Nina Bangs: GODS OF THE NIGHT

Author:  Nina Bangs

Series:  GODS OF THE NIGHT

Plot Type:  SMR

Ratings:  V3, S3, H3

Publishers and Titles:

        Eternal Pleasure (Leisure, 2008)

       Eternal Craving (Leisure, 2009)

       Eternal Prey (Avon, 2010)

          BOOK 3:  Eternal Prey         
     In the third book, the Eleven are in Portland doing battle with Seven, who is being aided by Zero and a group of vampires and werewolves. The soul-mate couple is Utah (a Utah Raptor—whose two brothers are Rap and Tor) and Lia, human daughter of the vampire queen who met her death in the climax to Eternal Craving.

     A sub-plot follows a vampire feud that becomes important to Rap’s future. Kione, the fairy prince from Eternal Craving also plays an important part in the story. Some scenes take place in Portland's historic Shanghai Tunnels, where a group of vampires have taken up residence.

          WORLD-BUILDING                   

     In this world, the 2012 end times predicted by the Mayan calendar are almost upon us. A group of immortal supernatural villains wants the prophecy to come true so that all mortals will be destroyed and they can take over the world. In order to stop these monsters, another powerful supernatural (Fin—short for “Infinity”) brings his own team of 11 warriors to the battle.

     The Eleven Gods of the Night are the ultimate predators: shape-shifting dinosaurs. Fin has placed their bestial essence into human bodies and has given them human names that give clues to their beasts within (e.g., Ty whose story is told in book 1, is a Tyrannosaurus Rex). The Eleven are sworn to protect humanity by defeating the villains. All of the brothers have the same last name: Endeka, which is the Greek number 11.

     The villains are known only by number, and in each book, the Eleven attempt to send a numbered villain (or villainess) off into the cosmos, never (we hope) to be seen again. The leader of the bad guys is known as Zero, and his powers are comparable to Fin’s.

     Fin has had a series of visions showing various human women playing vital parts in the defeat of the villains. Also, the villains cannot track the Eleven if they are in the presence of a human. Voila! Fin carefully pairs each human women from his visions to one of his warriors as a driver and partner—and (eventually) soul mate.

     Fin does not have the same bestial background as his warriors. In fact, no one really knows who or what Fin really is. In each book, however, more clues surface. We learn, for example that Fin has an estranged brother, Seir, who constantly switches sides between Zero and Fin. We also learn that Fin has had past—long-ago past—relationships with Zero and some of his troops.

     In addition to these clues, each time one of the Eleven goes through the mating ceremony with his soul mate, Fin allows the woman to see scenes from her mate’s past. It becomes obvious that the Eleven lived as humans before they were beasts and that Fin has banished these memories from their minds. Fin eventually admits this, saying that the Eleven must focus on the present, not on the past, if they are to win their battles with Zero's fighters.

  

     After a relatively simplistic start in book 1, the series becomes increasingly more complex as Bangs provides new clues about Fin's relationships with Zero and Seir and more facts about the human history of the Eleven. I’ll keep reading; I’m especially looking forward to the book that tells Fin’s story—probably the last one in the series. Let's hope that Avon maintains the series.

     This is definitely the least sensual of all of Bangs’s paranormal series. Although the books include plenty of simmering sensuality as the soul-mate relationships progress, the actual sex scenes are infrequent and not too graphic.

     By the way, if you're personally worried about the Mayan end-times prediction, take a look at this article by National Geographic: 2012: Six End-of-the-World Myths Debunked.

     Eternal Craving won the 2009 RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award for Shapeshifter Romance and Honorable Mention in the 2009 P.E.A.R.L. Awards for Shapeshifter Romance (Paranormal Excellence Award for Romantic Literature).