"The Nightkeepers' quest continues in the race to prepare for the end-time battle"
The Final Prophesy, Book 2 After successfully defending earth against the Banol Kax,
the Nightkeepers have spent the past couple of months
attempting to recover 7 ancient Mayan artifacts. The
sacred items hold prophecies that will help the
Nightkeepers prepare for the end-time battle that has been
triggered by King Striking-Jaguar's refusal to sacrifice
his chosen mate. The Nightkeepers have lost some momentum
in the time since the battle at Winter Solstice. The
demands of the Nightkeeper tradition appear to be taking a
toll on the group of warrior-priests and recent failed
missions are only adding to their frustration. It seems
that someone else is also seeking to obtain the precious
artifacts...and that someone is always one step ahead of
them. Nate Blackhawk will accept his duty as a Nightkeeper, but
that's as far as it goes. Growing up an orphan, Nate has
learned some harsh lessons in life, but he survived and now
owns a successful video game company. Seven months prior,
he had been shocked to learn about his bloodline and the
parents he never knew, but imagine his surprise when he
showed up at Nightkeeper headquarters only to be greeted by
a living, breathing version of his video game heroine -
Alexis Gray. The attraction was instant and mutual, but
Nate hates the idea of fate choosing his mate for him so he
rejects Alexis and pushes her away. He may be duty-bound
to protect mankind, but his destiny is his own to decide;
and not even the gods themselves can take that away from
him. Alexis Gray knows that Nate Blackhawk is the man for her
whether or not he chooses to accept it. In the past she has
had a history of staying in relationships well past the
expiration date, yet somehow she had hoped it would be
different this time. But much as she desires Nate, she
also wants to distinguish herself as an elite member of the
Nightkeeper clan. Her success depends largely on her
ability to harness her powers and without Nate to boost her
magic she may need to select another Nightkeeper male as
her mate. Her heart may protest, but if the man she loves
refuses to love her then perhaps it is time to move on.
The fate of mankind is at stake and Alexis is determined to
do what she can to aid their chances of winning the final
battle. Despite their efforts to avoid one another it appears that
the will of the gods will not be denied as Nate and Alexis
are forced to work together. As her protector, Nate vows
to keep Alexis safe though he continues to deny his
feelings for her. In time Alexis learns to call down her
powers on her own without Nate's assistance thereby
releasing him from fate's interfering hand; But an
unexpected feeling of emptiness moves in to occupy the
place in Nate's heart where resentment used to reside.
Danger closes in on the Nightkeepers and Alexis steps up to
the challenge placing herself in harm's way. To have any
chance of saving Alexis, Nate must first face the truth
about his feelings for her, and in doing so Nate discovers
that with Alexis, he is capable of more than he ever
imagined -- and a life of free will isn't worth much without
her. DAWNKEEPERS picks up from where Book 1 left off with the
Nightkeepers' ongoing quest to prepare for the end-time
battle. Fans of the first installment will not be
disappointed as Andersen continues to build upon the
Nightkeeper mythos while weaving intricate subplots into
this densely layered world. Keeping with the tone of the
first book, DAWNKEEPERS works well as urban fantasy, but
once again readers looking for a good dose of romance may
find Nate and Alexis a tad frustrating. The hero and
heroine score high on the angst scale throughout the
majority of the book, however events tied to the overall
arc of the series end up overshadowing much of their
drama. Nate and Alexis may not have the most satisfying
romance, but that does not diminish the exciting story of
the Nightkeepers and several new twists will have readers
anxiously waiting for the next installment. SKYKEEPERS
(The Final Prophesy, Book 3) is due to be released AUGUST
2009.
Reviewed by Sonya Harrison
Posted February 10, 2009
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