Alterant

Belador #2

by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love

In this explosive new world of betrayals and shaky alliances, the only Alterant not incarcerated faces an impossible task -- recapture three dangerous, escaped creatures before they slaughter more humans . . . or her.

The way Evalle Kincaid sees it, saving mankind from total destruction should have cleared her name. But when words uttered in the heat of combat are twisted against her, she's blamed for the prison break of three dangerous Alterants. She has one chance to clear the cloud of suspicion hanging over her . . . for good. All she has to do is recapture the escapees. But deals with gods and goddesses are tricky at best, and now the lives of all Beladors, and the safety of innocent humans, rides on Evalle's success. The only person she can ask for help wants to see her dead.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Magic, Demons

409 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

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New York Times and international bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon is a regular at the #1 spot. With legions of fans known as Paladins (thousands of whom proudly sport tattoos from her series and who travel from all over the world to attend her appearances), her books are always snatched up as soon as they appear on store shelves. Since 2004, she had placed more than 80 novels on the New York Times list in all formats including manga and graphic novels. Her current series are: Dark-Hunters, Chronicles of Nick and The League, and her books are available in over 100 countries where eager fans impatiently wait for the next release. Her Chronicles of Nick and Dark-Hunter series are soon to be major motion pictures while Dark-Hunter is also being developed as a television series. Join her and her Paladins online at MySherrilyn.com and www.facebook.com/mysherrilyn

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Reviews

[Yodamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those couldn't put down books. It hit all my story loving nerves, in all the right ways. Intense action, strong women, heroism, hot men with undefined motives, witches, magics, monsters, gods, goddesses, shifters and even a cuddly gargoyle. It all fits together in this unique world that seems similar enough to our reality that I could fall into the story. I found myself on high alert for every page, the dust never settles. I was brought to tears, and to laughter several times and the plot twisted. The ending had the dreaded cliffhanger... but it's okay there was an e-mail.- read the book you'll get it.
Much better than the first book in the series, the first book set up everything for this one.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second in the Belador urban fantasy series set in a contemporary Atlanta, Georgia and revolving around an Alterant-Belador, Evalle Kincaid.


My Take
It's a complex cast of characters and took a bit before I started to remember events from Blood Trinity. And I remembered that I had been fascinated. Now I'm bummed that Alterant is a 2011 publication as it means I have to wait for #3!!!

Kenyon and Love are blending old ideas of gods, goddesses, and Native American beliefs with a whole new series of cultures of Alterants, Beladors, and witches. The series incorporates a ruling court with the autocratic approach of the gods and uses our prejudice of the unknown to create a spellbinding story even as they solicit our compassion for Evalle—Feenix cracks me up. I just don't want him cooking my pizzas!

Amazingly enough, I haven't any quibbles unless you count wanting to know more than what Kenyon or Love have told us so far.


The Story
Evalle has been summoned to the Tribunal to defend herself against charges of colluding with Tristan, an Alterant, and to provide proof that humans are at no risk from her. A proof she doesn't have seeing as she's been kinda busy saving the world. Of course, that won't cut it with the Tribunal. They tend to favor a scorched earth policy.

There's another little wrinkle that will affect Evalle's defense—Alterants are appearing all over the country and killing humans. But to Evalle's shock and delight, Brina steps up and defends her, pledging her own life that Evalle will be successful in this next task the Tribunal sets for her. A task that sets her up for failure because Evalle must gain Tristan's cooperation. A man, an Alterant, whom she put back into prison and who believes she will kill all other Alterants. A policy diametrically opposed to what he plans. And he has hidden the three Alterants she must locate and produce for the Tribunal.


The Characters
Evalle Kincaid is a half-breed—Belador and Alterant. It's the Alterant half that makes everyone want to kill her as everyone believes they are unstoppable monsters. To stay alive, Evalle has sworn to uphold the code of the Beladors and to work for VIPER, a policing organization protecting humans from the non-humans. Vladimir Quinn and Tzader are also with VIPER as well as being her best friends. Feenix is a two-foot tall gargoyle and her friend and pet.

Native American Storm is a tracker and shapeshifts into a jaguar. He has recently arrived in Atlanta and is working temporarily with VIPER and with Evalle as her partner; there's some personal things he wants from Evalle and he's very willing to protect her.

Former Special Ops Isak Nyght has assembled a team of ex-Special Ops, the Nyght Raiders, who patrol the city hunting for non-humans—Alterants they shoot on sight. Evalle keeps hoping that Isak never finds out what she is—he's a good kisser.

Based in the Nether Realm, the Tribunal governs all non-humans and is the court of last resort, usually without any input from its vict...er, the accused. It consists of Pele (Polynesian goddess), Ares (Greek god of war), and Loki (Norse trickster god). Each non-human species answers to a particular god/goddess. The Belador answer to Macha with Brina as the warrior queen of the Belador based on Treoir Island. Sen is the absolute bane of Evalle's existence. He lives to destroy her and in his position as go-fer for the Tribunal, he's in a good spot to do it.

Tristan is another Belador-Alterant. Unfortunately for him, however, he's been caged in a section of South American jungle by Brina. He claims it's a wrongful jailing; Brina isn't saying anything. His original crime seems to be wanting freedom for himself. For his fellow Alterants. A perspective with which Evalle agrees. But conspiring with a Kujoo warlord to destroy the world (Blood Trinity) is just not the way to change anyone's minds.

The Medb are witches currently ruled by Queen Flaevynn who has imprisoned her husband, Cathbad the Druid, and using her daughter, Kirzia, to further her own plots to prolong her life. Contrary to the prophecy. Both parents will use Kirzia to get what they want although Flaevynn a sadistic perv whom Kirzia is very careful about allowing thoughts of the enemy she loves from surfacing where the queen can read them. Seems the Medb are the only ones to know about a species, the Rias, descended from a beastline traced back to Cú Chulainn. A species that very closely resembles the Alterant.


The Cover
The cover is smokin' from red to black with the holographic silver hilt of a beautiful sword. The title and authors' names are in the same silver and is the focus of the story.

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those cases of it-wasn’t-you-it’s-me. Magic, I don’t think I enjoy reading most books about magic anymore or I need to be more select. Sherrilyn Kenyon is a terrific writer and I’ve enjoyed her in the past but this didn’t grab me. I’m sad about that.

[BiblioJen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

So, where to start ... well, let me get this out of the way. I think Sherrilyn Kenyon has the ability to be brilliant. Reading some of her early "Dark Hunter" series, I thought she was amazing. But there were a couple of fatal flaws ... a half-dozen books in, I thought she got a bit fast and sloppy. Books started coming out that felt "thrown together" to me. More importantly - her mythology and world-building, which I thought started out wonderfully intriguing and solid, got more and more complicated, unreliable and "spongey," and it seemed that the "rules" changed constantly. Finally, it took WAY more effort to try to wade through the muck and track the very frayed threads than I got pleasure from reading her stories, and I pretty much gave up the series all together.

The "Belador" series is brilliant. I was SO worried about the mythology. So far - rock solid! I don't know whether to credit Kenyon or Love for that, but doggone, this series reminds me of Kenyon at her very best. I thought the first book in this series, Blood Trinity was outstanding, and Alterant is a most worthy follow-up.

While "Blood Trinity" was more of what I would characterize an Urban Fantasy, "Alterant" definitely moves into PNR territory. Read them in order, certainly, but I took a break between books, and "Alterant" did a really nice job of catching me up on the finer points of the mythology. I loved how the authors filled in the romantic bits - those story points felt natural and authentic, and kept me tied to the emotions of the characters.

What kept this from being a 5-star book? The tribunal of "gods" from multiple pantheons. I was annoyed to no end by those scenes, and they felt like a blatant plot device to create impossible situations for our protagonists. BAH on them. Otherwise - great characters, fast-paced action, heart-wrenching relationships, wonderful plot tension and all-around good writing. I thoroughly enjoyed "Alterant," and was delighted to discover that Book #3 in this series comes out 9/18/2012.

I *must* comment on Holter Graham's performance in the audiobook. I think he is a fantastic narrator, and he was at his best here. The voices he chose captured the essence of each character. He kept me immersed in the story, and both his male and female characterizations were incredibly engaging.

I definitely recommend this series. PLEASE, Kenyon and Love, keep up the great writing!

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series presented me with an unexpected quandary. I LOVE Kenyon's books and have enjoyed her other titles cowritten with Love. If I didn't enjoy the first book in this series, I wouldn't have come back for more and yet...

It took me a REALLY long time to finish this book. It's not because it's badly written but rather that I could put it down, whereas I usually can't with Kenyon's solo books (OK, some of the historicals I can but the Avalon and Dark Hunter series are torture to put down). This ended up becoming my "something to read while waiting at..." book rather than the book I couldn't wait to return to.

I was mystified because the setting, plot, characters and writing are all good. I think I finally hit on the reason at the tail end of the book. Unlike urban fantasy novels by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson) or Iliona Andrews (the Magic series), I often feel like Evalle is being persecuted too much. Look, it's the job of the writer to torture characters and in the Dark Hunter series Kenyon's characters often go through unbearable things they can only survive because they're immortals but Evalle is just so screwed over in this series, it's downright depressing. She tries relentlessly to do the right thing, something out of her control happens and she's penalized for it no matter what evidence she presents. When that just keeps happening without a break, it's disheartening. Yes, protagonists need to face challenges but unlike Brigg's or Andrew's books, Evalle never seems to catch a break for even a second. Normally the hero gets a small victory or respite or something before things come crashing down again. I feel like Evalle just goes from one crash to another without any victory, no matter how small. I read books like these to escape, not become depressed.

It's also hard for me to believe that Isak still has no clue that Evalle is something other than human, let alone an Alterant. You'd think he'd be suspicious of her wraparound glasses that hide her brilliant green eyes, light sensitivity be damned.

The whole Brina-trapped-on-the-island thing also just doesn't quite make sense to me either. I've read the explanation a few times and it just seems like a cheesy way to keep her and Tzader apart.

I also don't buy Evalle staying silent about the Quinn / Kiriza question just doesn't make any sense. She should have said SOMETHING to Tzader, even if it was phrased in a way to lessen Quinn's blame

I'll probably eventually return to this series but it's low on the my priority list, especially since I have to catch up with other Kenyon books.

[Coucher de soleil · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review contains SPOILERS.
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I was really disappointed with this installment of the series (for the record, I had rated part 1 of this series 4 stars).

Good points: I did like the idea of providing backstories for various important side characters, such as Quinn and Tzader. In general, I still like the main character, Evalle. I did like the world building in the first book.

Bad points: This is admittedly a subjective impression, but I couldn't help the feeling that this book felt like a first draft, in that a lot of things needed to be 'smoothed over', as it were, through editing and rewriting. Here are some reasons why.

(i) Nonsensical character actions. Making sure that characters' actions made sense in light of their personalities as well as in light of what events were taking place. There were a large number of instances where characters did things and an attempt at an explanation of their actions was provided, yet both the explanation and their actions just didn't make sense. For example, (and this is a big one) the significance of the fact that only the Alterants with Belador blood are able to resist the magical fog that the Medb put into the atmosphere, as well as the fact that these Alterants are different from all other Alterants, is mentioned by the 'bad guys' in the novel. The Belador Alterants can be differentiated from the rest by the fact that they have glowing green eyes. The good guys, including the main character, have no knowledge of that fact that this difference even exists, yet when the fog begins to descend, several individuals suddenly 'notice' the 'crucial' difference that is the presence vs. lack of green eyes (I'm exaggerating a little here and not explaining this entirely well, but this sudden 'brilliance' on the part of the characters did feel ridiculously convenient to me with regards to the plot of the story). This is only one example, but there were so many instances where I had to simply keep reading despite actions that made no sense on the characters' part, that I really wanted to throw the book against a wall. Or something.

(ii) Petty and ridiculous deities. I have difficulty understanding why *ANYONE* would want to follow and/or bow down to gods as PETTY and RIDICULOUS as the gods depicted in this series of novels, and who seem to run things. While I understand that the various magical races featured in these novels essentially have little choice in this regard, it seems to me that at some point power is not enough, and that anyone who is as incredibly petty and selfish as these gods seem to be simply does not merit being worshipped. Given the depiction of the deities featured in these novels, I find it somewhat unbelievable, psychologically speaking, that so many would blindly follow such gods. For example, the goddess of the Beladors, Macha, is shown constantly modifying her own appearance in order to make herself even more physically beautiful. She also severely chastises Brina, the queen of the Beladors, for not being appropriately respectful (i.e. think bootlicking here), and arranges things so that Brina cannot marry the man she loves. Because apparently this is incredibly important in the grand scheme of things for some reason... Yet if this is the case, why couldn't she at least show some sympathy towards the people in question? Basically, this goddess and others essentially come across as useless wastes of space, power, and resources, which makes the idea of people serving these selfish beings seem rather ridiculous. As another ridiculous example, the gods in charge of a tribunal which winds up judging Evalle (i.e. the main character), seem to lack any capacity of compassion or understanding: Evalle tries her utmost to fulfill their impossible tasks yet when she fails, there is no understanding on their part that the task was virtually impossible to begin with. This also struck me as a rather silly way to create 'drama' by having the main character be imprisoned yet again for failing to complete a task which was obviously impossible (i.e. this happens at the end of the book). What was the point?

Personally, I felt like telling the lot of them to take a hike across the cosmos.

(iii) The grammar in this book is atrocious. THIS BOOK NEEDS AN EDITOR STAT!

(iv) Evil gods messing with people's love lives. Why would a goddess CARE whether or not Romeo and Juliet's (er... I meant Brina and Tzader's but whatever...) craptastic-eternal-love (TM) was fulfilled? Wouldn't goddesses have better things to do than make people's love lives complicated? Like, oh... I don't know... Help save the world and/or the galaxy, maybe? This seemed to me like an entirely contrived and silly way of creating romantic 'drama', and reminded me of some (abysmal and godawful) romance novels I'd read over the years. 'Nuff said.

(v) The plot felt pointless. When the major part of the 'drama' in the novel is created because petty gods assigned an impossible task (yet no one even thought to tell them it was impossible and that they were being petty) and the main character (of course) failed to complete said impossible task and the petty gods were still petty and imprisoned her because they were petty, I have to say that... The whole plot began to feel rather contrived and POINTLESS. In other words, it was somewhat obvious that the characters were never going to get a 'fair shake', so why should we care? And why did people care about what selfish deities wanted in the first place (I certainly didn't)? Yuck.

(vi) The neverending crisis plot (TM). The characters seemed to 'lurch' from one crisis to the next without having any kind of plan. Ever. I will grant you that they found themselves in one crisis after another with very little TIME to elaborate any plan, but still. After a while, this meandering from one crisis to another felt rather exhausting and pointless to me as a reader. (It also made up about 99% of the book so I'll let you guess how I felt at the end...)

Honestly, what boggles my mind is that this was published without the rather substantial editing and revisions which would have been (to my mind) needed. But I have to agree with a friend of mine here: no one bothers editing books these days, apparently (at least partly because people seem to buy crappy books regardless of their crapiness, honestly).

I feel rather cheated, personally, given the fact that I gave the first book and this series a chance (I rated the first book 4 stars).

Anyways, JMHO (and disappointed) opinion.

[Namita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was too long and dragged in parts. I’m sick of Evalle suffering so much despite being an innocent.

[kathryn krist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Good storyline but some lacking parts. So e quit to tie up loose ends kinda parts.

[Stephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alterant Evalle Kincaid has just fought to keep a powerful object out of the hands of her enemies who would have used it to destroy innocents. Instead of being rewarded for her actions, Evalle is called to stand before a Tribunal of deities to answer why she shouldn't be imprisoned just for being born an Alterant. In order to prove her loyalty to the Beladors and win her freedom, Evalle will need to find 3 escaped Alterants or she'll be forced to live the rest of her existence in captivity.

The origins of the Alterants are unknown. They are half Belador, a warrior tribe, and something else that gives them the ability to turn into dangerous beasts. Alterants are often killed or caged to keep humans safe. Evalle is an exception. She has pledged her loyalty to the Beladors and fights by there side even though she's discriminated against by her fellow warriors. Evalle is amazing because despite her painful past and the fact the almost all people (and creatures) around her would like to see her put away or dead, she still wakes up every day (or rather night) and keeps going. She's a fighter that has a compassionate side for those who are mistreated and abused, making her a fabulous character in my eyes.

Evalle, like anyone else, wants her freedom. To get it she will need to hunt down 3 Alterants that escaped in the last book and bring them back into custody. Evalle's freedom means everything to her but she believes that being an Alterant doesn't automatically make a person a mindless monster. With the help of Brina, the Belador leader, she is given limited time to bring them in and so they may plead their cases to the Tribunal. Her journey reunites her with Tristan, a Alterant with his own agenda, and the skinwalker Storm who she's starting to have feelings for. Storm also feels something for Evalle and does his best to stay by her side to help protect her during her mission. I like Storm because he knows what Evalle is and doesn't care. He's aware something has happened to her to make her weary of men and doesn't ever push her to do something she doesn't want to. I love an alpha male who is protective but smart enough to know when to back down.

While Evalle is on her search, her Belador friends Tzader and Quinn are facing their own battles. We learn more about the relationship between Tzader and Brina and Quinn finds himself in a bad situation with the Beladors enemy, the Medb. Tzader and Quinn are both great supporting characters and I found myself getting sucked into their personal lives and struggles. What's going on with them is not resolved in this book and I really hope both their stories will continue in the next one.

Alterant is an urban fantasy adventure. This is not a series you can just pick up and start from the middle. There is an entire world, set of rules and cast of characters created and if you don't start with book one, you'll be confused. I actually did read the first book and in certain parts I still wasn't 100% sure of what was going on. That's the big issue I have with this series. At times I feel like there's something I'm just not getting because not everything is explained with much detail or something will be introduced but explained later on or not at all. This may change in future books but this is how I'm feeling right now. Overall, I did really enjoy the action, suspence and drama that this book provides. The highlight of this book for me is Evalle. In a genre like urban fantasy that is filled with kick ass heroines, Evalle manages to stand out and be a is a force to be reckoned with.
-Stephanie

[The Local Spooky Hermit · Rating 3 out of 5]

*crashes into book universe* Well this seems fun... i have no idea whats going on bc I just landed into the middle of a series ill probably never read.. but it was fun.. okay good byyyyye *gets thrown into next book universe*
Also what is that on the cover? I keep thinking its a fancy doorknob.

[PepperP0t · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although ensuring Tristan couldn't hurt humans and turning over a powerful stone was the right thing to do, Evalle is called before the tribunal to answer for her actions. Bargaining for breathing room from the duplicitous and bigoted tribunal, Evalle is charged with a near impossible mission to capture rogue alterants and put not only her life but Brina's on the line as well.

Though drool-worthy Tristan's angry at her, he still wants Evalle to mother little alterants but in a fit of jealousy escapes Evalle when tantalizing puzzle sexy Storm shows up as promised to help her after the tribunal. Adding to her life's complications, Evalle's targeted for capture by Medb Queen Flaevynn, and best friends Tzader and Quinn are forbidden to help Evalle as the search for the traitor goes on.

Brina's layered connection to Tzader and Kizira's complex ties to Quinn could prove useful as he uncovers a scheme. Isak and his team are on hand amid the multiple prophecies, factions and agendas running rampant. Flaevynn's obsession with a layered prophecy involving Brina and her Beladors keep conspiracy levels high and there may be more than one traitor in their midst.

Even with the full threads furthering the overall story, things weren't confusing but at times the paced the read at a resounding halt. Feenix made a brief but memorable appearance as Evalle's to do list kept growing as she once again put her own life on the line and protected the populace while picking her way through an increasingly complex love life and dangerous traps set by the tribunal.
Rating: 4.5stars

[Donna Hatridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Belador series is interesting and grabs you attention. Well written with very unique characters that you want to know better. As the series continues we learn more about each character and about the rules in the worlds they live in. I love when writers tell you a great story. This is the second book so if you haven't started this series grab the first book Blood Trinity and go along on the journey.

On the heels of saving mankind from destruction at the hands of the Medb coven, Evalle attempts to convince the Tribunal that she is an Alterant who can be trusted around humans. But the gods and goddess ruling over this Tribunal twist words she’d uttered in the heat of combat and hold her responsible for three dangerous Alterants that escaped their prisons. She is given a choice to either recapture those three who will lose their freedom forever or face the same sentence. Unsure that she can condemn another Alterant to a life she’d die before accepting, Evalle takes on an impossible task only to learn that the entire future of the Beladors rides on her success—and the only person who can help her is the one who wants to gut her.

[Ann Gimpel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evalle Kincaid is my kind of heroine: strong, gutsy, and fearless. She's also intensely loyal. The only thing that scares her is men and commitment. Storm is a great alpha hero: dark, mysterious, strong, and a jaguar shifter. The chemistry between the two is dynamic. Kenyon also did an excellent job with world building. Her portrayal of a world where the Medb want to annihilate the Beladors so they can have access to Treoir Castle is believable and consistent. That this happens under the noses of humans without them suspecting is also well enough written it's easy to suspend disbelief. I read the 4th book in this series first, then went back to pick up the first three. I'm looking forward to Ms. Kenyon's other series.

[Leyoh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this book will be someone's favourite. They will probably give it a good 4 stars and look forward to the next instalment eagerly. Unfortunately that isn't me. Initially I found the unique story engaging but the further on I read the more complex it became and the less I cared. Yes, Brina and Tzader's story has legs, as does Evalle's and Storm's but I can't bring myself to invest in what has become to feel quite a shallow tale. I'm being harsh, it's not really the books fault but I've been on such a good run of amazing stories lately that this is struggling to appeal to my impartial judgement. Oh and avoid the audio if you can, it's pretty tragic.

[WereVamps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not find this at all to be a stand alone. There were a few references to the previous book. Other wise this was a great book. The characters are completely fascinating. The world setting was amazing (As to be expected). The Writing style, Pace and Story Plot keep me turning pages to the end. I did not feel bored with the story at all. The Originality is truly loved. I love how these two authors can really make a whole fantasy world so life like. The book cover i found to be intriguing.


http://werevampsromance.blogspot.com/ To find new authors, Great books, Giveaways and MORE!

[Tammy "Z Girl" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this series. When I reached the last page, I kept turning the last few pages thinking NO don't end here...there has to be more!! ;-) The story captivates you and you can't put the book down until there are no more pages to read. The next book promises to be even better. I highly recommend this series if you are looking for something new to read. Happy Reading :-)

[Anne Patkau · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good thing I didn't win a copy. Maybe the Giveaways are not worth getting? The definition of "urban fantasy" is fantasy in a city setting. Current usage seems to demand "hot" shelf. I struggled past 5 chapters on book 1 recap. View-shift to more unpronounceable names and mind-reading outweighs short skirts on men.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still liking the world & characters. I love Feenix!

Getting a little impatient on any back info on the Alterants, & the obvious machinations of Macha is starting to concern & confuse me. It doesn't seem in line with the Balador honor code.

[Danielle Coleman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this book, but that may be because I have not read the first book yet. If the first book catches my interest then I will review this one at a later date. Right now the book confused me and I did not enjoy it.

[Ray (warrior of randomness) XP · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only things I can and need to say about this book is that It's very exciting. It has a interesting love triangle. The gargoyle feenix is awesome and adorable

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evalle is such a good person but so many don't appreciate her. I'm rooting for her to succeed.
I liked this second book better than the first and can't wait to read more.

[Nusejka · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a shame, really, since the story has great potential...

[María José · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una vez mas esta autora necesita mas libro para contar toda esta maravillosa historia... ¡Y no se por qué chico decantarme...! Un 10

[L.A.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes the sequel is better than the first, such as Empire Strikes Back or The Godfather II. However, Alterant, book 2, failed and if possible, was worse than book 1.

This story had potential. But there are two main failings. First, as I pointed out in my review of book 1, Blood Trinity, the world-building is atrocious. There's really no world-building. Just a mish-mash of majik (yes with a "k"), gods, and supernatural powers, but no explanation. Sure, the question of "what are alterants" is part of the overarching storyline. But there still has to be some explanation as to how the frigging world works and why. There seems to be a tribe-like structure. But where and how do humans fit in? It's set mostly in Atlanta (or Hot-lanta if you prefer) and includes cell phones, but no explanation of why or how the real world intersects with this "majik" world. Demons are real. Shapeshifts of a sort are real. Beings have powers like teleportation, kinesis, and telepathy, but no rhyme or reason as to who has what powers.

Without a decent structure upon which the world is built, then any old thing can be thrown in at any time with no explanation or reason. And that's exactly what's happened here. Celtic gods? Sure why not. Hindu gods? Of course. The Greek God of War? Abso-fucking-lutely. And then the contradiction begins because according to somewhere deep in book 2, beings have to belong to a god. But what about humans? What about Storm and other Native Americans? Do their gods exist in this world and therefore somehow protect them? Who knows?

Every world has to have rules, a structure. Even the most fantastical worlds still have some form, some constraints. When an author fails to provide any structure as to the world and so allowing herself to write anything, it's sloppy writing.

That leads to the next main problem, the writing itself. I will say it's not the worst thing I've ever read. But it ranks up there. Overused clichés, terrible similes, and just poor writing and grammar in general. It was cringe-worthy in places. For example, from the top of page 182:

She put a higher value on independence than an asthmatic put on oxygen.

I started skimming because of gems like this one and the trite dialogue. I didn't miss anything.

And I won't even get started on the character building. Because with poor world-building and terrible writing, why bother focusing on decent character building and three-dimensional characters?

As I previously stated, this series is far below the standard I had expected from Ms. Kenyon. Again, the story had promise, but it clearly needed a better author and much better editing.

[Thefirelily · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I continue deeper into the Belador series with Alterant, I’m even more pulled into Evalle’s world—and more frustrated with the politics and power plays of the Tribunal, especially Sen. Honestly, I can’t stand him. The Tribunal feels less like a ruling body meant to maintain order and more like a group of bored tyrants playing with people's lives for their own amusement. It’s maddening to see them act so carelessly with real lives hanging in the balance. For a brief moment, I actually wondered if this Sen could be the same as Sin from the Dark-Hunter world—until I remembered that Sin, despite his power, has kindness and empathy. This Sen? Yuck. The complete opposite. Manipulative, arrogant, and infuriating.

Evalle continues to be the heart of this story. The fight to liberate the Alterants is taking a huge toll on her—physically, emotionally, and even spiritually—but she still steps up, even when she’s pushed to the edge. She’s not just surviving; she’s choosing to fight for others, even when no one is fighting for her. That kind of strength is rare and deeply admirable.

I also absolutely love her relationship with Storm. There’s such a raw, magnetic connection between them—grounded in trust, even when the world around them is chaos. And then there’s the other guy—ugh, his name escapes me—but I know exactly where Evalle stands with him. Their dynamic is tense, and it’s clear that it could go one of two ways. The moment he discovers that Evalle is an Alterant, I’m bracing myself. I get the feeling his first instinct will be betrayal and rage, that classic “How dare you trick me” moment. But there’s also hope—hope that he’ll see Evalle for who she really is, and recognize that not all Alterants are the same. That not all monsters wear the labels they’re given.

I’m really enjoying how the story is coming together. The world is layered with danger, secrets, and a constant push-pull between control and freedom. Evalle is caught right in the middle, and the stakes just keep getting higher. With each book, I feel more invested in her journey—and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

[Malkhai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original review: https://myshelfbooks.wordpress.com/20...

Urban Fantasy, Romance: Even though this saga is sold as Paranormal Romance, the focus of the first two books is clearly on the Urban Fantasy part. The first one barely had any romance at all, but in this second story that department plays a bigger part. Not big enough to be considered Paranormal Romance, but enough to develop the early stages of several love stories. In that regard, I hope that Storm is banned and a more charismatic love interest is chosen for Evalle. I’m Team Isak, if you are wondering.

Frenzy: This book is packed with action scenes and crazy situations full of magic. That helps to the enjoyment of the book, because it doens’t have much else to offer.

Weak: The first book had plenty of world building, presenting the reader with rich and bast possibilities. It seemed logical to think that the second book would keep adding layers, but nothing new is added to that crazy universe. That is a bit underwhelming. The story itself is also much more simple and it is rather bland in comparison.

[MaryEMagnolia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s a girl to wear to spend eternity in prison?


“Talking to you is more challenging than petting a porcupine.”


“The only reason you’re considering my proposal is to save your two Belador watchdogs. Your safety and life are important, too.”


“Let’s get twitching or chanting or whatever you do.”


Storm’s thumb stopped stroking her knuckles and his fingers tightened on her hand. “I will come for you.”


Kissing Storm made her feel like a weed that had never known anything but drought and his lips were a summer rain, flooding her with a life energy that pushed her to grow.


Since meeting Storm she’d come to realize that kissing cured a lot of ailments.


Kissing you is like a roller-coaster ride to outer space. The farther we go, the more I’m lost and the more I want to explore new territory.”


“Take a step back before I get testosterone poisoning.”


Honor might be a lonely cellmate, but hope was a vicious mistress that would kill her over and over every minute she believed she would be freed.

[Kim Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, and I can see tell that the next one in the series will be much better. Evalle is an Alterant, and her species is almost extinct. One of the reasons that I liked this book was the story about how Evalle learned that there were more of her people, the powers they have, and how a governing body wants her to capture her own people so they can be enslaved or killed.

I read certain parts of this book over and over. Each time I had to say what the duck! Could you enslave and harm your own? Evalle and the few remaining Alterants are blamed, shunned, and exiled by society for crimes committed by a few Alterants from the past. The storyline at times lagged, for me and I found myself wanting a speedier pace. Like the part about Quinn and the women, he wants to be with, of course, she is the enemy. It took entirely too long to get there for me and when they did. I just was not interested anymore.

[Amy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this series intrigues me. A young woman, who isn't exactly human but isn't completely sure what she is, works as a sort of law-enforcement to other interesting creatures and things. The concept is great and keeps me coming back but the story is choppy and the plot is more messy than complicated. Most of the characters seem to be more about posturing than realistic motivation, this makes them feel sort of shallow. The conflict between the main characters emotional issues and several other characters hoping for emotional attachment pings around in the works like a multi-player pinball game. The dialogue runs high on drama but low on actual communication, lots of hinting at important information without ever saying anything. Then it all ended on a cliffhanger.

Violence, no sex but mature themes, swearing

[Chantelle Mast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and thought out. Perfect execution of the storyline and the way in which its told. I am really a fan of this writing duo, they each bring a new, fresh level to the table that really helps the story along.
Characters are realistic and relatable.
Background is colorful and intriguing, the setting they chose works really well with the plot to keep it intriguing and imaginative.
Overall; an exciting and creative read that is full of unpredictable twists and seemingly insurmountable odds. Readers who enjoyed the first installment in this series would be sure to enjoy this second.