Review: Sterling (Mageri, Book One)

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy Romance

Series: Mageri, Book One

Author: Dannika Dark Blog :: Twitter :: Facebook :: Goodreads

Publication Date: September 5, 2011

Buy: Amazon

Zoë Merrick lived an ordinary life until late one night, she was brutally attacked and left for dead.

She was found, covered in blood, and taken in by an ex-soldier named Adam. Zoë didn't just survive that night - she underwent a physical transformation and acquired unexplainable abilities. Severed from her old life, her frustration grows as she tries to comprehend what's happening to her. 

Serendipity leads her to Justus De Gradi. He's handsome, arrogant, and not entirely human. Through Justus, Zoë learns the truth about what she is and where she belongs. A young Mage is vulnerable in this dangerous world. The only way Zoë will understand her power is by putting her trust in a stranger and accepting the protection that he offers. 

When her immortal freedom is threatened by the one man who has a right to claim her, Zoë learns the price of freedom...and the value of loyalty.

Sterling is the first novel in Dannika Dark's Mageri series and boy did it start off with a bang! The blurb does a great job explaining the novel so I'm just going to jump right in with the review.

This is the first book that I've read by Dannika Dark and man did she knock me out with her characterization. Zoë and the three sexy men introduced throughout were unique and interesting, requiring some definite *fanning* over here! I loved reading from Zoë's point of view. She is someone that women can easily relate to. She is tough but not unbelievably so. Experiencing what she experienced didn't immediately become inconsequential, instead, she had to heal emotionally and physically from her past and with each new incident. Simply put, she was a real woman dealing with bizarre circumstances at every turn.

Now onto the men. Adam is the human male who found Zoë after that terrible night. Zoë has many reasons not to trust men but Adam is the first to really open her up to the possibility. Then, Zoë meets Justus. And although I love Adam, Justus and his pure honorability and alpha-ness made me love him just a teensy bit more. There is much more beneath his sexy and commanding exterior and even through the end of the book the reader doesn't know the half of it. Finally, there's Simon. And boy did he heat up the pages! A bad boy with a soft side, Simon has Zoë wanting to take a bite in no time. All three of these men added to the depth of the story and kept me reading late into the night.

I also loved the creativity of the creatures in this story. Even the creatures that exist in most fantasy novels were purposed differently in some way with different abilities or names. Even with these unique changes, my favorite creatures were the new types that Dannika introduced. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Although I adored the voice of Zoë and appreciated her point of view, I felt like the pace of this novel was a little off towards the beginning. There were times that it moved very quickly and others when it slowed a bit too much. Honestly, this was small potatoes compared to how much I loved Sterling but it's what prevented the full 5 Stars.

Wonderful  and unique characters and creatures mixed with creative writing make Sterling and the Mageri series one to add to your to-read shelf. Now I'm off to read Book Two, Twist!

xo,

Jenna Lynne