Review: The Scribe

The Scribe
Elizabeth Hunter
Contemporary Fantasy/PNR
The Irin Chronicles/Book 1
Self Published/October 15, 2013

Hidden at the crossroads of the world, an ancient race battles to protect humanity, even as it dies from within.

Ava Matheson came to Istanbul looking for answers, but others came looking for her. A reckless warrior guards her steps, but will Malachi’s own past blind him to the truth of who Ava might be? While ancient forces gather around them, both Ava and Malachi search for answers. 

Whispering voices. Deadly touch. Their passion should be impossible... or it could be the only thing that will keep them alive.

A shout out to Kristie from Ramblings on Romance for recommending The Scribe. I might have missed this wonderful fantasy and missed adding Elizabeth Hunter to my list of authors to read. 

Ava Matheson has traveled the word, photographing some of the most beautiful and brutal scenes. She comes to Istanbul to meet with a doctor she hopes can help her. Ava hears voices in her head. It's hard for her to be around crowds for obvious reasons. She thinks she's crazy but still holds out a small hope something can be done to "fix her", or at least lessen the voices. What she finds in Istanbul is far more than she expected and leads her into a world she could not have imagined. The world Hunter has created is fascinating for its history as well as how the inhabitants exist in concordance with our world. 

It's through these revelations Ava meets Malachi, a man who shadows her moves and the others who stalker her. Malachi wants to keep her safe but has to earn her trust first. Their relationship is a jagged mess of misinformation made believable through circumstances. Malachi has a mission which doesn't include falling for Ava. All that is set aside when he realizes she is much more than he thought, not only to his fellow Irin brethren but to himself. 

Ava is a strong heroine. She is accustomed to being on her own so she knows how to take care of herself. Her intelligence is evident when she eludes the Grigori when the try to follow her. I found her to be very likable. She doesn't intimidate easily and can hold her own with Malachi and his brothers. Malachi is equally a strong hero. He gives so much of himself for his brothers and then for Ava. It was wonderful to see how the relationship between these two develops into to an enduring love affair. 

The pacing is kept tight with just the right amount of tension and mystery. As more is revealed about Malachi and his brothers in arms, we also learn about Ava's connection to the Irin and her importance to the Grigori. The Grigori are the ancient beings who prey on women, making them desire the Grigori until they will do anything they are told. Then, the women are used and discarded like trash. It is these evil men Malachi and his brethren fight. The long held hatred between the Irin and the Grigori only builds as Ava and Malachi search for answers about Ava's ability and how it plays into the future of the Irin.

The feel of the story takes on not only a suspenseful romance but an exotic tone filling the senses with the sights, sounds and smells of Istanbul. It is an exotic location and Hunter's writing makes the reader want to absorb every essence that is Istanbul. I've never been there, and you wouldn't find it on my top ten list of places I want to visit. But now, now it might just make that list. 

The Scribe is a wonderful blend of romance, suspense, action and paranormal. One word of caution - there isn't a Happily Ever After at the end of The Scribe. Rather, this is the beginning of Ava and Malachi's story and it continues into the next two books of the trilogy. 

Rating: A

The Irin Chronicles Series ~

The Scribe
The Singer
The Secret