Variants (Anathergians Trilogy, #1)

SCI-FI/FANTASY:  On Leah’s sixteenth birthday she found out she was a witch. For four years she has studied hard and learned magic at Sanctuary until the day a scuffle reveals she is much more than a mere witch. The leader of Sanctuary contacts Auden, King of the Anathergians, an immortal race who came to Earth over five thousand years ago. Auden is surprised that an Anathergian has escaped their notice until it is discovered that there’s another of his kind creating Variants among humans and Leah is connected to it all. A war is brewing and it’s a race to stop it before many humans and Anathergians die.

From the beginning of this tale the fabulous storytelling grabs one by the shirt, pulling the reader along through the pages and doesn’t relax its grip until the very end. Told predominately through each of Leah and Auden’s POV, the overall picture is crystal clear. The superb writing, rich characters and the fast-paced plot are all top notch. The pages fly by as one watches Leah and Auden dealing with their predicament as well as attempting to figure out the who, what, where, why and how of the Variant situation before it’s too late. 

Unfortunately, the author pulls a Thelma and Louise, driving pedal to the metal over a massive cliffhanger, leaving the reader’s wheels spinning like Wile E. Coyote’s feet after he runs out over the edge of a precipice. The abruptness and non-conclusion of the finale is the only imperfection in this otherwise delightful tale of paranormal meets sci-fi romance. 

Carol Conley