Product Details
- Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: HQN Books; 1 Original edition (April 1, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0373773676
- ISBN-13: 978-0373773671
- Purchase Information:
Hi there back again after a bit of an
absence, sorry Jo-Anne.
I’m reviewing the Primal Instinct
series by Rhyannon Byrd which I have now finished. These are the first three.
The first book is called Edge of Hunger
which begins with the eldest of the Buchannan siblings who come from
a long line of mythical creatures know as the Merricks. Their blood
line remains dormant in the siblings until the sudden release of an
ancient enemy bring on the awakenings of the Merrick inside each of
the them.
As only one Merrick is awakened per
release the first is the eldest brother Ian, who ran away from home
as soon as he was able.
Ian never believed in his mother’s
obsession with their ancestry and never looked back when he left,
leaving his younger brother and sister to deal with their mothers
increasing delusions about what they are.
When a beautiful and mysterious women
tracks Ian down claiming to have had a message from his now deceased
mother Ian is very suspicious and more that a little irate at being
dragged into his past, something he’s worked damn hard to forget.
But along with the Merrick bloodline
comes certain gifts and Ian’s is precognitive dreams. Ian sees
himself as his Merrick form, but in order to release the beast he
must take the blood of a women as they are in the throes of passion.
The beautiful and mysterious Molly has centre stage in his dreams.
Frightened by what he is to become and
not willing to put Molly in any danger Ian does everything he can to
keep his beast contained and his growing desire for Molly bottled
inside as well. But when the enemy who is hunting him kills an ex
lover to taunt him Ian has no choice but to give in to the passion
burning between them to enable the beast to be free.
Going in search of an ancient cross
believed to be a talisman against the enemy know as the Casus, as
well as a weapon to kill them, Ian and Molly meet up with a group
known as the Watchmen. They are a group of shape shifters from
ancient clans who have all but died out and who monitor the
awakenings of the Merrick around the world but do not interfere with
them. So with time running out for Ian, as the Casus whose coming for
him increases his attacks, Ian must do what he never thought he could
and become the beast inside.
I was hooked on this story from the
beginning as it is quite dark and gritty at times, something you can
really sink your teeth in to. The main characters are great together
Molly is a real softness to Ian’s hard exterior and as she
gradually breaks through until you see Ian’s vulnerabilities and
strengths.
The others characters in the book are
fantastic with a heavy dose of sarcasm and great one liners you just
get caught up in the lives of all of them. There are also some pretty
hot and heavy scenes as well, but that’s what I also love about
these books, and you know you do too!
Product details
- Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Harlequin Books; Original edition (May 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0373773994
- ISBN-13: 978-0373773992
Purchase Information:
The next book in the series is called
Edge of Danger and centers on the next sibling to awaken which is
Saige Buchanan. Saige has always believed in her mothers stories and
has been diligently searching for the crosses know as dark markers
aided by a set of maps she found with the first marker and also aided
by her special gift in which objects she touches speak to her. Saige
is unaware that her brother Ian has already gone through his
awakening first. She is also unaware that Ian has sent a Watchman to
find her and bring her back to the protective walls of the Watchman
compound, kicking and screaming if necessary. Saige can feel her
Merrick getting closer to the surface everyday and when Michael Quinn
shows up she starts to feel it even more. There’s something about
the rugged Watchman that she doesn’t trust but can't seen to get
enough of either. So together they make the trek back to the Watchman
compound in Colorado. While hot on their heels is the Casus
determined to get his hands on her. Killing an wakened Merrick will
give it the Casus the strength it needs to release others of its kind
from the holding ground where they have been imprisoned by the
Merrick. The Casus does whatever he can to stop them from reaching
the compound as well as finding anymore markers. But as Saige is
determined to keep the impossibly gorgeous Quinn out of danger she
inadvertently gets captured. In doing so, she managed to learn a few
things about the impending release of more of the Casus and a group
that is now helping the Casus with their plan for their own twisted
agenda. Quinn manages to rescue her, although much to his frustration
she seems to get herself into trouble whenever he turns around. Not
to mention the fact that he can’t quite keep his hands off her. Due
to his own animal instincts and tendencies he’s determined to keep
her at arm’s length, but is finding that a lot harder than he
thought it would be. So as they fight their attraction for one
another and evade a deadly enemy Saige must give into to her darker
side before she loses not only her heart but also her life and those
she loves.
I absolutely love this series as I
said, it has a great story line that draws you into a different world
of old gypsy beliefs and shifters and of creatures trying to exist in
a world where they are hunted and persecuted for what they are. The
characters are wonderful. Quinn is this alpha male who has a witty
sense of humor is as sexy as hell but is scared of his feelings for
Saige as the possessive nature of his shifter breed can be extremely
overwhelming. And Saige just takes it all in stride not realizing
the effect she has on him.
Product Details
- Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (June 1, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0373774230
- ISBN-13: 978-0373774234
- Purchase Information:
- Amazon
- Amazon UK
- Book Depository
The third book is called Edge of Desire
which focuses on Riley Buchanan. Riley has been helping his brother
Ian and his sister Saige since their awakenings and their arrival at
the Watchman compound. With Riley’s own impending awakening he is
more than a little on edge and with a rouge Casus on the loose,
hell-bent on destroying the Buchanan family, it’s even more
pressing that they find as many Dark Markers as they can. No
pressure!
Riley sets off with Watchman associate
Kellan Scott to the small town of Purity Washington, where Saige
believes the next marker is buried. But things go from bad to worse
for our boy Riley when he comes face to face with the only woman who
has ever meant anything to him, but who he left broken hearted some
13 years ago, with good intentions of course. Riley, knowing what was
to come, had no intentions of ever getting Hope Summers involved in
his frightening world, not if he had anything to do with it.
Hope wasn’t happy to see Riley
either, some pie throwing might have been involved, but the feelings
she had for Riley, which she learned to bury a long time ago come
flooding back. Although there’s something different about him that
she can’t quite place. He tells her that an old family heirloom is
buried somewhere on her property and he desperately needs to find it,
she is a little sceptical, but she goes on a little faith and agrees
to let Riley and Kellan stay.
But Riley’s Merrick is hungry, and
Riley has to struggle to keep himself together because he knows that
if he lets go and gives in to the one woman he has ever wanted, it’s
all over for him. But Hope's not making it easy for him and you can’t
really blame her either.
As he spends more time with Hope he
learns of her tragic past and can’t help but blame himself for not
being the man she needed. The Casus are catching up to them and the
bodies start mounting. Riley knows it’s only a matter of time
before the inevitable happens and his Merrick gets out. Will the
darkness overtake him or will Hope be his light at the end of the
tunnel?
Riley never sees his Merrick as the
good being that it is and thinks that he’s this dark monster that
once released, will go on a killing spree. So there’s always a hard
tone to his character, which I loved but for some reason I couldn’t
get into this one as much as the others and I’m not sure why. But
anyway, Hopes character I found a little needy and you just wanted
her to grab Riley and give him a good slap and say I’m right here
what are you waiting for! but that’s maybe what I would have done.
Hope you enjoy this series, I give it 4/5.
I highly recommend this series for
anyone who enjoys a great juicy paranormal romance.
