Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Review: Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts

Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts
Series: The Guardians Trilogy, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance Stars of Fortune Cover
ISBN: 9780425280102
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

To celebrate the rise of their new queen, three goddesses of the moon created three stars, one of fire, one of ice, one of water. But then they fell from the sky, putting the fate of all worlds in danger. And now three women and three men join forces to pick up the pieces…

Sasha Riggs is a reclusive artist, haunted by dreams and nightmares that she turns into extraordinary paintings. Her visions lead her to the Greek island of Corfu, where five others have been lured to seek the fire star. Sasha recognizes them, because she has drawn them: a magician, an archaeologist, a wanderer, a fighter, a loner. All on a quest. All with secrets.

Sasha is the one who holds them together—the seer. And in the magician, Bran Killian, she sees a man of immense power and compassion. As Sasha struggles with her rare ability, Bran is there to support her, challenge her, and believe in her.

But Sasha and Bran are just two of the six. And they all must all work together as a team to find the fire star in a cradle of land beneath the sea. Over their every attempt at trust, unity, and love, a dark threat looms. And it seeks to corrupt everything that stands in its way of possessing the stars…

It takes both love and magic to fight back the dark in Stars of Fortune. The first book in the Guardians trilogy blends friendship, adventure, danger, magic, secrets, and romance together to create a story that is classic Nora Roberts.

Sasha is an artist who has never truly opened herself to the visions that haunt her. That is, until she can no longer deny the dreams of lost stars and the five people who will join her on a quest to find them before an evil goddess does. With only her visions to guide her, Sasha travels to Corfu, where she meets the men and women who will not only become allies, but family. Unlike Sasha, Bran, Riley, Sawyer, Annika, and Doyle know quite a bit about the fallen stars, which helps the suspension of disbelief over how quickly they all join forces. Each member of the team has their secrets, and as the six become a team those secrets are steadily uncovered in the most delightful ways. I loved watching the various relationships among the team develop, and I absolutely adored seeing them become the team they’re meant to be. The search for the first star – the fire star – is almost secondary to the group’s development, but that doesn’t mean the story lacks for action. The evil goddess who is also hunting the stars isn’t a force to be dismissed, and it’s clear that our six heroes are in for one heck of a fight.

Stars of Fortune is about all six of the Guardians trilogy protagonists, but Sasha and Bran are undeniably the heart of the book. It was great watching Sasha come into her own over the course of the story. She’s quieter than the rest, but no less strong (though she doesn’t see it at first). Bran is a magician with more than a few tricks up his sleeve, and he complements Sasha perfectly. Their romance is simply lovely and I couldn’t resist smiling as the two of them slid from interest to lust to love.

I’m a huge Nora Roberts fan, and having read most of her books I can definitely see strains of the familiar throughout Stars of Fortune. To me, it seemed that there are a number of things this story has in common with some of Ms. Roberts’s other magic-laced trilogies. While this didn’t bother me at all, it was noticeable enough that readers who might not be as pleased should take note.

Stars of Fortune is a fun, fantastical tale that I absolutely adored. I can’t wait to see how Sasha, Bran, Riley, Doyle, Sawyer, and Annika develop over the course of the Guardians trilogy, and I’m really excited to discover what supernatural surprises Ms. Roberts has in store for readers!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the Penguin First to Read program in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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