A fellow blogger turned me on to Elizabeth Hunter's Irin Chronicles with her review of The Scribe and she did warn me there was the dreaded "cliffhanger" at the end because the first three books in her series, The Scribe, The Singer and The Secret are actually about one love story and the set up to the series. So I decided the only way to fairly review them was together.
Enjoy!
Click the image for the Amazon purchase page
My Review(s):
Elizabeth Hunter’s Irin Chronicles series starts off with a bang from
the heavenly realm, it’s the perfect blend of urban fantasy and romance and
will leave readers/listeners never looking at angels the same way again.
Critique:
When I finished book one of Hunter’s Irin Chronicles series, The Scribe and it
left me more confused than enlightened I decided to binge read books two and
three because they ultimately tell one story/relationship/romance and are the
building blocks to her inventive Irin fantasy world. So I decided to review the
three together. Luckily after these three she reverts back to one relationship
per book so be patient.
Her characters are a heady list of legends, myths and nightmares. The
Irin and their female counterparts Irina (singers); an ancient race bound to
protect humankind they are the distant descendants of the Forgiven, angels who
fell from heaven but were forgiven and welcomed back. Fallen Angels powerful beings who have chosen
to fall from heaven and stay on earth and their offspring the Gregori who are
the mortal enemy of the Irin
The stars of books 1-3 are Ava a human photojournalist who has been
plagued by “voices” her entire life and often wondered if she was insane and a
four hundred year old Irin Scribe Malachi but readers/listeners are also
introduced slowly to Irin and Irina society and Malachi’s contemporaries and
his enemies the Gregori plus Ava’s history is slowly revealed as well.
The plot is an intoxicating mix of mystery, fantasy and romance and
Hunter takes the audience on quite the journey of exotic settings, Istanbul,
Budapest, and Cappadocia
and other places in both Western and Eastern Europe.
The narrative is easy to understand even when she throws in a foreign
word or two and the pace is steady for the most part speeding up nicely for the
magical battles.
Fans of urban fantasy and Paranormal romance will find this series engaging and
refreshing in a genre that often is filled with same old same old.
Narration:
The Narration of Zachary Weber (who I’ve enjoyed before) does a really nice job.
He’s a good narrator and is proficient with both female and males voices plus
the various accents.
Series set up: humans share the planet with otherworldly
beings, the Irin, sworn to protect humankind - descendants of the Forgiven;
angels who fell from heaven, mated with humans then returned when the creator
called them home. Their society has been in tumult since the Rending two
hundred years ago when their enemies The Gregori decimated their race. The
Fallen; angels who fell but did not return and who with their children The
Gregori enjoy causing havock and harm to both the Irin and humankind.
The Scribe:
In Hunter’s Irin Chronicles series debut, The Scribe, Ava Matheson has heard
voices all her life and is in Istanbul to meet yet another doctor who says he
can help her when she meets a handsome stranger. When Malachi an Irin Scribe
sees a group of Gregori approaching Ava he takes it upon himself to be her
protector not knowing who or what she is or what destiny has in store for
them. Behind the scenes Fallen Angels
are plotting and planning but no one knows why or what the outcome will be.
The Singer:
In book two Malachi is mortally wounded by an enemy who had
possession of an angelic weapon and Ava, in mourning and under the protection
of his Irin brothers is on her way to a haven where other Irinas (singers) have
been in hiding since the Rending to learn how to use her magic. But unbeknown
to Ava the creator has answered her prayer when she begged Malachi to return to
her and he awakens without memories with only her voice in his head and he
knows whatever else he must do he must find her. As Malachi finds his way to
his beloved the machinations of the Fallen are beginning to become clearer and
the battle lines are taking shape but there are still many secrets to be
revealed.
The Secret:
In book three Malachi and Ava are still recovering after
Malachi’s miraculous rebirth. They and their new and old allies are en-route to
Vienna the Irin stronghold where they are about to shake up Irin society when
the Irinas return to reclaim their seats on the Irin council they abandoned
after the Rending left them reeling. There are new allies and their angelic
enemies are also preparing for an epic battle.
About the author:
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in Central California, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family. She has published over thirty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
