• Title: Ancient Guardians, The Legacy of the Key (Ancient Guardians #1)
• Author: S.L. Morgan
• Release Date: December 21, 2012
• Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
SYNOPSIS:
No matter where you are, facing your reality with passion and purpose will always lead down the path you were intended to go
Reece Bryant was able to pick up the pieces of her broken life after the sudden death of her father. Though emotionally draining, she found the courage to move on, which would have made her father proud. After finalizing the last of his estate, and returning to pursue her degree in medical school, she has never felt so confident.
While making her way through this world on her own, she is suddenly confronted with the truth of her existence, and the reality of her future. It is when she encounters two alluring and mysterious men, that a series of extraordinary events takes place, putting Reece’s life in grave danger. With her life in the balance, Reece must blindly trust the two mysterious strangers; and when she does, she is brought into an enchanting world that is beyond her logical comprehension.
This captivating land reveals new worlds and new dimensions to which her existence is paramount. But it is once she falls in love with the stunning Levi Oxley that everything will change, and Reece’s life will be in more danger than ever before.
Forced to return to Earth and face a Council of Worlds, Reece discovers there is more to this enchanting dimension than she could have ever imagined.
At a moment’s notice, even thru the fog of our denial, our journey can become crystal clear. And within the revelation, once our fear subsides, we can find contentment and purpose if we focus on the things that matter most. Trust—Courage—Love.
Reece Bryant was able to pick up the pieces of her broken life after the sudden death of her father. Though emotionally draining, she found the courage to move on, which would have made her father proud. After finalizing the last of his estate, and returning to pursue her degree in medical school, she has never felt so confident.
While making her way through this world on her own, she is suddenly confronted with the truth of her existence, and the reality of her future. It is when she encounters two alluring and mysterious men, that a series of extraordinary events takes place, putting Reece’s life in grave danger. With her life in the balance, Reece must blindly trust the two mysterious strangers; and when she does, she is brought into an enchanting world that is beyond her logical comprehension.
This captivating land reveals new worlds and new dimensions to which her existence is paramount. But it is once she falls in love with the stunning Levi Oxley that everything will change, and Reece’s life will be in more danger than ever before.
Forced to return to Earth and face a Council of Worlds, Reece discovers there is more to this enchanting dimension than she could have ever imagined.
At a moment’s notice, even thru the fog of our denial, our journey can become crystal clear. And within the revelation, once our fear subsides, we can find contentment and purpose if we focus on the things that matter most. Trust—Courage—Love.
My thoughts:
5 stars!!! Categorized as YA fantasy/paranormal, Ancient Guardians has everything one could hope for when looking for a more than satisfying read (the "paranormal" is of the extraterrestrial sort for those sci-fi lovers!). Its vivid, mysterious, beautiful, clever, thrilling and altogether majestic.
Do you enjoy losing yourself in fantastic worlds full of wonders? Do you like the feel of adrenaline racing through your veins when pursued by a powerful and frightening enemy? Do you appreciate love that is not instant but actually has a beginning and blossoms over time? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then Ms. S.L. Morgan has your number and its been dialed.*You know what I mean right? I feel like Inigo Montoya is going to pop up and say "I do not think it means what you think it means". I would love to say that that would be "INCONCEIVABLE!" but truthfully, I may very well be pulling a "Vizzini". Right or wrong, I think my phrasing of the "I have your number" idiom has a nice ring to it... No pun intended I swear! Moving on...*
The world building and detailed imagery is incredible! Sometimes I find myself sort of lost when an author doesn't give me any guidelines as to what their characters or world look like. On the other hand, I don't like for so much detail to be given that I am limited and feel forced to picture it a certain way. For instance, the main character is portrayed by a model on the cover but you may not like how the model looks or disagree with the description given and would prefer to create your own image...but now you are stuck with the image of the person on the cover (also annoying is when a character is featured on the cover but the way they are described by words contradicts the looks of the cover model)! Well, there is clearly no model on the cover of Ancient Guardians but readers are not left without a picture of the characters or their clothes!
She scrutinized the dress. The shiny, satin-type material was a brilliant scarlet color. Reece noticed its daring neckline and the capped sleeves that were designed to hang off of the shoulders...Reece gasped in awe at the webbed pattern of what appeared to be red rubies and diamonds, which were strung throughout the open back. The satin material of the dress fell from her shoulders and drooped down to the small of her back, just below the stringed jewels. Her back felt exposed and bare; however, the jewels were so many, and webbed in such a unique pattern, that her skin was hardly visible. She was at a loss for words.
Now I can picture this dress in a few different ways but I decided to pick the prettiest one in my mind and stick to that one. That's what I mean by not being limited but still given plenty of information to create the world in your mind as the author intended.
Along with the fashion, Reese, Levi, and other lovable (or unlovable) characters engage in witty dialogue that is reminiscent of Jane Austen. While I am not much of a Jane Austen fan, I do appreciate clever comebacks and wicked humor. To say I was entertained would be an understatement. I had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and grew to admire Reece for the strong person she is.
Set at a steady (never dull) pace, you will find enough action to keep you on your toes but become so involved in a true love that it just might sweep you off your feet. Enjoy this delightful and intriguing first installment, Ancient Guardians-The Legacy of the Key. Happy Reading! ^.^
Received a free copy in exchange for an honest reviewOnly $2.99!!!
Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-
AUTHOR INFO:
BIO:
LINKS:
Author Website: www.slmorganauthor.com
Blog: http://www.slmorganauthor.com/blog.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SLMorgan1 Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6861881.S_L_Morgan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SLMorgan1 Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6861881.S_L_Morgan
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/
GIVEAWAY!!!
Enter This Giveaway
BOOK EXCERPT:
Levi
hustled Reece into the front seat, and got in the back seat, behind his cousin.
Instantly, the car was in gear, and they were moving. The car went from a dead
stop, to what seemed to be the speed of light; yet, it felt like they weren’t
moving at all. The trees they were passing, a complete blur in her vision, were
the only thing that gave relevance to the fact that they were moving. None of
it made sense. Is this even a car? She looked at the driver, wondering
how he was managing to keep the car on the road. He didn’t slow the car once,
not even to take a sharp turn.
The driver looked
over at Reece, his eyes were piercing in their light
silver-blue color. “I’m Harrison, by the way. Relax, Miss Bryant—I drive rather
well.” He looked out at the snow; it had gone from a light flakes to heavy
clumps hitting the car. “Sorry we had to interrupt your lovely morning in the
park.”
Reece nodded.
Harrison was as superbly dressed as Levi. She questioned who these men really
were. “Do you guys work for the government or something?”
Harrison glanced
over at her and subtly grinned. “I suppose you could say that, yes.”
She looked back at
Levi; he was intently focused on a transparent object in his hand. “Where are
we going?”
Levi didn’t answer.
Instead, Harrison responded. “We’re taking you to a safer place, Reece. I’m
sure my cousin hasn’t explained much. Unfortunately, explanations take time. I
can give you the lighter version of facts; however, I need you to promise you
will not do anything crazy, like jump out of our car.”
Reece looked at him
quizzically. Her anxiety soared, but she hoped her expression didn’t show it.
“I won’t be jumping out of any cars; I understand basic physics, thanks.”
He chuckled. “We’ll
see about that!” They were leaving the city and going into the more rural
areas. “Tell me something, Reece; have you ever considered the existence of
other worlds, apart from your own?”
Reece swallowed
hard. “You mean, like Mars? Not really, why?”
“The man in your
room—you thought he was a ghost, correct? Or possibly a bad
dream?”
“I’ll admit, I’ve considered both options.”
He chuckled and
glanced at her with a mischievous grin on his face. “Reece, he was neither. He
was not of your world.”
Reece stared at him
in shock.
“Maybe
a little too much information?” He
smiled sympathetically. “You should relax. Where you are going will be much
more welcoming than where you were about to be taken.”
He looked into the
rear view mirror. “Levi, we’re almost to the vortex. Make sure Javian has sent
for Areion and Saracen. We should get Reece to Pasidian quickly.”
Did he just
speak in a different language? Reece
rubbed her forehead disbelievingly. The car grew silent, except for the low
purr of the engine. The road they were traveling on was long, winding, and very
narrow. Considering the high speed they were driving, combined with the sharp
turns, Reece expected to have her body weight thrown all over the inside of the
car; yet, gravity had no effect on her.
Even so, she
started to feel sick to her stomach. She didn’t really trust the two men, but
she’d burned her bridges. She decided to stop asking questions. The answers she
was receiving were more than she could cope with right now.
The road curved
around a hill, and as she watched, the car left the road effortlessly, heading
straight for the hillside. It appeared as if they would crash directly into it.
Reece took a quick breath, and was blinded by a bright flash of light.
The paved road they traveled on now
was shiny black, and lined with trees unlike any Reece had ever seen. Their
trunks were white, with vivid red leaves beaming on their incandescent white
branches. She looked deep into the dense forest of these peculiar trees and
noticed that they appeared to be glowing in the darkness. The bright, lime
green grass that carpeted the grounds of the forest, took on a glowing quality
as well. It was strange; it was as though the radiant grass and leaves
illuminated on their own, in total darkness.
It appeared as if
everything was glowing in color. A drop of water on the windshield sparkled
like crystal. The sky had a sapphire quality to it. She felt as if her vision
had changed entirely. What is this place? All she saw was the
illumination of the nature all about her, and none of it seemed real. Wherever
they were now, the skies were vivid, bright and sunny; a far cry from the snowy
streets of Philadelphia.
She looked at
Harrison, then back at Levi, to see if their appearances had also changed.
Nothing was unusual about the two men. She held her hand up and examined her
skin. Normal. It was very odd; it was only the nature around them that
had shown this interesting radiance.
When she turned her
attention back to the road, she saw a large, shimmering gate ahead. It was
fashioned with beautiful patterns, circling throughout. She could see that
there was no longer a road on the other side of it, and they would most likely
have to stop. She wondered how they would manage to bring the car through, or
if they would? As soon as she questioned the thought, Harrison turned the car
into a dark area, which seemed to be a cave or something of that nature. As he
parked the car, she noticed that the area they were parked in was filled with sleek
black motorcycles, and other cars like the one she was in.
When the car shut
off at Harrison’s vocalized command, Reece reached over to his arm to stop him
from stepping out of the vehicle. Time for answers.
He looked back at
her with concern. “Reece, we’re almost to our destination. I know a million
questions are probably swirling around in your head, but you need to try to be
patient.”
“Fine,”
She took a deep breath. “But before we go any farther, I really need to know
who you guys are. You should understand my apprehension about going any farther
with you two. We should have crashed into that mountain a moment ago, and now
I’m seeing trees and grass that seem to sparkle and glow. I’m sure you both
know that I was well aware of what happened that day on the airplane, too. I
know you both had something to do with it. I want answers before I concede to
go anywhere else with you.”
Harrison sighed.
“Levi and I are from another dimension known as Pemdas. For many years, our
people have protected those on Earth, and many other
dimensions as well.”
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