Review: Gritty Urban Fantasy!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 29, 2013
Juliana Norris is a Realm Walker with mixed heritage:  half-dark fae and half-mage.  She has a gift that allows her to see the signatures of the various Altered that walk among the humans for tracking purposes and and uncanny ability to spring back to life after being declared dead.  Her mentor, Nathaniel, is a 150 year old werewolf who is, contrary to popular lore, immune to silver.  And, she's been United to a master vampire named Thomas who abandoned her seven years ago right after claiming her as his mate.The heartache and pain that Juliana endured after Thomas left was more than just the heartbreak and emotional turmoil.  Her true nightmare came in the form of the vampire Thomas left in charge to protect and lead the coven.  After he abused her and tried to kill her, Raoul and his henchmen fled the area.  Juliana and Nathaniel manage to track down and dispose of Raoul's posse but are unsuccessful in capturing Raoul.When Juliana suddenly sees signatures that can only be identified as being Raoul she doesn't realize just how dire the situation will become.  These sightings also coincide with the sudden reappearance of Thomas, who after seven years, feels that they've been apart long enough.  In Juliana's eyes, however, it's been too long and her anger prevents her (or tries anyway) from accepting him fully back into her life.  That is until Nathaniel becomes the host for one of two demons that start reeking havoc around town.  Realizing that there is much larger problem than her vampire popping back into town, Juliana joins forces with Thomas.Realm Walker is a gritty urban fantasy that keeps the reader intrigued from the get go.  Juliana is a likable main female character.  She's endure a lot in her young life and is very independent.  The independence actually becomes a problem for her as the story moves through all of the events as she tries to rely less on others and more on herself.  Fortunately, she is able to push some of the stubbornness aside and work together as a team with those around her.  She discovers the truth behind Thomas leaving her, helping her to rectify emotional stresses that she still holds onto.  They don't go away but she's able to work with them until they don't hurt as much ~ in other words ~ we see Juliana realize that maybe Thomas wasn't really trying to devastate her, but we also don't see her cave to his every whim.Thomas is a likable vampire and mate.  He had his reasons for leaving Juliana for the length of time he did but also comes to understand why he should have gone about things a different way.  His actions, and the actions of those Thomas left in charge, molded Juliana into something that could have been prevented.  When faced with choosing to kill Thomas or attempt to save him, we find that Juliana doesn't dislike him nearly as much as she lets people believe.I enjoyed the entire novel, never becoming bored or tempted to skim along.  Each scene is vital to the inner workings of Realm Walker, making it a powerful tale of demon rising, demon hunting, and demon defeating.  There are events that unfold that will take your breath away and leave you stunned.  Be prepared for a fantastic ride-along with urban fantasy's brand new heroine ~ Julian Norris - Realm Walker.Review Copy Courtesy Of:  The author, via the tour company, at no cost in exchange for an honest review.