Urban fantasy meets religion in a new and unexpected way.
This one was different!
I won an Amazon Kindle eBook copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways! These are my completely honest thoughts and opinions.
Now.. I don’t often read books with a religious element, not because I don’t like them, but because I’m pretty particular about how it’s done.. Well, urban fantasy is a good way to do it!
With that said, this book has quite a few things going for it, and I enjoyed how the author weaves Christianity into supernatural fiction.
Spoilers Ahead
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Publication date: April 2021
Pages: 403
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Religious, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal romance
Series: Book 1 of 1: The Forbidden Series
Intro quote: “There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable” – Mark Twain
In the beginning, on the night of the great betrayal, Jesus Christ carries on his shoulders an awful burden.
The Nephilim, children between angels and man, will not receive the gift his sacrifice will grant humans.
Unable to keep the concern that plagues him to himself any longer, and full of love for all living things, he beseeches God for another way.
God considers this: If Jesus’ disciples agree to become bound by their very blood to the Nephilim, they will be expected to take responsibility as their guardians and protectors, but the Nephilim will live.
And so.. a covenant is made.
Many, many years later, the Covenant remains. Generations of Guardians have stood between the children of angels and those who would do them harm. But all is not well between these two factions, resentment and bitterness have grown in the Nephilim, the Guardian’s have become high handed and accustomed to being in charge.
With Cameron, our main character, returning to the fold.. long buried secrets will come to light and change will follow in her wake. As she learns more of her heritage, her long dormant powers strengthen, dark things awaken.. and they’re coming for her.
Four Stars!
About the book:
The prologue opens on the night of Judas betrayal of Christ and the moments leading to his sacrifice.
Jesus is plagued with worry for the Nephilim-Should they really die for simply being born? He prays to God for leniency, and God agrees, but only if his disciples agree to become bound to protect the Nephilim.. and they do.
“On this night, those of you who partook of my body and drank of my blood, you are to be bound together for all time. Your covenant with me will grant you immeasurable power so long as you swear to guard the sons of Heaven as I will the sons of man.”
What we can assume is much, much later, Cameron(our main character) has grown into a fine woman.
Raised by her beloved Aunt Tammy, they travel the world.. but Cameron is plagued by debilitating migraines and nightmares that are worsening by the day. When one night Cameron dreams of speaking to Christ, Tammy’s concern intensifies, thrusting them back into a reality Cameron has never known.. and a town riddled with secrets.
“Then please trust me when I tell you we must go home. It’s the only place we can get you the help you need.”
She’s completely ignorant of their family history, the hidden world of the Guardians and Nephilim, and the responsibility that comes with this knowledge.
How far back did my family heritage go? Tammy told me it was extensive, but never went into much detail beyond that
Her first encounter with the locals doesn’t go well when, feeling stalked and hunted, she almost runs over her attractive new neighbor. Too bad their meeting quickly goes from bad to worse when her last name elicits an extremely unfriendly reaction from Mr. Prince Charming.
He threw both hands out toward me. “You’re a Scott!”
“Yeah and you’re a… a… What are you?”
“Are you seriously toying with me?” His voice grew louder and louder with each word.
“I don’t even know you! Why would I toy with you?
Toby is a Nephilim. Beholden to the Guardians for protection and resentful as hell about it. He’s stronger and faster so.. why should they have any hold over him?
I was part angel, for fuck’s sake, I shouldn’t require the aid of a mere mortal. But thanks to the deal made long before I was even a thought, I was forever bound to the Guardians.
Against my will.
Always against my own will.
And the local Guardians, for some reason, are under the impression that Cameron died in the same car accident that killed her parents decades ago. The only remaining Scott, to their knowledge, is Tammy. Why?
As the bloodline of Peter, they were rightfully the head of the Covenant as the favored of Jesus. For his heir to not be raised in the Covenant was almost blasphemous in and of itself.
Come on.. I wouldn’t spoil the surprise. You’ll just have to read it to find out!
Overall:
Cameron: Seems like a nice girl. She grew up loved and it’s made her into a kind woman. But she’s beginning to realize that her Aunt Tammy has been lying about quite a few things, things to do with her and who/what she is.. keeping secrets. The strange occurrences that surround her are escalating and it’s finally making her search for answers. Cameron doesn’t come off as very determined but.. there are instances when a strong, smart mouthed woman steps up and I liked that side of her character more.
Tammy: She’s a great character, she’s tough and spunky, and we can see how much she loves Cameron. And, even though we see why Tammy made the decisions she did, it still puts a strain on their relationship when Cameron learns of all that she’s been kept from.. I was sad to see that happen.
Toby: Oh, boy, does this guy have issues. Resentment is such an unattractive trait in an immortal, or anyone, really. Toby hates his situation(he’s kind of just a miserable character to start off with) and blames Cameron for things she had no say in, making him a grade-A a**hole. He also complains about the Guardians ‘high and mighty’ attitudes, which I didn’t feel was entirely true.. there will always be a few bad apples when power is involved but most of the Guardian’s we’re introduced to are pretty likable characters.
His attitude and demeanor do change over the course of the book but.. I feel like, for such a supposedly much older being, he should have had a lot more personal growth.
There was nothing inherently wrong with this book, I loved the religious aspects, and after some development on someone’s(Toby) part, I even enjoyed reading it.. The way the author has woven small bits of Christianity into her characters and storyline, which was one of the most fascinating parts for me. For the first book in a new series, and with everything McDonald is trying to accomplish here, she’s off to a good start. With plenty of room for further development.. this series has real potential.
That’s all, folks!
I would recommend this book for fans of urban fantasy, Christianity, angels, and supernatural romance.
If you’ve experienced any trouble accessing my blog, reviews, or links..
Please, let me know, I will try to take care of it ASAP.
Thank you!
I love your reviews!
Great review Sheri! I have to say her eyes are absolutely captivating on the cover.🙂
I’m normally not a fan of faces on covers but, you’re absolutely right, her eyes are stunning!
To access your blog, one has to specifically type in the browser your name plus blog, or click on your Gravatar “View full profile” (which I did) and then you get to your blog. It doesn’t give the backlink like it did before. I know a few sites where there is the same problem. I personally am not sure what settings should be changed depending on what plugins you use. Before it was when you liked my post, I saw listed your posts and clicking on these, I immediately got on your site.
I noticed follow button is visible, so you probably use the same plugins like Jetpack, etc. maybe ask them why it is so. maybe it’s just me who cannot see links to your posts, not sure.
Other than that, I love reading your blog, book reviews, comments and your attitude towards life.
Thank you so much for the feedback! We’re now working with WordPress, who believe the issue might be on their end so.. it’s become a bit of a process. Hopefully it will be cleared up soon and that’ll be that.
It just requires a lot of patience.
And thank you, I’m flattered. That’s such a kind thing to say and I’m very happy you enjoy my blog. 🌹
It’s good you’re getting this resolved because those bloggers who didn’t never got back followers, comments or likes. I hope they fix it, they’re usually very good at that. All the best!
That sounds terrible.. I can’t imagine having to start from the very beginning again. And thank you, I hope so, I just can’t wait to get everything running smoothly.
Take care!