Coffee Pot Reviews: Magic Unchained & Spellfire by Jessica Andersen

Welcome to Coffee Pot Reviews! These are short and sweet reviews done in the length of time it takes my coffee pot to brew! I have been reading Jessica Andersen's Nightkeeper series since they began in 2008. I love this paranormal tale, with it's blend of mythology and magic. It is the story of a group of warriors charged with stopping a Mayan prophecy and saving mankind before the demons of the underworld rise up and destroy all on December 21, 2012. Each tells the story of one couple and further advances the overall plot to save mankind. 

Magic Unchained
by Jessica Anserson
Series: Nightkeepers #7
Publisher: Penguin/Signet
Publication date: April 3, 2012
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

Cara Liu is determined to unite the forces under her leadership but when Nightkeeper Sven enters the scene, Cara has trouble separating her duty to her people from her desire for her ex-lover. Their secret affair will not only jeopardize a tenuous alliance among the Nightkeepers, but it also distracts them from a danger within their own ranks planning a vicious betrayal...

In the seventh book of the tale we get Cara and Sven's story. She is a Winikin, one who is meant to serve the warriors. He is a mage with a wolf familiar. They grew up side by side, but duty to the man that raised him send Sven away. Tensions are hot between the warriors and Winikins and now is not the time for old feelings to flame up between them. But is this the will of the Gods? This was another action packed installment as we rapidly advance towards the end date. They face betrayal, tricks from the underworld, and lose a member of their team. Andersen grabs you on page one and barely lets you up to breath. I immediately connected with Sven and Cara as they struggled to deal with loyalty and their own feelings. The romance was hot, heartbreaking and felt genuine. The overall plot to the storyline progressed with some startling revelations. I love the direction she is taking with the Winikins. Fans of stories surrounding mythology, romance, and history with kick-ass warriors and paranormal woo-woo will love this series.

Four mocha lattes out of five

Spellfire
by Jessica Andersen
Series: Nightkeepers #8
Publisher: Penguin/Signet
Publication date: November 6, 2012
Genre : Adult Paranormal Romance
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

Imprisoned and tortured by the demoness who tricked him into betraying the Nightkeepers and the woman he loves, Rabbit must endure excruciating pain to protect the diminished Skywatch army as the end-time approaches. Although an ancient prophecy says his unique powers are key to winning the final battle in the doomsday war, he hasn’t just lost his credibility—he’s lost his magic. Myrinne is far from the woman Rabbit once knew—she’s got magic now, and despite emotional scars, she’s strong enough to help the Nightkeepers. And yet she’s not prepared to handle the fiercely driven man he’s become or the new, dangerous feelings that spark between them.
With the barrier ready to fall and a xombi outbreak in the human world, Rabbit and Myrinne must forge a new partnership amid dangerous instability and the threat of an undead army. In the end, it will be up to Rabbit to master his ferocious magic—or all will be lost. For him, for the woman he doesn’t have the right to love anymore, and for the fate of the world…

Wow what an awesome conclusion to a terrific action packed series. Rabbit has always been one of my favorite characters. He has always been the underdog, making foolish mistakes and searching for answers. This tale delivers his and Myrinne's romance and I found it to be sweet and genuine. I love seeing growth in characters and Andersen did an awesome job with Rabbit. We also face December 21, 2012 and the Nightkeepers last chance to save the world. I love the blend of mythology throughout this series. The characters were all very real to me, and became a family of sorts. Andersen did a phenomenal job with this final book, tying up loose ends, throwing some unbelievable and brilliant twists in there, that had my heart racing. This has been one heck of a ride and I am sad to see this series come to an end. If you are looking for an action packed paranormal series, with fleshed out kick-ass characters this series is an awesome place to start. 

Five Mayan cups of coffee out of five