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
Stygian's Honor
by
Lora Leigh
It is part of the Breeds #27 series and is a paranormal romance in Paperback edition that was published by Berkley on August 7, 2012 and has 374 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Styx's Storm, Moving Violations, Cops and Cowboys, B.O.B.'s Fall, Manaconda, A Wish a Kiss a Dream, "Dragon Prime", Primal, Live Wire, Navarro's Promise, Forbidden Pleasure, Beyond the Dark, Black Jack, Tempting the Beast, Dangerous Pleasure, Maverick, Man Within, Midnight Sins, Wild Card, Tied with a Bow, Lawe's Justice, Legally Hot, Deadly Sins, Surrender to Fire, Nauti Temptress, Submission & Seduction, Wicked Sacrifice, Secret Sins, Nautier and Wilder, Shameless Embraces, Wicked Pleasure, Only Pleasure, Guilty Pleasure, Wicked Lies, Twin Passions, Nauti Enchantress, Shattered Legacy, Intense Pleasure, Knight Stalker, Enthralled, Secret Pleasure, Rule Breaker, "The One", Nauti Angel, Nauti Seductress, Wake a Sleeping Tiger, Collision Point, Cross Breed, One Tough Cowboy, Hot for the Holidays, Dawn's Awakening, "Night Hawk"
Twenty-seventh in the Breeds paranormal romance series revolving around a genetically altered people struggling to survive. The couple focus is on Stygian Black and Liza Johnson.
The prologue repeats events in Lawe’s Justice and bringing us up to speed a bit.
My Take
It’s been a number of books so far and I still haven’t grasped why the Navajo refuse to open up the database of DNA profiles. I really don’t understand why it’s such a big deal. Supposedly the Navajo want to help their people and the Breed DNA is part Navajo.
This was a clumsy effort. It reads more like Leigh wanted to get this done but couldn’t be bothered to smoothly put clues in place. Instead it’s more of a bludgeon over the head and big rocks dropped into place every once in a while.
One of those bludgeons is the stupid attitude that Liza takes towards her former friends: Isabelle and Megan. So they married Breeds. So what? That automatically makes them the enemy? Liza and her friends sound like brainwashed idiots in this. Of course, in some respects I can’t blame them when Jonas and company refuse to tell any truths about why they want the Navajo DNA database.
Liza and her friends already know what the Council does to people and Breeds. Arghhh, I just hate it when authors can’t be bothered to put some effort into making the story believable. This was infuriating.
Liza claims she’ll never get involved or kiss a Breed, so, naturally, she’s all over Stygian. A hot romance that would have been greatly improved if I wasn’t so busy gagging over how clumsy and inept the writing was.
Leigh keeps going on and on about the information that is in Liza’s computer. How the chiefs of the Six insisted on her having that information. What we never find out is why. Then the whole agonizing bit that Liza tortures us with over who she really is and how she’d help if she could. Oh whine, o’ woe is me, o’ gag me… A lame way to produce some drama when the most drama was whether I’d make it to the toilet in time.
The best I can say about this story is that we do discover Honor Roberts’ whereabouts with a good idea of where Fawn is located. Obviously, Leigh is planning Fawn’s story soon so we can be dragged kicking and screaming through that potential catastrophe. Oh, and Leigh provides a new way to turn a woman on. Not my cuppa tea, but then…
I really would have preferred that Leigh write this as a short story. For the great leap of progress made, there really was very little information provided. Just a lot of yammering over the same agonies over and over and over and over and… Are you getting the picture??
The Story
The attack on Liza provides Stygian the opportunity to move in on Liza. It’s a push-me/pull-me set of circumstances with the Council trying to kidnap Liza, the Breeds trying to get information to save Amber, and the girls’ parents terrified that the truth will out.
Meantime Stygian too is caught in a tug-of-war between Jonas and his desperation to keep his daughter alive and the loyalty he feels to his mate.
The Characters
Liza Johnson is the daughter of Audi, the Nation’s chief of security, and Jane Johnson. She works overtly for Ray Martinez and covertly for the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Division led by Deputy Cullen Maverick. Reever Jacobs is NCLED’s communications and electronic guru. Steven Jacobs, Reever’s brother, and Klah Hunter are the men close to Liza.
Claire and Chelsea Martinez are Liza’s housemates and cousins. Ray Running Wolf Martinez is the Nation president and Claire’s dismissive father. Terran Martinez.
Stygian Black, a Wolf Breed, was named by his mother Nera before she managed to escape with her newborn daughter.
Diane Broen is mated to Lawe Justice. The enemy as far as the Navajo are concerned. John Malcolm is a member of Diane’s team and he’s brought four Coyotes on this snatch-and-grab: Dog (who seems to have a separate agenda he’s cooking up), Loki, Mutt, and Mongrel. Megan Fields Arness is mated to Braden. Rule Breaker makes an appearance. Isabelle is mated to Malachi. Cavalier is a new Breed introduced into the series.
Jonas Wyatt is mated to Rachel Broen whose daughter, Amber, Jonas has taken as his own. He’s also director of the Bureau of Breed Affairs.
Ashley and Emma Truing, Chimera Broussard, and Shiloh Gage are Coyotes who have been helping to train Liza, Chelsea, and Claire.
Dash Sinclair, a Wolf Breed, is bringing his daughter, Cassie, to the Nation when Stygian asks for her.
Gideon Cross is a rogue Breed. His only aim is to kill Tawnya Corrigan, Honor Roberts, and Judd for what he sees as a betrayal.
Honor Roberts is the missing daughter of General Roberts, who joined the Genetic Council to have access to their knowledge. The girls — Tawnya Corrigan had infant AIDS with only weeks to live and an Honor dying from leukemia — hooked up in the Council labs. Two Bengal tiger Breeds, Judd and Gideon Cross, who is very clever, were the other half of their group.
The Genetics Council tortured into creation a mélange of animal and human DNA to create the Breeds. Living beings who were taught they were not worthy of existence. Never received love. Until Callan Lyons broke the news of their existence.
The Cover and Title
The cover finds a ghost-like wolf emerging from the lovely warmth of the brownish gray background. It’s Stygian’s nude, very defined torso and arms we see, his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans, casually tugging the waistband down. I do like the tattoo he has on his left bicep.
The title is the battle that Stygian fights. Loyalty to his mate, saving the life of a suffering little girl. What price Stygian’s Honor?
