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The Awakening #2
Visions of Skyfire
The Awakening is upon Teresa Santiago. Despite training for this moment since she was a child, Teresa is unprepared for the vastness of her power or for her attraction to Rune, her Eternal protector and destined mate.
United by purpose—and passion—Teresa and Rune must locate one of the missing artifacts before its power unleashes the forces of darkness on the world. His strength and her ability to summon lightning should be enough to protect them from the government agents charged with imprisoning witches. But their enemies are both mortal and magical—and danger follows Teresa at every turn.
In this ultimate battle between good and evil, only through sacrifice will love conquer all…
United by purpose—and passion—Teresa and Rune must locate one of the missing artifacts before its power unleashes the forces of darkness on the world. His strength and her ability to summon lightning should be enough to protect them from the government agents charged with imprisoning witches. But their enemies are both mortal and magical—and danger follows Teresa at every turn.
In this ultimate battle between good and evil, only through sacrifice will love conquer all…
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2011
144 people are currently reading
765 people want to read
About the author
Regan Hastings
5 books171 followersMaureen Child was born 28 September 1951 in California, USA. She and her husband enjoy traveling, usually taking road trips with her parents. When she’s at home, she is kept busy with her two grown children and a somewhat confused golden retriever named Abbey. She is busy writing her next book.
Under her own name, Maureen Child writes short contemporary novels—books she loves to write because of their fast pace and condensed story telling, she is also writing funny, contemporary paranormal romances. Over the years, she’s written under lots of different names and she prefers the term ‘pseudonym’ to ‘alias’. As Ann Carberry, she wrote western historical romances. As Kathleen Kane, she wrote not only Americana romances, but western paranormal romances as well. As Sarah Hart, she wrote one really spectacular western paranormal that is still one of her favorites. And once, Ann Carberry even wrote a Victorian historical which she absolutely loved doing. She writes paranormal romance novels under the pesudonym of Regan Hastings. Now, a USA Today best selling author of more than ninety romance novels and novellas, she is a five time nominee for the prestigious Rita award from Romance Writers of America. One of her novels, A Pocketful Of Paradise, was made into a CBS-TV movie called The Soul Collector, starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis.
Under her own name, Maureen Child writes short contemporary novels—books she loves to write because of their fast pace and condensed story telling, she is also writing funny, contemporary paranormal romances. Over the years, she’s written under lots of different names and she prefers the term ‘pseudonym’ to ‘alias’. As Ann Carberry, she wrote western historical romances. As Kathleen Kane, she wrote not only Americana romances, but western paranormal romances as well. As Sarah Hart, she wrote one really spectacular western paranormal that is still one of her favorites. And once, Ann Carberry even wrote a Victorian historical which she absolutely loved doing. She writes paranormal romance novels under the pesudonym of Regan Hastings. Now, a USA Today best selling author of more than ninety romance novels and novellas, she is a five time nominee for the prestigious Rita award from Romance Writers of America. One of her novels, A Pocketful Of Paradise, was made into a CBS-TV movie called The Soul Collector, starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 26, 2011
Regan Hastings didn’t miss a beat in the sequel of her The Awaking series. I couldn’t get enough of Teresa, Rune or the awesome storyline. As in the first book you get a sizzling action pack romance story. This book goes deeper into the story on how these witches came into their current predicament. I really enjoyed the surprises that came about during the adventure Rune and Teresa had in getting to Teresa’s Artifact piece. That also reminds me I loved the addition on the mystery, darkness and magic around each witch’s Artifact and I can’t wait to see what Reagan will add in the next book.
Teresa is one tuff and powerful witch. I loved her power and how she took to her Eternal Rune. Rune is also very powerful with his magic. When these two get together nothing will stop them. Rune and Teresa romance start out with a bang and they sizzle the pages all the way to the finish.
I simply loved this book. I haven’t had too many books this year that gave me that WOW! Affect, but this one gave me just that. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves some sizzling magic.
Teresa is one tuff and powerful witch. I loved her power and how she took to her Eternal Rune. Rune is also very powerful with his magic. When these two get together nothing will stop them. Rune and Teresa romance start out with a bang and they sizzle the pages all the way to the finish.
I simply loved this book. I haven’t had too many books this year that gave me that WOW! Affect, but this one gave me just that. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves some sizzling magic.
November 11, 2011
I admit I'm not much of a paranormal romance reader. I can take or leave most vampire stories, but I find myself really enjoying the current wave of paranormal series that feature witches. For that reason, I picked up the first book in the new Regan Hastings Awakening series, Visions of Magic, and I was hooked from page one.
Now book two, VISIONS OF SKYFIRE, is out, and it's fantastic! The heroine in this book is totally different from--and as equally compelling as--book one's heroine, Shea. In SKYFIRE, Teresa Santiago has always known she was a chosen witch. She has been planning and working toward her magical awakening her entire life. She's smart, strong, confident, sexy, and ready to tangle with her hunky Eternal, Rune, when he appears in a ball of fire to protect her from the creepy, government sanctioned Magic Police who hunt down and kill innocent witches. I loved Teresa and Rune's hot and feisty interactions and their complicated but realistic past. The two lovers are forced to endure and overcome the most horrific obstacles in their quest for the artifact that will help save the world. They truly deserved their happy ending! I love the dark, somber world that Hastings has created and I especially love her characters who manage to find love and happiness despite the most horrendous odds. I highly recommend VISIONS OF SKYFIRE!!
Now book two, VISIONS OF SKYFIRE, is out, and it's fantastic! The heroine in this book is totally different from--and as equally compelling as--book one's heroine, Shea. In SKYFIRE, Teresa Santiago has always known she was a chosen witch. She has been planning and working toward her magical awakening her entire life. She's smart, strong, confident, sexy, and ready to tangle with her hunky Eternal, Rune, when he appears in a ball of fire to protect her from the creepy, government sanctioned Magic Police who hunt down and kill innocent witches. I loved Teresa and Rune's hot and feisty interactions and their complicated but realistic past. The two lovers are forced to endure and overcome the most horrific obstacles in their quest for the artifact that will help save the world. They truly deserved their happy ending! I love the dark, somber world that Hastings has created and I especially love her characters who manage to find love and happiness despite the most horrendous odds. I highly recommend VISIONS OF SKYFIRE!!
December 29, 2011
Teresa Santiago’s power has just awakened. She is on the run from the Magic Police and she doesn’t know how to control her powers yet. Help comes to her in the form of Rune, the Eternal destined to help her remember her past as a witch and locate a missing artifact that she has hidden years ago. In order to rid the world of evil and make right all of the wrong that she and her fellow sister witches created, Teresa must team up with Rune to fight off the bad guys.
Rune is frustrated with his witch. From the very start they have been at odds. No matter how many reincarnations she still comes to him with mistrust and defiance. This time he can’t let his own mistrust of her get in the way of the goal. Despite the tug of war emotions between Rune and Teresa, they still can’t ignore the passion that sparks whenever they are together.
The plot and outline of the story is very similar to the first book with the exception that Teresa has always known she is a witch. Her grandmother prepared her for the awakening so she is the least bit shock to come into her powers and meet her Eternal. In fact, the initial scene where Rune rescues her after her powers come out is humorous.
“What took you so long?” she demanded. Pushing out of his arms, she glanced at her surroundings, then glared up at him. “Those guys nearly killed me.”
Despite the pain of his bullet wounds, astonishment rose up. He hadn’t counted on this. Hadn’t expected it. He was prepared to deal with her panic.
His own mate, it seemed, was not only aware of the situation but felt free to condemn him for a perceived slight.
Teresa is an interesting character. At times I admire her strength and independence but those same qualities made her hot and cold. Her past incarnations made a lot of mistakes that left Rune a bit weary of her and she tries to prove to be a different woman but she still holds back from him.
I’m fascinated by the world in which the author created but I’m slightly disappointed that I haven’t learned anything new from the first book. The similarities to the first book are odd and I hope the author develops the world more and add more creativity to the next book. The sneak peek of what is to come left me wanting more. I will not reveal any spoilers but it has the potential to add a bit more imagination to the next book. This is a great addition to a promising series.
Rune is frustrated with his witch. From the very start they have been at odds. No matter how many reincarnations she still comes to him with mistrust and defiance. This time he can’t let his own mistrust of her get in the way of the goal. Despite the tug of war emotions between Rune and Teresa, they still can’t ignore the passion that sparks whenever they are together.
The plot and outline of the story is very similar to the first book with the exception that Teresa has always known she is a witch. Her grandmother prepared her for the awakening so she is the least bit shock to come into her powers and meet her Eternal. In fact, the initial scene where Rune rescues her after her powers come out is humorous.
“What took you so long?” she demanded. Pushing out of his arms, she glanced at her surroundings, then glared up at him. “Those guys nearly killed me.”
Despite the pain of his bullet wounds, astonishment rose up. He hadn’t counted on this. Hadn’t expected it. He was prepared to deal with her panic.
His own mate, it seemed, was not only aware of the situation but felt free to condemn him for a perceived slight.
Teresa is an interesting character. At times I admire her strength and independence but those same qualities made her hot and cold. Her past incarnations made a lot of mistakes that left Rune a bit weary of her and she tries to prove to be a different woman but she still holds back from him.
I’m fascinated by the world in which the author created but I’m slightly disappointed that I haven’t learned anything new from the first book. The similarities to the first book are odd and I hope the author develops the world more and add more creativity to the next book. The sneak peek of what is to come left me wanting more. I will not reveal any spoilers but it has the potential to add a bit more imagination to the next book. This is a great addition to a promising series.
October 9, 2011
Visions of Skyfire by Regan Hasting
Paranormal Romance – Oct. 4th, 2011
4 ½ stars
Visions of Skyfire by Regan Hasting is a straight forward and entertaining read that fans of the paranormal will easily come to love.
Teresa has always known that she would manifest powers. As a reincarnated witch, she must pay for her past sins. In this reincarnation, she will finally manifest her powers. As she trains in the deserts of Arizona, her newfound lightning power causes havoc and draws the attention of the deadly Magic Police. (Witches live in fear because the public is deathly afraid of witches and once witches are found, they are executed.) As a helicopter of gunmen approaches, she fears the worst until a man of flames comes and rescues her. His name is Rune and he is her Eternal and destined mate.
Rune has waited centuries for his witch to realize her powers only to find her in danger! He transports her to a temporary safe zone but he has been shot by deadly white gold bullets. His power waning, Teresa must try to save him but with her powers being unstable and Rune wounded, can they escape the police and find the piece of the powerful artifact to undo the damage Teresa's past life caused?
This was a fabulous story! I loved Teresa and this book is even better than the first. I think this is because the heroine is very take charge and is already aware of her destiny from her wise grandmother. So when her Eternal, Rune comes to save her she is not surprised and rather surprises him! (In the last book the witch was unaware of her heritage and the story took longer to get 'rolling.') Rune was a good foil to Teresa, and I enjoyed how they complemented each other. I also like how he is bound to her yet is still wounded by her rejection of him in the past and has difficulty trusting her at first. I am also fascinated by new men who are like Eternals but are not and the evil witch who has her own agenda. The back story behind the Eternals and their witches are immersing, and I also liked the danger of the witch hunters and Witch Police create. This is a series not to be missed!
This action paced paranormal is sure to please anyone who wants a quick and exciting read. The reincarnated witches and the men who have waited for them for centuries is sure to attract a big fan base.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance – Oct. 4th, 2011
4 ½ stars
Visions of Skyfire by Regan Hasting is a straight forward and entertaining read that fans of the paranormal will easily come to love.
Teresa has always known that she would manifest powers. As a reincarnated witch, she must pay for her past sins. In this reincarnation, she will finally manifest her powers. As she trains in the deserts of Arizona, her newfound lightning power causes havoc and draws the attention of the deadly Magic Police. (Witches live in fear because the public is deathly afraid of witches and once witches are found, they are executed.) As a helicopter of gunmen approaches, she fears the worst until a man of flames comes and rescues her. His name is Rune and he is her Eternal and destined mate.
Rune has waited centuries for his witch to realize her powers only to find her in danger! He transports her to a temporary safe zone but he has been shot by deadly white gold bullets. His power waning, Teresa must try to save him but with her powers being unstable and Rune wounded, can they escape the police and find the piece of the powerful artifact to undo the damage Teresa's past life caused?
This was a fabulous story! I loved Teresa and this book is even better than the first. I think this is because the heroine is very take charge and is already aware of her destiny from her wise grandmother. So when her Eternal, Rune comes to save her she is not surprised and rather surprises him! (In the last book the witch was unaware of her heritage and the story took longer to get 'rolling.') Rune was a good foil to Teresa, and I enjoyed how they complemented each other. I also like how he is bound to her yet is still wounded by her rejection of him in the past and has difficulty trusting her at first. I am also fascinated by new men who are like Eternals but are not and the evil witch who has her own agenda. The back story behind the Eternals and their witches are immersing, and I also liked the danger of the witch hunters and Witch Police create. This is a series not to be missed!
This action paced paranormal is sure to please anyone who wants a quick and exciting read. The reincarnated witches and the men who have waited for them for centuries is sure to attract a big fan base.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
September 21, 2011
I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of this book, and really loved it. Teresa and Rune are hot and combustible, and the plot is fast-paced. I you like witches, magic and sexy immortal men, this book is for you! (Release date is October 4, 2011)
February 7, 2017
3 1/2 stars
October 10, 2011
Rune and Teresa
3.5 stars
Visions of Skyfire is the second book in Regan Hastings’ The Awakening series. I did not have a chance to go back and read the first book, but because the characters are new each time I was not confused starting at book 2 of the series. Skyfire highlights another mated pair in the race to locate the missing artifact each witch had hidden so many moons ago. Each witch has a mate, her Eternal, that is set up to protect her through the centuries. The Eternals are the other half of the witch’s soul and become known to the witch once she arrives at her Awakening. With several factions of bad guys chasing each pair it is imperative they find their part of the artifact and return it to its original location before time runs out.
Skyfire starts with a bang, literally. Our witch, Teresa, is aware that her Awakening is almost upon her and has gone out to the desert to work with her power. Teresa has the power to harness lightening from storms. She believes that if she works in the desert she will escape the notice of the MP (Magic Police) but they are able to find her. Rune, her Eternal, swoops in all fire and rage and rescues her from the MP. While rescuing Teresa, Rune is shot several times and injured. Eternals are immortal so being shot will not kill Run but it will hamper his ability to protect Teresa. The best way for an Eternal to regenerate their power after being injured is to have sex with their mate. So casually and matter or fact, Teresa drops her pants and Rune and Teresa get busy.
Well ok then. The concept of fated mates can work well sometimes but other times the author uses it as a crutch to not develop the relationship. Rune and Teresa kind of fell in between here. There was no love at first site; in fact they both went into the relationship swearing they weren’t there to fall in love. But it was drummed into our head they had some sort of previous connection, something that drew them together and would not let them be. Teresa had been well instructed by her grandmother what was going to happen at the time of her Awakening so she knew this was coming. But still, she had no issues just hopping right on Rune and getting the deed done. It was a little abrupt and I did not feel the connection they felt. I think I needed a little more time? A little more on their backstory? I needed something that would convince me like they were convinced.
What followed after that was a series of TSTL moves by Teresa almost to the point where I was ready to scream at my book. Teresa insists that she needs to go get medical help for Rune from her friend who only lives 2 blocks away. Rune thinks it is a bad idea but has no choice but to let her go. Of course while out Teresa meets up with the MP, kills a man and manages to attract attention to her friend. And then came the part that had me almost tossing the book. Teresa tells Rune he has to go to her home to rescue her bird. Her bird. She simply cannot leave without her bird. A BIRD. With all the craziness that is going on around them she wants to make sure her bird is along for the ride. The bird is not her familiar or anything like that; really it is just her pet bird. That part still flummoxes me a bit.
The book calmed down after that. The focus was on Rune and Teresa completing the mating ritual and Teresa learning about her past and her current magical skills. By learning the past Teresa will be able to lead them to the location of her Artifact. These parts of the book were enlightening and entertaining. We learn a lot about the world Hastings has created and it was very intriguing.
I like that there was no instant love for this pair. The 30 days they spend together is spent building a relationship. They have been together many times in the past but Teresa always betrays Rune. Rune is very distrustful of Teresa because of past betrayals. We are definitely told, over and over, that Rune doesn’t think she has changed and thinks she will fail him. I did get tired of hearing about his distrust. I got it. I got it the first 3 times he mentioned it. I felt that even though the book said they progressed, as a reader I didn’t feel they progressed. On an emotional front, that is. I would have liked to see more connection between them other than the mating sex. That was the most emphasized part.
Overall, I would say this book is worth the read. The world Hastings is creating is very compelling. I would like to have some time with all of the witches and Eternals together. I am not sure that will happen simply because each pair is off completing their part of the quest. Even though she had some TSTL moments at the beginning Teresa ends up being a strong character that doesn’t disappoint. Rune is able to work through his distrust of Teresa and her past mistakes. Her final actions prove that she is a worthy mate and he is right to love her and stay with her.
The setup for the next set of characters is very interesting. I look forward to picking up the next book in the series. Final grade= B-
Favorite quotes:
“I owe you everything.” She ran her thumb over the back of his hand. “You didn’t just give me back my aunt. You showed me who I was. Supported me. Helped me. Trained me. You’ve always been there. Always. I want you to know what that means to me.”
Humbled, awed, he walked to her and carefully placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You are the witch you were always meant to be. You are the woman who holds my heart. You are the air I breathe and the light to my darkness. You are…..everything.”
3.5 stars
Visions of Skyfire is the second book in Regan Hastings’ The Awakening series. I did not have a chance to go back and read the first book, but because the characters are new each time I was not confused starting at book 2 of the series. Skyfire highlights another mated pair in the race to locate the missing artifact each witch had hidden so many moons ago. Each witch has a mate, her Eternal, that is set up to protect her through the centuries. The Eternals are the other half of the witch’s soul and become known to the witch once she arrives at her Awakening. With several factions of bad guys chasing each pair it is imperative they find their part of the artifact and return it to its original location before time runs out.
Skyfire starts with a bang, literally. Our witch, Teresa, is aware that her Awakening is almost upon her and has gone out to the desert to work with her power. Teresa has the power to harness lightening from storms. She believes that if she works in the desert she will escape the notice of the MP (Magic Police) but they are able to find her. Rune, her Eternal, swoops in all fire and rage and rescues her from the MP. While rescuing Teresa, Rune is shot several times and injured. Eternals are immortal so being shot will not kill Run but it will hamper his ability to protect Teresa. The best way for an Eternal to regenerate their power after being injured is to have sex with their mate. So casually and matter or fact, Teresa drops her pants and Rune and Teresa get busy.
Well ok then. The concept of fated mates can work well sometimes but other times the author uses it as a crutch to not develop the relationship. Rune and Teresa kind of fell in between here. There was no love at first site; in fact they both went into the relationship swearing they weren’t there to fall in love. But it was drummed into our head they had some sort of previous connection, something that drew them together and would not let them be. Teresa had been well instructed by her grandmother what was going to happen at the time of her Awakening so she knew this was coming. But still, she had no issues just hopping right on Rune and getting the deed done. It was a little abrupt and I did not feel the connection they felt. I think I needed a little more time? A little more on their backstory? I needed something that would convince me like they were convinced.
What followed after that was a series of TSTL moves by Teresa almost to the point where I was ready to scream at my book. Teresa insists that she needs to go get medical help for Rune from her friend who only lives 2 blocks away. Rune thinks it is a bad idea but has no choice but to let her go. Of course while out Teresa meets up with the MP, kills a man and manages to attract attention to her friend. And then came the part that had me almost tossing the book. Teresa tells Rune he has to go to her home to rescue her bird. Her bird. She simply cannot leave without her bird. A BIRD. With all the craziness that is going on around them she wants to make sure her bird is along for the ride. The bird is not her familiar or anything like that; really it is just her pet bird. That part still flummoxes me a bit.
The book calmed down after that. The focus was on Rune and Teresa completing the mating ritual and Teresa learning about her past and her current magical skills. By learning the past Teresa will be able to lead them to the location of her Artifact. These parts of the book were enlightening and entertaining. We learn a lot about the world Hastings has created and it was very intriguing.
I like that there was no instant love for this pair. The 30 days they spend together is spent building a relationship. They have been together many times in the past but Teresa always betrays Rune. Rune is very distrustful of Teresa because of past betrayals. We are definitely told, over and over, that Rune doesn’t think she has changed and thinks she will fail him. I did get tired of hearing about his distrust. I got it. I got it the first 3 times he mentioned it. I felt that even though the book said they progressed, as a reader I didn’t feel they progressed. On an emotional front, that is. I would have liked to see more connection between them other than the mating sex. That was the most emphasized part.
Overall, I would say this book is worth the read. The world Hastings is creating is very compelling. I would like to have some time with all of the witches and Eternals together. I am not sure that will happen simply because each pair is off completing their part of the quest. Even though she had some TSTL moments at the beginning Teresa ends up being a strong character that doesn’t disappoint. Rune is able to work through his distrust of Teresa and her past mistakes. Her final actions prove that she is a worthy mate and he is right to love her and stay with her.
The setup for the next set of characters is very interesting. I look forward to picking up the next book in the series. Final grade= B-
Favorite quotes:
“I owe you everything.” She ran her thumb over the back of his hand. “You didn’t just give me back my aunt. You showed me who I was. Supported me. Helped me. Trained me. You’ve always been there. Always. I want you to know what that means to me.”
Humbled, awed, he walked to her and carefully placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You are the witch you were always meant to be. You are the woman who holds my heart. You are the air I breathe and the light to my darkness. You are…..everything.”
November 8, 2011
Visions of Skyfire, Awakening #2, by Regan Hastings
Grade: D
“What do you want from me? What’s done is done. It can’t be changed. It can’t be forgotten. All we can do now is fight this fight.”
Rune was made hundreds of years ago by the God Belen as gift to his lover Danu. Rune is an Elemental, a guardian of a witch, who will one day become his immortal mate and partner in finding her piece of an ancient artifact. Eight hundred years ago the strongest coven of witches to date got greedy with their power and used this artifact to try to gain access to more magic and new worlds. When the spell the witches were doing backfired and released many evil demons unto the world and some of which the Elementals couldn’t capture and return to where they came from. For the last eight hundred years Rune has waited for the awakening of his witches’ power so together they can help the new coven set right what went wrong so many years before.
Teresa Santiago has always know she was a witch and has waited for her powers to awaken and for her Elemental guardian to arrive. While Teresa knows who and what she is, she doesn’t know the history of the coven and the betrayal that her former self caused her Elemental Rune. As they spend more time together Teresa finds herself trying to fix what her past lives have done to Rune and make him finally trust her after almost a century. With the Magic Police fast on their heels Teresa and Rune must find the artifact and complete the mating bond if they have any hope of trying to fulfill their part of their this journey to save the world.
This is the second book in Regan Hastings’ Awakening Series and sadly one of my least favorite books that I’ve read all year. I had very hopes from this book because who doesn’t love witches and magic, especially a witch who is in charge of lightening. I loved the concept of this series but this book failed to connect with any of the characters or their journey for Teresa’s piece of the artifact. I felt that there were a lot of things going on in this book and I wish that there would have more of an explanation of who the side characters were and how everyone was connected. I felt lost while reading the majority of this book.
I had a really big problem with Teresa and Rune not just individually but as a couple as well. Teresa has been reborn over the last eight hundred years and each time she is reborn she seems to betray Rune. Rune has a lot of anger towards Teresa because of what her former selves have done and can’t and won’t trust Teresa. The two spend the majority of their time together have sex or fighting over what happened eight hundred years ago. I felt like I was reading the same really bad fight over and over again and I got very annoyed very quickly.
I would have liked to get to know these characters and for them to get to know each other so I could see them fall in love but this never happened and it made me not care about anything that was going on. I felt that because they both knew that they were mates they didn’t have to put any effort into their relationship. Individually I didn’t really care for either of them either and found them both almost forgettable in a sea of amazing paranormal characters.
The one thing that I did like about this book was the issue of the Magic Police and the way that the world was on an international witch hunt. I loved that the entire world has forgone religion and the sole focus is catching witches and ending magic. Woman who are accused of witchcraft are rounded up and put into internment camps without a trial and sometimes killed. I thought this was so original and clever. I wish that more of the book was focused on this and from where the story line was going I think it will be a big focus in the third book of the series. This story line is the only reason that I might read the next book and hopefully it will better.
As I mentioned before I really wanted to like this book and thought the concept was fun and interesting but sadly the main characters and story line fell very flat. I do think you can read this book as a stand alone but it will take a few chapters to understand what is going on. I did not read the first book in this series so I can’t say if this is just a sophomore flop. I think this series has potential and could be very good especially if the next book focuses on the woman in the internment camps but if it follows this path I will not be reading anything further in this series.
Grade: D
“What do you want from me? What’s done is done. It can’t be changed. It can’t be forgotten. All we can do now is fight this fight.”
Rune was made hundreds of years ago by the God Belen as gift to his lover Danu. Rune is an Elemental, a guardian of a witch, who will one day become his immortal mate and partner in finding her piece of an ancient artifact. Eight hundred years ago the strongest coven of witches to date got greedy with their power and used this artifact to try to gain access to more magic and new worlds. When the spell the witches were doing backfired and released many evil demons unto the world and some of which the Elementals couldn’t capture and return to where they came from. For the last eight hundred years Rune has waited for the awakening of his witches’ power so together they can help the new coven set right what went wrong so many years before.
Teresa Santiago has always know she was a witch and has waited for her powers to awaken and for her Elemental guardian to arrive. While Teresa knows who and what she is, she doesn’t know the history of the coven and the betrayal that her former self caused her Elemental Rune. As they spend more time together Teresa finds herself trying to fix what her past lives have done to Rune and make him finally trust her after almost a century. With the Magic Police fast on their heels Teresa and Rune must find the artifact and complete the mating bond if they have any hope of trying to fulfill their part of their this journey to save the world.
This is the second book in Regan Hastings’ Awakening Series and sadly one of my least favorite books that I’ve read all year. I had very hopes from this book because who doesn’t love witches and magic, especially a witch who is in charge of lightening. I loved the concept of this series but this book failed to connect with any of the characters or their journey for Teresa’s piece of the artifact. I felt that there were a lot of things going on in this book and I wish that there would have more of an explanation of who the side characters were and how everyone was connected. I felt lost while reading the majority of this book.
I had a really big problem with Teresa and Rune not just individually but as a couple as well. Teresa has been reborn over the last eight hundred years and each time she is reborn she seems to betray Rune. Rune has a lot of anger towards Teresa because of what her former selves have done and can’t and won’t trust Teresa. The two spend the majority of their time together have sex or fighting over what happened eight hundred years ago. I felt like I was reading the same really bad fight over and over again and I got very annoyed very quickly.
I would have liked to get to know these characters and for them to get to know each other so I could see them fall in love but this never happened and it made me not care about anything that was going on. I felt that because they both knew that they were mates they didn’t have to put any effort into their relationship. Individually I didn’t really care for either of them either and found them both almost forgettable in a sea of amazing paranormal characters.
The one thing that I did like about this book was the issue of the Magic Police and the way that the world was on an international witch hunt. I loved that the entire world has forgone religion and the sole focus is catching witches and ending magic. Woman who are accused of witchcraft are rounded up and put into internment camps without a trial and sometimes killed. I thought this was so original and clever. I wish that more of the book was focused on this and from where the story line was going I think it will be a big focus in the third book of the series. This story line is the only reason that I might read the next book and hopefully it will better.
As I mentioned before I really wanted to like this book and thought the concept was fun and interesting but sadly the main characters and story line fell very flat. I do think you can read this book as a stand alone but it will take a few chapters to understand what is going on. I did not read the first book in this series so I can’t say if this is just a sophomore flop. I think this series has potential and could be very good especially if the next book focuses on the woman in the internment camps but if it follows this path I will not be reading anything further in this series.
October 24, 2011
I fell in love with this world in the first book, Visions of Magic, and was so excited to dive back in with Visions of Skyfire. The first book was amazing! The characters were fantastic and the rich storyline sucked me right in, but Regan has somehow managed to make this book even better than the first. I was worried because the second book in a series do not always live up to the first, but Visions of Skyfire exceeded all my expectations. With each new witch awakening and discovering her destiny, we get a new piece of the puzzle and discover what has happened to all of them over the past eight hundred years. That is an exceptionally long time for your soul to regenerate and learn from previous mistakes. As these witches slowly remember the sins of their past, they fight harder for a future filled with hope and love.
I think the main reason I enjoyed this book more was because of its main character, Teresa. She always knew she was going to come into her powers and be a part of the Awakening. This made the transition into this lifestyle much smoother than it was in the previous book. She is so headstrong and stubborn; her feisty attitude kept her Eternal, Rune on his toes constantly. I always prefer seeing strong women take the lead in books and I admired her for her courage. I appreciated Regan letting Teresa be that for this book. Teresa does struggle as the story moves forward, but she remains determined and never gives up. Her strong will endeared me to her and won Rune over as well.
Poor Rune, his story is tragic. When the witches originally got into this mess eight hundred years ago, they never fully let their Eternals in. Rune’s world came crashing down the night Teresa betrayed him for the power her coven sought, and he has never fully trusted her since then. It hasn’t helped that in ever reincarnation since then she has betrayed him. He finds it hard to trust someone who always lets him down. He has changed over the years and does not know how he is going to let Teresa into his heart again. Therefore, these two have many obstacles to overcome in this novel; most of them being internal struggles. Teresa has been burned by love before and does not want to open her heart again and Rune fears she will betray him when he needs her the most.
The overall quest is also coming into focus as each witch finds her calling and her Eternal. We learned in the first book that another awakened witch, Kellyn, has turned to dark magic and is trying to bring the others down with her. She claims to have sent her Eternal to a place where no one can find him and is now searching for the awakened witches to bring them to the dark side with her. She does appear in this book sporadically, but another enemy has surfaced. He seems to possess all the powers of an Eternal, which just adds to the suspense in discovering his true identity. I loved this added mystery element that Regan gave us and was eager to discover who this man was, and what his presence means now for the remaining witches waiting to be awakened.
While Teresa and Rune remain the main focus of the novel we also get an interesting subplot laced throughout with Cora Sterling and her daughter Deidre. Deidre is fighting for the rights of witches and finds the fact that they are hunted down to extinction revolting. She is on the front lines of advocating for witches rights and comes up against opposition at every turn. The brief glimpses we do get into her world were very interesting I look forward to her and Torin’s story in the next book.
Overall, Regan has given us another amazing story of powerful witches and the resilient men destined to love and protect them. Visions of Skyfire is a stunning second addition to an awesome series. After reading quite a few mediocre books lately, I was grateful to find a book that can “wow” me again. I cannot wait for the next book, Visions of Chains due out next year.
I think the main reason I enjoyed this book more was because of its main character, Teresa. She always knew she was going to come into her powers and be a part of the Awakening. This made the transition into this lifestyle much smoother than it was in the previous book. She is so headstrong and stubborn; her feisty attitude kept her Eternal, Rune on his toes constantly. I always prefer seeing strong women take the lead in books and I admired her for her courage. I appreciated Regan letting Teresa be that for this book. Teresa does struggle as the story moves forward, but she remains determined and never gives up. Her strong will endeared me to her and won Rune over as well.
Poor Rune, his story is tragic. When the witches originally got into this mess eight hundred years ago, they never fully let their Eternals in. Rune’s world came crashing down the night Teresa betrayed him for the power her coven sought, and he has never fully trusted her since then. It hasn’t helped that in ever reincarnation since then she has betrayed him. He finds it hard to trust someone who always lets him down. He has changed over the years and does not know how he is going to let Teresa into his heart again. Therefore, these two have many obstacles to overcome in this novel; most of them being internal struggles. Teresa has been burned by love before and does not want to open her heart again and Rune fears she will betray him when he needs her the most.
The overall quest is also coming into focus as each witch finds her calling and her Eternal. We learned in the first book that another awakened witch, Kellyn, has turned to dark magic and is trying to bring the others down with her. She claims to have sent her Eternal to a place where no one can find him and is now searching for the awakened witches to bring them to the dark side with her. She does appear in this book sporadically, but another enemy has surfaced. He seems to possess all the powers of an Eternal, which just adds to the suspense in discovering his true identity. I loved this added mystery element that Regan gave us and was eager to discover who this man was, and what his presence means now for the remaining witches waiting to be awakened.
While Teresa and Rune remain the main focus of the novel we also get an interesting subplot laced throughout with Cora Sterling and her daughter Deidre. Deidre is fighting for the rights of witches and finds the fact that they are hunted down to extinction revolting. She is on the front lines of advocating for witches rights and comes up against opposition at every turn. The brief glimpses we do get into her world were very interesting I look forward to her and Torin’s story in the next book.
Overall, Regan has given us another amazing story of powerful witches and the resilient men destined to love and protect them. Visions of Skyfire is a stunning second addition to an awesome series. After reading quite a few mediocre books lately, I was grateful to find a book that can “wow” me again. I cannot wait for the next book, Visions of Chains due out next year.
October 3, 2011
Teresa is a witch in a world that condemns witchcraft. She was brought up to know that one day she would have great power, but with power comes her mate Eternal, Rune. Rune and Teresa must go on a quest for an artifact to right the wrongs of the past.
This is the second book in The Awakening series, but you don’t have to read the first to understand this one. The first, like the second revolves around a witch and an Eternal, but they seem to be a separate couple in each novel. I am not a huge fan so far of the Eternals. They are immortal men created to mate with a group of witches. Rune seemed too much like the Eternal in the first book, and was far too much alpha male for my taste. Granted he seems to have a good reason to be disgruntled with Teresa. Eight hundred years before the witches turned against their Eternals, and opened something dark and awful. The Eternals had to live through these eight hundred years watching the death and rebirth of their witches, until the awakening.
My favorite thing about these books so far is the world they live in. In this modern world where witches are hunted down, we get glimpses of the president and her daughter. I am far more interested in these two characters, and what will happen to them in future books.
Teresa decides she will mate with Rune, but she will not fall in love with him. Rune doesn’t mind falling in love with Teresa, but decides not to trust her. They are a couple that I didn’t fall in love with, but they do have some very frequent steamy scenes while the mating is completed. I did like them as a couple a little more than the first couple.
There is a lot of telling in this book. They have a bad habit of being able to ‘sense’ things that doesn’t always feel organic to the story. This is also true to the magic. I don’t always understand the rules to the witches’ powers. There is a scene where Teresa is trying to draw up old memories, and by doing so is full of power. During this she is set on by bandits, and almost raped. What killed me about this scene is at one point she mentions the power she is full of can kill them all, but she can’t for some reason use that power. There are some things like this I didn’t fully understand, and could have been better explained.
Despite the draw backs with Teresa and Rune, the world is a very interesting one, and I wonder in what direction some of the minor characters are going. At base this story is a romance, but I wasn’t always glued to the pages. It is steamy, but Rune is far to alpha for my tastes, and it is actually hard to see why Teresa doesn’t turn around and slap him occasionally. I do like the magical aspect, but wish it was more concise.
This is the second book in The Awakening series, but you don’t have to read the first to understand this one. The first, like the second revolves around a witch and an Eternal, but they seem to be a separate couple in each novel. I am not a huge fan so far of the Eternals. They are immortal men created to mate with a group of witches. Rune seemed too much like the Eternal in the first book, and was far too much alpha male for my taste. Granted he seems to have a good reason to be disgruntled with Teresa. Eight hundred years before the witches turned against their Eternals, and opened something dark and awful. The Eternals had to live through these eight hundred years watching the death and rebirth of their witches, until the awakening.
My favorite thing about these books so far is the world they live in. In this modern world where witches are hunted down, we get glimpses of the president and her daughter. I am far more interested in these two characters, and what will happen to them in future books.
Teresa decides she will mate with Rune, but she will not fall in love with him. Rune doesn’t mind falling in love with Teresa, but decides not to trust her. They are a couple that I didn’t fall in love with, but they do have some very frequent steamy scenes while the mating is completed. I did like them as a couple a little more than the first couple.
There is a lot of telling in this book. They have a bad habit of being able to ‘sense’ things that doesn’t always feel organic to the story. This is also true to the magic. I don’t always understand the rules to the witches’ powers. There is a scene where Teresa is trying to draw up old memories, and by doing so is full of power. During this she is set on by bandits, and almost raped. What killed me about this scene is at one point she mentions the power she is full of can kill them all, but she can’t for some reason use that power. There are some things like this I didn’t fully understand, and could have been better explained.
Despite the draw backs with Teresa and Rune, the world is a very interesting one, and I wonder in what direction some of the minor characters are going. At base this story is a romance, but I wasn’t always glued to the pages. It is steamy, but Rune is far to alpha for my tastes, and it is actually hard to see why Teresa doesn’t turn around and slap him occasionally. I do like the magical aspect, but wish it was more concise.
October 3, 2011
Teresa is a witch in a world that condemns witchcraft. She was brought up to know that one day she would have great power, but with power comes her mate Eternal, Rune. Rune and Teresa must go on a quest for an artifact to right the wrongs of the past.
This is the second book in The Awakening series, but you don’t have to read the first to understand this one. The first, like the second revolves around a witch and an Eternal, but they seem to be a separate couple in each novel. I am not a huge fan so far of the Eternals. They are immortal men created to mate with a group of witches. Rune seemed too much like the Eternal in the first book, and was far too much alpha male for my taste. Granted he seems to have a good reason to be disgruntled with Teresa. Eight hundred years before the witches turned against their Eternals, and opened something dark and awful. The Eternals had to live through these eight hundred years watching the death and rebirth of their witches, until the awakening.
My favorite thing about these books so far is the world they live in. In this modern world where witches are hunted down, we get glimpses of the president and her daughter. I am far more interested in these two characters, and what will happen to them in future books.
Teresa decides she will mate with Rune, but she will not fall in love with him. Rune doesn’t mind falling in love with Teresa, but decides not to trust her. They are a couple that I didn’t fall in love with, but they do have some very frequent steamy scenes while the mating is completed. I did like them as a couple a little more than the first couple.
There is a lot of telling in this book. They have a bad habit of being able to ‘sense’ things that doesn’t always feel organic to the story. This is also true to the magic. I don’t always understand the rules to the witches’ powers. There is a scene where Teresa is trying to draw up old memories, and by doing so is full of power. During this she is set on by bandits, and almost raped. What killed me about this scene is at one point she mentions the power she is full of can kill them all, but she can’t for some reason use that power. There are some things like this I didn’t fully understand, and could have been better explained.
Despite the draw backs with Teresa and Rune, the world is a very interesting one, and I wonder in what direction some of the minor characters are going. At base this story is a romance, but I wasn’t always glued to the pages. It is steamy, but Rune is far to alpha for my tastes, and it is actually hard to see why Teresa doesn’t turn around and slap him occasionally. I do like the magical aspect, but wish it was more concise.
-Beth (Guest Reviewer)
This is the second book in The Awakening series, but you don’t have to read the first to understand this one. The first, like the second revolves around a witch and an Eternal, but they seem to be a separate couple in each novel. I am not a huge fan so far of the Eternals. They are immortal men created to mate with a group of witches. Rune seemed too much like the Eternal in the first book, and was far too much alpha male for my taste. Granted he seems to have a good reason to be disgruntled with Teresa. Eight hundred years before the witches turned against their Eternals, and opened something dark and awful. The Eternals had to live through these eight hundred years watching the death and rebirth of their witches, until the awakening.
My favorite thing about these books so far is the world they live in. In this modern world where witches are hunted down, we get glimpses of the president and her daughter. I am far more interested in these two characters, and what will happen to them in future books.
Teresa decides she will mate with Rune, but she will not fall in love with him. Rune doesn’t mind falling in love with Teresa, but decides not to trust her. They are a couple that I didn’t fall in love with, but they do have some very frequent steamy scenes while the mating is completed. I did like them as a couple a little more than the first couple.
There is a lot of telling in this book. They have a bad habit of being able to ‘sense’ things that doesn’t always feel organic to the story. This is also true to the magic. I don’t always understand the rules to the witches’ powers. There is a scene where Teresa is trying to draw up old memories, and by doing so is full of power. During this she is set on by bandits, and almost raped. What killed me about this scene is at one point she mentions the power she is full of can kill them all, but she can’t for some reason use that power. There are some things like this I didn’t fully understand, and could have been better explained.
Despite the draw backs with Teresa and Rune, the world is a very interesting one, and I wonder in what direction some of the minor characters are going. At base this story is a romance, but I wasn’t always glued to the pages. It is steamy, but Rune is far to alpha for my tastes, and it is actually hard to see why Teresa doesn’t turn around and slap him occasionally. I do like the magical aspect, but wish it was more concise.
-Beth (Guest Reviewer)
October 15, 2011
A stunning sequel that I think rivals the first one, Visions of Magic (which I loved by the way). This was that rare sequel that’s just as good as the first book. This one had that same intensity that the first book had, which is a good thing.
The strength of this novel is that we have a strong heroine and hero in this book. I also like the fact that the book is focusing on a different Eternal and Witch this time around. This makes the novel accessible to those that haven’t read the first book in the series, Visions of Magic. This time the Eternal is Rune and Teresa. Teresa knows that she is a witch and has an eternal. Her gift is lightening.
I love the fact that they are continuing the persecution storyline of the witches. This storyline is playing out beautifully in the fact that Teresa is running away from FBI agents, other witches and Eternals. Not to mention they have to deal with the President of The United States, Cora Sterling, and Kellyn a very angry reincarnated witch.
Kellyn and Cora Sterling each have their own agendas which make some interesting dynamics and for some interesting conflicts. The subplot with Cora Sterling and her daughter Deidre Sterling which I feel is setting up for the next book with clues being left all along that Deidre is getting the next book. Deidre wants the Witch camps shut down and does some pretty sneaky things and ditching the secret service. So I will be interested to see how her story unfolds in this book
What I love about the heroine and hero is that they are both stubborn and strong willed. Right at the beginning of the book she doesn’t let Rune the hero run all over her. Through out the book, Teresa and Rune are both stubborn, but realize that they need each other to survive. Each of them has a gift and have to use It to save humanity. They need to save the world.
This book had awesome action, a wonderful heroine and hero, wonderful complex villains. Everyone doing something because they felt it was right or in the villains cases, something that would make them more powerful. Also the love scenes are great, hot and steamy.
I really liked how that when Teresa’s memories start to come back, she embraces Rune and he does the same and their destiny. Their love scenes were hot, intense and made me want to see more of them. This book took me on a roller-coaster ride.
Buy this book. This book is awesome.
Rating: Five Hearts
The strength of this novel is that we have a strong heroine and hero in this book. I also like the fact that the book is focusing on a different Eternal and Witch this time around. This makes the novel accessible to those that haven’t read the first book in the series, Visions of Magic. This time the Eternal is Rune and Teresa. Teresa knows that she is a witch and has an eternal. Her gift is lightening.
I love the fact that they are continuing the persecution storyline of the witches. This storyline is playing out beautifully in the fact that Teresa is running away from FBI agents, other witches and Eternals. Not to mention they have to deal with the President of The United States, Cora Sterling, and Kellyn a very angry reincarnated witch.
Kellyn and Cora Sterling each have their own agendas which make some interesting dynamics and for some interesting conflicts. The subplot with Cora Sterling and her daughter Deidre Sterling which I feel is setting up for the next book with clues being left all along that Deidre is getting the next book. Deidre wants the Witch camps shut down and does some pretty sneaky things and ditching the secret service. So I will be interested to see how her story unfolds in this book
What I love about the heroine and hero is that they are both stubborn and strong willed. Right at the beginning of the book she doesn’t let Rune the hero run all over her. Through out the book, Teresa and Rune are both stubborn, but realize that they need each other to survive. Each of them has a gift and have to use It to save humanity. They need to save the world.
This book had awesome action, a wonderful heroine and hero, wonderful complex villains. Everyone doing something because they felt it was right or in the villains cases, something that would make them more powerful. Also the love scenes are great, hot and steamy.
I really liked how that when Teresa’s memories start to come back, she embraces Rune and he does the same and their destiny. Their love scenes were hot, intense and made me want to see more of them. This book took me on a roller-coaster ride.
Buy this book. This book is awesome.
Rating: Five Hearts
August 24, 2011
Teresa Santiage was raised knowing she was a witch. Her grandmother tried to preare her fo her awakening. When Teresa starts having strange dreams and strange things start happening around her she knows her awakening is about to happen. With a storm on the horizon, Teresa heads out to the desert. There she starts to call down the lightening. She is trying to learn how to aim the lightening that she gets from the storm when she sees a helicopter coming toward her. She knows it is the MP, magic police, coming to capture her. The magic police's job is to hunt down and capture witches any way they can. When they catch the witch they send them to an internment camp where they wait for their trial and execution. If they are lucky. If the witch does not go with the police peacefully they are shot. When Teresa tries to aim her lightening at the helicopter, they start shooting at her. Teresa belives she is about to die when all of a sudden a man appears in front of her surrounded by fire. When he tells her to hold onto him, she does and they they disappear.
Rune is an eternal warrior. He was created by Belen to please his lover Daru. Eternal warriors were created from the heat and fire from the heart of the sun. Belen made the warriors to be mates for Daru's daughters, the witches. In return for their love and protection the warriors were given fire, strength and immortality. The warriors watch over their witch thoughout all of their lives. When each witch goes through her awakening, her eternal warrior shows up in her life. When they go though the mating ritual, the witch starts to remeber all of her past lives and where she hid her part of the artifact. But someone else is after not only the artifact but wants Teresa as well. Will Rune be able to keep Teresa safe until they find the artifact? Rune and Teresa do not trust each other due to the past but in order to survive they will have to learn to trust each other or all is lost.
This is Ms Hastings second installment of her Awakening series. This is a wonder new series. Two wounded hearts getting a second chance at love. This is a story that has it all, romance, action, witches and hot warriors. What more could you ask for? I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down until I had finished the whole book. Ms Hastings has become an auto-buy for me.
Rune is an eternal warrior. He was created by Belen to please his lover Daru. Eternal warriors were created from the heat and fire from the heart of the sun. Belen made the warriors to be mates for Daru's daughters, the witches. In return for their love and protection the warriors were given fire, strength and immortality. The warriors watch over their witch thoughout all of their lives. When each witch goes through her awakening, her eternal warrior shows up in her life. When they go though the mating ritual, the witch starts to remeber all of her past lives and where she hid her part of the artifact. But someone else is after not only the artifact but wants Teresa as well. Will Rune be able to keep Teresa safe until they find the artifact? Rune and Teresa do not trust each other due to the past but in order to survive they will have to learn to trust each other or all is lost.
This is Ms Hastings second installment of her Awakening series. This is a wonder new series. Two wounded hearts getting a second chance at love. This is a story that has it all, romance, action, witches and hot warriors. What more could you ask for? I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down until I had finished the whole book. Ms Hastings has become an auto-buy for me.
October 5, 2011
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/10/...
A very long time ago,the sun god Belan created the Eternals to be partners for the witches created by his lover,Danu. Eventually,consumed by power,the most powerful witches performed a ceremony using an Artifact that nearly unleashed a demon horde upon the earth. After the witches were nearly destroyed by their greed and lust for power,they shattered the Artifact,then they each took a piece and hid it somewhere in the world. They then sentenced themselves to 800 years of atonement,after which there would be an Awakening of power in each of the witches,and also joining with their Eternals to find their piece of the Artifact and put right what went so wrong.
The Awakenings began with Shea in Visions of Magic and I really fell in love with the lore of the witches and their Eternals. Visions of Skyfire is Teresa Santiago’s story,and she’s a bit different from Shea. She’s always known she has power,having been taught by her abuela from an early age. She also knows about her Eternal,so when Rune shows up to save her from the Magic Police,she’s not so much surprised as relieved. About the Magic Police:they’re pretty nasty,rounding up witches and putting them in prison camps. One of their foot soldiers with a personal vendetta played a role in Visions of Magic and also shows up again here,determined to kill any witch he can get his hands on. I had a great time following Rune and Teresa through Mexico as he teaches her to fight using her hands and her magic. Then there’s the Mating (it’s exactly what it sounds like) to bring both of them fully into their powers,and also bind them for eternity. Rune’s having some trust issues however,since in each of Teresa’s incarnations (in the past 800 years),she’s been less than forthcoming with him and a little more power hungry than she should be. Visions of Skyfire has plenty of passion (strictly adult here,folks),magic,and action,and will not only appeal to Paranormal Romance fans but also to Urban Fantasy fans. Teresa is a pragmatic and tough witch,and it’s her strength that really carries the novel. I also really love the idea of having an Eternal (yep,it’s the romantic in me coming out-don’t tell anyone.) The Awakening series is magical,fun and passionate,and not to be missed!
A very long time ago,the sun god Belan created the Eternals to be partners for the witches created by his lover,Danu. Eventually,consumed by power,the most powerful witches performed a ceremony using an Artifact that nearly unleashed a demon horde upon the earth. After the witches were nearly destroyed by their greed and lust for power,they shattered the Artifact,then they each took a piece and hid it somewhere in the world. They then sentenced themselves to 800 years of atonement,after which there would be an Awakening of power in each of the witches,and also joining with their Eternals to find their piece of the Artifact and put right what went so wrong.
The Awakenings began with Shea in Visions of Magic and I really fell in love with the lore of the witches and their Eternals. Visions of Skyfire is Teresa Santiago’s story,and she’s a bit different from Shea. She’s always known she has power,having been taught by her abuela from an early age. She also knows about her Eternal,so when Rune shows up to save her from the Magic Police,she’s not so much surprised as relieved. About the Magic Police:they’re pretty nasty,rounding up witches and putting them in prison camps. One of their foot soldiers with a personal vendetta played a role in Visions of Magic and also shows up again here,determined to kill any witch he can get his hands on. I had a great time following Rune and Teresa through Mexico as he teaches her to fight using her hands and her magic. Then there’s the Mating (it’s exactly what it sounds like) to bring both of them fully into their powers,and also bind them for eternity. Rune’s having some trust issues however,since in each of Teresa’s incarnations (in the past 800 years),she’s been less than forthcoming with him and a little more power hungry than she should be. Visions of Skyfire has plenty of passion (strictly adult here,folks),magic,and action,and will not only appeal to Paranormal Romance fans but also to Urban Fantasy fans. Teresa is a pragmatic and tough witch,and it’s her strength that really carries the novel. I also really love the idea of having an Eternal (yep,it’s the romantic in me coming out-don’t tell anyone.) The Awakening series is magical,fun and passionate,and not to be missed!
December 28, 2011
The Salem Witch trials were a fairy tale compared to today’s modern witch hunts. There are no trials, no mercy or repentance. Merely imprisonment and probable death, if you’re lucky. The unlucky ones wind up in a lab as experimental fodder for the the humans hoping to harness the witches power for themselves. This is the world Teresa Santiago has been born into, and must learn to navigate. As her powers are awakened. her Eternal, Rune, arrives in the nick of time to save her from the witch hunters. Now they have 30 days to complete their destined task or their souls will die, and the hope of the other witches with them.
The world is a narrow minded scary place in Regan Hasting's The Awakening series. Humanity is trying to hunt down and destroy that which it considers different or threatening. Luckily there are small pockets of hope and tolerance emerging to help these persecuted witches and their Eternals. Regan Hastings has created a dark world in which fear and intolerance are the norm and turning on a friend or neighbor is common place. It is a dark, dark scenario. Fortunately there are bright lights that fight the good fight against overwhelming odds. Unlike in book 1, Visions of Magic, Teresa was well versed in what she was and what her Eternal would need. She also had no problem handing it over. *snort* (who would with Rune, yum!) Rune, while not reluctant to claim his witch, was reluctant to trust her. And really who could blame any of the Eternals, they have been let down time and again by their witches and their thirst for power. It is imperative that they get it right this go round, however or it's game over for our cautious and distant duo. I am really loving the evolution of this series and the twists it is starting to take. There are also some of the most insidious, ANNOYING villains ever. There is one witch gone bad that I seriously would pay good money to bitch slap into next month. There are also a few that seem to have a foot in both camps, very tricky trying to pin these down. Each story gets a little more compelling and little richer for the telling. I for one can't wait for the next book.
And just a little FYI for Ms. Hastings, I'm really starting to dislike the ocean.......
The world is a narrow minded scary place in Regan Hasting's The Awakening series. Humanity is trying to hunt down and destroy that which it considers different or threatening. Luckily there are small pockets of hope and tolerance emerging to help these persecuted witches and their Eternals. Regan Hastings has created a dark world in which fear and intolerance are the norm and turning on a friend or neighbor is common place. It is a dark, dark scenario. Fortunately there are bright lights that fight the good fight against overwhelming odds. Unlike in book 1, Visions of Magic, Teresa was well versed in what she was and what her Eternal would need. She also had no problem handing it over. *snort* (who would with Rune, yum!) Rune, while not reluctant to claim his witch, was reluctant to trust her. And really who could blame any of the Eternals, they have been let down time and again by their witches and their thirst for power. It is imperative that they get it right this go round, however or it's game over for our cautious and distant duo. I am really loving the evolution of this series and the twists it is starting to take. There are also some of the most insidious, ANNOYING villains ever. There is one witch gone bad that I seriously would pay good money to bitch slap into next month. There are also a few that seem to have a foot in both camps, very tricky trying to pin these down. Each story gets a little more compelling and little richer for the telling. I for one can't wait for the next book.
And just a little FYI for Ms. Hastings, I'm really starting to dislike the ocean.......
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October 3, 2011It’s not rare for paranormal romance heroines to learn about magic, secret worlds, and even their own abilities under the guidance of a heartthrob hero, and The Awakening mythology of witches and their Eternal soul mates plays right into this trope. VISIONS OF SKYFIRE, however, adds a new and fantastic twist, when the Eternal Rune finds his witch Teresa has spent her whole life studying magic, learning lore, and preparing herself for the Mating that will bind her and her Eternal together forever.
This simple change made a big difference in the story for me. Rather than retreading the mythology already explored in book one of the series, VISIONS OF SKYFIRE focuses on Rune and Teresa as individuals. Though united in purpose and on board with the whole Mating concept, neither one is ready to fall headfirst into “trust” after lifetimes of betrayal. Teresa is scarred by an abusive ex-boyfriend and Rune by the actions of Teresa's own previous incarnations. Hastings doesn't use the soul bond between witch and Eternal as an escape hatch, nor does she torment us with characters who with hold information from each other. I was impressed and engaged watching these two grow closer together in realistic and mature ways (“realistic” given that their sexual relationship starts long before any personal relationship does). As for the plot, certain details were over the top, to the point of being distracting (like Dr. Fender's former profession and Chico the gallant bird).
While the villains struggled to keep my attention, the romance in VISIONS OF SKYFIRE was more than enough to carry me through the book. Thus far in The Awakening series, my emotional investment in the main couple has been what makes or breaks my enjoyment of the books. With a plot that doesn’t have me hooked yet, the third installment in this series, VISIONS OF CHAINS, will stay on my “maybe” pile until I find out more about our new hero and heroine.
Sexual Content: Sex scenes, an attempted rape.
This simple change made a big difference in the story for me. Rather than retreading the mythology already explored in book one of the series, VISIONS OF SKYFIRE focuses on Rune and Teresa as individuals. Though united in purpose and on board with the whole Mating concept, neither one is ready to fall headfirst into “trust” after lifetimes of betrayal. Teresa is scarred by an abusive ex-boyfriend and Rune by the actions of Teresa's own previous incarnations. Hastings doesn't use the soul bond between witch and Eternal as an escape hatch, nor does she torment us with characters who with hold information from each other. I was impressed and engaged watching these two grow closer together in realistic and mature ways (“realistic” given that their sexual relationship starts long before any personal relationship does). As for the plot, certain details were over the top, to the point of being distracting (like Dr. Fender's former profession and Chico the gallant bird).
While the villains struggled to keep my attention, the romance in VISIONS OF SKYFIRE was more than enough to carry me through the book. Thus far in The Awakening series, my emotional investment in the main couple has been what makes or breaks my enjoyment of the books. With a plot that doesn’t have me hooked yet, the third installment in this series, VISIONS OF CHAINS, will stay on my “maybe” pile until I find out more about our new hero and heroine.
Sexual Content: Sex scenes, an attempted rape.
October 3, 2011
It is no rare thing for paranormal romance heroines to learn about magic, secret worlds, and their own abilities under the guidance of their heartthrob hero, and the mythology between witches and their Eternal soul mates plays into this trope. VISIONS OF SKYFIRE, however, adds a new and fantastic twist, when the Eternal Rune finds his witch Teresa has spent her whole life studying magic, learning lore, and preparing herself for the Mating that will bind her and her Eternal together forever. This flip means that the bulk of the story, rather than retreading the lore already explored in VISIONS OF MAGIC, is able to focus on Rune and Teresa as individuals.
And these individuals have a lot of issues to explore. United in purpose, the elephant in the room is their inability to trust each other after lifetimes of betrayal. Teresa is scarred by an abusive ex-boyfriend, and Rune by the actions of Teresa's own previous incarnations. Hastings doesn't use the soul bond between witch and Eternal as an escape hatch, nor does she torment us with characters who with hold information from each other. Though Mating preceded trust, I was very impressed and engaged watching these two struggle to grow closer together in realistic and mature ways.
The tenor of Terese and Rune's relationship resonated with me much more strongly than Shea and Torin from VISIONS OF MAGIC. If you enjoyed the mythology and passion of the previous book, but couldn't buy into the characters, VISIONS OF SKYFIRE manages to fill that gap. As for the plot, certain details were a bit over the top (like Dr. Fender's former profession and Chico the gallant bird), to the point of being distracting. The romance component was enough to carry me through, but it would be nice if the villains were as nuanced and interesting as the rest of the characters.
Full review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
Sexual Content: Sex scenes, an attempted rape.
And these individuals have a lot of issues to explore. United in purpose, the elephant in the room is their inability to trust each other after lifetimes of betrayal. Teresa is scarred by an abusive ex-boyfriend, and Rune by the actions of Teresa's own previous incarnations. Hastings doesn't use the soul bond between witch and Eternal as an escape hatch, nor does she torment us with characters who with hold information from each other. Though Mating preceded trust, I was very impressed and engaged watching these two struggle to grow closer together in realistic and mature ways.
The tenor of Terese and Rune's relationship resonated with me much more strongly than Shea and Torin from VISIONS OF MAGIC. If you enjoyed the mythology and passion of the previous book, but couldn't buy into the characters, VISIONS OF SKYFIRE manages to fill that gap. As for the plot, certain details were a bit over the top (like Dr. Fender's former profession and Chico the gallant bird), to the point of being distracting. The romance component was enough to carry me through, but it would be nice if the villains were as nuanced and interesting as the rest of the characters.
Full review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
Sexual Content: Sex scenes, an attempted rape.
December 3, 2011
This is a good series if your into stories that focus more on the sex then the story line.
I was hoping that this book would be better the the first. But it really wasn't. I still think that the main story line is a good one. I like the whole reincarnation time after time so the witches get it right, and the Eternals waiting to finally be joined with their witches, collect the Artifact and safe the world. But I thought this story was lost in the "Mating" and Rune's, Eternal/Warrior, constant battle of hard feelings of the past and his desire to protect and screw his witch.
I like books that are driven on adventure and battles. This one is more driven on the "Mating". I get that it is an important part of the story, but I felt this book was too focused on it. For instance, one chapter was five page devoted only to their "mating", which was after she was almost raped and the battle that ensued to save her was barely over a page long. Personally, I don't care for reading sex scenes, I prefer the doing myself, it more satisfying.
The main story line really didn't get going until more the half way through the book. And then it was rushed through. Kellyn, villain, was dropped from the story in favor of Parnell. Who turns out the be one of the first Eternals created and supposedly destroyed be Balen. Cool! A villain that would be more of a equal to Rune. The battle should be better, but it was short and non detailed.
The one other problem I had with the story was the Awakening is to be completed in the turn of the moon, pointed out at the end of "Vision of Magic", and I really didn't catch that, mostly because it was stated at the end. The moon cycle is 28 days, but they are given 30 days to complete it. How does that work? Tried as I might, that was a detail I couldn't get past.
I think this could be a great story, if it were rewritten with more focus on the journey of the "Awakening", and a little less on the "Mating" for the "Awakening". But that's just me. Like I said, I like that type of book.
I was hoping that this book would be better the the first. But it really wasn't. I still think that the main story line is a good one. I like the whole reincarnation time after time so the witches get it right, and the Eternals waiting to finally be joined with their witches, collect the Artifact and safe the world. But I thought this story was lost in the "Mating" and Rune's, Eternal/Warrior, constant battle of hard feelings of the past and his desire to protect and screw his witch.
I like books that are driven on adventure and battles. This one is more driven on the "Mating". I get that it is an important part of the story, but I felt this book was too focused on it. For instance, one chapter was five page devoted only to their "mating", which was after she was almost raped and the battle that ensued to save her was barely over a page long. Personally, I don't care for reading sex scenes, I prefer the doing myself, it more satisfying.
The main story line really didn't get going until more the half way through the book. And then it was rushed through. Kellyn, villain, was dropped from the story in favor of Parnell. Who turns out the be one of the first Eternals created and supposedly destroyed be Balen. Cool! A villain that would be more of a equal to Rune. The battle should be better, but it was short and non detailed.
The one other problem I had with the story was the Awakening is to be completed in the turn of the moon, pointed out at the end of "Vision of Magic", and I really didn't catch that, mostly because it was stated at the end. The moon cycle is 28 days, but they are given 30 days to complete it. How does that work? Tried as I might, that was a detail I couldn't get past.
I think this could be a great story, if it were rewritten with more focus on the journey of the "Awakening", and a little less on the "Mating" for the "Awakening". But that's just me. Like I said, I like that type of book.
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January 22, 2013DNF-ing this book!
I really enjoyed the first book, Visions of Magic, but the heroine in Visions of Skyfire really, really annoyed me! There's a background to this one too, but it runs through the series about witches who died after they did something bad and now they're being reincarnated to fix the wrong they did. But they're not alone, they have a mate/protector called an Eternal. Although the witches have been reincarnated the Eternals haven't. But they can recognise there partner, and there's a deep sexual tension between the two. In Visions of Skyfire Teresa is all up for using the sexual tension to boost her powers with Rune but after that she wants nothing to do with him. She was hot and cold for ages, even though she knew ALL the background about who and what she was. She wasn't taken by surprise about who Rune was and what she was. She was very know it all but wouldn't accept Rune. It was very annoying and frustrating and I really disliked Teresa behaviour of having sex with Rue but then wanting nothing to do with him or from him.
I really enjoyed the first book, Visions of Magic, but the heroine in Visions of Skyfire really, really annoyed me! There's a background to this one too, but it runs through the series about witches who died after they did something bad and now they're being reincarnated to fix the wrong they did. But they're not alone, they have a mate/protector called an Eternal. Although the witches have been reincarnated the Eternals haven't. But they can recognise there partner, and there's a deep sexual tension between the two. In Visions of Skyfire Teresa is all up for using the sexual tension to boost her powers with Rune but after that she wants nothing to do with him. She was hot and cold for ages, even though she knew ALL the background about who and what she was. She wasn't taken by surprise about who Rune was and what she was. She was very know it all but wouldn't accept Rune. It was very annoying and frustrating and I really disliked Teresa behaviour of having sex with Rue but then wanting nothing to do with him or from him.
October 5, 2011
Teresa Santiago is a wanted witch being hunted by the MP's, the Magic Police. A newly awakened witch stranded and surrounded, saved at the last minute by her Eternal.
Between her lightening and his fire, Teresa & Rune make a formidable couple. On the run - in search of Teresa's lost part of artifact. Racing against the clock they need to find it first before it falls into the wrong hands.
Loved it! If you enjoy witch stories, I would recommend this book & series to you. Visions of Skyfire is an excellent tale, a stellar addition to this series. I enjoyed learning more about the witches and their self cursed situation. I don't think I would want to live in this world, but I'm sure intrigued by it. Regan Hastings' witch hating world is both exciting and scary. Magic, power and passion make this story sizzle.
Between her lightening and his fire, Teresa & Rune make a formidable couple. On the run - in search of Teresa's lost part of artifact. Racing against the clock they need to find it first before it falls into the wrong hands.
Loved it! If you enjoy witch stories, I would recommend this book & series to you. Visions of Skyfire is an excellent tale, a stellar addition to this series. I enjoyed learning more about the witches and their self cursed situation. I don't think I would want to live in this world, but I'm sure intrigued by it. Regan Hastings' witch hating world is both exciting and scary. Magic, power and passion make this story sizzle.
January 13, 2016
Another home run for hastings. i love that she makes each book unique to the couple and doesnt just use a cookie cutter plot because its a series. Teresa and rune are mistrustful of each other and with good reason, but they manage to overcome their many pasts to find trust and love to succeed in their mission. The sex scenes were less in depth than in the last book but you also have a new foe added in to keep things interesting. My one major complaint is that there were a few too many plot lines in this one. You have Rune and Teresa, old foe kellyn, the new foe, and the next witch pre-awakening. Kellyn's part at the very least couldve been cut out since it seemed to have absolutely no place in the book except to show her depravity which we were already convinced of. Overall though a great read and cant wait to finally read visions of chains to see dierdre's story
October 29, 2011
Theresa Santiago is an Awakening witch who commands skyfire--lightning. Because of a bad relationship, she doesn't want to love her Eternal mate. Her Eternal, Rune, doesn't trust Theresa because of her past incarnations were treacherous. They still have to work together to find a long-hidden Artifact while being pursued by a mysterious immortal who might be a rogue Eternal.
At first I wasn't sure about this book because Theresa and Rune did a lot of arguing. But once they got past that I enjoyed it and the story moved quickly. I'm looking forward to the next book, Visions of Chains, which is about the President's daughter. Should be interesting!
At first I wasn't sure about this book because Theresa and Rune did a lot of arguing. But once they got past that I enjoyed it and the story moved quickly. I'm looking forward to the next book, Visions of Chains, which is about the President's daughter. Should be interesting!
January 5, 2012
OMG I can't wait for June 2012 for the next book in the series to come out. I loved that this one picked up mostly where the last one left off and still involved some of the characters from the first book while introducing us to some new characters. I also enjoyed that the story didn't have the same type of ending. The ending didn't take me by surprise and didn't have me on edge like the first book did but the little twists in this one were still pretty good. I'm interested to see what kinds of other twists the author will use for the upcoming novels in the series.
October 26, 2011
I wish could do half stars, because this would be 4 1/2. I can't wait to read the next book, but it's not due out until June!!!
Teresa Santiago loses everyone she loves and gains her soul mate in Regan Hastings' 2nd book. If you've read Maureen Child, Regan is a new pseudonym for her.
You can read more Maureen while you wait for more Regan's books. Maureen is wonderful!
Teresa Santiago loses everyone she loves and gains her soul mate in Regan Hastings' 2nd book. If you've read Maureen Child, Regan is a new pseudonym for her.
You can read more Maureen while you wait for more Regan's books. Maureen is wonderful!
September 21, 2014
Not too bad. I did not read the first book but wasn't confused at all.I enjoyed this story about witches and their Eternals. There was a lot going on . A lot of bond building sex and mistrust ( Mostly from Rune), plenty of action as well. Need to check out the first book to feel caught up.
July 31, 2020
When i frist started this book i thought it would take time to get into but no i was sucked in from the frist.
I really love the way this book sets up for the next one. I can't wait for the next one.
I really love the way this book sets up for the next one. I can't wait for the next one.
August 14, 2012
I like teresa! She is my favorite of the the protagonists in this series. I like the no holds barred, got get'em attitude. The story is a continuation of the first, and I like that. A little predictable, but I likethe flow. Looking forward to reading mofre of the story.
December 8, 2013
Honestly, this was just a "meh" for me. I found myself mostly skimming for dialogue. I kept reading so that is something but I just didn't get a sense that it deserved a three star rating. 2.5 stars.
September 10, 2016
Teresa Santiago has been aware she's a witch all her life. Teresa's grandmother, a powerful seer, has passed on knowledge of awakening power, atonement,
Originally Read: May 7, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
This entire review and others can be found at: http://www.ireadthatbook.com
Originally Read: May 7, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
This entire review and others can be found at: http://www.ireadthatbook.com
October 12, 2011
not sure whether to give this 3 or 4 stars, so 3 1/2 I guess, review to follow soon at http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/
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