Review: Guardian's Bond by Rhenna Morgan

Title: Guardian's Bond

Author: Rhenna Morgan

Series: Ancient Ink #1

Release date: March 12, 2018

Genre: paranormal romance

Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis

Priest Rahandras has lived with the darkness trapped inside himself for years. Betrayed by his own brother and forced to watch his clan’s brutal annihilation, the only thing Priest wants more than to escape the curse that haunts him—as both man and beast—is to rebuild.

Until the mate he’s longed for walks into his life with an elder from his past. She’s everything he’s wished for, and the key to the clan’s very survival.

Kateri Falsen is a woman of logic and facts. While Priest’s cat can sense her arousal, telling her they’re fated won’t be enough. He’ll have to show her his love: with his words, with his actions and with his body.

Protecting Kateri from the evil trapped inside him is paramount. But when lost clan members are systematically murdered, he’ll have to choose between exposing his mate to his black magic, or risking her as the next victim.

Goodreads

Purchase links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2FdvITJ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2H0bP3c
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2tebGam

B&N: http://bit.ly/2FnAgKy

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2FO0u6M
iBooks: https://apple.co/2FP945k
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2FadHKb

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native Oklahoman with two beautiful girls, Rhenna Morgan is a certified romance junkie and has a resume that reflects her passion for new experiences. Since graduating with a Bachelors in Radio, Television, and Film at Oklahoma State, she’s racked up positions ranging from on-air radio talent, skip tracer, and promotions director, to real estate agent, project manager, and business analyst.

Like most women, she’s got obligations stacked tight from dawn to dusk. To combat the crush of reality, she’s turned to romance as her primary source of escape ever since she cracked the spine on her first Christine Feehan book years ago. Whether it’s contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy you’re after, Rhenna’s stories pack new, exciting worlds, and strong, intuitive men who fight to keep the women they want. 

For advance release news and exclusive content, sign up for her newsletter at http://RhennaMorgan.com.

REVIEW

        “I knew you were my light,” he said, “but I didn’t realize you’d be my redemption, too.”

I've read quite a few paranormal shifter books, so I'm pretty versed on all of the average storylines by this point. Guardian's Bond is the first I've read in a long time that offers a refreshing twist to the genre. Rhenna Morgan has built a rich and detailed world with magic, fated mates, and shifters with companion animals that are gifted to them by the Keeper.

In this fantastical world, there are four houses that categorize the Volán clan's people: seer, warrior, healer, and sorcerer. Each house is assigned a leader called the primo who serves the high priest and acts as a mentor. Once they are deemed ready, everyone who is part of these ancient families will go on a soul quest in the Otherworld. The purpose of this emotionally draining experience is to test each individual in order to judge their strengths and weaknesses. This will allow them to accept the specialized gifts and companion animal that's tailor fit by the Keeper. Rather than a physical challenge, this is If they chose no deny, they will hold no magic or power, and become a companionless human called a singura. If this is the path they choose, they will never be able to recognize their mate through their aura as others of their clan can. And they will not live to the typical average age of 175, but a normal human lifespan.

Eerikki "Priest" Rahandras is the Volán's high priest but his day job is a highly sought after tattoo artist. The intricate designs that he creates are composed of ancient symbols infused with magical protection against those who would do them harm. His duties for the clan are extensive, and the weight of his responsibilities lies heavy on his shoulders.

    He might have been an innocent when he’d stepped into his position fifty years ago, but now he reflected the hardened years in between.

Ever since his brother betrayed their people in a murderous power struggle, their numbers have been wiped out. He barely managed to put a stop to the powerful sorcerer, but in doing so, his brother's darkness was transferred and has been trapped inside of him for decades. It's a constant internal battle with him that he is determined to master. Despite the many years of hardship, he still remains a man who wants to do the right and honorable thing.

Shortly into the book, Priest is struck with that powerful rush of endorphins and laser focus that tells him his long-awaited mate has entered his shop. This is your typical protective/possessive alpha mate reaction that you find in most shifter books. However, what I found really refreshing was the fact that the female in their clan does not have the same power of recognition. So while there is some paranormal insta-love going on here, it's only one-sided. Priest must prove himself to her in order to earn her trust and affection. This was such an invigorating spin on the connection that so many shifter books have. As Kateri has been raised by her father outside of the Volán's ways, she's even more in the dark than most females of the clan. But Priest's determination for his mate to be at his side and marked as his mate is relentless.

    Whatever the cause for the rigid structure that controlled her life, he was prepared to fight it. To annihilate whatever barriers caged the woman inside and show her how sweet life felt when lived outside any pre-defined paths.

Kateri is a very disciplined woman, who likes order and predictability. Impulses and passion don't factor into her decisions...yet. Just because she doesn't acknowledge her innate passion doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Stifled her whole life by her father, it's going to take her time to identify and accept her true nature AND her fate before she's called to her soul quest.

This was a decent introduction to the series, and I'm intrigued enough to continue with future installments. My reason for giving it a middle grade rating is due to the fact that there was a lack of engagement on my part for Kateri and Priest's emotional connection. Their physical connection was very present, but I feel like there was more emphasis on that than the true core of their relationship. As a lot of first books in a paranormal series go, the world building and character development of the entire group took precedence. This tends to cause a disconnect with the main couple, but they were interesting to read about after getting accustomed to the excess information. I also felt as if the confrontation at the end was a bit of a let down and pretty short, though I'm sure that was only a taste of what's to come in the future.

If you're looking for a paranormal romance with elements that are unique to others in the genre with plenty of potential, pick up Guardian's Bond. I have my eye on Alek's book in particular, and will be stalking for future news.

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