Shadows Strike (Immortal Guardians #6)
by Dianne Duvall
Blurb:
The Immortal Guardians protect the innocent
in secret. Sometimes the secret gets out...
U.S.
law enforcement agent Heather Lane can read minds. But not the future. The
dream of battle and blood that recurs every night must be a fluke, some obscure
terror from her own mind. What its significance might be, she can’t guess: an
attack from seven psychotic vampires at once, only separated from nightmare by
an eighth very different immortal. A handsome, brave man fighting at her side,
a man she misses when she wakes.
Then
the dream comes true. Heather is flung into a war between predators and
protectors of humanity, the man from her dreams beside her again. Except now
that she’s awake, she isn’t sure she can trust Ethan, or the shadow
organization he represents. The U.S. military doesn’t trust either of them. But
against an onslaught of evil like the one that’s coming, it will take
everything they have just to survive...
Themes: vampires,
Other, paranormal
Rating: 4.75 starsHeat Rating:
Review:
I
honestly cannot understand how one woman can come up with so many unique
storylines that still tie into a greater and hugely imaginative story arc. The skill of Dianne Duvall is astounding and
there is no way to deny that she is one of the great voices of this generation
of authors. Duvall’s Immortal Guardians
are individuals that you can easily believe exist somewhere in the world,
keeping us safe from the unthinkable in the world and as we meet more and more
of them and see them falling in love, she takes readers on a crazy ride of
vampires, conspiracies, aliens, and
Others (still truly undefined). I found
this series quite by accident but it was one of the greatest accidents I’ve
ever experienced. The story arc has developed through so many changes that I
cannot recall just how everything developed, it was such an organic and natural
process, but Ethan and Heather’s story brings a nice symmetry to a few things
and brings some fun new characters in to the world of these amazing men and
women. If you haven’t read previous
stories you will definitely miss some of the great underlying details, so I
recommend reading the entire series ;), but you will get plenty of backstory so
don’t feel like you’ll be lost if you just read Ethan’s story. I am dying to see where Dianne takes all of
this next and cannot imagine just how much more she can bring to these people,
but I know whatever she does will be magical.
Ethan
is going about his business, killing a pack of vampires, when he stumbles
across a beautiful, sensual, and surprisingly efficient woman in the woods, one
who saves his life when he falters under the assault of the many vampires. Heather has been seeing this night and this
man in her dreams for almost a year now, but she never actually believes she
would find herself embroiled in a vampire battle. When she welcomes the
gorgeous vampire that has inspired other, more erotic dreams, into her home,
she never imagined how much her life would truly be altered, but Ethan pulls at
her body, heart, and soul. Ethan is just
as attracted to Heather, especially when he learns of her special abilities,
but keeping her safe is his highest priority.
They find themselves swept into a dangerous game between the Immortal Guardians and there newest and most deadly enemy, and only Heather and Ethan
can keep danger from escalating to epic proportions. Once the danger passes, can Heather embrace
the opportunity for eternal life and love that Ethan is offering her, despite
the dangerous life he leads?
What
can I say about Ethan? He is the perfect
man! Just alpha enough to want to always protect his woman, but willing to let
her spread her wings and find her way in the world. He worries constantly about the danger she is
placed in, but he allows her to be a part of his world. He is sweet, loving, sensual, and
gorgeous. It is obvious that Heather
never saw him coming or she might have been better prepared for the sensual assault
he conducts on her senses and her heart.
It was interesting to see him find love after his relationship with
Lisette ended and his behavior when that happened. It’s obvious that he still loves Lisette, but
with Heather’s entrance to his life, Ethan begins to understand the difference
in loving someone and being deeply and eternally IN LOVE with someone. He shows Heather at every turn that he is a
man she can find happiness with, one that will treasure her for her
differences, encourage her growth, and protect her with every molecule of his
being. His sense of humor and silliness
also give this deadly and dangerous warrior a more human side, one that make
him seem like an every man at the times he isn’t kicking serious ass. I almost wish his story was longer just so
we’d get to live more days with Ethan.
Heather
is similarly an awesome character. From
the very moment we meet her we wonder just what her story is. She can kick ass with the best of them,
carries a James Bond gun (!) and can read people’s minds, but she is a quiet
and sweet personality under all her bravado and courage. The dreams she’s been experiencing night
after night for over a year have left her exhausted and confused, but she continues
to confront the experience every morning, and when she finds herself thrown
into a world she never imagined ran alongside her normal human world, she is
suddenly faced with decisions that could alter not only her life, but the
entire world. Heather is the type of
woman that I really love to read about.
She has fears, but she refuses to let them keep her from getting shit
done. She battles alongside her man and
her new friends, determined to do her part to keep the world safe, but in the
long run just wants a calm life with the love of her life, now that she has
found him. Her interactions with her
father were also interesting, standing up to him when needed, but obviously
Daddy’s little girl through and through.
I really related to Heather in a lot of ways and found that I liked her
more with every appearance on the page. I
look forward to seeing more of her in future novels as she grows and changes
within this extended family.
In
the end Shadows Strike was a story about two people finding love during turmoil
and danger. The dangers they find
themselves in and the action packed battle scenes keep the story moving along
as the team of Immortal Guardians, led by David and Seth, fight to keep the
Other from creating Armageddon. Ethan is
the sweetest and most loving guy, deadly and dangerous to his enemies. The dichotomy of the different sides of him
makes him a truly great character and an individual that readers can relate to
and fall in love with. Heather was at
time just as kickass as Ethan and the other immortals, but when she is with
Ethan in the quiet moments you can see the true compassion and empathy that she
feels towards others and the love she has developed for her Immortal. Heather’s connections surprisingly play a
very important role in this story and the prevention of disasters, and she
comes into Ethan’s life at just the right moment. The passion and love between Heather and
Ethan is off the charts and there is no denying that they are a perfect match
in every way. It was wonderful to see
Ethan get his HEA after the bruising his heart took when Lisette met her
love. I cannot wait to see who meets
their match next and find out just where this crazy author is taking us on the
wild ride through her imagination and the world of her sensual and deadly
Immortal Guardians.
*eARC provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
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