Unseen (The Heights, Volume 1)

The world of the Heights is a complex hierarchy of supernatural beings – everything from angels, vampires, and witches to the lowly seers, whose job is to clean up after the supers in order to keep the existence of the Heights a secret from humans.  Addison is a seer, and when her job brings her into contact with Rhyse, the Prime vampire and lord over all the Heights, her life takes a surprising turn. She discovers she is much more than just a seer, and a visit to an Oracle shows that her destiny is entwined with Rhyse’s.  It goes against everything Addison knows to develop feelings for a creature as dangerous as a vampire, and Rhyse knows Addison is dangerous to him, too, but they cannot deny the passion that lies between them or the destiny that lies before them.

This first volume in a new series provides an interesting look at how many paranormal species might live and interact together in the same world.  Addison is thrust into the responsibility of shaking up the status quo, but she will need a lot of help to accomplish this.  Several plot points are left up in the air on purpose as this will be a continuing series, but, at times, the ambiguity of a scene undermines the author’s attempt at building tension.  The sexual tension between Addison and Rhyse, however, remains pitch-perfect.  More than just a romance, “Unseen” tells a story of social injustice, and it is the resolution of this oppression that will keep readers coming back for more.

Leslie Stokes