Etched in Bone
Etched in Bone by Adrian Phoenix
The Maker's Song #4
More beautiful and powerful than any creature the world has ever seen, Dante Baptiste has become the supreme target of the three worlds that spawned him. The mortal agents of the Shadow Branch have tried to control his mind through psychological torture. The vampire elders who guide nightkind society have plotted to use him in their bloodthirsty bid for power. And the Fallen have waited for millennia for Dante to claim his birthright as their Maker. But Dante belongs to no one—except the woman he loves. . . .
ONE PASSION SWORN IN BLOOD
Determined to face the Fallen and the world on his own terms, Dante hopes to piece together his shattered past and claim his future, with FBI agent Heather Wallace at his side. But in Heather’s human family awaits an unexpected enemy. One who could rip Heather from Dante’s heart and fill the holes with bullets. One who could force Dante to choose his darkest destiny—as the Great Destroyer. . . .
At the end of the last book Dante had rescued his father and gained a set of wings. However, in this book we found that rescue came at a price. Dante is blood sworn to return to the Fallen in two weeks time. The bond between Heather and Dante means she is potentially bound too. In their two week respite, Dante and crew sets out for vengeance for their murdered companion. Meanwhile all the other factions are continuing on in their plans to either destroy or use Dante, making him have a giant target on his back. Danger is also looming on another front, this one targeted right at Heather. It will take everything they have to just stay together and hold on long enough to face what is coming at them.
This book was a very frustrating read for me. I absolutely love the characters, and want to read more of their "stories" however with each new installment, things get more convoluted and weighed down by just too much happening. There is no clear cut line between the good guys and the bad, with some characters seeming to switch sides on a whim. It is extremely hard to really get into a book when you can't take anything at face value, and you have to question everything that is going on. After the umpteenth change in perspective, I find myself wanting to just give up on the series, as what drew me to the series in the first place, Dante and Heather, have taken such an extreme back seat.
The issues just seem to keep being repeated over and over with no real progress. Considering the length of this novel you would think some progression would have been made. But no, Dante is still having sanity issues as well as the seizures and migraines. Everyone under the sun is out to either kill or use him for their own desires. Heather of course is still right in the middle trying to protect him, and is the only thing keeping his tenuous hold on sanity.
This series has just been going downhill for me, which is a real shame as I had high hopes for this installment. I will more than likely still read the next book because of how things were left at the end of this one. There is a slight chance that things will pick up more in the next book as this one could have been the setup for the major changes. If not, then I'm not sure how much more time I'll invest. So, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the next one will bring thing back around.
Rating:
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Etched in Bone (The Maker's Song)
Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy
Vampire
