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Broken Bonds
by
Keri Arthur
paranormal fantasy, mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by Kensington Books on October 26, 2021 and has 316 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Mercy Burns, Darkness Unbound, Darkness Rising, Darkness Devours, Darkness Hunts, Dancing with the Devil, Darkness Unmasked, Fireborn, Hearts in Darkness, Wicked Embers, Flameout, Blood Kissed, Demon's Dance, Hell's Bell, Hunter Hunted, Wicked Wings, Deadly Vows, City of Light, Ashes Reborn, Magic Misled, Sorrow's Song
Eighth in the Lizzie Grace paranormal fantasy mystery series and revolving around Lizzie, a witch no longer on the run. It’s set in Castle Rock, Australia, an area endangered by the Elders of the reservation when they ignored the wellspring.
My Take
It’s cozy with people who care about each other. As for Lizzie and Belle’s café, it’s a place I want to walk into and hang out. Yep, and eat and drink my way through the menu, lol.
Ooh, talk about a complication! It seems the wild magic may be pushing Lizzie toward werewolf status, and it isn’t only the secondary wellspring that’s affecting her.
Lizzie’s been looking for family and has finally found it. Only, part of that family is a trap. One that’s led to a lot of introspection on Lizzie’s part, and she’s decided to bite that bullet.
Aiden is screwing up big time. Sure he’s caught up in his younger brother’s injuries, but that should never stop one from keeping one’s significant other informed. *Hint, hint . . .* And we know all this because Arthur is using first person protagonist point-of-view from Lizzie’s perspective. I do have to say that Lizzie is getting back at him with some nasty darts.
Hoo-hoo, Mia’s little plan backfired big time! And she deserves it! I reckon you could say that the theme is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
I gotta say, it’s awfully handy being able to read people’s minds. It may not always be pleasant to hear, though.
I do love that Lizzie’s parents have found out how powerful their useless daughter is these days *snicker*. Her brother certainly is a major jerk! He’s been taking his cues from daddy dearest.
I will say there is plenty of action with the characters drawn in due to their abilities and morals. Hmm, I guess you could say that it’s character-driven because of that. It’s a combination of affairs and divorce that drives this reluctant monster.
Well, and, Lizzie’s wrecked another car.
The Story
Lizzie Grace is doing her utmost to ignore the portents of doom, wanting nothing more than enjoy her life and her time with Aiden O’Connor while she still can. But the song of the once unprotected and very powerful wellspring still washes across the distant shores of darkness, and it continues to draw evil to the reservation.
The one that arrives this time is different from the others. Not only is it skilled in magic, but its kills are very specific. Very targeted. As the brutal deaths mount up and she, Monty, and Aiden struggle to find answers and stop the killings, Lizzie begins to suspect there’s more to this particular evil than meets the eye.
Especially when it helps save the life of a child.
But the biggest threat to Lizzie comes not in the form of evil, but rather the changes whispered on the wind.
Because the werewolf Aiden once asked to be his wife has finally arrived back in the reservation.
And she’s determined to get her man.
The Characters
Lizzie Grace, formerly a Marlowe, is a witch whose DNA is twinned with wild magic, a magic that’s broken open within Lizzie, evolving, strengthening her psychometry and precognition. She’s in business with her best friend, witch, and familiar, Belle Sarr Kent. Nellie, Belle’s grandmother, had pulled together a vast collection of extremely rare books on magic and supernaturals — which Belle inherited.
The Psychic Café is . . .
. . . their business located in Castle Rock. Mike is the chef, Frank is the kitchen hand, and Penny is the main waitress.
Monty Ashworth is Lizzie’s cousin and the official reservation witch. He’s finally dating Belle. And Lizzie is his official assistant. Ira Ashworth is the Regional Witch Association (RWA) witch representative who looks on Lizzie as a granddaughter, and Eli, a retired RWA witch, is his husband.
The Faelan Reservation is . . .
. . . the province of werewolves — no humans allowed! George Marin and his sons, Harry and Ryan, help rescue Lizzie.
The Rangers are . . .
. . . the police force for the area, and they’re mostly werewolves. Aiden O’Connor is the head ranger and the man with whom Lizzie is in love — and living with. Tala Sinclair is his second-in-command. Fellow rangers include Jaz Marin (Levi is her husband) and Duke. Maggie is the receptionist and a ranger-in-training. Ciara O’Connor is Aiden’s sister and the coroner. Byron is a ranger who was murdered in Hunter Hunted, 3.
Katie is Aiden’s sister who died and now her soul is tied to and protects the reservation’s second “unknown” wellspring. The ghost of her husband, Gabe, is also tied to the wellspring. Dillon is Aiden’s youngest brother, who’s been in a horrific accident, and he can’t heal himself. Karleen and Joseph O’Connor are Aiden’s parents and the pack Alphas. Karleen hates, hates, hates Lizzie!
Mia Raines is the werewolf who’d tried to cheat Aiden. Candice Taylor was a vet nurse who worked in Colban Falls. Jim Lloyd was nutso. Robbie is his son; his mother could see energy. Ms Taylor. Joanna Rankin is pregnant. Beverly is Joanna’s sister. Marian Letts finds out about her husband, Hale. Bonny is Marian’s dog. Jason Martin owned the van. Jack Mason is the missing boy; his father is Kyle Mason, an ex-cop. Freddie is Jack’s teddy bear. Jessica Brown is Jack’s mother. Sabine Fitzgerald is the witch who helped Jessica. Doris Hambley is the next-door neighbor, a middle-aged, retired teacher, who babysat Jack.
Canberra, Australia
Brenda is an archivist Monty knows. Lawrence and Eleanor Marlowe are Lizzie’s no-longer-so-detached parents. Julius “Juli” is Lizzie’s ineffective brother. Catherine is the sister Lizzie wasn’t in time to save. Clayton Marlowe, Lawrence’s friend and second cousin, had been Lizzie’s very unwanted husband.
The Black Lantern Society is . . .
. . . a group of witches, vampires, and werewolves who work behind the scenes to right wrongs and bring justice. Sophie Kang, Ashworth’s sister, is the Matriarch of the Society.
A Chinese Wu is a type of shaman. Don’t kill them. A hone-onna likes to test the skill against witches. Imps, a.k.a. sprites, are mischievous lesser demons.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a background of blues with trees on either side framing Lizzie in the center. She’s in profile to us, wearing her gray stocking cap, her long crimson hair flowing in the breeze. She’s wearing a formfitting jacket with a white scarf and tight jeans. Her right hand is holding an open book while her left hand waves an incantation, white and deep pink swirls of magic surrounding her hand and a halo of white surrounding Lizzie. At the very top is the author’s name in white. The title, also in white, begins at Lizzie’s knees. At the very bottom is the series info in a pale grayish blue.
The title can be read two ways with the need for Broken Bonds for Lizzie and for the monster.
