Published on 01/2/2012

War surrounds him, yet for vampire Kaden Gaspard, there is no greater battle than the one his mind has waged against his heart. He knows he should stay away from Reysa, the half-breed vampire warrior who had risked her life to prove his innocence for the seven murders for which he was accused but did not commit. This courageous and valiant African warrior who Kaden fears could never love the monster that he is destined to be. As Kaden and Reysa struggle to accept the undeniable bond between them, they must come together to stop the emerging terror that threatens to destroy all immortals. The lesser immortals, witches, sages, shifters, demons, hybrids, charmers and foreseers have declared war against the pureblood vampires and lycans who have used their purity of blood and greater strength to enslave the weaker races. "We Shall Rise," by author J.E. Hopkins, is a fight for freedom and a fight against genocide. There can be no true victor as death looms for them all.

We Shall Rise: Misfits of the Lore, Book 2 by J.E. Hopkins: Book Review

CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781466427327
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (11/11)

“We Shall Rise” is the second book in the “Misfits of the Lore” series. Tired of being cast down by vampires and werewolves of pure blood, the lower caste immortals are waging a war to escape from their domination. These lesser breeds include the witches, sages, shifters, demons and those of mixed blood. Children are not even safe during these times. Reysa, a half-breed vampire/warrior owns a night club called The Lore, that welcomes all who enter in peace. She has created her own family of half breeds whom she calls “The Misfits.” She wants no part of this war. When people in her club become endangered she has to become involved.

While all of this is happening there is a smaller battle being waged between Reysa and the vampire Kaden Gaspard. Reysa and Kaden are fighting the uncontrollable attraction that they have for each other. Kaden, has many inner demons to deal with. He has made a mess of most of the relationships that he has had in his life. This includes betraying his brother with his fiancé. That fiasco resulted in the deaths of seven women. Kaden is afraid to take a chance with Reysa because he fears that she will end up being hurt. In spite of this, their attraction to each other is too strong to be denied. When they team up to rescue a mutual friend who has been kidnapped, their constant closeness not only drives them crazy, but it also affects others around them. To survive, they have two battles to win.

I absolutely loved reading “We Shall Rise.” The author did a tremendous job with creating unforgettable characters. From the emotionally tortured vampire to the drag queen Mother-Father witch and everyone in-between there was not a dull moment with any of them. She also did an awesome job with creating and sustaining sexual tension between the hero and heroine. This totally added to the drama. “We Shall Rise” has the perfect blend of drama, romance, humor and magic. In spite of being almost a four-hundred page book, I was disappointed that it ended so soon! I look forward to following the rest of the “Misfits of Lore” series.