There are secrets buried in the Earth’s past. Anastasia might be one of them.
The world knows nothing of the supernaturals among them … magical muscle, it draws the attention of a demon who has a very particular use for her. Now she must learn to control the power she can wield as a world of magical beings take an interest.
She may be damaged, but caught in a struggle she knew nothing about, she will rise, and the demons may learn they are not the real monsters.
The demons know she is special, but if they knew the truth, they would run.
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The ‘Realm of False Gods’ series is unusual in that it consists of several threads, each following one or more people which Steve Higgs assures us will all come together for a huge climax, it’s a bit of a strange concept but so far it seems to work, with some characters crossing over from one thread to the others.
In this book we are introduced to Anastasia, a wounded ex soldier who is drawn in to the fight against the demons who are threatening earth. She is a great character, severely injured, but with an indomitable spirit. I really enjoyed reading the way that she discovers her powers and uses her experience and skills to fight against the demons crossing over to this realm. I also liked the characters of her new friends Alex and Abi, two women who are physically opposite but who share a great friendship.
This is a very well crafted book, containing some very exciting action passages and also great characters and relationships.
I received an advance copy of this book, but have voluntarily written this honest review.
Anastasia Aaronson is a tough, no-nonsense, rebellious soldier — so rebellious, in fact, that she’s the longest-serving lieutenant in the British army, having been repeatedly passed over for promotion because “I cannot keep my mouth shut and have a worrying habit of telling my superiors that they are being stupid just because they are.” She and her troops are stationed in the Persian Gulf on a peacekeeping mission and descending into a village ahead of potential mayhem when one of her troops steps on a land mine. Anastasia wakes up in a military hospital, her left foot and left hand missing, the left side of her face horribly scarred, and no memory due to a tiny piece of shrapnel in her brain.
Four months later, with the help of armed forces resettlement services, she finds a research assistant position in a library in Rochester, which offers the quiet and normalcy she craves. She visits a local bar with her new roommate on her first night in town, which is where she first hears the voices. She has no idea whose they are or where they come from, but she recognizes their evil and, like the retired soldier she is, leaves the bar to locate their source.
What she finds are reptilian creatures attacking an elderly homeless man, although they soon turn their attentions to her. From out of nowhere, Anastasia finds herself able to create blue balls of fire, which kill the creatures before she collapses near the first victim.
She awakens battered and bruised in the hospital, where a smarmy police officer, Detective Sergeant Spencer, badgers her for answers she can’t provide. However, in the middle of the night, Anastasia hears the voices again and realizes the creatures are in the children’s ward, preying on tiny patients. She struggles to reach the ward and eventually defeats the creatures, but leaves human and supernatural carnage in her wake, as well as sustaining more injuries. And, of course, Detective Sergeant Spencer shows up to nag her again, absolutely certain of her guilt.
Not far away, wizard Otto Schneider is battling Sean McGuire, an exceptionally powerful familiar who has been sent to the mortal realm to kill all the familiars Otto freed (the extent of which is the focus of a later Realm novel, Familiar Territory). Sean is grateful to have been rescued from Ireland’s potato famine and determined to fulfill Daniel’s order to track down and slaughter every captive human returned to the mortal realm.
He has another mission as well: to capture Ana and deliver her to Daniel in the demon’s never-ending quest to gain status in the immortal realm. He has her in his sights when, much to his eternal astonishment, he’s attacked by a very tall and determined woman with an exceptionally large purse, who turns out to be Ana’s new library colleague, Alex. With BFF Abi, also a library employee, the women turn out to be Ana’s most loyal mortal allies.
Human assaults notwithstanding, Sean tries enticing Ana with promises of immortal rewards, but stunned by her strength and resistance, eventually turns to all-out battle with shilts, ogres, and countless humans dead. He still misjudges Ana, to his eternal peril.
Steve Higgs’ newest character in the Realm universe is a fierce and indomitable warrior, whether in service of her nation or fellow human. The immortals have been duly warned.
Damaged but Powerful: The Rise of Anastasia Aaronson is the fourth book in The Realm of False Gods series.
This story introduces us to a new player in the battle, a military veteran who was injured in battle. But her battle has just begun. Anastasia Aaronson is an intriguing character who does not know how she came into her powers but wastes no time in using them.
This story kept me spellbound from the prologue to the epilogue. I am loving this series and cannot wait to read the next book.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
This book begins fast and full of quick paced action. A young woman is recovering from being severely damaged by a landmine. She’s lost her memory and her career in the military is over. As she is discharged she takes a job and moves. When she arrives she begins hearing disconcerting things in her mind. She follows the voices and stops an attack. Something happens and the quiet life she’s expecting to begin is anything but. She’s a fighter and proves it every step of the way. Can’t wait to read the next book. Received ARC copy and this is my honest opinion.
The strongest thing about this feisty new heroine is her sense of justice. Since childhood she’s been small and had to assert herself to hold her own, which leads her to a leadership role in the British military. But everything is changed by a single land mine. ‘Ever since she can remember’ is reduced to when she woke up in hospital missing a hand and a foot, with shrapnel permanently lodged in her brain.
Starting over as a civilian researcher, Anastasia hears voices and sees monsters that nobody else does, and they are feeding on fellow citizens! She also discovers strange new abilities that enlist her in an entirely new war against the enemies of humankind. There’s no question in her view about doing the right thing. It’s the rest of humankind who see her as a crackpot, a cripple, or a criminal, and she won’t spare the effort to explain herself because there are monsters to eliminate NOW.
Even the heroes of previous books in this series need to get out of Anastasia’s way because there’s never been anything like her.
A powerful book from start to finish. The main character is thrown from one incident to another with no time to even breathe. Her experience in the military has helped her to keep her mind focused so that the constant barrage of strangeness doesn’t paralyze her. I love how strong she is – taking the punches and moving through it rather than constantly caving to the endless pressure – even though she has received horrendous injuries during her service in the military. Loving it! I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds as the series moves forward.