Atlantis Awakening [Mass Market Paperback]

Erin Connors is seeking an alliance between the Seattle Circle of Lights (a coven of witches) and the Atlanteans. Little did she expect that the mere presence of Ven (aka the King's Vengeance) would call to her magic. Erin knows she has to control the Wilding for it can lead to dark magic, or does it? Erin has the power of legend, as she is a gem singer. Will her powers be enough to save Riley? And just what dark plan does Caligula have in store for Erin?

I am officially hooked on the Warriors of Poseidon! Next to Alaric, Ven is the character I most wanted to see have his story told and Alyssa Day simply outdid herself! Tension emanates from the very first page as I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough! Alyssa Day really shines in ATLANTIS AWAKENING as this tale is perhaps one of the top paranormal books published this year.

Erin is headstrong and the perfect match for one such as Ven. Alyssa Day creates strong female characters who truly embody the essence of the ideal heroine. Erin is determined to see her quest through and only such a resolute character could handle the King's Vengeance!

ATLANTIS AWAKENING is the third story in the Warriors of Poseidon series and all of the elements really come together in this one. The underlying stories with the other Atlanteans add a layer of depth that only strengthens the overall series. ATLANTIS AWAKENING can be read as a stand alone, but I highly suggest reading this series in order so that the character development of each of the Warriors of Poseidon can truly be appreciated.

ATLANTIS AWAKENING builds upon the strong foundation already established in ATLANTIS RISING and Wild Hearts in Atlantis (from WILD THING). Alyssa Day has carefully crafted a fantastic world populated by various supernatural factions. The conflicts are growing, as are the alliances, and I for one can't wait to see where Alyssa Day takes us next! Highly recommended!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Erin Connors is a ninth-level witch of the Seattle Circle of Light. Ten years ago an ancient vampire, Caligula, massacred her family. Since then, Erin has been filled with the need for vengeance. In a stroke of irony, she must team up with the legendary Atlantean warrior, Vengeance "Ven", in order to defeat a growing threat in the area. Erin is able to call upon the Wilding, a type of magic that few are able to control. Erin is also a rare breed of witch; she is a gem singer. A gem singer is one whose soul resonates with the spirit of the stones of the earth. Until Erin, the gem singers of the Nereids were thought to be only myth; however, the Atlanteans are seeing a lot of "mythical beings" from the ancient scrolls popping up in the area.

He is known as The King's Vengeance. It has been his name and duty for centuries. Now that Atlantis's warriors have risen, Ven must help wage a war against the vampires. More humans are being turned into vampires every night. Caligula is building an army for unknown reasons. Ven has never liked witches, but they are better than dealing with vampires. The feisty witch, Erin, strikes him as different from the instant they meet. Ven is able to hear Erin's gems sing! He quickly realizes that he does not want the witch to leave his sight. An intense and dark desire flows within Ven that he is almost unable to control. Problem is that there is no time to consider what is happening or why.

Lady Riley and her unborn child are dying. No one knows why or is able to stop it. The only chance to save them is for Erin and Ven to depart Atlantis, battle the undead and shifters, and recover the Nereid's Heart - a ruby of immense power. Time is quickly running out.

**** This time the story revolves around the second heir to the throne. In the first book of the series, Ven seemed stronger than his older brother, Conlan. Where Conlan must use subtle diplomacy and strategy, Ven uses strength, battle training and weapons. I found it fascinating to watch Erin break through his barriers (while he broke through hers). You do not have to read any of the prior books in the series to understand what is going on, but those who do will find it add to the drama. I found this story to be an engrossing read and can hardly wait to read Justice's story. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

In Altlantis Awakening the leads Erin and Ven were much better developed leads than Conlan and Riley from the previous book The Warriors of Poseidon (Atlantis Rising, Book 1). As a witch and Gem Singer, Erin is a strong enough heroine to stand up to the "@$$ kicking" (his words, multiple times) Lord Vengeance. I would have liked to have seen their relationship progress a little more slowly though, the soul-meld should be a jump-start not a jump-to-lightspeed, so that the reader can fall in love with the romantic leads as they fall in love with each other. Author Day does a better job with her other characters. She makes excellent use of her supporting cast and continues to flesh out her returning characters and their relationships.

In fact looking back at the story there are side characters that stand out more than the leads. There was an especially poignant scene between star crossed lovers high priest Alaric and rebel leader Quinn, as the brief bittersweet taste of the soul-meld they must deny brings them even more anguish. I could have used a quick refresher on a couple of the other warriors, but it makes sense that, since there are so many, just a few can play significant roles in each story. In addition to Alaric, Justice got some interesting screen time to set up the next full length novel Atlantis Unleashed which will be his story.

Atlantis Awakening would have been a 4.5 star read, if it weren't for the rape scene half-way through the book. The only purpose that I could see for the scene was to bludgeon the reader with the fact that the bad guy Caligula was really really evil, but that was already well established and later on in the story Caligula actually tells the victim's sister (and the audience as well) that the victim has suffered this fate numerous times. Not only was this scene unnecessary, it broke the momentum of the story and it took me a while to get back into the flow of the story - making the scene's placement directly before a love scene between the romantic leads especially unfortunate. This was significant enough to drop my rating by a full star, but I liked the rest of the story and I can't wait to read about more about Justice and vampire double agent Daniel/Drakos too in the upcoming Warriors of Poseidon (Atlantis Unleashed, Book 3)(June 2008).

If you happened to have missed Day's connected novel for warrior Bastien in Wild Thing you should check it out, and also watch for another short in the upcomingShifter.