Acheron  – A Dark-Hunter Novel –

I’ve waited for this book for a very long time.  Being a fan of  Sherrilyn Kenyon’s many series insures that on publication day I’ll be at the nearest bookstore.

Like millions of fans worldwide, I had been wanting Ash’s story.  He is a strong, compelling character and the more he was on the edges of stories the more I wanted, no even needed to understand him.

I was not in the least bit disappointed.  In fact, once I began reading Acheron I literally could not put it down.  I started it on a Saturday afternoon and stayed at it into the wee hours of Sunday morning when I turned the last page, fully and completely satisfied.

In the world of ancient gods and demi-gods, we of the modern world must trust the author to transport us to that reality, to take our hand and guide us through an unknown territory in a completely believable way.  I left my world and entered Ash’s.

In Acheron we actually have two stories.  We finally discover where Ash came from, what happened to him to mold him into the man he is in the modern day series.  And we have his modern day story, where finally Ash discovers his own unique soulmate.

I don’t want to give away any of the story.  Perhaps that’s unfair in this type of blog – but on this one I honestly feel to do so would take away from your own reading experience.

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I wish, I really wish that I could say I loved the middle and final books of this “one huge book” trilogy.

But I didn’t.

I had hopes at the first book but then… *sigh*

I have yet to write a “this is horrible, don’t waste your hard earned money” type of a review… but I would strongly suggest borrowing this series from your local public library.  Then if you don’t like it – it won’t hurt so much.

Diehard Eve Duncan fans will probably love this continuous story trilogy.  I called myself a diehard fan, once upon a time.

In my opinion, these three books minus the fluff fill-ins, the recapping of the previous book(s) – condensed into one hardback book would have been awesome, and told the story better.  Again, my opinion.

But I would have given that “condensed” novel high praises.

Evil rarely wears a twisted, ugly face.  Why give itself away too soon?

A kind, helpful face is not always what it appears to be either – evil can be found behind any face.

James Doane is not at all what he seems.  He shows an extraordinarily jovial, kind face to the world.  What he plans to do makes a mockery of that face.

Eve Duncan has spent years tracking down the man who kidnapped and killed her 5 year old daughter, Bonnie.  At long last, Bonnie’s killer has been dealt what he deserves.

Eve continues her forensic sculpting to help bring murdered, lost children that have been stolen back to their families.  When she works her magic on the skulls of unknown children closure of sort can finally be given to their waiting families.  It is her life work, it brings her purpose and comfort.

It also brought her to the attention of James Doane.

While Eve is a strong woman, strong willed some might add, she is surrounded by those who love her and see her as the center of their world.  Joe Quinn, former Navy SEAL, has stood beside Eve through her battle to find Bonnie.  He took the longest time to actually see Bonnie as Eve does, but he loves them both with a deep commitment that nothing can stand against.  Jane MacGuire came into Eve’s life during the search for Bonnie.  A street-wise kid, she was adopted by Eve and has named herself Eve’s guardian ever since.

Eve is one of the lucky ones.  She is surrounded by those that love her and would fight the demons of hell for her.  And they are about to go into battle.

James Doane has set into motion ways to separate Eve from her protectors.  Jane’s faithful dog, Toby has suddenly become ill.  The half wolf companion needs the special help that only one doctor can give to save his life.  And Jane will stop at nothing to be certain that Toby lives.

Pure luck sent Joe out of state – poison kept Jane at Toby’s side while he fights for his life.  Eve is alone.

A red pickup truck holding a burned skull and James Doane has made it’s way to Eve’s home in Georgia.  Soon she will be under the control of pure evil.

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And a very, very Happy Book Lovers Day to each and every one of you!

The 9th day of August, every single year, is officially National Book Lovers Day.

How cool is that?

Finally I’m rewarded for all those years of having my nose buried in a book.  (but, sadly, it’s not a paid holiday) — we should work on that fellow book lovers.

🙂

Books are my passion, my love affair,  have been and always will be, my friend.

They are my escape from my own troubles.  They teach me the basics of just about anything I could possibly need to know.  They transport me out of the now into the vast reaches of my imagination.

Each book is… personal.  Some I will love with a passion and revisit often, other are passing fancies and even those that I should have tossed on the trash pile (but couldn’t bring myself to actually do) have shown me what I don’t like.

I honestly cannot imagine my life without a book in my hand.  Yeah, really.

So Happy Book Lovers Day to all my fellow book devourers – go treat yourself to a new one…  just because.

Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Oh how I wish I had spent the past six months beside a beautiful waterfall, relaxing, reading without a care in the world.

Unfortunately – life got crazy and nothing online got done.  Which is driving me even crazier than usual.

You will see a lot of reviews in the coming days – and few of them will be in the order that I read them.  But at least they will be up and running for others to see and read about.

Unlike a romance novel, life often gets in the way of the fun stuff.

I’ve decided to take the jump into some Reading Challenges this year.  I’ve no clue at all how well I’ll do, but that shouldn’t stop the fun of taking part in some enjoyable reading.

Who among us doesn’t love a good werewolf tale?  Or imagining that gorgeous man over there shifting into a magnificent big cat?  Some of my favorite stories include a furry male.

That made signing up for Parajunkee’s Shifter Challenge for 2014 such an easy decision.

Read 10 books by December 31, 2014 that have a shifter as the main or a supporting character.  Post a review on the Shifters review page – and just have fun.  How hard can that be?  🙂

Sound interesting?  Then click on the link in this post, or the Shifter’s Challenge badge in the sidebar and join in the fun.

I finally gave in.  I just can’t keep up with two separate book blogs.

I really thought that I could keep up with the reading, posting and such but – I’m just too scattered.  So I’ve combined my two book blogs into one:   Keeper Bookshelf.

You might see some posts where the novel has been out for awhile – but that’s okay.  I review books as I read them, and since many of my reading material comes from the library – I’m on the “hold” list a lot.

So, no matter when the book review shows up – I hope it helps you to decide if a novel is interesting enough for you.  That’s the important part.

(and hopefully, with only one blog to keep updated – the novels will be more current to their publication dates)

Water Bound begins Christine Feehan’s newest series Sisters of the Heart.   This series takes us right back to the time frame of Hidden Currents, the last in The Drake Sisters series…literally where one story ends, the scene changes and we begin again with “sisters of the heart” who also happen to live in Sea Haven – right down the road a bit.  (already in the first novel of this new series we find familiar characters – so our favorites from The Drake Sisters will most likely make appearances here as well)

Rikki Sitmore is a sea urchin diver.  She and five other women who do not share bloodlines but a chosen bond of creating their own family live on a large property in Sea Haven.  Each “sister” has her own reasons for shutting out the outside world and allowing only a select few into theirs.   Each has her own “special” talent.

Rikki has a unique relationship with water.  She loves being in the water, on the water and surrounded by water.  For water fights the fire that she fears is within her.

Lev Prakenskii remembers little more than he has the instincts of a killer, the actions of a survivor and a very bad feeling that he is not going to be able to leave that life behind without a fight for the man within.  Lev’s solid memories begin with the life saving stare of Rikki’s eyes.

Rikki had completed her first haul of sea urchins back to her boat.  As she stood on the deck, preparing to dive once again her shocked gaze was drawn to the huge wall of water rising up out of the ocean seconds before the wave hit her boat, knocking her overboard.  As she tumbled through the turbulent waters, quickly fitting her regulator into her mouth she feels a sudden impact as a barely conscious man slams against her.  He has no diving gear on, and is being battered against the rock shelf.  Rikki reaches him and begins the slow ascent upwards as she shares her air.  Lev knows that he is in trouble, but understands little else.  The woman who’s eyes compel him to live, to reach the surface together – has no idea of the man he is – nor does he.

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Shadow Game is the first book in Christine Feehan’s ongoing  GhostWalker series.  It is a fast paced, compelling beginning to a series that I certainly hope continues for a very long time since I definitely want to know what the future holds for every single member of the Ghostwalker team.

We are introduced to Captain Ryland Miller and members of his special forces team in perhaps the worst of circumstances.  Ryland and his men are caged like wild animals deep within the laboratory headed by Dr. Peter Whitney, the doctor who’s psychic enhancement experiments created the special abilities of the Ghostwalkers.  An experiment that appears to have gone horribly wrong as several members of Ryland’s team have died from side effects of the enhancement process.

Any military special forces member already has an edge over the average person, be it in a specific knowledge or ability or even sheer strength of body or mind.  Imagine if you will, if that military specialist were able to communicate with other members of their team telepathically, if they could ‘suggest’ through that special ability that a guard look the other way for just long enough to slip past them unseen.  These psychic gifts and much more have been given to the Ghostwalker team, yet at a price.  Unable to block out the constant stream of information to their brains, the constant barrage of  ‘noise’ has seemed to have caused an overload for some men who took part in the enhancement program – resulting in their deaths.  Or was it something else…

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Jessie Rayburn escaped from her home town of Baron Hollow, NC and never expected to return.

She knew that something really bad had happened to her when she left as a teenager.  But she could not totally recall the events, only bits and pieces.

As a psychic investigator, Jessie has shields (walls) that keep her sane.  Without those shields in place she could not do the work that is required of her at Haven.  Some of those needed abilities are being blocked by her inability to remember the past.  Jessie is determined to find answers.  Now she needs to move past those shields and find out what really happened to her that night in Baron Hollow.

Unknown to Jessie is that her sister Emma is having nightmares as well.  Only Emma’s nightmares are about horrific killings near home… nightmares of missing women’s experiences, and those women end up dead.

Are they dreams?  Or something more?

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