Name: Reckoning
ISBN: 9780425263303

S. J. Harper

Special Agents Emma and Zack discover that they can only trust each other when they are thrust in the middle of a political war between the Weres and the vampires while trying to solve the mystery surrounding a series of kidnappings in Southern California. By the author of Cursed. Original. 25,000 first printing.

Reckoning

S.J. Harper

Join Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong. She’s sacrificed. He’s suffered. They’ve both been betrayed. Now it’s time for a reckoning. Special Agent Emma Monroe has a secret. She’s a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. As an FBI agent she saves the lives of others believing redemption could be one rescue away. Her partner Zack is a werewolf and former Black Ops sniper who once carried out a string of questionable assignments. Now he’s determined to atone for his past. Ironically, there’s a portion of his past Zack doesn’t remember—an affair with Emma. Giving into their attraction for one another almost led to their undoing. Now it’s back to business as usual. While trying to unravel the mystery behind a series of kidnappings in Southern California, Emma and Zack become entangled with political tensions in the vampire and Were worlds. Not to mention the struggles they face in their relationship with one another. With so much uncertainty, they come to realize the only thing they can really count on is one another…or can they?

Sarah Escorsa

Warning: this review contains spoilers. Deal with it. 

I’m such an emotional wreck, it’s completely ridiculous. As I started reading the very first lines of this book, I just knew the authors were up to no good. I just knew one of the two people involved wouldn’t be the one I wanted them to be. Talk about being sucker-punched! And don’t think it stopped there. It went on and on and on throughout the book and there I was, a nervous wreck with a broken heart and my stomach in knots. All that because of what? Because of a silly, INFURIATING Siren who can’t get her act straight.

I have to admit that Emma almost ruined Reckoning for me. She just confused the hell out of me and made me want to (choose all that apply):
(a) Throw my Kindle across the room
(b) Scream like a freaking maniac
(c) Shake her until I got some sense into her little siren head
(d) Give up on the book altogether 

I know she only wants to protect Zack from Demeter’s curse. I get that, it’s fine. But the whole Kallistos thing?! I don’t think so! I just don’t care how FREAKING HOT sex with Kallistos is, there is absolutely no chemistry there. The flesh is weak and she’s a Siren, a very sexual creature, sex is the only thing she can have since she can’t have love, vampire sex is amazing, blah blah blah… Well, it looks like the mind-blowing sex directly affected this Siren’s little grey cells. Rarely have I been so mad at a main character. Why? Because Kallistos is a manipulative, pretentious, selfish, greedy, untrustworthy prick. I can’t stand the guy. I thought he was pretty cool when his character was introduced at the end of Cursed but now? I just hate his guts and it gets worse every time he appears. I am SO on Team Zack. Actually, Zack is the only reason I kept reading this book. I love him as much as I hate Kallistos.

I really HATE the whole love triangle thing, it just doesn’t do it for me. But hey, sing HALLELUIAH, because our silly Siren finally sees the light towards the end of the book!! (view spoiler)[First she asks Zack to remove Kal’s mark (good girl), then she more or less tells him how she feels (when they are getting ammo at at his place) and then BOOM! Fireworks and stuff! (hide spoiler)]  Eat your heart out Kallistos! 

I know things aren’t good between Emma & Zack at the end of the book (view spoiler)[(the powder thing in Cursed was a disaster waiting to happen, especially with Demeter being the total bitch that she is) (hide spoiler)] but I’d rather have them this way than have Emma with Kallistos. And I swear, if they get back together in the next instalment, I’ll done with this series.

As far as the secondary characters are concerned, I can’t say we get to see much of them in this instalment. I liked the little we saw of Owen in Cursed and was happy that he was in Reckoning as well. I wished we’d seen more of Evan too. I can’t stand Liz and the way the constantly bosses Emma around is infuriating. Who does this silly little witch think she is anyway? 

As in Cursed, the plot is a bit slow to develop but the investigation is as interesting as its outcome is original. I enjoyed the build-up and satisfying resolution. 

A note on mythology: as I was reading Reckoning, I realized I had no idea what the difference between mermaids and sirens was. I had always thought they were one and the same since there is only one word for both creatures in French and Spanish: "sirène" and "sirena". After doing some research I found out that Sirens are the original mythological creatures. In Greek mythology, they are half-human and half-bird (they can thank Demeter for that!). Mermaids on the other hand come from medieval Scandinavian folklore and are half-human, half-fish. Pretty interesting stuff! I wish the authors would include more mythological elements in this series and would focus more on this aspect of the story. I hope they do in the next instalment.

Reckoning is a one hell of an emotional ride. Entertaining? Yep. Infuriating? Absolutely. Riveting? That too. More! I want More! 

♦ Captured (#0.5) ★★★★
♦ Cursed (#1) ★★★★
♦ Forsaken (#2.5) ★★★★

Reckoning

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