Captive Spirit
3 Stars

Series Note: This in book #1 in the 2nd Dark Crescent Sisterhood trilogy. The first trilogy should be read for the backstory.

Disappointing. The opening scenes have potential but it all fizzles out as the story develops and the book ultimately pales in comparison to the first trilogy.

Most significantly, Bela Argos, the take no prisoners Sibyl from the earlier books, is now a mere shadow of her former self. She is no longer a confident warrior and leader but someone who constantly questions her decisions and abilities. The hero's characterization is also contradictory. On the one hand, Duncan is described as a determined fighter with an amazing strength of will who succeeds against all odds yet he accepts his fate as inevitable and his willing to sacrifice himself without fight.

Duncan and Bela's romance and its resolution are problematic as well. Their relationship comes out of nowhere with no foundation or build up. They are simply together with no explanation of exactly what they see in each other. Similarly, the solution to Duncan's demon possession appears out of the blue and feels tacked on.

In terms of the villains, Raksasha from Hindu mythology, it is impossible not to compare them to the same creatures in Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews. Unfortunately, Windsor's portrayal comes off as a diluted version of the monstrous creatures in Andrews' book. A number of scenes in the beginning are presented from their perspective, which initially serves to ratchet up the tension. However, these disappear toward the middle and the villains are nowhere to be seen until the final anti-climactic showdown.

The secondary characters make a better impression, especially Andy, now a water Sibyl, and John Blackmore, whose adversarial relationship is definitely leading somewhere. The next book is that of Camille, the fire Sibyl, and Duncan's childhood friend, John Cole. Hopefully, it will be better than this one. ( )

This is the fourth book of Anna Windsor's Dark Crescent Sisterhood series. If you haven't yet read the first trilogy (Bound by Shadow, Bound by Flame, & Bound by Light), a little background info is in order. The series is about a collective of kick-ass women with elemental powers, called Sibyls, who fight demons and the forces of darkness. It's a delightfully superheroine-esque series with plenty of action, lots a sex appeal, and strong draws on mythology and folklore of all sorts.

If you couldn't already tell, I really enjoy this series. Windsor's style of writing is fast and engaging, and I love her use of mythology; she pulls from popular folklore like Greco-Roman myths and voodoo practices, but she also brings out lesser-known entities from around the world. Her books satisfy both my itches for action and romance: tastefully violent and fabulously sexy. I absolutely recommend Anna Windsor's books to fans of Gena Showalter -- they're quite similar in style and overall vibe.

Now that I've raved about the series as a whole, let's talk about Captive Spirit in particular...

Captive Spirit takes place a couple of years after Bound by Light The Sibyls and their OCU allies are recovering from the longstanding war against the Legion. Bela Argos, a temperamental earth sibyl, has the unenviable task of choosing replacements for her fallen comrades. Against all advice, she recruits other Sibyls who are as devastated by their losses as Bela is, but she's determined to bring them all together for the sake of the mission. And the sooner she can pull it off, the better, because there's a new battle on the front.

Then there's Duncan Sharp, a warrior and protector to the core. After his years in the military, fighting in the deserts of Afghanistan, he's taken up the badge as one of New York City's finest. He's tough enough to take on anything -- except maybe the otherworldly threat behind a string of violent murders. Caught up in the conflict between Sibyls and demons, Duncan finds himself sharing his body with another man's soul and a demonic infection. Both threaten to taken him over, and only the Sibyls can help him now.

I feel like Windsor has amped up her writing since the last book, Bound by Light. It was always good, but now it seems much more memorable. Some of the scenes here, especially the opening sequence with Duncan vs. the bad guys, are fabulously written. Incredible imagery and creative wording really bring a lot of moments to full, vivid glory. It's the kind of skilled writing that I, quite honestly, don't ever expect from a romance novel of any sort. Moreover, I appreciate the balance between comic book-worthy action, angsty drama, sizzling romance, and silly fun. There's entertainment to be found, cover to cover.

As for the not-so-fun stuff, Bela as a main protagonist didn't really work for me. I couldn't connect with her, not like I do several of the other characters. I don't think that's really through any fault of the character or the writing -- she's a decent character, depicted well. And there was plenty of buildup for her story in the first three books. I don't know... she just didn't do it for me. Even though I enjoyed reading this book, I was in a constant state of distraction. Instead of focusing on the primary story that was centered on Bela and Duncan, I was more interested in the secondary characters and what was developing with them. Happily, the next two books are slated for release in the near future.

http://booknerdsbrain.blogspot.com/2010/12/captive-spirit-by-anna-windsor.html ( )