The Soother review

Elle was kind enough to send me an e-galley of The Soother which will be published March 11 by Crimson Romance. The Soother is the second book in the Brennan Coven series - the first one was The Luminary, reviewed here last month.

I enjoyed The Soother a great deal. Calliope was an interesting character with an interesting power and the juxtaposition of her next to her sister, Bevva, makes for a striking contrast. There is also a depth to Calli that I greatly enjoyed - she was powerful and had seen and done a great deal but a part of her remained just a girl seeking her mother's advice. Krystoff has a bad boy vibe going on even though he's really not a bad guy! He is, however, a little pushy but Calli gives as good as she gets which creates a palpable chemistry between them.

In addition to the characters, I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the realms featured in The Soother - both the witch's realm and Mistropa. The Mistropan characters were also well-written and shiver inducing, especially Riona and Eron who were both particularly cringe-worthy. There was also a good amount of action in this book which kept it moving and kept me guessing when the next attack would happen.

There were a couple of things that weren't completely explained or fully explored and I'm assuming they will be in future books, like Isabelle and Scout. Also, why did Carrine and the cavalry show up at the end - if they knew what was happening, why didn't they come to help earlier? If they didn't know, then why did they show up at all? I didn't really understand and would have liked a sentence or two explaining their appearance at the end. Another thing was the character of Ambra - I don't want to spoil it but I didn't really understand why the timing was what it was. That was sufficiently vague, right? :)

All in all, I would definitely recommend the Brennan Coven series to any paranormal romance fans. The series is fun, fast paced, and highly enjoyable.

Synopsis

A WITCH WITH THE GIFT OF LIGHT
Calliope the Soother is a witch devoting her life to easing the pain and misery of others, drawing out the darkness and replacing it with light.

A HALF-BREED WITH THE CURSE OF DARKNESS
A powerful wizard by birthright, Krystoff Dubhar’s tainted blood carries shadows destined to possess his mind and soul. Only with outlawed, dangerous blood magick can he hold the shadows at bay.

HIS SHADOWS WEAKEN HER 
In the shadowed realm of Mistropa, Krystoff falls to overwhelming odds. Just as the Queen of Shadows is about to claim his power—and his life, Calliope hears the foreboding cry of the banshee, and the Soother becomes the wizard’s savior. As Calliope heals her mysterious fanged enemy, her heart is sent into overdrive. Is her accelerated pulse prompted by fear or desire? Either way, Krystoff's shadowed presence proves dangerous. His sensual words ignite a fire long held dormant. His kiss reveals a forbidden passion.

HIS HUNGER MAY VERY WELL KILL HER
Seeking vengeance, the Queen’s dark army turns the Soother’s village into a battleground rife with death and destruction. Calliope fights to save her coven. Krystoff fights to save the Soother who has captured his heart. One bite changes everything. Can love survive the never-ending battle between light and dark?