I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
The Unseen
by
Thea Harrison
It is part of the The Elder Races series and is a paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Teddy Harrison LLC on July 13, 2020 and has 95 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dragon Bound, Storm's Heart, Serpent's Kiss, Oracle's Moon, Lord's Fall, Rising Darkness, Kinked, Pia Saves the Day, Falling Light, Night's Honor, "Dragos Meets Stinkpot", "Planet Dragos"
A short, dammit, novella, 9.9 in The Elder Races paranormal romance series revolving around Pia and Dragos Cuelebre, as they move to an alternate plane of existence. With passport control. It’s been two months since “Planet Dragos“, 09.8.
My Take
Okay, I’m a bit snarky with that last bit. Dragos does have a station set up on both sides of the passage that goes from earth to his new land, Rhyacia, though.
Part of my snarkiness is that Harrison is presenting us with half a quarter of the frickin’ story. I’m really hating this trend among authors. Write the damned story. Give us the whole thing. I don’t know if authors/publishers reckon they can get more money out of us by selling two four stories (to make up the whole story), if they don’t want to wait until the author finished writing the whole thing, they want to ensure reader interest by not making us wait, or a combination of all of the above, but it does tick me off.
Hmmm, Harrison does “promise” us three more “linked stories with all new Dragos and Pia adventures”, all with these same cliffhangers until the very end. Annoying.
That and Harrison doesn’t feel as attached to this story. No, my feeling this started at the beginning of the story and was not influenced by my ticked-offed-ness. And it certainly doesn’t help…
I’m guessing the introduction of Skeeter is meant to be a humorous aside, although it feels forced more than anything.
The Unseen also appears to be an environmental platform for Harrison as she is keen on not bringing anything plastic to Rhyacia. Good thing that retirement “watch” is goldplated *giggle*.
I can relate to Pia’s grief at leaving the home she created with Dragos, and she’s realistic enough to know she’ll create new memories in her new home. Lol, there’s also the eternal mystique between man and woman, that even Dragos has a difficult time understanding. He does prove he gets her though with that custom-made gift, *more laughter*, as well as that truthful assessment he makes to her.
“…love was a collection of moments like this. Strung together like luminous pearls on a string.”
What wouldn’t parents give to have such a discipline tool *grin*!
Sounds like some foreshadowing when Harrison mentions the complications of Lord Azrael and what it could mean in the future.
The Story
They’re moving. Giving up all that is earth, to keep Pia and Niall safe. It’s not just the Cuelebres either, Vampyres, other Wyr and Nightkind, elves, witches, Demonkind, and Light and Dark Fae are also coming. Partly because Dragos is a power no matter what world he inhabits.
It’s only been a few days, and there are factions and arguments already…
The Characters
Pia, who shifts into a unicorn, is married to Dragos Cuelebre, a.k.a., the Great Beast, a dragon shifter and one of the Elder Races. Niall “Stinkpot” is their new few-month-old baby who also shifts — with wild abandon! — into a unicorn, “the stabby little psychopath”. Liam “Peanut” is their oldest son, another dragon shifter, and away at college (Lord’s Fall, 5). Eva, she shifts into a canine, is Pia’s best friend, bodyguard, and Niall’s nanny. Lord Azrael, the god of death, is Dragos’ brother. Jocasta and Ramone are a Wyr couple who will staff the house.
The Wyr demesne is…
…based in New York City from which Dragos rules. Has ruled, as Lord of the Wyr for hundreds of years. Rune, a shapeshifting gryphon, had been his First Sentinel before he met and married Vampyre Queen Carling Severan, a very powerful sorceress, (Serpent’s Kiss, 3) and will act as regent for Liam. Sentinels who are staying behind include the reckless Aryal, the harpy investigator, and her mate, Pia’s old boss, Quentin Caeravorn, a mixed-breed who is part Wyr (he shifts into a panther), part Elven, and part Dark Fae (Kinked, 6); Grym, a gargoyle in charge of security; Bayne, a gryphon; and, Alexander, a pegasus.
Rhyacia is…
…an Other land in an alternate plane that Dragos discovered several hundred years ago. Graydon, a gryphon and Dragos’ former First Sentinel has mated with Beluviel “Bel”, an Elven lady and the Lady of the Wood just outside Charleston (Shadow’s End, 9). Giselle is their new baby girl. Linwe is one of her Elven attendants.
Malan Wei, a Jorogumo, is the station commander on the earth side. Paul was slated to be the city police captain. Only, he screwed up.
Friends include
Grace (she’s the Oracle) and Kahlil, a djinn (Oracle’s Moon, 4); Tiago, a thunderbird, is the not-so-secret lover to Niniane “Thistle Periwinkle”, a.k.a., Tricks, the queen of the Dark Fae (Storm’s Heart, 2) ruling in Adriyel, another Other land.
The Elder Races are Elves, Vampyres, shapeshifters, and Djinn. There are seven Primal Powers in those Elder Races, and Dragos is one of them. Elizabeth Creedy had been one of Liam’s elementary school teachers, who had rescued a dog, a cockapoo?, named Skeeter. Ancient Elven lore mentions seraph, possibly the origin of the angels mentioned in various world religions. Ys is another Other world mentioned. Urien had been Niniane’s murderous uncle.
The Cover and Title
The cover shows the blonde Pia in dark skintight leggings and upper body armor, her body facing us, but her head in profile as she sights along her bow, a quiver of arrows on her back. She’s standing in a pale gray-green-blue jagged landscape, a deep dark sky the outer frame for a pastel of pinks, oranges, and blues that form a haloed backdrop behind Pia. All the text is in white, starting with the title at the very top with series info tucked in at the upper right. The author’s name is centered below Pia’s knees with an info blurb beneath that.
The title is too true, for it’s The Unseen, who dogs their land.
