Friday, October 4, 2019

Review: Treacherous Ground: Elemental Keys Book 2 by Lynne Cantwell

Editor's Note:

In case you missed it, in our last post Judi Moore weighed in with her review of this book. Now in the last half of this double shot review ?wazithinkin gives us her thoughts. If you missed the first half, check it out too.


Genre: Urban Fantasy/Celtic Mythology

Description:

Can’t a girl get a good soak around here?

Raney Meadows, undine and out-of-work actor, is in Ireland with her no-name team of Elemental superheroes on a mission of mercy. They’re taking team member Collum Barth’s brother’s things to his parents. But they’re also on the trail of Raney’s father, Damien Jones. Daddy Dearest is possessed by an ancient evil, and the creature wants to destroy the Earth by unleashing a Very Bad Thing. The V.B.T. is behind a locked door, and Damien has the Key.

The team is in a race against time to find the door before Damien does. It could be anywhere – in a cave, in a passage tomb, maybe even in a bog. Collum’s father is a gnome who should know where it is, but he’s not much help. The fae have offered their help, but Raney is leery of their price.

And while the team tries to outrun Damien, Raney is trying to avoid him, lest he snatch her up for his collection of one-of-a-kind things.

It’s enough to make a half-undine like Raney go to pieces…”

Author:

Lynne Cantwell is a contributing author at Indies Unlimited 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.
Indies Unlimited:

Appraisal:

Are secrets and loyalties worth keeping when the fate of the world is at stake? Where is that line located before it crosses into treasonous for your species? Ms. Cantwell tackles these questions on a more personal level in what’s left of the Barth family as their relationship dynamics are explored. While our small team of superhero Elementals search for the Earth Key in the beautiful country of Ireland.

As an old soul, Collum has taken a liking to his new smart phone. Proving you can teach an old dog new tricks, which doesn’t necessarily apply to cats. I just stuck that in so readers would know Tiger finds her way to the home of Collum’s parents, Niall and Kate Barth, in Kilkenny. Tiger is just as much a member of our small team of half-breed Elementals. She is such a diva and adds humor when things get intense, because you know she’s going to be right in the middle of things.

I was glad Raney and Gail were able to get in a little sightseeing before all the action started. There are false leads, dangerous bogs to avoid, caves to explore, kidnappings, and golems to battle. Golems are demon made warriors of clay whom are propelled by fire, and are single-minded in their directives. Outwardly, they look like real humans, so when Raney tricks two into a bog she has a crisis of conscience thinking she killed two men.

The storyline twists around on itself as our team of superheroes chase and are chased by the demon riding Damien Jones, Raney’s daddy dearest. Each team member are becoming more dimensional and true to their personal elements. I am also enjoying the way Raney is learning how to use the new element Gail shared with her in the ritual joining ceremony from book 1, Rivers Run. If you haven’t read it yet, pick it up! These books build on each other. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the team learn to use their shared elements. I am looking forward to book 3. Will our team finally come up with a name that fits them all? And will they finally get team t-shirts? These questions and more, I hope, will be answered in upcoming books.

Buy now from:   Amazon US    Amazon UK

FYI:

Treacherous Ground is book 2, of the ELEMENTAL KEYS Series. Following book 1, Rivers Run.

Format/Typo Issues:

Nothing significant.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

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