Shadows Strike

A federal agent with the ability to read minds finds herself sucked into a world of vampires, immortals, and true love in the sixth installment of Duvall's (On the Hunt, 2015, etc.) Immortal Guardians series. Heather Lane is a gifted psychic who covertly uses her abilities to aid numerous government agencies. But for the past year, she's been haunted by dreams of an attractive immortal man locked in battle with a group of bloodthirsty vampires--dreams that soon become reality. Brandishing her Walther PPQ automatic pistol, she joins the battle and helps the darkly dressed hero, Ethan, defeat the bloodsuckers, opening herself up to the violent world of the superpowered Immortal Guardians, of which Ethan is a member. They boast impressive fighting skills and abilities such as healing, teleportation, and telekinesis; along with a network of human supporters, they protect humanity from vampires. Heather and Ethan fall quickly in love (and lust). Meanwhile, the Guardians' greatest villain, the mad immortal Gershom, has been sending vampiric strike forces to attack American military bases. His motives are a mystery, but it's not the only puzzle the Guardians must solve: everything they know about mind readers suggests that Heather should not have her gift of precognition. They must discover whether Gershom is manipulating her or if someone else is pulling their strings. This series boasts numerous characters, a deep back story, and extensive worldbuilding. Duvall cleverly uses Heather's presence as a way to easily introduce new readers to the fictional world, as other characters explain things to her. She's a capable protagonist, never falling into the tedious role of damsel in distress. Ethan will seem familiar to sci-fi and fantasy fans, as he boasts the glowing charms of Twilight's Edward Cullen and the vicious durability of the X-Men's Wolverine, but he lacks a personality of his own, other than an awkward possessiveness that the author never explores. This is a contrast to his fellow immortals, who establish their characters upon appearance and foster an amiable sense of family when they're together. The story provides lots of nods to previous installments (involving aliens and angels) as it sets up a looming threat of a coming apocalypse, both of which are likely to make readers interested in further exploring the series. A nice entry point to an expansive saga. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.