Buy: Kindle Ebook
Review
4 stars!
I am a mad fan of Rebecca Zanetti and her Dark Protectors series, and I loved being back in this world! This book is a bit of a series reboot in that it ties in to the Dark Protectors series, while creating a new, exciting and absolutely fascinating story arc that can standalone from the original story. Though Dark Protectors fans will be completely blissed out at the cameos, and the incredibly well-crafted connections to the original story.
This series introduces us to The Seven. A group of powerful supernaturals, bound together as brothers, that mystically protect the world from a great evil. Super-strong vampire Ronan Kayrs (who we are meeting for the first time) is one of the Seven and he sacrificed his life to create and maintain an alternate dimension to trap a powerful kurjan. For hundreds of years he existed in that world, until it unexpectedly shattered and he awakens in a hospital bed in modern times with no idea where or when he is. But he instantly recognises his beautiful doctor as the woman he has been dreaming of.
Faith is a well-known and respected doctor who specialises in patients in comas. Strong, intelligent and fiercely independent, she is protective of her loved ones, but is very much alone in the world. When she is brought in to consult on a case, she has no idea what she is in for when her gorgeous patient awakens and turns her world on its head.
“I spent four hundred years seeing your face and feeling your touch in my dreams.”
Squee!! I love the intensity that comes with a supernatural mating!! Ronan knows that Faith is his destined mate, but Faith has no idea about the supernatural world or her place in it, setting up a great dynamic as he claims her and drags her along on his mission. He has to find his ‘brothers’, figure out what happened to the bad guy and learn about the new world he’s in – all while trying to win over his mate.
Why wasn’t she cooperating? He stood to his full height. “I am Ronan Kayrs of the Kayrs ruling family. Obey me, woman.”
She snorted.
He gaped. What had happened to the world he’d protected?
I loved the story of The Seven. Their secretive role in the paranormal world is intriguing and exciting, the guys themselves are a fascinating bunch that I can’t wait to get to know better, and their bond of brotherhood is both beautiful and hilarious.
“My line has died out here?” Ronan asked quietly. There were no Kayrs members protecting the world?
“No,” Benny said. “There’s a shit-ton of you assholes running around.”
And just as funny is Ronan’s insistence on claiming his woman, despite her objections.
“You will choose to mate me, and it will be for no other reason than you will want to be my mate.”
The audacity of the man. “Want to bet?” she burst out.
“Absolutely,” he said instantly. “Whoever wins gets to name our firstborn.”
There’s a whole lot going on as we are introduced to a new bunch of characters, and their fight against evil – a new brand of creepy kurjans called the cyst. And it’s wonderfully tied in to the Dark Protectors series with character crossovers that are ingeniously established and fit in perfectly to this new and exciting world, while still staying true to the original series.
And then there’s the love story. It’s intense and full of chemistry, heat and sexual tension, as always, with moments of beautiful swoon.
“Just because you can’t explain something doesn’t mean it isn’t true.” Then he grasped her wrist and tugged her slightly toward him, flattening her palm over his thorax. “You feel my heart. For centuries, even when I thought I’d sacrificed my life, this has beat for you. Every second, of every minute, of every day, of every year…”
And now the reason why this book didn’t get 5 stars – because OMG, Faith drove me crazy! Her lack of faith (no pun intended) in Ronan was so frustrating. I get that she’s new to the supernatural world and her scientist’s mind is full of doubt, but the constant questioning and back and forth got tiring. And her actions towards the end of the book made me want to throttle her. Seriously, the woman could not get any stupider, and though the end of the book was full of action, excitement and suspense, I read the whole thing in a sense of disbelief and so much fury at Faith that it dulled what could have been a truly epic ending to the story. It’s a testament to how much I love Ronan, and how good the story is, that the heroine could piss me off so much yet I still absolutely loved the book.
“I love you.” He placed her hand over his chest. “You beat here and always will. Everything I am or will ever be is yours.”
This is a really strong start to an exciting new series, and an exciting continuation for Dark Protectors fans. The newly introduced characters are fantastic, and characters that we know but always wanted more of will all have their chance to have their stories told and I cannot wait! There are a number of future storylines set up in this book, and I am so excited for this series to continue.
I loved it!
4 stars (but would have been 5 with a less annoying heroine)
An Advanced Review Copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
See our Dark Protectors/Realm Enforcers series page for info on the series
Check out our Rebecca Zanetti Author Spotlight for more of Rebecca’s work