Concrete Savior (Dark Redemption, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Yvonne Navarro (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 31, 2011

THEY SAY NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. BRYNNA MALAK IS LIVING PROOF .

A fallen angel in human form, Brynna is trying to earn another chance at heaven. So far, her road to redemption is littered with casualties, especially since Lucifer’s minions are intent on dragging her back to hell. And being mortal only got more complicated since Brynna became involved with Detective Eran Redmond.

Still, Brynna’s relationship issues—like the fact that one glimpse of her can drive men crazy with desire—may have to wait. A mysterious “hero” is saving Chicago’s citizens from certain death, with strange and sinister consequences. Brynna knows too much about demonkind to believe in coincidences. Some dark force is at work here, and Brynna may be the only one who can stop it. . . .

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

They say no good deed goes unpunished.  Brynna Malak is living proof.

A fallen angel in human form, Brynna is trying to earn another chance at heaven.  So far, her road to redemption is littered with casualties, especially since Lucifer's minions are intent on dragging her back to hell.  And being mortal only got more complicated since Brynna became involved with Detective Eran Redmond.

Still, Brynna's relationship issues-- like the fact that one glimpse of her can drive men crazy with desire-- may have to wait.  A mysterious "hero" is saving Chicago's citizens from certain death, with strange and sinister consequences.  Brynna knows too much about demonkind to believe in coincidences.  Some dark force is at work here, and Brynna may be the only one who can stop it...

CONCRETE SAVIOR"A well-paced tale that is both hard-edged and emotion."
--Romantic Times
(Top Pick, 4 1/2 stars) on HIGHBORN

About the Author

YVONNE NAVARRO is the author of twenty-two novels, numerous short stories, and a nonfiction book.  The recipient of the Bram Stoker Award for her young adult novel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Willow Files, Vol. 2, she was also nominated for Stoker Awards for her novels AfterAge and deadrush.  Her novel Final Impact won both the Chicago Women in Publishing's Award for Excellence and the "Unreal Worlds" Award from the Rocky Mountain News.  She and her husband live in Arizona with rescued three Great Danes and two spoiled, oversociable parakeets.  Visit her at YvonneNavarro.com and check out the Dark Redemption series at DarkRedemption.net.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; Original edition (May 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439191972
• ISBN-13: 978-1439191972
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,070,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born back in the early days when black and white photographs were considered normal instead of artsy. As a child I always thought I'd grow up to be an artist, and I was was convinced I'd spend my life doing line drawings of long, leggy models like the ones in the daily newspapers. Life, however, did not cooperate: a foul-up in grammar school resulted in a transfer to a local high school instead of the technical, arts-heavy one I'd planned to attend.

Following that was a move that really made things start winding around. By the time I returned to Chicago for the second time in 1981, I'd worked as a waitress, a nurse's aide, a bookkeeper and gift shop cashier, an accounting clerk, and a secretary in everything from office furniture stores to a hotel to a journalism society. In 1981 I came back to my old job in a Chicago law firm and settled down in the Windy City for awhile. In 1982 I tried to write because my mother said "You could do this." The seed had still been planted, and I sold my first story in 1984. Since then I've written around a hundred stories, most of which have been or are scheduled to be published.

My first novel, AfterAge, was published in 1993 and was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. In 1995 my second solo novel, deadrush, was published, and it also was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award, this time in the category of Superior Achievement in a novel. Final Impact, the third solo novel, was published in 1997, and won both the Chicago Women In Publishing's Award for Excellence in Adult Fiction and the "Unreal Worlds" Award for Best Horror Paperback of 1997 from the Rocky Mountain News. Since then I've published several more solo novels, Red Shadows (a follow-up to Final Impact), DeadTimes, and That's Not My Name, her first suspense novel. That's Not My Name, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Paleo, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Willow Files, Vol. 2 all won at the Illinois State level of the IWPA 2001 Mate E. Palmer Communications contest (two first place and one second place, respectively), plus I somehow swept all three awards of the Short Story category with "Ascension," "Divine Justice," and "Santa Alma." I've also written a number of media tie-in novels, including several Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels, Hellboy, Elektra, and Ultraviolet. Full info about all her books can be found on her website along with a lot of free excerpts.

I moved to my beloved Arizona in 2002 and currently work on historic Fort Huachuca. in southern Arizona. Numerically, I'm up to about twenty novels and one non-fiction book, with those never-ending plans for more. I love heat, Godiva chocolates, and Great Danes.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly charged and darkly emotional, this is a book that will make you think even as it sucks you into its pulsing intensity. May 31, 2011

By Bookaholics Reviewer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Concrete Savior by Yvonne Navarro
Urban Fantasy - May 31st, 2011
4 stars

Concrete Savior is a compelling book that brings up moral questions of right and wrong. This is the second book in the Dark Redemption series concerning the fallen angel, Brynna, but can easily be read by itself.

Brynna is a fallen angel who has escaped Hell. Lucifer wants her back and has sent demons to hunt her down. Ever vigilant of these Hunters, Brynna is disturbed by a rash of murders and suspects demon intervention. A string of people have been recently rescued by a mysterious savior, but these victims of near death experiences do not take a new lease on live. They instead kill other humans in fits of rage or insanity. Determined to find this `savior' and prevent him from rescuing more people. Brynna enlists the aid of her boyfriend and cop, Eran. They soon discover that this savior is not working alone. Can they protect future innocents from dying before it is too late or will Brynna be a target herself?

This was a fast and involving read. All the characters are very sympathetic except the villain. The author definitely brings an edgy, daring plot into this original story. Everyone in this book has human frailties that make their actions never purely black or white. Although I did not agree with all their actions, it was easy for me to empathize and sympathize with their pain and motivations. This novel made me think of what I would do if someone I loved was in trouble. How do you out-weigh one life over another? I also liked how Brynna is becoming more human-like, feeling emotions and starting to really care for her boyfriend, Eran. She has come a long way from seeing humans as 'others' to empathizing and really wanting to help them, and not just for personal redemption. Since Brynna's ultimate mission is to do `good works' and return to heaven. I just wonder as she grows to care for humanity and gets closer to getting her wings back, how she will have the strength to leave earth and her growing ties here?

Highly charged and darkly emotional, this is a book that will make you think even as it sucks you into its pulsing intensity.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars There's a little bit of angel and a little bit of demon in all of us... June 2, 2011

By Kelly (Fantasy Literature) TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

_Concrete Savior_ is the second in Yvonne Navarro's Dark Redemption series starring Brynna Malak, a fallen angel living as a human in Chicago and trying to earn her way back to Heaven. I enjoyed the first book, Highborn, and _Concrete Savior_ is just as good. Like its predecessor, it mixes angel/demon mythology with superhero tropes for a unique urban fantasy blend.

An anonymous Good Samaritan is afoot in Chicago. Somehow, he seems to know exactly where to find people in danger, and rescues them at great risk to his own life. But his acts of bravery, it turns out, have some unintended consequences. There's a demon on the prowl in the city, playing a terrible game with several human pawns, using their weaknesses -- and sometimes their strengths -- against them. As the body count rises, only Brynna can uncover the plan and stop it before things get even worse.

Navarro tells the story through the eyes of several point-of-view characters. Brynna is one, obviously, as is her maybe-boyfriend, police detective Eran Redmond. Brynna is adjusting to life as a human while continuing her quest for redemption. Eran is dealing with some lingering disbelief about the supernatural, and then a long-lost relative appears and brings some family baggage to the surface. Both are also trying to determine the nature of their relationship.

The other point-of-view characters are men and women connected with the demon's evil scheme. These chapters can be extremely painful to read. Navarro takes us into the minds of several characters who commit horrible crimes -- and while at least one is an utter creep and easy to hate, others are pitiable in spite of their actions. Other characters are more directly manipulated by the demon and are presented with impossible, hideous choices.

_Concrete Savior_ is filled with suspense and action (and gore), but also addresses some tough questions about morality, guilt, and the mutability or immutability of fate. This is not one of those books where angels and demons are just another sexy creature to dazzle the reader. Navarro takes her angels and demons seriously, including the metaphorical ones that sit on our shoulders.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars All over the place June 13, 2011

By disgruntled

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed the first installment of the series;however, the sequel left much to be desired. I am not a fan of multiple points of view in a story and I found that all the jumping around in the story kept me from actually enjoying it. If the story had focused more on the fallen angel and less on the evil people being saved, her boyfriend, his brother, the man who happened to be crossing the street this would have been a solid in my opinion.