Calistos

4.5 stars--CALISTOS is the fifth instalment in Felicity Heaton’s contemporary, adult GUARDIANS OF HADES paranormal/fantasy romance series very loosely based in Greek mythology, focusing on seven brothers- the sons of Hades and Persephone -sent to Earth to guard the gates to the Underworld. This is Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Air Calistos, and cellist/ hospital receptionist Marinda’s story line. CALISTOS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order as the brothers struggle against an unknown enemy to keep the human world and the Underworld from colliding.

NOTE: The Guardians of Hades series is Felicity Heaton’s interpretation of, and does not follow, the actual Greek mythological family tree or events.

Told from several third person perspectives including Calistos and Marinda CALISTOS follows Marinda in the aftermath of a strange series of events beginning with a supernatural encounter, in the hospital where she worked, with a man whose mortal wounds were anything but. Finding herself in the Underworld as a prisoner of the injured man, Marinda struggles to make sense of her world but a world that is about to come crashing down. From the murder of her father to an attack by daemons, Marinda becomes the target of an unknown enemy, an enemy that is also hunting our story line hero. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Marinda and Calistos; the revelation about Marinda’s true self and her heritage; and a fight to the death wherein one of the brothers will go missing in an effort to find the soul of someone they love.

Marinda has always believed herself to be human but knew there was the possibility of the existence of the supernatural. When her father revealed that he could ‘see the future’ Marinda had no idea that her future would involve a god of the Underworld, and attacks by daemons, Hellspawn, monsters and a necromancer. Calistos has changed since the death of his twin, a death for which he blames himself. Hoping to locate his sister’s soul, Calistos plays fast and loose with his mortality, placing himself in the direct line of fire, time and again.

The relationship between Marinda and Calistos is one of immediate attraction but Calistos believes he does not deserve love or his own happily ever after since the death of his beloved twin. Trying to keep his distance Calistos continuously finds himself drawn to our heroine, and feeling over protective of the woman with whom he will fall in love. The release and revelations of Marinda’s powers finds our heroine working together with the brothers in an effort to protect the world. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

All of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting role including Ares and his mate Megan (ARES #1), Valen and his mate Eva (VALEN #2), Esher and Aiko (ESHER #3), Marek and Cat (MAREK #4) Daimon, and their eldest brother Keras; their mother Persephone, and their father Hades, as well as a number of daemons, shape-shifters, a necromancer and wraiths. We are introduced to Marinda’s guardian Cassandra (Cass) whose story line is next in DAIMON.

Like MAREK, CALISTOS is an action packed story where the reader is privileged to the internal dialogue, thoughts and introspective of the leading characters, as well as an early look at Daimon’s struggles with his powers and his attraction to Marinda’s guardian Cass. The character driven premise is intriguing, enthralling and imaginative; the romance is impassioned; the characters are edgy and charismatic. CALISTOS is my favorite GUARDIANS OF HADES thus far….the story ends on a slight cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Not what I’ve come to expect from this author