Book Review: Anointed: The Cantati Chronicles by Maggie Mae Gallagher

This is wonderful, fast paced action with a volatile romance.

Anointed: The Cantati Chronicles
by Maggie Mae Gallagher

File Size: 1121 KB
Print Length: 411 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0991481704
Publisher: Maggie Mae Gallagher; 1 edition (February 25, 2014)
ASIN: B00IO7075Y

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Action
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
My name is Alana Devereaux. I enjoy the simple things in life, walks in the park, sky gazing, and ripping a demon's heart out through its chest. I am a demon slayer, the last of my kind, and I have been sent back through time to save your world. How am I doing so far? My time travel went haywire, all the signs I needed to stop the prophecy have passed, and the only way I can save my world is by keeping yours from ending. Then there's Gaelen, most days I want to deck him. He hides his true motives and if it was not for the intel he had, I would be rid of him. Any day in my life without a demon attack is a good day; I haven't had a whole lot of those lately. The only problem is, if I don’t stop the Mutari, this world will burn.

Review:
Alana is from the future where the remaining humans, the Cantati, struggle to survive as they hunt down demons who have overrun the earth. Alana grew up learning more about battling foes than about the past history of humans. Now a new, stronger and smarter type of demon has broken into the Cantati stronghold and Alana watches in dismay as her friends and comrades are torn apart. As the demons break into the room where her father has taken her, he tells her that she has to travel back in time to stop the event that allowed the demons to enter the human dimension.

Unfortunately the time travel misses the mark and brings her back later than it was supposed to. Not only does she have less time to complete her mission but the signs she was to follow have already passed. She is scrambling to research rare book treatises in an attempt to decipher the few clues she still has but finds herself being attacked by robed men. As she battles attackers Alana catches the eye of Gaelen who is also fighting demons but has his own mission that is not too clear. Eventually Gaelen steps in to help Alana and she is surprised to discover someone, not necessarily a human, who fights as well as she does. Who is he and what are his motives?

Gaelen insists that Alana team up with him as they are seeking the same artifacts. But they don’t trust each other and hinder themselves by refusing to share the information they have. Eventually they uncover some of each other’s secrets but Alana is sure that Gaelen is still holding back.

Gaelen and Alana are dodging and hiding from an evil order of priests that want to help the demons take over. Alana is distressed to learn that she is the cause of the apocalypse as it is her blood that the head demon needs to open the gates to earth. Her whole mission fails unless she is killed before the demons catch her. Can she trust Gaelen or is he part of a trap to capture her?

Alana is a great warrior heroine - strong but flawed and vulnerable in her youth, confusion and solitary existence. Gaelen is mysterious and sexy. Phinn is another mysterious man, a type of magician, who gives aid to Alana.

This intense story is told in first person with just a touch of chagrin. There is a terrific plot and great suspense that grabbed my attention from the outset and never disappointed. The chemistry between Gaelen and Alana sizzles but the romance is secondary to the full blown action and danger. The only draw back is that Gaelen’s secrets and connections are a little difficult to unravel. Still this is a truly engaging read and I look forward to more action and adventure as the series develops.

I received this title for review through NetGalley.