Elizabeth Hunter - The Seeker

He’s a scribe looking for answers. If only a cagey—and frustratingly attractive—singer will let him help.
Summoned to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Rhys of Glast, Irin archivist and scribe of Istanbul, must convince a legendary Irina singer to trust him. His success could shift the balance of power all over the Irin world and give singers an important key to their past.
Meera didn’t call for Rhys’s help and she doesn’t need it. The scribe’s mission is to bring more martial magic into the Irin world while Meera has been looking for a path toward peace. She’s convinced that some other motive is at work, and his stubborn arrogance doesn’t pass for charm in her hallowed opinion.
Discovering ancient Irina magic should be something both scholars can agree on, but can these two rivals find any common ground? Neither Rhys nor Meera can ignore the simmering heat between them, but will attraction overcome the caution that has shaped both their lives?

Comment: This is the last installment in the Irin Chronicles series by author Elizabeth Hunter. I've been following the series for years now, and it does feel like a goal accomplished to think this is the final one. However, it wasn't the amazing experience I imagined, for more than one reason.

In this final story, we follow Rhys, a recurrent character, as he travels to the US to work with an Irin said to be as dedicated to the tales of the Irin as he is and that she might have new information which could help the future Irinas to be more successful in fighting the Grigori. He does like Meera's intelligence and certainly he likes her looks, but she seems to be hiding something...

Meera is the embodiment of all the previous Irinas, meaning she was chosen to perpetuate the story and the abilities in an immense memory, which makes her someone to worship and to follow but although she embraced her role and she wants to do her duty with an open heart, she also knows her life choices are always a little limited. In fact, her parents thought Rhys would be a good match for her but can she accept him if this is an obligation? Ans what about the common enemy they have to defeat?

I liked the book but not as much as I thought I would. Somehow, the pace and the romance didn't grab me as much as Hoped, especially because I had had good experiences with the previous books. There was the fact I wasn't in the mood for reading in some days and my beloved grandmother had died, so less time to leisure reading...all combined made it bad timing to be reading this one. However, I admit I don't feel the will to try again at a different time, so my initial impression will remain.

This is actually a story with an interesting premise. The idea that there is a way for the memories, traditions to be known and shared by one person, with all the challenges it can mean... the role of Meera as an Irin and what her knowledge can do to help the Irinas to survive the change of times was interesting but I'll be honest, I didn't connect with Meera as a female protagonist. She is a good person, wants independence while keeping up with tradition, so quite relatable, but I did struggle to care to know what her steps would be next.

Rhys was a character I liked following, but probably because he had been in other books, so it was easier to be invested in what would happen to him. I liked how dedicated he was to his task, to his work as a scribe and I even liked how he wanted to be with Meera...their meeting was fun and slightly provocative, so it seemed they would be a love-hate courtship. The problem was that the romance was heavily influenced by both their roles in the Irin world and the fight against the angels and at some point I simply lost interest.

Truly, after a while I was reading to finish the book because it felt like I had to, I was curious about where this would lead, since it seems it was the final story in the series, but it was difficult to feel that interest, it's true. This ends with a sort of epic battle against an enemy, some new information about the past of the Irinas and Scribes comes to light because of a new character but it didn't feel like this was a goodbye to the series...there were still some loose points... I wonder if maybe there will be more stories...

Still, if so, I'll think about if I want to keep going. If I had to make a decision right now I wouldn't, but who knows. The author clearly has imagination, the construction/world building of her worlds is certainly captivating, the romances often work but there is something extra I can't explain which didn't fully work for me in this one.

Grade: 5/10

Elizabeth Hunter - The Storm

Scarred by loss, Irina warrior Renata has held the world at a distance. Fighting the Grigori and protecting humanity are her goals, but her heart remains frozen to the bonds of family and love. Only one scribe, Maxim of Riga, has managed to see through Renata's armor. 
On the darkest night of winter, in the halls of her ancestral home, Renata is forced to face her past. Can a fierce storm and a stubborn scribe coax her back to life, or will she retreat into duty forever?

 Newly republished as a stand-alone with bonus novella Song for the the Dying.
When a letter arrives from a remote scribe house in Latvia, Leo and Max must return to their childhood home to face the father and grandfather who raised them. The past is inescapable, but can it be overcome? Is it possible to build a future of happiness from a foundation of pain? 
The Storm and "Song for the Dying" are two novellas in the Irin Chronicles, a romantic fantasy series by Elizabeth Hunter. 

 

Comment: This will be just a quick comment..

This is installment #6 in the Irin Chronicles series. I have been trying to keep up with the series and I'm close to finish, since there is only one book left.

This book actually contains two novellas and not just one full length novel. I wasn't aware of that when I started but I was a little confused by how.... choppy the romance of Max and Renata was.

We have met these two in the previous books and their relationship has been a bit int he style of "cat and mouse" because it was clear there were feelings between them, which they didn't seem to acknowledge or act upon, although they did care for one another. I thought this novel would be how they finally dealt with whatever issue there was and in between they would recognize they are stronger together than apart.

It's true there is some background on them, we especially learn a lot more about Renata and what happened to her since she was a child. However, the new information is given to us mostly on scenes from the moments the couple shared in the past, anytime their paths crossed. I don't feel it was set enough for me to appreciate how their relationship spanned years. I actually felt a little sad they took so long to take the step into being a couple.

Part of this is due to what happened to Renata's family during the time the Irins call "Rending", when many people were killed and how those who survived carried their loss forever. I can understand this and the fact Renata has felt the need to get revenge on those who killed those she cared about and that such a mission helped her cope but it certainly took the couple a long time to establish they were a good team. 

Only a certain part of the novel is set on the current time line of the series and, of course, they are faced with an example of how wrong we can be when we define our actions on things we cannot change. Renata, in particular, leaned her lesson but it did take an extra help to allow her to finally have some peace and the will to move on. I think her character and actions are understandable but for people who live such long lives, the "lessons" should be more obvious from others' examples, no? As if it took too long for her to see what she had been doing wrong.

I think I enjoyed this one more because of how familiar the characters already were than for the story itself. There were good scenes, don't get me wrong, but nothing amazing like I imagined.

As for the second novella, it is a continuation of sorts, of what happened to Max and Renata and Leo and Kyra (book #5) because Max and Leo are cousins and they called back to their childhood house in Latvia. This is smaller than the other one and basically it's a story about making peace with the past. It was a good novella, quite emotional to be honest, more than I expected it to be but apart from one piece of news, it didn't advance things in any way. 

All in all, I really don't have much to say about either novella, they make sense within the world, they can have meaning for those who like the series but neither brought much novelty, no.

Grade: 7/10

Elizabeth Hunter - The Silent

They are called kareshta, the silent ones.
But the silent are waking.
Kyra has lived her life in the shadow of a powerful Grigori brother. She’s ignored her own desires for the good of her family. But an unexpected request from Thailand sends her on a mission that could change her life and alter the fate of free Grigori all over the world. Sons of the Fallen hidden in the mountains of Thailand have adapted an ancient human magic for their own purposes. Will this practice bring peace or lead to even greater danger for the Irin race?
A simple diplomatic mission sends Leo to Bangkok, but he didn’t expect to see a familiar face in surveillance photographs. He’s tried everything to drive Kyra from his mind, since he was convinced the gentle kareshta wanted to hide from the world. How did she turn up halfway across the globe, living with Grigori who may or may not be Irin allies?
A simple diplomatic mission sends Leo to Bangkok, but he didn’t expect to see a familiar face in surveillance photographs. He’s tried everything to drive Kyra from his mind, since he was convinced the gentle kareshta wanted to hide from the world. How did she turn up halfway across the globe, living with Grigori who may or may not be Irin allies?
Leo has bided his time. He’s given Kyra her space.
But this scribe is ready to hear a kareshta sing. 

Comment: This is the fifth book in the Irin Chronicles series, featuring special humans who descend from angels or are sons and daughters of them and how challenging their lives and relationships with humans can be. After the first three books centered in one couple, the following ones will be focused on secondary characters. Although this can be read as structured novel from start to end, I should say it makes more sense after having read the previous books.

Leo is the well liked, sweet scribe of house Istanbul, a secondary character we have come to like because he is sweet and friendly and always eager to offer a pleasant smile. He has waited centuries for his reshon, soul mate, and he believes he might have found her in Kyra, but she is a daughter of an angel, thus considered the enemy by the Irin, always so persecuted by the grigory, a race seen as mad for human souls who murder those they enslave. However, it wasn't known angels could have daughters too, and those rare ones were hunted too, for they could manipulate humans as well. Now that some truths have come out, it seems neither group knew everything and a shaky truce has been formed. Kyra is devoted to her family, to raise grigori in loving, caring arms, which would help control their instincts but will she be able to let go of her fears to be happy with Leo?

We have met Kyra and Leo in the previous books and they are in opposite areas of the conflict between Grigori and Irin. It can sound confusing but as the books developed, we have come to realize nothing is only black and white an both sides have some acceptance to do, as well as learning of how the other side sees things. It has become obvious the feud/fights have been mostly caused by extreme behaviors and secrets but now a new hope has come for all, because there can be peace if the two sides work together.

Of course Leo and Kyra can be seen as a model couple for this reality and as this book develops, we see them match their skills and emotions to find a way to help a young girl who has been kidnapped, although she remains very dangerous too. Leo and Kyra have a personal history, hers a little more cautious because she has lived in fear and hiding, having only her brothers and immediate family to care for her. Daughters of angels have not been the focus of previous stories so it was nice to learn more about that too.

I's day my favorite part was actually the interactions between the several characters here, who have joined forces to help find the kidnapped girl but also to start creating some connections which can mutually help both races. It was very good to see everyone maintaining their personality but with little scenes here and there, learning everyone can be important, can be worthy of knowing. Perhaps friendships weren't easy to form, but I have hope that it will be the future of these races.

The romance between Kyra and Leo is mostly sweet, considerate, they don't give in to those silly (in my opinion) tactics of "he/she is better off without me" so as soon as they admit they see the other person as more than a friend or an ally, their path quickly goes into one of a couple. I liked how they talked, how they agreed to stay in sync and how they seemed to accept they were a good match (the magic in this world helps with this too, though). I suppose I wish they could have a more...vibrant connection in the sense that we could feel their chemistry even more but I must deal with the fact this is likely just the author's style.

I'd say the author's strength is in the world building, the imagination of some elements, the way I can picture the author outlining the scenes to include, the little magical details to enrich the story... if there is one thing lacking, which I felt was very well done in other PNR series out there is this obviousness some couples were meant to be together, how the writing makes that inevitable. In these books, even if those things are being told to the reader, I, personally, don't see it.

I liked reading this book, knowing things are evolving in the world, the two races are going to join forces, ae going to try to make things easier...it felt like this, a least. I'll read the next two books and hope this trend will continue.

Grade: 7/10

Mini-Comments

And here's another brief post about two books I don't have much to talk about...

 

A very special holiday short story for readers of the Irin Chronicles
Join Ava, Malachi, and their friends for Midwinter holidays in Prague. The Irin might not celebrate Christmas, but that doesn’t mean Ava has to give up on the holidays. With her children on the way, nothing will stop the newest Irina from celebrating with her growing family. But will lingering doubts and worries about fatherhood let Malachi celebrate the way he wants?
On a Clear Winter Night is a short story set after the first three books of the Irin Chronicles. 

Comment: This is a cute Christmas-type novella set in the world of the Irin Chronicles. I have read some books in this series and I do plan on reading more but this was a novella which feels like a gift to readers. In fact, it's all sweet moments, for it features the anticipation of celebrating festivities among the Irin and also the birth of Ava and Malachi's babies. There isn't much of a plot nor development, only good things and sweet moments to appreciate, so new readers hoping to get an idea about the world with a novella should not pick this one. I think, for me, it was cute enough and made me smile but it's really like a little sweet, not something truly complete.

Grade: 6/10

Comment: I was given this book on Christmas. The author is known for is writings in newspapers, translations, opinion pieces and also the fact he is a monarchic. In this book, which doesn't seem to have translations into other languages, we find a collection of small opinion pieces he wrote for newspapers on several subjects, but mostly about the country and its people. I found most of the articles interesting and one or two even emotional but there are also many which, despite being interesting enough, were only average to me, in terms of reading experience. This is a man who loves words and the language so all the texts are superbly written. However, I don't feel the will to look for other things by him on purpose.

Grade: 6/10

Elizabeth Hunter - The Staff and the Blade

Warriors. Lovers. Enemies. Legends.
Their union became pivotal in Irin history, but to understand Damien and Sari's ending, you must go back to their beginning. Four hundred years ago, a young singer and a hardened warrior met and loved each other, but their life was torn apart by violence.
Love. Desire. Grief. Betrayal.
No matter how much pain and anger stain their lives, bonds in the Irin race cannot be abandoned. Damien and Sari will never truly leave each other, because those who are destined cannot be ignored.The Staff and the Blade is a four part stand-alone book of approximately 480 pages. It is the fourth book in the Irin Chronicles.
DREAMS: Damien of Bohemia was a legend content to live in obscurity. Weary from a century of human and Irin bloodshed, he took shelter among those who would not question his silence or the martial spells he wore over his body. Until an earth singer of raw power and no delicacy came to the village where he hid. Sari of Vestfold wasn't intrigued by the mysterious warrior or his moody silences. And she wasn't interested in listening for the whisper of his soul. Even when those whispers promised a connection that could tie them for eternity.
GHOSTS: A new posting in Paris during Napoleon’s reign leads Sari and Damien back to familiar faces and the Council politics Damien has tried so hard to avoid. But the Irin world has changed in the two hundred years since their mating. The singers have become more isolated. The scribes are more martial. And the Grigori flood growing cities and lay in wait. When Sari’s sister envisions the future, she sees emptiness, chaos, and a darkness that threatens to overtake their world.
MEMORIES: Hidden from Irin society, the Irina have learned to take their revenge on the Grigori. They answer to no one. They ask for no mercy. And forgiveness? That’s the last thing on anyone’s mind. Two hundred years after the Rending, Damien and Sari are thrown together to face a new threat, a girl who might be key to the healing of the Irin race. If they can survive the anger and grief that has separated them for two hundred years.
VISIONS: The Irin and Irina are together again. Society is being rebuilt. But what do you do when the foundation of your world has crumbled? Where do you go when all the boundaries have been redrawn? For Damien and Sari, charting a new path into the future means confronting the demons of the past. They’ve forgiven each other, but can they forgive themselves? 

Comment: In the recent years I've read what was supposed to be a trilogy written by this author but which has evolved into a series. The original three books centered in a specific couple's journey to love but now there are a few more stories out featuring secondary characters readers met while the original three were on going.

This is the story of Sari and Damien, two characters who are mated but when we originally meet them in the other books, their relationship is a strained one because they are often apart due to their respective duties to the Irin race. Why they are apart isn't always obvious besides some conflicts in their past and in this book we finally are able to discover why.

Just as a little reminder, in this series the Irin race is the outcome of angel descents who protect themselves and humans from the Grigori, other descendants from Fallen angels (thus mostly evil).

As the above blurbs describe, this story is divided into four parts. In each one, we get to see a little bit of the relationship between Sari and Damien and how they have come to the point in which they are when we first met them: apart and not happy despite their bond.

I must say that the author has created a very detailed world in which her characters live. However, I must also say, generally speaking, there is quite a good highlight on how bad the villains are and how necessary it is to battle them. This might be very worthy and of course the biggest conflicts in the books come from this situation but I think that - at least to me - if there was less focus on the bad guys and more on the relationships between characters and their own world/lives, the stories could be even better.

I confess some parts within this book felt a little boring because I wanted to see what happens and not have as many pages detailing what happened.

In part, I guess I could say the problem for me was the way this story was told. Yes, it was interesting to know things from Sari and Damien's past but this is precisely why I usually dislike or simply endure lovers reunited plots: too much time spent on how they used to be and not enough on how they should be now.

The four parts in this book are basically this:

- in the first we get to see how the couple met and fell in love. This is certainly cute but when we first know about this couple on book #1 of the series, we already know that. This could have been a novella for fans.

- in the second part we know why they decided to live separate lives and how that is connected to the most difficult moment of their race's existence. While this was important to learn, a simple conversation would have given the reader the same information and it could have still been dramatic without us having to have read it.

- in the third part we follow some happenings from the first three books but now from Sari and Damien's POV. Again, it's interesting and I did like how we get to see some things but it didn't add that much to what was supposed to be the solution for Sari and Damien's issues.

- In the final part we finally get to see them dealing with their problems. But this is only a small part of the whole book and it felt a little like cheating because it didn't have many pages.

I understand the author wanted to offer the readers the opportunity to see how two people could have gone from sweet love to an almost cold life of duty. However, there's a lot of pages regarding situations that, despite their severity, should have been dealt with much sooner too. In fact, these characters belong to a long lived race so they had plenty of time to talk, to agree on a different way of living, especially after so many decades!

Yes, life isn't easy for anyone and realistically speaking, things aren't easy ever but this is fiction... and then, in the last part, the one with less pages (if I recall correctly from my edition) they finally decide to just be together and be in love as everyone would have expected. This is no surprise since this is a romance story. I mean... the solution wouldn't have been difficult to achieve.

Again, I understand the tactic of allowing readers to savor the development of a romantic love story but for me too much was spent in the past and not enough on the present which is where the story is suppose to happen.

Grade: 6/10

Elizabeth Hunter - The Secret

Only when the darkness falls can you see the light of the stars.

For thousands of years, the scribes and singers of the Irin race have existed to protect humanity and guard the gifts of the Forgiven. They have lived in the shadows. They have kept their secrets.

But the Irin aren’t the only race with secrets.
Ava and Malachi have found each other, but wounds as deep as theirs don’t heal overnight. While the Irin world struggles to correct the power imbalance left by the Rending of the Irina, Malachi and Ava struggle to connect their past with their present.
The Fallen may scheme, but Ava has found her power and refuses to be an angel’s pawn. And while Malachi may have forgotten his history, the scribe’s relentless search for answers leads both him and his mate to the heart of the Irin power structure in Vienna, where knowledge is guarded more closely than gold and those with power will do anything to keep it.
Malachi and Ava have survived the darkness, but will they ever discover its secrets? A powerful cabal of the Fallen may hold the answers, but to surrender them, it wants the Irin race to finally face their enemies. Both those coming from the outside, and those raging within.
THE SECRET is the third book in the contemporary fantasy series, the Irin Chronicles, and the conclusion of Ava and Malachi’s journey.

Comment: This is the third installment in the Irin Chronicles trilogy by author Elizabeth Hunter. I've read the previous two books last year and I've waited for this book to be published, then I couldn't get to it right away but I thought I would finish at least this series this year still. I knew some fellow readers had enjoyed this one so I was confident it would be a good story and thankfully, I was proved right.

 

In this third story, Malachi and Ava are going to face the ultimate battle between the evil Grigori and the Irin. But battles aren't only demonstrations of skill in the fighting ground, to be successful they need all the help they can get. Many secrets are uncovered in this final story and the fates of many characters are on the line.

Ava is still learning to cope with has happened and her newfound powers and is even more eager to find out more about her ancestors. And Malachi knows he needs to protect the woman he loves and his fellow Irins and scribes. Will they be successful at last?

 

I just finished this book. This is a good conclusion to the adventures of Ava and Malachi and the fate of their friends. I think the author did a good job planning and organizing the facts into each installment and manages to tell a story convincingly without dragging it forever. She has confirmed other Irin stories will be told and I hope they will feature some of the characters we've met here.

 

After the last book, very high on the emotional side of things, I hoped this one would be a bit more stable in terms of emotions and thankfully things are ok with the main couple so I could enjoy their journey without worrying about their happiness. Also amazingly perfect was the lack of lengthy descriptions from the villains' POV, something I always dislike. In a way, the whole book was thought about and I think it had a good conclusion, leaving enough little details open to allow for more stories without making it a necessary continuation of this one. I really have hopes for a couple of characters I'd love to see having a HEA but without the burden of a trilogy...maybe the author could write about them in single books.

 

Ava and Malachi are a good couple. I think we see that even better in this book than we did in the others. I liked the almost easiness of their relationship, how bonded they looked and how that helped them both. Of course they face challenges, for Ava about what it means to have so much power and how that affects her and what other might expect, and Malachi needs to face his limitations but also strengths because of his bond with Ava. There was balance in them and I think that wasn't only because of the author's intention, she clearly wrote bout them in a way to make them suit, but their personalities seem to have gained importance and stability here too.

 

The plot is very clever ad filled with surprises. I admit I still feel confused about some rules and how some beings can follow a certain pattern and other don't and some names are similar which confuses me, but apart from that, I enjoyed the way things happened. I also liked the importance of secondary characters and how this wasn't Ava and Malachi against the world. The plot itself has many interesting details and beings and paranormal original ideas and I was also glad for the twists and fulfilling details that aren't there just because, I liked how everything seemed to have a purpose.

The writing is easy and fluid most of the time and that helped in wanting t keep reading and knowing more.

I really loved Austria's descriptions and the fact the trilogy was based on Europe, how fascinating after countless  - expected - series featured in America. I wanted to visit Austria for a long time, now even more.

 

All in all, I liked this book. I liked the final scenes a lot, especially after the good guys won - surely this is not a spoiler! The little snippets of the characters' everyday lives are wonderful and make me hopeful for more books set in this world. maybe Kostas can be next, I reaaally wanted his story.

This isn't perfect, but very close to it.

Grade: 8/10

Elizabeth Hunter - The Singer

Ava left Istanbul with a new identity, new name, and new magic she could barely control. Laid low by Malachi's sacrifice, she searches for help from the fabled Irina. But will the secretive women of the Irin race welcome or shun her? Ava's origins are still a mystery, and her powers are darker than any they've encountered before.
The Irin world hangs in the balance. And as the children of angels battle their own demons, ancient rivalries among the Fallen threaten to wreak havoc on earth.
Thousand of miles away, a warrior wakes with no memory of his identity or his people. Stumbling though the dark and twisted schemes of fallen angels, ravenous Grigori, and even his own leaders, he must find a way back to the one thing he remembers. A single voice calls him. Malachi has one mission.
"Come back to me."

Comment: This is the second installment in the Irin Chronicles series by the author. I've read the first one recently and it was enjoyable enough for me to want to read more. But even more important, the 1st book ended in one of those hateful cliffhangers and I just had to read the next one soon. As son as I managed to get my hands on this one, I started it.

In this second story, Ava still mourns her loss and her singing has touched the heavens and sort of changed the course of events in a way no one can guess what it would mean, not even the Fallen.
In an attempt to understand her new powers and inheritance better, Ava travels to Norway with Dimitry for his mate might have the answers to some of Ava's questions. However, the enemy isn't resting just because Ava's life lost its happiness. What does it mean that so many enemies are focusing on one place?

It's tricky to talk about this book because the biggest issue to mention is a spoiler from the last book. I'll try to be vague enough although the blurb ruins it all a bit for those who haven't read the first one anyway, so...

This book focuses on two issues, Ava's travel to find out about more about her past an who she might be and the fight against the gregori who prey on humans and who seem to be concentrating on a place and no one understand why that might be considering the inner fights between the Fallen leaders.

I enjoyed seeing Ava's parts a lot. She learns a lot but she doesn't know it all right away, so there's time to learn more as the books move along. It's one of those cases where the more we learn, the more there is to discover.

The bad guys parts are always such a duty to me, I tend to skip them or to read just a few sentences here and there to be updated about where things are. I really prefer the stories where the villains don't have a voice, where we know about their actions and not their psyches. I know it might be interesting to see their reasons but if it's not one of those books of some undercover situation, I think it annoying, personally.

The secondary characters play an important part. I liked knowing more about them and what role they have in the books. Most are there to just support the main action but in a way I'd like to see them find love too. I especially liked the reunited couple in this book, their problems were big but seeing glimpses here and there about their reconciliation was cute too.

Ava's romance happens mostly through her dreams in this story. But we learn a lot about her while she learns too. Also abut Irinas and their roles in the battles, past and future. Still, things remain cryptic and mostly mysterious on purpose. The things we find out in this book aren't as surprising or completely different from what we've seen in the first book, some things are finally explained but it wasn't anything we've heard about in the previous story. So, all things considered, the action moves along but really slowly. I hope more new thing for the following story.

In the end, it was full of interesting tidbits, interesting and cute scenes, but it could have been a bit better overall. Still, better than many, thanks to a solid writing and polished idea.
Grade: 7/10

Elizabeth Hunter - The Scribe

Hidden at the crossroads of the world, an ancient race battles to protect humanity, even as it dies from within.
Ava Matheson came to Istanbul looking for answers, but others came looking for her. A reckless warrior guards her steps, but will Malachi’s own past blind him to the truth of who Ava might be? While ancient forces gather around them, both Ava and Malachi search for answers.
Whispering voices. Deadly touch. Their passion should be impossible... or it could be the only thing that will keep them alive.
Comment: This is the book chosen for this month's read at the book club where I participate. I had more but we've taken a stand by. This book club aims to read paranormal but we've
decided to read more genres from this year on. Some months I don't read and comment because the books chosen are titles I've already read and I prefer to read new things.
Anyway, this month the book we picked was this one and I had absolutely no idea of what it was about so I've started it without any preconceived ideas.

This is Ava's story. She has been different all her life foe some unknown reason and she hears voices in her head, always strange and seemingly foreign but she has sought help and no one could help her get rid of them.
Ava goes to Istanbul looking for a doctor who might help her and there she meets Malachi, someone she first thinks is her new body guard but after finding out her father called the last one, she wonders who is this guy she was even starting to be friends with. After trying to confront him, Ava embarks on a voyage of self discovery and love...

Not knowing what to expect, I have to say I was very entertained by this story. It has many new elements not seen all the time in paranormal and quite the fresh take on the whole angels angle. 
In this story, the main issue is the fight among fallen angels. Some fell and wanted power so they seduce humans and their offspring are evil, the called Grigoris. Some of those who fell asked for forgiveness and their reward was the protection of their children, so they are called Irins and Irinas.
This story focuses on how their battle is on and how the Irins, whose numbers aren't growing anymore keep trying to save humans and to kill as many grigoris as possible.

Ava is special and in Istanbul she meets Malachi, a Irin who catches her eye because she can't hear his voice the same she hears the other people's. His voice in her head is calmer, more subdued and infuses her with peace. But as the Irins are curious about Ava and how she can be human but showing characteristics unseen for so long, so do the grigories and the action develops mostly in the running from danger and the romance.

This is a new author for me, so her style could be something I might not like much, but I liked reading this book. I just think the romance happened a bit to fast although this has become such an expected trait in paranormal romances, once barely blinks the eye these days. Still, it would have been nice to see some more time passing by.
Plus, this is supposed to be first of a trilogy and by the way this book ends and the blurb from book #2 -which I've gotten already - I assume this will be a series about this couple, Ava and Malachi and how their relationship will be important for the Irins in the long haul...but in this first book we've met interesting characters I'd love to see having a story of their own and maybe they won't so, let's see what happens, but if they don't, what a pity.

As for the plot, I liked it, it has some fight scenes that I passed, it's not my thing, I prefer the dialogs, but mostly it had many clues about Ava and her role in all this and how the Irins numbers got so low and it's quite the interesting world the author created, I was very curious about all the new information about everything that developed throughout the story line.
The romance was god, even tough it started slow and developed fast, I liked the sexual tension between them and the doubts each one had but that were overcome by a certain special attraction and the knowledge what was happening to them was meant to be. I liked how we got that idea.

All in all, a great debut for me with this author, although I hated the end and hopefully it all gets sorted and solved in the next one.
The best thing were the details about the Irins and how they write things in their skin, from safety spells to love declarations...it was quite interesting.
I'll read the next book soon, probably this year still.
Grade: 8/10