Seattle, Washington - Present Day

Atlantean warrior Ven has been charged as the liaison to a group of witches seeking to destroy an ancient vampire wreaking havoc on Seattle. As King's Vengeance, he is sworn to protect not only the humans under attack, but also his brother who will soon become King of Atlantis. Ven does not like nor trust witches, and the thought of fighting Caligula, who has become even more bloodthirsty than he was during his reign over ancient Rome, fills Ven with dread. As he meets with Erin, his witch contact, he is both attracted to her and even more leery of fighting a deadly enemy with someone who won't take orders from him. When Ven gives in to the enchantment he feels for Erin, something takes over his mind and heart. The blue-green flame burning in his eyes that she asks him about merely confirms his fears. Ven has just engaged in a soul-meld with Erin. Now he must also fight to keep and protect the one he will love forever.

Erin Connors isn't sure what just happened when Ven kissed her. The experience leaves her shaken and even more attracted to him than she was when she first saw him. Erin doesn't need or want the distraction of man to keep her from fulfilling her quest to vanquish Caligula; his murder of her family cannot go unpunished. After an attack leaves her weakened, Ven takes her to Atlantis to heal. As she approaches the Nereid Temple, Erin hears gems singing to her more beautifully than they have ever done before. When she joins her voice with their song, she is overtaken by force she has never felt. Her song helps to heal Ven's sister-in-law and the unborn child she is having trouble carrying. It seems that Erin is not only a witch, she may be a fabled gem singer -- a goddess. Loving a witch was a concern for Ven; loving a goddess leaves him quaking in his boots.

Other characters include Prince Conlan and his pregnant wife Riley (Atlantis Rising); warriors Justice and Alexios; Atlantean high priest Alaric; rebel vampire Drakos; high witches Gennae, Berenice, and Lillian; human rebel leader Quinn; and rebel shifter Jack. With a traitorous spy in their midst, a quest to find a gem missing from Poseidon's trident that can heal Riley, a psychotic vampire raising an army of minions, and an unknown enemy even more deadly than Caligula, the odds of Ven and Erin surviving this fight are slim. Ven isn't sure that he is strong enough to take on all that is coming. and his loyalties will be tested in ways that he never imagined.

ATLANTIS AWAKENING is a whirlwind adventure from beginning to end. Ven has always known what his duties are and where his loyalty lay. Meeting Erin and falling in love were not in his plans. Erin has learned to seal off her emotions in her single-minded pursuit of revenge. Ven has the ability to make her open herself up emotionally. And she is more terrified of that than her enemies. Vibrant writing, strong characters, and non-stop action fuel the passion between Erin and Ven. Intimacy and romance are as intense as the battles they fight. Threads from previous and future stories are deftly woven in, but this tale stands alone well. I highly recommend ATLANTIS AWAKENING, another winner in this powerhouse series.

Jennell