South of Surrender releases May 28, 2013
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Synopsis:
She’s the only one who can see through his golden boy façade to the broken god within…
Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind and Summer, is on a mission: save Eurus from his death sentence and prove his troubled brother can be redeemed. But Eurus fights back, triggering vicious summer storms that threaten the mortal realm, dangerously drain Chrys, and earn the ire of the Olympic gods who ordered Eurus dead.
Laney Summerlyn refuses to give up her grandfather’s horse farm, despite her deteriorating vision. More than ever, she needs the organized routine of her life at Summerlyn Stables, until a ferocious storm brings an impossible—and beautiful—creature crashing down from the heavens.
Injured while fighting Eurus, Chrys finds himself at the mercy of a mortal woman whose compassion and acceptance he can’t resist. As they surrender to the passion flaring between them, immortal enemies close in, forcing Chrys to choose between his brother and the only woman who’s ever loved the real him.
Review:
This is the third book in Laura Kaye’s Hearts of the Anemoi Series and I have been looking forward to reading it since finishing West of Want, the second title in the series. Well, it was well worth the wait. This, so far, is officially my favorite book in the series. Loved, loved, LOVED!
Laney Summerlyn lives a very routine and organized life on the beloved horse farm left to her by her grandfather. Learning to live with a degenerative disease that is slowly stealing her sight, having such a routine and organized life is crucial to letting her keep her independence and stay with her cherished horses. With a little help around the farm from her close family friend, Sam, she has managed to do just that….until a severe summer storm rips through the farm and sends something, or someone, crashing through her barn and turns her life completely upside-down.
Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind, is on the hunt for his brother, Eurus, and is determined to save him from a death sentence that was handed down from the Olympic gods…even if the sentence was rightfully earned by his evil brother’s transgressions. But it seems that all the paths that should lead him to Eurus turn up to be dead ends. On this night, however, he finds Eurus and also finds himself in a fight nearly to the death. Severely wounded and completely out of it, Chrys winds up crashing through Laney’s barn and into her life. Will she be able to heal not only his physical wounds, but also his burdened soul?
Together, Laney and Chrys, along with Chrys’s family, must journey on a mission to find Eurus as the situation passes bad and heads straight into disaster territory. Eurus has gained too much power and must be stopped. Now, after helping Chrys heal, she unknowingly has a front row seat to otherworldly conflict. Will a human be able to withstand a clash between gods? Will a god be able to withstand the attraction and lure to a human?
As you all know, I am a huge fan of Laura’s writing…and with this book she continues to earn her spot as a favorite author of mine. This story was told with such feeling and description that I honestly felt what Chrys and Laney were going through. I could feel Laney’s determination and perseverance, I could feel Chrys’s need for a resolution and the swirling emotions he has concerning his brother. The story line was exciting and well written. The back and forth between loving moments, terrifying fight scenes and defeated sadness was done with the perfect amount of each that ultimately gave a delicious balance to the story. I also appreciated the mythology built into the story and felt that was done equally well…it wasn’t overly explained and filled with more than necessary for the story line which sometimes happens when mythology is involved. Ultimately this story has everything I love in a book…I laughed, I had white-kuckled-ereader-gripping moments and I also cried…a lot. To me, that’s what a great story does for a reader….takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. South of Surrender was that, and more.
Since I am not a fan of spoilers, I can’t give you much more in regards to what happens with Eurus and if they resolve their conflict. I will tell you that I am anxiously awaiting the next release in this series to see what is next for our favorite Anemoi family. It was so great to see our friends from the previous books…Owen and Megan, Zeph & Boreus. It was also wonderful to meet new characters that will undoubtedly be seen more in the future!
Thank you, Laura, for yet another amazing story and for giving us Chrys *dreamy sigh*. I look forward to reading more from The Hearts of the Anemoi Series and, well, honestly, more of anything you have to write for us!
*I received a copy of this book for an honest review
Five Loves
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