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.
Atlantis Unmasked
by
Alyssa Day
mythic fantasy, paranormal romance in Paperback edition on July 7, 2009 and has 298 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Wild Thing, Atlantis Rising, Atlantis Unleashed, Atlantis Awakening, 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”
Fourth in the Warriors of Poseidon mythic fantasy romance series about the Seven, warriors who form a protective guard for the crown prince of Atlantis. The couple focus in on Alexios and Grace Havilland at Fort Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida.
The jewel focus is the Vampire’s Bane.
My Take
The series plot line [that hasn’t much tension] is the need to recover all the gems that belong in Poseidon’s Trident. Without those gems, when Atlantis rises up from the ocean floor, it will be destroyed.
The story was enjoyable but getting to be a bit same ‘ol, same ‘ol. This one felt more like Day had to get this particular warrior tidied up and off the waiting list with lots of dipping into everyone else’s life. Which is weird as I normally love getting the “news from home” about the series characters. Perfunctory is the word that comes to mind.
I think Day missed an opportunity to make this story interesting by not taking the tension of the elves wanting an alliance deeper. It was just words. The whole story is a disjointed series of events … it’s more of a bridge novel with bits and pieces happening that are related only in that it reflects on the overall conflict. Even the events at the fort are just chunks: the shifter attack simply confirms what they already know; the meeting with the elves doesn’t go anywhere; I don’t understand the purpose of Rhys kidnapping Grace and Alexios; and, the whole party scene was just too easy with no visible resolution for Rhys. Although, the scene where Ethan’s alpha projection affects Grace was pretty funny — Alexios was pretty He. Ro. Ic being a good boy!
One of the things that’s been bothering me in this series is why would the United States government OR its people accept a vampire senate as a third house? It sounds as though the government is catering to the vampires as though they were gods or royalty or something. Why?
The Story
It’s a double ambush for Alexios in St. Louis. First when the shifters try to take them out on the way to the hospital. Second when he realizes how attracted he is to Grace. It’s too much for our hundreds-of-years-old indomitable warrior, and he flees back to Atlantis.
When Rhys na Garanwyn makes an offer to the Atlanteans through Grace, it causes almost as much of a problem as the changed enthrallment the vamps seem to be using on humans and shifters. Then Ven assigns Alexios to the rebel training camp in Florida. To Grace. It’s all downhill from there as Alexios falls deeper and deeper in love. Alexios is resisting for fear of dishonoring his vow while Grace can’t believe someone as incredible as Alexios could possibly want her. [I rather wish authors could come up with a better excuse for the denial.]
It’s in the news, shifters are attacking and killing people all over the country. In Florida, they are targeting drug dealers and crooks so people are ignoring it. Then one pack of shifters attacks the fort. Dealing with the aftermath simply applies more pressure for the upcoming meeting with the fae nor do they have any idea yet about the Vampire’s Bane.
The Characters
Grace Havilland has been fighting with the rebel forces since the day the vampires came out. The night a vampire killed her brother Robbie. The night she gave up her contention for the Olympic swimming team. She found the great-grandmother she’d never met who passed on the family legacy as a hunter for Diana, goddess of the moon. Now her only connection to her childhood is Michelle Nichols, Grace’s friend and part of the rebellion, and Aunt Bonnie. Spike is on Grace’s team.
Alexios is one of the Seven and has done well in getting past most of the horrors he experienced as a prisoner of Anubisa. He’s desperately trying to ignore his attraction to Grace to avoid dishonoring the vow of celibacy he made. At a covert meeting to discuss the enthrallment issue, Lucas asks Alexios to be second pack-father to his sons.
The other six of the Seven include …
… Bastien who will marry Kat, a park ranger and panther shifter; Lord Justice, half-Atlantean, half-Nereid, and his Keely, an archeologist (their adopted daughter Eleni is mentioned, see Atlantis Unleashed); the King’s Vengeance “Ven” and his Erin, the gem singer; the unemotional Brennan; the irrepressibly cheeky Christophe; and, the youngest and most emotional, Denal. Bastien’s sister Marie, First Maiden of the Nereids, also gets a few mentions.
Prince Conlan is anxiously awaiting the birth of his child with Riley Dawson. High Priest Alaric has great power, and I think he’s starting to crack up over his avoidance of Riley’s sister, Quinn, the rebel leader. Jack Shepherd is also a rebel, a tiger shifter, and interested in Quinn.
Rhys na Garanwyn, High Prince of the High House of the Seelie Court, wants an alliance with the Atlanteans. He seems to be attracted to Grace, although his flirtation could simply be to mess with Alexios. Some of the elves are starting to worry about the shifters and vampires. His brother Kal’andel is not one of them.
Lucas is the alpha for a pack of wolf shifters based around Yellowstone Park. Honey is his mate and about to give birth to sons. Ethan is the alpha for the panthers in Florida; Marie is his mate (see, Shifter: Shifter’s Lady).
At Fort Castillo de San Marcos …
… Sam was a colonel in Special Forces before the vampires took over the military. Now he’s Grace’s second-in-command. Tiny is a friend of Sam’s who helps with clean-up.
Vonos is the current lord high vampire of the Primus, the leader of the Vampire Senate. Anubisa is the vampire goddess of Chaos with a major hate for all things Atlantean. Prevachek is Vonos’ assistant in Daytona Beach and too much of a suck-up.
The Cover
The cover is blues and red-purples in an obvious undersea setting with a Hellenic facade in the background. Alexios is poised for combat with his trident wearing blue jeans with his nude, very red, upper torso [my guess is that the red is a flashback to his imprisonment with Anubisa]. His Warrior tattoo is on his left upper bicep.
