Illicit: A Novel of the Sazi

Luna Lake #2

by Cathy Clamp

In Cathy Clamp's Illicit, when a border dispute between two bear clans destabilizes shapeshifter relations throughout Europe and threatens to reveal their existence to humans, the Sazi High Council orders both sides to the negotiation table. The peace talks take place in Luna Lake, the American community where all shifter species--wolf, cat, bird, bear, and more--live in harmony.

Diplomats, their families, and security personnel stream into town, among them Dalvin Adway, a Wolven agent. Dalvin is startled to find Rachel Washington in Luna Lake. The last time he saw her, they were children in Detroit. Then she was kidnapped and, he thought, murdered. But Rachel became an owl-shifter as a result of the attack and has avoided family and old friends ever since, knowing they would not understand her . She's stunned to see Dalvin and learn that he, too, is an owl-shifter.

Their wary friendship is on the brink of becoming something more when conspiracy and betrayal cause the peace talks to break down. The fight between the bear clans will be settled through a form of traditional challenge--a risky tactic that might lead to full-blown war. Rachel is determined to prevent that, even if it means taking up the challenge herself!

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Also known as Cat Adams

Hi!, I’m USA TODAY and Nielsen Bookscan bestselling author Cathy Clamp. I write urban fantasy/paranormal romance for Tor Books, including the Tales of the Sazi (shapeshifter urban fantasy romance) series, The Thrall (vampire) trilogy, the Blood Singer (urban fantasy, as Cat Adams) series—through book 6, and the new Novels of the Sazi series, beginning in August, 2015.

I’ve won a bunch of awards for my books over the years. My favorite was the Career Achievement Award for Paranormal Romance in May, 2008 from RT Bookreviews Magazine. I also shared the win for several co-authored books with C.T. Adams of the Book Buyer’s Best Award, the RT Bookreviews Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Reviewers International Award of Excellence, the Texas Gold Romance Award, the Write Touch Readers Award, and several others. It’s gratifying and humbling to win awards for books that you put your heart into, and I hope you enjoy them as much as other readers have!

I’ve also written several stand-alone novels, not in series, including my very first novel, The Road To Riches, an historical fiction about a railroad race in Colorado’s Silver Boom period, and Magic’s Design, the first urban fantasy published as Cat Adams.

I also write short stories, which is a whole different kind of writing.. I like writing in a lot of different genres, and it’s in short stories where I let my wings spread. I have published short stories in horror, science fiction, mystery, literary, Young Adult, romance, thriller, fantasy and western

Reviews

[Betül · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Received ARC in exchange for an honest review**



The Bear clans have come to Luna Lake for peace talks because of a border dispute. The entire Luna Lake community is on their toes because any moment something can happen between the two clans.

While I was expecting Illicit to continue with the same main characters from the first book, I really liked the characters that were being focused on. Dalvin and Rachel were great characters. We were introduced to Rachel in the first book and already had a look at what she had been through in her past. Which was pretty horrific! Dalvin is Rachel's childhood friend and haven't seen her since she was kidnapped, so he was really surprised when he saw that she was still alive.

Rachel wants to leave Luna Lake because is reminded of all the horrible things that happened to her. However because of the peace talks no one is allowed to leave till it is done. I loved seeing Dalvin and Rachel together, even though Rachel is trying to stay away from him there is an attraction between the two. There is also a lot going on in Luna Lake. It had a more urban fantasy feel. I was really happy that romance didn't play such a big role in this book. There was a lot of character development, especially for Rachel.

I have no idea which direction Cathy will take with this series but I am really enjoying it so far and can't wait to see what will happen next. I enjoyed the writing style and it was easy to follow. Even though there were a lot of characters with difficult names, I did not get confused at all. I highly recommend this series if you enjoy urban fantasy/paranormal romance. This series is the perfect mix of both genre.

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This story is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance, the story kept me intrigued enough that this was a fast read.

Opening Sentence: Moonlight struggled to shine through clouds heavy and swollen with rain.

The Review:

The world of the Sazi continues to grow with the second book in the Luna Lake series. Illicit is the story of Rachel and Dalvin, two childhood friends who meet years later after much tragedy. This urban fantasy/paranormal romance novel has it all, mystery, conflict and action. The story moves at such a fast pace that this was a very quick read for me.

The people in Luna Lake are still rebuilding after the hell that they have been living through. Rachel is done with Luna Lake. She has plans to leave but when it comes time to go she is not allowed to leave. Everyone in town is forced to stay because of the peace talks that will be held. No one in town knew this was happening by the way. Within a matter of minutes the town is taken over with the residents being responsible for the well keeping of the diplomats and Council members in town. Rachel is beyond miffed at this, she’s ready to go but with the promise of quite a bit of money to house a diplomat, she decides that money can be used to help her with college.

Dalvin is a Wolven agent. He is in town for the peace talks. The first person he runs into is a woman trying to leave town, trying to make it through all the shields. He doesn’t realize it is Rachel. He hasn’t seen her for ten years, not since she was kidnapped when she was twelve. Heck, he thought she was dead all this time. I don’t want to reveal too much about the story but Rachel ends up being a key player in the peace talks. She is able to uncover information that the Council doesn’t even know about.

I would describe these books as more of urban fantasy than paranormal romance even though it is written more in the style of a romance novel. This is not your typical romance. The couple have a history and the story really plays off of that. This is not a slow burn romance, it is more of a heated exchange of attraction. There is also a mating bond at play. This is a warning for those who don’t like that kind of thing. I think it would help going into this book not thinking of it as a romance but more of a paranormal type story because the world here is so huge.

Rachel is an Omega. She is very low on the power totem. She should be protected by the Alphas but she has just gone from one trauma to another. She doesn’t believe that things can change which is why she is so ready to leave Luna Lake. As a three day owl shifter, she has to rely on an Alpha to get her through the change because she can’t do it on her own. There is a feeling that Rachel has no backbone because she has no power but Rachel certainly grows a backbone. She has no problem speaking her mind which is why she gets stuck in the middle of the peace talks. I really felt for Rachel because she has had it bad in life and in this novel she is finally understanding herself more. She discovers more about being an owl shifter and even the powers that she wields that she didn’t’ even know about. Rachel really made this story for me. I think without her growth and struggles this story may not have been as good.

Dalvin is more of an enigma to me. I want to like him but I kind of hate him because of how he treats Rachel at first. Then even after he knows it the girl from his childhood, he still continues to have a “relationship” with one of the delegates that alone should get him thrown out from the peace talks in my mind. Dalvin is a player and even lives up to it. He has his reasons for treating Rachel like he did which I do understand. I’m not sure I would have liked Dalvin if this was a standard romance. What I did like about him is that he didn’t understand Rachel and her struggles as a three day owl but he tried to learn, he even helps Rachel train and learn more about being an owl, and Dalvin didn’t go all Alpha Male when Rachel was trying to heal from her emotional wounds. He stepped back knowing that she couldn’t get over her troubles without being able to stand up to her nightmares.

Overall, I would recommend Illicit for fans of urban fantasy. This novel did have some emotional highs and lows. I was in tears at the end. I will say that reading these novels makes me want to go back and read the original Sazi series. I am really intrigued by were this story started and how it got to this point.

Notable Scene:

The blue sky had never looked so good. There was a bite in the air that was as crisp as apples. She walked fast, hoping nobody would be able to follow her.

“Running away again?” Dalvin said behind her. “Aren’t you tired of that yet?”

Rachel stopped. The rebuke, the sadness and anger, filleed the air like a toxic cloud, filled her lungs, suffocating her. Running wasn’t her usual style, and yet, with Dalvin, she kept doing it. No more, she decided.

She turned and faced him, staying poised on the balls of her feet, ready for whatever came next. “I don’t run. Never have, never will.” He looked taken aback, unsure of what to say. That was probably best. Go on offense. “You have something to say to me, boy? Say it.”

He reared back like she’d hit him. “Baby, I ain’t your boy. Not after all this time.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Well, I ain’t your baby either.”

FTC Advisory: Tor/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Illicit. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Candace N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book for the most part but sometimes it seemed like there was a lot of information thrown at me at once and too many characters to keep track of...just made it hard to process at times. Other than that, the book was well written, and the story line was good and had some good edge to it. I really liked Rachel, Dalvin and Anica and how the book ended.

[Selenity Jade (Coffee Addicts Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was excellent, the characters awesome, and while more urban fantasy with romance instead of paranormal romance, still awesome. However, what the hell was up with Dalvin? He was a star struck idiot about Larissa. Heck, he still slept with her again after seeing Rachel again. Heck, he slept with her again after she lured him away! Sigh. That ruined the romance and character for me. Honestly, my enjoyment level of this book was 3 stars because of that. However, it's an excellent story with amazing characterizations and a fantastic world that deserves 5 stars. I split the difference. I hope the 3rd one is better!

[Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of the series and it picks up a little after the first book. This book was so much better. Maybe it’s because I was already familiar with most of the characters and setting. The focus on this book was Rachel Washington, the town’s omega. Not only do we get to see glimpses of the town reeling and healing from the aftermath of the madness and mind control of its previous leaders, we get to see Rachel soar, get stronger and find her place.

[Dolly Sandor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love Illicit but it just didn't happen.

​What I liked: I love the premise behind the Luna Lake series. This is kind of a two-part series. The original, The Tale of the Sazi, I recommended to all my urban fantasy/paranormal lover friends. With the last book in that series, Serpent Moon, I seriously didn’t know that was the ending until I read about it somewhere. Then the news circulated Ms Clamp was going to dip back into the Sazi world but the setting would be many years after Serpent Moon.

The first book in this newest series, Forbidden, was a good bridge builder and I enjoyed it. Illicit was a different kettle of beans. The plot is okay; the characters are different and the writing is good. The thing I enjoyed the most was seeing the characters from the original series and what they were up to.

This series and The Tale of the Sazi series are complicated books. The Sazi are not known to humans and they go to extreme lengths to ensure their secret. Rachel was part of a group of children (all over the world), who were kidnapped and then changed. When the children were rescued, it was a huge problem trying to decide what to do with them and keep them safe. They were to sent to foster families in Luna Lake. Rachel knew she could never go back to her family because she wasn’t alpha enough to hide her owl.

Rachel’s character is written very well. All the trauma she’s gone through since her abduction could have beaten down another individual but Rachel has a plan, well, maybe. She hasn’t ironed out all the wrinkles but she wants away from Luna Lake and to try to have a real chance at life.

​What I didn’t like: Except for Rachel and the “older” Sazi, I had a very hard time connecting with the characters. They seemed a bit whiny and I do understand why but it’s almost childish in the scheme of things.

These new Sazi are not as appealing to me. I think that may be because they have an almost new adult feel rather than what I am used to with the previous works in this line. The characters didn’t seem as polished and there are a lot of characters. If you haven’t read the previous books in the original series, you might even have a hard time understanding the whole Sazi idea.

The mystery, romance and suspense didn't flow as smoothly and felt jumbled together. Then there is my favorite gripe of all....the e-book pricing. Illicit came out as a hardcover and thus the price of the e-book was inflated to $9.99.

Ms Clamp is a very talented author and I look forward to more books from her but I don’t know if I will continue this series. I will wait and see how the next book shakes out to see.

No recommendation.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start off by saying that I loved both the Sazi & Thrall series. Now I didn't get a chance to read book one but I think that is okay as you find out what happens to Rachael who we meet in the first book. In this book there is is dispute over the Bears borders and the peace conference is being held in Luna Lake. The only thing that Rachael cares about is getting out as it holds all the horrors of what happened other. But with the conference, the town is in lock down and no one can leave. Dalvin was Rachael's childhood friend and he hasn't seen her since the kidnapping, in fact he doesn't really recognize her. But they do figure out who the other is and Rachel try's to stay out of his way as she doesn't want to start up anything, because she is set on getting out as soon as they lift the repulsion spell. But when they finally give in, they are a force to be reckoned with. Loved watching them grow close together again and finally falling in love, even though he never stopped loving her, he just thought she was dead. There is a lot that going on in this book. A lot of secondary characters that I would love to get to know more of. I need to go back and read book one and then come back and reread this one because that's my OCD talking :). If you are a fan of Ms. clamp's, you will not be disappointed with this book. You need to grab it as soon as it hits the stores, trust me on that.

I highly recommend this one to all you Paranormal fans out there!

ARC graciously proved by the author in exchange for an honest review

[jammaster_mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Sazi relaunch series.

I really wanted to LOVE this book but I just didn't. It is a fine, solid book with a lot of great elements. There are shifters involved in deception and political dealings. The setting is beautiful and there is a great romance for the main characters.

There are just some things that bugged me too much throughout the book. There are soooo many characters that if I set the book down for too long I forgot who was whom. There is a lot of time given to a little bit of back story for each character, even if they are not very important to the story overall. There are super powerful shifters who have to find themselves in circumstances where they are "in trouble" and not able to use their full power. There is a lot of talking in this book and very little action. There is a lot of setting characters up in situations so that they can have these long discussions. The characters are not consistent. My biggest issue was with Dalvin acknowledging that Larissa lured him away from his post when someone was murdered and then he is still involved with her? That does not make sense for an supposed Wolven agent. We are also never told who the mystery Sazi was that killed the original negotiator.

I think if you have read all of the previous Sazi books then you will enjoy this new series and where it is going. If you have not prepare yourself for an onslaught of information and characters to get yourself up to speed. I am hopeful for more action in the next book.

[Dorothy Matheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Wonderful as are all the books in this series. I have read the all more than once. Such depth of story here.

[N. Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW. First published October 15, 2016 (Booklist).

This urban fantasy delves into the world of the Sazi, shape-shifters who live among us, using magic to hide their abilities. Rachel Washington has lived in the American town of Luna Lake, where various shifter species reside together, since she forcibly became an owl-shifter a decade ago. She is poised to leave Luna Lake—and her bad memories—behind when the town is suddenly embroiled in settling a border dispute between two European bear clans. The town is placed on lockdown, and the situation is complicated by Dalvin Adway, another owl-shifter who knew Rachel in her former life. He and other Wolven agents accompany the two arguing families, several of whom are sabotaging the peace talks. Clamp writes a captivating story, dragging Rachel as a reluctant protagonist into the limelight as she discovers her true abilities and the strength of her relationships with both the townspeople and Dalvin. Readers who haven’t read the first in the series, Forbidden (2015), will find just enough here to make them want to read that one as well.

[Gabby-Lily Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year, I was fortunate enough to read the first book in the new Sazi series, Forbidden as an ARC and I have enjoyed how the story is being continued in Illicit.

The second book has been as much fun to read as the first in this new Sazi setting. There are twists and turns and layers upon layers. Misunderstandings, differing loyalties, illusions - and that is just the beginning. All of that covers the parties at the peace talks, the Council members, and Rachel and Dalvin, albeit in different ways and everything is woven and interwoven together.

I look forward to what comes next.

Book provided by publisher for an honest review.

[Preeti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll continue to read this series, but at this point it's more because of how much I'd liked the original run of Sazi stories. I liked the characters in this one. The hero seemed a bit too hapless, though. Edited to add: I do love the fact that the author includes characters of different nationalities, ethnicities and races in her books. H/h of this book were both black American, and much of the conflict came from shapeshifting bears from Eastern Europe.

[Wendy Schindler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sazi are back in grand form!

Illicit catches us back up with with several of the characters last seen in Serpent Moon! A couple who we were left wondering if they were dead, or would rise again, better than before.. No, I won't spoil it.. You have to read the series..
Well told, great story!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Sazi world but the last couple of books have a more dystopia flavor. Their secret world was ripped apart and the packs are just recovering. Not my favorite genre but I keep returning hoping for different.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cathy L Clamp, co-authored the Tales of the Sazi series with C T Adams, now continues stories about the Sazi in Luna Lake while introducing new cast of Sazi characters. As the Tales of the Sazi series has been one of my favorite series, I was delighted with this continuation.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved going back to the world of the Sazi. I read this book in a little over a day & hated putting it down

[Ashley Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

l loved the way the writing flowed. Great book. It really captivities your mind. Very enjoyable read. i would recommend it to every one.

[Robyn Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sazi are back with Rachel and Dalvin's story. Rachel was an attack victim in the first round of Sazi stories and through everything the girl kept her fierceness. She made the story. She sassed and backed up her words. I loved that she had no qualms kicking butt whether confronting a catty jerk or a scary powerful alpha. Besides an awesome heroine, you get cameos of your favorite Sazi characters. The romance is a slow-build with the right amount of sweet and heat. If you're a fan of paranormal romance, check out this series.