Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 09 Nov 21
Book 35 in the Carpathian series pivots into an interesting story arc featuring the ancients that have survived the monastery but are now teetering at the edge of the darkness, hoping to find their life mates before they are forced to end it all by walking into the sun.
This is Sandu’s story. He has reached the end of the line, and, despite the many years of battle and hope for a life mate of his own, is ready to call it a day before he’s forced into becoming the monster he hunts, when a voice speaks in his mind encouraging him to hold on – and suddenly he can see in color and smell the fragrance of the night.
Adalasia, who is is Sandu’s life mate, has her own ancient and secret lineage. Even more surprising, she knows about the Carpathian hunters, and the females of her lineage have spent lifetimes waiting for their life mates. each one birthing a daughter before passing. It is Adalasia’s time and her destiny to find her soul mate and embark on a quest with him to end an evil that her line has been guarding for centuries.
I have to give Sandu credit for trying to be a true partner to Adalasia, but their relationship is rocky at times, until he figures it all out. Interestingly, his brethren, who embark on their quest to guard them, seem to adapt more quickly. Clearly, that might not be the case when they find their own life mates, but we’ll wait to see how their stories play out.
The quest requires the team to visit many characters throughout the series, which is a nice trip down memory lane for readers who have been reading all the books in the series. Each stop comes with its own action adventure and a snippet of memory that Sandu recovers. Of course, at the end of the road is the major battle against evil forces and a surprise ending to the quest that Sandu never anticipated.
All in all, I like this new pivot because it freshens up the story, though I felt that the ending was a bit abrupt and there were quite a few gaps in getting from point A to point B.
Grade: B
Summary:
Sandu Berdardi continues to exist only to protect his people. An ancient Carpathian, his entire long life has been dedicated to honor above all else. He knows his time has passed, especially since he has not been able to find his lifemate—the anchor to keep him sane in a world he no longer understands. But just as he truly starts to give up hope, a voice reaches out to him in the night and his world explodes into color.
Adalasia enters Sandu’s mind seamlessly, as if she has been a part of him forever. While she can see the shape of things to come in her deck of cards, her gift is both a blessing and a curse. The true course of Sandu’s quest remains unclear, with danger waiting at every turn. She cannot see everything the future holds, but she does know it is a journey they will take together.
By joining him, she will start them down a dangerous, seductive path from which there is no coming back….
Read an excerpt.
