Rating: 5 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novel
At the start of Surrounded by Crimson, we find Tristan and Ushna exactly where we left them in Dreams of the Forgotten. Ushna is celebrating Tristan’s agreement to finally claim one another. It is nine days until the birth of the heirs to the throne of Zeev. Tristan, Ushna, Gregori, and the guards are also preparing to leave for their trip to Georgia for, among other things, the revelation of Tristan’s Rite of Birth.
Tristan is not terribly excited to return to the Tribe Enkidu, but his responsibilities to his pack and to the Lycan people are unavoidable. It’s immediately apparent to Tristan that he is being watched, although he can’t pick his stalker out of the crowd. When Ushna is injured by a known enemy, Tristan calls to his Lycan and the Warriors of Anat to hunt down the sniper. But that’s the only beginning of their problems.
As Ushna recovers, Tristan is sent on an information treasure hunt by his deceased former Twin Flame, only to be distracted when an enemy shows up. Unable to reach Ushna or any of his entourage, Tristan and the handful of guards with him follow the enemy into what may very well be a trap. Trap or no, Tristan is determined to save what is his if only he can keep himself and his unborn children alive long enough to do so.
Seriously, I’m in love with this series. I wonder with the ending of each book if the next could possibly be as good as the last, and I’m always floored. The imagination that this author displays is absolutely amazing – a mix of paranormal romance and Sumerian mythology. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Lexi Ander is a master storyteller. The stories flow so easily with seemingly little effort. Sumeria’s Sons has been one of my favorite series since the very first book and now I’m dying for the next installment.
The growth of love and passion between Tristan and Ushna continues to impress me. With each book I find them falling more and more in love…which in turn has me falling more and more in love with them. The level of trust and honesty between them is beautiful. Add in pregnancy hormones, irritability, and lack of coffee from Tristan and Ushna’s saint-like patience, and you have the most perfectly matched couple. After the last book, their claiming issues have fallen by the wayside and their trust and acceptance of one another overflows.
Nikita was introduced in Tristan’s dreams in the previous book in this series. He is a previous incarnation of Ushna’s deceased Twin Flame, Brian. Nikita makes another appearance in this story, and I find myself falling for the sweet, caring, passionate man, as well. His role in this tale is surprising, and I, for one, cannot wait to see where it leads in the future.
This book has so much going on in such a short amount of time. Conflicts seem to turn up at every corner. A couple books prior, Tristan drew the proverbial line in the sand. This book he takes no prisoners. For lack of a better phrase (and edited to sound less crass) “stuff is getting real.” At least as real as it can be in paranormal romance. It’s exciting and intense. And by the end, I was begging for more. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, and honestly I can’t even guess…don’t even want to try. I am just ready for the next installment now.
Surrounded by Crimson has a bit of shock and awe to it. It’s intense and sweet at the same time, and laced with a little bit of anything-can-happen. There are moments that will stop your heart. Moments that will have you saying “aww.” Then there are unforeseen, shocking moments that are jarring, and one moment in particular that will leave you in tears. I love the emotions in this book. The rollercoaster is well worth it.
And finally, this cover by Lee Tiffin is my favorite of the series so far. I think I said that about the last cover, but that was before I saw this one. It’s mysterious and beautiful. And who doesn’t love a dragon?
This series just continues to get better and better. I want to tell you all about this book, everything from beginning to end, because I absolutely love it. But I’m not as good of a storyteller as Lexi Ander, and I’m afraid of being flogged if I spoiled it for you. Just know that you should definitely read it. I highly, highly recommend Surrounded by Crimson.
Note: Surrounded by Crimson is the fourth book in Lexi Ander’s Sumeria’s Sons series. These books must be read in order. And trust me; you don’t want to miss out on any of them.
- Twin Flames
- Songs of the Earth
- A New Beginning (Sumeria’s Sons #2.1, Sumeria’s Magi #0.1) free story
- Dreams of the Forgotten
- Starting Fires (Sumeria’s Sons #3.1, Sumeria’s Magi #0.2) free story
- Surrounded by Crimson
Review: Starting Fires by Lexi Ander
Rating: 4.25 stars
Length: Short Story
It’s been two weeks since Stanley Kendall showed up at Tristan’s request. And since the confrontation between Gregori and Stan, it seems that Stan has put himself between Gregori and Juan every time Juan tries to talk to Gregori. Now Juan is finished playing Stan’s games. Gregori is everything that Juan wants and he refuses to lose the magi. If Gregori doesn’t want him romantically, he’d be fine with that. He’s vowed to never leave Gregori, so if he can only have him as a friend that will be fine. But first he has to find a way around Stan’s aggressive, unwanted protection of Gregori.
This is another short interlude giving readers a peek into Gregori and Juan’s lives, this time with Juan’s POV as well. It’s also the precursor to a new spin-off of the Sumeria’s Sons series called Sumeria’s Magi. And I absolutely love this short. It’s fun and sweet. I’ve always loved Gregori and now I adore Juan as well – his loyalty, his determination, his strength. This is the first chance readers have to really get to know the warrior. And I enjoyed every second of it. This story opens an entirely new door for what proves to be a wonderful spin-off of Sumeria’s Sons. It is a whole new facet of the world built in Sumeria’s Sons. It’s new and exciting and as always extremely unique.
Starting Fires is the sweet and dangerous beginning of Gregori’s relationship with Juan. It’s the beginning of a new adventure in a wonderful world. I can’t wait to see what Ander has in store for these two and for readers in the future. If you’ve been reading Sumeria’s Sons, you definitely want to check this out free short.
Note: Starting Fires plays a role in two different series – the second prelude into a new spinoff series by Lexi Ander, Sumeria’s Magi, and the second interlude of Sumeria’s Sons. Starting Fires can currently be found as a blog story on Lexi Ander’s blog (http://lexiander.blogspot.com/p/sumerias-magi-02-starting-fires.html) and will be available as a free short in ebook form shortly.
