woensdag 18 mei 2011

Alyssa Day – Atlantis Unmasked

The fourth book in the Warriors of Poseidon series, published July 2009.

Atlantis Unmasked

Poseidon’s warriors swore an oath eleven thousand years ago to protect humanity from those who stalked the night. Yet when a woman with an ancient Gift dares to claim the heart of one of Poseidon’s fiercest warriors, the world teeters on the knife’s edge between desire and darkness…

A warrior scarred…
Alexios survived two years of unspeakable torture at the hands of a vampire goddess. Now he’s been ordered to team up with a beautiful warrior and take on the most dangerous mission of his life: retrieving the Vampire’s Bane. Without it, Atlantis can’t ascend to the surface and take its rightful place in the world. But when evil threatens, will Alexios be led by duty – or his heart?
A descendant of Diana…
Grace is part of the rebellion against the vampires and shape-shifters trying to take over her world. She is deadly with her bow, because when she takes aim, she never misses her target. But suddenly she’s focused on a damaged Atlantean warrior who sees her as a weapon, not as a woman. When thousands of lives are on the line, will passion rule or will her aim still be true?
When two worlds collide … Atlantis is unmasked.


Alexios is not pleased when he is ordered to join Grace Havilland at St. Louis and assist her in training new rebels. He is extremely attracted to her, and he is not sure he can resist that attraction. After been tortured for two years by the Apostates, he is not sure he can still enjoy making love, which is why he took a vow of celibacy. But there is no other choice, so he has to obey orders.
Grace was fifteen and training for the Olympic swimming team, when the vamps came out of the closet, and murdered her beloved older brother. She gave up on sports, and became a warrior instead. As she is a descendant of Diana, she is especially good with bow and arrow. Her great-grandmother gave her a special bow, made from wood out of the lands of the Fae. She also thought her about her legacy and to be wary of the Fae. And now she is training rebels, as a commander. The loyal Sam, an ex-special forces guy, is her second in command.
As usual on her brothers birth day (and day of his death), Grace goes for a swim in the ocean. She still loves swimming, but sorrow nearly drowns her, and she really contemplates giving up. For good. But not on this day, that would make a mockery of her brothers death.
When she arrives on the beach again, Rhys na Gharanwyn, High Prince of the High House of the Seelie Court is waiting for her. He wants her to give a message to the Atlanteans, an offer of treaty, and he wants her to deliver the message to Alexios. The Fae have always been neutral, finding humans beneath their notice. So why now?
Until Alexios arrives.
Grace and Alexios fight their attraction, both are not ready for commitment or a relationship, and Grace also doesn’t do casual. She is not a virgin, but not very impressed with having sex either. When she tells Alexios sparring or playing tennis is just as good to relieve some tension, he vows to show her differently. But then the fort is attacked by leopard shape shifters and Grace gets hurt badly. Alexios goes crazy at the sight, and almost kills the man. But they need answers more. How are the vampires controlling the shape shifters, when they never before could enthral them? When he calls out for Alaric to come and heal Grace, there is no answer. Two of the trainees are death, and a lot of the rest heavily wounded.
The next day Bastien shows up, with Kat and Ethan with him, and Ethan works his alpha powers on the prisoner, Eddy. Only Grace is extremely affected by those powers as well, and jumps on Alexios, almost begging him to have sex with her. She acts like she is drunk, and then sick. But Alexios is HE RO IC and withstands her tempting offers.
Alaric has told him, he did not make his vows to Poseidon, the sea-god would never ask that of him. He made the vows to himself, and only he can rescind the vows when he is ready for it. So that night, Alexios soul searches himself. Just kissing Grace has caused the soul meld between them, so it is time they took their relationship to the next level.

When Alaric and Alexios meet with Rhys at the appointed time, Rhys has information about the Vampire’s Bane diamond, they have been looking for. He can get the both of them into Vonos’ mansion undetected, so they can steal it back, and something the Fae want back as well. Unfortunately, not everything goes as planned, and in the end, Diana is fighting Anubisa …


Another great, action filled novel in the Warriors of Poseidon series. I really like those warriors (except for Christophe, but he did not really appear in this book).
At the start of the book, where Riley went into labor, I was really crying, it was sooooo sad. And then Denal …. No, I won’t tell you ;).
I loved Alexios, especially when he stopped hiding his scars behind his gorgeous long blond hair. He is confident in his powers as a warrior, but not sure of himself if he really escaped the torture whole. Can he make love to Grace, or will his darker passions take over? He really has the cave man attitude down though. Grace is his, and no other man is to come near her. He will protect her from harm, forever. That she is a competent warrior in her own right, does not matter to him. So I loved when she beat him at target practice.

There was a new secondary character in Michelle, a lovely London rebel. I loved how her humor lightened up some of the scenes, and of course the advise she gives to Grace. I hope to read more about her soon (although not together with one of the other Warriors of Poseidon).
The drama between Alaric and Quinn is still going strong, and Alaric is really hurting from it. I don’t understand why he just doesn’t ask Poseidon for permission. Is he or is he not the most mighty high priest ever?

The appearing of the Fae, and the words of Diana really give a new twist to the series as well. So I am anxious to read on.

As always, the passion between Alexion and Grace sparkles of the pages, and the love scenes are hot. I loved the practicality of Grace, and how she always manages to surprise Alexion. Another great scene is after breakfast. Once with Alaric and once with Alexion. Alyssa Day writes a fast paced novel, with great humor, actionscenes and everything.

8,5 stars.

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