Genres: Paranormal Romance
Published by Zebra Books
Released on December 31, 2013
Pages: 399
Format: eBook
The novel starts off with a bang! A young woman has been murdered. Her heart stolen, but no physical wounds to show how it was stolen. So what is a hard knocks detective supposed to do? Well, Duncan calls in the necromancer, or diviner, Callie Brown to look into the last moments of the young woman’s life. Only when she takes a look, another necromancer stops her from seeing it all. Now Callie and Duncan are racing against a clock to find out what’s going on when the bad guys are already several steps ahead in the game.
The Delight
Alexandra Ivy has been an author I have wanted to read, but with a series, I just didn’t have time to start from the beginning. Just my luck she has a new series that the world building is awesome and inviting. With some more character development with plot development, this series could rock my world.
So we have two characters that are very interesting. Duncan is a detective getting over his divorce, but strangely attracted to Callie on each case they work together. He’s also hiding his own secrets that everyone normal can’t see, but high-bloods can.
High-bloods you say? Well these are a group of people with basically powers. They can be witches, diviners, soul diviners, Sentinels and so much more. They have existed since the beginning of time, but only recently come out to the world. Let’s just say the “normals” aren’t the nicest of people. Any two “normals” can produce a high-blood and of course any high-blood can produce them too. Callie was abandoned in a dumpster when she was a baby, so she knows nothing of her past having been raised in Vahalla.
Callie is also bonded to the Sentinel, Fane. They are much like brother and sister, but Fane is there to make sure Callie is always protected. I couldn’t quite tell if Fane had a thing for Callie or not, but Callie just thought of him as an older brother. When Duncan starts to take on more of the roll of protector to Callie, Fane and Duncan have a lot of tension filled moments. But in general, Fane didn’t interfere or try to win Callie back. The second book in the series is about Fane and Serra, Callie’s best friend.
We follow the story as we know Zak is the bad guy and his witch Anya has saved him over the years. They are bringing the ultimate bad to town (Kansas City) and everyone is on the payroll to stop them without really knowing who they are, where they are and what they intend to do to rule the world.
Bored
After drowning in world building, I came to a point at 50% where I realized I was bored. While I didn’t hate the characters, I felt no connection to them, nor did I care if the bad guys got to them or not. Sad but true. And probably if you are still reading, you are bored with my review. Sad but true.
New to Me
So I knocked out reading a new author and starting a new series to me in one blow. Unfortunately, the world building took up too much of the story time that I felt just blah about the characters. When the climax of the story arc finally came into play, I was skimming because I mostly didn’t care. I was hoping to have more of a vested interest in what happens to these characters and the world they live in. Hopefully the next book will grab my interest more.
Books ‘N Tunes Challenge
For this book I am pairing it with the song Raise the Dead by Rachel Rabin. Well, the story is about raising the dead with necromancers everywhere it seems.
[quote]Illuminate the way to my heartIt’s twisting on a thread
Come raise the dead[/quote]
Literary Pickers Challenge
Items found: tattoo, jeans, mansion/estate, best friend, and cop.
Shari
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Can’t listen to the song here, unfortunately, I’ll retry later 😉 Too bad for the novel, but it seems the next installment is better rated on GR, so maybe you’ll be luckier. I remember having picked this cover for the Lusting for cover meme, once 😉
Hi Red Iza! I just added the YouTube video. This is my first time trying Spotify, so it may just be me not knowing what to do 🙂
I have the next book on my Kindle, but I can’t seem to get myself interested enough to read it. Must force myself to get over the hump and hope it gets better.
Sometmes it’s just like this – and sometimes when you read it, you feel you’ve been right delaying, and sometimes you feel like an idiot for waiting lol ! It’s like the lottery 😉
There was a huge explanation piece in this one for sure. I enjoyed the second book somewhat better for the action, but I’m holding out for The Mage and Wolfe’s book.
Nice tune find!
Yeah, I am not a big fan of Serra and Fane, but Mage and Wolfe really intrigues me.
I had to hunt for a tune. I was determined to get one this time.
I thought you picked a good one for your first tune post. 😉
I’ve read some of her other books but haven’t read this one yet. I planned to read this one and some of her other books soon.
I wanted to start with a new series. Hoping the next one is better. New to this author.
I wanted to start with a new series. Hoping the next one is better. New to this author.
Shari – this is pretty much how I felt about the book when I read it a year ago. I just finished the second book and am happy to report that I really, really enjoyed it! I hope you give it a chance!
OK, you have restored my faith that it will be good. I have the second one on my Kindle and hope to get to it this weekend.