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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Chrysalis: The Awakening by M.L. Lacy


Series: The Awakening Book 1

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Contemporary Romance

Copyright:

Rating: 4 ½ Stars

Book Description:

All families have secrets. But at 32 years old, Bree Campbell is discovering that her entire life has been a secret. Like most people, it never occurred to her to question her mortality; that is until she learns that she is a mortal born into a family of Magicals and begins to question everything and everyone in her life.

As the doors to Bree's new world fly open and she finally hears the prophecy told at her birth she must face the revelation that she is a Chosen One; the last and greatest of a long line of Chosen Ones. And if this were not overwhelming enough, she has been charged with saving the earth by repairing the cosmic tear that binds the mortal world she has always known and the Magical world she is just now discovering. But the real question lies in whether Bree will survive the long transformation into the powerful Druid Sorceress that is her destiny or die in the process as many before her have gone.

Bree's journey will not be an easy one. She must face the realities of her new life and her new family; a clan of vampires who have been charged with protecting her for all of her mortal life. They have chosen her as a leader in their clan, a position that has really complicated things for her. For no sooner than Bree is finally reunited with her long lost love, Steven, Bree must learn how to navigate the jealousies and emotions within her new family.

While Bree tries to free herself from her past, including her cruel and lethal husband, she must determine who she can truly trust. And while her clan loves her immensely, they will continually try to stand in her way; all in the name of protecting her from those set upon her death.
Bree's arch nemesis is Esmeralda, a powerful sorceress in her own right who will stop at nothing until this Chosen One is dead. If Esmeralda can claim Bree's blood, heart and soul and restore her Demon to his body, she will be so strong that none will be able to oppose her and she will be free to rid the world of all mortals and rule as she chooses.
But with the help of the Guardians and her dreams, Bree begins to awaken the powers hidden within her and begins to embrace the responsibility she has been born to. And even while these changes make her body weak, Bree begins to find an inner strength she never knew she had within herself. Will it be enough to save the world?





Review:

Let me start out by saying I LOVED this book. In fact I read Chrysalis: The Awakening three times because I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything the second and third time around.

Chrysalis: The Awakening is book one in this epic installment by debut author, M.L. Lacy which is a coming to age story where the main character Bree has lived under the assumption that she is just your average thirty two year old woman. Yep, Bree has gone through a horrendous marriage and divorce, survived some pretty unexplainable accidents and have the most over protective parents that any girl could ask for. But things are about to get a little strange.

Little does she know that she has been fated as one of the CHOSEN ONES. The truth is, she hasn’t a clue that she is remotely important to the survival of magical beings. In fact, she doesn’t believe in vampires, werewolves, witches and things that go bump in the night. Her “family” has done everything to keep that part of herself hidden from her. Afraid that her arch nemesis Esmeralda would find and kill her taking Bree powers in hopes of becoming an all powerful being. Esmeralda is on a major ego trip wanting not only to rule the magical world but also the mortal realm. So Esmeralda has been tracking Bree for the last thirty odd years and interjecting her minions in hopes that they would destroy her.

But things have gone a rye due to the protective Guardians that have been destined for Bree since her birth. This is her Clan—a band of brothers-- of vampires, werewolves, wizards and warlocks, oh my! Betrothed, mated since birth to a vampire named Stephen-- living side by side Bree but not allowed to unblock her memory. Her parents not only demanded that Stephan let Bree live a normal life before she begins her transition into the magical world, but that she have no memory of him and his fellow guardians.

Now Bree is thirty-two years old with a dangerous divorce behind her, she still hasn’t a clue what she is-- a CHOSEN ONES. Her guardians have never left her side hiding in secret where ever life led Bree. When she went off to college they were right there in disguise, protecting her and making sure Esmeralda’s henchmen never got to her.

But now Bree takes an uneventful flight to Vegas with her eccentric grandmother where a family reunion is in full swing. People are sure acting all kinds of crazy around her. Sniffing her hair, starring at her and giving off the impression that she has met them before. Bree just can’t place her finger on it. She is sure she has never met any of these “people” before but something keeps calling her to this band of brethrens and their life mates. Except memories are starting to awaken as she notice the strapping man in a plaid shirt and form fitting jeans starring at her. She can’t help but be drawn to him and his friends.

Bree’s whole world is about to change. Things she believed in aren’t true and things she never comprehended are coming to light.

I read in Webster’s New World Dictionary the definition for chrysalis-- is a stage of development when something or someone is still protected. I have to take my writers and reader’s hat of to Ms. Lacy in her superb job of wrapping her premise in a protective cocoon of intense erotic and suspenseful prose. The characters are some of the most engaging  and enticing  ones that I have read in a long time.

The main character, Bree comes off strong willed even though people all around her want to keep her close to the hip wrapped in bubble wrap. Even though Bree's world is changing faster than she can catch a breath,and old memories are flooding back and the witch, Esmeralda is out to kill her, you really have to give it to the girl for taking it all in stride.

Not once does her character ask why her? Why Was I picked to be a CHOSEN ONE?   Bree just accepted it as truth and went on to see how she could better build her new found CLAN and begin the process of accepting their rules and way of life. I found myself admiring Bree’s tenacity and gumption throughout her journey.

But at first, I didn’t know what to expect from Chrysalis: The Awakening. Was it a paranormal? Was it a Romance? Was it an erotic romance?  Or was it more of an urban fantasy?   I have to say it’s all of them combined, which for this reader was completely enlightening.

I wasn’t so sold on the fact that Bree actual sleeps with everyone in her clan. Don’t get me wrong I’m not a prude. I have read my fair share of erotic stories and erotica and know the lay of the land. But what I will admit to is my preconceived notion of Stephan being the hero and her life mate—which he is. Stephan has her heart, but she is one of the leaders of her clan and for such she need to be bonded with the other CLAN’S leader. So I got passed my own precariousness’ and got into the story. The story wasn’t what I would call a hard read. Things weren’t laid out so easily that you saw everything. Neither were they so far out there that you kept smacking your head having a V8 moment.

Chrysalis: The Awakening is an emotional roller coaster ride that kept me flipping to the next page that in the end the tips of my fingers had page burns and paper cuts.  It was well worth the pain.   I highly recommend this story to all paranormal contemporary romance aficionados.




Queen of Second Chances

Visit Christine at her blog Romantic Crush Junkies or Over the Edge

5 comments:

Stormi said...

Sounds like a cool book, I will have to put it on my wishlist.

Blodeuedd said...

This sounds real good, thanks for a great review

Unknown said...

Thank you so much. I can't wait for the second one to come out in January.
Happy Holiday's,
Christine

J.T. Oldfield said...

seeing that cover, I seriously just said out loud, "ooh...pretty!"

Tampa BookWorm said...

Added to my TBR list...