Veena’s review of Kiss of Surrender (Deadly Angels, Book 2) by Sandra Hill
Paranormal Romance published by Avon 27 Nov 12
Once upon a time there were seven brothers, each one being guilty of one of the seven sins, but they’ve been given a second chance at redeeming themselves by fighting on the side of the good and helping destroy Lucifer’s minions. This is Trond’s story and he was guilty of the sin of sloth that caused an entire village to be destroyed on his watch while he slept through it all. Along with another companion, his current mission is to infiltrate the SEALSs at the Naval base in San Diego and search out and destroy the evil that is manifesting itself there before it can get its claws into the SEAL teams. The one fly in his ointment is Nicole Tasso, a police detective turned WEAL, the feminine equivalent of the SEALs, who knows there’s something about Trond but can’t prove her suspicions. It’s a very creative plot with some interesting characterizations of hell or the halfway houses to hell and Lucifer’s minions and the angelic Viking horde who stand as a defense against it. Unfortunately, it just didn’t do it for me and I struggled to finish the book, though finish it I did.
Trond Siggurdson has been dispatched to San Diego and is undergoing training with a SEAL unit while he is searching out teammates infected by Lucifer’s minions. He is accompanied by a fellow Viking Vampire Angel who is relatively young, having died recently in Vietnam. Nicole Tasso is convinced that there is something off about Trond, but try as she might she can’t prove it. Of course, it doesn’t help that she’s deeply attracted to the man, and before she knows it she’s going to be partnered with him on a black ops mission to search and destroy Najid Ben Ladin, one of Osama Ben Ladin’s sons, who has inherited his terror network and is planning a devastating attack on September 11, the twelfth anniversary of the original 9-11 attack.
Trond’s path crosses with a powerful demon. He is responsible for the mission to recruit and turn special forces men for Lucifer’s army, and sensing that there may be a small kernel of goodness that is left in Zebulan, Trond does his best to turn the demon to the path of good. His trust is justified when Zebulan rescues Nicole and Trond while on their mission in Afghanistan and hides them from his boss, who is one of Lucifer’s right-hand people. Ultimately Trond and Nicole succumb to their love and lust and find a way to be together.
The story does not capture the reader, nor pull you in, even though the plot has some very interesting possibilities. Nicole is a strong woman who conquers an abusive marriage and emerges triumphant and could be such a role model to women. Similarly, Trond comes a long way and is finally ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to save a friend, which goes a long way to redeeming him in my eyes. Yet the story just does not gel, and I feel that all the infinite possibilities for a kick-ass story just peter out.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m not sure that I am very interested in continuing to read other books by her. This book is definitely not my cup of tea.
Summary:
It’s not easy being a Vampire Angel
No one knows that better than Trond Sigurdsson. In the centuries since he last went out drinking and wenching with his Viking buds, Trond has been a gladiator, a cowboy, a ditch digger…even a sheik. But now he’s the baddest of them all: a kick-butt Navy SEAL kicking butts of terrorist immortals with the help of his hotter-than-Hades female partner, police officer-turned-Special Forces operative Nicole Tasso—whom Trond dearly hopes to “partner” with very shortly in a whole different way.
It’s not easy being a Vangel’s lover
The “cop” part of Nicole tells her there’s something bizarre about her gorgeous godlike teammate. But her “all-woman” side can’t help wondering how great it would be to have a virile Viking in her bed. Trond has secrets galore, but Nicole feels certain she can dig them out—and really get to the heart of this powerful, unnerving stranger whom she may be risking her soul to love.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
