Synopsis from
Goodreads:
Vigilance. The mission to safeguard Nikki
Youngblood depends on the fragile alliance of two half-angel, half-human
guardians, both struggling with intense feelings for the girl who has been assigned
to their care. Mace, steadfast and deeply in love, wants to protect Nikki at
all costs, while Raven's loyalty to Nikki finds him advocating for her
independence and battling his own darker inclinations. At the same time, Nikki
finds it harder and harder to choose between the two heavenly beings she may
never have. Dangers intensify, and tensions between Mace and Raven flare as the
purpose of their mission becomes clear. Can their defenses hold up to master
manipulator Damon Vessler and the powerful secret he holds regarding Nikki's
heritage? Can anyone protect Nikki from her true purpose and destiny?
***********
Guardian is the sequel to Halflings by Heather
Burch. It continues the story of Nikki Youngblood and the Halflings (half humans/half
angels). It’s an exciting teen/young
adult paranormal romance novel that follows seventeen year old Nikki, as she
and the Halflings fight in a war between good and evil while trying to decide
between two amazingly gorgeous Halflings guardians. To better prepare her for what lies ahead,
Nikki attempts to improve her fighting skills as well as her skills as a Seer.
The love triangle between these three takes up
a good portion of the book. She seems to feel for them in separate ways. Now granted Nikki has been through a lot
recently, with her parents’ death, finding out she is a Seer, and having to
fight off evil that is somehow drawn to her. I get that her emotions are most
likely running on overdrive by now, but it felt like she was playing a game of
never ending Ping-Pong regarding her feelings about Mace and Raven. After a certain
point, I just wanted her to make a final decision and choose a guy already…preferable
Raven (My favorite). I’m a sucker for the “bad” boy types I
guess. Raven isn’t perfect, but he does not try to be. He uses situations to
his advantage, can be a bit of a jerk as well as overconfident when it comes to
Nikki, but if she needs him, he is there for her. He understands her. Their similarities
and differences help to balance each other out and call me crazy, but I think
fit perfectly together.
He took a step closer. “I just want to
hear what you think I smell like.” Nikki closed her eyes and pulled a deep
breath in through her nose. And with it, it seemed Raven invaded every cell of
her being; a beautiful scent, an inviting scent. One part snowcapped mountains
and one part black pepper. “You smell like danger, Raven. Like trouble…”
“What else?” Raven insisted. Nikki
started to turn and walk away, but once again her feet wouldn’t obey her mind.
She wouldn’t tell him what else he smelled like. She wouldn’t even think it
again. In fact, she’d forget the sensation that accosted her, forget the one
word it brought to mind. Forget that it was exactly what he’d said to her.
“What else?” he said again. Freedom. Like the first rev of her motorcycle, or
the wind on a summer day, rich and alive and filled with possibilities. Like
rain after a long drought.” – Heather Burch, Guardian: They chose to protect her. But forgot to guard their
hearts. (A Halflings Novel)
Mace and Raven both
feel very strongly about Nikki as well and because of this, things become tense
between them which make the situation ten times more difficult and
uncomfortable for everyone involved.
Even
though I liked Nikki, there were some moments were I was irritated by her
behavior and I questioned some of the choices she made and what her reasoning
was for them. Apart from that I liked
that there was a good amount of suspense and action thrown into the story, it
kept things interesting. When I started
reading it, I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next.
It literally kept me on the edge of my seat. I am definitely buying the third
book in this series, Avenger which is
slated to be released on March 19, 2013.
Rating: 3½ out of 5
You can buy Guardian at these locations:
**
I received this ARC from Zondervan via NetGalley in exchange for nothing, but
my honest review. Thank you.**
