Review: Shadow's End

SHADOW'S END
A Novel of the Elder Races #9
Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance
320 pages
Berkley
Available December 1st
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
For Beluviel, consort to the Elven High Lord, and Graydon, gryphon and First Sentinel of the Wyr, even the slightest desire for each other is forbidden. But two hundred years ago, after a desperate play to save Beluviel’s stepson left them indebted to the cruel Djinn Malphas, they found their fates inexorably linked together—and the hunger between them growing too strong to ignore…

Two centuries later, with their debt to Malphas coming due, Beluviel and Graydon realize that, if they are to stand any chance of saving their souls, they must once again work together—this time more closely than ever before. But every moment they spend with each other brings them nearer to losing something even more vital—their hearts…

MY THOUGHTS
For lovers of the Elder Races series like myself, the wait for Graydon's story has tested the boundaries of our patience as we've watched everyone around him pair off book after book. He won many a reader’s heart in the first book even when pitted against the sheer immensity of Dragos’s personality and his role as hero, and we’ve since waited and wondered when Ms. Harrison would gift us with his turn at leading man. One of the main concerns when cracking the spine of a romance like this that features a beloved secondary character finally granted their time in the spotlight is that their story won’t quite meet the absurdly high expectations a long wait creates, something that was sadly the case in this ninth installment.

The first third of Graydon and Bel’s story is told in one long flashback, sending us two hundred years into the past so that we may bear witness to the beginning of their courtship and the steps that led to their bargain with pariah Djinn, Malphas. Part of the problem with flashbacks (for me personally) is the feeling of missing out on something in the present, and while the events leading up to Gray and Bel’s deal with the devil are intrinsic to the story as a whole, their romance during that time feels rushed and lacking in the spark we’ve come to expect from Ms. Harrison’s couples. We then fast forward to the present and begin gearing up for the big showdown, but between one chapter and the next we've missed out on two hundred years of emotional fallout.

Because of their deal with Malphas, Gray and Bel have a forbidden relationship, one that was poised to give us all the feels as they struggled against Malphas’s invisible shackles, but the split timeline gives us the formation of a relationship at novella-length speed before breaking for two centuries and then resuming that love as though no time had passed. All the tension, need, and thwarted desire is left somewhere in the 200 years we missed out on, and their interactions in the present, while enjoyable, are missing the banter, antagonism, and–most of all–the heat that characterized the previous romances.

Ms. Harrison does pack an emotional wallop outside the romance at the end of this story, and it’s sure to be nothing short of ugly-cry inducing for Elder Races fans. That said however, Gray and Bel do get their happily ever after and we also get a sneak peek at some interesting things to come for Dragos, Pia and Liam. Though this was perhaps not the strongest installment despite Gray being an Elder Races favorite, this series is still one not to be missed.

Rating: 3.5/5

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Romance Reviews: Midnight's Kiss and Grave Phantoms

MIDNIGHT'S KISS
Elder Races #8
Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance
290 pages
Berkley Romance
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, two souls who have long buried their passions are about to be consumed…

Ever since their scorching affair ended years ago, Julian, the Nightkind King, and Melisande, daughter of the Light Fae Queen, have tried to put the past behind them—and distance between them. But when a war breaks out between Julian and Justine, a powerful Vampyre of the Nightkind council, they find themselves thrown together under treacherous circumstances…

Kidnapped as leverage against Julian, Melly is convinced that her former lover won’t be rushing to her rescue. But when Julian gives himself up to save her, they both end up Justine’s captives. Armed only with their wits and their anger, Melly and Julian must work together to escape. But will they be able to ignore their complicated history, or will the fiery passion that once burned them blaze again?

MY THOUGHTS
Midnight’s Kiss is a romance that could have easily been more frustrating than swoon-worthy given the longstanding history between Melly and Julian, accusations of cheating creating a roadblock with the possibility that neither will find their way around. The two of them were at each other’s throats in the previous book, making us equal parts nervous and excited as we wonder how that animosity will play out once they graduate from secondary to main characters. What we quickly learn, however, is that Melly and Julian have no plans to spend majority of their story sniping at one another and nursing old wounds, instead they bring a smile to our faces when they set aside their shared pain in favor of solving the more immediate problems before going back and talking everything out.

Melly is a spitfire, full of fight and vigor and completely unafraid of Julian’s flash of fangs when he gets upset, but she’s not so blindingly independent that she doesn’t know when following an order from Julian is the best course of action. She gives and takes in equal measure as Julian does, the pair of them are a force to be reckoned with while at the same time riddled with enough vulnerabilities to ensure they find an empathetic audience in us.

Julian, despite being utterly convinced Melly was unfaithful to him years ago, does an impressive job of not holding it against her when it matters, able to set aside his feelings in order to focus on the task at hand. When it comes time to confront the past, he does so intelligently rather than emotionally, finally allowing Melly’s vehement denials to penetrate and giving her the benefit of the doubt he wasn’t able to give twenty years prior. They both work to make sure their relationship survives the second time around, and the two of them are as beautifully fun and sexy as all the couples who came before them.

Overall, Midnight’s Kiss is yet another check in the plus column of a series already decorated with such marks, and while our time with Melly and Julian is thoroughly enjoyable, we can’t help but be excited about a return to Dragos’s Sentinels with Graydon’s story next.

Rating: 4/5
 

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GRAVE PHANTOMS
Roaring Twenties #3
Jenn Bennett
Paranormal/Historical Romance
320 pages
Berkley Sensation
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Feisty flapper Astrid Magnusson is home from college and yearning for the one thing that’s always been off limits: Bo Yeung, her notorious bootlegging brother’s second-in-command. Unfortunately her dream of an easy reunion proves difficult after a violent storm sends a mysterious yacht crashing into the Magnussons’ docks. What’s worse, the boat disappeared a year ago, and the survivors are acting strangely…

Bo has worked with the Magnusson family for years, doing whatever is needed, including keeping his boss’s younger sister out of trouble—and his hands to himself. Of course, that isn’t so easy after Astrid has a haunting vision about the yacht’s disappearance, plunging them into an underground world of old money and dark magic. Danger will drive them closer together, but surviving their own forbidden feelings could be the bigger risk.  

MY THOUGHTS
While possible to read as a standalone, Grave Phantoms will be infinitely more satisfying for those who have watched Astrid and Bo dance around one through the two previous books, our desire to see them together at a fever pitch by the time we're finally able to dive into their story in its entirety. The two of them don't disappoint, the tension between them in the first third of the book so thick our hands feel like they're moving in slow motion as we turn the pages, hearts in our throats as their feelings for one another are continually silenced by nerves and rampant prejudice. Luckily for us though, Astrid and Bo don't make us wait with bated breath too long before they decide their love for one another trumps anyone else's thoughts on the rightness of their relationship, and we then get to glory in that love while the pair of them further embroils themselves in a well-executed paranormal mystery.

Though Astrid and Bo's complicated feelings for one another (as well as her young age and the fact that Bo works for her brother) are what has kept them from voicing their mutual attraction, the main hurdle this pair faces is the fact that Bo is Chinese in a time and place that assigns little worth to anyone other than white, wealthy men. While neither Bo nor Astrid spend an enormous amount of time dwelling on that fact as they face far more pressing paranormal problems, it does give their romance a very real obstacle to overcome and has us rooting for them to say “screw it” to society's disdain for interracial couples.

The romance is of course as delightful as the previous two in this series, but equally as satisfying is the supernatural mystery surrounding a recovered yacht with a handful of amnesic survivors. The entire Magnusson clan is a magnet for all things ghostly and strange, and Astrid proves herself a Magnusson through and through when she finds herself plagued by visions of the sinister deeds done on the deck of the Plumed Serpent. Ms. Bennett always does an outstanding job of perfectly balancing the romance and suspense in this series, giving us just enough of both to keep us glancing at the clock to determine if we can fit in another chapter before bed.

Overall, Grave Phantoms is as enjoyable as its predecessors, highly recommended for those who love strong couples that give as good as they get, and paranormal happenings just creepy enough to inspire chills in the dark of night.

Rating: 4/5

Find Jenn:

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These books were sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Storm's Heart

STORM'S HEART (Elder Races #2)
Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance
336 pages
Berkley Sensation/Penguin
Available August 2nd
Received from publisher for review

Warning: Contains mild spoilers from Dragon Bound, but no spoiler's from Storm's Heart.

THE STORY
With the death of her uncle, Tricks (also known as Niniane) is now the rightful heir to the Dark Fae throne. She escaped from a life of politics over two hundred years ago when her entire family was slaughtered, seeking sanctuary with the Wyr and their leader Dragos. Now, she has to return to that life she ran from and be the person she's not entirely sure survived that tragedy.

When Tricks goes missing after a scheduled meeting with Dark Fae representatives, Tiago, as one of the best trackers Dragos has, is sent to find her and ensure her safety. Though he's immeasurably powerful, battle-scarred, and possesses control over lightning and thunder, he finds himself vulnerable to the petite-sized Niniane, and he discovers his need to protect her extends beyond a mere desire to follow orders.

Both Tricks and Tiago knew there would be many who were not happy with her placing a legitimate claim on the throne in the wake of her uncle's death, but they quickly realize the real threat is coming from someone close to her, someone in their small group of people traveling to Niniane's former home. Battling passion and politics, Niniane and Tiago leap into the fray together, hoping their combined emotional and physical strength will restore both order and leadership to the Dark Fae.

MY THOUGHTS
The world of Storm's Heart is one that rejuvenates the paranormal romance genre, infusing it with new breeds of hero and heroine who delight us with their charismatic personalities and enthrall us with the newness of their supernatural abilities. Fairly unknown entities such as dragons, thunderbirds, and gryphons dominate the novels of the Elder Races, and we can't help but smile gleefully as these new additions join familiar vampire and faerie favorites to create stories that allow us to revel in what we love most about the genre as a whole while also providing us with new experiences and new characters with whom to fall in love.

Ms. Harrison is a master at creating extraordinarily alpha-male heroes–men who are unapologetically protective and possessive, but who also acknowledge that the need for their women goes far beyond the physical and into a true and believable partnership. Tiago is typically rough on the exterior, strength and dominance oozing from his black-clad physique in staggering waves, but his tenderness and sensitivity when it comes to diminutive Niniane guarantees himself a treasured place in our hearts as we secretly wish for him to step from the pages and turn that slightly intimidating and focused attention our way. He is literally a raging storm encased in flesh, his temper impressive but never overwhelming, and his aggressiveness just enough to remind us what he's capable of as we melt with the knowledge of just how much he tempers that power with his mate.

Niniane is strong in her own right, her power lying in the force of her infectious personality and her ability to diffuse tension with soothing words and genuine compliments when those around her would resort to more violent means of communicating. Though her relationship with Tiago is a bit of a push and pull in the beginning–her sense of royal responsibility outweighing her desire to pursue a relationship–once the decision to move forward is made, both parties throw their full weight behind the effort to present a unified front to all those who seek to do them harm. Little flashbacks to her gruesome past make us fully appreciate the safety she finds in Tiago's embrace, and we easily root for a woman of intelligence and wit who constantly seeks to put the well-being of others before her own.

Though not quite as strong as its predecessor, Storm's Heart is still an intensely satisfying addition to this series. The political maneuvering, conniving, and corruption make for a slightly quieter read in comparison to Dragos's explosive and combative nature, but Ms. Harrison's characters are written in such rich and lush detail that they exist fully formed in our minds; their features, personalities, strengths and weaknesses etched crystal clear into our memories where they will remain indefinitely no matter how many books we pick up following their stories.

Rating: 4/5