Series Spotlight - Nightwalkers (1-2) by Jacquelyn Frank

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Nightwalkers series is a paranormal romance / urban fantasy series about things that go bump in the night. Among your Nightwalkers, you have Demons, Vampires, and Lycanthropes. The main focus of the first two books are the Demons. Along with a fragile peace between them and the other two Nightwalker species, there are necromancers threatening to destroy their way of life and loved ones. I definitely recommend reading this series so far!


Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank
Series: Nightwalkers #1
Publisher: Zebra
Publication Date: 1 December 2006
Genre: Paranormal Romance
My Copy: bought - mass market

Since time began, there have been Nightwalkers - the races of the night who live in the shadows of the moonlight. Love with humans is absolutely forbidden, and one man makes certain to uphold this ancient law: Jacob, the Enforcer...

For 700 Years, He has resisted temptation. But not tonight...


Jacob knows the excuses his people give when the madness overtakes them and they fall prey to their lust for humans. He's heard every one and still brought the trespassers to justice. Immune to forbidden desires, uncontrollable hungers, or the curse of the moon, his control is total...until the moment he sees Isabella on a shadowy New York City street. Saving her life wasn't in his plans. Nor were the overwhelming feelings she arouses in him. But the moment he holds her in his arms and feels the soft explosion of her body against his, everything changes. Their attraction is undeniable, volatile, and completely against the law. Suddenly everything Jacob has ever believed is inflamed by the heat of desire...


Bring on the night.


Review:
Jacob immediately pulled me in. A Demon protecting the prey from another Demon? And being brothers at that? I was hooked. I wanted to know why Jacob stopped his brother from harming a human. Demons are usually all portrayed as bad guys. These Demons are far from evil. They just have unique abilities based on an element (Wind, Earth, Fire) or important human aspect (Mind, Body). Jacob is an Earth Demon which allows him to turn to dust, communicate with animals, or cause earthquakes.

Isabella, or Bella, has her own talents due to her ancestry. The same ancestry sets up the conflict for the series. I really enjoyed Bella. Maybe because of her love for books and history.

Okay, I have to say the resemblance at times between this book and Twilight are uncanny. I mean, Jacob and Bella. Vampires. Imprinting. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe there is any foul play or connection. Twilight was published in 2005, and Jacob in 2006.
And other than those three things, the rest of the books are nothing alike. I just found it intriguing.



*****


Gideon by Jacquelyn Frank
Series: Nightwalkers #2
Publisher: Zebra
Publication Date: 1 June 2007
Genre: Paranormal Romance
My Copy: bought - mass market

They're called the Nightwalkers--proud, ancient beings who live in the shadows, existing just beyond the human world. But there are also dangerous humans who hunt them--necromancers who use the blackest magic to manipulate them. And for a Demon named Gideon, the battle against these evil forces will soon be all too personal...

AS A HEALER, HE KNOWS HER BODY. BUT IT'S HER HEART HE WANTS.

For a thousand years, Gideon has healed his people. And as the oldest surviving male of his race, his wisdom has always been respected without question. But Gideon knows that even he is vulnerable to the powerful, primitive desires that befall his kind during Hallowed moons--and nine years ago that truth was hammered home when he found himself claiming Magdalegna, the Demon King's sister, in a wild embrace. Horrified by his lack of control, he left her wanting and furious--and then exiled himself for the better part of a decade. Now, with necromancers threatening his people--and Magdalegna nearly their victim--Gideon must face another truth. He and the beautiful, stubborn Magdalegna are destined to be together, to share a love as deep and old as time itself. But first he needs to regain her trust. Then he'll have to save her life...

Every night holds secrets.

Review:
I didn't like the second installment quite as well as the first. I had a hard time liking Gideon. He was rather full of himself. Normally that doesn't bother me in romance novels as I expect it to a certain extent, but this time it just annoyed me. Gideon is a Body Demon, so he can heal others and astral project. I did like Legna, but I have to admit that the full name, Magdelegna, threw me off the entire book. I would read it as Magdelena first and then have to correct myself, which was very distracting. She seemed kind of weak when it came to Gideon and strong when it came to anything else. Legna is a Mind Demon who can feel others' emotions. Yet when she Imprints with Gideon, she gets this angry, revengeful side as well which is hard for me to reconcile considering her gift.

There are lots of new characters and more insight into the Nightwalker world. We are also introduced to the Vampires and Lycanthropes. I definitely look forward to seeing more from them in the later books of the series. I also really enjoy that the books in the series do not focus just on a single couple at the neglect of the rest. You still get plenty of Jacob and Bella from the previous book, plus you can see some of the set up for Elijah. The Imprinting process is fascinating to me. I loved the telepathic connection in the two books. Plus the idea that the Imprinted pair could die by not seeing each other for a length of time is kind of intriguing, if perhaps a bit cheesy.


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