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The dreams, or more often
nightmares, were so vivid, almost as if they were memories or some sort
of supernatural visions. Jenna had started having them about a year
ago, and each time they came they seemed more and more realistic. Deep
down she felt that life was about to change for her, but was she truly
ready for what was coming?
What was on the horizon was potentially world-changing. Humans had
ruled without rival since the dawn of history as the only intelligent
life on the planet, or so they believed. They were wrong. Dwelling
among them were other supernatural races, but their existence had
remained hidden for centuries. True, legends had been spread about
their kind, and some, such as those who hunted them, knew for a fact
that such beings existed. Yet the general populace had remained
blissfully ignorant of the fact that the person in the office cubicle
next to them at work might not be quite what they seemed. The secret
was so closely guarded that even the vampires and shape-shifters,
former allies who had turned into bitter enemies and then separated
themselves centuries ago, had come to believe in each other’s
extinction. But the isolation of the races could be coming to an end.
It had been foretold in the distant past that One would come who would
change everything for all of the races. Could Jenna be the fulfillment
of a legend?
Blending intrigue, infighting, and paranormal prophecy, McMillan has
crafted a unique entry into the urban fantasy genre. This is achieved
not by the unusual nature of the characters. After all, stories with
witches, vampires, shape-shifters, and slayers of the undead are fairly
common. What sets the Scottish author’s book apart, though, is her
intense focus on the interior lives of her players, rather than relying
primarily on their exterior actions to move the plot forward. For
example, throughout much of the book she delves into the mind of Josh,
Jenna’s new boss and secret subordinate to Alex, her eventual love
interest. Good authors frequently spend some time in the heads of
supporting cast members to help develop their characters and to create
entertaining love triangles, but McMillan’s persistent probing into
Josh’s thoughts and emotions give a depth to him rarely seen in
secondary figures. The author also devotes a significant amount of time
in depicting the way her characters, both heroes and villains, interact
and relate to others around them and especially in the workplace. The
result of these areas of emphasis is a heightened sense of realism, a
retention of the narrative in the commonplace that is often absent in
novels of a similar vein.
While the characters are engaging and the overall storyline is interesting, the book requires better editing, making it difficult to read, at times. As a whole, however, the author’s novel is a nice start to her series and a competent entry into a demanding and evolving genre with a highly discriminating fan base.