"Return to Jarved Nine - a multifaceted keeper"
ETERNAL NIGHTS is the second story set on Jarved Nine and
although it can be read alone, I highly recommend reading
Ms. O'Shea's debut novel RAVYN'S FLIGHT for two reasons,
first because it was a unique and incredible read, and also
because it will give the reader a greater understanding of
the background of the planet and the horror faced by the
alien civilization that had been the last inhabitants of J
Nine. Many of the characters in ETERNAL NIGHTS are familiar
which will make the reader feel they are picking up shortly
after they left off.
When one is as captivated by a plot as this reviewer was
with RAVYN'S FLIGHT the fear is that a sequel will not live
up to the initial thrill. My mind was put at ease
immediately as the words on the page pulled me into their
grip once more and wouldn't let me go until I had finished
the very last one. I read this book in a single day because
I simple couldn't put it down and I consider it time well
spent. Bravo Ms. O'Shea!
In RAVYN'S FLIGHT we learned that J Nine had once been
inhabited by an alien race with unique abilities, but these
special gifts had been no match for a serial killer left
there by another alien race as punishment for his crimes.
Unable to succeed in neutralizing the killer, the
inhabitants of J Nine had fled to their home world, leaving
a single city as testament to their culture.
Captain Kendall Thomas is a member of the Colonization
Assessment Team (CAT) assigned to the documentation of
alien artifacts left behind in the "Old City". She has a
specific interest in those contained within the Temple
pyramid. Lately she has had strange and terrifying dreams
of blood and death. She is not sure they mean. Daylight
events also have her scared, so scared that she has kept
her suspicions to herself, telling no one, not even her
best friend, Spec Ops Captain Wyatt Montgomery.
Wyatt is assigned to the security force on the planet. He
is well aware that something is spooking Kendall. He is
aware of something else as well. He and Kendall are soul
mates, having lived and loved in another life among the
alien inhabitants of J Nine. He has full memory of their
former existence, which had ended badly. Having found his
beloved again he isn't about to let her go this time, but
she has no recall of having known him in a past life. She
values his friendship but every time he attempts to take
their relationship to another level she takes a step back.
Kendall's upbringing had ingrained in her that
relationships fail but friendships last. She has feelings
for Wyatt, but she is not willing to risk losing his
friendship.
When Wyatt informs Kendall that an assignment will take him
outside of the city for a few weeks, she is not quite ready
to share her findings, so he assigns a trusted friend to be
there for her should matters come to a head while he is
gone. Kendall decides to trust the man, but when he is
murdered she decides to take the info. to her superior.
Kendall had suspected for sometime that someone had been
smuggling precious artifacts from the planet, but when Alex
Sullivan, a.k.a. "The Big Chill" refused to take the time
to hear her out, she takes matters into her own hands.
When Wyatt returns he finds Kendall missing, and last seen
hurrying toward the temple. The temple had claimed his love
once and Wyatt is not about to let that happen again.
Little does he know the dire straights his beloved has
gotten herself into.
Now trapped in the labyrinth of the alien temple, Kendall
and Wyatt will not only have to dodge a murderous band of
smugglers, but also the booby traps laid as security
measures by an alien race. Their lives are not the only
ones at stake. One last big crime has been planned before a
shuttle arrives to take half of the Spec Ops force back to
earth in two weeks. The conspirators must complete the
theft in time to smuggle all of the artifacts on board.
With innocent lives at stake, will Kendall remember her
past connection to the planet in time to save her friends
and preserve its history? Will her memories spark her
feelings love for her best friend Wyatt, or will he lose
her again to a life which had once torn them apart? J Nine fans will be happy to hear that Ravyn, Brody,
Stacey, and Alex are integral to the plot as secondary
characters. Kendall and Wyatt are every bit as strong and
believable with an incredible chemistry which results in a
sexual tension which will keep the romance reader riveted.
Patti O'Shea is a unique voice in the genre, and a force to
be reckoned with. Like RAVYN'S FLIGHT, ETERNAL NIGHTS is a
multifaceted read which will give it broad appeal. I
highly recommend it to fans of Futuristic romance and
romantic SF, as well as readers of Military and Suspense
fiction. The additional aspect of reincarnation will
delight paranormal readers as well. This
read is a keeper and I hope there will be a return to
J Nine in the near
future.
Posted June 27, 2006
Copyright © 2006
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted November 2, 2006
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