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    Forbidden
    Forbidden
    Forbidden
    Audiobook9 hours

    Forbidden

    Written by Jacquelyn Frank

    Narrated by Xe Sands

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The unexpected happens in an instant. On her way to work, secretary Docia Waverley hurtles into a crashing crossroads, and she quickly begins to suspect that things will never be the same. Then, when a tall, blond, muscular stranger intervenes on her behalf, telling her it is his duty to protect her at all cost, what is just a feeling turns to proof positive. That is, as long as Docia's savior doesn't turn out to be a crazed kidnapper.When Ram finds Docia, he has no doubt that she is his queen. But as this golden warrior sweeps in to protect her, he feels something more than body heat every time they touch. He is overwhelmed by a searing connection that goes deep into the twin souls inside him. A desire rises in him that is forbidden-this woman is his queen, the mate of his king, his leader, his best friend. And yet Docia is so vulnerable and attractive that she awakens a hunger in Ram that is undeniable, a carnal craving he cannot yield to . . . not without risking the very survival of the Bodywalkers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateOct 30, 2012
    ISBN9781452678719
    Forbidden
    Author

    Jacquelyn Frank

    New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Frank is the author of the successful Nightwalkers series, which first introduced the world to her unique paranormal romances. She has since gone on to create two more successful, bestselling series: The Shadowdwellers and The Gatherers. Jacquelyn Frank has been passionate about writing ever since she picked up her first teen romance at age thirteen. Since then, she’s gone on to write over ten bestselling books, with more on the way. Before Jacquelyn became an author, she worked as a Sign Language Interpreter and substitute teacher. For more information on Jacquelyn Frank and her books, readers may visit her Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacquelyn-Frank/371620872548 or visit her website at www.jacquelynfrank.com.

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    Reviews for Forbidden

    4/5

    88 ratings27 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Docia Waverly suddenly gets pushed off a bridge to her death or so they all thought. Docia was chosen by an ether soul to be a body walker. Docia's brother Jackson is all she has left so she chooses to take the chance and become a body walker not knowing what it really is. Being a body walker keeps her body and her soul alive but she has to share her body with another soul that blends with hers. Ancient Original Templars and Royals coming back from the dead into human body's having their own great war and waiting for the rest of their counterparts to come back from the ether so that they can continue their great loves and great wars among themselves, however they treat their body walkers with great care. As Docia soon finds out with Ram / Vincent he is willing to protect her at any cost and they have feelings that neither of them imagined would happen. What a great new twist on supernatural..

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Since I read a lot of fantasy, Jacquelyn Frank's name comes up a lot as recommendations, since I have read authors similar to her. This is the first book that I have read by her. I liked it. I liked the main characters, Docia and Ram. It was predictable that Docia and Ram would like each other, but I still liked the dynamic. I liked that she did not realize that she was merged with an Egyptian deity at first. I liked that it incorporated many of the Egyptian people we know from history and legend. Egyptian history is pretty fascinating to me. I have not read the other Nightwalker series so I think that it would help if I had read the beginning books first. I liked this book enough that I will read the Nightwalker series and try the rest of the Bodywalkers series. Jacquelyn Frank did not disappoint.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      <3 Jacquelyn Frank. As usual, this book was enjoyable to read. I look forward to many more works by her.
    • 4/5
      <3 Jacquelyn Frank. As usual, this book was enjoyable to read. I look forward to many more works by her.
    • 3/5
      Once again, this author sweeps my imagination. This has become my second favorite of her books, Rapture being my favorite.

      I would say that you do not have to read the other books, but it would help to explain the world.
    • 5/5
      Frank has gone back to her story telling and less of the constant bombarding of sensual or sexual scenes. Yes it is PNR but the sex is limited to a couple of times and the sexual angst is minimal.

      So, has a good but light plot in the background of a true paranormal romance. Unlike Frank's Shadowdwellers, this was a PNR with a great balance between the romance and the world building and story. The story has different arcs with frequent travels to the brother who is searching for Docia. There is also the father like figure of Leo. I hope she goes for at least 4 books in this series as I can see lots of arcs of the plot. . I really like the addition of the djinn, SingSing.

      Docia is spunky and takes all the craziness happening to her and around her with humor. The close relationship between her and her brother is sweet and at times funny. The resolution between Docia and Ram/Vincent was satisfying. It had a good plot with three major things going on, the brother trying to figure out where his sister was, the Bodywalkers Politic welcoming and protecting their Queen while waiting for their King, and the Templars trying to thwart the reunion. During all of this Docia and Ram/Vincent give in to their attraction and you get a very searing romance.

      Yes I really liked this one and it reminded me why I read all the Nightwalker books. You do not need to read the Nightwalkers first as this stands totally on its on as a series. They do talk about the other Nightwalkers in passing, naming them and describing them as enemies. They name 6 known Nightwalkers, during the main story, hmm... Vampire, Demon, Shifter, Shadowdweller, Bodywalker, and Djinn. Well the first 3 have books in the Nightwalkers with the main emphasis on the Demons. The Shadowdwellers have their own series, 3 books, but they are more on the edge of paranormal erotica. This one comes back to the type of books the Nightwalkers are.

      If you haven't read the Nightwalkers, skip the prolog as it has a very short scene of Noah's and Jacob's wives and them reading a piece on the Nightwalker separation and the 12 nations. Then they name the 6 they know of, which does not include the Djynn or the Bodywalkers but has the Mystrals and Druids and possibly adding natural born witches. So that is 8, possibly 9, between the two series. After reading this book, I wonder where Gargoyles fit in?
    • 5/5
      This review can also be found on my blog.

      Jacquelyn Frank's first book in her new series The World of Nightwalkers is nothing short of amazing. The journey into her world of paranormal beings and yet more prophesies blended with ancient Egyptian mythology will draw you in and leave you wanting more.

      I don't know how she does it, but Ms Frank has managed to pen yet another captivating story steeped in mythology and surrounded it with the world of Nightwalkers that we've come to know from her other series. There are new players on the board, new heroes and heroines to meet and fall in love with and new enemies to fear. The story begins with familiar friends. Bella finds a new prophecy and it's the catalyst that begins the tale of Docia and Ram.

      Docia is an ordinary woman with an ordinary life, in an ordinary town, in an ordinary job. And then she dies. But her story doesn't end there. The revelations are nothing short of exciting and fascinating. I particularly liked the ties to Ancient Egypt in this story. She's a good person to her core. She doesn't lean towards hysterical outbreaks when faced with incredible facts, nor is she inclined to buck against the alpha who shadows her every step for her protection. In short, she was my kind of heroine.

      Ram. One word to describe him would be flawless. A sense of duty and honor are ingrained in him. Therefore when he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Docia, he must resist his feelings for she technically belongs to another. Not just anyone, but his best friend and King. The more time he spends with Docia, the hotter they burn for one another.

      The smart-mouthed duo had some great lines. It was like listening to friends bicker at each other to cover up the underlying (sexual) attraction between them. The author has an uncanny ability to lull you into complacency by drawing your focus into the moment only to throw in a wicked twist. It reaches out like an invisible hand that slaps you across the face leaving you stunned and nearly close to tears. Even her way of conveying the love scenes – they're like poetry. Ms Frank is a master seductress with words. She describes every emotion and act that will make you swoon long after the words have faded and the book has come to an end. I can't wait for the next book!

      My thanks to Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley for the ARC.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: I want book 2 NOW, enough said.Opening Sentence: “Ow. Ow. Ow. And did I mention ow?”The Review:Thought I would get a head start on this book for my next review yesterday at 5 pm and when I look up next it was after midnight and the book was finished. I literally couldn’t put this book down. I missed dinner and even forgot to put a load of clothes in to wash. So you have been warned up front that this story is enough to get absolutely lost in.Now some people might see that this is a spin off series and wonder if they can jump head long into this world with out the original series. Yes, with no qualms or stipulations. I am sorry to say that this is my first Jacquelyn Frank book and boy what I have been missing out on if this is the caliber of writing that she is giving to readers.Docia, our heroine, is minding her own business headed to work when she is pushed off a bridge and killed. As she is dying she is taken to The Ether which is a place where humans are granted the opportunity to host a Nightwalker. After Docia accepts that she wants to live and will host this Nightwalker, she is granted a second chance at life.Ram, our hero, comes charging in to save Docia as she wanders the streets after being released from hospital. He informs her that he has been sent as her guide and protector. Then tops it off saying she is his Queen. Sweet introduction if I do say so, Ms. Frank.Both of these characters are so well rounded and developed there were times that I could nearly anticipate their actions because I felt I knew them both.Docia’s brother, Jackson is a nearly overwhelming secondary character but I’m pleased that he will be getting his very own book, Forever. The exchanges between Docia and Jackson at the beginning remind me very much of exchanges I have seen in tightly knit families. Ms. Frank knocked this one out of the park.I appreciated the glossary and pronunciation table at the beginning of the book because I didn’t have to wonder if the words I was hearing in my head were correct or not.So finally, should you add this to your book collections? Absolutely! Will I read book 2 in this series? Absolutely! Am a a Jacquelyn Frank fan now? Most definitely!Notable Scene:“My queen?”He was addressing her, she realized, stifling a bit of a giggle. Yet there was something thrilling and empowering to hear one so beautiful and so obviously powerful address her as though she were somehow greater than he, as if he were possibly subservient to her.She opened her mouth, but she honestly didn’t know how to respond–not only to such an address, but to the way he had come to her assistance overall. And then there was a moment, standing there in the golden aura of strength and hardness that was emanating from him, when she wondered if her attacker had been the frying pan and her savior was, actually, the fire. It kind of felt that way. Just a little. Seeing as how he now stood over her with a bloody knife in his hand.FTC Advisory: Ballantine/Random House provided me with a copy of Forbidden. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      Forbidden is the start of a new series 'Bodywalkers'. It seems that souls wait out there in the ether waiting on human hosts - that they then join with and basically share their body for the life of the human host. When the human dies the soul then floats back to the ether and waits on it's next human body to co-habitate.While this could be an interesting plot line I wasn't all that warmed up to it. To me, this sharing of bodies between two distinct people suggests that someone is not going to really be happy in the end. But I like Jacquelyn Frank's writing style and forged ahead with this novel. I did find little interaction / chemistry between the lead h / h, or maybe the story was just a little dull most of the way thru. The forbidden relationship that was developing did not strike me as all that conflict building that it was supposed to be. I found it fairly early on that things were not as they were suggested and I was not proved wrong.
    • 5/5
      Docia Waverly suddenly gets pushed off a bridge to her death or so they all thought. Docia was chosen by an ether soul to be a body walker. Docia's brother Jackson is all she has left so she chooses to take the chance and become a body walker not knowing what it really is. Being a body walker keeps her body and her soul alive but she has to share her body with another soul that blends with hers. Ancient Original Templars and Royals coming back from the dead into human body's having their own great war and waiting for the rest of their counterparts to come back from the ether so that they can continue their great loves and great wars among themselves, however they treat their body walkers with great care. As Docia soon finds out with Ram / Vincent he is willing to protect her at any cost and they have feelings that neither of them imagined would happen. What a great new twist on supernatural..
    • 5/5
      Templars vs. Royals, Mixing souls, coming back from the dead, Egyptians, oh yeah this book as got it all! I'm not going to even tell you anything more about this book except this- Its a must read!!!Jacquelyn Frank, you've just earned yourself another fan!
    • 3/5
      ABOUT THE BOOK: From New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Frank comes this first book in The World of the Nightwalkers—an exciting and sensual new spin-off series in which the Bodywalkers, an ancient race of the night, battles the evil forces who prey on them. The unexpected happens in an instant. On her way to work, secretary Docia Waverley hurtles into a crashing crossroads, and she quickly begins to suspect that things will never be the same. Then, when a tall, blond, muscular stranger intervenes on her behalf, telling her it is his duty to protect her at all cost, what is just a feeling turns to proof positive. That is, as long as Docia’s savior doesn’t turn out to be a crazed kidnapper. When Ram finds Docia, he has no doubt that she is his queen. But as this golden warrior sweeps in to protect her, he feels something more than body heat every time they touch. He is overwhelmed by a searing connection that goes deep into the twin souls inside him. A desire rises in him that is forbidden—this woman is his queen, the mate of his king, his leader, his best friend. And yet Docia is so vulnerable and attractive that she awakens a hunger in Ram that is undeniable, a carnal craving he cannot yield to . . . not without risking the very survival of the Bodywalkers.REVIEW: This was a pretty intense piece as far as the action and sensuality of the book goes. The author’s writing is done very well, and she has a way of drawing you into her scenes like no other.I did feel a bit frustrated with this piece, though. The character development seemed to be lacking a bit and I never really felt as if I connected with them. I almost felt lost about half-way through the book, simply because the story jumped quite a bit without a lead in. Almost as if a huge chunk had been taken out. I did give it three stars, when I wanted to give it so much more, but the lack of connection really bothered me with this piece. I won’t say it bombed entirely, because it didn’t, but with me, when I read, I want that connection. The action and sensual scenes were great though and it does keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages as you go.For a thrilling package that boasts pieces of a completely new world, pick this one up today and dive in.
    • 3/5
      At the beginning of this book, I found it a little confusing. The Body-walkers premise wasn't really explained at the start. It is through out the book, but you kind of feel like the heroine at the beginning not really knowing what's going on. Other than that I feel that plot points are good, even if some of them didn't get completely lined out. I'm interested in finding out more about the peripheral characters. Especially Jackson and Leo.The basic premise is, the ancient Egyptians that were mummified, had somehow tripped upon the secret to everlasting life. After death they were sent to the Ether, from there they could return to the earthly plane by sharing a body with someone who has had a close brush with death. Therefore becoming a Bodywalker. The original (host) and the carbon (Egyptian) learn to live in a symbiotic state called Blending. The overall plot point is the Templars (religion) and the Politic (political) are in a state of eternal civil war. The story of the book itself is Docia (the heroine)was pushed off a bridge and offered a new life when she met someone in the Ether. Ram was sent to Docia to keep her safe until the full Blending had occurred. Feelings start growing between them. And ... well you know the drill. Two people who aren't supposed to fall in love, fall in love anyway and bad things happen and good things happen ...All in all a good way to spend an evening. But because it was so confusing for me at the beginning it gets 3 instead of 4 stars.
    • 4/5
      Docia is on her way to work when she is shoved off a bridge while dodging a van set on running her over and dies. Only she doesn't. On the brink of death she was given the option to stay alive by hosting someone Else's soul and becoming a Bodywalker. She was warned that she would never be the same but she chose to live anyways. Ram is sent to protect his queen. He has no doubt that Docia is the queen and is right there to protect her at every step. Only problem is that his desire for her is more potent than anything he has ever felt and his queen belongs to another.FORBIDDEN started off a bit on the slow side but picks up midway through as Docia and Ram are running for safety. Docia is thrust into a world she doesn't understand and wants nothing more then to know what is going on. There was a lot of world building in FORBIDDEN but it wasn't to overwhelming and it was paced out nicely to cover the whole book. Docia and Ram fight their desire for each other with all they have until they just cant take it anymore. You could feel there connection from the get go and I loved the little twist that brought them fully together. There were some great secondary characters with a few different side stories going on. Jackson Docia's brother is a police officer and has been protective of Docia since they were little and lost their parents. He knows she is in danger but doesnt know how to help her. I really liked his character and I'm positive that after the ending of FORBIDDEN book 2 will be focused on him and his already introduced love interest.I'm excited to continue reading more on The World of Nightwalkers and learn more about all the great mythology and paranormal elements Frank has to share.
    • 3/5
      Review originally posted on My Urban FantasiesI was a Jacquelyn Frank virgin before this book. I've never read any of her books and barley recognized her name when I saw it on LibraryThing Early Reviewer. To be completely honest the hot piece of man candy on the cover is what grabbed my attention. Unfortunately that's all he grabbed. *sigh* Where do they find these guys? I'm thinking I need 2 or 3 of my very own. After I read this book the only thing I could think is that I've been living under a rock for 6 years. Frank is an amazing writer. I have no idea how she missed my radar, but she's definitely on it now.Forbidden is supposed to be a paranormal romance. To me, it reads more like an urban fantasy. If you're expecting a hot romance with a side story of who's trying to kill Docia, expect to be disappointed. I'm not saying there is no romance in the book, because there is, it's just not the main story. Relax about the Docia bit, that was not a spoiler. You find that out on page 9. I refuse to believe that anything before page 10 can be considered a spoiler. Photobucket As I said before, I've never read The Nightwalkers. Other than having no idea who the characters were in the prologue, it did not seem to be a problem. The Bodywalkers are a new species, or according to the prologue a new nation, and with that comes a new set of characters. If you're into Egyptian history you're going to love the Bodywalkers. There few heavy hitters mentioned: Menes, Hatshepsut, Ramses II and Cleopatra.How the Bodywalkers came to be is such an original concept. I do not know how Jacquelyn Frank came up with it, but it's brilliant. The Bodywalkers are as old as Ancient Egypt. Instead of bringing the mortal world and their earthly possessions with them; the mummification process actually prevented the Ancient Egyptians from entering the afterlife. Mummification instead tethered the Ancient Egyptians to the mortal world and a between place called the Ether. The Ether is essentially where the Ancient Egyptians' souls stay until they can blend with a human, becoming Bodywalkers. When a human is on the brink of death, specifically near a Nexuses point, they are sometimes temporarily pulled into the Ether. The human is then given a chance to share their mortality with a Bodywalker. If the human says no their soul moves on to the afterlife. If they say yes it's a second chance at life for the host human, also known as the original, and the Bodywalker, also called a carbon. There are perks for accepting the Blending. The shared human body is now stronger, heals faster and their life span is significantly longer. When the human body dies the human spirit moves to the afterlife and the Bodywalker is returned to the Ether for 100 years.Docia is my favorite character. She's spunky and a little weird, but in a good way. Unfortunately as the blending process continues you get less of Docia. She's basically sharing her body with another person and that person also has to make an appearance. Asikri, Leo and Vincent deserve an honorable mention. They have this whole wise-ass bad boy thing going on, it's really hot.I would have given this book more stars but there were a few spots that were slow and the mummification history was a little repetitive. Would I read the next book in the series? Absolutely.
    • 3/5
      Took a while to get into, but was interesting with the blending ofdiety with the human. If you like Eypgtian history you'll enjoy this.
    • 4/5
      I was worried I wouldn't like this book mostly because it seemed to take a little while to get going. But once you were introduced to the characters and the plot got going I didn't want to put it down. Some of the Egyptian background repeated more than I'd like, but otherwise it was a good read. I really enjoyed the two main characters, also loved Docia's brother. I can't wait to read his story.
    • 2/5
      When she's knocked off a bridge into the freezing waters of Esopus River, Docia Waverly is offered the chance to live - if she merges with an ancient Egyptian entity. Unfortunately, the Blending isn't instantaneous, and now Docia is just plain confused. She's been attacked, drowned, declared dead, kidnapped, and if that's not bad enough, she's falling for the kidnapper.Ram has a problem. He's falling for Docia - so is Vincent, whose body he shares. Unfortunately, Docia's second soul is his queen, and in falling for her he's betraying his king and committing treason on so many levels....I'd love to say this was a great read. I gave it 150 pages, which is pretty darn close to half the book, and I just couldn't stay with it. Finally skipped ahead and read the last few pages to see how it all turned out. Good premise, awkward dialogue and overly convoluted plotting. Borrow, don't buy.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed Forbidden. I like the Egyptian background and the hero, Ram was perfect and I even enjoyed his other personality as well. The heroine was well written as well and although shy she was not meek or annoying, I did find the background character story set-ups a bit predictable, but they were well written and I will read the next book. This was a good romance novel and everything that a book needs was well balanced.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book! I'm a big Jacquelyn Frank fan, and this book was not a disappointment in any way. A lot of world building went on, and a whole new set of Nightwalkers to learn about which keeps everything new and exciting. Nice plot twists, well paced. I'm thrilled for the new series!
    • 4/5
      An interesting twist and a new spinoff/continuation series...I should have believed in her. Jacquelyn Frank had never truly disappointed me until “Adam”, the sixth book in the Nightwalkers series, was done. I thought that she was done with the story. Not so and thank goodness. You knew there was more to the story and she has introduced us to that with “Forbidden”. Forbidden introduces you to a part of the Nightwalkers world we did not know existed and she has created a new type of character, Bodywalkers. Bodywalkers are a blend of two souls, one an ancient Egyptian and the other someone from more recent times. I guess the Egyptians knew what they were doing (at least they thought they knew) when they embalmed their dead.The story begins after the end of “Adam” with Bella and Kestra discussing an ancient scroll found in the Nightwalker Library written in Egyptian hieroglyphs that mentions “ twelve nations”. Since to this point they only know about six maybe seven they figure the others must be extinct since if they were around they would know about them Enter the Bodywalkers... One of the twelve nations.If you know anything about Egyptian history then you will have a little bit of a head start on the personality/history of some of the characters. Ram/Vincent aka Ramses shares a body with a former Navy SEAL (and who doesn’t love a SEAL), Cleo/Desiree aka Cleopatra shares a body with a prophetess who is fun, quirky and a quick friend to Docia, the main characters of this book. Then we hear about Menes and Hatshepsut, the rulers who are coming back and need a body to inhabit. There are also the non blended characters, Jackson (who the second book “Forever” is about) and Leo his best friend, both of who are former military.I’m not going to repeat what others have already said about this book, they did such a good job restating all it is about, I’m just going to tell you that if you are a fan of Jacquelyn Frank, and especially of her Nightwalkers this is a book you will want to read. It starts out a little slow but many books that are setting up a new story line do, but once she lays down who is who and what is what you will not want to put the book down until you are done and I am already waiting with bated breath for “Forever” due out in the spring of 2013.
    • 3/5
      Sigh. I finally finished reading Forbidden. While it was a very well written story, it was extremely frustrating to read. I actually took a break from reading Forbidden twice and finished two other books before I finished this one. That is something I hardly ever do!What was so frustrating? There were parts of it that were just a bit too confusing for me. Now I have read most of the Nightwalker series (which this is a new spin off series to) so I know and understand about this world. Unfortunately these new ‘Bodywalker’ beings were just a bit much. I hate that because I am such a fan of Ms. Franks work and I was really looking forward to this new series.Now a Bodywalker starts as a person from ancient Egypt. When they died a priest had a ritual and sent their souls into a holding time called the Ether. When another person dies, as that person’s soul passes through the Ether, the Bodywalker can ask them to share their body with them if they are brought back to into it. So when the original soul and the Bodywalker come back to life, they must ‘Blend’. Yet even though they are blended, there still seems to be two different souls inside one body.As frustrating as the story was, it was still very entertaining. So much so, that I will give book #2 a try when it comes out. I hope that it will be an easier read than Forbidden.
    • 5/5
      ARC provided by NetGalley and Random HouseThis is the first book I have read by the author. I found the concept was interesting and original. I will defiantly look for more in the series.
    • 4/5
      The story-telling was excellent. When reading romances, rarely do you get such an interesting story that flows well and avoids being choppy, but the author pulled it off easily while mixing ancient Egyptian history with this supernatural romance. I couldn't put it down. Cannot wait to read the next book in this series!GoodReads FirstReads Giveaway
    • 3/5
      The bodywalker dual individuals in one character was a very interesting idea and I liked it quite a bit. I did tend to like the secondary characters relationship a bit better than the main characters. There were many new types on Nightwalkers to meet and they are rather interesting groups. I found it to be a fun book and would read more in the series but I didn't really feel the relationship between the couple.
    • 4/5
      In Forbidden Jacquelyn has expanded the myth involved in the popular Nightwalker series by introducing the possibility of a further six nations onto the existing six, previous knowledge of the Nightwalker books is not needed to enjoy this but I highly recommend reading them. The Bodywalkers have their mythology based in ancient Egypt, when their mortal body dies their soul returns to the Ether, which is the place between life and death. Once they have recovered from their "death" they are able to hitch-hike back to Earth and into a new body by possesing a human at the moment of their death. Both parties have to be in agreement though, and over a period of time the two souls will merge allowing them to share a body. Following an attempted murder, Docia is introduced to a world she never expected existed. Raised by her brother, Jackson, and his friend Leo after the death of her parents, Docia has led a pretty uneventful life so why are people suddenly trying to kill her? The melding of Docia with a Bodywalker occurs after the first attempt to kill her, this invites even more bad guys to try and kill her, luckily for her it also introduces a protector in the form of Ram/Vincent who believes her to be hosting his Queen. Along the way we meet new foes and allies, the plot has many twists and a forbidden romance that raises the heat level.It's a promising beginning to the series, like all first in series books with such a huge mythology there is a large amount of info thrown at you in this book, it was a little hard to get my head around at times. I was greatful for the distraction that Jackson provided and I'm looking forward to getting to know him better. Jacquelyn has proved once again why she is a master (or should that be mistress?) of what I like to term "fantasy paranormal". The worlds she creates are so indepth and different that you can't help but believe they may actually exist.LITERAL ADDICTION's Associate Reviewer gives Forbidden 4 Skulls.
    • 4/5
      I didn't know Frank was revisiting her Nightwalker world until I spotted this book in NetGalley. Frank introduces a new Nightwalker race, the Bodywalkers. They're an interesting race - a mixture of Egyptian mythology and reincarnation by soul sharing. I had a little trouble wrapping my brain around how their whole soul sharing worked. But it's a unique concept. The Bodywalkers aren't body snatchers. They get permission to join with this person, to share their body. It's a merging of souls. Frank did a great job creating this new Nightwalker race out of the Ancient Egyptians obsession with preparing themselves for their afterlife.The Bodywalkers are currently fighting a civil war - the religious (Templars) vs those loyal to the king and queen (Politics). Dorcia finds herself in the middle of this war when she is pushed off a bridge and, while near death, agrees to merge with a Bodywalker. She doesn't remember this when she wakes up and so is not prepared when her life is threatened a second time. This time she is saved by Ram, the Bodywalker who has come to help her with her merging. Both find themselves very attracted to the other as Ram helps Dorcia with her merging and introduces her to his culture. Ram fights this attraction because Dorcia is merging with his queen. His queen has always loved the king, who will be merging soon too. I felt the story and world building did overshadow the romance a little. I can forgive that because it's the first book in this spin-off series and because I found the mythology different and entertaining. But I liked both Dorcia and Ram, and would have liked to have seen more of a build to their relationship.It's a good start; I'm glad Frank returned to this world. ARC provided through NetGalley.