The fourth volume of the epic ‘Sumeria’s Sons’ series is a turning point as well as a new beginning for the lycans and other species of a paranormal world that successfully blends Sumerian legends and werewolf lore into an ever-growing, fascinating tapestry of story threads. It begins where book four ended, with Tristan’s apparent death, and follows Ushna through the difficult days, weeks, then months of mourning. Old and new enemies wrangle for positions while the various gods follow their own plans. I was breathless with anticipation during most of the book, wanting to see Tristan returned to life, Ushna avenged, and possibly even Nikita/Brian finally join them. The sense of a major battle ahead is pervasive, and the level of betrayal from very unexpected quarters kept things interesting.

Ushna has it pretty tough in this part of the story. He has just seen Tristan buried by the god Ashur, certain political groups are trying to take away his children, and only very few people recognize him as the husband of Prince Tristan. They may have bonded at the end of the previous book, but there is no official record, and some of their enemies are determined to use this to their own advantage.

Tristan spends time under the care of is new patron goddess after she saves his life. There are some changes in his physical makeup, but more importantly, he begins to take a hard look at what he has done. The many mistakes he has made haunt him, and the restoration of his memories from previous incarnations almost brings him to his knees.

Brian is also brought back to the land of the living, having sworn allegiance to the same goddess as Tristan. There is a lot of catching up to do, especially with Ushna, but Brian is determined to make their “three-part flame” work against everyone’s expectation that there are only Twin Flames. His arrival makes it very clear that the three of them are meant for each other, and even the most skeptical observer will understand this by the end of this book.

As action-packed and suspenseful as the previous books, this fifth volume also deepens the emotional bonds between Tristan, Ushna, and Brian. They have a short reprieve, just enough time to take a breath before the next catastrophe occurs, I am sure. They make some ultracool discoveries as they become allies of a different goddess, and lots of other changes keep everyone on their toes – including me. The scope of the overarching story line just keeps growing, and so does my fascination with this world and these characters.

If you like cross-genre stories that weave legends and paranormal lore into one, if you enjoy intense love stories with more complications than should be possible, and if you're impatient to find out how Tristan, Ushna, and Brian come together and what they face next, then you need to read this book. A word of warning: don’t try to read any of these books as stand-alones, this is a series where each volume is an essential part of the puzzle, and reading out of order would be disastrous. So far, it’s been one heck of a ride, and I can’t wait for the next installment!


NOTE: This book was provided by Less Than Three Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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