Scarlet Rain

Those intrepid enough to attempt Cast’s second Escaped novel (after Amber Smoke) will not be rewarded for their efforts. Eva, the modern-day Oracle of Delphi, and Alek, the immortal son of the Furies, must stop the evil Nosoi’s insidious plot to escape the Underworld and destroy humankind. Eva cannot visit Alek in Tartarus for long, and he needs to leave the mortal realm whenever he’s injured, so they must rely on help from Bridget, a friend of Eva’s; James, the Oklahoma cop Bridget’s sleeping with; and Alek’s mothers, two of whom ceaselessly bicker. The leads lack chemistry and are rarely able to spend time together, removing any hope of relationship development. Cast’s transparent efforts to set up the plot and then tie everything together do pay off at the end, but until then, the obvious foreshadowing, inconsistent pacing, and awkward dialogue turn reading this short novel into a slog. [em]Agent: Meredith Bernstein, Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency. (May) [/em]