Release Date: June 13, 2013Add it to GOODREADS
Published By: Valknut Press
Length: 109 pages
Review Copy: Kindle, provided by author for honest review
Buy It:
Amazon
Rourk Kavanagh is an elite elfin warrior, and a member of a human Special Forces team. During a routine mission in Afghanistan, he crosses paths with a dark supernatural creature—a d'jinn.
His world gets turned upside down when the unthinkable happens: Keegan, his one true love, is kidnapped by an evil d'jinn. The d'jinn is seeking revenge for the death of his brother at Rourk's hands.
Fueled by fear over the potential loss of his wife, Rourk has only one thought—embrace the rage.
*Note: If you have not read the Keegan Chronicles
this may contain spoilers but read on!
My love for Julia Crane started with Keegan's Chronicles but it didn't stop there. I knew that she was continuing the series that I had fallen in love with, with novella's. Sadly I have not picked up a couple of them but when Julia offered me a copy of Rourk I was beyond excited. Rourk was and still is one of my favorite YA guys out there and this read only made my love more solid.
If you haven't read the Keegan Chronicles you can still read this as a stand alone but you would ultimately be skipping the journey that got this couple to where they are. As a married couple Keegan and Rourk are happy but live with long separations because of Rourk's position in the military but that is unimportant when everything starts to pull apart in one of the single most important moments of their lives. The plot went to places that broke my heart and reduced me to tears. Despite that Crane did a phenomenal job taking the fantasy world she had created and twisting it up into the world we know. Even the military components were done wonderfully.
Oh Rourk... My heart goes out to you and your unmovable love for Keegan, not to mention the tragic events that awaited you within the 109 pages of this novella. His heart is a force that should not be messed with and this goes for not only Keegan but the guys in team as well. There is a lot of loss in this read but it only spurs the fire that is within him. He is a warrior through and through, there is nothing that he wont do to protect those he loves and trust me you don't want to be the one that messes with him. Beyond all that though I liked that you saw most of this through Rourk. Keegan has a voice as well but this was more about the trails that they face through his eyes.
As I mentioned you do get some from Keegan and there is not point in me divulging the relationship part of this read because it is a given but you do get a little more on Keegan's family and some of Thaddeus. Maybe it is because I have not revisited the main series as I had hoped but it was nice to see how everyone was and be reminded of just how special each of the family members are. Crane does this without doing information dumps and strategically places everyone that is of importance throughout the book, giving them each their own importance in this continued story.
Julia Crane never fails to amaze me, even when she is making my heart break for the characters that I thought had gone through as much as she could possibly put them through. Undoubtedly this is an Author that is not afraid to put her characters and readers through hell but she also brings everything back together and repair it to be just a little bit stronger. I love this series and if the other novella's are as amazing as this (which I am sure they are) I am kicking myself for not getting on the Crane Novella Train sooner! Pick this up if you are a fantasy lover because I know that you will not regret it!!
His heart thudded in his chest, like it always did when she was near. He could keep his heart rate steady in battle, but around Keegan, it raced. There was also an undercurrent of electricity that coursed through his body at her touch, at the way she embraced him with nothing but her thin cotton night clothes between them.
Pain radiated through Rourk's chest, but he ignored it. Instead, his thoughts went to his beautiful wife. He couldn't wait to get home and wrap his arms around her. He missed everything about her.
"Keegan, remember everything happens for a reason." He let go and grabbed his bag from the ground.
"what does that mean?" Keegan asked, feeling panic rising in her chest.
Thaddeus stared at her for a long moment and then, without another word, turned and walked through the gate.
Rourk had figured as much. If Keegan could have disappeared she would have found a way out. Take away the magik, and the playing field was uneven.
I loved Rourk since the first time I have read about him in the Keegan's Chronicles. And to finally have a spinoff where he is the main character, really just made my day! :)
ReplyDelete