Animus

by Alex Owens

A shifter sworn to protect the soul of his charge. A woman he can never save. And the murderer who’s stalked her through lifetimes. Beylin Callaghan belongs to the Brotherhood, an elite band of crow shifters whose job is escorting souls from one life to the next, while wiping any memories for a fresh start. But he’s keeping a secret and her name is Pia. Cassiopeia “Pia” Alexander is floundering. Her love life is non-existent and her only joy comes from her job as an animal ER nurse. Rattled by her crazy dreams–they’re too real to be just her imagination–and being stalked by a big, black bird, well, those things aren’t helping either. Fate is giving Beylin and Pia one more shot at happiness. But first, she has to avoid dying, again. Fans of Chuck Wendig's Blackbirds or The Reincarnationist series by M.J. Rose will enjoy this inventive, time-spanning novel. Purchase Animus and start the haunting adventure today!

174 pages, Paperback

Published November 13, 2017

About the author

Born in the Deep South and raised right over the Mason Dixon line, Alex grew up feeling unsure where she belonged. That is, until she met up with a traveling Freak Show one fine day. Now she celebrates the unusual and appreciates how interesting life can be when you (ahem) open yourself to unique situations.

Residing in coastal Virginia, Alex spends her days wrangling words and children, and on occasion a sassy cat (or three), a bull-headed Labrador, or her old, cantankerous horse. Her husband has figured out that toeing the line is easiest in the long run. He’s a smart man.

Reviews

[Susan Harrowa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, enjoyable read

A paranormal love story set to the back drop of immortal beings that carry souls from one life to the next. It has dark moments but ultimately a HEA. Recommended as a nice way to pass a couple hours reading.

[Cookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite slow to read at first, mainly due to the parts about Pia's mundane day-to-day life (especially her work as a vet) where literally every little step and thing she does is described, bordering on too many details. The only parts moving the plot and holding my attention were the dream flashbacks.

However, things got more interesting in the second half when Beylin made more of an appearance and we learn more about the Brotherhood and how it works. I liked the ending, it was nice.

I am still left with a few questions, such as who is Madame Bovary really and what is her relation to the crows? What were those special items used for in the past and where did they come from? I am also intrigued as to how Beylin first met Pia, how they fell in love for the very first time, how he got caught up in only looking for her; I feel like this would have given me more of a connection to these characters.

There is an occasional typo here and there but they are easy to overlook.

Overall, 'Animus' had an interesting premise that took a while to build but ended well.

[shelby walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

i stay entertained when reading ms. owens books. this one was just as good as any of the ones i have read before