Transcend by West Thornhill

Title: Transcend

Series: Fillmore  Agency 01

Author: West Thornhill

Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal/Alternate World, Shape-Shifter

Length: Super Novel (392pgs)

Publisher: Silver Publishing (21^st January 2012)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: When Gael escapes life spent as a sadist’s sex slave, he finds a world he never knew existed. Jason, inexplicably drawn to this untrusting man, has secrets of his own. Will Gael overcome his insecurities or will his past return to destroy everything?

When Gael Astley escapes life spent as a sadist’s sex slave, his rescuer introduces him to a world he never knew existed. He quickly discovers he has the powers of telepathy and telekinesis, but is confused about what this means for this life. With the help of the one person he knows he can trust, Gael embarks on an intense training regime that ultimately leads to a new career as an agent for Fillmore, a top-secret paranormal group.

Jason Phillips, a member of the Fillmore team, has secrets of his own. Though he tries to keep his distance from Gael, the two men are drawn together like moths to flame. Will Gael overcome his own insecurities and see the possibilities offered or will his past come back to destroy him?

CONTENT ADVISORY: This title contains scenes of rape. Readers with a history of rape or sexual abuse may find this story disturbing.

Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/transcend-ebook-p-719

Review: This book is West Thornhill’s first published work and it is brilliant. Gael is rescued by Rick who works for the Fillmore Agency.   After therapy and training, Gael joins the Fillmore Agency himself.  When he meets up with his new team-mates, Tink and Jason, he has an instant attraction to Jason. Unfortunately, Jason has been hurt in the past, causing him to doubt his initial reaction to Gael. When his beast gets too hard to control, he goes away for the weekend. Only then, does he finally come to terms with what his beast has been trying to telling him.

This is an incredible first published work.  There’s a lot that goes on, but you never lose focus of what is going on. I won’t go into too much detail, because, as I said, a lot goes on.  So I will try to keep this short. Gael has had a horrific time before he was rescued by Rick.  He has some psychological problems that he is still trying to work through.  although his relationship with Jason sets him back a bit at first, Jason has to get a tight grip of his beast as the beast doesn’t understand what Gael has gone through and because of that Gael now doubts how Jason really sees him.

This is quite a complex story, as in the various different characters that play a part and how they become involved (there will be another 4 books in the series with these characters) and they keep the story interesting. The opening of the book is really good as we get the foundations of the Fillmore Agency and its background straight away. This book is also unique in the aspect that the Agency isn’t the characters sole purpose in life and they all have outside jobs which they enjoy.

The relationship between Gael and Jason doesn’t run smoothly, but the sex is incredible between them.  They have a lot to work through as a couple, but they seem to be well suited. I must admit that at times it seemed as though when working on a Fillmore case they seemed to keep Gael out of the loop or not discuss what was going on but then I realized that they were just going over the same info and hadn’t got any further so that was why it seemed like that.

There are some aspects of this book, which will be disturbing for people.  I can tell you it doesn’t go into too much detail.  The psychological effects on some of the characters are not down played or over the top, the author has tastefully broached a terrible subject and shows all the characters in good light with how they handle it.

So who to recommend this one to??? Well, if you like paranormal, secret agency, great characters, an interesting story, fantastic sex, a good idea of what will happen in the next book and a happy ending for Jason and Gael then this is the book for you.