Kinsley Preston's life is forever changed when she discovers she is a Protector, bound to a vampire Monarch. Kinsley's parents are killed in a not-so-subtle "accident" while she is in college. Her parents had planned to tell her of her secret identity during the summer, but now it is too late and she has to rely on her not-quite-sane Aunt Marie. Pursued by vampires and the humans who are involved with vampires is a difficult job, at best. At best, this book reads like a 12-year old wrote it. Not recommended.

It was ok. It felt a little juvenile to me. The only thing that made me want to keep reading was the love triangle and if Kinsley was going to give in.

Kinsley Preston thinks she is a normal college student until her parents are murdered and she finds that she is a shadower, a type of vampire slayer, with special blood that increases vampire powers. There’s a war between basically good vampires and evil ones, and the evil ones have been murdered, like Kinsley’s parents until she is one of the few left. Kyona Jiles’s tale of Kinsley’s face off with one of the truly evil vampires, her training, and her First Death(self published ebook). Then her Aunt is kidnapped and Kinsley needs a Second Chance (book) to learn how to work with the vampire Beckford Alexander, a group of human monster killers, other shape-shifters and the succubus Lilith to finally face the evil Isaac. This is a nice opening to a fun urban fantasy that is growing on me.

I absolutely fell in love with the characters in this book and the story drew me in from page one. I have read everything this author has written, multiple times, and I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to this one.

I thought this was a good different take on vampires I haven’t read before. Ots an interesting story line. It’s very fast paced and an easy read. Overall a good book!

First Death by Kyona Jiles had me hooked from the beginning. This twisting and turning storyline keeps you guessing and it is perfect for getting readers out of a reading slump. Often with fast paced books you find yourself needing to go back and recollect information in order to keep up, however Jiles did a great job at making sure that their audience always has enough detail in a clear cut way that they wouldn’t get confused. The characters as well as the character development is fascinating. Their names also go perfectly with their personalities, and even though circumstances are extremely different, I still find the characters relatable. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this story.

Vamp fans rejoice! Action, suspense, good guys and bad and some in between, the story just drives at a relentless pace, doesn't get much better than this. Great characters, shifters, vamps, shadowers - secrets, prophecies, and a bit of crazy. And yea, some heat to make things even better! Just read this.

This is a great series starter with enough danger and excitement to draw you in and keep your attention. Kinsley is a normal girl, until she isn't. She suffers heartache but has a lot of personal development throughout the story. There is really just a small group of supporting characters in the book, but you get two different versions of the good guys to go against the bad guys. She is pitted against the two different types of Vampire Shadowers, but needs them both. I really liked the story for the most part but was very disappointed in the ending. I understand that you need a cliffhanger to bridge to book 2, but I felt that it was not true to Kinsley's character to risk the life of her best friend and her new allly in what is a losing gamble (losing based on her ability to protect them so far). I still enjoyed it, and I am on to book 2!

Thank you very much to NetGalley for the ARC!

SPOILER FREE REVIEW:
I love a good vampire story, and the premise of "First Death" held water. Kinsley is a university student who, following a deep personal tragedy, begins to learn that her family's legacy is greater and more fantastical than she realized. She encounters Beck, a mysterious professor and neighbor, who along with family friend Scott, trusted bestie Rachel, and crazy Aunt Marie, stick with her on a journey to discovering what she is capable of. The character interactions were fun and believable, and the "rules" of this fantasy world were consistent.

That said, I found it hard to connect with the characters, and the pacing felt somewhat stop-and-go. There was also a lot more telling than showing when new elements were introduced. The back and forth between two men got tedious pretty quickly, and I wasn't invested enough to feel much emotional impact when major things started to happen.

This just wasn't for me, I think.

Kinsley just turned twenty-one and her life has completely changed. It’s the end of her junior year at UW when weird deaths happen on campus, her parents are killed, and she learns that there are a few different creatures that go bump in the night. Thrust into a new world Kinsley, her best friend Rachel, and crazy aunt Marie are ground zero for danger. They are also right smack in the middle of some hot, overly protective guys. How will they navigate all this change and still come out unscathed?

This novel is a very basic “in over your head” paranormal romance with not too much world building. We have some basic structure of the vampire and shape shifter world provided by a side translation of a book Kinsley’s family had. This keeps the story threads together and answers questions. Kinsley’s character is very willing to uproot her former life but at the same time isn’t willing to totally trust all that is coming her way. Situations arrive where I struggle with the decision making. All that being said, this novel is some okay eye candy. There is something to be said for being able to devour a mentally low commitment novel with some slow burn sexual tension. The second novel is already on my to read list. 2 stars.

Review based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by The Book Whisperer and NetGalley. Thank you!

Yet another variation on the vampire and shape-shifting theme. With some interesting novelties but it would be the love triangle that will keep me reading this series.

Un'ennesima variazione sul tema vampiri e mutaforma. Con alcune interessanti novitá ma tendenzialmente, quello che mi fará continuare a leggere questa serie, é il triangolo amoroso.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

The first chapter was so well written that it immediately captivates you. However, unfortunately, I had a few problems getting into that book afterwards, especially the character of aunt Marie was difficult for me to understand, but after about 20% of the book I was hooked. The world building is amazing and throughout the whole book I was torn back and forth between the two main male characters, but now at the end of the book I just want both. The end is also very good and makes you look forward to the second part.

First Death by Kyona Jiles is like reading parts - the best parts - of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, and Twilight all in one book. The story grabs you instantly, and can't put it down until the last page is finished. I'm just thankful book two, is now available and I can immediately go into that book to see how the story continues. The story is well written, and the storyline and characters are developed extremely well. It feels like the readers are living in the book right along with the characters, and they become people you are deeply invested in by the end of the book. By book two, you are practically salivating at the mouth, to to know what happens next, as you don't want to leet these people go. I really hope Ms. Jiles continues to write many more books for this series

A really intriguing start to this series. When Kinsley Preston's parents suddenly die in a car accident, she soon learns that there was much more to their lives than she ever guessed. Vampires are real and her fate will likely be entwined with them. Then a handsome professor enters her life who seems to be connected to her family and everything changes.

There are well-drawn characters here and an interesting story. I'm really interested to see where this story will go.

I absolutely love a good vampire story! This story was fun and unique, so it intrigued me. I love the throwback almost to a Buffy esque world. I did find the writing a bit simplistic and choppy. It jumps from one topic to another without transition or explanation. The first example I can think of is at the very beginning when it jumps to the accident. Then when the professor all of a sudden suggests renting a condo in his building and moving. It was all just a bit disjointed. I also did not feel connected to any of the characters. There wasn't enough development. It is all dialog, jumping around. I really wanted to like it because I love vampires, fantasy, and romance. Sadly, this book wasn't for me.

Vampires and Shapeshifters and Shadowers, Oh my! I really did like this quick paced, likeable read.

We meet 21 year old Kinsley, who is coping with the sudden death of her parents in a car accident with the help of her BFF Rachel. It doesn't take long to learn that her parents had been keeping secrets from her about her heritage. As she learns to cope with her loss, her crazy 'Aunt' Marie and the sudden interest in her and her life from a Professor at the University of Washington, Kinsley soon realizes she isn't just an ordinary college student anymore.

Thrills and chills abound, as Kinsley meets a whole cast of fascinating characters: shapeshifters who can go from human to animal and back again, shadowers, who have special blood giving them limited power over vampires, and of course, vampires. Some good, some bad, all mesmerizing.

My only complaints were, at the beginning, Kinsley and Rachel really came off as whiny teenagers instead of 21 year old college students. But they do grow in maturity as the book goes on. And, although I'm sure this is targeted as a YA novel, there is one rather disturbing/explicit scene of rape/murder that felt out of place. Other than that, I enjoyed this fast-paced romp through the supernatural and look forward to the next installment, cause yes, it ends on a cliffhanger.

ARC Review

Kinsley is suddenly thrust into a paranormal world after the death of her parents. When she learns she has been kept in the dark about their past and the creatures that go bump in the night, she struggles to make sense of her new life and trust the people closest to her.

This was a fun fast paced read. First Death felt very nostalgic for me. The writing and chaotic relationships with Kinsleys family and friends reminded me a lot of the Stephanie Plum books and The Hidden Legacy series. The love triangle felt so much like Joe, Ranger, and Stephanie from Janet Evanovich’s books. A nice slow burn pace for the romance side of things. I like that Kinsley had no time for the men in this book.

The writing was maybe a little young despite the content, but this made the book a quick read. There was a lot of tension and mystery throughout this book. I was constantly begging the Beck, Marie, and Scott to just tell Kinsley what was going on in this new world she’s been thrown into. But that made for a gripping story. Overall good easy read for paranormal romance readers that like a touch of chaos.

“First Death,” by Kyona Jiles

Kinsley’s life was on track until her parents are murdered and she inherits the Book of Protection. Her new reality has vampires, shapeshifters, and killers, which is difficult for realistic Kinsley to believe. Kingsley, her best friend Rachel, crazy aunt Marie, and a mysterious college professor need to figure out how to keep Kinsley safe when people are after her.

I loved this book. Tons of action and slow burn romance. Lots of found family and protecting those close to you. Kingsley was relatable and a skeptic about everything. I loved how she constantly was willing to sacrifice herself for those around her. I loved that it was in PNW! The story line wasn’t super surprising, but it didn’t change how much I liked the book. It was really fast paced, and I didn’t get bored at all. I cannot wait for the second book. 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I’m always a little reluctant to start a new author because I’m never sure if I’ll like them…of course. This was an author I’d never read before, but I will definitely after this one. It didn’t take long before I was drawn into the story. At times in the beginning, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Kinsely, but I really adored her by the end. I also thought that her professor was a tad overbearing, too, but he, too, grew on me. I really enjoyed this book, and by the end, I was a little sad I didn’t have the second book ready to read next. LOL! Quite enjoyed this book, and I hope to read the next soon! Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Unfortunately this was my very first miss from netgalley. I tried really hard to push through but the writing was not the caliber that I expected and I was not invested at all.