After being a vampire for two hundred years, Michael Malone reclaims his soul via the assistance of the angel Helena. This unique position earns him the title of Champion, placing him on the frontlines of the battle between good and evil. The Georgian Council, a group that takes their name from St. George of dragon-slaying fame, aids and oversees this struggle. Guardians, women who come into their roles as protectors against demons and other evil upon their sixteenth birthdays, play an important role and work closely with the council. Several years previously, Michael began a relationship with the Guardian Alana, which did not end well when his “beast” surfaced during an intimate interlude, and since that incident, the two have endeavored to stay away from one another.

Further complicating matters, Michael’s son, Lukas, now a teenager, arrives after a life of being first removed from his witch mother, living in another dimension with the angel Helena, and having his memories of his father wiped from his mind in order to protect him. Lukas’s appearance coincides with an attack on Michael that leaves him near death. Miles, Alana’s adoptive father, takes both father and son to Alana’s home in Italy in order to heal Michael and hide Lukas. As one would expect, Alana and Michael resume their relationship while at the same time seeking to prevent the forces seeking to take over the world from accomplishing their goal.

Intricate and epic, the concepts behind Retribution are very intriguing and promising, yet the readability of the novel is somewhat hampered by the execution. Sometimes difficult to follow, the action and plot could benefit from some tightening and overall shortening in the length of the novel. A few plot points bear a close resemblance to the TV show Angel. Flagg’s writing style varies from exquisite word choice and imagery in many descriptions to the simplistic in other situations. An example of the former: “Cold scarlet tears spilled down the white cotton blouse, like tiny roses drawn on an empty canvas” (Chapter 6). An example of the latter, “European Triumvirate of Evil” (Chapter 12) as a title for a group of those beings seeking to wreak havoc seems a bit obvious.

The novel contains many characters, and the author does an admirable job of presenting them as distinct individuals, from the psychic Celia to the empath Thorn. Likewise, Flagg ably handles the inclusion of so many different types of paranormal beings, weaving together their histories and current storylines. Suspense as to how the story will end is maintained throughout the novel, keeping the reader engaged to find out the resolution, with some surprises along the way. Fans of both urban fantasy and paranormal romance should find plenty to enjoy here.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
  
• Book Length: Novel
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 978-1-60154-551-0

To purchase an electronic copy of Retribution! click here.

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