The Slayer by Theresa Meyers

ORDER A COPY: The Slayer: Book Two of the Legend Chronicles

Publisher: Zebra Books
Publishing Date: April 1, 2012
Paperback: 345 pages

Rating: 4 stars

Brothers Winchester, Remington, and Colt know the legends—they were trained from childhood to destroy demon predators, wielding the latest steam-powered gadgetry. It’s a devil of a job. But sometimes your fate chooses you…

Winn Jackson isn’t interested in hunting nightmares across the Wild West—even if it’s the family business. Unlike his rakehell brothers, Winn believes in rules. As sheriff of Bodie, California, he only shoots actual law breakers. That’s what he’s doing when he rescues the Contessa Drossenburg, Alexandra Porter, a lady with all the elegance of the Old World—grace, beauty and class. And then he sees her fangs.

Alexandra isn’t just some bloodsucking damsel in distress, though. She’s on a mission to save her people—and she’s dead certain that Winn’s family legacy is the only way. Luckily, aside from grace and class, she also has a stubborn streak a mile wide. So like it or not, Winn is going to come back with her to the mountains of Transylvania, and while he’s at it, change his opinions about vampires, demon-hunting, and who exactly deserves shooting. And if she has her way, he’s going to do his darnedest to save the world.

Winchester (Winn) Jackson is the Sheriff of Bodie. He left the life of a Hunter behind him long ago, but now his brother Colt needs Winn’s help in finding the three parts of the Book of Legends so they can close the gates of Hell which the Archdemon Rathe is trying to pry open. When Winn is approached by the beautiful Lady Alexandra Porter, the Contessa Drossenburg, to help her find the missing portion of the Book of Legend, he knows he could use her resources to locate the missing portion of the book which was last seen in Europe; but can bring himself to work with the vampires without worrying about becoming dinner.

The Vampiric Royal Court has sent Alexa to do whatever necessary to bring back Winchester Jackson to help find the Book of Legend. They believe that the Jackson brothers are the Chosen from the prophesies. The vampires don’t want the demons taking over the earth any more than the Hunters since the demons plan to destroy the humans; the vampire’s source of food.

But the Darkins are more plentiful in Europe then in America, and include werewolves, fae, elves, dragons, trolls. Even the Hunters play be different rules than the Hunters of America. Winn and Alexa need to learn to work together and trust each other quickly since there they are alone against a whole continent full of enemies, all looking to get control of the book and the Chosen.

The race to the Book of Legend heats up as time is running out to force closed the gates of Hell in this second book of the Legend Chronicles.

This second book in the Legend Chronicle trilogy starts off a little slow. We know from The Hunter that Winn and Alexa show up and assist Colt and Lily during the events of their story, so we spend some time seeing events we have already witnessed, just from another point of view.

But once we leave the United States and get to Europe, things certainly pick up as just about every supernatural faction is racing against Winn and Alexa to get to the Book. Since everyone is out to get them, they can’t trust anyone, but they will find some unusual allies.

Although we once again find ourselves traipsing around in dark tunnels with booby traps, it is not the majority of the story, and we do have more of those interesting steampunk inventions.

This was definitely more exciting than Book 1 and I am looking forward to the big showdown in Book 3.

Check out our review of The Hunter (Book 1).

Received ARC from Kensington Books. Thank you.

Favorite Scene:

He stepped closer, putting his hand on the wagon behind her. His chest was close enough to her that he couldn’t even feel a current of air slip between them. She inhaled sharply and stared up at him, both defiant and glorious. Win let his mouth curve up into one of those legendary, devastating Jackson smiles his Pa had passed down to each of his boys.

“You know if we go in there together, you aren’t going to be able to keep your hands off me.”

Alexa gave an outraged gasp at Winchester’s audacity and firmly fisted her hands at her sides to keep from slapping him. She swore silently to herself in Russian, Hungarian and French. He was as arrogant as any male vampire. “You, sir, overestimate the power of your charms.”

The light of challenge ignited in his eyes as he leaned in farther, the scent of male and leather invading her space and teasing her excellent preternatural sense of smell.

“Oh, I highly doubt that,” he said in a soft rumble that set off sparks along her nerves and tightened the coil of awareness spiraling through her yet another notch, perhaps two. The intensity of his focus on her, like a hungry animal sensing its prey, made Alexa squirm. Then he came closer.

The firm ridge of his sensual mouth skimmed over her cheek and below the lobe of her ear, the bristles of his beard lightly abrading her skin, making it even more sensitive.

She could deny it all she wanted, but the animal magnetism of Winchester Jackson was far more addictive than all the power, prestige and wealth of the vampire nobility she’d been surrounded by her entire life.

Alexa couldn’t seem to stop herself, against her better judgment. The warm touch of his mouth as he nibbled and kissed along the column of her neck sent ripples of desire coursing through her, making the ichor beneath her skin flow like honey. And when he came back up, his mouth at her cheek, she turned and deliberately held them a whisper away from a kiss. “Maybe you just can’t resist me,” she whispered, her lips brushing enticingly against his.

Winchester growled, the sound of it vibrating straight through her. He was lethal animal magnetism and she was doomed. He crushed his mouth to hers in a kiss that demanded everything of her. Like a forest fire it roared through her, all heat and intensity, and left nothing but fragile ash and smoldering coals behind. The slick sensual slide of his tongue tasting her made her recall exactly what a heartbeat felt like; the sensation moved through every cell of her body like one gigantic pulse, beating from the very center of her being.