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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Sentinel Wars, March 10, 2009
This review is from: Burning Alive: The Sentinel Wars (Mass Market Paperback)
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PLOT: Her entire life Helen Day has haunted by dreams of burning alive while a man watches her and smiles. So when she meets Drake, the man of her dreams, in a diner, she knows she doesn't have long to live. Drake is a Theronai warrior, sworn to protect humans. He's been protecting humanity from demons called the Synestryn for centuries.
PROS: It's not a totally new idea of immortal warriors fighting to save mankind, but I do like some of the details in this novel.
Enough cannot be said about a good beginning. I loved the beginning. The hero and heroine meet immediately. It's a funny and memorable meeting.
The warriors are all born with a tattoo of a tree on their bodies that conveys the state of their soul. As they grow, so does the tree.
The Theronai warriors' bodies pull power from their environment. Without an outlet for that power, they are in constant pain. The sound of Helen's voice soothes Drake's pain and her touch takes it away all together. In the beginning, Drake is constantly touching her. Though the touches were simple, like a hand on her arm, there was something so romantic and even erotic about it.
Drake and Helen are both likeable. Seems like a small thing, but who wants to read about two characters that you hope die on page two?
And it must be said, the sex is good, too. Maybe that should be at the top of the list? Second, at least.
CONS: Because almost always there must be a con. I deducted one star for what I like to call "sequel mania." While there is something to be said for planning out a series (maybe the author already has an end in sight?), I'd rather not read a book that is so invested in a series that it's like watching one episode of a soap opera. That means no cliffhangers or unanswered questions. Teasing me with more in an epilogue is OK. Better still include an excerpt of your next book. That gets me almost every time! But don't bring up a slew of questions and leave them unanswered. Burning Alive fortunately doesn't end in a cliffhanger. I'd have deducted more than one star for that! All the build up to create a sequel was just rather boring. I'll be interested in Zach and Lexi and all the others when the book is about them but not until then. Too many pages were wasted on them and other mysterious goings on in an effort to pique my interest in the sequel. This is my own personal pet peeve and it may not bother everyone. If you're in the mood for a new paranormal series, this may still be what you're looking for.
There was perhaps too much creature invention to be believable all at once. Spread out over the course of the series, it might seem more plausible. From the sounds of it, there are numerous of kinds demon beasties and lots of different types sentinels that most humans never notice. The theory that mortals are stupid and don't see anything is becoming a bit thin since everyone seems to be strapped with a camcorder or the equivalent thereof these days. No stars deducted for this one.
Burning Alive is best when Helen and Drake are together. It's well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Other than a few unanswered questions (something that I hope doesn't continue throughout the sequels), this is an excellent start to what promises to be an interesting series. 4 stars!
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasant and enjoyable surprise (4.5 stars), February 26, 2009
This review is from: Burning Alive: The Sentinel Wars (Mass Market Paperback)
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I thought I was burnt out on paranormal novels of all kinds. I'd struggled through the last three that I'd read and the last alternate universe novel that I'd read, I couldn't even finish.
But I must say that Shannon K. Butcher's Burning Alive: The Sentinel Wars burned away my ambivalence and I got hooked into the story of Helen and Drake from the first page. Actually, Butcher had me at the first sentence which was quick and to the point.
Helen Day is a woman who dreams of being burned alive and that there will be a man who will watch her burn. That man is sitting in a diner with two others and Helen feels the dread enclosing.
The man she dreads is feeling something else altogether. Drake is feeling relief. Relief after years and years (and even more years) of intense pain. In fact, when he touches Helen, the pain drains away.
Being a paranormal action-adventure/romance, Helen and Drake are bound to each other before they even know it. Yes, it is cliche, but cliches work when they are used right and Butcher uses the whole "you-are-my-destined-one" right because while Helen and Drake might be destined for each other in order to save the world (and a couple more races besides humans), nothing is guaranteed.
And although I like my heroines of action-adventures to be the kick-butt kind, I do like the change-up that Butcher does with Helen. First, I like Helen's old fashioned name. I like that she's not kick-butt right out of the gate. I like that she screams because all hell is breaking loose in her own house and that is worth screaming over. I like that she's both drawn to Drake and wants to run away from him at the same time. In short, I really liked Helen.
Drake is a great hero too because he is not always sure of himself, especially with Helen. I also like that he has to rely on others to help save the day too. He might be the hero but he does share the spotlight too. He has some alpha-male tendencies but those tendencies don't overwhelm him to the point of him being a jerk and that's kind of nice in this type of story.
Butcher's secondary cast of characters are interesting too. From Thomas to Miss Mabel to Logan to Zach to Lexi and others, each plays their role in the overall story that it is easy to wonder if there will be more to them. In fact, there is a secondary romance that is nearly as interesting as the primary romance. Perhaps the second book will yield more info.
If there is a criticism, I would say that it is that I didn't get enough about who the villains are. I knew that the Theronai (the race that Drake belongs to) and the Sanguinar (the race that Logan belongs to) are reluctant allies in a war against the Synestryn (who are big demon like monsters) but I felt like I could have used more info and appearances from the true foes of the war.
Still, this first novel offered a lot in the way of plot. Lots of action (and I did like that Butcher gave tactile descriptions of the carnage instead of the usual "there was blood everywhere!"), lots of "Protect the girl!" stuff; and even a holy grail-like quest too.
All-in-all, it was a fast-paced, enjoyable action-adventure read with a nice romance settled in the middle of it all and a cast of characters that I could root for.
As noted above, I was burnt out on the paranormal/romance genre but Butcher's Burning Alive: The Sentinel Wars was a pleasant surprise.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good start to a new series, March 1, 2009
This review is from: Burning Alive: The Sentinel Wars (Mass Market Paperback)
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Like most paranormal romances, this series harkens back to the tried and true plot of finding the person out there that biologically fit w/ each other.
In this case, Drake who has been living in pain for centuries accidentally runs into the one woman who is compatible w/ him in a small town diner. Through a series of incidences, he drags Helen into his world and binds her to him.
The paranormal aspects invovle otherworldy beings uch as the Theronai, vampires, Synestrin, and etc.
Having read her fist novel, "No Regrets", previously, I actually found the writing style and personalities similar in both books. There's a rueful quiet strengh to her heros and heroines that make them very admirable.
W/ the influx of paranormal romance series in the market, it does take a little extra to make each story original. However, I would say Butcher accomplishes this and makes the story very different and intriguing in it's own right.
I enjoyed the background history on the War behind the scenes and how these races came to be. The sadness of loosing warriors to death in these centuries long wars also make the story very dramatic.
Giving the heroine a mental weakness also served to make her character 3 dimensional. As much fun it is read so many heroines in various books being such gung ho warriors, this flaw in Helen's character made her more realistic.
It was a great set up, and the premise kept me interested until the end. I read the book from straight to finish in a couple of hours and could not put the book down.
The only issue I had that prevented me from giving a 5 star was the fact that occasionally it dragged in batches here and there throughout the story. More action would have benefited from those parts, but Butcher's strengths may be in her character diaglogue as opposed to her action scenes.
I'd definitely recommend this book, and will await eagerly for the sequel.
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