Atlantis Rising

Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day is the first book of the Warriors of Poseidon series, which is now 7 books (plus 2 novellas), with #8 coming in May, 2012. The interesting thing about this series is that I had quite a few people telling me this series was a must read, and that Alyssa Day was a great and fun writer. People make recommendations, but this seemed unanimous, especially given by different friends.

Atlantis Rising starts off introducing Conlan, the prince of Atlantis, who just returned after 7 years of imprisonment and torture. Conlan is the leader of the Warriors of Poseidon, who must protect mankind against vampires and other evil.

To give you a better understanding of how Atlantis, which supposedly sunk, but is still there hidden to all; this is an explanation direct from Alyssa Day’s site:
It was the time before the Cataclysm, forced upon Atlanteans by the greed of humanity. In Poseidon’s Temple, in the soul of the seven isles of Atlantis, a group of warriors met with the sea god’s high priest. He divided them into seven groups of seven and assigned each a sacred duty and an object of power – a magic-imbued gemstone. Some were to sink to the bottom of the world, shielded from prying eyes and envious lusts by the waters that nurtured them. Others were to join the lands of humans at assigned locations – all high grounds that would protect the lineage in the event of severe flooding.

All would wait. And watch. And protect.

And serve as first warning on the eve of humanity’s destruction.

Then, and only then, Atlantis would rise. For they were the Warriors of Poseidon, and the mark of the Trident they bore served as witness to their sacred duty to safeguard mankind.
Conlan, returning just in time for him to be shortly elevated to King of Atlantis, but first he must take his 7 warriors, and the high priest to help retrieve the stolen Trident, a powerful weapon, which he must reclaim to be able to ascend the throne. The stolen Trident is in the hands of a group of dissenting Atlanteans, as well as vampires (led by the evil Goddess of Death-Anubisa), who plan on the destruction of humanity. Conlan, still under the duress of his torture by Anubisa, runs ahead of his warriors to earth, where he is pulled by a mind link to a human female in trouble. Confused, as only Atlanteans should be able to link to each other, Conlan desperately runs to the rescue of this female, as he is unable to resist the pull.

Enter Riley Dawson, the female in trouble, being attacked by 3 vampires. Riley is an empath, and she also feels the mind link to Conlan. They are drawn to each other, as each was trying to fight off the intense desire felt for each other. Riley immediately can feel Conlon’s soul, and his torture, making her more sympathetic to him. Conlon, not having felt such emotions in his lifetime (11,000 years), is torn for his desire for this human empath, which in his world is called ‘Aknasha”, unheard of for Atlanteans for thousands of years. After he rescues Riley, the remaining warriors arrive, and the high priest, Alaric, considers Riley to be dangerous. She can read all of the warrior’s minds, if she tried. Riley, just wants to home, and try to forget this strange man, who saved her. Riley is a social worker, who hides that she is an empath. She has a sister (Quinn), who most certainly will come into play in a later book, as she is drawn to Alaric. Quinn, unbeknownst to Riley, leads a group of were-wolves (and were-tiger) to fight a revolution against the vampires, who threaten to take over their world.

Conlan, despite Alaric’s attempt to stop him, plans to takes Riley and bring her back to Atlantis to protect her, as well as allow him to study her. However, they must first retrieve the stolen Trident. While planning their mission to retrieve the Trident, all the warriors stay at Riley’s house.

This is a fun story, to be able to watch Conlan and Riley discover each other, and the intensity of their feelings. Only Riley seems to be able to heal Conlan’s broken soul, and as the story unfolds, Conlan, an honorable and loyal warrior to Poseidon, cannot lose Riley, no matter what the cost will be. Riley is a great heroine, as she is street savvy, spunky, brave, and speaks her mind openly. In time, the other warriors come to care about Riley, especially for her bravery in helping save them. She is perfect for Conlan, and their love for each grows with each passing day. To watch them “soul-meld” is amazing.

The mission to retrieve the stolen Trident, was exciting. It was just great to watch Riley with the other warriors, and how she wins them all over. I loved her attitude yelling to the god Poseidon to save his warriors….so funny. But as Alaric begins to suspect, there is more to Riley, then even they understand. She and Conlan together fight the evil Anubisa to the end. Atlantis Rising was a great book, great romance, excitement and fun all the way. Well done Alyssa Day…I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Barb