I found this book very difficult to get into, probably because I had not read the first in the series.
But was I glad I persevered.
This was a brilliant world with great characters.
I will definitely be reading more in this series.

I really enjoyed this book, and the writing of an author I hadn't read before. It was a slightly different take on vamps and weres, and it was nice to see vamps not portrayed as all evil or all alpha male, highly sexual he-men. I also enjoyed the concept of eye colour and talents being linked. I look forward to reading more set in this world.

Wow. This book is different from what I normally read, but I DEVOURED IT. Seriously, The book follows several separate, but intertwined stories and takes place in an established universe. I hadn't read the first book (Graced) and was able to follow this one, but I am DEFINITELY going to go read it now.

The setting reminded me a lot of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. You can't quite tell whether the story is set in the distant past or the distant future or whether it's in an alternate timeline altogether. There are vampires, humans ("normal" and "graced", which my husband lovingly referred to as X-men), and weres, which can be anything - tigers, bears, wolves, etc. The two main stories follow Hannah, who has found a baby left for dead, and Alice, the human coroner tasked with figuring out who is killing the city's aristocratic vampires. Their stories intertwine in some predictable and surprising ways. I have to hand it to the author - I read a LOT of mysteries and can almost always figure out who the killer is. I was sure I had it figured out a quarter of the way through the book, but SURPRISE! I was only half right. Which is the best kind of mystery - you've got enough clues to figure it out, but there are so many dead ends that you still end up shocked at the end.

REVIEW:  BITTEN, The Graced Series, Book Two, by Amanda Pillar.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars by Iris Chacon.
(An electronic copy was provided in exchange for an honest, objective review.)

Charming as The Hobbit, Complex as Game of Thrones

To call this novel a "paranormal romance" or "fantasy" novel would be oversimplication. This genre-bending tale has the charm of Tolkien's Hobbit combined with the complex relationships of Martin's Game of Thrones. It may seem like slow going at the beginning, especially if one hasn't read book one in the series, but once the reader has learned enough about the characters and their world to become immersed in it, the story proceeds at a pleasing pace.

The characters are unique and likeable, from the self-exiled vampire who can't be touched, to the outrageously flirtatious egotistical prettyboy, to the werebear with the heart of gold. Fair warning, all threads are not tied up in the end. The author, of course, wants readers to hunger for book three. I'm feeling a bit peckish, myself.

I have dropped one star from my rating because of some unsavory language. I think the same story could have been told without it. In fact, I would have enjoyed this creative author concocting a whole new vocabulary of expletives just for the world in which the story takes place. 

This book contains adult themes, mild profanity, and (though not "erotica") sexual encounters, some of them homosexual or extramarital.  There are no religious references. Despite its "fairy tale" aura, I would not recommend this book to children and teens.

This book is very well written, but I had a difficult time getting into it. It's not my genre. If you are into paranormal-fantasy, this would be a wonderful read.

This book was incredibly long, the story difficult to follow and the characters hard to relate to.

I have not read the first novel of this series but I didn't feel it stopped me from enjoying it at all. The world concept comes out clearly and the more nuanced aspects that aren't depicted in this installment don't detract from the appeal, in fact, it just made me curious to read the first novel (which I will very soon). It has a couple of bad aspects in the character development and romance areas but I can happily overlook them for the general world building and story, which have incredible potential. I feel this author can live off spin-offs in this world for a while!

The novel follows two heroines in two story lines that only mingle at the (very short) end. Hannah is an extraordinary vampire in a world of ordinary vampires. She finds an abandoned baby on the mountain she lives and decides to go to her mother (btw, more Tatiana please.) for help in raising the child and that sets off her adventure into treachery, discovery and (quasi insta-)love. 
Now Alice is a normal human, not vampire, were or magically talented. I really liked her for that. With a past that still has a hold on her, the city coroner decides the new murder cases in town strike a bit too close to home and inadvertently gets involved in more than she wanted to. The two male leads are inspired best friends, Fin provided some comic relief and Byrne provided some mushy book-love in me. I wish he had found his mate sooner, there better be more about them in the future!

Anyway, in general, a very good read, recommend for any paranormal fan who doesn't mind losing some romance and gaining some great world building.

Bitten is the second novel in the Graced series, which also has two novellas at present. Every time I pick up and read a piece of Pillar’s work, I'm instantly enthralled. Pillar captivates readers with the intriguing world and species she has created in her unique universe.
 
Bitten provided us with new and intriguing characters along with much-loved originals. You travel with a number of characters throughout the novel and I honestly love it; you're not stuck with the same character throughout.
 
I am in awe of the way Pillar develops the characters and the individual personality traits they all have. From psychopaths to motherly, happy go lucky to shy characters, Pillar covers it all in this novel.
 
The plot progresses at a satisfying pace, never slow and boring. There is always something happening, but not necessarily action-wise, and the dialog between characters keeps you flicking through the pages entertained and demanding more. Pillar’s writing is witty, filled with sarcasm and is just brilliant.
 
The icing on the cake for me is the creation of a new species of supernatural beings: "the Graced". It is such a breath of fresh air in the supernatural world.
 
Fans of vampires, werewolves and anything supernatural will fall in love with Bitten and the Graced world.
 
Already eagerly awaiting the release of the next instalment in this series.