I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Atlantis Unleashed
by
Alyssa Day
paranormal romance in Paperback edition that was published by Berkley on June 2, 2009 and has 316 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Wild Thing, Atlantis Rising, Atlantis Awakening, Atlantis Unmasked, Atlantis Redeemed, Atlantis Betrayed, Vampire in Atlantis, Heart of Atlantis, Dead Eye, "Travelling Eye", Private Eye, Evil Eye, Eye of Danger, Eye of the Storm, Eye on the Ball, Apple of My Eye, A Dead End Thanksgiving Disaster, Blink of an Eye, “William's Witch”
Third in the Warriors of Poseidon paranormal romance series revolving around seven warriors in an elite guard surrounding the crown prince of Atlantis. The couple focus is on Lord Justice and Dr. Keely McDermott; their goal is the retrieval of the Star of Artemis.
My Take
I think Day is channeling J.R. Ward but there is a bit of static in the airwaves. It’s not fair to compare her warriors against the BDB boys, but it is kind of inevitable. I do adore the BDB so keep in mind that I have this prejudice for wanting Day to take her boys deeper into bad-ass territory.
That said, the opening page is absolutely priceless! I just crack up at the inventory Justice takes “of his condition, his weapons, and his chances as 1. bad, 2. worse, and 3. odds-on favorite to be a dead man in the next five minutes”.
Big loose thread here, Day. Grenning reported Keely’s kidnapping and supposedly this is a big deal…?? Why haven’t we heard any more about it.
I think Day misses a great tension scene when she so tamely allows Justice to reconnect with the Guard and meet Keely for the first time.
Oh, c’mon…Keely and Justice have spent most of the book turning away from making love and now, all of a sudden, it’s like Lover’s Lane in high school where they’re going at it like nobody’s business with about the same finesse in the writing! Then the whole kidnapping incident was just too convenient especially with Poseidon’s appearance. Day puts all this effort into her story and then she blips out.
The Story
Taking up from the end of Atlantis Awakening, 2, Justice gave himself up to Anubisa to spare Vengeance and Erin. It may only have been four months ago; it feels more like 4,000. He has forgotten almost everything of his old life but bits and pieces. His mind is almost gone but for that flash of a woman’s face. Something about that face resonates within him, breaking the hold Anubisa has on him and with the help of Pharnatus, Justice’s independent thought resurges.
Keely has just gotten back from a dig in Rome, checking voice mail, being rejected by her parents when Liam shows up in her office with an offer from Prince Conlan of Atlantis. Her services are requested as part of the Atlanteans’ preparation for revealing their existence to the world. She may choose not to come but her memory will be wiped of this invitation. And Liam is not above applying a bit of pressure…threatening to invite her chief rival in the field if she refuses.
The Characters
Dr. Keely McDermott is a professor at the Archeology Department at Ohio State University in Columbus who can read objects. Stronger than psychometry, Keely touches an object and goes back to a specific, strong event and relives that event. Her parents want as little to do with her as possible; her Gift is too freaky for their comfort. Dr. George Grenning is her boss, a renowned researcher with a number of published works to his credit, and a bit extra on the side.
Blue-haired Lord Justice is magically forbidden from telling anyone he is the Princes Conlan and Vengeance’s half-brother. The other half is a little stranger: half Atlantean and half Nereid.
There are seven Guards
Justice is one of the seven Guards along with Prince Vengeance, Conlan’s younger brother, (his woman is Erin Connors from Atlantis Awakening, 2); Alexios; the cheeky Christophe; Brennan who hasn’t experienced an emotion in centuries; and, Denal, the baby of the group. Liam is an Atlantean with a message. Prince Conlan is trying to get married before Riley has their baby (Atlantis Rising, 1).
Alaric is the high priest of Poseidon; to retain his power and help his people, he must remain celibate even at the cost of his soul mate, Quinn Dawson, leader of the rebels. Jack is a tiger shifter and a rebel leader as well. He’s a little too close to Quinn for Alaric’s comfort. Grace and Michelle are part of the rebellion. Daniel, a.k.a., Drakos, is an ally who shared blood with Quinn.
Tiernan Butler claims to be a reporter. Alejandro is the remaining leader in Las Pinturas after the vampires attacked the village . Of the few who survived, young Eleni lost both her parents and her people find her Gift strange.
Anubisa is the goddess of Chaos and Night, a vampire goddess, pure evil. Pharnatus has been a prisoner of Anubisa for over 2,000 years. He was a foot soldier in Alexander the Great’s armies. There is not much human left in him. Just enough though. Vonos is the new Lord Primator, the leader of the third house of Congress, for vampires only. Gultep’can is the Guatemalan vampire leader at San Bartolo.
The Cover and Title
The cover is all purples, blues, and pinks with a seemingly hairless Justice bare to the waist and Poseidon’s Fury in his left hand, the tattoo on his upper arm blazing with light while the ground upon which he stands seethes in smoke and embers.
The title, I dunno, it doesn’t really seem to fit since it’s really only Justice raining down fury.
