Title: Enslaved
Series: Eternal Guardians, #5
Author: Elisabeth Naughton
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: NetGalley
Published: November 1, 2012 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
After being rescued from the Underworld, Gryphon is plagued by strange voices and an evil foreboding. His believes that his only hope for salvation is to track down the goddess who cursed him...until he meets Maelea. A prisoner with no bars, Maelea encounters Gryphon on her quest to find Olympus. He's about to test her loyalty to the gods, and she's ready to find out if he still has a heart worth saving...
Reviewed By: J9
In a Nutshell: As a series fan I couldn’t wait to read this installment and it lived up to my high expectations. Given all characters and action plot, I’m not sure new readers could jump in here but it’s such a great paranormal series I’d recommend they start at book one anyway.
The Set Up: Gryphon is the Argonaut just rescued from the Underworld after being tortured by the Argonaut’s mortal enemy, Atlanta. Now he’s a shell of a man and hearing Atlanta’s beckons back to the Underworld. Maelea is running from the Underworld on her quest to be accepted into Olympus but when Gryphon kidnaps her, her plans for her life are destroyed. Gryphon’s demons are quieted by the mysterious Maelea but he knows Atlanta will never release her hold on him.
Why I Read this Book: I’m a huge Eternal Guardians series fan and await each new installment with great anticipation. Plus, poor Gryphon had been tortured for two books so I couldn’t wait for him to get his HEA.
What I Liked: This is a classic romance of a hero and heroine saving each other. Gryphon initially kidnaps Maelea because being near her quiets Atlanta’s calls for him to return to the Underworld but as he gets to know her courage and honor, he learns to love her for herself. Maelea and Gryphon both are outcasts with no real friends or people who care about them for their inner selves so watching them grow to care and love each other was exactly why I read romance.
What I Also Liked: Being a series fan, I was ready for some resolution with the Argonaut enemy, Atlanta. She’s been tormenting the Argonauts and the heroes and heroines of the previous books so much that I was ready for her to get her due rewards—so I was totally ready for this book’s conclusion.
I also love that the Argonauts are a band of brothers so they fight together. This allows previous books’ heroes and heroines to play fairly large roles in Enslaved so I could revisit and see more of them and I love that. This series has a big community feel to it and I really enjoy that in a series and know others do too.
What I Didn’t Like: I don’t mind it, but I know that non-series readers would likely be lost in this world. There are so many characters and names are just thrown out that I think non-series readers wouldn’t have a clue who was who. Plus, as I mentioned, the series badass, Atlanta, has been battling the Argonauts since book one and I think new readers may wonder what they’re even fighting for.
This is such a great paranormal series that I’d highly recommend new readers go back to book one and catch up to this one so they’re ready for Gryphon’s story and Atlanta’s trouncing.
IMO: I have high expectations from this series and Enslaved lived up to them with a great romance and strong action plot.
J9’s Rating:
I loved this book. I am new to the series but I finished all the books in 2 weeks. I enjoyed the adventure but was drawn to Gryphon's emotional struggle.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Gryphon's emotional struggle was stellar in this book. If readers like damaged heroes this is the book to read!
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