C2’s review of Vampire in Atlantis (Warriors of Poseidon, Book 7) by Alyssa Day
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 6 June 11

Daniel is an ancient, powerful vampire – the Primator of the Primus (the vampire’s third house of Congress) even.  His grip on sanity isn’t quite as good as it should be and nothing seems worth hanging around for, anyway, so,  after existing for so long, Daniel has decided it is time to walk into the sunlight.  Imagine his surprise when, a few seconds after he sees the sun for the first time in millennia – and collapses amidst the heat and pain – he opens his eyes and sees a face he never thought to see again in this lifetime.  The face of his first and only love, Serai, Princess of Atlantis.

Serai is one of a handful of Atlantean maidens that have been held in stasis for thousands of years.  They were intended to be brides for future kings of Atlantis.  However, somewhere along the way the people in charge of taking care of them lost the knowledge that would let the maidens out of stasis.  And recently there have been fluctuations in the power to the stasis pods.  The power comes from one of the gems missing from Poseidon’s (yup, that Poseidon) trident.  Unless the Emperor (all the gems have names) – a large amethyst – is found, all the maidens could be lost forever.

When Serai unexpectedly returns to consciousness inside her stasis pod, she can feel the fluctuations in the Emperor’s power and knows that she and the other maidens are in danger. Somehow, she manages to break free. Now, as you might imagine, Serai is not all that happy with Atlanteans in general – being put on ice to marry whoever picks you is kind of icky and they weren’t supposed to be in stasis for so long…have they been forgotten or is it just that no one cares about them any more? – so when guards start rushing toward her, she uses her magic to knock them unconscious and runs away. And almost trips over a vampire. Imagine her surprise when it turns out that this vampire not only knows her, he is her long-lost love, Daniel. Holy star-crossed lovers, faithful reader! Each one thought the other was lost to them forever and then they are thrust together to save the world. So fun!

Daniel and Sarai trace the Emperor to Arizona and run into some familiar faces – Quinn and her band of rebels. The rebels have traced some anti-human funding to a local banker but have no proof that he is working with vampires…so far. What are the odds that Daniel and Sarai’s quest for the Emperor is connected to Quinn’s and the rebels’ search for the proof of the banker’s crimes? Very, very good.

Yes, the set-up is elaborate, but a series has to expand or it will smother, and this book puts some new characters into play. Will they be good or bad? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we get more insight into some characters that will soon have their stories told (hello Quinn and Alaric! WOOT!) and hints at some others I hope we will see more of soon (Jack!).

The secondary characters don’t overtake the main couple, though. Daniel and Serai have to battle evil vampires, precocious spirits and more to find the Emperor and there is no guarantee that anyone will be able to control it once it’s found. Also, there is the problem of blood exchanges between a vampire and an Atlantean – there can be serious repercussions.

There isn’t an easy way to summarize everything that happens (obviously), so I will give my impressions. At first I was afraid I wouldn’t like Serai, but she thawed out (heh) pretty quickly – she is not the kind of princess that sits around waiting for someone to rescue her. And I’ve always been intrigued by Daniel of the many names – who knew he would turn out to be so sweet and have such a steadfast heart?

Does this book stand alone? No (I’ll admit I had totally forgotten about the maidens in stasis). You really need to read Conlan and Riley’s book and Justice and Keely’s book, at the very least. It is such a good series – filled with kick-ass warriors and women who totally hold their own – why not read it all?

Grade: B-

Summary:
The most unexpected of all allies to Poseidon’s warriors has proven to be the fiercest—Daniel, a vampire and Night Guild mage. But even the strongest alliance can be destroyed when an 11,000 year-old desire is reborn…
A vampire’s oath, a maiden’s quest…
Daniel, vampire and ally of the Warriors of Poseidon, has fought on the side of humanity—even against his fellow creatures of the night—for more than 11,000 years.  But the crushing weight of futility and the reality of always being starkly, utterly alone has forced him to finally give into despair. He took the first step into the sunlight that would destroy him—and instead walked into Atlantis.
And the blackest of magic that could consume them both…
Eleven thousand years ago, Serai was one of a group who agreed to be placed into magical stasis to ensure the future of the Atlantean race. When a dark sorceress steals the gemstone that protects her sleeping sisters, she awakens to a vastly changed world—and the one man she could never, ever forget. And with an ancient evil tracking their every step, the long-lost lovers must battle both the darkest of magic and the treacheries of their own hearts.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Heart of Atlantis – February 2012

Gwen’s review of Atlantis Unmasked (Warriors of Poseidon, Book 4) by Alyssa Day
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Berkley 7 Jul 09

This book starts with a bang and does not slow down for several chapters.  You are immersed in the battle of humans and Warriors of Poseidon against vampires and their minions.  In this series, the vamps are the bad guys and they also have their own house in Congress.  The vamps are doing everything they can to destroy the Warriors and to take over the world.  It’s up to our hero and heroine to do all they can to stop this plan. 

This is all characteristic of Day’s Warriors novels – strong heroines, yummy alpha heroes, hot romance, and action.  Where they differ from each other is the personalities involved.  Day is adept at weaving in secondary characters without obvious sequel-baiting – they actually serve a purpose for the current book’s story arc.  There’s some “convenience” in the Alaric character (Kenyon fans will see small similarities to Ash from the Dark-Hunter novels) – he’s seemingly all-knowing and -powerful, haunted, and moody as hell and he tends to bail the main characters out of trouble.

What I liked about this entry in the series was the focus on the main characters.  We don’t spend too much time in other heads, even with the rather large cast and complex world.  This is one of the nice things about Day’s books – you really get to know the main characters.

The romance is very steamy and believable.  I loved how kick-ass the heroine is and how the hero let her be so – he wasn’t trying to protect or change her.  He let her be her kick-ass self and she was able to shine and develop as a result.  Was it easy for him to do that? No.  But he loved her enough to let her be who she is.  That makes me smile.

There’s lots of action and an interesting new story arc with the fae begins in this entry.  I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next entry in Feb 2010, Atlantis Redeemed.  SPOILER ALERT!  At the end, the bad guys are naturally thwarted; but something unknown, and probably awful, has happened to Quinn.  That’s the other thing about these books – main characters often go through some rather horrendous experiences and all for our entertainment and, presumably, the author’s desire to torment us  .

I’m not sure if this book stands alone – there are a lot of moving parts to this world and it may be a little difficult if you haven’t read at least one of the other entries.  All in all, Unmasked is a very good entry into the Warriors saga and one that I recommend to all the fans following the series.  If you’ve dabbled in the Warriors series, make sure you pick this one up.  There’s yumminess to be had between these covers – so to speak.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Poseidon’s warriors swore an oath eleven thousand years ago to protect humanity from those who stalked the night. Yet when a woman with an ancient Gift dares to claim the heart of one of Poseidon’s fiercest warriors, the world teeters on the knife’s edge between desire and darkness . . .
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A warrior scarred…Alexios survived two years of unspeakable torture at the hands of a vampire goddess. Now he’s been ordered to team up with a beautiful warrior and take on the most dangerous mission of his life: to retrieve the Vampire’s Bane. Without it, Atlantis can’t ascend to the surface and take its rightful place in the world. But when evil threatens, will Alexios be led by duty-or his heart?
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A descendant of Diana…Grace is part of the rebellion against the vampires and shape-shifters trying to take over her world. She is deadly with her bow, because when she takes aim, she never misses her target. But suddenly she’s focused on a damaged Atlantean warrior who sees her as a weapon, not as a woman. When thousands of lives are on the line, will passion overrule, or will her aim still be true?
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When two worlds collide…Atlantis is unmasked.
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Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

		Atlantis Redeemed

Gwen’s review of Atlantis Unleashed (The Warriors of Poseidon, Book 3) by Alyssa Day
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Berkley Sensation 2 Jun 09

This is one of the paranormal series I like to read, but forget about between entries.  It’s normally a long time between full-fledged novel-length books in this series, and my attention span is shorter than that (my mom calls it AAADD – Age-activated Attention Deficit Disorder).  So I forget about it and yet have so much fun reading them when they come around. 

Day has penned a very interesting world that has strong heroes and heroines, good story arcs, good villains, and strong secondary characters.  The prominence of the secondary characters adds a lot of depth to the stories without detracting too much from the main reason we’re here – to read about a romance between the two main characters.  Each of the entries has been like this – interesting and richly detailed, and very fun to read.

I don’t recommend starting with this book if this will be your first of the series.  Day spends some time telling you a little of the back story but not a lot.  You may be at sea with some of the more nuanced details of why the characters are where they are.  Not the least of which is some of the (so far) secondary romances.  I think the romance in this book could stand alone – the hero and heroine didn’t know each other before this book started, so you’re starting with them in the discovery process.  However, again, you’ll get none of that extra spice that is liberally sprinkled in with the main story if you don’t read the previous entries first.

This was a very good paranormal romance with some interesting people.  The hero and heroine are strong, independent, and intelligent people who you like immediately.  I highly recommend it to fans of the series or anyone looking for a new romance series with some hot men and smart (archeologist!) women.

Grade: A

Read more reviews and info by following the series’ tag.

Summary:
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Poseidon’s warriors swore an oath eleven thousand years ago to protect humanity from those who stalked the night. Now those powerful forces are uniting. So are two souls who are all that stand between justice and the eternal darkness…
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A warrior prince…Lord Justice made the ultimate sacrifice for his brother and paid for it with an unimaginable torture. Now he’s back, rescued from death, his sanity shaken, and his mission inescapable—the search for the lost Star of Artemis. But the beautiful human female whom he has sworn to protect is shadowed by an evil that could destroy them both…
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A woman of science…The archaeological artifacts of Atlantis speak to Dr. Keely McDermott, sharing visions of life long ago. The ancient revelations have cast her into a world between past and present, between reality and illusion—and, when she meets the fierce Atlantean warrior assigned to guard her, between terror and temptation. Now as their two worlds collide, so too will danger and desire…
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A quest for a lost star…Atlantis is unleashed.
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

This just in…

Those of you living in Georgia and surrounding states get ready for a terrific weekend October 3-5 for the Moonlight and Magnolias Conference, featuring some great names in romance.

~ The conference is being held at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast in Norcross, Georgia.

~ Award-winning, New York Times Best-selling author Teresa Medeiros will be the Keynote Speaker.

~ Tanya Michna, aka Tanya Michaels, is the GRW Featured Author.

~ Their Book Fair and Signing is open to the public and will feature such authors as Jacquie D’Alessandro, Kimberly Killion, C.L. Wilson, Stephanie Bond, Jess Michaels/Jenna Petersen, Alyssa Day, Cynthia Eden, Raven Hart, Jennifer St. Giles, and many, many more.

Consider yourself flashed.

Gwen’s review of Shifter by Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, and Virginia Kantra
Paranormal romance anthology released by Berkley Sensation on 4 Mar 08

This anthology focuses on, you guessed it, shapeshifters and their loves.  And can I say that this is a tremendous collection of authors?  LOVED the book.  Well.  Mostly…

Mad Dog Love by Angela Knight
Sci-Fi romance

Summary: Interstellar empress Zarifa Lorezo desperately needs protection against the royal assassins who are out for her blood. She decides to buy a bodyguard — a powerful werewolf slave named Rance “Mad Dog” Conlan. She soon realizes that despite his slave collar, Rance is a very dangerous man — and not just because he can turn into a seven-foot wolf. Read an excerpt.

I liked this little story by Angela Knight.  According to her site, it is in a different world than her Mageverse and other stories.  I didn’t quite believe the sexual tension between the H/H at first, but that probably had more to do with the brevity of the story than anything else.  Of all the things edited out, I would think emotional buildup between two strangers is the most likely.  I enjoyed the details given this new world, but felt that less is more – not all of the names of materials and the like are needed.  Good, but not great story.

Grade: B-

A Jaguar’s Kiss by Lora Leigh
Futuristic paranormal romance, Book 15 in The Breeds series (by chronology, not release)

Summary: Jaguar breed Saban Broussard has a job to do. His assignment? To protect the first teacher chosen to teach breed children. And protecting Natalie Ricci is exactly what he’ll do. With just one kiss and his touch, the mating phenomena begins that will tie her to him forever. Unless her ex-husband manages to get them both killed.  Read an excerpt.

Have I told you lately how much I love Lora Leigh?  Well, I love Lora Leigh.  If I ever met her, I’d be star-struck.  I love her writing.  I love her characters.  I LOVE her erotic scenes.  Hey!  I just realized that this story didn’t have her trademark buttsecks!  Holy cow!  This was a good Breeds story – more novella than short story, actually.  A very likable heroine and hero, a very believable if stupid villain.  This story stands alone just fine, if you haven’t been following the Breeds series.  I was very happy to see these two work it out.  You will LOVE the scenes of when she first arrives at her new posting with Saban in tow, helping her shop.  I laughed several times and could really feel the sexual tension between them.  Good story that alone is worth buying this book.

Grade: A

Shifter’s Lady by Alyssa Day
Contemporary paranormal romance, Book 4 in the Warriors of Poseidon series

Summary: Alpha were panther Ethan is finally starting to make an edgy peace with the first Atlantean to encroach upon his territory. But will he need to make room in an even rockier terrain — his heart — when the Atlantean’s beautiful sister Marie arrives and disrupts every facet of Ethan’s well-ordered existence? Read an excerpt [you may have to sign up to the members-only section of the site to read the excerpt - it's painless and free].

This was a very fun entry in the WoP series.  I liked Ethan and somewhat liked Marie.  I don’t think we get to see enough of Marie, though.  I don’t recommend attempting this story unless you’re following the WoP series or unless you have handy the resource materials available on the author’s site.  Nice action and I was glad to not see the vampires in this story – it almost strictly dealt with shapeshifter politics, specifically the jaguars.

Grade: B

Sea Crossing by Virginia Kantra
Historical paranormal romance, Book 1 in the Children of the Sea series

Summary:  None available from the author’s or publisher’s site.  So I’ll make up my own.  Appears to be set in the late 1800′s to early 1900′s.  A nearly destitute young woman, reeling from being taken advantage of by a former employer and shunned by her family, sets off to the Canadian west and new opportunities.  Her steamship sinks off the coast of Scotland and she’s rescued by a Selkie.  Should she fall for this seal-man?  What about her stained reputation?  Oh my!  No excerpt available.

I just have two words for this story:  fish breath.  And thank goodness it was short.  Sorry.  It was very difficult for me to take seriously a romance with a man who can shift into a seal.  I mean – flippers, eats fish.  I just have a hard time thinking of a seal as sexy.  Wolf – sexy in a dangerous, feral sort of way.  Big cats – same thing.  Seal?  Just ain’t happnin’ for me.  The writing isn’t bad – even if I didn’t like the heroine (she’s a reluctant tramp) and didn’t believe the romance.  I doubt I’ll be reading this series.  Even the available excerpt of the next book in the series, Sea Witch, wasn’t enough to make me want it – though a female selkie I can deal with more.

Grade: D

This was a good anthology with just the one exception in the Kantra story (I really didn’t like it).  If you’re following the Breeds or Warriors of Poseidon series, I highly recommend getting this book.

Overall Grade: B

From the back cover (a summary which says absolutely nothing – pretty typical Marketing Speak):

          In this seductive anthology, four masters of paranormal romance explore the boundaries of erotic shape-shifting fantasy – and shatter them.

Something happens when the beast within is teased and tempted.  Something dangerous.  Something inescapable.  Something so irresistible no woman would want to run from it.

Whether transforming beneath the cool blue moon, prowling the night streets with feline grace and blood-red talons, or panting with pleasure, the shifters come alive to fulfill your wildest fantasies…

Gwen’s review of Atlantis Awakening (Warriors of Poseidon, Book 3) by Alyssa Day
Paranormal romance released by Berkley 6 Nov 07

When I read the first Warriors of Atlantis novel, Atlantis Rising, and the subsequent short story in Wild Thing, I was not overwhelmed with the writing and the characters.  It was interesting, but a little “same song second verse” to me.  But, I withheld my judgment because I could see the promise, if not the actual delivery, in those entries to the series. 

However, this book was a different story.  It was interesting, full of rich characterizations, and just plain fun to read.  Day has managed to make this a world I want to revisit.  The baddies are a a bit cariacature-ish, but still nasty enough to add some tension.  Her secondary characters were more fully explored in this entry.  You start to see the complexities behind some of the plot points as she explores these other people.  It really whetted my appetite for more books.

What is especially done well is the relationship between the hero and heroine, Ven and Erin.  I believed in it and wanted them to be together by the end.  I sincerely liked both of them and really respected Ven’s fighting ability.  It is a really cool relationship of mutual respect and love.

I highly recommend this book for those of you following the series, and it could standalone, if you haven’t read the earlier two entries.  Very fun, quick read.  (Plus the covers are scrumptious!)

Grade: B-

Blurb:
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Ven has served as leader of the Seven, the elite guard sworn to serve the high prince of Atlantis, for more than four hundred years. But Prince Conlan – Ven’s older brother – wants Ven to act as general to the ragtag group of human rebels who have been battling the vampires and shape-shifters on their own. Ven reluctantly agreed, but nobody ever warned him that the rebel was beautiful . . . and a witch.
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Read an excerpt and an excerpt (register on Day’s site to see excerpts – it’s painless).

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Paradise by Meljean Brook, short story in the anthology Wild Thing by Brook, Marjorie Liu, Alyssa Day** and Maggie Shayne
Paranormal contemporary romance released by Berkley Trade 1 May 07

This short story is part of the Guardians continuum. I can’t tell you where it lies in the chronology, as I haven’t read the others (yet). While I might have gotten more out of it if I had read the preceding stories/books, I can tell you it reads very well on its own. This story is about a vampire, Lucas, and a guardian, Selah, who have to find and defeat a demon before it opens a gate to hell. Along the way, they discover quite a bit about themselves and each other, including love and what looks an HEA. 

To my knowledge, this was the first Meljean Brook I’ve ever read. I can safely say that I am now her bitch. I really liked this story. The pace was quick, the dialogue was snappy, and the erotic scenes were smokin’. I like paranormal, if it’s done well, and this was done very well. The characters were likable, believable, and oddly human for inhuman beings.

Other reviewers of this story say Meljean does “too much world-building” but I sure didn’t get that vibe. I haven’t read any of the other Guardian stories and I wasn’t left behind. I just enjoyed a ripping good story. Meljean’s writing style is such that she doesn’t belabor details or conversational points, so perhaps the other reviewer felt left behind. Readers of this kind of prose have to stay on their toes (HA! unintentional rhyme). I prefer this writing style to being treated like a dimwit by an author (e.g., incessant repetition of inane details). Meljean treats the reader as if we have a brain and I LOVE that.

I have read the other authors in the anthology and have enjoyed nearly everything they’ve written. However, simply based on the quality of Meljean’s story, I’ll be buying this anthology as soon as it comes out and I recommend you do the same.

Grade: A

Here’s the story blurb:

Lucas Marsden has faced nosferatu before and survived, but he doesn’t know how to defeat the demon who hunts the vampires in his community…But he knows exactly what he wants from the beautiful Guardian sent to protect them.
Read an excerpt.

Here’s the Wild Thing book blurb:

New York Times bestselling authors Maggie Shayne and Marjorie M. Liu, and sizzling newcomers Alyssa Day and Meljean Brook discover the wild instinct in everyone with four all-new stories of feral heat. Fans will get swept away by the passions in the unfathomable depths of Atlantis; they’ll follow the shadows that stalk both the living and the undead in a world of vampires and guardian angels; they’ll enter the forbidden world of the demon horde and their willing victims; and they’ll be privy to the secrets of a beautiful animal-whisperer who’s drawn closer to the most suspect of all male animals-man.

**You have to register as a member to get any special feature (book excerpts and such)