Blood In the Valley: The Vigilati Series, Book 2

J.K.
Hogan
Genre: 
Paranormal

Raven Sabatier breaks into buildings for a living - legally.  She works for a security firm, testing their systems, and her secret magical powers that let her manipulate air and energy make her uniquely good at her job.  Dr. Drew Deveraux is a university professor and anthropologist working on an archaeological dig in North Carolina.  His need for security at the dig site introduces him to Raven.  “Somehow she knew he was very, very dangerous.  If not to her life, then to her heart.”  Upon learning about Raven’s abilities, Drew informs her she is a Bruixi (an ancient line of witches) and calls in some friends to help her discover more about her heritage.  The group takes her in like she is family, but in order to save herself from her evil, powerful demon of a mother, she will have to betray them all.

This is a well-thought-out story populated with a cast of characters who really care about each other.  The independent heroine learns that loving someone can be a strength instead of a weakness.  Progressing beyond mere lovers, Raven and Drew become true partners, protecting each other without being overbearing or controlling.  Despite being the second novel in a series, this book tells its own story, and those who haven’t read the previous volume will not feel lost.  The climactic final scene is not as dangerous as the build-up implies and the supposed twist is predictable, but the author surprises in other ways – such as the delightful references to current television shows.

Leslie Stokes