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Formats
Ebook Details
  • 01/2020
  • 978-1-7342666-1-0 1734266600
  • 338 pages
  • $3.99
Paperback Details
  • 01/2020
  • 978-1-7342666-0-3 1734266600
  • 338 pages
  • $14.99
Tam DeRudder Jackson
Author
Talisman
Time’s running out… Rowan Sheridan is a warrior, a powerful being capable of bending time and space to take on the rogues and zombies the triple goddess unleashes on civilians. For centuries, his family has taken on the Morrigan, their successes against her legendary. But if he doesn’t find his talisman by midnight of his twenty-eighth birthday, he faces death—or something worse. To convince her she belongs to him… Wallflower Alyssa Macaulay has no clue a community of supernatural Celtic warriors lives alongside her. Nor does she know she’s a talisman, a member of that community. Orphaned at age four, she was raised by her grandmother, a druid of uncommon skill who deliberately kept Alyssa ignorant of her true self. A chance meeting in a bar on a cold winter’s night upends the bookish grad student’s life when Rowan introduces her to their world. Their love can end a centuries-old curse. Trying his sign on Alyssa and discovering she’s his talisman, his fated mate, should be cause for their celebration. Too bad Alyssa thinks Rowan’s only looking for a good time and she has no idea who and what they are. The goddess’s imminent arrival doesn’t give Rowan time to show her either. Somehow, he needs to compress the lifetime of training she should have had into a week—and convince her the one amazing night they shared is only the beginning of a lifetime of love. If they can live long enough…
Reviews
In Jackson’s jam-packed debut, a contemporary romantic fantasy, grad student Alyssa Macaulay discovers her Celtic mythology research has more personal significance than she had imagined. After strange noises outside her remote Montana home send her to security consultant Rowan Sheridan, warrior Rowan identifies her as his talisman, or fated mate. He tells her she has inherited paranormal powers needed for a mythic battle against the goddesses Maeve and Morgan, whose curse kills any warrior who fails to marry his talisman before he turns 28. Their sexual attraction beguiles Alyssa despite her initial doubts, and additional discoveries about her family history reveal their connection is vital to the cause. Alyssa must learn to use her powers, navigate her relationship with Rowan, and fight for their lives.

The novel’s grand scale, straightforward prose, thorough scene-setting, and detailed worldbuilding are its strong points. However, the dialogue can feel unwieldy, particularly when used to communicate large chunks of background information about warriors, talismans, and their goals. The same information is repeated, with similar wording, throughout the book. The action scenes are brief, with most fighting happening offstage or ending quickly; the emphasis on conversation and descriptive passages slows down the pacing and renders the protagonists’ ultimate victory somewhat less thrilling.

Alyssa’s personal journey includes learning more self-confidence as she takes responsibility in battle, but her total ignorance of the world she was born into means she’s subjected to endless lecturing by Rowan and others, limiting her ability to define herself. Rowan’s dominance at the start of their relationship causes communication problems between them that aren’t addressed until the very end—and Rowan never apologizes for his errors, instead blaming Maeve for making Alyssa feel insecure and unlovable—so the romantic resolution feels rushed. Though billed as a paranormal romance, this novel is best suited to fantasy readers who will love the setting and won’t mind the romance being more of an afterthought.

Takeaway: Fantasy readers with a taste for intricate worldbuilding and centuries-old drama will enjoy this tale of curses and fated love.

Great for fans of Leigh Ann Edwards, Kathy Morgan.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: -
Editing: B
Marketing copy: C

Formats
Ebook Details
  • 01/2020
  • 978-1-7342666-1-0 1734266600
  • 338 pages
  • $3.99
Paperback Details
  • 01/2020
  • 978-1-7342666-0-3 1734266600
  • 338 pages
  • $14.99
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