Undertow (Land, Sea, Sky) / Lynne Cantwell

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Contemporary/ World Mythology

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Lynne Cantwell is a contributing author at IndiesUnlimited where she shares her knowledge about Indie publishing and promotion. She has a master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University and is a former broadcast journalist who has written for CNN and Mutual/NBC Radio News, among other places. Ms. Cantwell currently lives near Washington, DC. You can connect with her at her website or on her Facebook page.

Description:

“Lt. Darrell Warren, Navy SEAL and Potawatomi medicine man, has been reassigned from the Pentagon temporarily to a command in Virginia Beach. He thinks he’s there to investigate a rumor of a terrorist attack against the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, but his commander wants him to go undercover to infiltrate the terrorists – a job that's way outside Darrell's wheelhouse. And this time -- unlike two weeks before, in Washington -- his two housemates aren't available to help... The terrorists are not who they appear to be, and the hurricane is inching closer. To thwart both disasters – as well as cope with their own relationships – Darrell, Tess, and Sue will need the help of the gods.”

Appraisal:

I have to admit, I didn't expect to like this series as well as Pipe Woman Chronicles. I am not into political intrigue or espionage, but Ms. Cantwell has managed to pull me in. I am fully invested in the Land, Sea, Air series after this second book. The people are what makes this book so incredible. They are authentic, dedicated, honorable, and courageous.  Each has their own flaws and personal dilemmas to work through while dealing with potentially devastating predicaments far bigger than their own problems.

Undertow deals with the threat of a terrorist attack on American soil that is orchestrated by Lucifer, the would-be godling, who is inciting the godless and power-hungry to take control of world events again. Malcolm Quinn, the owner of Integrated Deterrence Systems (a defense contractor) and US Senator Rusty Dickens of Alabama are two characters from Crosswinds that are continuing their quest for the return of the old ways before the pagan gods and goddesses returned. Their intent is to make the bombing look like a foreign terrorist attack on the United States to regain military defense contracts that have been cut.

Darrell has to be my favorite character, of course the bear story has something to do with this, although I am really beginning to like Darrell's Anishinaabe god Nanabush as well. His trickster nature and lightheartedness brings humor into the story at just the right times. There is also a new character introduced who may be around for a while, Darrell's ex-Naval colleague Robbie Duckworth. He now does contract work for the Navy because he likes to blow things up, and he thinks he may have just met the perfect woman in Sue Killeen, our very own Wiccan.

It is hardly surprising that the Gods manage to get Darrell, Sue, and Tess all to Virginia Beach where the terrorist attack on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is suspected and a massive F-5 Hurricane is headed. Ms. Cantwell does an impressive job detailing the plans for the terrorist attack and the chain of command. The plot is realistic and frightening as hell.

As the book comes to its climatic end tension runs high and the stress of it all wouldn't allow me to put the book down. Things hardly go as planned by either side as colleagues, who don't have gods influencing them, try to help. However due to the gravity of the situations at hand personal realizations are made by Darrell and Tess that offer hope for their relationship.. I can't wait to see what the next book brings. I am pretty sure Lucifer will stir things up again as he continues to seek his goal of becoming a god in his own right.

FYI:

This is Book 2 in the Land, Sea, Sky series. Ms. Cantwell has included a synopsis of book 1 at the beginning, which is helpful.  However, I think it would be beneficial to read Book 1, Crosswinds, to fully understand all the characters.

Contains adult language and there are a few F-bombs dropped.

Format/Typo Issues:

None at all. Zip, zero, zilch...

Rating: ***** Five stars