Fourth in the Nymph series, which are stories set in
landscapes from Greek islands to Montana mountains. I
thought this one was off to Africa, with zebras, wildebeest,
and lions. However, it's set in the other Savannah, on the
southerly Atlantic side of America.
SAVANNAH SACRIFICE warns that there are vulture shape
shifters out there, and they look just like people. While
real vultures are useful scavengers, one of these shifters
tries to steal a lady's bag at an airport. Starling
Jackson's just flown in from Vegas and she's not in the
mood for chatter, so she goes in pursuit and alerts
security. A friend, Jasper, helps her apprehend the thief
whose Roman nose, greasy hair and hard eyes hint at his
actual character. Starling's got her goods - for what
they're worth - but was this coincidental or is she being
followed? She's got a mission, to find some ancient books,
and as a long-lived swan nymph she can see the true nature
of the Catharterians or vultures... some of the time.
Starling uses the kind of feminine wiles that she'd sworn
off in order to get access to a safe-deposit box. The
contents, placed there by a relative, are the reason she's
come to Savannah. Jasper, who is investigating the
vultures, has developed a prickly masculine protectiveness,
and the bank manager asking to date Starling doesn't help
matters. Starling is also troubled by hearing spirit
voices, which some think is a gift, but she'd do anything -
or take any medicine - to make them stop. With a dwindling
population, the vulture shifters are desperate to get hold
of a pharmacological cure for infertility - which they
believe Starling holds.
Danica Winters brings new characters and situations into
her urban fantasy series, so you don't need to have read
the earlier books. We get to walk in a cemetery amid trees
dripping with Spanish moss, to scent flowers, swampland and
boiled peanuts. By turns modern thriller and
claustrophobic ghost story, this adult romance is an
intriguing and bittersweet read. My only complaint is that
in a shifter series we do expect to see the characters
shift form. Danica won the 2013 Paranormal Romance Guild's
Book of the Year Award and SAVANNAH SACRIFICE is sure to
make her many more friends.
Answers she must find . . . A truth that he can’t escape . .
. And ghosts up to no good . . .
Being a demi-god has its privileges. For young nymph
Starling Jackson, it means the gift of seduction and, more
than that, near immortality. Yet when her life is filled
with spirits, forever may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
With the help of her bodyguard, Jasper Gray, and secret
books left to her by her late mother’s friend, she may have
found the answer to all of her problems. But first, they
must find a way to locate the books in their enemy’s hotbed,
all while staying safe and, most importantly, without
falling in love.
In the battles between the head and the heart and enemies
and friends, Starling and Jasper will need to face tough
battles, and even tougher consequences. Do they have the
strength together and apart to withstand Savannah’s
underground spirit world?
Sensuality Level: Sensual