I first came across Adrianne Brennan and Dawn of the Seraphs at Ethan Day's September Gay Day. Adrianne provided an excerpt for us and I was intrigued. So when I found out it was released on October 21, along with Nix Winter's Timeless, I decided to get it, well both of them. Then recognizing two other authors who wrote for the anthology ~ Jaime Samms and Clare London ~ I got their books as well. This left only two books to get... well, far be it for me to ignore just two more books. I'm really glad that I got all of the stories.
Dawn of the Seraphs was, as I mentioned in the previous post, one of the stories that took me awhile to really get. It's very much a futuristic sci-fi story and out of my ken, but I was enjoying the book; I decided to just sit back and let the unfamiliarity of the world take over. And it worked. Instead of fighting to understand I was able to go with the flow as it were and I was able to really take in what was going on ~ in the story and between Kir and Tamar.
Now there was a puzzling relationship! And Tamar, especially, had no idea just what it was that was going on. The reason for this is made clear as the story progresses and we do get whatever background information that we need. I was just disappointed that it ended so soon! Although... I've heard that there may very well be a subsequent story. I really do hope so... and soon please!
I rate this story 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5 ... I know, it's an odd number, but it is what it is. ::grin::
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Book Info:
Adrianne Brennan; Dawn of the Seraphs; Loveyoudivine Alterotica; October 21, 2009 [12.5K]
Book Description:
Part of the Immortal Fire Anthology...
In a future where psychics called Seraphs belong to the ANGEL institute, Tamar must team up with Kir, an old rival, to save ANGEL from destructive forces. Can the two Seraphs find love and passion in a dark, bureaucratic world which seeks to manipulate and destroy their kind?
Tamar is a Seraph, a member of an influential organization of powerful psychics known as ANGEL. Seraphs are humans who have evolved to have varying psychic abilities. Possessing a greater lifespan and intelligence than ordinary humans, Seraphs within ANGEL grow to their full potential through study and practice.
In the year 4287 on planet Earth, ANGEL has deteriorated to become the harbor of the bored elite. A small but passionate rebellion rises to take back the power they once held. In pursuit of his own dreams, Tamar is caught in the chaotic struggle for evolution, power, and to define the greater good.
Kir, an old rival from his days as an apprentice within ANGEL, resurfaces, threatening to shred Tamar’s world into bits...along with his heart. Their ideals clash, and a bitter fight ensues between them. Can Tamar’s courage save Kir from the darkness which plagues him while remaining true to himself and what he holds dear?
I just finished the 7 stories that make up this anthology and I'm actually quite stunned; not quite the reaction I expected, but it definitely has a bigger impact than I had thought it would.
Firstly I have to say that the stories all deal with the theme of Immortals within M/M romances. They're also quite... varied in their genres shall we say. The setting for Adrianne Brennan's Dawn of the Seraphs is very futuristic. Bryn Colvin's Death and the Immortal as well as Clare London's Out of Time are more along the lines of paranormal fantasy. Jaime Samms' WindBlown deals with long-lost Atlanteans, while M. King's Almost Human is a paranormal futuristic tale. And Nix Winter's Timeless is almost an amalgamation of futuristic fantasy. Then there is Jaime Samms' Black Roses which is... fantasy?
Whatever else you call them, these stories are all, at the least, good reads. A couple of them totally blew me away and one I rate a 5 star read... it was amazing! And that's disregarding that there were a couple of stories that it took me a few minutes to acclimate to. Mostly because they were completely out of my frame of reference ~ really futuristic sci-fi stories often do that to me. But once I sat back and let the story come to me and tell its tale I was fine. Getting interested in the various characters was no challenge at all; instead I found myself going from one story to the next in almost a daze... of amazement mostly.
Individual stories and ratings follow. As far as I'm concerned there is not one loser in the bunch, not even a story that I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend; certainly I'll be looking for more books from each of these 6 authors.
- Jaime Samms ~ Black Roses: 3.5 to 4 stars
- M. King ~ Almost Human: 4.5 stars
- Clare London ~ Out of Time: 4 stars
- Bryn Colvin ~ Death and the Immortal: 5 stars
- Jaime Samms ~ WindBlown: 4 stars
- Nix Winter ~ Timeless: 4 stars
- Adrianne Brennan ~ Dawn of the Seraphs: 3.5 to 4 stars
Over the next couple of days I will be posting individual reviews of each book... they certainly deserve their own. This review is for the overall anthology / series. My first exposure to the publising house Loveyoudivine was great! I'm also very much looking forward to any and all follow-up stories... and soon please!
