DEATH BRINGER is the second book of Kate Pearce's new
Soul
Justice series. It picks up pretty much right where the
first book Soul Sucker ends; and jumps right into the
story without much in the way of recap for the forgetful or
new reader. Agents Ella Walsh and Vadim Morosov are now
mated, so Ella is no longer in danger of sinking into
madness once she hits her 27th birthday. Due to the bonding
between them, she has picked up Vadim's mad fae powers; she
just has to learn to use and control them.
The new case the SBLE (Supernatural Branch of Law
Enforcement) sends the pair of agents on is a case of
someone magically stealing faces and replacing them with
unknown faces. Ella and Vadim are having a hard time
working the leads, as the victims keep committing suicide.
As they sift through the clues, they begin to see some
patterns in the crime spree. They eventually tie the case
into a very powerful fae called Adam; who is part of a
group of fae who do these sort of things for fun and on
bets with each other.
This is a pretty straightforward SBLE case until they go
into the Otherworld after Adam; and the tone of the story
starts to shift dramatically. At this point, Death Bringer
becomes much more about Vadim's convoluted past. His own
personal ties to Adam and his past with his royal fae
family come into question; and to the forefront of the
plot. There are some great new insights to Vadim's
character during this part of the story. The bond
relationship between Ella and Vadim begins to deepen and
show some development.
DEATH BRINGER is a very good story for the most part. The
case is quite interesting as well done, as was learning
more about the mysterious Vadim. The switch to the
Otherworld and the fae part of the story is a bit clumsy;
and the focus of the story changes so much that it
sometimes feels like reading a different book entirely. The
execution is occasionally awkward, especially when the plot
just stops so that Ella and Vadim could have sex
repeatedly. Kate Pearce's roots in erotic romance works its
way into the story at some inopportune times. Despite the
often wandering plotline this is still a quite intriguing
story; and leaves the reader wondering what is coming up
next for this mated pair of SBLE agents. This is an overall
good read in what looks to be a fascinating series.
A powerful magic user is stealing people's faces in San
Francisco, and empath Ella Walsh and shifter Vadim Morosov
have been called in to investigate. Still adjusting to the
closeness and permanence of their new relationship, the
government-paired mates are soon hot on the trail of an
Otherworld cultist from Vadim's past.
But their target turns the tables, and after he gives Ella
someone else's face, the couple will have to follow him to
Otherworld to get hers back. There, in an ancient world of
family ties, old grudges and monsters, where living memory
stretches centuries, Ella will have to confront the
dangerous truth of Vadim's bygone life.
Because there's a reason the Fae call him Death Bringer, and
if Ella can't unravel it, she may never see her mate—or her
face—again.