Eliana's life has never been what one might term ordinary. At least, it hasn't been for a very long time. As a powerful Immortal Guardian, she spends her nights hunting and slaying psychotic vampires that most of humanity doesn't even realize exist. Then an opportunity arises that instantly makes her extraordinary existence seem downright boring. The leader of the Immortal Guardians asks her to guard a group of mortals who are embarking upon a voyage across the galaxy to the planet Lasara. How could she possibly say no?
In no time at all, Eliana is hurtling through space on board a Lasaran battleship and getting to know not one but two alien races. It's the most exciting adventure of her long life... until the ship is unexpectedly attacked. Amid the chaos and destruction that follow, she valiantly helps everyone she can before an explosion renders her unconscious. When Eliana awakens, she finds herself alone, floating in space, clad only in a spacesuit, with no ship in sight. Alone--that is--except for the warm, deep voice that carries over the comm in her helmet.
Commander Dagon and the crew of the Segonian battleship Ranasura respond to a distress call from their Lasaran allies and join a massive Alliance-wide search-and-rescue mission. He quickly achieves communication with a lone Earthling female and races toward her. Every time they speak, his fascination with her grows and he becomes more desperate to reach her before her oxygen supply runs out. Her strength, bravery, and humor entice him, even more so when she defies all odds and they meet in person.
As he and Eliana embark upon a quest to find her missing friends, a bond swiftly grows between them that deepens with every laugh and smile and tender touch they share. But they are not the only ones searching for Earthling survivors. When Eliana herself becomes the hunted and their enemies begin to close in, can the two of them fight their way to victory?
Firstly, this may have been the most anticipated book of my entire life. Don't get me wrong, I get super excited for new book releases from authors I love, but I can't save I have ever been as excited as I was for this book. It's partly because the first book in this series was PHENOMENAL (read my review here) and partly because Ms. Duvall teased us with a tantalizing preview of The Segonian at the end of The Lasaran. It was equal parts so good to hear what was coming next and equal parts torture to have to wait for something that was already so good less than one chapter in.
As we know from the sneak peek at the end of The Lasaran, Eliana is floating in space after the attack on the Kandovar. She's in nothing but a suit and doesn't have enough oxygen to last until Commander Dagon and the Ranasura reach her. Even though we know this is the story of Eliana and Dagon, so obviously she survives, I was literally on pins and needles waiting for them to reach her. You could feel everything she was feeling. She was afraid, but determined to make it. Confident she could, but unsure how to mentally survive the wait. On top of that, you could feel Dagon's desperation to reach her, and his lack of confidence that it could possibly be in time. As much as I loved the whole book, I think this time where he is racing to rescue her was my favorite. Rather than a traditional "angsty" period where the characters don't know if they belong together, we get to see a man who will do whatever it takes to rescue a woman he doesn't even know beyond a few brief communications. It's definitely this time communicating that sets the foundation for the rest of their relationship. Wait until you read about the "Eliana" command he has in his private quarters. I almost died from swooniness.
I absolutely loved watching Eliana acclimate herself to her new environment aboard the Ranasura. She's so eager to completely immerse herself in the culture and spirit of the ship and everyone loves her for it. I love the scenes where she is "learning". It's so sweet and endearing to see how much she wants to fit in. Her interactions with the crew are hilarious, and it gives her a sense of home, because her Immortal Guardian family treats her the same was as the Segonian warriors. It's like she has a few dozen brothers. I especially love when she finally convinces them to train with her.
Eliana's interactions with Dagon are sweet, with an undercurrent of burgeoning feelings. Their relationship is everything I hoped it would be. As most IG do, Eliana has scars from her past, but Dagon is so loving and solid, he's just exactly what she needs. I wouldn't say their relationship is a slow burn, because they both have real feelings for each other pretty early on, but it's really sweet to see them each nervous about not knowing the other's "courtship rituals". When they do get fully together, Dagon is definitely boyfriend goals. They have the sweetest, easiest rapport with each other. It's like a warm, fuzzy hug. And when she called him "Babe" in the middle of a battle, I almost fell on the floor laughing.
This book was funny, and action-packed, and full of feelings and interesting and all around everything I could have hoped for. It's so good, I intend to turn right back around and read it again. I can't wait for the next installment.
Great review!
ReplyDeleteI finished this book yesterday and now I can't find anything else that pleases me. Dianne Duvall is my very favorite author! Already looking forward to the next book in this new series and more in the Immortal Guardian world on earth.
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