Title: Guardian’s Flame
Series: Guardian City, #2
Author: Grace Lynn
Genre: Paranormal/Shape-shifter/Werewolf/Vampire/Ménage a trios/quarte (MMMF)
Length: Novella (59 pages)
Publisher: Siren Publishing (November 12th, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts
Blurb: High Prince Demend, an Elf and changeling, and his mate Nathan Summers are doing their best to run the Guardian City. With the pair trying to keep Demend from dying from his own magic and a summons from the Higher Council, the newly mated couple is in over their heads.
Jason Johnson is a Phoenix with a serious problem. He’s a phoenix trapped as a dog, living on the fringe of the Guardian City. His mates live in the city, but fear prevents him from going to them. Can he figure out a way to let his mates see him as he really is, instead of the dog he was forced to become?
Zoey is a Dark Elf, trapped in a cell within an Incubi trading Post. She is a trained warrior and has tried everything to get herself free, but nothing seems to work. Can she escape the clutches of the Incubi, or will she be stuck forever as a POW?
ISBN: 978-1-62740-684-0
Product Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/guardians-flame
Reviewer: Prime
Review: This is book 2 of the Guardian City series by Grace Lynn. It is vital that you’ve read book 1 (Guardian Elf) before reading this one, because this story takes off a few months after the end of Guardian Elf. This is a wonderfully written story and like the first book, is fast paced. My only problem is that I just felt like it was kind of a footnote to Guardian Elf most of the time. The purpose of the story is to basically tie up one major loose end for
Demend and Nathan that was left open, which is essentially that Elvin has more than one mate. I know the blurb only tells us this in around-about way. But why else would Demend and Nathan be reintroduced to us along with the new characters Jason and Zoey?
Since we’ve been introduced to the world which Guardian City exists in the previous book, we get fewer details on the whole dynamics of this particular world, which means we learn a bit more about both Demend and Nathan. We also learn more about Nathan’s family, which is a complicated web if you’re not paying much attention.
Regarding this new input of information and characters associated with Nathan, I’m not really sure why it was an essential part of the story but it was an interesting side note. Probably would have been nice if there was more because it just appeared, disappeared when the action from the main storyline was played out, then reappeared once more in the epilogue.
After being reacquainted with the mated pair, we immediately meet the newbies in the story: Jason and Zoey. Jason, I can only say, is totally adorable. He is basically how I had imagined Demend in the first book before I realised that he was a badass-take-control alpha. He also happens to be a phoenix, which I just love.
I know some will be disappointed, but it is clear from just reading the genre and the blurb that this book also includes a female to be involved with our main characters. So those strictly in for the MM angle, might be a little disappointed for the turn that this has made. However, to be quite honest Zoey, the dark elf female, isn’t in the story much at all. We really only truly meet her towards the end after a number of sporadic flashes to her. And really, other than her really horny attitude at a couple of points, I have to say that I really enjoyed her. Despite the lack true appearances throughout the story, it was very easy to get to know her and like her.
Quite honestly, I preferred the first book to this, this is perhaps because I really don’t like reading about the “girlie parts” when I’m reading a romance, which would be why other than MM romance, I don’t like pure romance books. (At least I’m honest!). I find this book enjoyable. But, at the same time odd. It’s almost as if it’s an act II of a larger novel. Where Guardian Elf was act I, and then leaving space for a shorter act III tie things up.
However, in all of this, I still want to know more about Demend’s twin brother Angel!!! (In the words of Nick Cave, I used three exclamation marks because it’s cool. And I’m really trying to get my point across.)
I’m looking forward to reading books 3 and 4 of this cool series.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *