BERNARD JIJI's Books and Stories
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The Bloodbound Awakening
"Bloodbound Awakening" is a darkly seductive Gothic fantasy that weaves together romance, betrayal, and supernatural intrigue. When seventeen-year-old Elian arrives in the ancient, mist-cloaked town of Veyruhn on a school trip, she expects cobblestone streets and historical tours-not the haunting visions that plague her from the moment she steps off the bus. Shadows whisper her name, dreams drag her into candlelit corridors of a past not her own, and a name echoes in her mind like a curse: Raelith. Driven by curiosity and an inexplicable pull, Elian sneaks into the forbidden Museum of Veyruhn, where a life-sized statue of a fanged king waits in a circle of iron runes. When a drop of her blood awakens the stone, the vampire Raelith rises-centuries-old, betrayed, and bound to her bloodline. He recognizes her immediately: the last living descendant of Seraphina, the woman who cursed him. But Elian is no willing pawn in this ancient game. As Raelith's presence consumes her-his voice in her mind, his memories bleeding into her dreams-she learns the horrifying truth. Seraphina didn't betray him out of cruelty. She was manipulated by a secret Order, tricked into binding Raelith's soul to their bloodline so that one day, a descendant like Elian could finish the job. Now, as the blood moon approaches, the past and present collide. The Order's hunters descend on Veyruhn, determined to kill Raelith-and Elian, the key to his destruction. Torn between her growing connection to the tormented vampire and her loyalty to her friends, Elian must confront the darkest parts of herself. Is she merely a vessel for Seraphina's legacy, or can she rewrite fate? With lush, atmospheric prose and relentless tension, "Bloodbound Awakening" explores the thin line between love and obsession, destiny and free will. As Elian and Raelith navigate treacherous catacombs, forgotten magic, and their own tangled desires, they must face an inescapable truth: some bonds are stronger than blood. And some betrayals echo forever. Perfect for fans of: "A Court of Thorns and Roses" (Sarah J. Maas) – for its seductive enemies-to-lovers tension "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" (V.E. Schwab) – for its haunting exploration of memory and identity "From Blood and Ash" (Jennifer L. Armentrout) – for its blend of Gothic atmosphere and heart-pounding stakes Themes: Destiny vs. Choice – Can Elian escape her bloodline's curse? Love as Salvation or Destruction – Is her bond with Raelith real, or just magic? The Cost of Power – What will Elian sacrifice to survive? Why Readers Will Love It: A morally gray vampire antihero with a tragic past A strong but conflicted heroine wrestling with inherited guilt Lush, immersive worldbuilding blending European folklore and Gothic horror Slow-burn romance laced with danger and deception Twists that reframe everything-including who the real villains are Final Hook: As the blood moon rises, Elian must make an impossible choice-complete Seraphina's betrayal and kill Raelith, or bind her soul to his forever. But the Order isn't the only threat lurking in Veyruhn's shadows. Something older than Raelith stirs beneath the town, and it hungers for them both...
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DEAD GIRL'S DON'T LIE
The dead never shut up. The living? They're worse. Nyx doesn't do favors-not for cops, not for ghosts, and definitely not for pretty boys with trust-fund smiles and blood that glows in the dark. But when a privileged socialite's corpse sits up on the morgue slab and hisses "They murdered me," even her cynicism has limits. Now she's stuck playing detective with Kieran Vale, the victim's too-charming, too-gorgeous brother who's hiding more than grief behind those sinful eyes. Between dodging a cult of immortality-obsessed elites and outrunning a death god who wears stolen faces, Nyx has two problems: Every corpse marked with that cursed rune is another ghost shackled to this world-screaming. Kieran's heartbeat is the only thing keeping her from joining them. Dark. Snarky. Heartbreaking. For fans of Vicious by V.E. Schwab, The Atlas Six, and Ninth House-with a love story as sharp as a scalpel and twice as cruel.