Highlights from Day 7 of the Get Together included the release of the long awaited sequel from Mist Hayes - The Watchers!

The Watchers – The Blood Dagger: Vol 2 by Misty Hayes / 

Print: 532 pages - 57 chapters

Published: December 15th 2018

Shay's Thoughts? An 11/10 to put it mildly.

. . .

  Eighteen-year-old Corinth Taylor didn't sign up to become a Watcher—an elite warrior destined to restore balance to the human race—he was chosen.

Corinth can barely control his own hormones... much less the deadly blade. And to make matters worse, his best friend, Larna, just so happens to be the very thing he's supposed to eliminate.

But when vampires and slayer find a common enemy, Corinth knows it's his innate calling to hunt evil down. And evil has a name: Gabriel Stanton. The enigmatic vampire who escaped their capture, has plans for Corinth, Larna, and Alastair... and it's a threat they'll never see coming.

When the line between good and evil gets crossed, devastating consequences start to happen. As Watcher and vampire worlds collide, Corinth must decide where to place his trust: with his old allies or his killer instincts. An upstart slayer. A clan of vampires.

What could go wrong?

It's only the end of the world.

. . .

As cliche as it sounds... No one is safe, but that doesn't mean we won't fall more deeply in love with the series in spite of it.

I went into this sequel thinking, as astonishing as it sounds now, that The Watchers would pale in comparison to it's prior novel- The Outcasts; after finishing off the one book that ended crazier than it started, I can wholeheartedly say that I was wrong in every way possible. The use of the right and more favorable characters (sorry Jack but we've learned more about you dead than alive) paired with a sizzling romance that kept you on the edge of your toes made this one for the books... Yes I did just go there.

Somehow Misty has done it again in crafting a book that has not only outshone her debut, but one that has caused me heartbreak in the best kind of way - as we all know how readers get attached to their favorite characters. Looking ahead, preferably in the direction of the third and final book's release date, I can confidently say that I will be counting down the days till next December. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let's revisit some of my favorite parts of Volume 2, shall we?

Though The Outcasts focuses on Larna as the girl on a mission to find her long lost father, we're able to pick up The Watchers and instantly understand just how much things have changed. Not only is Larna not the shy, lost girl she was in the first book, but she's been able to mature right alongside her best friend over the last eight months - and on a European adventure, no less.

Looking back at this book from an author's point of view, I can honestly tell you that I would have been dying to pick up that pen (or place my fingertips on the keys of my keyboard) when going to write that sequel and just be able to explore each and every character in the world that The Outcasts has to offer. Knowing this, it came as no surprise to open that PDF to find out that we would be seeing chapters not only from our favorite Texan, Larna Collins, but also from our lovable southern sidekick turned vampire slaying hero, Corinth Taylor, as well. It gave an insight to the series that we didn't have before, and though we're still left wondering just what's happening back home, we get to follow Larna and Corinth as they hone their abilities and prepare for the upcoming war with one of the eldest vampires who not only killed Larna's father and kidnapped Corinth's sister (for a short time), but turned Larna into a vamp herself.

One of my favorite things about this book in particular is the fact that we're looking through a two way glass. On one side we're able to see the longing that Larna is feeling, not only for her lost 'normal life', her family (mother back in Texas and recently deceased father included), but also for the love that seemed to vanish into thin air. Though the Alastair of it all is quickly resolved (in a very relative sense), we have to keep in mind that there's another side to that glass: Corinth. Being the best friend has its benefits, but from the get go you can feel just how straining it is for Corinth to watch Larna fawn over this British dude (who, by the way, is totally fawn worthy). But somehow, in light of all these usually teenage issues romance, we're able to see as these two incredible people master their powers, vamp and vampire hunter alike, while also becoming the people they were meant to be.

As I mentioned in my review of The Outcasts, the characters are relatable to put it mildly. Despite their completely unrealistic situations, I could feel the same emotions each and every character were working through. In this book specifically, you get to know these people like you've never known them before. For instance, we've never known Larna as a girl who's just lost her father to supernatural forces, and one who's been turned into a vampire because of it - it seems the only person we do know and continue to is Alastair, as he hasn't changed much in his hundred-to-two-hundred years of living.

But with all of this crazy and incredibly interesting stuff happening, we're able to break through the barrier to see our these characters for who they are. Larna being a girl looking for confidence and one who needs love more than anyone else; Corinth being afraid of the one thing I'm sure he's been hoping for his whole life (power and admitting his love for Larna); and Alastair in his wariness to trust the fact that these two previously helpless individuals might be okay without him there one day.

Somehow, the more I got through this book got, the more I was scrambling to savor every second of it. The Watchers was a perfect combination of action (helicopter chases and bombing the enemy included) and life's most memorable moments that I've ever seen. Though you can only read a book for the first time once, I have a feeling that when I do return to it, that being sooner rather than later, I will come away just as astonished as I'm feeling while writing this review.

I want to end this review by asking what everyone else loved about The Watchers (was it the characters, the cool cabin, the hiking trip, the new clans?), and what everyone will be looking forward to going into the third, and final book next winter. I myself will be mourning the loss of what could have been - but I'll keep all of you that haven't read yet wondering. I don't have any particular thoughts in mind while ending this review, but I know in the months to come that I'll have many questions before diving into the masterpiece that will be book 3. Another great book under your belt, Misty! Can't wait to see more!

. . .

Misty Hayes has always had a thing for escaping headfirst into fantastical books. This is what led her to start writing her own adventures down. As someone who has spent a long career in law enforcement, Misty has a love for strong female protagonists.

Besides the self-torture of writing books, she also loves the self-torture of running. Misty is currently working on book three of her young adult trilogy in 'The Blood Dagger' series.When not writing, Misty enjoys reading any books by Jim Butcher, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Joe Hill, and J.K. Rowling. She also directs short films and claims to have been bitten by the traveling bug (not to be mistaken for a radioactive spider).

When Misty isn't filming or roaming the planet, or diving into another novel, she's spending time at home in Texas with her myriad of nieces and nephews in tow.

The Blood Dagger Series is a high-octane Young Adult Paranormal trilogy.

Follow Misty for more info, and if you'd like to get to know her better, I've now interviewed her LIKE A MILLION times on my site! And I'll probably never quit because she's a very fun and interesting person to converse with.

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Thank you all to who checked out the review!

Continue reading for highlights from Day 8 of the Featured Authors Get Together!

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