Read Our Lips! Book Review Blog: Review & Giveaway – Once Broken (Dove Creek Chronicles #1) by H. Anne Henry

Vampire hunter Remington Hart likes to think she has seen a thing or two. That’s what happens when you live in a town like Dove Creek, where the supernatural world abounds and the townsfolk are willfully ignorant of it. But when the Triple Six show up -- flesh and blood human beings with powerful, superhuman abilities -- Remi and the rest of her allies, the Amasai, are thrown for a loop. Old and new enemies alike come at them head on, forcing the Amasai to recognize that they are outnumbered and outgunned. Before Dove Creek is overrun, they have to find a way to solve the mystery of the new dark power and quell its source. When Remi’s own family is threatened, she’ll throw her own personal safety aside to protect them no matter what . . . But will it be enough?
From Chapter Two: Dove Creek has long been a hub of supernatural activity. Back during the oil boom of the 1970’s, the town population swelled to its all-time high. Almost overnight, it became larger than anyone ever thought possible. The oil gushed and the money flowed. Talk started up about how Dove Creek could come to rival Westview, the city on the other side of the lake. This tiny town was moving up in the world.
Then the murders started.
At first, people believed there was a serial killer on the loose. A body here, a disappearance there . . . They could find a way to justify the rising death toll. The local law enforcement even found a suspect: Wilson C. Scott. He was tried and convicted, framed for murders he didn’t commit and got a middle initial in his name just like every other notorious killer.
And the murders didn’t stop.
People fled Dove Creek just as fast as they had flocked in. Coupled with waning oil prices, the dark mark of death overshadowed any hope the town had of becoming a full-fledged city. The only people left were the ones whose families had been here for generations; my family and Gabriel’s family were among them.
There were a few people who decided to stand up and do something rather than cower in the church pews and pray like the rest of Dove Creek did – and still does. People in this town know that there are abnormal occurrences and creatures that by all accounts shouldn’t exist, but they don’t acknowledge them. Not out loud. There’s a church on every corner. There are enough seats in the pews for every man, woman, and child, and that’s not counting the choir lofts. It leaves little doubt that people know something isn’t right about this town.
Why this town? A long time ago – no one knows how long exactly – a Crossroads settled in right around Dove Creek. This is a supernatural Crossroads I’m talking about, not a place where two roads intersect and people pause and stare at each other over their steering wheels at a four-way stop. Don’t think of a crossroads as a fixed, tangible thing. It’s fluid. It’s a place where the various planes of existence blur together ever so slightly, where the veil between them is at its thinnest.
Demons figured out a way to crawl out of the Plane of Perdition to torment the Mortal Plane. It’s been Old Testament around here ever since.

My Review:

The Amasai are protectors of the innocent against supernatural powers such as demons and vampires. Werewolves are afterlife creatures who fight with them and must follow one rule: no killing humans.

Remington "Remi" Hart lost the love of her life, Dominic, to a vampire attack three years ago. Ever since then, she’s been working with the Amasai.

Remi's father, John McCoy, is also an Amasai fighter and is living in Alaska since separating from Remi’s mother. Detective Solomon Powell knows about the Amasai and is investigating suspicious deaths of single males.

The mystical crossroads is gaining in activity lately. A group called Triple Six is believed to be blamed for these deaths. Fellow Amasai, Casey, is showing interest in Remi that doesn't involve fighting. Can Amasai stop Triple Six? Is Remi interested in Casey, too? Your answers await you in Once Broken.

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Once Broken is different sort of paranormal book. Vampires and Demons are the source of evil. Werewolves are creatures of afterlife that fight alongside the Amasai. Remi isn't sure how to let go of the past. She's still grieving for her husband and afraid to let go of her heart again. I thought the story was well written and the characters arevunique and driven. I would definitely consider reading more of this author's work.

Once Broken features: