The first three books in this series were all about the murder of Lokan Krayl.
OK, to be fair, they were about solving the murder of Lokan Krayl whileThe first three books in this series were all about the murder of Lokan Krayl.
OK, to be fair, they were about solving the murder of Lokan Krayl while his brothers found love and got laid. And the big climax came with the Lokan's resurrection and the revelation of his killer. That was the end of the last book --but only the beginning of Lokan's story.
As this book begins, he is still trapped in the Underworld. And he must pass through a dozen treacherous gates before he can return Topside and reunite with his precious daughter, Dana. It's a task that's beyond his capabilities. Fortunately, it's not beyond Byrn's.
Byrn is Dana's mother, but she is also a "walker"... one capable of leading souls through the Underworld. Once she learns who really killed Lokan, she is smart enough to realize that she, alone, cannot protect their child. So she journeys the kingdom of Osiris, to guide Lokan home.
Together, the two must face one challenge after the other. And for the first time, they must also face their feelings for each other. In flashback, we learn about their history together, and we see the evolution of their relationship. This is a welcome change of pace for a series that usually subscribes to the "thunderbolt" theory of instant connection. Their love for each other is really a revelation for them both. Both characters were likable, each willing to sacrifice themselves for the daughter they love so much. Their love story was more sweet than steamy, though there were a couple of smexy scenes to add some spice.
The conclusion was satisfying, but ample foreshadowing kept it from being much of a surprise. The ending of every book in this series has been abrupt, but I've always written that off to the cliffhangers. Here, even with solid resolution, the book still ended hard and fast. But with the introduction of Bryn's brothers, I have a feeling the author will find more story to tell. 4 stars.
I am so glad I stuck with this series! These books just keep getting better and better. Mal, Alastor and Dagan still haven't solved the mystery of theI am so glad I stuck with this series! These books just keep getting better and better. Mal, Alastor and Dagan still haven't solved the mystery of their brother Lokan's death. Alastor and Dagan are each mated to a Daughter of Aset. And now, it's Mal's turn.
Calliope has no idea who or what Mal is when she approaches him in a bar. She only knows that she needs to feed from the energy of a man and she'd rather use sex than blood to get her fill. Since Mal is essentially sex on a stick, he seems a perfect candidate. The two are already starting to get down to business when she finally gets a sense that he is more than human. She can't get away fast enough.
Their paths cross again when they both go after the same witness to Lokan's murder. (Mal doesn't recognize her at first, since she is no longer wearing the disguise she had on at the bar.) The two of them face off, each trying to get custody of the man. And in the heat of battle, Calliope bites Mal, which not only amps up her strength but ends up creating a tasty bond between them.
Neither one of these two wants to fall in love. Mal is a man-whore. Who wants to give that up? And Calliope is a control freak, who is unerringly loyal to the Daughters of Aset. But it was hard enough for them to ignore their attraction before the blood-tie. After the bite, they are fighting a lost cause. I enjoyed the progression of their relationship and I really, really enjoyed the sex. Rraw.
A good thing about this series is that each books builds on the one before. And FINALLY we find out who is behind Lokan's death and why. I can't say I was really surprised. (I has my suspicions beginning in the last book.) But nevertheless, it was a pretty great moment when we reached the climax at the end. (view spoiler)["He was alive. His name was Lokan Krayal, and he was alive." (hide spoiler)] Hot damn!
The hunt for Lokan's killer and the search for his body continues in this second installment of Eve Silver's Otherkin series. This book picks up just The hunt for Lokan's killer and the search for his body continues in this second installment of Eve Silver's Otherkin series. This book picks up just days after the last one left off. Dagan, Alastor and Mal are no closer to figuring out who killed their brother. But they haven't given up.
Alastor is following a lead when his path first crosses with Naphré. She is a Topworld Assassin who has turned her back on her heritage as a Daughter of Aset... the sworn enemies of Alastor's father, Sutekh, the Lord of Chaos. Things aren't going well for Naphré. Her mentor, Butcher, has betrayed her and taken a job to kill her. Naphré manages to turn the tables, but just as she buries his body, Alastor shows up. He knows Butcher could have information about who killed Lokan, so he harvests the man's soul to bring to his father for answers. But Butcher's soul belongs to another deity and she wants the soul that is due to her.
There is an immediate awareness and attraction between Alastor and Naphré. Both characters are strong, but stoic. They have both known deep loss, but keep a tight reign on their emotions. Neither is looking for love, but they can't ignore what is growing between them. I liked these two much better than Dagan and Roxy. It's probably one of the reasons that I liked the book better, as a whole. Neither was reckless or full of bluster. Neither was obnoxious. But when push comes to shove, both can and do kick ass. The burn is a slower build between them, which is good. It feels like it takes forever to get to the consummation, but the payoff is good.
Another plus for this installment is the fact that the world building is already in place. It makes the storytelling less cumbersome and the book moved much faster. There was a lot of action and intrigue surrounding all the different gods and factions. The ending was pretty abrupt, though. And while the state of our couple's relationship is resolved, there is virtually no movement in the mystery of Lokan's murder. Yep, it's another cliffhanger. That would really annoy me if I didn't already have the next book lined up to read. 4 stars.
This book didn't exactly light my fire from the beginning. The premise was interesting, but I had a hard time connecting to the characters and their lThis book didn't exactly light my fire from the beginning. The premise was interesting, but I had a hard time connecting to the characters and their love story.
Roxy and Dagan first met 11 years ago. As a soul reaper, he was on a mission to collect a dark soul to bring to his father, Sutekh, the God of Chaos. Roxy was the hostage of his target. There was an instant connection, despite the fact that as a demi-god, Dagan should have felt nothing for a human. And by the same token, attraction should have been the last thing Roxy was feeling, as she got her first glimpse into the dark world of the supernatural. Dagan managed to suppress his desire, leaving Roxy behind... gone, but not forgotten.
Since then, Roxy has joined the Daughters of Aset, which serve one of Sutekh's greatest enemies. With the group, she has found the first family she's ever known. But when Dagan's brother is mysteriously killed, his investigation leads him to cross paths with Roxy again. What does Lokan's murder have to do with the Daughters of Asat? How is it related to the little girl Roxy saved on her last mission? And how does anyone kill a demi-God in the first place?
There are forces that don't want these questions answered and that puts Dagan and Roxy in grave danger. Of course, danger + sexual tension is bound to equal explosive sex... which, of course, leads to deeper feelings.
It all sounds really cool, but there were a few things that were off-putting. Initially, my problem was Roxy with her lame urban slang... calling Dagan "white boy" and "vanilla bean." Really? Then, I got a little annoyed with the repetition.. from the 10 times I heard about the toffee or coffee-with-double-cream color of her skin --from her bronze eyes to her dark ringlets-- once is enough. But I think the bigger problem was that I just couldn't see why these two fell for each other... or perhaps more accurately, I couldn't feel anything but lust between them. Don't get me wrong, I like lust. The sex was hot, but I never burned for these two to make their way together.
The intrigue surrounding Lokan's death did get more interesting to me over time. And by the time the book ended, I was pretty engrossed in that story. Unfortunately, I didn't get much in the way of answers, since it ended on a cliffhanger. I've heard that the books in this series get progressively better, so I'm going to give the next installment a try and see where it all goes from here. 3 1/2 stars.
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