THE CRUELEST WORDS IN ANY LANGUAGE: “YOUR KIND.”

An exotic, futuristic epic fantasy, the Rise of the Iliri series captures a world at its most bleak—and most hopeful: a nation of terrorists called the Terrans, under the thumb of an evil Emperor, sets out to systematically destroy every race but their own. And they’re just about to succeed. Author Auryn Hadley cleverly blends adventure amidst brutal war with the age-old human struggle between good and evil, hatred and love—all through the lens of a powerful and intriguing female lead, the likes of which the fantasy genre hasn’t yet seen.

On a world named Ogun, where humans define “our kind” and “their kind,” Private Salryc Luxx is iliri, a member of "their kind" bred by humans thousands of years ago for protection. In an unfortunate twist of fate, the iliri also happen to be a dangerous predator. Enslaved until being conscripted into the army at eighteen after biting a military officer on the shoulder, Sal’s one and only goal is to fight her way into the Black Blades, an elite special operations unit within the army of the Conglomerate of Free Citizens. To be feared as a Black Blade is as close to freedom as an iliran can get.

And her appearance—the milky-white skin, long white hair, pale inhuman eyes, and expressive ears on the top of her head—ensures that she will never be mistaken for anything but the rarest of her kind, a pure iliri female. It comes with powers no man can resist, even if it means his death... Humans treat her like a freak, but iliri instantly recognize the perfection of exactly what she was designed to be: an unequaled killing machine. Able to see in the dark, with acute hearing and a sense of smell sensitive enough to read emotions, the iliri are smaller but more powerful than humans, the females quicker than the males and, therefore, deadlier.

But Sal has no idea what she is. She was raised solely among humans, with no exposure to her own kind or their traditions. Everything she thinks she knows about herself came to her through the eyes of humans—who care for nothing but their own kind. Acceptance into the Blades has given her the family she’s never had, not to mention access to a devoted line of potential mates. And with it, the protection of seven of the fiercest warriors in existence.  After only a few months of training, she surpasses their skills and becomes the most lethal member of the unit. It will take much longer for them to teach her who she is: their destiny.

Each of the Black Blades will die to protect her. Some of them will submit to the bloodlust that overtakes her in battle and can be quenched only by roughly passionate mating.  Eventually, all of them will submit to her command. They are her pack. Soon the world will learn what she now knows, that the Black Blades, the best of the elites, are all iliri.

Author Hadley has crafted a multi-layered fantasy series—and a fascinating new world. Her heroine, Sal, is as loving as she is fierce, and the demons she battles—and the way she beats them—underlie a deeper earthly truth. Hadley’s clever takes on racial prejudice are subtle, yet damning--and her idea of sexual politics is a rip-roaring turn-on. Every female reader will want to be Sal…and every male, like the guys in the book, will fall for her.

Did we mention the erotic scenes are hot?  Steamy!

This is the first book in an action-packed, epic, science-based fantasy series that fans of  Avatar and Game of Thrones will love; not to mention The Dragonriders of Pern.  BloodLust does not end with a cliffhanger.  It does contain adult themes, thus may not be suitable for younger readers.