I am a huge Nora Roberts fan that is for sure. Yes, some of her novels are not that good and her style has a bit changed over the years, but still, with this new trilogy, or at least this second book, she got me again. I was really curious to read how she will develop Annika further, and how the story about the Stars would continue. And after the first book, I was a bit disappointed because the way all the characters were was something I don´t bring in connection with Nora Roberts.
Bay Of Sighs
by Nora RobertsThe Guardians Trilogy #2
Publisher Berkley on June 14, 2016
Genre Novel
Pages 338
Format Paperback
Source Purchased
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To celebrate the rise of their new queen, three goddesses of the moon created three stars: one of fire, one of ice, one of water. But then they fell from the sky, putting the fate of all worlds in danger. And now three women and three men join forces to pick up the pieces … Mermaid Annika is from the sea, and it is there she must return to after her quest to find the stars. New to this world, her purity and beauty are nothing less than breathtaking, as is her graceful athleticism, which her five new friends discovered when they retrieved the Fire Star. Now, through space and time, traveler Sawyer King has brought the guardians to the island of Capri, where the Water Star is hidden. And as he watches Annika in her element, he finds himself drawn to her joyful spirit. But Sawyer knows that if he allows her into his heart, no compass could ever guide him back to solid ground … And in the darkness their enemy broods. She lost one star to the guardians, but there is still time for blood to be spilled – the mermaid´s in the water and the traveler´s on the land. For she has forged a dangerous new weapon. Something deadly and unpredictable. Something human.
Story
Annika is in love with Sawyer. But as a mermaid, she has to stay quiet. Can´t let him know that she feels what she feels for him because he has to do the literally first step. It has to be his choice if he wants to be with her or not. And with the fight against Nerezza, there are some other things she has to focus on. And to know that she will have to go back into her natural environment, the sea, when the fight is done, doesn´t make things easier for her. But Sawyer is not moving any step further towards her, though she can see and feel that he wants her, too.
Style
This novel is written in the personal perspective. This time it is the turn of Annika and Sawyer. The mermaid and the time traveler. The reader gets to know her thoughts, her way of thinking, and what she would like to do as much as Sawyer. So the tone of this novel is in many ways darker because of the scenes between Nerezza and Andre Malmon. You will also find a very interesting tension that comes along with Annika´s purity, her light brightness, her innocence, and that she refuses to handle any kind of weapon. Nora Roberts combines evil with the innocence of a child, with the sunlight Annika brings because of how she is into the lives of the others. That combination is really beautiful and shows that not everything has to be dark and complicated.
Characters
Okay, maybe some of her readers need to get used to the fact, that all kind of fantasy figures are created in a Nora Roberts novel. Like me. Because you actually don´t expect the author to use such figures as a mermaid, a Lycan, or an Immortal. Usually, she is not using such fantasy elements as her characters or in a novel at all. In her The Guardians trilogy she does, and with Annika and Sawyer, she created two figures which couldn´t be more different than they are. Where Annika is light, bright, and very easy going, Sawyer is quite the opposite. He feels a lot for Annika, but thinks that because of the situation they’re in, he has to be a real gentleman. And exactly that behavior brings him into trouble with himself. Because he wants to lay his hands on her, wants to have her, and knows that her time is limited.
Conclusion
I was entertained, enjoyed it very much, and had my reading pleasure. Yes, this second book was in my eyes better than the first one and I am looking forward to seeing how things between Riley and Doyle will develop. For every Nora Roberts fan, I can only say: read it.
Happy reading
Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming. Nora is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.” She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
