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| Caridad.com |
THE CLAIMED
May 01, 2012
Available as an e-book or mass market paperback
Disclosure: E-Galley provided by publisher via NetGalley.com. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions, unless noted otherwise, are my own.
Disclosure: E-Galley provided by publisher via NetGalley.com. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions, unless noted otherwise, are my own.
Victoria Johnson loves her life. She's her own boss in a quaint beachside town, and has great friends who keep her grounded. If only they knew who she really is: an heiress to an ancient race who possesses astonishing superhuman powers. It's Victoria's duty to restore her clan of Light Hunters to their former glory by choosing the perfect mate. In Christopher Sombrosa, she just may have found him. Strong, smart, and successful, Christopher exudes a powerful energy. Their connection is sensual, irresistible-and forbidden.
A member of the Shadow Hunter clan, Christopher has defied his own father to lead his people away from affliction and violence. Yet he cannot ignore his duty to carry on his ancient bloodline. Stunningly beautiful and brimming with an erotic life force, Victoria is everything Christopher ever hoped for in a mate . . . but as a Light Hunter, she's his mortal enemy. Together, they could unite their warring tribes. But murderous factions on both sides don't want peace-and they'll stop at nothing to keep light and darkness apart forever . . . Caridad.com
Between the hot and sexy plot and the interesting characters, Piñero kept me turning the pages until way too late. What is the thing about Caridad's stories that make them tough to put down? To be sure there are traitors on both sides of the battle of this series, there are heroes and there are villains. Then there are those too stuck in their beliefs to get past their prejudice. In fact, if you stripped away the supernatural element this could be any human conflict where the sides are mostly constructed of misinformation, prejudice and fear. And, maybe humanity appearing in supernaturals so we can relate is the secret to Piñero's success. Maybe the distance afforded by the differences allows us to step back and see the conflict in different ways.
This is the second in the SIN HUNTER series, so, Piñero has to dump a lot of back story and intricate world building in the first few pages. After that she deftly brings two inimical forces together. She is really great at plotting, pace and action. Throughout I was stunned by the detail and complexity of her species development. It did stand alone without much confusion except I felt I needed a little more in the energy exchange/illness issues surrounding the species.
Caridad has a unique voice too; sometimes it is fine and others it comes out as corny and overblown. For example this made me laugh:
Victoria experienced the coming of morning. Her Hunter body was attuned to the forces of nature around her, warning her that the day would soon arrive. (p. 137)
While I would certainly state it more simply, this is a matter of style and choices. It's not a huge detractor from the story, with its wonderful place by the sea and the atmosphere Caridad infuses into each page. I also quoted from an uncorrected galley and do need to make absolutely certain this is still in there which I will do today. It was one example of several instances and if it is not in the book I will redact it.
I recommend this and other books by Caridad as fun reads and this series is great for pool or beach side reading and fantasy.
Caridad is running an online event to help our men and women in uniform
Help SOS Aloha and me help our heroes! LINK!
Help SOS Aloha and me help our heroes in their time of need! I will be be donating a portion of my royalties from THE CLAIMED to HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS. Please take a moment to visit the SOS ALOHA Blog and share this information with others! Here is a little bit more about this project.
In THE LOST, I remembered them by having the heroine, Bobbie Carrera, be a wounded Marine veteran. I also dedicated the book to our military women, men and families.
For THE CLAIMED, I knew I had to do something more. Because of that desire to do more, a portion of my royalties for sales of my paranormal romance THE CLAIMED will be donated to HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS, an organization that seeks to enhance the quality of life for U.S. service members and their families who have been adversely affected by injuries or death in the line of duty. Also, if you’re one of the first fifty (50) to e-mail me with a proof of purchase of THE CLAIMED or proof of a donation to HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS, I’ll send you either a HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS pin or tote bag along with other swag. www.caridad.com
