey
Paperback, 356 pages
Published January 4th 2015
Josie lives in Oxford, England, with her husband and two cats. When she’s not writing, she works as a lawyer, specializing in intellectual property and commercial law. She also runs a video book review club, The Gin Book Club, through her website.
The first book in the Solis Invicti series (A Bargain in Silver) is Josie’s debut novel.
Author Links: Website & Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I loved the structure of this story. I enjoyed getting a little sneak peak into the future then realizing in the next chapter that the Vampire revelation hadn't even begun yet, so it was foreshadowing a destiny that the main character was clueless about. I thought that added almost a humorous element to the story because as the reader you now have a snapshot into what transpires, but then you get to see this stubborn woman as she does everything in her power to run the other way and avoid this premonition.
I enjoyed the different perspectives when the apocalypse did happen. Emilia had an inward view of things after immediately being rescued by a vampire and although apprehensive, didn't immediately write them off as evil. The outside view was introduced when she escapes and runs into her friends, who were hiding out, that see them only as monsters. Their differing perspectives create a complete picture of all that was happening in the world and fuel the rest of the story as Emilia tries to figure out whose view was closer to the truth about who these vampires really are.
It was an ingenious plot that was extremely well developed. The author held so much patience when writing this to not reveal all the details at once and made the reader learn bits and pieces of who these vampires really were, and what they were capable of along with Emilia. The story constantly had secrets revealed and layers pealed back and I was so distraught to not have the ending I was hoping for when I realized it was a series. I'm left with silver irises turning gold and I need more. I enjoyed the mysterious element, the struggle to trust, and mostly the internal, moral warfare as she figures out how to feel in this new world.
I received this book free from the author for an honest review.
Just because I love reading, I LOVE when characters are authors or avid readers. This quote made me smile because it's happened to me countless times. Dang real life getting in the way of my book!
"Exhaling heavily, I sank back down into the sofa and picked up the book again. When I'd read the same sentence five times, I decided I wasn't going to be able to lose myself in the story and returned it regretfully to the pile of books on the coffee table."
Also,
“I guess you can never really know someone, even, perhaps especially, when you're in love.”
His beautiful blue eyes bored into mine.
“What would you have me do?” he challenged. “Would you rather I lied? That I use clever arguments to convince you this is something you want? That I manipulate you into believing the reality of this arrangement to be other than it is?”
I looked down at the table.
“We have to drink blood to live,” he continued, “and it has to be human. There’s no way I can make that concept more palatable to you, if you’ll excuse the pun. Life as you knew it has changed, Emilia. We have always been here, moving amongst you, it was just that you weren’t conscious of our presence. Now, with the Weepers multiplying, consuming and replacing your kind, we can no longer hide.”
“Isn’t that a little disingenuous?” I said, remembering Jeff’s theory about the lead time that would have been required for the level of organisation the vampires had displayed. “Aren’t the Weepers just an excuse for you to act?”
“We have been waiting for an opportunity for some time,” he acknowledged with a tilt of his head. “I know you want things to return to how they were,” he continued, “but that is not in my power to give. Your world is gone. You’re fighting for a life that no longer exists. There are difficult decisions to make, sacrifices, simply to save what little remains to us. I am trying to salvage an existence for your race, a new world for both of our races. There could be a place in that world for you, if you’re willing to look for it.”