Once upon a time there was a girl named Raine. She was a normal, not real popular, high school student. Until she met Torin St. James. Torin was the dark and dangerous guy who moved in next door, not to mention the hottest guy that Raine had ever seen. It doesn't take long for Raine to fall into some crazy lust after him, but some weird things start to happen. Like how Torin talks about being able to do things because of magic. Well Raine doesn't even believe in magic until she starts seeing the results from what could only have been magic. Then her world takes a very dramatic turn.
Eirik and Cora are Raine's best friends. They are brutally frank and Eirik ad Raine have had a crush on each other for a while now. Although Raine has feelings for a certain someone else, she begins dating Eirik. At the same time she is also dealing with the possible loss of her father. He was in a plane crash months before, but his body had not been found. Raine's mother is convinced he is still alive, but Raine isn't so sure anymore.
And then bad things start happening. She finds out the truth about her new neighbor. He and some of the other new teenagers in town are all Valkyries. They shepherd souls to the next life and use runes for things like super speed and healing. It's almost impossible to kill them. But then again, why would she want to when she was falling all over one of them? It seemed like all of the Valkyries had the other teens her age all over them. They were beautiful and magnetic. But she and Torin share a closer bond than normal.
And then there's Maliina. She has a serious dislike for Raine after her man, Andris, decided to flirt a little with her. Bad idea. It turns Maliina crazy. And a crazy Valkyrie is a dangerous one. Now she must try to stay alive, which is turning out to be pretty hard to do. Torin is the only one who can and will save her.
Book two has many all new types of threats and a very confused Torin. The awful Norns that Raine had to contend with in the last book completely wiped part of his memory. The part with her in it. So it feels like he has just moved in again next door and has no idea who she is. She is totally devastated. But Raine isn't so easily daunted and intends on making him remember no matter what she has to do.
Eirik is not who anyone thought. He is a very important person (who I will not identify in this review). But he has a dark side that is threatening everything and everyone around him. The Norns (which are the ones that guide the destinies of people) warn Raine about him. But he is her best friend and she is willing to go through whatever she must to save him while trying to do the same with Torin.
As if this isn't enough, Raine isn't who she seems either. Her true nature comes out at the end and it is not what you will be expecting! I never saw it coming!
Secrets, lies, love and lust, hate, runic magic, a little Norse mythology, and death (lots of death). Yes these two books have it all. You've got the hormonal teenager side to contend with but it doesn't get too hot and heavy in the books. Raine's family is just full of secrets, some of which were painful to her. And things with her friends are ever changing. They will always be her best friends, but it seems like she is always off trying to save someone, including them.
And all the while, Torin is in the background watching. His rule of never getting involved with a mortal is completely shot to pieces when Raine comes into the picture. She is what he has been missing for so long and even after his memory has been messed with, he still feels it. I hate how much they torture each other before they finally decide to just go with it and be together. But that is part of what makes it good. Torin goes through great lengths to keep her from becoming like him. But as you see by half way through the second book, that was useless. Raine is going to get her way. So she's a little pushy. The girl just knows what she wants.
*images via Ednah Walters
