The Key to Erebus (The French Vampire Legend Book 1)

I loved the primus of this book and all of the characters, Except! The main female character was a complete idiot! I know she was just nineteen and had just learned she had all this great power and stuff but come on! First, she trusted anyone who showed up around her and made promises off the top of her head without any thought of the consequences and everyone else suffered for it. Tell her to do something for her on good, well that's a sure sign she would do the opposite. Which ended in getting characters hurt or killed but it was never her fault according to her. I was't this stupid when I was ten years old! Then don't get me started on her love relationship with Corvus, I love you then I don't, I want you then I'm not sure, this was a continuous whining theme with her. I kept hoping that Corvus would kicked this idiot savant to the curb and find someone with "less power and more sense". I really tried to like her, I really did but she got worse as the book continued, she learned nothing from the mistakes she made or even tried. She was one of the most selfish, self entered, petulant characters I have ever read about. Note to the character, "Grow up and appreciate what's in front of you".

Good story, good characters, nice creation of a supernatural universe. However there is no way in hell a 2000 year old bad ass master vampire would ever put up with the constant tease that is our 19 year old heroine. If you want constant build up with no relief and those pesky never ending "accidental" interruptions every time our madly in love/can't live without couple gets heated than this is the book for you. Strictly a young adult paranormal romance.

There are truly not enough words to describe how much I loved this book. Emma Leech has become one of my favorite authors from the instant I read one of her books I knew her others book would not disappoint. You can’t help but become a part of the world she has created for her characters it’s like you are literally right there along with them throughout their journey. The exquisite details lure you in and keep you enthralled and immersed in each of her stories.Jehenne Corbeaux is such a unique heroine although frustrating at times, she is very independent, resilient and quick witted. It’s easy to find her character alluring and relatable.Jehenne flees her home in England and her mother’s expectations to be a normal girl and live a normal life and seeks refuge in her strange and peculiar grandmother.Her world begins to shift into something inexplicable, ghosts are popping up, a ghoul and then a revelation from the grandmother about the Corbeaux family, she is a witch just like the rest of the women in her family.The world she thought she lived in is nothing compared to the world she will become a part of. It’s full of vampires, witches, shapeshifters, ghouls, angels and other mythical creatures. It’s truly a magical world full of endless possibilities and intriguing revelations.Corvus is breathtakingly beautiful and powerful vampire, who’s charming qualities will leave you breathless. Jehenne is drawn to him immediately and their lives are more entwined then they are first led to believe.She battles with herself and the choices she has to make, she isn’t perfect and fears her decisions aren’t the best ones, but she must stand behind her choice to do what’s right no matter what people may think. I love that she doesn’t let what others think affect her choices and does what she feels is right.Truly a remarkable and thrilling emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end I can’t wait to continue reading this series!

I've really enjoyed this book. The story line is unique and grabbed my attention from the very first page. I just adore Rodney! I almost wish he was the love interest, but he's great as a friend too. I really only have 2(ish) complaints. One may be a language barrier, for lack of a better term, but in some instances words were used, not necessarily incorrectly, but very oddly. For example, how do you dismember a croissant or negotiate your car down a street? Sometimes it seemed as if the author searched a thesaurus for a descriptive word without looking at the actual definition. The punctuation was also off quite a bit but both of those things don't distract from the story too much. My other complaint, and it isn't really even a complaint, more of a personal opinion, is that the main character, Jaheene (sp?) was a little dry a lot of times. She wasn't ever really funny, or dramatic. She doesnt even bat an eye at things that most would get upset about, such as being left at a party (with 300 vampires, just weeks after learning they're real) to fend for herself. First he told her he wouldn't leave right away when he was walking her down from her room to the party. As soon as they got downstairs, he immediately introduced her to a group of vampires and then left. He also told her he would be back soon but didn't come back until the party was over. She never said a word! I would have been upset if someone did that to me, especially if I were the only human in a room with 300 vampires I had never met. As I said though, it has been a very enjoyable read and Jaheene was likeable enough, I just think with a few tweaks here and there, it could have been off the charts.

This would have been a great story if it weren't for the Romance. It is one of those books where the characters fall madly in love within a day of meeting each other. What makes such a situation frustrating is that in this book we are told that the young witch,J. (I can't spell her name so I will refer to her as J.), is the spitting image, of the same bloodline, and has a similar name, to his one and only love. At the start of the book,J., wonders if the attention of Corvus is due to this similarity, especially as he never gets to actually know her. However these doubts are basically forgotten and the next thing we know i s that corvus and j. are madly in love then things happen etc etc. If it weren't for this frustrating romance, the book would be great!

At first I really struggled to get into this book, there was too much narrative with not as much action at the start of the book (I know that the scene must be set and background established, but for me there was a bit too much), then all of a sudden BOOM it all kicked off and I could not put this book down for love nor money! I was completely hooked! This is not your usual romantic vampire story where the heroine always needs saving, oh no there is so much more to this book but I’m not giving anything away!One of the first things that stuck me was that the novel takes in rural France instead of the usual small town America. It’s a refreshing change that helped initially grab my attention and continue with the book. Her characterisation is strong and effective. Jehenne is a feisty and strong character who also has a vulnerability and naivety about her that means you really root for her. However, this naivety can be a little frustrating in places! Corvus is the strong alpha vampire that you dream about! Leech provides comic relief with the Rodney, a cockney punk rocker with a heart of gold. I even grew to like Amelia which I never thought would happen!The book most certainly improved the more I read and I would definitely recommend this book to others – can’t wait to read the next in the series!

I was so disappointed with this book. It just feels so rushed and lacks a flowing storyline. There isn't enough well thought out detail. The main character inevitably finds out she's special, which she gets over far too quickly in my opinion. Then she sees a handsome mysterious stranger who starts off very interesting and I wanted to learn more about his character. Again this feels rushed as after a handful of chapters they're madly in love...There was no romance or chasing in this book and I hate to say I got bored and found the book hard to finish as I wanted to find something new

The Key To Erebus was probably the first ever vampire/paranormal fiction I've read where the action is set in somewhere other than the UK or the U.S. I loved the backdrop of the Dordogne countryside and found it to be a refreshing break from the norm and one that immediately caught my attention. I mean, vampires and witches in the French countryside? Really? Yeah, why the hell not!Immediately we are introduced to our main protagonist, Jehenne, somewhat a troubled girl, suffering from nightmarish visions of the future and around whom strange things tend to happen and strange ghostly figures tend to appear. After too many disagreements with her parents, Jehenne takes herself off to stay with her eccentric, odd grandmother; a lady who has her own herb room, has a penchant for croissants, reads tarot cards and doesn't bat an eyelid when ghosts pop in for a chat. That's right, Ines Corbeaux is a witch and Jehenne finds out she has definitely inherited the family abilities; in fact she's a pretty damn good witch, only she doesn't quite know this yet.Not long after taking root in her grandmother's home, Jehenne is soon thrust into the dangerous and unpredictable world of supernatural creatures: shape-shifters, faeries (not quite the Tinkerbell-like cuties you might expect), ghouls, sirens and vampires.Talking of vampires, step forward elder vamp Corvus, dangerous, sexy and powerful and more than a little miffed when he learns of Jehenne's existence seeing as she looks more than a bit like his long-lost beloved.When a fledgling vampire kills a keeper; protector of one the supernatural worlds most precious artefacts, the whole supernatural council is called into session and all fingers start pointing towards the vampires themselves, and Corvus and Jehenne are reluctantly thrown together in the mission to discover the perpetrator. Throw in a serious grudge against Corvus from Ines and an unwanted attraction to the vampire her grandmother would like to see dead, you just know Jehenne's troubles have only just begun.What I loved most about Erebus is that you never quite know who to trust. None of the characters are quite what they appear to be on the surface, there are many secrets, many lies and danger lurking around every corner which keeps you turning page after page, desperate to know who is telling the truth and who is the enemy.Jehenne is feisty, strong-willed and independent with just that right amount of vulnerability you need to keep you rooting for her right to the very end and Corvus is fantastically alluring as the lead vamp. Chuck in the ghoulishly wonderful Londoner, Rodney with all his 'blimeys' and 'luvs' to add in a hint of humour and the whole novel is a recipe for a real page-turning romp of wicked proportions.If you're looking for a read that has all the right elements to keep you on the edge of your seat and characters you'll fall in love with, then The Key To Erebus is the one for you!

Jehenne Corbeaux flees England, and her mother's insistence that her dreams are just that and nothing more to seek refuge with her somewhat eccentric, seemingly harmless grandmother.Her brief reprieve is shattered when a ghost pops up at her window, a mohican-sporting ghoul starts knocking at the door, and her grandmother reveals the Corbeaux families' gift (or curse, depending on who you ask about it).The Key to Erebus has an intricate plot, interwoven with the author's 'Dark' series to create a vibrant and exciting world of all things paranormal. Vampires (of course), Witches (naturally), Shapeshifters, Ghouls, Fae... even an Angel and an Incubus settle comfortably into a story arc with endless possibilities.Jehenne has received some backlash from readers for not jumping into bed with the male lead - Corvus - in spite of his looks, charm, powers of seduction, and, well... let's just say I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crisps (or bagels. This is France, after all), but I applaud her for it. If there's a list of Spunky Female Heroines out there, Jehenne is well deserving of a place in said list. She has dignity and moral integrity, she battles with herself over her choices and makes decisions that break her heart. She isn't perfect of infallible - she's an 18-year-old girl with hopes and fears like anyone else. She stands up for what she believes is right, no matter how many people she pisses off in the process, and that's what I love about her.The Key to Erebus is a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end and the teaser for the next book in the series is cruel. It's evil incarnate. I'm on tenterhooks while I wait for the notification that I can finally buy the bloody thing!