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kathydavie's review against another edition
3.0
Fourth in the Sentinel Wars paranormal romance action series revolving around an endangered group of enhanced warriors based in Dabyr who are protecting the world from demons. The couple focus is on Nika and Madoc---and it's about time!
My Take
There's a good lesson in this—LISTEN. Listen to the people around you. Pay attention. Hear what they're saying. If anyone had listened to Nika, Madoc and Tori would have suffered less. That said, Nika goes off half-cocked once they do start listening. Of course, time is of the essence.
Eeeeyew...Helen's reasoning as to why the demons are experimenting with humans makes awful sense. Really awful.
The whole rescue was botched. It didn't have to take place then and they knew it was a trap. But, oh no, they just had to follow stupid Nika. Stupid, stupid woman. Yes, they rescued many, but they took too great a chance and lost too much. If they had waited a few days for more reinforcements and done some reconnoitering, it would have been a better outcome. That said, it makes me wonder w...actually, no, it doesn't make me wonder. Obviously Butcher needed to kill off those particular characters. I just keep getting so involved!
I don't know if Butcher is getting better at the writing or if I'm simply getting used to it. I do like her characters and she keeps interjecting enough of a twist that I want to know what happens next. That and that Project Lullaby she's been teasing us with! At last we do learn more about the Sanguinar and what Project Lullaby is. Whew… And Gilda comes clean to Angus only to have tragedy strike.
The Story
No one ever listens to Nika. They won't believe, so she takes action on her own. Its results snowball into anger, recriminations, and rescues.
Time is running out for Tori about to give birth to the monster inside her, unlikely to survive its arrival. It's also running out for Madoc---his last leaf is barely hanging on.
The Characters
Nika Madison is one of three sisters attacked by the Synestryn nine years ago. While her body escaped them, her mind did not. Scattered into too many fragments, the human doctors think she's insane and she's been locked up all these years. Tori is the little sister who did not escape, but Nika has managed to maintain a psychic bond, providing Tori with at least a sense of warmth. For the demon lord, Zillah, has been torturing her, changing her, preparing her for the destiny he has in mind for his future children. Andra is the oldest sister. She managed to escape the attack and fought to rescue Nika just as Nika now fights to rescue Tori and Madoc.
Madoc is a Sentinel barely hanging onto the last leaf on the lifemark tattooed to his chest. Unless he can find his soulmate before that last leaf falls, he will go mad and kill all around him. He wants so desperately for that one to be Nika but his luceria does not respond to her. Instead, he performs the only service he can, killing Synestryn, helping Nika regain the fragments of her mind.
The Sentinels
The Sentinels are a broad group which encompasses the Theronai, the Sanguinar, and the Slayers, amongst others. The Sentinels about whom we've been reading are Theronai.
Joseph Rayd leads the Theronai Sentinels, but he is oh, so tired of his own struggle. Carmen is a human, a Gerai, whom Joseph is training. Paul is Andra's mate. Together they are rescuing children targeted by the Synestryn. Gilda is the Gray Lady, the betrayer, old and weakening in power the longer she refuses her husband, Angus. Ricky is a very unhappy seventeen-year-old, easily brainwashed. Additional Sentinels include Nicholas, their tech guy; Helen and Drake; Briant; Liam; and, Morgan. Grace is a Gerai in love with the crippled and dying Torr. She would do anything, give anything to help him recover.
Iain is the leader of the secret group, the Band of the Barren. All are Sentinels living on borrowed time, hoping to find their soulmates. But Iain lost his mate. Now only his promise to Serena keeps him going.
Ripped apart in the womb by their mother, Maura and Sibyl both see the future although Maura can kill with a touch. Yes, they are Gilda and Angus' children. Cursed when they made a promise to their distraught mother that they would never grow up.
The Sanguinars
The Sanguinar are like vampires and work in an uneasy partnership with the Sentinels as healers. They need blood to survive, but there isn't enough. Most of them are in a type of suspended animation. The Solarc, Tynan's grandfather, "banished, cursed, and cut them off from the source of their power" a millennia ago. Now they starve unless they can speed up Project Lullaby. Connal has become addicted and is now bonded to Zillah, a traitor. Alexander. Logan. Tynan. All of them are willing to do whatever is necessary.
Andreas Phelan now leads the Slayers, those who slay the Sentinels whose souls have died.
Jackie Patton was one of the women rescued and one of the women for whom the Theronai have been searching. It seems she is compatible with several men. Hmmm, I don't know if this will result in a multiple partnership or fighting...
Meghan Clark is fulfilling her promise---part of Project Lullaby??—to the man who saved her father from dying of cancer. John Hawthorne, a building contractor, rescues her when her car goes off the road.
Canaranth is Zillah's second-in-command, but has fallen in love with one of their human captives, Ella.
The Cover
There is a very dreamy quality with all the cloudy white surrounding and fogging Madoc's body. Only his very muscular torso with the bare branches of his lifemark shows as his body twists toward us, his sword raised across his chest ready to protect.
The title is the the twenty-four-seven dreams that haunt Madoc who is barely hanging onto his soul and the minds of the Synestryn who scrabble at Nika's mind---their individual Living Nightmare.
My Take
There's a good lesson in this—LISTEN. Listen to the people around you. Pay attention. Hear what they're saying. If anyone had listened to Nika, Madoc and Tori would have suffered less. That said, Nika goes off half-cocked once they do start listening. Of course, time is of the essence.
Eeeeyew...Helen's reasoning as to why the demons are experimenting with humans makes awful sense. Really awful.
The whole rescue was botched. It didn't have to take place then and they knew it was a trap. But, oh no, they just had to follow stupid Nika. Stupid, stupid woman. Yes, they rescued many, but they took too great a chance and lost too much. If they had waited a few days for more reinforcements and done some reconnoitering, it would have been a better outcome. That said, it makes me wonder w...actually, no, it doesn't make me wonder. Obviously Butcher needed to kill off those particular characters. I just keep getting so involved!
I don't know if Butcher is getting better at the writing or if I'm simply getting used to it. I do like her characters and she keeps interjecting enough of a twist that I want to know what happens next. That and that Project Lullaby she's been teasing us with! At last we do learn more about the Sanguinar and what Project Lullaby is. Whew… And Gilda comes clean to Angus only to have tragedy strike.
The Story
No one ever listens to Nika. They won't believe, so she takes action on her own. Its results snowball into anger, recriminations, and rescues.
Time is running out for Tori about to give birth to the monster inside her, unlikely to survive its arrival. It's also running out for Madoc---his last leaf is barely hanging on.
The Characters
Nika Madison is one of three sisters attacked by the Synestryn nine years ago. While her body escaped them, her mind did not. Scattered into too many fragments, the human doctors think she's insane and she's been locked up all these years. Tori is the little sister who did not escape, but Nika has managed to maintain a psychic bond, providing Tori with at least a sense of warmth. For the demon lord, Zillah, has been torturing her, changing her, preparing her for the destiny he has in mind for his future children. Andra is the oldest sister. She managed to escape the attack and fought to rescue Nika just as Nika now fights to rescue Tori and Madoc.
Madoc is a Sentinel barely hanging onto the last leaf on the lifemark tattooed to his chest. Unless he can find his soulmate before that last leaf falls, he will go mad and kill all around him. He wants so desperately for that one to be Nika but his luceria does not respond to her. Instead, he performs the only service he can, killing Synestryn, helping Nika regain the fragments of her mind.
The Sentinels
The Sentinels are a broad group which encompasses the Theronai, the Sanguinar, and the Slayers, amongst others. The Sentinels about whom we've been reading are Theronai.
Joseph Rayd leads the Theronai Sentinels, but he is oh, so tired of his own struggle. Carmen is a human, a Gerai, whom Joseph is training. Paul is Andra's mate. Together they are rescuing children targeted by the Synestryn. Gilda is the Gray Lady, the betrayer, old and weakening in power the longer she refuses her husband, Angus. Ricky is a very unhappy seventeen-year-old, easily brainwashed. Additional Sentinels include Nicholas, their tech guy; Helen and Drake; Briant; Liam; and, Morgan. Grace is a Gerai in love with the crippled and dying Torr. She would do anything, give anything to help him recover.
Iain is the leader of the secret group, the Band of the Barren. All are Sentinels living on borrowed time, hoping to find their soulmates. But Iain lost his mate. Now only his promise to Serena keeps him going.
Ripped apart in the womb by their mother, Maura and Sibyl both see the future although Maura can kill with a touch. Yes, they are Gilda and Angus' children. Cursed when they made a promise to their distraught mother that they would never grow up.
The Sanguinars
The Sanguinar are like vampires and work in an uneasy partnership with the Sentinels as healers. They need blood to survive, but there isn't enough. Most of them are in a type of suspended animation. The Solarc, Tynan's grandfather, "banished, cursed, and cut them off from the source of their power" a millennia ago. Now they starve unless they can speed up Project Lullaby. Connal has become addicted and is now bonded to Zillah, a traitor. Alexander. Logan. Tynan. All of them are willing to do whatever is necessary.
Andreas Phelan now leads the Slayers, those who slay the Sentinels whose souls have died.
Jackie Patton was one of the women rescued and one of the women for whom the Theronai have been searching. It seems she is compatible with several men. Hmmm, I don't know if this will result in a multiple partnership or fighting...
Meghan Clark is fulfilling her promise---part of Project Lullaby??—to the man who saved her father from dying of cancer. John Hawthorne, a building contractor, rescues her when her car goes off the road.
Canaranth is Zillah's second-in-command, but has fallen in love with one of their human captives, Ella.
The Cover
There is a very dreamy quality with all the cloudy white surrounding and fogging Madoc's body. Only his very muscular torso with the bare branches of his lifemark shows as his body twists toward us, his sword raised across his chest ready to protect.
The title is the the twenty-four-seven dreams that haunt Madoc who is barely hanging onto his soul and the minds of the Synestryn who scrabble at Nika's mind---their individual Living Nightmare.
shezz's review against another edition
4.0
Probably my favourite book so far. Nika and Madoc were made for each other and loved seeing their interactions with other characters. It was also action packed and gave out so much more infomation on the synstern and how human like they could be.
The sanguinar stole the show though. Tynan better get his own book!
The sanguinar stole the show though. Tynan better get his own book!
laurenjodi's review against another edition
5.0
Living Nightmare
5 Stars
Nika Madison has been trapped in a nightmare for nine years but now she is slowly coming out of it and has one goal – to save her younger sister from the monstrous Synestryn holding her captive. Unfortunately, Nika’s psychic connection to her sister is fading and only one person has the power to help Nika re-forge that bond: Madoc, a Sentinel Warrior with a bare lifemark who wants nothing to do with Nika.
Amazing read that keeps you turning the pages!
As in the previous books, the overall story arc continues to develop and there are some surprising twists and turns. There is a large cast of characters to keep track of, but each has a compelling personality and story that grabs you and won’t let go.
Nika and Madoc are both tortured and damaged but find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. Their chemistry is simply mesmerizing and they share some of the most romantic moments in the series. Madoc is hanging on to his humanity and honor by a thread, and is terrified of the danger that he poses to others, especially Nika. He tries to keep himself at a distance but finds it difficult to fight against the temptation that she poses. Nika is stubborn and determined with a strength of will and capacity for love that makes her impossible to resist.
Overall, an exciting and action packed story but be forewarned that there are several dark and disturbing scenes that may make some readers uncomfortable. The next book is Logan’s and I am looking forward to seeing things from a Sanguinar's perspective.
5 Stars
Nika Madison has been trapped in a nightmare for nine years but now she is slowly coming out of it and has one goal – to save her younger sister from the monstrous Synestryn holding her captive. Unfortunately, Nika’s psychic connection to her sister is fading and only one person has the power to help Nika re-forge that bond: Madoc, a Sentinel Warrior with a bare lifemark who wants nothing to do with Nika.
Amazing read that keeps you turning the pages!
As in the previous books, the overall story arc continues to develop and there are some surprising twists and turns. There is a large cast of characters to keep track of, but each has a compelling personality and story that grabs you and won’t let go.
Nika and Madoc are both tortured and damaged but find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. Their chemistry is simply mesmerizing and they share some of the most romantic moments in the series. Madoc is hanging on to his humanity and honor by a thread, and is terrified of the danger that he poses to others, especially Nika. He tries to keep himself at a distance but finds it difficult to fight against the temptation that she poses. Nika is stubborn and determined with a strength of will and capacity for love that makes her impossible to resist.
Overall, an exciting and action packed story but be forewarned that there are several dark and disturbing scenes that may make some readers uncomfortable. The next book is Logan’s and I am looking forward to seeing things from a Sanguinar's perspective.
shan198025's review against another edition
5.0
Nika and Madoc are my favorite pairing so far. The wounded warrior trying to be honorable and the woman who wouldn't give up on him.
spiringvenus's review
4.0
I was so happy to finally read Nika's story! I loved the unexpected ending. I just wish more of the previous couples would have been involved a bit more.
chllybrd's review
4.0
Review posted at http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
When Nika was little her sister Tori was taken by s'gath demons from there house and Nika was infected by the demons as they took her blood. The result of the blood taking left Nika's mind splintered as she is a psychic and the more s'gath demons that shared her blood the more of them that she was connected to and the more her mind splintered. Madoc is on the verge of loosing his soul and he is trying everything in his power to kill off as many of the demons that share Nika's blood as possible she she can have her mind completly back again. Although he is in love with Nika and Nika with him he refuses to be with her out of fear that he will hurt her so he has been staying away from her even though she needs him and vice versa but Nika has grown a backbone and refuses to give up.
I love Nika and Madoc together. I was so happy to see that this book was finally going to have their story as the main one. Of course there is many side snippets to other couples and going on but it all flowed together perfectly to bring a story full of action, suspense and passion. I was able to connect with the characters as I always am in Ms Butcher's stories. You defiantly need to read all the books in the series to follow along so make sure you grab book 1 Burning Alive if you haven't already read it.
I gave it a 4/5
When Nika was little her sister Tori was taken by s'gath demons from there house and Nika was infected by the demons as they took her blood. The result of the blood taking left Nika's mind splintered as she is a psychic and the more s'gath demons that shared her blood the more of them that she was connected to and the more her mind splintered. Madoc is on the verge of loosing his soul and he is trying everything in his power to kill off as many of the demons that share Nika's blood as possible she she can have her mind completly back again. Although he is in love with Nika and Nika with him he refuses to be with her out of fear that he will hurt her so he has been staying away from her even though she needs him and vice versa but Nika has grown a backbone and refuses to give up.
I love Nika and Madoc together. I was so happy to see that this book was finally going to have their story as the main one. Of course there is many side snippets to other couples and going on but it all flowed together perfectly to bring a story full of action, suspense and passion. I was able to connect with the characters as I always am in Ms Butcher's stories. You defiantly need to read all the books in the series to follow along so make sure you grab book 1 Burning Alive if you haven't already read it.
I gave it a 4/5
jazi62's review
4.0
Just started the series with book four(Never realized when I picked it up) . I enjoyed this so I am going to go hunting for book 1
tkat's review
4.0
Really good story, but nothing overly spectacular. No big reveals about the world and its mythology, but there are confirmations of some suspisions we've had from earlier books.
My only real point of contention with this book is that there is a pretty harsh near-rape scene close to the end. It is easily surpassed, and it provides the trigger the heroine needs to help save the day, but it was still kinda harsh.
Little Nika's mind finally heals, and she finds her Sentinel beau who helps her save her baby sister from some real bad people. All in all quite enjoyable and looking forward to the next one.
My only real point of contention with this book is that there is a pretty harsh near-rape scene close to the end. It is easily surpassed, and it provides the trigger the heroine needs to help save the day, but it was still kinda harsh.
Little Nika's mind finally heals, and she finds her Sentinel beau who helps her save her baby sister from some real bad people. All in all quite enjoyable and looking forward to the next one.
laurla's review
"it was glaringly obvious to her, but no one else seemed to see it. and that, in a nutshell, was the story of her life. she saw things no one else did, and no one believed."
"we're back to this, are we?"
"we never left this. the fact that no one listens to me does not change the truth."
"I wont let you ignore me. I wont let you treat me like i'm not here. I matter, damn it. I may be crazy but I matter!"
"you're not going to do that thing again - that thing you did in the graveyard."
"it's cute you think you can stop me."
"you're making me crazy."
"its not so bad. you might even like it."
"you try to stop me and i'll find a dozen new and interesting ways to make you regret it."
"I would never dare to stand between a woman and the man whom she plans to teach a lesson. I prefer to watch the show."
"we're back to this, are we?"
"we never left this. the fact that no one listens to me does not change the truth."
"I wont let you ignore me. I wont let you treat me like i'm not here. I matter, damn it. I may be crazy but I matter!"
"you're not going to do that thing again - that thing you did in the graveyard."
"it's cute you think you can stop me."
"you're making me crazy."
"its not so bad. you might even like it."
"you try to stop me and i'll find a dozen new and interesting ways to make you regret it."
"I would never dare to stand between a woman and the man whom she plans to teach a lesson. I prefer to watch the show."