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Showing posts with label Angels of Dark series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Angels of Dark series. Show all posts
Friday, February 22, 2013
Review: Beauty Awakened by Gena Showalter
Beauty Awakened
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: Feb. 26, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Angels of the Dark #2
ISBN: #978-0373777433
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (448 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary-and he lives only for vengeance, determined to punish the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be kicked from the heavens, eternally damned.
She is his last hope. Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life-even if he has to sacrifice his own...
What I’m talking about:
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Beauty Awakened opens with brief prologue that offers a slice of life from our hero, Koldo’s childhood. The images aren’t pretty. His mom is a Sent One (like an angel) and his dad is a Nefas, a barbaric, demon-esque race. Koldo’s mother physically, emotionally, and mentally abused him, culminating with the cutting off of his wings at the age of seven. Then she sent him to his father where he was brutally tortured for eleven years.
Flash forward to present day where Koldo is one of the members of the heavenly “Army of Disgrace,” a group of desperate and dangerous beings known as Sent Ones, each whose status with the heavenly plane is in serious jeopardy. Koldo is dispatched on a mission to kill a specific demon tormenting a man in a hospital when he sees and becomes captivated by Nicola Lane, a woman who has two demons attached to her. Nicola is visiting her very ill twin, who has been infested by a demon. One look and he knew he had to help save her.
There is a lot that happens within the course of Beauty Awakened. First, there is Koldo and Nicola’s budding romance and his attempts to save Nicola and her sister. Then there is Koldo’s desire for revenge against his mother and the sudden reappearance of his father’s people--messing with Koldo and those he cares about. Finally, the story follows a handful of the other members of the “Army of Disgrace” as they try and track down some very nasty killers. Although it feels like a lot to keep straight, Ms. Showalter does a pretty good job of keeping the story moving forward, with most of the pieces coming together for a satisfying conclusion. The one exception to this is the side story centering on three of the Sent Ones: Thane, Xerxes and Bjorn. While I felt that the events surrounding the trio will ultimately prove critical to the overall story arc and future stories, it felt out of place in Koldo’s story.
I enjoyed watching Koldo and Nicola grow as individuals and witness their budding romance. Koldo has a clear plan for Nicola... teaching her to live with joy and not focus on negativity. He tells her all about demons and the Sent Ones. (In fact, there is a rather lengthy explanation of the series mythology, which has its roots in Christianity.) Yet for most of the book, he walked a fine line himself, and he didn’t seem to realize it. It was Nicola that helped him learn to love and forgive just as much as he helped her - which made reading about their relationship very enjoyable.
Koldo is completely open and honest, and isn’t too wise when it comes to dealing with human emotions. Again, this actually makes the book better when Koldo and Nicola have a heart-to-heart. In one particular instance, Nicola had agreed to go on a date with a coworker, more for the benefit of getting her sister out and about. Instead of it ending up as a huge misunderstanding and a contrived way to introduce conflict, Nicola and Koldo were honest about their budding feelings. It gave me hope and allowed me to care for them and become emotionally invested.
As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot happening in this book. One key plot line centers around Koldo’s mother. In the previous book, Wicked Nights, Koldo hunted down and captured his mother. This storyline continues in Beauty Awakened, and Koldo must decide if his revenge is worth his own happiness. Although the story played out fairly predictably, it was Nicola’s reaction and actions that stood out and made the journey more intimate in the end.
There are other excellent character interactions, with my favorite being between Koldo and Axel. The pair learned how to have fun and be lighthearted during serious times. And speaking of Axel... there is a hint about a potential reveal dealing with one of my favorite Lord of the Underworld characters, William! And William isn’t the only LotU character to make an appearance in this story.
Overall, I enjoyed Beauty Awakened, but the ending kind of ruined it some. The whole battle scene was just too easy. And, while I have no issues with what happened to Nicola (spoiler-free), things happened way too quickly. (Nicola was always a fighter throughout her life, so it was good to see that manifest in her new role established at the end of the book.) Then toss into the mix a scene referencing Kane (LotU) and the “extra” scenes dealing with Thane, Xerxes and Bjorn (which left the reader with a bit of a cliffhanger ending). Finally, I felt let down with how things ended involving Axel because I felt his importance throughout the story was diminished by the final scenes.
Overall, I enjoyed Koldo and Nicola. Their romance was sweet, and I liked the pace, which was on the slower side, but appropriate given the circumstances. I loved how honest they were with each other. I admired the message of joy defeating the "toxins" from the demons. Honestly, we could all use some happiness!
My Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Reviews in the Series:
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Monday, June 25, 2012
Review: Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter
Wicked Nights
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: HQN
Angels of the Dark #1
ISBN: #978-0373776986
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (416 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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What I’m talking about:
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Wicked Nights is the first book in Ms. Showalter’s new Angels of the Dark series - a spin off from her wickedly delightful Lords of the Underworld series. The new series follows a group of desperate and dangerous angels, each whose status with the heavenly plane is in serious jeopardy. This “Army of Disgrace” is lead by Zacharel - a cold and unfeeling warrior angel we met in the LotU books. Due to his lack of compassion for life, Zacharel has displeased his Deity and has been assigned to lead this band of misfits - sharing their fate as his own. A true “all for one and one for all” situation.
Wicked Nights opens with sweet Annabelle waking from a wonderful dream on her eighteenth birthday, only to feel her eyes burning (and changing color) and witness her parents’ murder by a demon. She spends four years locked away, being horribly mistreated by both the demon and human population.
Zacharel’s army is charged with ridding the institution where Annabelle is locked up of the demons trying to break in. Curious to understand why the demons are there, he follows one to Annabelle. We learn that Annabelle is a high demon lord’s consort, and soon Zacharel cannot stop himself from wanting to help her.
This book throws the reader right into the thick of things. The opening chapters are raw and not for the light-hearted. When it appears Zacharel leaves Annabelle to be abused by her human doctors, I thought I couldn’t take any more. But Zach comes through and my heart was safe. Note: Annabelle’s torture and molestation are written non-graphically, yet it is far more painful to imagine than reading specific details.
Although Annabelle has been through hell and back, she is tough and will not rest until she kills the demon who caused her so much grief. She seems to still see the good in the world, and although she needs things to move at a slow pace, she continually moves forward with her feelings for Zacharel. And Zach - he is so clueless when it comes to emotions, especially human ones. He realizes he desires Annabelle, but doesn’t know how to address his feelings. When the pair share their first kiss it was full of such joy and then such sadness. It started so delightfully-sending butterflies to my belly. But then Zacharel didn’t understand how to deal with the overwhelming sensations, and he went too far. My heart broke. Luckily, the pair recognize their true feelings, and soon they continue to explore things each thought that they’d never experience. I felt their romance was sweet - not tainted by previous relationships, and although their world was in constant danger, they found time to just be.
There are several minor characters that make up Zacharel’s team. Ms. Showalter does a superb job introducing each and giving us just enough information to pique interest. We know enough about them to get a feel of how they will react within the storyline, but we are left with questions about their personal history. The characters are complex, each with issues that caused them to be on this "Army of Disgrace,” and I for one am looking forward to finding out more.
I really enjoyed Wicked Nights both in plot development and character creation. The world building was done at the perfect pace-giving the reader lots of information, but not cramming it into tight spaces. Whether or not the fact that I have read all of the LotU books leading up to this story helped me jump into the this world so easily, I cannot say. However, the development of characters and world was smooth.
And for fans of LotU, we do get glimpses of some of the boys and their mates. The characters didn't overrun the story nor were they awkwardly placed. Their appearances served the storyline, and the world created in this book is still all its own. One does not need to have read LotU to enjoy this book.
For fans of Meljean Brook's Guardian series, I think you will enjoy as well. I was constantly reminded of her amazing world while reading Wicked Nights. Not because they are identical (their mythologies are very different), but because both series have well-developed, exciting and interesting angel-demon storylines.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. Meeting the "team" and learning just enough about each to keep me interested and wanting to know more was definitely a highlight. I loved Zacharel's transformation as he went from cold, heartless warrior to a man capable of love and able to see goodness in and learn to respect others.
All-in-all a fantastic start to a "newish" series that can be enjoyed by new Gena Showalter fans and longtime readers alike. The pace flows well, the action intense. The overall story arc is appealing, and I am looking forward to more.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
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