Into the Mist [Paperback]

While on a mission to Ahdarji, a recovery unit, along with their mercenary guide, are exposed to a chemical agent which leaves them all with the ability to shapeshift. Only the shifting is uncontrollable and unpredictable and the answers to the situation seem to lie with the one man who seems to have conquered his shifting - Eli.

Tyana Berezovsky is determined to do whatever she has to in order to find a cure for her brother Damiano's shifting instability. The drugs they'd been using to keep him in human form aren't as effective as they used to be and Ty fears for him. As a member of the elite group of mercenaries called the Falcons she uses her knowledge to attempt to gain information from Eli by seducing him.

Eli Chance has a big secret. He was born a shifter and his teammates `gift' of the ability to shapeshift makes him feel less like a freak of nature. He feels a great responsibility for his comrades and is concerned for their sanity due to their inability to control their shifts and lack of memory or human characteristics while in their altered forms.

Eli's very aware there's something different about Ty from the minute he first sees her in a seedy bar. He's blissfully unaware that her interest in him is more than purely sexual until he notices her slip a little something extra into his drink. Ty's mission to get info regarding how Eli's able to control his shifting proves to be more difficult than originally thought since he's not going along with the plan to incapacitate him. She hadn't planned on actually having sex with him but she certainly isn't complaining about the detour in her plans either. Her mission's blown when she can't find the information she needs and Eli busts her searching his place. She still manages to escape and return to her `family' but her concern over D's deteriorating condition will have her going against Jonah and Mad Dog's demands that she give up her quest. Is there any hope for a lasting relationship between Ty and Eli when her family blames him for D's condition in the first place?

INTO THE MIST is the first book in Maya Banks FALCON MERCENARY GROUP series and I have to tell you I'm already looking forward to the others. These aren't your ordinary shapeshifters and I was stunned by how sexy I found Eli's ability to shift into mist. There's no denying Ty and Eli are both deadly as well as emotionally vulnerable and the combination keeps readers' riveted to the pages. Of course, I love the smart mouth comments and attitude that are present throughout the entire book. Their verbal sparing keep you smiling despite the seriousness of the situation.

I'm dying to know more about all these characters and what happens next. There's just an emotional pull towards the men of both Eli and Jonah's group and I want them all to get their own happily-ever-afters. Maya Banks is a master at creating characters who capture readers' hearts and live on in their memories. She continues this trend with INTO THE MIST. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the rest of the series.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

Tyana has every expectation of disliking Eli Chance when she tracks him down with the intent to glean knowledge from him concerning the chemical agent that changed her brother's life forever and Eli's apparent control over that agent's effects on him. But not even the best intel could never prepare her for the force of nature that is Eli Chance. With every look, ever touch, he disarms her more surely than if he'd stripped her of every gun and knife she owns.

Eli can't quite figure what the sexy little mercenary is up to when she targets him in a Singapore nightclub, but he can't wait to find out. From the fierce muscle tone in her arms to the combat boots on her feet, everything about Tyana Berezovsky demands his attention.

With an unknown enemy working against them and Tyana's own team determined to keep her from Eli at all costs, Tyana and Eli must work together to save the people they care most for in this world before it is too late.

Just when I thought I knew what to expect from Maya Banks' writing, this talented author manages to surprise me yet again by venturing into the world of paranormal romance complete with full-on action adventure thrown in. With her brand new series from Samhain Publishing, Falcon Mercenary Group, Maya Banks introduces an exciting new cast of characters guaranteed to stir the fantasies of romance readers everywhere.

The first book in the series, Into the Mist, introduces the men and woman that the series centers on, while simultaneously delivering an unconventional yet touching romance between Eli Chance and Tyana Berezovsky. This couple's mating dance is definitely a bit - OK, a LOT different from most, preferring to throw a few well-aimed punches and roundhouse kicks at each other as a form of mercenary-style foreplay. LOL But underneath it all, this pair connects on the most fundamental of levels, sharing traumatic childhoods and lives devoid of romantic love - until they find each other.

It is obvious from the beginning that Eli and Tyana are well-matched, each with the ability to kick the other's butt into gear when called for, and each with empathy for the other's past - an empathy born of painful experience.

With a suspense that arcs throughout the series, the author deftly builds anticipation for the next piece of this riveting story, leaving fans with just enough tidbits concerning future stories to encourage speculation on the series' mysteries.

As the author of any good saga would do, Maya Banks finishes Into the Mist with a satisfying ending for our intrepid couple that is as much a beginning as it is an ending. Indeed, the finish will leave readers panting for the next book in this sizzling series, hoping against hope that their favorite member of the Falcon Mercenary Group will be the next hero.

I loved it!!! Can't wait for the next installment. The plot was interesting and the heroine not mousey or winey. I like Ms. Banks' works and hope she continues this series!

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