RISING DARKNESS (Game of Shadows #1) by Thea Harrison-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 2, 2013

In the hospital ER where she works, Mary is used to chaos. But lately, every aspect of her life seems adrift. She’s feeling disconnected from herself. Voices appear in her head. And the vivid, disturbing dreams she’s had all her life are becoming more intense. Then she meets Michael. He’s handsome, enigmatic and knows more than he can say. In his company, she slowly remembers the truth about herself…

Thousands of years ago, there were eight of them. The one called the Deceiver came to destroy the world, and the other seven followed to stop him. Reincarnated over and over, they carry on—and Mary finds herself drawn into the battle once again. And the more she learns, the more she realizes that Michael will go to any lengths to destroy the Deceiver.

Then she remembers who killed her during her last life, nine hundred years ago…Michael.

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REVIEW: Have you ever wondered about reincarnation? Did you ever have a sense of déjà vu?

Well, that is how our heroine has felt most of her life. Mary’s dreams, both asleep and awake, take her to places that feel familiar and dark. But her dreams become reality when the voice in her head, tells her to run and run fast. Evil is waiting for Mary and soon the disembodied voice will be her only companion until a handsome stranger reveals that Mary is dying and her psychic spirit is a beacon for those hoping to destroy their kind.

Michael has been searching for his mate for over nine hundred years. Without his mate, he is only half of a whole; the other half to his soul is missing. When he finally locates the one, it will take some convincing on his part to prove to Mary that love truly transcends the centuries. As Mary’s memories return so too does the Deceiver-the darkness that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that Mary loves. Fighting as a team, Mary and Michael will join together in an attempt to thwart what evil has in store.

Michael and Mary’s relationship is slow to build. In fact, a good portion of the book is spent following Mary as she pursues the voice in her mind. Michael’s storyline introduces much of the background information regarding the premise of the story and more is revealed when Michael finally convinces Mary that they have always belonged together and together they would destroy the Deceiver. I like that Mary did not accept Michael at face value and wasn’t willing to jump into bed, but then again, neither was Michael-the man knew that his mate needed time to understand the reality of their situation. I also liked that Thea did not drag out the angst and anxiety between the couple. It was a given that Mary and Michael belonged together so why prolong the inevitable book after book.

Thea Harrison has written a fascinating and amazingly detailed introductory storyline that spans the ages with well-developed yet vulnerable characters and richly detailed worlds. From ancient civilizations to current day native culture and rituals, Thea blends fantasy with science fiction, suspense with hope, hatred with love.

Arc supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy