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SYNOPSIS
His love will become her curse.
For centuries, Gideon has kept his secret, knowing that it could mean the life of the woman whose very heartbeat was his reason for living. But when Veil Creatures are slaughtered in their homes by those sworn to protect them, it may be up to him to save those he loves from a fate worse than death. What he doesn’t expect is the betrayal and a choice that could leave his family devastated.
Valkyrie Devereaux believes only in the power of justice, loyalty and obeying the laws of her people. Love was something to be feared and she had been taught long ago that anything that could make you weak, needed to be eliminated. But when she is assigned to join the Casters of the north in hunting down the creatures killing the innocent, even she can’t help the twang of longing for something that goes against everything she was raised to believe was wrong.
Like fire and gasoline, passions collide. Heat erupts as they fight against their desires and their very nature. But a fire like theirs can never be smothered. It can never be stopped. It can only burn to unimaginable heights, but what happens when it careens out of control and destroys everything around them? And who is waiting for that exact moment to destroy the brothers?
She will become his death.
5 STARS
Holy crap on a cracker, Batman! Once again Mizz Phoenix does not disappoint. Gideon's Promise is book 2 in The Sons of Judgement Series and just like book 1, Octavian's Undoing, I could NOT put Gideon's Promise down. I fell in love with Gideon in book 1. He was all fun with a healthy does of badass mixed in. I was so excited to see that book 2 was going to be his book and was told from his point of view. It's always refreshing when the majority of the story is told from the male's point of view. Don't get me wrong, Valkyrie is a force to be reckoned with, but she is quite serious (with good reason and we'll get to that in a moment) and I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the story nearly as much if it had been told from her point of view.
This book me took me on a wild rollercoaster ride. It had me feeling a vibrant rainbow of emotions, and it ranged drastically from one chapter to the next. I was kept on the edge of my perverbial seat (and sometimes my literal seat!) through the entirity of the story. I would go from feeling totally angsty and "omg what is going to happen?!?!?" to having to pause because I was laughing so hard. And don't get me started on the swooning. Oh man was there a ton of swooning on my part. I love a good forbidden love story and Gideon and Valkyrie's love was strictly forbidden and my heart ached for them.
Gideon is the total package. Hot, hilarious, badass, and chivalrous...but it's his sense of humor that will make you fall in love with him.
"What can I say," he hoisted his feet up on the table and leaned his chair back on two legs. "Women either want to spank me, or strip me naked. Sometimes at the same time."
"Flirting with a pretty girl is not a crime," Gideon argued. "Besides, he'd have to catch me first. I don't look it, but I'm spritely."
"Do you always sleep in your clothes?" Gideon spared Reggie a sidelong glance. "No, usually I sleep with my freak flag flying free and the breeze blowing up my ass. It's very liberating."
Magnus barked what could only be a laugh. "I didn't realize your left hand was considered sex." Gideon flipped him off. "I'm right handed, asshole. And her name is Danielle."
That last bit had me laughing so hard I snorted...in the middle of the gym while I was on the recumbent bike. Needless to say I got some look. It was worth it though. Anyway, not only is Gideon hilarious, he is also fiercely loyal and completely tortured over his forbidden love for Valkyrie.
"I feel it every day. I feel her. I have lived with this pain with my every waking hour. I have watched as I killed every ounce of love she had for me by pushing her away and I knew it was better than the hatred she would feel for me if I ever touched her." His hands curled into fists that trembled as hard as he was. "So don't tell me what needs to be done, Magnus. I have done enough."
Valkyrie is also a badass in her own right.
Her boots struck the pavement with a resounding crack and she unfurled from the crouch like a dark goddess. A blade glinted in each hand.
She is amazing and can defend herself amongst even the fiercest of warriors. She is hard, blunt, and loyal. But you get this vibe from her that she also wishes to be cherished and handled delicately behind closed doors.
She isn't a Caster like Gideon and his family. She comes from a family of Harvesters. Harvesters are the offspring of angels and demons. In her society, the women are the warriors and the men possess the domestic roles. To disobey her father is the ultimate disgrace and punishable by exile or death. There is no greater value than loyalty to family. And if there were ever a villian to hate, it would be her father, Arild Devereaux. I haven't hated a character with such fiery passion since Dolores Umbridge.
"I would have her beaten and then make her watch as I beheaded the boy and his entire family before I have her chopped into tiny bits."
"She will never be yours, boy," he hissed. "I will never allow it. I would rather see her dead and fed to the dogs before I let her leave these walls. And she will never leave her family. Not for you. She is my daughter, first and foremost, and you are nothing."
Do you see what I mean? *hissssssssss* So there you have the explanation behind their forbidden love. Valkyrie is Gideon's mate. He's a Selkie and when a Selkie meets their mate they feel this intense pull. It is almost impossible to resist it. Once he touches Valkyrie she will also feel it. She's already in love with him but once they have skin on skin contact she will too feel that pull and intense devotion that Gideon feels. He has been fighting that pull for over 300 years but to give into it would mean ultimate tragedy for Valkyrie. Harvesters don't have mates and women have no say in whom they are matched with.
"It would be considered a dishonor, like she doesn't trust her king to make a proper match for her, or not believing her own people are good enough for her. She would be considered a traitor," He paused. "She would be tortured and killed."
I'm not going to divulge anymore details. If you wanna know what happens in the story (and there is another plot that is going parallel with this one that I didn't even touch on because...well, spoilers lol) then you're going to have to pick up the book! Reading book 1, Octavian's Undoing, isn't mandatory but I would recommend it. It gives you a better indepth description of the Selkies and Casters. Trust me...read them both. They're both amazing and you're going to fall in love with all of the Maxwell brothers.
Oh, and one more thing if you're still on the fence. Gideon....*swoon*
"In my bedroom, in my bed, you will only call me Gideon. Say it."
"I can do that and so much more. Your body will respond to my every desire and love everything I do to it. No other man will ever touch what belongs to me."
Hey darlings!! Love this so much. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review Gideon's Promise. I laughed so hard. LOL
ReplyDeleteLoves & Kisses,
Airicka <3