Sandy M’s review of Into the Mist (Falcon Mercenary Group, Book 1) by Maya Banks
Paranormal romance released 5 Feb 08 by Samhain

Shifters. Alpha hero. Lust. Kick-ass heroine. Sizzling sex. Betrayal. Family. Action. Love.

You name it, this book’s got it. In spades. Maya Banks has a terrific start to her new series, Falcon Mercenary Group.

Tyana is first up from FMG, and her mission is a mission of the heart – to save her brother, Damiano.  From their very first meeting, the hero, Eli, and heroine, Tyana, heat it up something fierce. Ty and Eli don’t trust each other, but between the sheets it’s absolute perfection. Which confuses Ty because she usually can’t stand to be touched by anyone but family. But with Eli everything fades away except him and his touch, and that scares Ty because even her mission fades when she’s with Eli.

Eli blames himself when a man dies and two others suffer daily and he can’t help them. Meeting Tyana gives him a place to bury himself initially, but as he gets to know her and finds out her secrets, suddenly his world doesn’t look so bleak. Then, when her betrayal comes to light, he can’t believe he’s put himself and his men in the danger once again and that they may not survive.

The characters in this book grab onto you and never let go. Eli and Ty are perfect together. As they slowly give in to their lust for one another and share their secrets, they each have great epiphanies that heightens our pleasure learning about them.  I love Eli’s shifting into mist or smoke. The scenes when he roams over Ty’s body in this form are some of the sexiest and most erotic, all done with feeling and no graphic language at all.

The secondary characters — Ty’s brothers Damiano, Jonah, and Mad Dog, and Eli’s men Ian, Braden, and Gabe, who all now shift in varying ways — are all intriguing in their own right. Even FMG’s go-to man, Tits, is hilarious and just as lethal as the others. The emotion throughout the book for family is a wonderful element.  It doesn’t lessen one bit at the end when Eli and Ty realize they have more than lust to deal with, but also a growing love they never expected, and their “families” who are coming together for the good of them all.   The action is swift and heart pounding and it kept me turning the pages.

I’m hooked. The next book is out in May and I’ll be first in line. Come on, take a chance*. You’ll love what you read.

*pun intended

Grade: A+

Summary:

     One woman’s mission to bring down a sexy elemental shifter turns into a battle of wills…and hearts.  Hostage recovery specialist Eli Chance has a secret. He was born a shifter. A freak of nature.  While on a mission, Eli’s men and their mercenary guide are exposed to a powerful chemical agent, and suddenly his secret has become easier to hide. Now he’s not the only one with the gift. But for his men, this “gift” is becoming more and more of a curse.

     Tyana Berezovsky’s brother Damiano was the guide for Eli’s team and was the worst affected by the chemical. As he grows increasingly unstable, Tyana fears she’s going to lose him to the beast he is becoming.  Tyana will do whatever it takes to help him, even if it means using her body to go after the one man she thinks holds all the blame-and possibly the cure. Eli Chance.

     Read an excerpt.