Sandy M’s review of Entwined (Eternal Guardians, Book 2) by Elisabeth Naughton
Paranormal Romance published by Lovespell 27 Jul 10
I’m having such a good time with this Eternal Guardian series. This is only the second book in the series, and hopefully Ms. Naughton is going to be writing a number more about these sexy protectors of humans who have also vowed to keep their world secret and safe from daemons. Amid all that, of course, they find love and we live through the fear, angst, heartbreak, and romance right along with them. What a way to spend an afternoon.
This book is especially intense because Zander has had enough living after 800 years. The problem is he’s immortal, so dying isn’t going to happen any time soon. And he’s needed to help fight against the new wave of evil trying to extinguish the newly discovered half-human colony that Atalanta, a fallen goddess who wants it all any way she can get it, wants gone.
Another problem facing him is his attraction to the king’s healer, Callia. They spent a heat- and fire-filled night together years before, but betrayal has kept them apart ever since. They still sizzle when together, though. When Zander volunteers to be the Argonaut to marry Isadora, the princess heir, Callia is commanded to check the man out, make sure he doesn’t fire blanks. You can imagine how that ended up. They haven’t talked in ages, but talking now gets interrupted with sparks flying all over the place. Those sparks eventually turn into anger thrown back and forth, and the tension between them from that point on is palpable.
In the meantime, Atalanta is grooming her son Maximus to help her take over anything she can get her hands on and regain her immortal status. This little boy is something else. He plays along with her evilness, but he clings to his humanity with a will that rivals any god. He nearly stole the entire show for me.
The mythology in this series is fascinating with the twist Ms. Naughton has put on it. The politics of the race are intertwined throughout, even when you don’t realize it, another very interesting aspect of the story. The action against the daemons is fast paced and furious, swords clashing and heads rolling.
My only disappointment comes near the end when the truth is revealed about Maximus. I wanted more emotion, more satisfaction at the resulting realization. After learning what this child has lost for so many years, I just expected more reaction all the way around.
But even that isn’t enough to take away from this terrific story. Zander is a hero you feel for immediately, Callia a heroine you sympathize with, both for their loss and their hard-won love for each other. The other Argonauts are right in the thick of things, and I look forward to their books. Especially Demetrius. He’s so adamant in his demand against his king’s wishes that it will be interesting to watch when he finally succumbs.
Grade: A+
Summary:
ZANDER — The most feared of all the Eternal Guardians. It’s rumored he can’t be killed, and he always fights like he has nothing to lose. But as a descendant of the famed hero Achilles, he’s got to have a vulnerability… somewhere.
Forces of daemons are gathering and have broken through the barriers of the Underworld. Now more than ever the Eternal Guardians are needed to protect both their own realm and the humans’. Zander can’t afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can’t fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he’s found his weakness, after all…
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
