Marek

4.25stars-action packed, energetic

4.25 stars--MAREK is the fourth instalment in Felicity Heaton’s contemporary, adult GUARDIANS OF HADES erotic, 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 Earth Marek, and vampire hunter / human Caterina’s story line. MAREK 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 Marek and Caterina MAREK follows the building relationship between Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Earth Marek, and vampire hunter / human Caterina. Approximately ten years earlier Caterina’s brother Guillem was attacked, and Caterina is desperate to find a cure to prevent her brother from becoming a vampire but ten years of hunting and killing vampires, and her brother remains a shell of his former self, slowly succumbing to whatever disease is slowly eating away at his body. Caterina isn’t the only hunter in Barcelona destroying the hundreds of nests of vampires in her city, and in this Caterina struggles with her attraction to the warrior who may or may not be human himself. Enter Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Earth Marek, the man/the god with whom Caterina will fall in love but all does not go well for our story line couple when Caterina is targeted, and finds herself doing the bidding of someone who promises to fix what ails her dying brother, a bidding that will cost Caterina her humanity. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Caterina and Marek, and the potential fall-out as Caterina becomes the puppet of a powerful enemy, threatening to destroy Marek to take control of the Gates to the Underworld.

Marek despises the vampire with every fibre of his being having been betrayed by one in his past. Alone in his quest to take down the vampires, Marek battles between head and heart when he discovers another ‘warrior’ as desperate as he to kill the vampires that broke his heart but protecting the Gates to the Underworld comes at a cost, as Marek and his brothers find themselves in a constant battle with the numerous daemons that are constantly coming through the portals of H*ll.

Caterina is determined to destroy every vampire in existence believing one of the vampires is her brother’s maker but the more vampires Caterina kills, her brother becomes weaker with no sign of recovery. Meeting Marek, a man who claims not to be human, finds Caterina working together in an effort to rid the city of her brother’s ‘killer’ but working together means their mutual attraction grows with every encounter.

The relationship between Caterina and Marek is slow to build. Marek is at the command of his father, as well as the summons of the gate he continues to guard but someone or something is trying to gain access to the Underworld, using both Caterina and Marek in their endeavour, placing Caterina in the direct line of fire when Marek’s enemies forces Caterina to turn on the man with whom she is falling in love. The $ex scenes are passionate and intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, all of Marek’s brothers including Ares and his mate Megan (ARES #1), Valen and his mate Eva (VALEN #2), Esher and Aiko (ESHER #30) Daimon, eldest brother Keras, , and baby brother Calistos play secondary and supporting roles; their mother Persephone, and their father Hades, as well as a number of daemons, shape-shifters, and wraiths. We are introduced to Caterina’s brother Guillem, who finally succumbs to the powers slowly taking over his body.

MAREK is an action packed, ensemble story line wherein the reader is privileged to the internal dialogue, introspection and thoughts of the leading characters. Marek is compelled to kill the vampires he blames for betrayal; Caterina is hoping to cure the brother she so desperately loves. The premise is engaging, energetic and captivating; the characters are colorful, dynamic and spirited; the romance is seductive and steamy.