Knightfall by Berinn Rae

Knightfall by Berinn Rae

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal romance
Trade paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: Crescent Moon
Release date: May 2, 2011

Series: Guardians of the Seven Seals #1

Source: Review copy from author

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

A half-breed angel believed to be the harbinger of Armageddon. The immortal knight assigned to kill her.

Alaskan bush pilot Kerra Cain lives a relatively normal life. That is, until a fallen angel reveals his plans to use Kerra to trigger the Apocalypse. To escape, she must place her trust in the arms of Gareth, a dangerously sexy, enigmatic man who has haunted her dreams for years. Gareth whisks Kerra away to a protected island fortress where the Guardians of the Seven Seals train, all the while battling their growing attraction. When one of the Seals is stolen, Kerra must embrace a heritage long denied her if they are to retrieve the Seal and save the world from Armageddon.

Knightfall is the passionate first tale of the Guardians of the Seven Seals series, a fantasy romance series about innocence lost and heroes forged in a time where a supernatural war threatens to consume the world.

I really, really wanted to love this book. It’s got so many great ideas but it didn’t quite coalesce for me and I’m not entirely sure why. It could be something as simple as the fact that I read it while I was sick but who knows...

As you’ve probably guessed from the cover copy, Knightfall revolves around Gareth and Kerra. Kerra’s a fantastic protagonist. She’s tough and independent and she has a really neat power: she can see people’s auras. She doesn’t know why but it’s definitely affected the way she’s chosen to live her life because she’s pretty isolated, working as a bush pilot in Alaska. (Side note: I love how original this setting and career are. You don’t often see women as pilots in books, particularly not bush pilots. Kudos, Berinn!) Kerra’s also pretty adaptable, which comes in handy as she starts to learn about the supernatural war that’s been going on for centuries.

Gareth is a nice foil for Kerra. I didn’t find him as interesting as Kerra -- maybe that’s why things didn’t come together 100% for me in this one. His back story is pretty neat but I wasn’t as drawn to him as I’d expected. I actually found the bad guy, Malgrin, to be much more interesting, if crazy. I mean, he’s totally nuts but he’s a formidable foe and I look forward to seeing where the series takes him. It won’t be good for our heroes and I’m excited to see it.

The thing I liked best about Knightfall is the world that Berinn’s created. It’s got a lot of depth and is filled with interesting characters. And as I’m feeling a little lazy today so I’m going to let Berinn (or, rather, Berinn’s website) explain the world that her series is set in:

Hidden from the world we know, exists the mythos.

Mythical creatures we believed in as children, only to be forgotten as we aged.

But that doesn’t make them any less real.

The Seven Seals, as referenced in the Book of Revelation, are said to be all that stands between our survival and the end of days.

Led by a reclusive angel, the Seven are powerful immortals, enhanced by the marks they bear.

Throughout history, the Seven have guided the Hidden, dedicating their lives to keep the world of the mythos obscured from human eyes.

But they haven't done it alone.

It is the Guardians – knights, shifters, and other men of the mythos – who have defended the Seven

and protected the Hidden against the power-hungry Dominion,

and the world has been held in a fragile balance of good and evil.

As bloodshed spills over to claim human lives, the forces that balance against each other begin to unravel.

One thing is known. When the dust settles, nothing will ever be the same.

Wicked, no? I love it when a series has an epic feel and Knightfall has definitely nailed it. Both sides have strong leaders and interesting characters and the idea of the Seven Seals really grabs my attention.

Knightfall is a solid debut set in a captivating world. I wasn’t as blown away as I’d hoped but I did enjoy Kerra and Gareth’s story and I am excited to see what Berinn has in store for us with the next book, Hellbound, which is being released at the end of March.

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

Posted by jenn at 07:00

 Berinn Rae, Review  6 People left their mark

Born and raised in the Toronto area, Jenn moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, eight years ago for school. She's still in school (thankfully on another degree!), now trapped in her dissertation. When she's not dissertating, which happens more often than it should, Jenn spends her time reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, travelling, and enjoying the local music scene. Her latest addictions: yoga and Almond Crunch cereal.