Review: great start to a new urban fantasy series!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 13, 2014
Title:  Realm WalkerSeries:  Realm Walker Series Book #1Author:  Kathleen CollinsRating:  B+An estranged mate, a mangled body and a powerful demon who calls her by name…As a Realm Walker for the Agency, Juliana Norris tracks deadly paranormal quarry using her unique ability to see magical signatures. She excels at her job, but her friends worry about her mysterious habit of dying in the line of duty without staying dead. That's only the first of her secrets.Most people don't know Juliana became the mate of master vampire Thomas Kendrick before he abandoned her seven years ago. Most people don't know the horrors she endured at the hands of the vampire he left in command. Most people don't know her true parentage, or why a demon on a world-threatening rampage has taken a personal interest in her…Even as Juliana pursues the demon, it goes after all she holds dear—including Thomas, who is back to claim her for his own. But if she can't reconcile her past and learn to trust herself again, she will lose him forever.Review:  Realm Walker was a great start to a new urban fantasy series.  It fits right into that genre, and I think fans who enjoy Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series, Kalayna Price's Alex Craft series, and other books similar to these will really jump right into this series.  Collins wastes no time, jumping right into the action - while at the same time giving us a chance to get to know these characters and get caught up in their story.  It's fast paced, intriguing, and filled with werewolves, trolls, demons, and other beasties - while jumping right from one action packed scenario to another.In a way, the book 'feels' almost like the second book in the series, rather than the first.  There is a lot of back history when it comes to Juliana and Thomas, and one of your first thoughts as your reading will probably be that your missing a book somewhere.  I know I did.  However, the author chooses instead to feed you bits and pieces over the course of the story.  Once the story really starts to flow, you wind up gathering more information as the story progresses and it becomes less and less of an issue.  Although be warned - this is the beginning of a series so you're not given all the answers...but you do start to feel a little less lost and more a part of the story as it unfolds.  I would have really enjoyed reading about the events in their past as they happened, but either way it's still a good story - and this way we got to jump right into it without a lot of build up.I did think the characters could have used a bit more depth, and it could have bit a bit more emotionally gripping, but I definitely see potential in this series.  Can't wait to see where book two takes us![...]