Jessica Andersen
Peguin Group
480 pages
ISBN 13: 9780451233752
Snake (Dez) Mendez has not had a charmed life, he’s survived the massacre at Skywatch that took not only his family but most of the Nightkeepers, an ancient race who’s duty it is to protect the earth and prevent the apocalypse the end date will precipitate if the beings of the underworld have their way. He’s battled not only being orphaned but also being stuck with a winikin ( a protector and servants of each of the particular noble blood lines of Nightkeepers) who’s lost his mind, so Dez does the only thing he can, he heads out on his own, to the mean streets of Denver where he becomes a street thug.
Reese Montana had no choice but to runaway from an abusive step-father when her mother chose to believe him over her, she finds herself alone on the streets and becomes prey to monsters worse than what she left at home, but Dez see’s something in her that sparks his protective streak and together they form a duo that lasts years, until he breaks her heart by choosing the wrong side. Fast forward ten years and Dez has found his Nightkeeper brothers and sisters and has chosen this time to fight on the side of the good-guys, but he’s mysteriously disappeared and the Nightkeepers hire private detective Reese Montana to find him not knowing their history. There’s more than meets the eye when Reese and Dez team up to go against their enemies, but Reese isn’t sure she can trust him, with her heart or with her life.
Jessica Andersen has given us a whopper of an urban fantasy series where she combines fact with fiction by giving us a plot that comes straight out of Mayan history where she uses their Gods, their legends and their Lights Out date as well. She accomplishes this with very urban dialogue where the men and women of her series have no trouble swinging swords or four letter words, but I never found them offensive as I truly feel they compliment the storylines. Her characters are either straight out of your best dream mixed with those of your worst nightmares. Her hero Dez and heroine Reese are no boy and girl next-door duo, no they’re gritty, don’t mind getting their hands dirty or bloody. Their romance is a study in complications and obstacles and from the first page she’ll have her readers wondering how they’ll ever pull of their HEA. Will they, well my friend you only have to read to find out. The love scenes are visceral, sensual and as earthy as her characters.
If you need a good summer read to help get your pulse racing and your temperature spiking you’ll find that and more in this. The story stands on it’s own, but it might be confusing if you haven’t read the series the background on not only the characters but how the whole reuniting of these super-heros came about.
Ms. Andersen, I know this series is starting to wind down and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for your next couple, but I also find myself wondering what world you’ll take us to when this one is finally saved, or will you save it.
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