TITLE: Tormented (Immortals
Saga)
AUTHOR: J. Ann
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
AVAILABILITY: Amazon US (Kindle
e-book), Amazon UK (Kindle e-book), Smashwords (multiple e-formats)
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 149 pages
Recommended
for fans of paranormal romances, such as the Twilight series
GENRE
Fantasy—Paranormal Romance
Tormented takes place in a modern world
in which vampires and vampire-fighters, known as the Ultorum, exist out of view
from the general populace. Familiar territory for fans of contemporary paranormal
fantasies such as the Twilight
series. It is the first book in a series and ends with something of a
cliffhanger.
PACE
Tormented is a fairly quick read. J. Ann
drops the reader right into this world of vampires and Ultorum and keeps a
quick, efficient pace throughout.
PERSPECTIVE
Third person limited. The
majority of the novel is told from the point of view of an Ultorum called
Angelina. The novel sometimes rotates perspectives to tell the story from
different angles.
CONTENT
REVIEW
200 years ago, an attempt to
create a super-vaccine turned ordinary humans into a vampire race. A group of
specially trained vampire-fighers, called the Ultorum, keep them in check. Over
the decades, they have developed an uneasy truce. The Ultorum keep the vampires
in check, and the vampires keep from killing humans.
Angelina Davis is a stand-out
among the Ultorum. Her superior strength and speed are unmatched. Along with
her friend Michael, also an exceptional Ultorum, she hopes to protect humanity
from supernatural dangers. One day, her friend and fellow Ultorum is killed.
The investigation into the death leads Angelina to discover that someone is
killing vampires and Ultorum alike. In order to find out who or what is behind
the bloodshed, Angelina agrees to go with a handsome vampire called Ethan into
his world in an attempt to flush the killer out.
In Tormented, Ann gives the popular paranormal romance genre her own
spin. She takes all the staples of the genre—a relatable female lead,
attractive and charming romantic interests, temptation, looming danger,
suspense—and throws in her own mythology. What starts out as a seemingly
straightforward tale of vampires versus humans soon expands in an unexpected
manner, raising questions about Angelina’s own true nature. Why is she
different from the other Ultorum? What do her strange recurring dreams mean?
While Tormented is reminiscent of vampire series aimed at teenagers, such
as Twilight, it is clearly intended
for an older audience and takes a more mature tone. Some aspects of the
atmosphere are more similar to Anne Rice’s vampire tales. The main players are
in their twenties—young adults, but adults nonetheless. While a love triangle
between Angelina, Michael, and Ethan does develop, the romantic tensions are
woven into the fabric of the plot in a way that keeps them relevant to the
primary story.
Ann’s vivid writing brings each
scene to life. The scenes in which Angelina enters and experiences Ethan’s underground
world of vampires are especially well crafted, shining from the page in a
manner only the book medium can capture. Ann takes you into the characters’
heads, letting you see what they see, hear what they hear, feel what they feel.
It’s easy to get lost in Angelina’s head as you experience the story through
her perspective. Ethan, while less prominent, is similarly well written, a
character who is simultaneously sympathetic and a touch frightening.
Tormented
is one of those
books that could easily be read in one sitting. The mysteries and thread of
suspense running through each scene keep the story rolling forward at a
relatively quick pace. Ann does a thorough job of developing her paranormal
world, setting up systems and hierarchies for both sides with an impressive
level of detail. The history between the vampires and the Ultorum feels
familiar and original at the same time—familiar enough to draw in fans of the
genre and original enough to keep them interested. Part romance and part
heart-pounding suspense, Tormented will
appeal to adult and teen readers alike.
THE
NITPICKY STUFF
There are a teeny, tiny, barely
perceptible number of typos.
This novel contains a few fight
scenes and blood-sucking scenes typical of vampire literature. These scenes are
relatively mild.
AUTHOR
INFO
[From the author’s Amazon.com page]
When she is not working or writing, she can be found playing with her daughter, listening/dancing to music, or just lounging around. She loves romance novels, especially if they are paranormal and she would love to hear from you!
Tormented is her first novel.
Great review! I've just downloaded it for kindle.. can't wait to get started!
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