Review ~ Sterling by Dannika Dark @DannikaDark

Sterling by Dannika Dark
Narrator: Nicole Poole
Length: 9 hrs 58 mins
Series: Mageri #1
Published by Dannika Dark on September 5, 2011
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 276

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Zoë Merrick lived an ordinary life until late one night, she was brutally attacked and left for dead. She survived, saved by a stranger who witnessed her undergo a physical transformation. That's not the only thing that's different. Zoë is unable to control an unexplainable energy coursing through her body.

Justus De Gradi is a man who can teach her that control. He's handsome, arrogant, and not entirely human. He reveals that she is a Mage - an immortal made of light, not magic. She must now make a choice: Rebuild her life in the human world with the man who saved her, or live with Justus and learn how to use her extraordinary gifts. Justus has sworn an oath to protect her life, but can he guard her from the one man who has a right to claim it?

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Sterling is book one in the Mageri series where we meet Zoe. Zoe is attacked one night and wakes up days later changed. Everyone assumes she is dead and she is left with the person who saved her. Adam Razor. He didn’t know what he was getting into when he saw this woman suffering on the ground, but he picked her up and took her home with him where he took care of her for days and watched as her body changed. Zoe wakes up looking different and feeling different. She has no idea what is going on with herself until she goes on a work trip with Adam and runs into a Mage. This Mage has the answers Zoe has been seeking. It is determined that she is a danger to Adam and really needs to find out more about herself so goes to live with this Mage, Justus. He becomes her guardian in the eyes of the Council while she is his learner. He begins to train her and show her how to use her new abilities.

I had a bit of book one syndrome with Sterling. I wanted it to be a Paranormal Romance. I kept thinking I was going to get a relationship only to have my hopes dashed. As each new man is introduced into Zoe’s life, I thought, maybe this is who she hooks up with, only to be disappointed. The story circles around Zoe’s training and confrontation with her creator. It seemed to drag on a bit as we learned more about mages and what they can and can’t do. Even when the heat gets turned up and Zoe must deal with her creator, the story seems to lag some. I was kind of put off by the second mage that visits Zoe (Silver) after she is taken to her creators. His forcefulness on her bothered me. I didn’t feel like it went into a lot of detail of what he did, and what “stealing her light” truly means, but it seemed close enough to rape that it bothered me. The ending blew me away and I was very close to having a good cry. It was an exciting end which brings hope and potential for new adventures in the future.

I am continuing as I’m pretty sure my interest in Sterling was lacking because of my good ole book one syndrome. I think the series is going to pick up and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Nicole Poole does a good job narrating. I did find her quiet voice got way too low for me, and her yelling voice was more of a cross between a yell and a whisper. Kind of scratchy. I enjoyed her take on Silver’s sarcasm and wit. Nicole made it seem like it was flowing unchecked out of Silver’s mouth which is the way I envision her comebacks.

I’m excited to see where Twist takes us and what kind of trouble Silver can get everyone into this time.

Mageri Series

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2017 Audiobook Challenge
• 2017 Review Writing Challenge

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