Undertow

Thrilling introduction to a unique series

Seventeen year old Eila Walker is surprised when she suddenly inherits an old house that has been in her family for generations. Despite not knowing the identity of the mysterious donor who made this possible, she decides not to look a gift horse in the mouth and moves to Cape Cod with her guardian, Mae.

Eila befriends two of the locals, MJ and Ana, although she is puzzled by the strange vibes she gets off them at the mention of her house and who she is. Ana introduces Eila to her gypsy friend, Dalca, a witch who owns a shop with herbs and potions as well as her big black dog, Marsh.

At the start of school Eila falls foul of the Queen of Mean, Nikki and her cohorts. That’s nothing compared to the internal warning system that goes off when she first sets eyes on Raef O’Reilly. Fear mixed with a strange attraction that she feels unable to explain, she is flustered when he later introduces himself and seems to become her weirdly protective shadow from then onwards. Eila learns that Raef has a brother, Kian, who fills her with the same sense of unease.

Eila is unnerved by strange dreams of her great grandmother’s death as well as the sight of a man one night watching her from across her house. With Mae away travelling for a fortnight, she considers asking Dalca to allow Marsh to stay with her, a suggestion that Ana finds amusing.

During a beach bonfire party, Eila is attacked by a boy who pushes her off a bridge. The impact of the cold water makes her retch and cough but before she can gather her wits, she feels something grab her ankle and pull her under. Desperately struggling to free herself, Eila is on the verge of drowning when the creature suddenly releases her and she is prevented from being dragged away by the current by Raef.

Raef is furious with himself for leaving Eila alone and blames himself. He seeks Dalca’s help and it soon becomes apparent that Eila’s ankle has been poisoned. Luckily Dalca’s herbs and potions save the day. Eila becomes certain that Raef, MJ, Ana and Dalca are hiding something from her and that they know what attacked her in the undertow.

When Eila finally demands answers, Raef is forced to come clean. That he is a Mortis, a soul thief. He explains that Mortis are genetic remnants of a fallen angel who tried to recruit a human army. When humans are infected with the disease, their soul and conscience is destroyed which is why they need the life force of others to survive.

Eila learns that she, like her ancestors before, is a Lunaterra who are descended from the Archangel who tried to stop the Fallen One. Unlike the Mortis, Lunaterra are born, not infected. Their abilities to channel the power of human souls is a birthright. Both their races are perfectly matched genetic enemies. Eila struggles to come to terms with the fact that she and Raef are descended from two warring angels who have been locked in a genetic loathing for centuries.

Raef tells Eila that he and her grandmother Elizabeth were friends before her death. That he and Kian were turned on the same night but have no memory of who recruited them from the Jacob Rysse Clan. Raef and Kian were there when Elizabeth died. The energy released by Elizabeth at the moment of her death, genetically changed Raef and Kian leaving them with the ability to control their rage, enabled the return of their memories and gave them immunity to Eila. They are outcasts from the Mortis community who have taken it upon themselves to protect Eila, who it turns out is the last of the Lunaterra.

Eila learns that the creature in the undertow was a Mortis and that the blow to her ankle as she fell off the bridge had led to it bleeding. The Mortis died after it came in contact with her blood as it’s poison to them. Realising that Eila could be attacked again, the gang race against time to locate Elizabeth’s diary which could hold the key to Eila, tapping into her powers. The trouble is, they are not the only ones after the diary. There’s a traitor amongst them, but who? Who is Eila’s mysterious benefactor who lured her to Cape Cod? As they’re hunted by the clan who are intent on using Eila’s power for their own purposes, will she discover her powers in time to save her friends?

This entertaining book was my first introduction to the author and boy was I in for a treat. From the tragic epilogue to the explosive finale, it’s unique plot and complex characters had me enthralled until the last page.

The book was fast paced with lots of mystery, twists and suspense which made it a truly engaging read and hard to put down. It was refreshing to read a paranormal book without the usual vampire, werewolf and fae mythology I’m accustomed to.

The strength of the book rests in the loveable three dimensional characters created by the author. I loved the wonderful group dynamic between them. Each character was well rounded, believable and unique.
Eila is a resilient, appealing, funny and feisty protagonist who the reader instantly connects with.

The world was intricately woven with subtle details that hinted at the true nature of the characters. I guessed the identity of the traitor quite early on although this in no way deterred me from wanting to see the story unfold.

Waiting for the penny to drop for Eila with regards to Marsh’s alter ego was a treat. There were some truly laugh out loud moments with regards to Marsh. Kian surprised me in many aspects as I misjudged him completely at the beginning. I’m glad to see I was wrong. I’m curious to learn more about who turned Kian and Raef into a Mortis.

Undertow is a must read for any paranormal enthusiast. I can’t wait to see what the author has in mind for the next installment in this series.