Soul Mates: Sacrifice

Title: Soul Mates: Sacrifice
Author: Jourdan Lane
Publisher: http:www/torquerebooks.com
Genre: Paranormal suspense, GLBT (M/M)
Length: Novel (268 pages)
Rating: 5+ out of 5 stars

THE BLURB

Peter and Lucien are back in this third book in the Soul Mates series! Following Soul Mates: Bound by Blood, and Soul Mates: Deceptions, Soul Mates: Sacrifice, picks up after a vicious attack on Peter’s new paranormal family. Peter may have rescued Lucien but his problems are far from over. Caleb, a vampire who was once a friend, is chained in the dungeon and waiting judgment. Peter’s body is dying. He needs Lucien to make him a vampire, but no one knows what he might become if Lucien goes ahead with the change. With his control slipping, even as a human, Peter knows he has to cross over. But he needs Lucien to help him control his instincts, to keep him from hurting the people he loves the most.

As enemies gather and allies appear in the strangest of forms, Peter has to make choices that may affect not just his life with Lucien, but also the lives of the vampires and Lycans who look to them both for leadership. Their coven. Unrest among the werewolves, friends’ betrayals, and broken emotional connections conspire to keep Peter off balance, looking to Lucien, and deep inside himself, for the answers. Answers that could cost him everything, including his life. Good thing Peter thinks some things are worth making sacrifices for.

THE REVIEW

In this, the third book in the series I would have expected that the author, Jourdan Lane, would have stopped the runaway train and given her fans a breather. Well she didn’t. The story is as fast paced and action packed as ever. The shocks come fast and furious and just when I thought that things could not get any worse for Lucien and Peter I was proven wrong.

Book 3 opens immediately after the end of Soul Mates: Deceptions where we found out that Caleb, who was once the most trusted vampire in the coven and Lucien’s friend, was partly responsible for his capture and torture and now he lies chained in the dungeon awaiting his fate. Peter’s emotional link to Xander seems broken beyond repair and he doesn’t know if it can be fixed or even if he wants the bond to be reinstated because Xander has made his own choices.

Lucien is recovering from his near-death experience with a few hiccups but enemies are gathering, waiting for the slightest vulnerability to make their move. A series of unexplained fires seem directed at Peter and the purpose behind them is unclear. The latest incident has devastating consequences and the bodies just keep piling up. Added to all the horror is the still unresolved issue of whether Peter will be turned by Lucien, but given the current state of his health it seems inevitable and now it’s a matter of when. The consequences of being turned when it is unknown if his deteriorating body can withstand the incredible change make life even more stressful. Then the Council makes Peter an amazing offer that is hard to refuse but there are major strings attached if he accepts.

There is so much more to the book that I can’t divulge because of spoilers but I can say that a number of new characters have emerged who have a major impact on the storyline. There is a power struggle within the coven and Peter tries to stay outside the fray but can he do so at the expense of the lives of all the other members of the coven? Should he act without Lucien’s knowledge and consent to bring about the best outcome?

Even more secrets are revealed. Xander shows his awesome power and we finally know Simon’s origins. Sex with Sabaan was just as wonderful as advertised and he proves to be a valuable ally to Peter and Lucien at a time when they needed him most. And let’s not forget Peter’s unquenchable and insatiable appetite for sex with anything that moves. He knows it’s wrong but the cravings need a sexual outlet and he is only too happy to satisfy them in any way possible. But shining throughout the story is the love between the two main protagonists because despite everything, for Peter, Lucien is the only one who makes his heart race with excitement and anticipation and for Lucien life without Peter is unthinkable.

The plot turns and twists were so varied and the suspense kept ratcheting up to the point where I had to stop reading for a short while because the book was so exciting but at the same time emotionally draining. The story has everything – love, betrayal, hate, suspense, unbearable tension, fantastic characterizations not only for the main protags but every secondary character as well because they were all so extremely well developed. Let’s also not forget the hottest sex this side of … well everywhere … these vampires, werewolves and various other species sure know how to party.

Soul Mates: Sacrifice is just as exciting as any of the best paranormal books I have read before and in some ways it’s so much better that this series is now my litmus test. I can’t wait for Book 4, Soul Mates: Secrets which is due on October 22nd. It will be a very long wait.