Book Review: Awakenings by Edward Lazellari
Awakenings by Edward Lazellari. © 2011 Tor Books. ISBN 9780765327871. Hardback. Urban Fantasy. 348 pages. Source: review copy furnished by the publisher.
“Cal MacDonnell is a happily married New York cop with a loving family. Seth Raincrest is a photographer whose self-involved nature has alienated even his closet friends. They have nothing in common—except that they suffer from retrograde amnesia. It’s as if they just appeared out of thin air thirteen years ago, and nothing has been able to restore their memories. Now that forgotten past has caught up to them with a vengeance. Cal and Seth’s lives are turned upside down as they are stalked by otherworldly beings who know their past identities, intent on killing them and anyone who gets in their way. In the balance hangs the life of a child who might someday restore a broken empire to peace and prosperity.” – except of jacket blurb
My Review -
Cal is a cop who despite not having a memory passed the last thirteen years has managed to create a beautiful life with a great job, loving wife and beautiful daughter. Seth has the same amnesiac problem, but unlike Cal, has never managed to put his life together: Seth works as an amateur pornographer who has no lasting relationships outside of that with his pet cat. Cal and Seth soon find themselves with common enemies—the magic-wielding, “we want to kill you” kind of enemies. Read more
“Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn’t fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides—one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.” – back cover
“Once a fabled Blade of Namara, Aral Kingslayer fought for justice and his goddess alongside his familiar, a living shadow called Triss. Now with their goddess murdered and her temple destroyed, they are among the last of their kind. Surviving on the fringes of society, Aral becomes a drunken, broken, and wanted man, working whatever shadowy deal comes his way. Until a mysterious woman hires him to deliver a secret message-one that can either redeem him or doom him.” – back cover
Mary, the beautiful, younger sister of English king, Henry VIII, reluctantly agrees to marry the aged and sickly Louis XII of France for reasons of state. But before agreeing, she extracts Henry’s promise that she may please herself for her second marriage. Mary is deeply in love with the low-born Charles Brandon, her brother’s boon companion, and is determined to wed Brandon should King Louis die.
“When she walks out there’s a man with her. She goes to bed with him, and she likes that part. Then she kills him, and she likes that even better. She cleans out his wallet and keeps moving, taking a new name for each change of address. She’s been doing this for a while, and she’s good at it. Then a chance remark gets her thinking of the men who got away, the lucky ones who survived a night with her. And now she’s a girl with a mission. Picking up their trails. Hunting them down. Crossing them off her list…” — from back cover
“Imagine a near future where a cure for aging is discovered and—after much political and moral debate—made available to people worldwide. Immortality, however, comes with its own unique problems—including evil green people, government euthanasia programs, a disturbing new religious cult, and other horrors.” — from back cover
“When Wendy Everly was six-years old, her mother was convince she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn’t until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed – a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy‘s not sure she wants to be a part of it.” — from GoodReads
“Surrounded by traitors, trapped by destiny, Britain’s spirited Queen Guinevere sees that the greatest dangers to Arthur’s crown may lie within the walls of Camelot. An undeniable spark ignites between Guinevere and Lancelot, but a powerful enemy puts the Queen’s loyalty to the ultimate test. As the heroes of the Round Table undertake the Quest for the Holy Grail, Guinevere’s heartbreaking honesty, courage, and integrity will be challenged by those she loves most.” – back cover
