Review: Oh, yeah
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 30, 2013
A tortured hero, a smart mouthed, brave heroine, a great group of friends who work together to save mankind from things that kill in the night...We've seen it all before, right? Well, no, not so much. The mythology is not extremely well fleshed out, but the glimpses we get imply differences from the usual accepted themes. I kind of like when the world is not set in stone from the beginning, but rather, information is revealed as necessary. Keeps me interested as a reader, yet I don't get irritated because the rules change when it becomes apparent the writer has boxed themselves into a corner.So we meet Micah, tortured hero extraordinaire, as he is mourning the loss of his mate. What could have easily have come off as over dramatic and whiny is instead heartwrenching and deeply moving. Is his pain due to biology or feelings? Does it matter? Micah goes to great lengths to relieve the pain of his loss. When he has finally reached his breaking point, he takes drastic measures to escape the hell he is going through. Samantha, not realizing Micah has invited the beating he is receiving, proceeds to save him, intervening and getting him to safety. Some things occur that cause Micah to realize he may have been a little hasty in thinking his life isn't worth living. But in saving Micah, Sam has made an enemy of a bad guy. Micah and his friend Traceon have to employ all of their combined skill to save her.What worked for me - Micah - oh, I do love me a good tortured hero. Micah worked for me on so many levels. Surly, withdrawn, with deep feelings, he has suffered such loss in his lifetime. His pain radiates off the pages, as does his devotion to Sam. He's funny, too. Such a win. ***SPOILER*** When he thinks the enemy has injured Sam beyond the point of recovery, his pain is so profound. The scene brought tears to my eyes.Sam - As much as I like a tortured hero, I like a kick ass heroine even more. Sam has no idea about things that go fangy in the night. When she hears the sounds of a man being beaten, she wades into the fight without hesitation. She proceeds to take Micah away from the scene, and gets him to safety. She has a load of baggage herself, and is taking care of herself as best she can while remaining off the grid. She accepts the change in her paradigm better than you might expect, and although she has a TSTL moment, it was almost justifiable so I am willing to overlook it.Micah and Sam together are OMG hot! Yet there was tenderness and caring that came through so strongly. I am ambivalent about the instant connection/mate trope. Unless it is well done, it kind of makes me wonder about the legitimacy of the couple. In Rise of the Fallen, I had no misgivings about Micah and Sam. Their connection felt true, and I bought in all the way.Trace, Ari,Malek, Io and Sev - Micah's team members. Each one hotter than the last. We don't have an overabundance of time with any of them, but enough to define each of them clearly. Let me put it this way - I usually can't even remember the main characters' names, much less the secondaries. I didn't even have to look back for a refresher for these guys. I have already purchased Micah's novella and Ari and Sev's book.There is a lot going on here, what with Micah's story, Sam's back story, the history of the team members, certain sexual proclivites are hinted at...I never felt lost, though, just very interested in reading more about this world.What didn't work as well - Sam's realtionship with her ex - this rang false to me. She is so brave, strong, good with weapons...why did she not fight back? Why did she not pursue legal ways to end the relationship? A minor blip, but puzzling nonetheless.I really, really liked the writing and the flow of the story. Strong, well drawn characters, an interesting take on what is rapidly becoming a tired genre, lots of sexual twists that in no way came off as contrived, but rather as natural and believable. Not a head thunk moment throughout the entire book. No feelings of, wow, I can't believe she went there. This book resonated in a way I haven't felt in quite a while.I read a lot of Kindle freebies. A lot of them are so not good...But once in a while, I find a new author that makes wading through the crap utterly worthwhile. Donya Lynne is definitely going on my must read list.Bottom line - Completely worthwhile. Time well spent.