Night Keepers

I started reading this book for my local Paranormal Romance Book Club. I went into it expecting the same type of paranormal romance as all the others. I am nothing if not a fan of paranormal romance books but this one was a little different. I have not done any adult paranormal romance series reviews because normally they are kind the same thing with different characters. The hero and heroine meet during some random paranormal emergency, fall in love instantly and spend the rest of the book trying to resist those feelings for one reason or another. Most paranormal books focus more on the romance aspect and less on the paranormal parts, which makes them little more than the historical romance books most little old ladies fan themselves show more and swoon over. “Mercy that bodice ripper was amazing, wasn’t it Ethel?” Okay, so maybe not ONLY little old ladies read historical romances… but that is neither here nor there…

This book opens on a police detective attempting to track down the leader of a 2012 doomsday cult that her brother got roped into before he was mysteriously murdered. Leah sets out to put an end to this nasty cult before the kool-aid gets passed out and more deaths ensue. I am not 100% sure why a NARCOTICS detective is investigating HOMICIDES… but her actual job is of no relevance really…

She dreams of a mystery man (hot and steamy dreams, of course) and suddenly he appears. TAA-DAH! They have that insta-connection thing that most romance books have, but the difference is, they get down to business relatively fast THEN do the oh-no-we-can’ts as per usual. I was only in a few chapters, the characters didn’t even know each other’s names yet and already they were getting horizontal… I exclaimed a few “mercies” and fanned myself as well, Ethel, you’re not alone.

The thing that interested me the most was how much research must have gone into this book. The storyline was absolutely astounding as far as the Mayan history and the elaborate rituals and traditions of the Nightkeepers. Although I did have a few “omigawd stop with the history lesson and cure this insufferable sexual frustration!” (The characters… not me…)

I liked the fact that the book didn’t just focus on one single couple the entire time. It introduced a whole SLEW of characters who had their own little love affairs going on behind the scenes that I hope (fingers crossed!) get discussed in greater detail in the following books of the series.

Jessica Andersen you did an amazing job. I find myself writing this review in astonishment. I haven’t even written any reviews for my favorite author J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series and yet here I am stand gushing over Nightkeepers. Brava, Jessica, Brava!

Review Posted on: http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot.com show less

“Every twenty-six thousand years, the earth, sun, and moon align at the exact center of the Milky Way…and all Hell breaks loose.”

That’s the first sentence. The book starts in with non-stop action and I can’t believe I am saying this, but it’s too much. I really didn’t feel Anderson took enough time to set the background up. It was way too hurried for me and I didn’t find the story or characters believable.

Although this wasn’t for me, I believe fans of J.R. Ward will fall in love with this book, which is the first of book in the Novels of the Final Prophecy series.

Nightkeepers
3.5 Stars

Synopsis:
The apocalypse is coming on December 21, 2012 and the Nightkeepers, a race of warriors with special powers originating in the barrier between this world and the next, are the only ones who can prevent it. Detective Leah Daniels is investigating a cult dedicated to human sacrifice and cashing in on the end of the world. She is on the verge of becoming their latest victim when Strike Jaguar, the Nightkeeper prince, rescues her and the two discover that their destinies are intertwined and they must work together to save humanity.

Review:
An intense plot, strong characterization and a well-developed mythology based on the Mayan culture. Nevertheless, the story is a bit drawn out, could have had better focus and show more been reduced by at least 100 pages. Numerous characters, places and magical abilities are introduced which may be confusing and makes it easy to lose track of the narrative if one is not paying attention. I, for one, enjoy this type of detail and made good use of pen and paper to keep everything organized.

While the romantic leads were interesting as individuals, Leah and Strike’s relationship was lacking chemistry and had absolutely no emotional foundation or impact. They barely know each other but suddenly feel that they are soul mates. The secondary characters were more engaging. Rabbit’s teenage angst was endearing and I truly commiserated with his parental issues. In fact, his father, Red-Boar is one of the very few apparently good characters that I found myself despising. It is a sign of Ms. Andersen’s writing skill that she could evoke such emotion in this reader.

Speaking of writing, the book is obviously well-researched and the prose flows. However, I did find the language and dialogue grating at times with an overabundant use of slang and cliché, and some repetitive wording here and there.

All in all, this is a pretty good read and the series has potential. I will read the next book to see if it improves on its shortcomings. show less

I had some trouble really getting into this book in the first part. The book jumps from one scene where you don’t really know what is going on to another of the same. Thankfully things get a whole lot better by the second part of this four part book. The action never lets up but you are finally able to really see some personality in the characters and you get to see just what is at stake for them to follow their duty. I liked Andersen’s style of action-packed writing. The end of the world is four years away and the urgency to learn more and do more for the Nightkeepers never drags. Andersen does a wonderful job of fusing the history and culture into the story without making it feel like a lecture. A lot of information about the show more Mayan gods and the end time prophecy were woven into the story without breaking up the pace and making me loose interest.

My big problem with this book is that I really liked the characters that were meant to be secondary in this story. When the other Nightkeepers are found and they all come with their own history and storylines that’s when this book really drew me in. The main couple just didn’t do it for me at all. Leah lost her brother and is trying to get some answers. She gets touched by a Mayan God but then has her mind wiped. Jox and Red-Boar, Strike’s mentors, keep telling him what an awful idea it is to get involved with her. The Nightkeepers have so much hanging over their heads that by the time Leah finally comes to join the group the book is halfway through and I just didn’t care about her. Strike I really wanted to like. He’s a sort of laid back alpha male who has lots of potential, a few shinning moments but ultimately is a let down. It takes him forever to step up and do the things he should be doing. He’s all about not making mistakes like his father and doing what should be done in preparation for the end time, but at every turn he’s more interested in Leah, a woman he knows nothing about and stays away from the majority of the book. It was like all of a sudden they were in love with each other after very little interaction and then he was willing to risk everything. I know that’s what the romance is all about but it just seemed careless on his part. I wish there could have been a better end to the book. In a book about trying to save the world when the hero is selfish and stubborn it’s a big turn off.

So even though I usually hate books that I don’t like either main character, this one worked for me. All the Myan history and prophecy really gave this book a great foundation to stand out. The blood magic and all it’s different forms and uses give it a really great fantasy element. The other characters all have intriguing relationships and talents that really make you want to follow along with the series. show less

Nightkeepers is the first book in the Final Prophecy Series by Jessica Andersen. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book despite the fact that there were some very big complaints from me as the reader.

Things I Liked:
There were a few things that I really liked about Nightkeepers. Andersen has a background in science and you can read more about her bio here. I always love it when you can see a bit of the author's personality and the way they think come out in their writing. This was very evident in her scientific logic to some of the scenes. (If A is true, then B is true, B is true , therefore A is true.) Another thing I liked was the fact that she mingled in a sports reference here and there, especially a Rangers reference being a show more Texan and all now. She even got in a Extreme Home Makeover reference, with the use of Ty Pennington and who doesn't like a handy man? What I liked the most was her use of Mayan history and the 2012 Prophecy. Having never had an interest in Mayan culture it was great to get a glimpse at what they believe and how their society worked. If a book makes me have to google to find out more about something, then I am obviously staying interested.

My Complaints:
First, I do not like books that cannot clearly explain all the characters and how they connect to each other. It took me quite a while to get past the beginning, but when I did I actually started to enjoy the book. Then, my momentum was put on halt around the sixth or seventh chapter with the addition of approximately ten new characters. This would not have been such a stopping point except for the fact that the only notice given that you will be getting new characters was the change in point of view. One paragraph ended in one person POV, then another paragraph started another POV within the same chapter no less. It was very annoying to me to try to keep up. To the point that I had to pull out a piece of paper and start making a chart of who belonged to who. For many people this would have been a stopping point, but I charged ahead. This is also the main reason it received a three out of five rating. My second complaint is a little petty, but I really really hate the word "Ergo." For whatever reason that word is like nails on a chalk board to me and Andersen used it seven times in the book. Yes, once I see that word I start counting how many times it shows up. She also used the phrase, "if he was an inch" too much. She is the author if the character is six feet tall we do not need to hear that they are emphatically six foot tall. My final complaint is that many scenes were overly descriptive. I do not need to know the pattern of the bed spread in excruciating detail.

Nightkeepers saving grace was that the story was interesting. Andersen kept a good pace, there were not many lulls in action. Now that all the characters are laid out and know I how they connect I believe it will make the second book in this series easier to read. A book should be able to stand alone though and shine in its own right and for this reason it did not ranking very high for me. show less

Nightkeepers - Jessica Andersen
The Final Prophecy, Book 1; Paranormal Romance; 9/10
I thought this looked really interesting when I first heard about it. Sure, it was the start of another series about warrior brothers fighting evil, but it was based of Mayan mythology for a change and the end of the world had a fixed date, four years from now. I read Andersen's excerpt on her website and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did and I enjoyed the book a lot. Again, it's a "go along for a fun ride" book more than anything else, but there's nothing wrong with that. While it is marketed as a romance and does indeed feature a main couple, this book is really more about the overall story and setting up the book's universe than a close study of show more a couple's relationship. Strike and Leah's romance is well-written and I enjoyed it, but it is part of the book's story, not all of it. It's very well integrated, but you need to want to read about the Nightkeepers as a whole rather than just a single couple or you'll probably be disappointed. I'm planning on reading the next in the series when it comes out. show less

I really loved this book and the whole 2012 Prophecy. Nice mix of fantasy vs real life stuff like 'boy meets girl'. The only thing that made it hard to read was that I wanted to know more of each character. When I read this book, however, it had been out for awhile, so I knew it was a series and having read some of those previews knew that what I wanted ...I was gonna get. I can't wait to get to those. Nicely done. Keep 'em coming!!