The Banshee’s Embrace by Victoria Richards

Jacqueline Huston has no idea what has been happening to her, but it started the night she was attacked by men with strange powers. While mortally wounded in the attack, Jacqueline knows she would have surely died if her husband hadn’t thrown himself into the line of fire. But being alive is little comfort when your husband is dead.

Ever since that night, Jacqueline has been strangely drawn to death for reasons she doesn’t understand. When death is nearby, she can see when it is coming for someone. However, it’s her urge to sing when she gets close to dying people that she finds most disturbing.

Toby Williams is a wizard and a member of the Brotherhood of Merlyn, an ancient order of powerful wizards. He’s been charged by an ancient order of wizards to keep an eye on Jacqueline. Half banshees are rare, and if placed in the wrong hands they can be a powerful weapon. As owner of Merlyn’s Bar, a place the lovely Ms. Huston frequents, it seems an easy enough assignment for Toby.

When a sinister wizard attempts to kidnap her, Jacqueline learns a frightening truth about her heritage, and her powers. Will she be able to use her powers to save Toby, the man she is falling in love with, or will her powers consumer her, causing her to lose everything she holds dear?

Book 1, The Banshee’s Embrace http://bit.ly/BansheesEmbrace

Book 2, The Banshee’s Desire http://bit.ly/BansheesDesire

Book 3, The Banshee’s Revenge http://bit.ly/BansheesRevenge

My review:

I’ve always been drawn to the Banshee lore. I am fascinated at the thought that a woman in massive amount of pain could channel the rage into a supernatural power. The thought of losing my husband in any way makes me understand how it’s possible. Jacqueline is a young woman who loses her husband and finds herself in that exact position. She’s drawn to the dying and her powers seem to be growing. This calls attention to her and she is being attacked by a wizard that attempts to kidnap her. In walks Toby. He’s a bartender at Jacqueline’s favorite bar and he’s got a secret of his own. 😉 Their chemistry is fantastic and I am looking forward to watching the characters develop. If I had any criticism of the book is that it was a little short. I think the books would be the best read in the box set so it will all flow together: The Banshee’s Embrace Trilogy plus it’s cheaper. Overall a great first book in series and if you are a scifi/fantasy fan like me, you’ll enjoy this series.

Author bio:

Victoria Richards is a native southern Californian. She is a married and hard working mom of two beautiful daughters. She has been writing since she was old enough to pick up a pencil, but it wasn’t until her college years that she really developed a love for writing creatively. At the suggestion of her creative writing professor, she decided to pursue a full-time career as a writer, something that she enjoys and gives her immense satisfaction. An even greater satisfaction comes when fans follow her and enjoy reading her books.