Malice Striker (Viking Vengeance #1)
by Jianne Carlo
Published by Etopia Press
57,000 words (eBook format)
Erotic Historical Romance
Contains Elements of Action, Adventure and Suspense
Heat Level: Sizzling
Available at:
Coming Soon from Etopia Press
When Scotland’s King Kenneth orders his death and kidnaps his sister, the Viking Brökk—the Malice Striker—plans his vengeance: he’ll steal the king’s bastard daughter from Sumbarten Abbey and use her to buy his sister’s freedom. But his schemes go awry when his liege lord commands him to wed Skatha—and when he finds five women instead of one at the Abbey, none of whom will claim the King as father.
When the Viking abducts Skatha and her women, she’s bewildered. Why did Brökk seize her? Why does he want her for his wife? She weds him willingly enough when he threatens to kill her companions, but she vows to control her own destiny and escape. For if the Viking discovers her secrets, the laws of his people will force him to cast her aside…or kill her. And even Skatha, daughter of a goddess, might not escape the Viking’s wrath.
Warning: This title contains scenes of an erotic nature (highly explicit sex scenes/course language).
Excerpt:
Brökk lay awake long after his wife had collapsed into a deep slumber. He had become too at ease with playing the games of royal courts. Too adept at speaking sweet words while he plotted destruction. Too suspicious of innocence not to watch and wait for evil to surface. He had brought Skatha to pleasure thrice more and swived her with abandon each time.
Not once had he noticed a dubious reaction from his new bride.
Her mouth had been magik all eve. He had been loath to stop kissing her and when she had finally been coaxed into returning his caresses ’twas as if her tongue had coarsened and the cavern of her mouth vibrated. And now she curled into him and her entire body contracted and undulated in an intoxicating rhythm.
His prick engorged when he tried to imagine how her rough tongue and humming mouth would feel around his length. If ’twas what Ali had referred to when he spoke of never wanting another female once a goddess had sucked his prick, then Brökk had found Valhalla indeed. He had not allowed her much liberty of touch, too enflamed with desire to retain control of his climax once sheathed within her puss.
She rubbed her nose on his ribs, mumbled words he did not comprehend and then two he did: bjartr stjarna. Brökk and Konáll’s fond endearment for their beloved sister.
The two brothers had oft tested the women on the journey from Sumbarten using Norse to alarm them, but none of the females had reacted. He had assessed her again in the great hall, and she had not understood the name for his holding.
Had she and the other ladies played them the fools? The Viking language was not an easy dialect to mimic, yet she had spoken like a true Norsewoman. He could not trust Skatha fully, fealty oath or not, until he felt cert she had played no part in Hjørdis’s kidnapping.
He dozed on and off, the light slumber of a warrior in an unknown encampment, waking oft to listen and be reassured all was well. Afore the first light of dawn streaked through the gaps in the hide covering the window, the fire surrendered its last heat. In no time at all, Skatha’s skin grew chill even though he tucked the furs and his body around hers.
After he eased off the mattress, Brökk built the fire back to a roaring and snapping blaze, untied a hide, and surveyed the view of Bita Veðr’s rolling hills, the village, and the fjord in the distance. Naught appeared amiss, yet unease coated his nape and shoulders. A movement from the bed drew his attention. He had left the drapes drawn, and he watched bemused as Skatha stretched and the purring noise she made grew louder.
His balls fattened, the hairs there pulling taut as blood and seed pooled, and his groin tightened. He had taken her four times in all, and his lust should be well sated, yet her slightest move inflamed him. But the same had happened in the past with new lovers, and after the first flush of a new coupling, desire had faded to a controllable ache. Pray Freya ’twould be the same with Skatha for he liked not this fever to mount her.
Long, slender arms poked up from the furs, and her fingers flexed in a kneading action. She had massaged him oft during their love play and purred and mewled the most delicate sounds. She emitted one of those throaty seductive noises right then, and he hastened to the bed, greedy for her kisses and her puss, his mouth salivating with the need to suckle her breasts, and lick and nibble the pretty, pouting buds.
He slipped onto the mattress, covered her slender body, and captured both wrists high above her head with one hand. “I bid you good morn, bride.”
She worried her bottom lip with a pearl-white tooth. “Good morn, my lord.”
“Did we not agree to my given name in our lodge?”
Color washed her throat and face. “Brökk.”
“You must still pay the penalty. Kiss me, Skatha.”
She tipped her chin up, and he brought his lips to hers. In a bold, unexpected move, she licked the seam of his mouth and nipped the fullness in the middle.
“Sváss fróðleikr, minn smár köttr.”
Brökk deliberately spoke Norse and studied her reactions to each word.
Krystal's Review.....
I just have to start out by saying FANTASTIC. Those of you that know me, know I don't usually do reviews on this blog, but something about this book just swept me off my feet and I had to read it. I was so excited when my request to review it was accepted. I was not disappointed!
Jianne Carlo weaves an entrancing tale of love, passion, and action. The Malice Striker is about 200 pages that reads like 75. I literally couldn't put it down. My husband had to drag the computer from my hands to get me to come eat dinner. I don't care what style, genre, time-period, etc., but I'm reading everything Jianne Carlo writes and putting her on my auto-buy list (which by the way is very short).
Skatha, the heroine, is a fierce woman who knows who she is isn't afraid of the warrior husband she's been given too. Her Viking husband is strong, sexy, and completely smitten. Just the way I like them. And Skatha drives him crazy -in more ways than one! There are several fabulous secrets in this book and I refuse to give them away. You will just have to read it!!!
I found myself completely immersed in Carlo's created world. Malice Striker blends history and fantasy and it was done beautifully. She also does a fantastic job of painting her setting and connecting with her characters. I really felt as though I could see the landscape and knew the characters personally after the book was over. I laughed and cried with them through their triumphs and sorrows. I was so sad to see their story end.
I do hope you will give Jianne Carlo a chance. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Malice Striker is awarded
5 Satin Pillows!
About the Author:
Award winning, author Jianne Carlo’s motto is simple: “Alpha Me Please”. While strong heroines, exotic locations, and cultural differences are her forte, she goes weak in the knees for warriors of any type: rebels, SEALs, Vikings, and bad-ass mercenaries.
Send her a man with an attitude and she’ll find the right woman to tame him.
Jianne’s writing career began in 2008, and since then she’s been lucky enough to have over twenty books published. Most of her books are TOP PICKs and several have been nominated for and won awards and prizes.
Nothing makes Jianne’s day more than an email from someone who’s read one of her books. So far, she’s received emails from almost every continent on the planet. Almost…
Contact Jianne at:
