Customer Reviews

Dawnkeepers: A Novel of the Final Prophecy

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well I certainly got my money's worth with Dawnkeepers, Jessica Andersen's second installment in her Nightkeeper Mayan 2012 end of the world series. With 455 pages (of small print too) this one kept me out of mischief for a good long time.

The romantic leads in Dawnkeepers are Alexis, who was raised on Nightkeeper lore and who embraces her destiny and all the promises of prestige and power that come with it, and Nate, who grew up with no family, not belonging anywhere or to anyone and who has no intention of giving up his freedom and submitting to the notion of destiny. Alexis and Nate hooked up last book during the heightened sensual needs that resulted from their Nightkeeper initiation ceremony, but despite a mystic connection between them - Nate is in Alexis' dreams and Alexis is the spitting image of a video game character Nate created years before meeting her - Nate has rejected Alexis because he won't accept that the gods have chosen her as his mate.

Though there is a romance here, it is not as much the focus of the story as the one between Nightkeeper King Strike and his former Police detective mate Leah in the first book. Nate and Alexis' thread is but one of several, we also follow: the half-blood eighteen year old Rabbit as he begins to discover more facets of his power, Strike's seeress sister Anna as she is pulled from the normal life she desperately wants back into the Nightkeeper fray, and Anna's graduate assistant Lucius who is tainted by the evil magic born of his unquenchable curiosity and need to prove that Nightkeepers are not just legends.

I have to admit that I was actually glad the story wasn't just about Nate and Alexis, they are both pretty annoying for the first third of the book. At the start, Nate is a real jerk and Alexis is very needy and focused on the superficial trappings. Thankfully both of the pair actually do some real growing up in the course of the story - Alexis learns to stand on her own and gains her own power, and Nate learns how to be part of something bigger than himself - so despite some poignant moments when all seems lost, everything works out the way it should for the pair.

There was plenty going on in this book beyond Nate and Alexis quest for a happily ever after. More pieces of the end of time prophecy come into play in the form of magic artifacts that the Nightkeepers are desperately trying to obtain, though they are foiled at every step by a new enemy, powerful magi belonging to a legendary evil offshoot of the Nightkeepers. So overall I still enjoyed the story even with a few little side nits that bothered me: Strike's whole bug up his you-know-where about humans knowing about the Nightkeeper home base Skywatch when - hello- the enemies know the location, and Anna's keeping secrets and lying to her husband - a betrayal not on the same order as his affair - both irked me a bit for some reason. But nothing major enough to keep this from being an interesting read. And as in the previous book, Andersen uses her ponderous amounts of research - you have to check out the references on her website to believe how much - to bring elaborate detail to every aspect of the story, from settings to history to rituals to the creatures that the Nighkeepers must battle to keep doomsday from coming even sooner than prophesized.

I am so looking forward to more of Rabbit and I'm hoping that poor Lucius - both possessed and enslaved - catches a break when the series continues with Skykeepers (Final Prophecy, Book 3) in June.

Nate Blackhawk doesn't believe in prophecy or destiny. Only believing in the tangible, he is having a hard time grasping the fact that he is in charge of helping save the entire human race from evil once the Mayan clock counts down. A computer programmer and games designer, Nate grew up alone without anyone to teach him the legend of the Nightkeepers and the task which they have been given. He is also having a hard time keeping Alexis Gray at arm's length. While he desires her, he knows that their passion for each other is not the result of destiny but hormones. Nate soon learns differently.



Alexis Gray has grown up learning about the Mayan prophecy and the role she is to play in the end of times. Believing in the Nightkeepers, Alexis desires to be one of the best fighters they have. She was born to this destiny and nothing is going to stand in her way of fulfilling the prophecy handed to her. Not even Nate Blackhawk, no matter how much she desires him.



Loving every single word of this highly intelligent and action filled world, I settled in for a nice long read. At 455 pages, Dawnkeepers is not a quick read, but it is an amazing one. When Alexis and Nate first got together in Nightkeepers, I knew these two enigmatic characters were meant for each other. Nate fights his attraction every step of the way - just like a man - and Alexis is leery but unable to deny what her heart feels. Add in the new status given to her by the gods and Nate was putty in her hands. Their primitive passion and lust filled escapades were hot yet tender.



A strong follow-up to Nightkeepers, Dawnkeepers kept me glued to the pages of this magnificent book. Terrific world building skills aside, Jessica Andersen is just a fabulous story teller. She makes me feel as if I am right there. I joyfully recommend Dawnkeepers! Lovers of paranormal romance and urban fantasy will adore this book! I know I did!


Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I enjoyed the first book in the series Nightkeepers. Jessica Andersen does a wonderful job at creating a brand new series that has not been done. These Magi aren't like your typical vampire/werewolf/paranormal genre. Instead Andersen creates a new world, one that was foretold to end on 2012 just three years from now.

Her characters are unforgettable. A bad mouthed king who doesn't want the title, his mate a half Godkeeper full blooded human who he was supposed to sacrifice, a Nightkeeper who is in-love with his own pixel perfect video game goddess (though when the real version steps into his life he turns tail and runs) and a lost girl who is only looking to prove she does belong as well as fill her mothers shoes.

These characters are far from perfect and absolutely brilliant in their interactions. Nate Blackhawk and Alexis were destined to be mates, the readers see this from the first book, however Nate doesn't believe in fate and destiny while Alexis is fighting tooth and nail to make hers a reality. Somehow Alexis is chosen to be a Godkeeper to the Mayan goddess of rainbows and fertility. Which begs the question of how rainbows will fight the Makols and alter-Nightkeepers (who are very powerful but very evil)

As the Nightkeepers race against time to find artifacts containing the Mayan starscript, Alexis is trying to take her mother's place as an advisor to a king. A king who's subjects' are basically fighting blind, with hole filled knowledge. The characters grow in this book and the ending is elusive yet perfect for the series. I can't wait to read more from her. Definitely not your typical sci-fi paranormal author.

No need to rehash the storyline; read the other reviews for a feel good moment.

Really, people? I struggled through this book and I am an avid reader of paranormal fiction from what back. Not to pimp my library of red and groaned over past reads but what have Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kate Douglas, Jory Stong, LA Banks, JR Ward, Lillith Saintcrow, just to name of few have in common? They are really good world builders and exception storytellers.

I don't really care about the sex factor...and Dawn Keepers scores low on the totem pole in that regard when the Night Keepers powers are bound by magic and sex...hello?

I had to put this book down one to many times in frustration or in what the...due to something just not coming together. The characters in book two are just as shallow as in book one. Why are they the way they are? When they do really stupid things...why is the reader NOT surprised?

I'm going to read the third book...well because it's paid for. After that I don't see a bright future for the Final Prophecy series on my bookshelf.

I usually depend on Amazon reviews to assist with hard decisions about buying some books as definitely about an author I had not previously read. After these glowing reviews, I will be changing that policy.

After successfully defending earth against the Banol Kax, the Nightkeepers have spent the past couple of months attempting to recover 7 ancient Mayan artifacts. The sacred items hold prophecies that will help the Nightkeepers prepare for the end-time battle that has been triggered by King Striking-Jaguar's refusal to sacrifice his chosen mate. The Nightkeepers have lost some momentum in the time since the battle at Winter Solstice. The demands of the Nightkeeper tradition appear to be taking a toll on the group of warrior-priests and recent failed missions are only adding to their frustration. It seems that someone else is also seeking to obtain the precious artifacts...and that someone is always one step ahead of them.

Nate Blackhawk will accept his duty as a Nightkeeper, but that's as far as it goes. Growing up an orphan, Nate has learned some harsh lessons in life, but he survived and now owns a successful video game company. Seven months prior, he had been shocked to learn about his bloodline and the parents he never knew, but imagine his surprise when he showed up at Nightkeeper headquarters only to be greeted by a living, breathing version of his video game heroine - Alexis Gray. The attraction was instant and mutual, but Nate hates the idea of fate choosing his mate for him so he rejects Alexis and pushes her away. He may be duty-bound to protect mankind, but his destiny is his own to decide; and not even the gods themselves can take that away from him.

Alexis Gray knows that Nate Blackhawk is the man for her whether or not he chooses to accept it. In the past she has had a history of staying in relationships well past the expiration date, yet somehow she had hoped it would be different this time. But much as she desires Nate, she also wants to distinguish herself as an elite member of the Nightkeeper clan. Her success depends largely on her ability to harness her powers and without Nate to boost her magic she may need to select another Nightkeeper male as her mate. Her heart may protest, but if the man she loves refuses to love her then perhaps it is time to move on. The fate of mankind is at stake and Alexis is determined to do what she can to aid their chances of winning the final battle.

Despite their efforts to avoid one another it appears that the will of the gods will not be denied as Nate and Alexis are forced to work together. As her protector, Nate vows to keep Alexis safe though he continues to deny his feelings for her. In time Alexis learns to call down her powers on her own without Nate's assistance thereby releasing him from fate's interfering hand; But an unexpected feeling of emptiness moves in to occupy the place in Nate's heart where resentment used to reside. Danger closes in on the Nightkeepers and Alexis steps up to the challenge placing herself in harm's way. To have any chance of saving Alexis, Nate must first face the truth about his feelings for her, and in doing so Nate discovers that with Alexis, he is capable of more than he ever imagined - and a life of free will isn't worth much without her.

DAWNKEEPERS picks up from where Book 1 left off with the Nightkeepers' ongoing quest to prepare for the end-time battle. Fans of the first installment will not be disappointed as Andersen continues to build upon the Nightkeeper mythos while weaving intricate subplots into this densely layered world. Keeping with the tone of the first book, DAWNKEEPERS works well as urban fantasy, but once again readers looking for a good dose of romance may find Nate and Alexis a tad frustrating. The hero and heroine score high on the angst scale throughout the majority of the book, however events tied to the overall arc of the series end up overshadowing much of their drama. Nate and Alexis may not have the most satisfying romance, but that does not diminish the exciting story of the Nightkeepers and several new twists will have readers anxiously waiting for the next installment. SKYKEEPERS (The Final Prophesy, Book 3) is due to be released AUGUST 2009.

~*Courtesy of ParaNormal Romance Reviews*~

I admit that I wasn't crazy about Andersen's freshman effort ("Nightkeepers")...it wasn't bad, just wasn't great. So, with an open mind I figured I'd give this series another shot & I'm very glad I did. "Dawnkeepers" shows a maturation in her writing process that wasn't quite there in the first installment. The characters are more compelling & as a reader, I actually cared what happened to Alexis (the lead female protagonist) and her complex and often frustrating relationship with Nate Blackhawk. I must also add that I'm really enjoying the attention played to the secondary characters (like Rabbit) whom you know will play a bigger part in future installments of this series.

Well done, Jessica...well done! I thouroughly enjoyed myself & actually lost track of time while reading "Dawnkeepers". :) Thank you for an excellent book!

I think I preferred the first book more than this one. I couldn't get over the annoying main couple in this one. I just couldn't find myself caring about neither Nate or Alexis.

The little side story of Rabbit was interesting, but I don't see much growth in his character yet. He burned that 3 question deity to death, and I can't believe there was no fallout from that from the others.

I liked the plot, but after a while it got kind of dry to read since the romance was very low.

Personally, I don't plan on keeping this book. After reading it one time, it's not worth re-reading and taking up shelf space.

When I read the first book in the Nightkeepers Series, I was having trouble following the story line. But Dawnkeepers really changed that problem. This story had me hooked to the series and enjoying every installment there after. Andersen has a way of bring out the feelings, emotions and thought processes of her characters; especially the men! This story of Alexis & Nate was heart warming and was well balanced between both characters to give the reader a true sense of how they both felt and grew to need & love each other to save the world from destruction!! Unfortunately, the Nightkeeper Series is short lived since as of right now there will be only (5) books in the series. Great read - Enjoyed every twist and turn!!

Dawn Keepers is the second installment in the Novels of The Final Prophecy. Ms. Andersen has brought a unique mythology into the landscape of paranormal romance. I was very excited to see where this book was going to take the Night Keepers. If you think you can guess, you are in for a big surprise.

We join Night Keeper Nate Blackhawk as he is trying to retrieve one of the seven artifacts that they need. The artifacts are inscribed with prophecies to prevent the end time that you can only see in starlight. The artifacts were sold off by the Night Keepers several generations ago in order to keep them going in lean times. Unfortunately, Nate arrives too late. The owner is dead and the artifact was taken. At the same time, Nate's former lover Alexis is at an estate auction bidding on another of the artifacts. On her way to the airport, she is attacked magically. Luckily Nate was worried that something would go wrong and arrived with their king, Strike in the nick of time. They tangle with a mage with red hair who has very strong powers similar to a Night Keeper. This mage wanted the artifact that Alexis had retrieved to go with the one he had acquired before Nate could. It then becomes a race to try and get the other artifacts before this enemy does. Are they going to succeed in preventing the End Time or are the Night Keepers going to be a day late and a dollar short?

Nate was never thrilled about finding out his past. Raised in foster care didn't make him all warm and fuzzy about family. He desires Alexis but didn't like feeling like their relationship was about ambition and magic rather than desire. Just because he dreamed of Alexis before he ever met her makes him more resistant to the idea that they are meant to be. Alexis has some deep feelings for Nate but she also has the desire to be important and a person of influence in this new world. Their relationship and true feelings are complicated and feel very realistic. Ms. Andersen doesn't take the easy way out with these two. They have to work through things and compromise. People don't change overnight and neither did Nate and Alexis. The plot of this series is intricate and frustrating in the best possible way. When you sit down to read, you don't know where you are going. You can't even guess how things are going to go. The Night Keepers are at a disadvantage in that they don't know much about their magic, the spells, and how they are going to succeed. They know probably just enough to get into trouble. I really like the fact that they don't have all the answers as this makes them very relatable. Please hurry with the next book, Dr. Andersen, I am dying to see how thing will go next.

Originally reviewed at Night Owl Romance

The countdown to the ancient Mayan prophecy foretelling the end of the world as we know it has begun. A band of warriors called Nightkeepers are the only thing standing in the way of humankind's complete destruction. This is Nate Blackhawk and Alexis Gray's story.

Nate Blackhawk is a gamer. Having found his fortune and fame designing computer games, he is having a hard time with the whole "Nightkeepers" destiny thing. He believes in the tangible and the fact that he grew up without a family or keeper and never hearing the lore of the ancients doesn't help. He does not want any assistance with his destiny - he can do just fine on his own. Or so he thinks.

Alexis Gray has grown up hearing the tales of the ancient prophecy. Until recently she didn't really understand her part in the Mayan predictions but now she does. Firmly ensconced in the Nightkeepers stronghold, Skywatch, Alexis will do what it takes to fulfill her duties that the gods have assigned her. Not sure of what her future holds, Alexis is certain of her heart - Nate Blackhawk and the passion she knows they feel for each other is real. All she has to do is convince him.

Alexis and Nate battle more than evil in this highly adventurous novel. They battle each other and their hearts more than once. In a life or death situation with very little time to spare, Alexis and Nate must recover seven statues that the demons they are fighting want. Time is not on their side but their warrior training has yet to fail them.

Jessica Andersen's world building skills amaze me. It is like I am standing right there in front of the characters seeing exactly what they are seeing. DAWNKEEPERS adds so much to the legend of the Mayan countdown that I found myself totally enthralled with the legend, the lore, and the predictions recounted in DAWNKEEPERS.

What can I say about the lead characters? Nate and Alexis fight their attraction to each other every step of the way with Nate being just a bit more stubborn than Alexis. No matter what was going down, each character became fully focused on the other and I found that loyalty quite important. Acting as soul mates, but almost childlike in their ability to voice their love for each other it isn't until the final hours before the Equinox that things seem to fall in place. On pins and needles and breathing a sigh of relief over the capitulation of this enigmatic pair, I knew things would be okay.

Jessica Andersen visited old characters and made some more prominent in DAWNKEEPERS. I am craving Rabbit's story and not above begging! His character remains one of my favorites and I can not wait to see what is going on in his head. King Strike and his mate, Leah, played prominent roles in DAWNKEEPERS as well. Finally, I love how Ms. Andersen explained some storylines and answered questions but then before I knew it, she made me crave the answers to yet other plots. Enhancing the world and then pulling you in is what comes to mind in explaining DAWNKEEPERS. I loved every single scene and word.

Prophecy, passion and powerful emotions - DAWNKEEPERS will keep you on the edge of your seat begging for more!

***Natalie S. for Wild on Books***