Team Rowan!

I jumped into Stacey Rourke’s Gryphon Series books with the novel Sacrifice. The book opens with the heroine, Celeste Garrett training with her mentor a grumpy little gnome. Yes, a walking, talking garden variety gnome. Celeste is charged with protecting humanity from the maliciousness of Titans...demons shaped like fire tornados with flaming whips, Bat-bulls and my favorite creepy one...land sharks like Great Whites! (Just the idea of a shark on land freaked me out.)

Celeste’s boyfriend is a devilishly handsome demon named Caleb. He is the quintessential tall-dark-haired-dreamy-eyed Irishman. He wants to shed his immortality for humanity, and Celeste has the potion to make it happen. What he thinks will bring them closer is really a ruse to make him disappear for his own safety. The aftermath of Celeste’s decision leaves her with the hollowness of grief that she attempts to fill with a rogue...a tattooed rascal pirate demon named Rowan. (Ah, he was my favorite! Go team Rowan!) I love a story where the bad-boy gets to be sexy, funny and scoundrel-ish. Celeste allowed Rowan to fill the gap left by Caleb’s “disappearance”...much to Rowan’s chagrin. Because Rowan has a secret of his own, although it should have been obvious to everyone, especially to Celeste. (Again, go team Rowan!) But, I’m not going to tell you how that little scenario plays out, as that would be a *spa-oiler*!  

Amidst all the demon and Titan fighting, a wedding is being prepared. Celeste’s brother  is getting married to the love of his life in a luxurious and beyond rich estate, courtesy of Rowan’s mind-bending powers. He has the ability to make people do things he wants them to do, like a “Jedi-mind trick” and the helpful power to mask Celeste’s painful feelings of missing Caleb. He also has the ability to make Celeste swoon against her will, but that’s all I’m saying about that. You’ll have to read it to find out what happens between them. I don’t think it’s over...not yet, at least.

I liked this novel for several reasons, not just because I liked Rowan more than Caleb (Go team Rowan!) Stacey created some really quirky, funny, and witty characters that live in a world shadowed by our own. She writes quick witty dialogue matching her quick witted characters. I liked that. I could hear Celeste’s voice in my head. The world of demons with flaming irises that travel in a puff of black smoke, a haughty High Council with a hidden agenda, fast paced fight choreography makes Sacrifice a fantastic paranormal adventure romance read. Stacey develops her characters, shows them love, and then yanks them away from you! Argh! Although I didn't scream out loud like I did watching the Red Wedding on Game of Thrones, BUT I kept reading into the wee hours of morning to finish the last twists and turns. Then, Stacey left me hanging....again...so, here’s to the next book...maybe she will have it out by the time I go back a read the first part of the series! 

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You can find Stacey Rourke at her Facebook page:
 https://www.facebook.com/staceyrourkeauthor?fref=ts
and her webpage:
http://www.staceyrourke.com/
and her twitter: Twitter @Rourkewrites
(everyone knows i love tweeting)

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