Amber Smoke

Cast lays the groundwork for the Escaped series with a drawn-out story in which almost nothing happens. The realm of Tartarus is weakening, and the evil spirits known as Furies chained within it have escaped to wreak havoc on the mortal plane. Alek, son of the Furies, needs to find Eva, the modern-day descendant of the Oracle of Delphi, so that together they can banish the evil spirits back to the Underworld. The pacing is sluggish, and despite all the running around and getting injured, the protagonists’ actions have few consequences. It’s a foregone conclusion that Alek and Eva will become lovers, but they spend very little time actually together. Alek is brash and confident, as befits an immortal warrior, but his moments of self-doubt make him sound like a boy who’s sulky about bumps on the road to glory. Eva may be smart and responsible, but she seems too young, naïve, and materialistic to become the next oracle. All but the most diehard paranormal fans will be turned off by the weak writing, uneven storytelling, and lackluster chemistry. [em]Agent: Meredith Bernstein, Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency. (June) [/em]