Review and Giveaway of Exiled, by MR Merrick

Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. Failing to develop any elemental magic on his fifteenth birthday left him exiled in a world full of half-demons, and no hunters to protect him.
When Chase discovers the Circle's plan to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world, he vows to stop them. Knowing he can't do it alone however, he accepts help from Rayna, a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret.
As the pair attempt to stop the Circle, Chase realizes working with a demon is only half the battle. When they find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, it leaves one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it. (From GoodReads)
 
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I am always excited, and a little nervous, to read a debut from a new author.  Especially when that brand new author is a friend.  What do you say if you don’t love the book? And if you love their work, how do you dish out the praise without others thinking your just blowing smoke on behalf of your friend? Well, luckily for me, my problem is the latter.  MR Merrick has written an excellent opening book in what I believe will be a fantastic series.
With Exiled, MR Merrick has managed to build an exciting, imaginative world with crazy-cool characters and action galore. The supernatural characters in this world are scary and have their own imaginative spin, with an excellent attention to details.  The demons, trolls, and hunters are all great but what really blew me away was the author’s take on vampires. I won’t go into detail because I want you to discover the world for yourself. I have read so many books with vampires, but the author managed to portray them in a completely new way. 
The main characters, Chase and Rayna, were also well-written.  They are both natural-born survivors, using their strength, skills, and wit to make it in their dangerous world. Chase and Rayna also share quite a bit of chemistry. Chemistry that I hope will be delved into more in the next book in the series. The supporting cast of characters in Exiled were also by turns engaging, endearing, or infuriating. I quickly developed a soft spot for Willy. Willy is a half-demon who stutters and in kind of wimpy, but manages to come through for his friends.  Trust me, you’ll love him!
Exiled drew me in from the first lines and held me all the way until the end. The end, by the way, left me trying to turn the page, wanting more.  If you’re looking for an action-adventure with great characters and fantastic style, look no further. Exile has all that and more.
You can check out Exiled at GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11787541-exiled-book-1       
                                                       Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69979     
                                                       Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058OMWYU/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img
     
MR Merrick is giving TWO lucky people an ecopy of Exiled. All you have to do is fill out the entry form below. This giveaway will run from July 5-July 8, 2011. I will draw two winners on July 8th. If you are a winner, I will notify you by email. I will also notify the author so that he can send you your ecopy of Exiled. This giveaway is International.  Good Luck!          
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              


* I received Exiled from the author, in exchange for an honest review. *