Willing Sacrifice

Sentinel Wars #8

by Shannon K. Butcher

They are the Sentinels. Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity against their eternal foes: the Synestryn. Now a warrior weighs the price he will pay for love....

Theronai warrior Torr has never forgotten Grace, the human who stole his heart and nearly gave her life to save his. So when he is summoned to the aid of Brenya, the powerful woman who healed Grace, he is devastated to find that Grace’s cure has left her mind devoid of any memory of Torr or their love.

However, despite not knowing who he is, Grace is inexplicably drawn to the dark warrior. As they team up to stop the invasion that threatens the people Grace now considers family, her memories slowly start resurfacing. But sometimes the past is best forgotten—a lesson that Torr may learn too late....

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Demons, Vampires

371 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2014

About the author

Bestselling author Shannon K. Butcher, who now writes as Anna Argent, has written more than thirty titles since launching her career in 2007. She has three award-winning series, including the paranormal romance series The Sentinel Wars, the action-romance series The Edge, and the romantic suspense Delta Force Trilogy. Her alter ego Anna Argent also writes several series with a fresh and interesting spin on paranormal romance (The Lost Shards, The Taken and The Stone Men series) as well as a contemporary romance series set in a small town in the Ozarks. As a former engineer and current nerd, she frequently uses charts, graphs and tables to aid her in the mechanics of story design, world building and to keep track of all those colorful characters, magical powers and alternate worlds. An avid bead and glass artist, she spends her free time turning small sparkly bits into larger sparkly bits. She’s rarely on social media, so the best place to find out news about upcoming releases under either name is via her newsletter. You can sign up at AnnaArgent.com.

Reviews

[♥ℳelody · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*
Couple: 4 stars
Story: 3 stars



This was okay. Loved Grace and Torr, they are the reason I picked this series up again. It was great to see them finally get their much anticipated HEA. I gave this an extra half star just for them. I loved the idea of the hero trying to get the heroine to remember who he is and make her fall in love with him all over again. Oh the angst.

The entire story takes place in another world, on another planet far from Earth and the daily drama in Dabyr. I didn't have a problem with this like so many other readers did. I honestly found some of the subplots Butcher puts in her books mundane and distracting at times. *shrugs* So this was a nice change of pace. However, what made the story lose it's shine was the slow dragged out pacing. Since there were no other side stories or multiple POVs to focus on, the pacing was very stagnant. The dialogue especially suffered from this with all the repetitive monologues from Torr of his longing for Grace. It started to get long winded and very redundant fast. Which surprises me the most given the couple are running around through an exotic jungle battling giant lizards and freaky creatures, the suspense and excitement of the story was very tepid. Nothing super exciting happens and the romantic angst was like trying to wring water from a damp towel. Sloooow. I felt Butcher missed out on a great opportunity to go all out. The setup was all there. I mean what could be more tempting then having your couple stranded in the middle of another planet by themselves?

A few other things that I had issues with or found odd:
-Grace not putting two and two together or asking questions about the metal disk once she discovers that Torr is wearing one just like hers was utterly ridiculous. Come on. For someone so smart and observant this made her come off so careless and oblivious. If a mysterious man shows up in my world wearing the exact same disk as me and I'm missing my memories I would be drilling him with 50 questions over it until I got answers. All the obvious clues were there but Grace didn't pick up on it or even ask questions. She would just shrug things off. Dumb. Butcher watered down her characters a little for the sake of the dragged out convoluted plot. Not necessary.

-Brenya as a character was all over the place. I did not understand the motivations of this woman. I found her very inconsistent. She's fiercely protective and managing of Grace-- not wanting a hair on her head out of place by Torr-- but at another point she's willing to sacrifice Grace to save everyone else and then even confesses to knowing Grace's future the entire time near the end. Whaaat? She manipulates those around her to get what she wants but uses lame excuses to explain her actions. I also found the entire plot and reasoning to keep Torr on Tropecia for Brenya's use convoluted and illogical. She needs him to extract crystals from stones that will help deactivate/detonate the sentinal stones the Solarc's Masons built. With all her endless power and skills she can't do it herself because the Solarc will pick up on her power waves if they die by her hand and will find her. She needs Torr to do it instead. So she can’t kill anyone fine, but she can heal Grace and the other women and the Solarc can’t pick up on any of that? <_< Really? Uh huh. Doesn't add up.

-Brenya is supposedly the creator of the Sentinal stones.....sooooo the Masons who build Sentinal stones with their hammers to open portals are for what exactly?? If she's the creator then what the hell are they doing? Unless I missed something in the explanation Brenya gave, she pretty much contradicted herself there on the same page. Butcher doesn't explain things very well or tie up the loose ends so the gaping holes end up showing.

-And again the descriptions of some of the monsters Butcher describes didn’t make sense. The Hunters are assassins made out of black glassy rock, they can run on four legs but have fish-shaped bodies. O_o Huh? Fish shaped? This is just more of personal taste. I just find her descriptions of some of these monsters in the series...off? and anatomically not possible.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soon To Be Posted At: Riverina Romantics
My Rating: 5 out of 5 *
Heat Rating: 4 out of 5 <3

I almost cried.
Legit.
I have been wanting Torr and Grace’s story since the very beginning. Each book has snippets of their developing relationship and it was beyond teasing. It was torture. I have absolutely loved these two, and every little taste throughout the series buried them deeper in my heart. And the last time we get them together nearly tore me apart. I was lucky to get an ARC of this book, and I’m so glad I did. I was so captivated by their story, it was raw and angsty and full of love and pain and torturous pleasure. I am just amazed and truly touched by it.

Torr nearly broke my heart. Throughout the series, it was obvious how much Grace meant to him. She had been the only light in his life for so long. To finally find her again, only to realize she had no memory of who he was or what they had been through, was a brand new kind of torture for him. I have to admit, he handled it well. I could see how much it hurt him, be he was determined not to give up on her. He protected her and cherished her as if she still knew who he was, he always did everything in his power to keep her safe, and other times he wanted to go caveman on her and tie her to his bed. He was very passionate and very humbled, because of his past. After everything she did for him, he was willing to do anything for her. The depth of his love and dedication to her was incredibly touching.

Grace was such an amazing woman. Despite everything she had been through in her life, including the loss of her memory, she still had the purest heart of anyone. She saw herself as weak, knew the pains and limitation of being human, but that never stopped her from protecting those she cared about—sometimes to an insane degree. She was completely selfless and tender-hearted, but she was equally as determined and quick-thinking. She continued to prove time and time again that she was better than what she and others thought of her. She couldn’t resist Torr. She was constantly being drawn to him, always thinking about him. She fell in love with him all over again, and gave herself to him in a way that was nothing short of perfect. Their connection was pure love. And it really showed.

I have been a fan of this series since the beginning, and it has been a favorite of mine for just as long. And although I have loved almost every book in this series, none of them touched me like this one did. It’s hard to describe. I can really only say that Torr and Grace’s story of rediscovery was perfect. It was pure. It was deeply heartfelt. And it was a long time coming. I am completely satisfied and then some.

[mysticofworlds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. I still had a few issues with it, but overall, it was a very satisfying read.

I liked the characters, for the most part. At first, Grace's self-sacrificing ways were a little annoying, but when she rationalized it, saying that Torr could save her village and she couldn't instead of just merely being self-sacrificial for one person, it was understandable and admirable. Grace was rather unique in the series with her quiet strength and unwavering resolve.

Torr was sweet and protective, but I can't say he was that much different from some of the previous Theronai males.

The romance was sweet, and I'm glad it didn't start based on Torr needing Grace to save his soul. I found their connection to be believable and their relationship well-developed.

I felt rather bad for Tori, and I wish we could know how everything ends up for her. Hopefully she goes back and can heal with Nicholas.

This book was rather different than the previous ones because it had no smaller stories within it. It really focused on Torr and Grace. If this had been the way, say, Helen and Drake's story was written, I wouldn't have liked the style. But I enjoyed Torr and Grace together a lot and so I didn't mind that there were no glimpses of other characters.

Brenya, the wife of the Solarc, was an interesting addition. I admired her fierce nature and determined protectiveness. Hopefully it will be unveiled why the Solarc is so horrid.

This plot has been my favorite of the series so far. Brenya summons Torr to fight for her villages on Temprocia- sending him to find exploding crystals with Grace to blow up the portal the Masons are building to let in the Solarc and his creations. It was engrossing and unique from the previous storylines, which mostly involved saving a certain person or group.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the ending. It mostly made sense, but I wanted to know if Torr and Grace were going to go back to Earth, what would happen to Tori, and what Brenya's fate was. The end just wasn't satisfying.

Overall, though, this was an amazing part of the series and mostly lived up to my expectations. Hopefully the next book, Joseph and Lyka's story, will do the same.

[Maida (Medley of Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3.5 SWEET GRACE AND TORR HEARTS!!

Willing Sacrifice is a somewhat okay read. All the elements that make this series so absorbing, and excitingly thrilling – intriguing, progressive plot, character dynamics, and just the overall hype – are put to use reasonably well, however, there is more than one occasion that calls for this book to be bland.

Perhaps, it is the fact that I’ve been waiting to read Torr and Grace’s story for a while, and after finally starting, I was left disappointed. Or it is a combination of aspects that I know could have been much better handled given this author’s previous works.

For starters, much of it is the world-building. With a story set in a world that is established so well in the first couple books, a world of paranormal creatures with an apocalyptic aura, Willing Sacrifice leaves a lacking impression. There is some presence of the old world descriptions and feelings to follow the story, and enough present about the whats and whos to satisfy basic queries, but not nearly enough of the originally distinguished world present to fully engage with captivation.

Some of it is, also, the plot-line. The first half of the book is good in its delivery. It starts with a heartbroken, and angry Torr having lost all hope to be with Grace – the woman he loves. Readers are introduced to a bevy of emotions, but primarily a bittersweet atmosphere. Torr is relieved and happy to find that Grace is alive, but shocked and sad that she has no past memories. It’s the sort of story that you know is going to create intrigue and tension, the sort that should make you a nervous wreck for the characters and their happily ever after, but frustratingly, instead, disengages with a constant mundane feeling for the remaining half of the story.

Despite all that, I liked this book.

Even though many aspects could use much needed altering, Butcher’s writing style still remains charming – with descriptions of characters, otherworld places, great sexual tension and a twisty ending. Both Torr and Grace are likeable as characters and as a couple. Both of them have their hang-ups, and their personal growth is plausible, and their romance is worth rooting for. The building tension as Torr works to get Grace to fall in love with him again is a satisfying distraction from the story flaws. Although, their interactions and Grace’s being a human hence her constant safety discussions, at one point, did get redundant and annoying. Overall, the romance is sweet and the sex scenes are hot – fun entertainment.

Another major reason for the plot dragging is due to the absence of major secondary characters. One of the most notable aspects of Butcher’s work is her incorporation of other couples’ stories, yet this aspect is entirely missing in this as the story takes place on another world. There is no activity with any of the stories already playing out back on Earth, which is why this felt like a two character novel, a little melancholy. The ending, also, doesn’t switch settings to pacify.

As much as I was anticipating Torr and Grace’s story, and though I am quite happy with the their ending, my high expectations did get a little rained upon. I liked Willing Sacrifice, but I did not love it, as I was hoping I would. However, the next book, Binding Ties, is Joesph and Lyka’s story, another long awaited couple, for which I am ecstatic about. *Fingers crossed*, it blows me away.

[Barb Lie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willing Sacrifice by Shannon K. Butcher is the 8th book in her wonderful Sentinal Wars series. This book belongs to Torr and Grace. In the last book, we knew how much Torr was suffering from injuries caused by demons that nearly cost him his life. Without his knowledge, Grace, who is human, willingly uses a magical talisman to help Torr recover, thereby bringing his horrific injuries to herself. As Grace lay in a coma, the book ends with her being whisked away by a powerful Attanasia female, who by taking her to another world, would try save her.

When Willing Sacrifice begins, Torr is depressed and cares about nothing anymore, especially without his Grace. He doesn’t care if he lives or dies; then out of nowhere he is also whisked away to the world where Brenya, the powerful female, needs his help. He learns that Grace is still alive, 4 years has passed (in this world), and she no longer has any memory of her life before or him. We also learn more about Brenya, who plays a major role in this story.


What follows is an exciting story of Torr working with Grace to help fight the enemies who come to destoy them Slowly the romance builds on its own, and you feel all of Torr’s pain, as his love of Grace is so strong, even if she is human and cannot be his mate. Torr and Grace were so beautiful together. Grace was strong, stubborn and determined to help Torr, no matter how dangerous it was. She found herself first attracted to him, then the feelings became stronger, and Torr did all he could to keep his word he would say nothing. It was fun to see him react to her putting her self in danger, and his constant trying to protect her or send her away to safety, only to have her rebuff him. We knew that somehower, the barriers that blocked Grace’s feelings for Torr would be hard pressed to stand up against their true strong love for each other.

I have loved this series from the start, and love Shannon Butcher’s writing, as she weaves a wonderful, exciting, tense, romantic and steamy storyline in every book. Willing Sacrifice has all of that, but was different then most of the books. Almost 95% of the book was Torr, Grace and Brenya, with a small part being Tori. It is rare that a story is solely with a minimum few, but we got to spend a lot of fun time with this fabulous couple. What amazes me is that Shannon still made this an exciting fun hot story that is not to be missed, which proves what I have been saying. Shannon Butcher is a fantastic writer.

Barb
The Reading Cafe

[Lillie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh, yet again another Heroine that I hate.


Honestly, I loved old Grace. Old Grace was kind, gentle, understanding, and considerate of Torr's plight, his hurts. New Grace is a fucking idiot. She's constantly throwing herself in the middle of danger, acting as if she can be helpful when she CANT. It would've been a whole other thing had she actually had some useful skills and was just fighting against sexist d-bags that thought woman should stay in the kitchen. But the thing is she DIDN'T have any use in any given situation.

She's not a warrior with hundreds of years of experience, she has no powers, she has NOTHING that could contribute or be helpful in a fight. Yet she's constantly arguing that she CAN be useful in a fight.

"Do you expect me to just sit back and watch the people I care about get hurt?"

NO, we don't but if you're presence is causing more problems than preventing them, maybe you should take a fucking knee and back the hell out.

"I thought you were different from the others, that you didn’t see me as a puny, weak human"

YOU ARE A WEAK, PUNY HUMAN, YOU DUMB GIRL!!!! She's thinks she can hold her own against literal immortal, demon hunting beings when, in fact, she can't. She doesn't stack up to them and this stupid ass thinking constantly puts her in danger and makes Torr worry unnecessarily. Her dumb ass actions drag the plot out longer than it needed to be and caused undue pain and stress to Torr. More than once he thought she would DIE. AGAIN. I'm sorry but I've been in those shoes, worrying over the health of a loved one so the fact that Grace KNEW this, KNEW he worried for her life and that her in danger and in pain cause him pain, and simply DIDN'T care and kept DOING said dangerous things. Was enough to want me to set myself on fire.

*Spoilers at this point- honestly, i don't care*

And lastly, and the most annoying when it comes to Heroines; she immediately blames Torr when she realizes they knew each other before she lost her memory. She claims he lied to her and how much he hurt her by doing so blah fucking blah but he TOLD her that he VOWED he wouldn't tell her about their past together or her past AT ALL.(which I'm assuming is pretty much like Harry Potter's Unbreakable Vow in that the person making the vow cannot go against said vow and the many times he thought about telling her and his throat literally closed up, preventing him from doing it.) She doesn't seem to understand that he made a vow not to tell her, he -technically- didn't out right lie to her. She never asked the questions directly to him and she herself asked Brenya and she flat out refused. So the fact that she's just so damn adamant in blaming Torr makes me want to punch her in the face.

She's so fucking naive, and not in the cutesy, good-natured way either. In the "im going to cause problems that shouldn't be problems in the first place" way.


Anyway, Torr was a sweety, although he ran much too hot and cold temper for my liking, the story was solid even though I'm not a big sci-fi fan, and the incorporation of the side characters POVs was pretty good (even if i didn't take a personal interest in them). The events and the heroine knocked in down three stars for me though. Sorry but when the main characters tends to make a major role in my rating system.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Torr and Grace at last, their hopeless relationship has spanned most of the books in the Sentinel series, so I had my fingers crossed for them to get a happily ever after despite the major strike against them as a Theroni and human pairing - he needs a Theroni mate to save him, plus her human life span is really short compared to that of the immortal warrior.

I really liked the first half or so of Willing Sacrifice, it's very bittersweet for Torr. He's happy to find out that Grace is alive and well, but it is also very sad for him in that Grace has no memory of him or her feelings for him. So, while Torr is finally whole and well enough to love Grace the way he'd always wanted to, Grace is still out of Torr's reach. There is some good tension building as Torr works to get Grace to fall in love with him again and I am happy that Torr and Grace finally got their HEA, but their (non-romantic) interactions started falling into a rut. Grace is the Willing Sacrifice or rather the 'Willful' sacrifice and their repetitive discussions about her safety ended up making their story feel overly long.

Although part of that draggy-ness is probably that Grace and Torr have more screen time than most Sentinel pairings - author Butcher normally has a lot more irons in the fire in her stories. In Willing Sacrifice though the bulk of the story took place in another world, so there wasn't really any movement in the other story lines that are in play back on Earth and we didn't get much of a peek at any of the other Theroni, only Tori and Nicholas have some minimal (but totally separate) page time.

So, I liked willing sacrifice - but I really wanted to love it. Sigh.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those fans of the Sentinel Wars series who were waiting for a glorious Happy Ever After for Grace and Torr, you won't be disappointed. . Shannon K Butcher obviously knew how many readers were waiting for this story, so most of the action is set away from Earth giving Grace and Torr total page time without the rest of the story arc.

A few vital clues are given but even though I enjoyed the story I did miss the ongoing action in the War against the Synestryn.

3.5 - 4 stars.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Willing Sacrifice
2.5 Stars

Months after recovering from his paralysis and losing the woman he loves in the process, Torr Maston is barely coping. When summoned to Temprocia by Brenya, the powerful woman who took Grace for healing, he is devastated to learn that Grace has no memories of her previous life. Sworn to keep silent about their past, Torr must set aside his instincts and desires to help Grace protect her new home before it is discovered and destroyed by the Solarc.

Series note: This series has an ongoing story arc and must be read in order.

Unfortunately, this installment in the series is very disappointing. To begin with, it is set in Temprocia, and as such, there are no appearances by former couples nor is there character development for any of the unmated Theronai warriors. While there is some interesting information on the Solarc, Brenya and Tori (which is the most compelling element), it fails to sufficiently compensate for the filler feeling of this book.

The plot is a series of repetitive excursions as Grace and Torr work together to destroy the Sentinel Stone. They leave the village, encounter a foe, are terribly wounded, return and recover - rinse and repeat.

In terms of the romance, Grace is a sweet heroine but she has so many TSTL moments, that I stopped counting. While Torr is a wonderful hero and his love for Grace is absolute, their relationship lacks the energy and intensity of the other pairings. Finally, the story comes to a very abrupt end with a Deus ex Machina solution to Grace's incompatibility with Torr's magic, and no information on their return to Earth.

Overall, this is not the best example of Butcher's storytelling. Hopefully, the next one will be better.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

A diferencia de los anteriores, no había leído este libro antes. No sé si ya me cansé, si es porque transcurre en otro planeta, porque no hay alternancia con otras historias o porque el romance de Thor y Grace no me resultó tan atrayente...sea por lo que sea, la historia me resultó un plomo. Le pongo igual tres estrellas porque no estoy segura de que la novela sea mala. Por ahi se aplica el típico "no sos vos soy yo".

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I'm left feeling somewhat conflicted about the review I'm about to write because I'm a big fan of the Sentinel Wars series; I've been a faithful reader since the beginning and, though I didn't like this installment as much as I've enjoyed previous ones, it still had some interesting elements that kept me going.

What I liked:

Few characters in the Sentinel Wars series have been so tortured as Torr and Grace, who have featured as secondary characters through the entire series. It was a relief to see a resolution to this story, even if it felt a little long-winded and the plot twists a trifle convenient. She's not ever going to be a compatible Theronai female capable of forming the pair bond needed to ensure Torr lives his normal life span? No worries, a few sentences a presto fix-oh!I would have started this section of my review with a spoiler alert, but this a romance novel an HEA is inevitable. Although the second half of the book is a bit of a slog where Torr and Grace seem to experience forty days in the desert and get injured/healed A LOT, things do turn out for the best.

I also appreciated getting to see how Tori is healing from the horrific abuse she suffered during her captivity at the hands of the Synestryn. The search for Tori, and what to do with her after she was found, has been an important secondary question of the series, and let's face it: Tori's mental instability is a major problem that can't--and shouldn't--be resolved in a single novel. It was good for her to see Torr and Grace building a healthy relationship in an environment completely separate from the place where she was so physically and emotionally devastated. Although she's still more than a little wild, she's taking her life back and beginning to see what is possible for her.

It also wasn't bad getting to know a little more about Brenya, who has been an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. She has an endgame, but she's the kind of character who makes you wonder if the cure might just maybe be worse than the disease. The never seen but often mentioned Solarc continues to be a pain in the rear, and I'm getting that sinking feeling that I'm going to have to go back and read the series from the beginning to remember why he's so determined to destroy humans and other assorted life forms who have been indirectly mentioned but not yet included in the series.

What I didn't like:

I'm all for expanding the world building, but if this universe had to expand, why did it have to go entirely offworld? I think readers have a good grip on the Theronai, and we're getting to know the Sanguinar and their desperate plans for survival, but we've still to hear very much about the third side of the anit-Solarc triumvirate: the Slayers. They're mentioned/referenced so infrequently that they have begun to feel like an afterthought that is begrudgingly included instead of as a vital part of humanity's best hope for survival. I hope we get a book centered on these warriors before we forget their existence altogether; they sounded like characters I really wanted to get to know.

I also have a great deal of irritation with the timing of some of the sex scenes. It's a romance novel, so we're going to have sex scenes, but can they please not be out in the forest where the main character is supposed to be on guard duty keeping watch for monsters that can take out an entire settlement? *headdesk* Torr spends most of the novel as a walking erection, almost to the point of idiocy, and it begs the question of what is more important: How often Torr and Grace can think about or have sex, or the relationship they are supposed to be building? At the end of the day this is still supposed to be a romance, and this romance has to form the basis for a life-long pair bond. There seemed to be too much focus on lust, and not quite enough on love for this to be a realistic outcome.

Overall, I thought this novel was alright, but I can't say that I loved it; it almost feels like a bridge to give the reader exposition that informs future books. It is a relief, however, after seeing either Torr or Grace terribly injured or incapacitated for the last seven books, to see these characters fall in love again as equals who learn to respect and appreciate one another. Although there is still some uncertainty where their story will go from here, I am sure we will be hearing more about them as Shannon Butcher expands her series into the future.

[Deb Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shannon K. Butcher's eighth book in The Sentinal Wars series, focuses primarily on the story of Torr and Grace and their second chance at love. It is a novel that does not go into a lot of detail on previous story arcs but takes a direction of it's own. Butcher's complex world building is once again amazing and the sense of honor and duty she gives her characters is commendable. Readers of the series have waited for this particular story to come out after seeing the tragic ending these two characters had in a previous book. They will be well satisfied with how the relationship evolves. Another good book from Shannon K. Butcher.

What I liked:

Shannon K. Butcher is one of those authors that I can read over and over. The books in The Sentinel Wars series have all been full of unbelievable world building which is so important in this kind of series. Butcher had to create a world that was different from out own, but one readers would be able to realize and visualize. It is a complex world where three races battle in a war to protect mankind. I loved all of the specific relationships that Butcher builds and camaraderie of the warriors, their sense of duty and their idea of what brotherhood means. The previous books have all been about the greater good but Willing Sacrifice takes a different track.

This story focuses solely on Torr and Grace. None of the other characters that readers have come to know and love appear in great detail in this book. The main story arc almost seems to be forgotten, though Torr and Grace are still fighting the same foes and the same battles. It's as if the author added this book as a completely separate entity to the series. Instead of focusing on the overall goals and the greater good that readers are familiar with it focuses on the one, on the individual experience as a man and a warrior. I thought it was a beautiful love story full of sacrifice and trust. It may seem out of place in the series to some, but I liked that individualistic approach that we see in this book. The world is still going on around Torr and Grace, but their story is their own and somehow set apart from it. I loved that idea.

Grace has no idea who Torr is now. Though the shared a love for the ages in the past, the cure given to Grace to save her life, has left her memories dormant and unreachable, yet she is drawn to Torr like a moth to the flame. Somehow her heart remembers and as they fight side by side, her internal instinct to protect Torr is as strong as his to protect her. Her memories start to slowing trickle back and some of them are not good memories, but she perseveres and comes out the other side, changed but not beyond hope. I thought the love story between these two was so poignant. Here they are in the middle of a battle to protect one of the most powerful women in their world. Everything around them is in chaos but they are still willing to sacrifice themselves for each other. Butcher does a fantastic job with this story.

What I didn't like:

I missed all the characters from the rest of the books. I wondered off and on what might be happening to them on the home world and what battles they might be fighting. It wasn't something I had to know, but a little information here and there might have been nice.

Bottom Line:

Though this book was completely different from the previous books in the series, I liked the fact that it centered completely around one couple and their individual experience within the whole. I liked it, it was something different for a change, but I did miss the other characters and stories.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a previous book, the heroine gives her life to save the life of the heroine and, in essence, she dies. But a powerful witch (I guess you'd call her) restores her life and brings her to the outskirt world where they live in exile and battle fierce beasts. But the process has erased all memories of her previous life. The hero is still reeling from the death of his woman and lives his life tortured by her memory. When he's summoned by the witch to protect her village, he instantly agrees. Partly because he's made a vow to protect all humans but mostly because it gives him a chance to be near the woman he loves. He's devastated by the knowledge that she doesn't remember him and plagued by the vow he made to not tell her who he is or what they once meant to each other. But he can't hide his feelings or desires. He makes it so plain that it's truly amazing how deluded the heroine is to not see it but I do suppose she has no idea what is means to feel desire for a man or to have him desire her because she's never actually seen a man before. I can give her a pass on that, but she's so utterly stupid for her constant fear of him. Every time he raises his voice or gets a frustrated, she instantly thinks he's going to hurt her.

I hate overly dramatic heroine's and this one was off the charts. She's selfless to a fault and totally not a coward but she insists on risking her life every single time they battle some Hunter. The hero will tell her to hide, tell her that he physically cannot cope with the idea of her being hurt or killed, and yet she would find some way to jump into the fray. In the process she would get cornered and wounded and the hero would need to save her. The exact same scenario would happen at least once a chapter and by the end I wanted to throw the book across the room. The only thing that stop this abuse was the fact the enjoyed the hero. I liked the heroine when she wasn't interring with things. But there were too many flaws to overlook. The most glaring of faults is the fact that the hero is very plainly in love with the heroine from start to finish. He didn't need to develop feelings as he already had them in spades to start with. No character development. The heroine, on the other hand, spends the entire book ignorant of her past memories and doesn't actually remember her love for the hero until the end of the book. The time in the middle is spent showing the heroine lusting after the hero but even that was rather dull and lifeless. It's a bad concept to begin with but when you add into the mix the action and the total lack of character development the story gets boring. I had hopes for a good story because for once the author didn't feature the hero kidnapping the heroine, which was nice. But alas, I did not fancy this addition to the series.

[Shauni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for Tea and Book

In Book 8 of her Sentinel Wars Series Shannon K. Butcher tells us a story of forbidden love. Not the Montagues and the Capulets but of two races that should not mix.

A Theronai warrior only has so long to live on his own before the leaves on his tree of life start to fall off. A mystical event because the Tree of Life is actually a tattoo but the leaves really fall off. If the leaves all fall a warrior is lost. He is dead inside and turns into the Theronai people's worst nightmare. So what happens when a Theronai and a human fall in love.

Grace was a human woman, a girl really, abused by her step father and barely hanging on, when the demons came. Unknown to her they were drawn to the trace amounts of Theronai DNA in her blood. Minimal traces not enough for her to claim any other race but human. Before the Demons finished feasting on her step father, Grace and her brother were saved and the Demons destroyed. Homeless they were offered a place at the Theronai compound. Everything would have been perfect, should have been perfect but the warrior who saved her was poisoned and paralyzed. Grace made it her mission to save him. Slowly falling in love. Knowing he must be healed, that his skills were needed, Grace used Theronai technology and managed to absorb his injuries. All but killing her. Her only chance of survival was to be removed off world and tended by a powerful Theronai female, their creator? goddess? Either or. Doesn't matter Grace has been moved to a new life.

Torr is a Theronai warrior in his prime, after the frustration and depression that came with being paralysed, the only light in his life was Grace but her extreme sacrifice was not what he was looking for. Now she is gone and Torr can not stop grieving. He doesn't even know if she lived or died. But when he is pulled into her world he finds that things are worse than he could ever imagine. Grace is alive and she has no memory of her previous life, including him. Devastated he realizes he is still bound to serve and the women are being threatened. Only a Theronai warrior will do.

While I missed the interactions with the rest of the Theronai, I enjoyed the overall theme of this book. Grace had no memory if Torr and Torr has promised to never reveal what they are to each other. Grace is still drawn to Torr. She topples into love all over again. But the problem remains..She is human and he is Theronai she can not become his mate. She can never save him.

What would either sacrifice to ensure that the other lives? And is it the right sacrifice? Do they have a chance? Can their love survive? Flourish?

A wonderful addition to this series.

Shauni

[Olivia ツ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally Torr and Graces’ story!! It’s been a long time coming.

This was a nice change of pace from the previous books in the series. Unlike other books this focused solely on Torr and Grace and it wasn’t on earth. The overall pace was a bit slow but perhaps this was because we didn’t have a zillion other side stories to distract us. The ending felt rushed though. I wanted more of the happy ending. I didn’t like Brenya at all! All the talk in riddles got frustrating. Still, we learn a lot about the Theronai and this complicated war through her.

Still wondering what is happening on earth and with the other warriors. Who will be next? Tori and Nicholas perhaps?

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars, I liked Torr and Grace just didn't think this book had the usual sparkle that the series normally has. I think this is going to be a trilogy within the story arc...at least I hope so because it ended abruptly and in a strange place...IMO. Still love the series and the world that SB has created and looking forward to Tori and Nicholas's book. At least I hope that is who gets paired together.

[PepperP0t · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Torr is on his solo quest and Grace heals under Brenya's care, he is summoned to Brenya's side in Athanasia. Though Brenya says Torr was summoned to protect the village from marauding beasts, Torr thinks it's much more since he has become suspicious of conversations
This entire review and others can be found at: http://www.ireadthatbook.com

[Laura]

DNF because you can’t read out of order with the series. I’ll come back to it once I’ve caught up.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!!!

This book was highly anticipated for me, I was so intrigued at how this was going to work and to read Grace again I loved her in past stories and just hoped upon hope that she and Torr would be together.

I loved Torr he is just so strong and masculine and holds his heart on his sleeve.

Grace is beauty and sacrifice and although her past is terrifying she is wounded but strong.

I loved they they got to fall in love again!!!

Catching up on Tori’s progress was a huge bonus and I live to read her story whenever it is available.

The basic storyline was incredibly different from those offered in previous instalments of the series giving a refreshing and interesting assortment of delights.

All up although there are some unanswered questions the story as a whole was Incredibly funny, really amazing action and suspense and all round amazing story cannot wait to revisit the Sentinels again in the next installment.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torr has been torturing himself now that Grace is gone, wondering if she’s even alive. Then Brenya calls him to her in the dimension of Temporcia to kill monsters that threaten her people. When he is wounded in the battle, Brenya is forced to let him stay and let Grace tend to him. But he’s not allowed to tell her who he is and Grace has lost all memory of her life on Earth. Tori lives there also as a hunter, but still has issues from her demon captivity.

I had no idea how things were going to work out.Kept me without a clue until the very end.

Footnote: 1) These ice rock hunters are an interestingly different type of monster than I’ve come across before. Though they seem to ‘die’ too easily.

Fave scenes: the frozen hunter in the tree, Torr killing the sandman, Tori’s punishment with the baby and Torr getting the stone.

[S Allred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torr a Theroni warrior who had vowed to come when called in exchage for saving the life of Grace the women he loves is summond by Brenyna to keep the women and children safe from Solarc finding them and stopping the efforts to help the Sentinels in there war against the Synestryn. This is a thing tht brings him great joy as well as great sadness because though Grace lives she has no memory of Torr or the love that she had for him. And to make matters worse Brenya teams them up to complete the quests that will bring saftey to those she guards.

[Ken Liljengren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank You Ms Butcher

Ken

[Mhollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting 🧐

Cool concept with the disks. Poor Torr, he had a really rough go of it, but he muddled through. Grace was a bit too touchy about being human.

[Solange Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sherry Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite of the series so far. Love the couple but this story dragged for me. The last 20-30 pages were the best part of the book.

[Tracy Gallacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Adventure with some twists and turns.

[Oneyda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't believe the characters were in love.

[Mskychick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from Shannon Butcher in a giveaway contest.
I have been a longtime fan of the Sentinel Wars books, and I was excited to finally get to Torr and Grace's story. Torr, a Theronai warrior, was paralyzed by the bite of demon when fighting that demon to save Grace and her sibling. Grace took care of Torr as he lay paralyzed in the compound where all the Theronai live and fell in love with him. She was given 2 magical discs that she could put on her back and on Torr's back (I can't remember how she got those discs, it's been awhile since I read that book). The metal discs transferred his paralysis and pain from Torr to Grace.

Grace is taken to Temprocia to live with Brenya in another world, and Torr has had no idea that Grace was still alive. Brenya has healed parts of Grace, at the expense of Grace's memories. Time passes differently in this other world, and Grace has lived for 4 years, while only a few months have passed for Torr. Grace remembers nothing of her previous life before she was brought to Temprocia. When Torr is brought to Temprocia and discovers Grace living there, he is ecstatic to be with the woman he loves once again. But Brenya makes him promise he will not tell Grace about her past (which I thought was really crappy). Also, Torr feels it is his duty to mate with someone who will live forever, not a short-lived human, so that he can continue to fight with his Theronai betheren and save all of humanity. So there are many things keeping Grace and Torr apart.

Grace and Torr go off on a quest to save the world of Temprocia, and Grace falls in love with Torr all over again. Her memories are slowly revealed back to her, and eventually she is reunited with all her memories and know what her past with Torr is. The journey to get there is poignant and beautiful. I was very frustrated by Brenya's seeming lack of empathy and tunnel vision about what she wanted to happen, which I felt caused harm to Grace as well as to Grace and Torr's relationship. I hope we hear more about Brenya's motivations and thought processes in future books, because right now she's not a sympathetic character to me.

Grace is a fearful person, due to her past traumas, but she is courageous in her actions, putting herself in danger over and over to save or protect others. Torr must rescue Grace from her impetuous actions when she endangers herself in her attempts to stand up for those around her. Grace did annoy me slightly in her inability to pick less dangerous actions, but it emphasized how she saw herself as not worth as much as others around her. She was the only human on Temprocia, and felt weak and unimportant, which colored her beliefs about the worth of her own life as compared to those around her. This made her overly willing to put herself in dangerous positions to benefit the needs of others. This was a similar failing to all other other chosen mates of the other Theronai in the previous books, and I have to say Grace didn't piss me off as much with her pigheadedness as most of the previous heroines did.

The end felt a little rushed, once Grace's knowledge is completely returned and the couple defeat their foes, but it was so satisfying to have Torr and Grave get their HEA that I am willing to forgive the cramped and abrupt feeling of their HEA. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series. I started this book later in the evening (bad choice!), and didn't go to bed until I had finished it, so it was great enough to keep me from sleep.

On a side note, I know Tori will be getting her own book, and I'm interested to see how Butcher will make her into a sympathetic character, because she certainly isn't here! But Thea Harrison did an awesome job in a similar situation with her novel Kinked, which I absolutely loved, so I'm looking foward to how Shannon will do it.

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 4, 2014

4 stars

They are the Sentinels. Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity against their eternal foes: the Synestryn. Now a warrior weighs the price he will pay for love....

Theronai warrior Torr has never forgotten Grace, the human who stole his heart and nearly gave her life to save his. So when he is summoned to the aid of Brenya, the powerful woman who healed Grace, he is devastated to find that Grace’s cure has left her mind devoid of any memory of Torr or their love.

However, despite not knowing who he is, Grace is inexplicably drawn to the dark warrior. As they team up to stop the invasion that threatens the people Grace now considers family, her memories slowly start resurfacing. But sometimes the past is best forgotten—a lesson that Torr may learn too late....

~~~~~~

REVIEW: 4 stars--WILLING SACRIFICE is the eighth storyline in Shannon K. Butcher’s paranormal, romance, fantasy series-The Sentinel Wars. The Sentinels are three races descended from an ancient race of guardians known as the Athanasians, who defend and protect mankind from the demons at the door. The Theronai are the protectors, the Sanguinar are the healers (as well as blood feeders) and the Synestryn-the demons.

The premise follows Torr as he is commanded to Temprocia in an effort to quell the forces on the hunt for Brenya-one of the most powerful females known to the Theronai. As the legions of Hunters, demons and the Warden draw near Torr will be paired with his one-time love Grace-a woman who has no memory of Torr or of their relationship. What ensues is Torr’s need to keep the woman that he loves safe from harm when she continuously goes out of her way to protect the stranger who has been sent to save her world. Grace is drawn to Torr, for reasons she cannot explain, but the more she looks deep into herself, the more her memory begins to return.

WILLING SACRIFICE is a story of second chances in a world where staying alive is a daily struggle. The reader is pulled into an engaging and suspense filled storyline where a human places a stranger’s life above her own. Call it woman’s intuition or a self-sacrificing soul, but Grace cannot explain her need to protect the man who calls to heart-a heart she didn’t know could feel so much love.

There is little to no reference about the previous storyline characters or premise. Willing Sacrifice focuses on three people: Torr, Grace and Brenya. Most of the storyline revolves around the struggle to prevent the Hunters and Demons from discovering the whereabouts of Brenya and Torr’s attempts to keep Grace safe from harm. The storyline’s connection to the Sentinel Wars is limited in its’ affects on the series or any of the original premise.

Shannon K Butcher weaves a tale of lost love in a world of death and destruction. Torr and Grace are soul mates who will get a second chance at happiness-if they can only survive the demonic attacks and each other.

Reading Order
1. Burning Alive
2. Finding The Lost
3. Running Scared
3.5 The Collector
4. Living Nightmare
5. Blood Hunt
5.5 Bound by Vengeance
6. Dying Wish
7. Falling Blind
8. Willing Sacrifice

Copy supplied by the publisher.

thereadingcafe.com

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5♥s

Background and recap:

We followed Torr and Grace's story throughout the Sentinel Wars series. Torr was paralyzed while rescuing Grace and her half-brother from demons. Grace cared for Torr while he was paralyzed. They secretly grew to love each other, but Torr was paralyzed and dying. Even if he was healthy and whole, Grace was human and couldn't be the mate he needed.

Grace learned of a way to heal Torr, by taking on his injuries herself through discs attached to their spines. By the time Torr was healed and found Grace near death, it was too late to save her. Brenya, a mysterious otherworldly woman, offered to try to heal Grace on another world. In exchange, Torr promised to come to Brenya's aid when called.

Present Day:

Torr has been MIA from the Sentinel warriors for months, mourning the loss of Grace. He doesn't even know if she's dead or alive. Then Brenya snatches him from Earth to help her save the world where she's hidden women and children. There he finds Grace, healed and well. But not whole. Her memories of him and of Earth are missing. And Brenya extracts a magical vow that Torr will not tell Grace that they knew each other.

Grace is attracted to Torr, more than just being attracted to a handsome man. She begins to have flashes of memory and feelings of familiarity. For Torr's part, keeping their relationship a secret is torture. And if Grace learns that he's been keeping it from her, will she be able to forgive him?

Grace and Torr must work together to—literally—save the world. The one thing that hasn't changed about Grace is that she's self-sacrificing, and puts Torr's life before hers. Will she ultimately go too far?

My thoughts:

Grace is brave, humble, loving, and self-sacrificing. And she'd do anything for Torr, whether she remembers him or not. She believes she's weak compared to the supernatural women on the planet, but she actually has the greater strength of character.

Torr is a warrior through and through, and yet gentle with Grace. And it's obvious that he loves her to the depths of his soul. He'd do anything for Grace, whether she remembers him or not. Anything. In that respect, he's also self-sacrificing.

Although the plot is a lot of the same type of scene over and over again, it serves to emphasize Grace's character and foreshadow what might happen in the end. You begin to fear for the characters if they don't change their ways.

If you're a fan of the Sentinel Wars series, then you've probably been eagerly awaiting Torr and Grace's story. They've been through so much heartache, and a happy ending just doesn't seem possible. Even in Willing Sacrifice, a HEA doesn't seem possible. But the ending is worth the wait.

And the final line is perfect.