Guardians of the Realm by Setta Jay in a whole as a series is an easy four stars. It took me a little bit to really like them. I love mythology all kinds of mythology and I like books that tie that in to story line; my issue and it just personal preference I don't like the bastardization of the Greek mythology in this. Everything else about this I loved, it was freakin' hot the conflict and the love stories a great read, it's just the villain-ization of the Gods, and who was bad and who ended up good and some of the role placement of the gods and monsters was awkward for me. I read that this was compared to Black Dagger Brotherhood, honestly, I prefer this series. I liked these band of protectors more they were enjoyable to read and they were less annoying to me then BDB. It started rocky for me but by the time I was at book six I was cursing the fact that I have to wait for the next one. Okay now lets break this down.
Hidden Ecstasy
The Prequel novella for the series that is currently free at Amazon. I personally think it was a mistake to read this one first because it doesn't really introduce the characters very well. I think if you read it after the first or second book it makes more sense. It is basically a quick look into Alexandra, Erik and Vane's life before the fated events of Ecstasy Unbound.
Ecstasy Unbound
Ecstasy Unbound I had a hard time getting into it because I had problems the mythology thing; but if this book was anything it is HOT!! Straight off the back it's smokin'. Alexandra and her two brothers twins Erik and Vane, the children of the God Athena, have lived on the Earth Realm avoiding exile to the Immortal Realm, but that doesn't keep them from helping the Guardians that are suppose to exile them. But when Alex ability jumps her in to the mind of a woman being tortured by another immortal Erik goes crazy his mind is out of it he is suffering horrible pains. They have no choice but to seek out help of the Immortal Guardians and Alex must face the Guardian she has been stalking for about a century. Urian knows the little goddess has been watching him and he doesn't mind it one bit, but the fact that they could never be together is unfortunate and a little depressing. For the last decade every woman he has taken her has imagined as his little goddess and the fact that she sometimes watches him just excites him more.
Alex shows up at the Guardian Earth Realm estate to ask for help and comes across Uri first and from the moment Uri gets close enough they can't stop the passion between them drives them crazy with want. The leader of the Immortal Guardians is the first to realize what is happening they are mates and the are in the mating frenzy and that's what is wrong with Erik as well. The woman; Sam, that is being tortured by the crazy immortal, Cyril, and his demented companion, Elizabeth, was kidnapped from the Earth Realm to be used as a test subject to break the curse placed on the immortals to keep the Gods from abusing and using mortals. Erik recognizing Sam as his goes crazy with the knowledge of what she is suffering and has to be put in a medically induced coma. Alex and Uri have to work through their mating craze and help the Guardians with tracking down Sam and rescuing her.
Book two picks up a little bit after the last, it centers around Gregoire and Alyssa. Gregoire is one of the most powerful of his kind and he has known who his mate is since the day she was born but out of respect for his friend, her father, he has stayed away. Alyssa grew up thinking finding your mate was magical and with the romance novels she has read from the Earth Realm she had high expectations, until the day she over hears her parents talking about her mate. She immediately thinks that he is refusing her as his and decides to rebel. With her best friend, Rain, in tow they vacation on the island dedicated to pleasure. Gregoire has had enough of waiting but when he gets their and is informed that she has left and where she has left to he goes a little jealous rage. He tracks her down and basically kidnaps her. Alyssa has always thought she was the weakest of her kind because she has been treated that way by her father and his warriors but Gregoire treats her differently and works hard to convince her of that as well. Cyril is still out there still kidnapping Mageia to test on, this time he has gotten lucky and found a formula that works he has successfully mated a young woman to another man, kills him then mates her himself.
This one was a good read, it touched a little into f/f and pretty hot with a sweet love story. Gregoire's love is palpable, it's easy to see but takes Alyssa a bit of naughty convincing to see that he always meant to mate her.
Book three, naughty goodness. I really liked this one two stubborn people denying what they need and what they want. Rain has been on edge since first arriving at the Guardian compound but it isn't until Alyssa's mating ceremony that she knows why. Dorian never wanted a mate and he isn't planning on claiming the one he got, but he made the mistake of touching her and know he can see through her eyes. What he sees surprises him and as much as she turns him on and temps him it takes the leader of the guardians to convince him it's not his choice, and when Rain basically says the same thing to him he knows it's the right choice. He loves how strong she is and the fact she has power over water and sea creatures just proves to him she is exactly what he needs. Rain is hurt by the fact the Dorian won't claim her she knows he has reasons but is more upset that all of his choices center around what he wants and that it seems like he isn't concerned about her at all. But a good talking to and they start to see eye to eye, heart to heart, naughty parts to naughty parts. Things are far from peaceful in the Immortal Realm with hell hound and other monster attacks in multiple places are keeping the Guardians spreed thin.
A really good one. The anticipation of their mating in intense when it finally happens it just makes it all the sweet.
Book four, enter more alpha hotness in the form of wolf shifters. Conn is one of the oldest of his kind he was a warrior for Hades army against the other gods and because of it he was made a Guardian. So much has happened and the rise and fall of different evil in the Immortal Realm has changed hands but the traitor mageia who was helping kidnap others on Earth Realm was finally tracked down and then lost when she blew up her house. In the remains of the house Conn caught a scent on the wind, the scent of his mate. Dacia is the daughter of two immortals who were lucky enough to escape the Apollo's horrible training camp, she has never known anything about the other realms except that they might be prisons and the Guardians their jailers. When Conn shows up on her doorstep saying he is her mate she has no idea what he is talking about. Conn with the experience of watching his brother Guardians and their mates knows to take it slowly. Dacia knows nothing of the other realms and avoids touching her until she is ready to accept him as her mate, but her brothers who are use to being top dog aren't going to take it laying down. It's a good thing Conn is more powerful then them. Darcia has three brothers and three sisters, her sisters learn that immortal woman are instinctually attracted to powerful males and her younger sister becomes confused and thinks that another one of the Guardians is her mate but is wrong. Elizabeth has taken over for Cyril and has a plan of her own she is busily trying to execute, and succeeds to a point.
I loved this one, Conn was so sweet going slowly and Dacia is a great character.
(mmmmm that ass!)
Book five, Jax is ready for his mate and he knows he is going to find his next and it's not going to be Dacia's confused little sister. Jax is a a half cat immortal, one of the first ever created by the Gods he has always needed more sexual energy than the others and has kept a harem until recently, he only hopes his mate can fulfill his sexual appetite. Ileana is a ghost a special immortal cat blend who was born with out a scent. She blames the death of her parents on Cyril and Elizabeth and has spent her whole life trying to track down and kill them. This is the closest she has ever been but her chance was ruined buy the appearance of her mate Jax. Jax caught her scent, to her amazement he is the only one who can scent her. She fights tooth and nail against the mating thinking she can leave afterward but Jax has a fun and difficult time changing her mind. Jax helps her work through her insecurities and proves he's not going to leave and he wont get in the way of her ultimate goal. Ileana realizes what Elizabeth is after but it's to late Elizabeth has what she wants and everything has changed.
I really liked this one, Ileana was so aggravating in the beginning, but Jax won her over and she ended up pretty decent.
Book six, I really wanted this one to be Drake's book but sadly no it's Bastian's book. Apollo secretly created twin sisters with the power to destroy Gods, toward the end of the war they managed to escape to the Earth Realm. After all this time they have managed to stay off the Guardian's radar, until Sander the phoenix Guardian stumbles upon their BDSM club in France; he is compelled something keeps pulling him back. Bastian is a surprise shot out of the dark, we didn't hear much of him in previous books but with this appearance it is... wow. Natasha doesn't know what is happening to her when she first sees the stunning Guardian their first mating was hot and heavy but her sister, Nastia, pulls her away from it. The Guardians become aware of the sisters powers when Bastian knows Nastia messed with his mind and messed with Sander's mind as well, and even more Sanders and Nastia are mates and fighting it, thin line between love and hate. Because Tasha and Nastia have no idea about anything being separated from all the immortals Bastian has to explain who Tasha is to him. Tasha and Nastia have to rely on the help of the Guardians to find out where the newly awakened Apollo is up to and a new enemy comes out of the woodwork.
Bastian and Tasha have it fairly easy they accept their mating easily enough but Sander is a bit of a dick and Nastia is a bit of a bitch too, they're perfect for each other! I really liked this one, it was very... you know.
Their are several side stories that transition between books. Like Erik and Sam they rescue Sam but are too worried about how Erik is going to handle the pain Sam went through and she basically proves that she can handle him with a sweet seduction of her own. Vane and Brianne, who we see first in the prequel, they aren't suppose to be mates being of different species it's suppose to be impossible but over the decades they have been meeting in secret started something that brakes all the rules and after they are both poisoned by a monster their DNA mutates and turns them into a blend of both their animals. Drake the mighty leader of the Immortal Guardians has found the mate he never thought he would get the privilege of getting. Delia was tortured and assumed dead and her reappearance shocks everyone especially Drake who discovers she is his mate and not because the crap Cyril injected into her but because she is destined to be his. Thankfully Drake and Delia get their story next.
