The Alchemist’s Son by Athena Daniels

The Beyond the Grave series by Athena Daniels returns with Book 2, The Alchemist’s Son.

I received an ARC or review copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.

Title: The Alchemist’s Son
Author: Athena Daniels
Series: Beyond the Grave 02
Publish Date: August 16, Sunset Coast Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: Provided by publisher

Publisher’s Description: A town with a dark secret.
A detective digging for the truth.
A discovery that leads to an unthinkable sacrifice…

For one hundred years, a demon has been watching, waiting, plotting…

White witch Sage Matthews has inherited a gift that makes her both integral to an ancient prophecy and a target for a demon-possessed serial killer. Assigned to catch the killer, Detective Sergeant Ethan Blade falls wildly, and inconveniently, in love with the one woman he doesn’t know how to protect.

Together Sage and Ethan delve into the prophecy, and the more they learn, the more deadly their situation becomes. At midnight on the night of the blood moon, an ancient doorway will open, and a master demon and his horde will pour through and unleash hell on earth. Only Sage can stop their onslaught—but not if the demon kills her first.

With the blood moon looming, Sage discovers she can join forces with “the alchemist’s son” to destroy the demon. But who is the alchemist’s son? And will he be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice required to end this struggle between light and dark forever?

The Alchemist’s Son is the much-anticipated conclusion to Sage and Ethan’s journey of supernatural suspense and romance, which began in The Seer’s Daughter.

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Luna Lovebooks says…

I must admit I was a little disappointed in this one. The title promises more of Ethan’s background but we get more of Sage trying to figure out what to do. Readers don’t learn more about Ethan until the story is almost over. Most of this installment is Sage still running around trying to figure out how to defeat the demon.

The setting is even darker in this book as the demon is closer to walking on this plane of existence. but readers get comedic breaks between the doom and gloom when they are introduced to the new characters of Ethan’s team. Ethan and Sage have their romance beautifully wrapped up.

I did enjoy this novel but I think it could have taken a different direction that would have made me love it.

Our reviews in this series…

• The Seer’s Daughter

Other recommendations…

Check out these other Romance reads!

His Darkest Craving by Tiffany Roberts, Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, Real by Katie Evans

I received an ARC or review copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Seer’s Daughter by Athena Daniels

This seductive supernatural thriller is as sexy as it is captivating. The Seer’s Daughter is a perfect blend of suspense, paranormal and romance. A brutal murder brings together a young woman and a detective with two very different beliefs.

I received an ARC or review copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.

Title: The Seer’s Daughter
Author: Athena Daniels
Series: Beyond the Grave 01
Publish Date: November 9, 2015, Sunset Coast Publishing
Genre: Thriller/Paranormal Romance
Source: From the publisher

Publisher’s Description: To save her, he must let go of everything he ever believed.

Upon returning to her hometown for her grandmother’s funeral, Sage Matthews is terrorized by a series of strange events. She dismisses each eerie occurrence as a by-product of her overwrought emotional state, until it becomes chillingly clear that something not of this world is desperate to get a message—or is it a warning?—through to her…

Detective Sergeant Ethan Blade comes to Cryton, South Australia, to catch a serial killer. When Ethan meets Sage—the latest victim’s beautiful granddaughter—his attraction to her is explosive and inconvenient. He knows she’s not crazy, but Sage’s theory about the murders is unbelievable.

With the handsome detective rejecting her ideas, Sage embarks on the supernatural journey that her grandmother started. What she discovers shatters everything Sage ever knew about herself—and who she really is.

Ethan’s routine case quickly turns personal when he discovers Sage is the killer’s next target. For her, he’ll break all the rules and cross every line. But how can he protect Sage from an evil he cannot even conceive of?

Possible spoilers beyond this point.

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Luna Lovebooks says…

“Mother of all things holy, the man knew how to kiss! Every inch of her skin was on fire and aching for his touch. She ran her hands across his shoulders and down his chest, resenting the thin layer of fabric that kept her from the warmth of his skin. Tugging at the bottom of his T-shirt, she caressed his taut abdomen, then slid her fingers up and across the rippling muscles of his chest. The contact was electric, and she reveled in the low sound it elicited from him.”

This is the first book I have read by the author and to be honest it probably will not be the last (and not just because of the cliffhanger ending). The romance is steamy but it isn’t overpowering. The main focus is the investigation into Sage’s grandmother’s death. Sage begins to believe her Nan was killed by some supernatural force, while Detective Ethan Blade thinks more logically. The blending of these two beliefs from logical serial killer to demon possession is amazing.

There were two elements that bothered me a little. One was the fact that Sage spent a little too much time grieving over Nan. I understand that it was a sudden and tragic death and they were super close, but I felt like she should have gotten angrier and wanted to catch the killer far sooner than she did. The second element was the inconsistency of the family’s popularity. It is established that no one visits the shop or send cards and that Nan’s circle was small. But suddenly everyone loves Nan and her funeral is attended by a multitude of people? It was just a little hard to believe.

Despite these two shortcomings, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and they don’t take away from the novel, just makes you pause and question. I cannot wait to dive into the rest of the series over the next few months and see where the Beyond the Grave series takes us! I give this particular novel 4 pendants.

Other recommendations…

Check out these other great reads!

Scarred by Elizabeth Montgomery, Don’t Wake the Dead by C.C. Wood, Ironic Sacrifice by Brooklyn Ann

I received an ARC or review copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.