Amanda’s medschool graduation is unlike any other. A solar flare awakens her super psychic powers, enabling her to fight evil, supernatural and human alike. She is the Sentinel 10, the most powerful warrior in a secret society of similarly endowed people. Her life becomes a whirlwind of international travel and exciting paranormal challenges.
But all is not as it seems. Soon Amanda discovers that the man she loves has an evil alter ego, and that her own powers have a dark side. This first year as a Sentinel will push the limits of her resilience, and put her own humanity to the test.
Fans of paranormal fiction will enjoy this tale of a female heroine who struggles to understand love and master her own powers.
Paranormal romance, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal Fiction.
Adult/NA.
Comp titles: Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh and Patricia Briggs, and in my personal opinion, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the 1999-200- TV series
Assessment:
Plot: While the author maintains theme continuity throughout the book and the action is exciting, readers may not find themselves fully invested in the paranormal circumstances.
Prose/Style: While readers may struggle to accept events as fully plausible, the author capably establishes momentum with strong pacing and keen storytelling. Occasionally stilted dialogue can interfere with smoothness of the prose.
Originality: What sets this book apart from others is the original premise behind it. This said, the worldbuilding has much work to do in order to support the events as they unfold and to allow for readers’ full suspension of disbelief.
Character Development/Execution: The protagonist responds to her extraordinary transformation with justifiable confusion and emotion and successfully drives the storytelling. Secondary characters are less emotive and relatable, but show strong potential for future development.
Date Submitted: April 07, 2021
Captivating and addictive! A page-turning, suspenseful debut paranormal romance with the perfect balance of action and memorable characters. I’m eagerly awaiting the second book!
- From evolving powers and ghostly presences to a newfound ability to touch other souls, readers receive a satisfying romance that explores the boundaries of new abilities, new feelings, and new responsibilities.
- Readers seeking a multifaceted story of growth and discovery, in addition to evolving explorations of love, will find The Diamond Rose a thoroughly absorbing adventure.
- Readers of supernatural fantasy will find this story hard to put down as Amanda steps into a role and world she'd never expected, challenging herself in new directions fueled not just by romance, but intrigue.
- A well-judged and absorbing mix of genres with strong characterizations.
- Valenti, in her engrossing novel, at first seems to be offering a familiar plotline about discovering supernatural abilities to fulfill a special destiny. But Amanda isn’t a young adolescent, and the story’s true focus is her love triangle with a ruggedly handsome but emotionally unavailable pilot and a psychopath who can feel normal emotions only when he’s with her.
- The author nicely ties the plots together and skillfully establishes the psychological groundwork for her characters that makes Amanda’s dilemma believably wrenching, helping to counterbalance her considerable powers, beauty, and wealth.
As the novel opens, the prologue’s beginning makes the book seem like average fare in the paranormal romance genre. But as tension in the thriller rapidly ascends and chapters fly by, Valenti finds her voice. The writing takes on greater luster, fueled by her knowledge of psychology and the motives of human behavior skillfully applied to plot and character development.
The series in progress will appeal to the generation who grew up with the Harry Potter novels as well as aficionados of urban paranormal romance.
Both Amanda and Lydia struggle with romantic relationships due to childhood issues with their self-absorbed surgeon fathers. Amanda falls for Alain, a former Sentinel with a mysterious past and a deeply troubling present who declares her to be his “Diamond Rose” for all time.
Amanda Griffith is not simply another powerful female protagonist—a character type that is typically found in both paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She is also an introspective, sensitive soul who explores the nature of true love. Readers will be fascinated with her character as the author delves deeper into these themes throughout this novel and, presumably, throughout the series.
The elements of lost love, unrequited love, and infatuated love are familiar but made fresh with the recognition of the union of the noble and dark sides of human nature that only an author with an understanding of psychology can skillfully portray.
SAMPLE CHAPTERS and future prologues available on sentinel10.ca
