Saphera Nyx, former soldier, now police officer, has a startling background. Daughter to a renowned crime couple, she’s a scion of Nyx, Goddess of Night. As if that wasn’t enough, when her father dies, his gift for ‘detaching’ – when his spirit leaves his body at will – passes to Saphera, and not to her older brother as expected.
When her parents’ last crime, involving a deadly drug, returns to haunt the town of Sapphire Lake, Nyx must decide whether to rid herself of this unwanted ability, or embrace it to prevent more people from suffering a terrible fate.
This new series from the author of the excellent ‘Soul Summoner’ series, hits the ground running and never lets up. I did find it hard, at first, to identify with Nyx (as she likes to be known). There’s a lot of information and a lot of characters, and I didn’t find anything in common with Nyx to help me latch onto her. This is a personal thing, and I can’t fault the writing or the story, I just didn’t connect with her until I chapter 8, when she helps a new friend regain her job in a fantastic show of brashness and empathy. After that, I couldn’t read it fast enough and I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.
This is a fascinating premise, with great world building, and the fully rounded characters I’ve come to expect from this author. There’s action, humour, pathos, and a smouldering romance, all beautifully integrated into a thrilling paranormal plot with a satisfying wrap up, and lots of material left for future stories. If this is your sort of read, I highly recommend you check out this opening novel of what promises to be a great new series.