Veena’s review of Born in Blood (The Sentinels, Book 1) by Alexandra Ivy
Paranormal Romance published by Zebra 31 Dec 13
This book marks the beginning of an interesting new paranormal series featuring “freaks” or x-men-like characters with special powers. Callie Brown is a necromancer who’s called in to consult for the police department, when traditional methods fail to provide clues surrounding a murder and it becomes necessary to try to reach the dead person for clues. The book starts off with a high intensity of thrills and chills with a murder and then the necromancer consultant is blocked from reaching the victim’s spirit for answers. With a beginning like that, it should have been guaranteed that this is going to be no ordinary story…..
But because this is a new series and the author does have to build the background to set the stage and provide background, this causes the book to sag a bit in the middle, even though the detail is all quite interesting and we’ll be glad of it when we read future books in the series.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s still enough suspense to keep your heart pumping and your adrenaline jumping, especially when the body disappears from the morgue and the dead woman appears to come back to life long enough to commit a crime. Off go Duncan and Callie, teamed up to find the truth behind these incidents. I love the whole concept of opening up portals that allow our protagonists to travel halfway around the world in the blink of an eye without needing to worry about layovers and TSA. Wish I could do that the next time I need to travel to Europe or India.
Anyhow, the dead woman and other associated crimes seem to be related to executing a plan to raise an army of the dead who can defeat the powerful sentinels who keep the world safe. It’s a foregone conclusion that Callie and Duncan will race against all odds and attempt to win the day, but I do enjoy the suspense and the developing love story between the two. There is some solid old-school detective work involved in the process, as well as the magical hand waving from the powerful people.
Callie was abandoned in a dumpster by her birth parents, and, while she has friends and protectors, she’s never truly known love and acceptance in the familial or romantic sense. Well, Duncan, who has strong family ties, is obviously prepared to provide both and it’s cute how the fear of meeting the prospective in-laws seems to survive through time. There are some very sweet and tender moments between the two, as well as the requisite sexual encounters to keep us entertained.
All in all, this is a solid book. I look forward to the next in the series, because this one lays out some very interesting future possibilities that I’d like to see explored in the future.
Grade: A
Summary:
In The Heart Of Darkness
Sergeant Duncan O’Conner has seen it all before. Beautiful erotic dancer, murdered at home, no suspect, no motive. But there’s one clue: she’s missing her heart. It’s enough to make the hard-bitten Kansas City cop enlist the help of a necro–one of the dead-channeling freaks who live in the domed city of nearby Valhalla. It’s a long shot, but desperate crimes call for desperate measures.
Lies The Kiss Of Death
Unlike the other “high-bloods” in Valhalla, Callie Brown considers her abilities a gift, not a curse. But when she reads the dancer’s final thoughts, she senses a powerful presence blocking her vision. This is no ordinary homicide. This is the work of a legendary necromancer who controls souls. A ravenous force that will put Callie’s skills to the test, O’Conner’s career at risk, and both their hearts on the line. . .literally. ]
No excerpt available.
