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Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen
Series: The Nightkeepers #1
Publication date: June 3rd, 2008
Pages: 452
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
The end of time looms, and Mayan demons have surfaced from the underworld to trigger an apocalypse. But as the final day approaches, the descendants of ancient warrior-priests prepare to fight back...
As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly doesn't expect to be strapped to a stone alter as the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax a demon from the underworld--or to be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king, who claims to recognize her from his visions.
Striking Jaguar thinks he is the last of the Nightkeeper warrior-priests, but as the end-time approaches, his mentor reveals there are twelve others. In reuniting them, Strike--king by birthright--gains the power to summon a Mayan god to combat the demons. But the woman of his visions is the gods' chosen sacrifice. Now he must decide between love and duty... or find another way to invoke otherworldly magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.
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Review:
I started reading this book for my local Paranormal Romance Book Club. I went into it expecting the same type of paranormal romance as all the others. I am nothing if not a fan of paranormal romance books but this one was a little different. I have not done any adult paranormal romance series reviews because normally they are kind of the same thing with different characters. The hero and heroine meet during some random paranormal emergency, fall in love instantly and spend the rest of the book trying to resist those feelings for one reason or another. Most paranormal books fous more on the romance aspect and less on the paranormal parts, which makes them little more than the historical romance books most little old ladies fan themselves and swoon over. "Mercy that bodice ripper was amazing, wasn't it Ethel?" Okay, so maybe not ONLY little old ladies read historical romances... but that is neither here nor there...
This book opens on a police detective attempting to track down the leader of a 2012 doomsday cult that her brother got roped into before he was mysteriously murdered. Leah sets out to put an end to this nasty cult before the kool-aid gets passed out and more deaths ensue. I am not 100% sure why a NARCOTICS detective is investigating HOMICIDES... but her actual job is of no relevance really...
She dreams of a mystery man (hot and steamy dreams, of course) and suddenly he appears. TAA-DAH! They have the insta-connection thing that most romance books have, but the difference is, they get down to business relatively fast THEN do the oh-no-we-can'ts as per usual. I was only in a few chapters, the characters didn't even know each other's names yet and already they were getting horizontal... I exclaimed a few "mercies" and fanned myself as well, Ethel, you're not alone.
The thing that interested me the most was how much research must have gone into this book. The storyline was absolutely astounding as far as the Mayan history and the elaborate rituals and traditions of the Nightkeepers. Although I did have a few "omigawd stop with the history lesson and cure this insufferable sexual frustration!" (The characters... not me...)
I liked the fact that the book didn't just focus on one single couple the entire time. It introduced a whole SLEW of characters who had their own little love affairs going on behind the scenes that I hope (fingers crossed!) get discussed in greater detail in the following books in the series.
Jessica Andersen you did an amazing job. I find myself writing this review in astonishment. I haven't even written any reviews for my favorite author J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series and yet here I stand gushing over Nightkeepers. Brava, Jessica, Brava!
