Friday, December 9, 2022

Book Review: "Pearl Sky" by Elizabeth Hunter

 

It was a friendly visit until a priceless artifact was stolen. Now Ben and Tenzin are up to their necks in secrets that can kill.

It’s not just any holiday season in the immortal world. Elder Zhang’s oldest servant is reaching the century mark and Ben and Tenzin are ready to celebrate, but no sooner do they land on Penglai Island than a mystery falls in their path. A valuable seal has gone missing, and the artifact was a gift from an ancient vampire who just happens to be heading to Penglai for a long-overdue formal visit.

The Elders of Penglai may have asked Ben and Tenzin’s assistance to find the lost treasure, but that doesn’t mean that eight ancient vampires, their immortal children, and all the humans who serve them will suddenly become open books. Penglai Island is secret for a reason, and the heart of that reason may just reveal the motive behind the theft.

PEARL SKY is a brand new Elemental Legacy story by Elizabeth Hunter, ten-time USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Mysteries, the Irin Chronicles, and other works of fiction. - from Netgalley.com 

This ARC was provided to me by Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is the eighth book in the Elemental Legacy series by this author, who also has other series that are related to the same world as set in this novel. In this particular part of the series, it find Ben and Tenzin returning to their 'creator' 's island for a celebration, only to be asked to help solve the theft of a valuable (and possibly political) seal. As recoverers of lost/stolen artifacts, this is, of course, right in the skill set of these two characters.

Seeing the relationship between Ben and Tenzin grow in the stories has been satisfying. It isn't like instant and true love at first sight. With Ben being a new creature of the night, and matched to Tenzin's hundreds (thousands?) of years as one, makes this relationship very interesting. Add in the mental quirks and old habits, it helps provide a good side distraction to the actual story line - though I guess this would be part of that as well. I have enjoyed this series from book one, and have been trying to get up to date on the side stories of the other series, many of which have interesting information on the side characters of this series line.

Hunter is a wonderful writer, and the ease of reading her novels are one of the many things I enjoy. The 'sexual' sections of stories are not written in the style of a letter to a porn magazine, and I feel the story is realistic (as far as vampires anyways). I would recommend to any adult reader.

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