Monday, March 27, 2017

The Awakening

Title: The Awakening
Author: Amanda Stevens
Expected Publication: March 28th 2017 by Mira
Format: eBook, Paperback, 416 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Graveyard Queen #6

That is one of the most intense endings that I have read in a very long time. After meandering through most of the book, the ending was a blur, which I had to read twice to make sure that I had grasped it all.

Amelia Gray, a cemetery restorer, has taken on Woodbine in Charleston, South Carolina. A forgotten cemetery where the well-to-do bury their secrets --namely their mistresses and illegitimate children. A far corner has called out to Amelia, a corner that is sheltering a marker in the shape of an old-fashioned baby crib with an epitaph that reads Shush…Lest She Awaken. There is no name on the memorial that dates back fifty or so years, yet Amelia is drawn to it. Maybe it is the fact that she is a ghost seer, a death walker or just the plan fact that the dead reach out to her and want her to act as their detective. Amelia has a love hate relationship with her talent that she refers to as a curse, yet she cannot turn away when a child is involved.

As she returns to her work, the grave continues to calling out to her. Mercy - is that the child’s name or what she is asking for? Coincidently, as the ghost is calling out to her she is experiencing remembered moments and conversations. How or why are these disjointed memories related to the grave? What is she being told that she yet does not understand?

John Devlin is back. He and Amelia are no longer together. John has taken on the family business. A business with a shady side, but John is not doing this just for himself. He has others to protect and this is the best way to keep those that he loves safe. He is now engaged, or is it a business relationship, to Claire Bellefontaine, and with her comes her creepy older brother Rance Duvall. Dr. Rupert Shaw is still a mentor and friend to Amelia, yet he is hiding secrets. As Amelia discovers the truth, their relationship is at a crossroads. Whom was he really trying to protect?

The Conge, which was revealed in the previous book (as a reminder, the books need to be read in order even though there are small bits of rehashing in each one) is back in full occult force and out to rid the world of unnaturals like Amelia.

Dread is looming over Amelia. She cannot tell if it is something, or someone, coming for her or if something else is ending. Either way, she has to prepare. She has to be ready so her secrets are not revealed or the people that she cares the most for are not held accountable. As I said, you will muddle through the middle of this book, but the ending is not to be missed. There is a great deal going on and Amanda Stevens ties up quite a few of her characters. By the time that you get to the end, you just might find yourself wanting to read it again to see all the breadcrumbs that had been left for you.

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