The Black Rose by Lea Schizas

 In a short time, Sophie has lost her father and her brother; the only things helping her through the difficult time is her job as a police detective and her brother's ghost. Yes, she has powers, some that she does not even know about. In The Black Rose, the sequel to The Sword of Reckoning by Lea Schizas, we meet a new heroine who does not take anything from anyone. She is a strong woman while remaining feminine. She is pulled into the A.L.P through her new position as detective and partner to Brian. Brian has had a tough childhood and has been part of the A.L.P task force for a while, working with Sophie's father up until his death. Sophie has no idea of how paranormal her world will become when she is brought face to face with vampires. To top it all off, her dream lover turns out to be a real person! And a demigod at that! Written in the same playful tone as The Sword of Reckoning, we are again taken on a joyride of a paranormal experience, looking for an escaped Vampire Lord.

 

Keeping with the spirit in which The Sword of Reckoning was written, Lea Schizas has put together another action-packed paranormal romance/mystery. Once again, The Black Rose by Lea Schizas is a story with a  relaxed and laid back feeling, supported by the casual dialogue and snarky comments and the humour that breaks the tense situations. The characters become so well known to the reader that you can almost anticipate their reactions to situations. As this is the sequel, less time is spent introducing the characters and environment. More time is spent on the story with all its intrigue. This story is paranormal from start to finish and a pleasure to read. The word choice and style are casual and informal. Reading the story is like floating on water to relax while consciously trying not to fall into the water. So if you love vampires, witches, dragons and angels and want to relax with a book, this is for you. There are some sensual scenes and innuendos in the dialogue, so I would not recommend it to younger readers. The only thing that I did not like was that the Lord's name was used, not often, but for me, once is already too much.