Reckoning by S.J. Harper

Title: Reckoning
Author: S.J. Harper
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Fallen Siren #2

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Publication: October 7, 2014 by Roc

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Special Agent Emma Monroe has a secret. She’s a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. As an FBI agent she saves the lives of others believing redemption could be one rescue away.

Her partner Zack is a werewolf and former Black Ops sniper who once carried out a string of questionable assignments. Now he’s determined to atone for his past. Ironically, there’s a portion of his past Zack doesn’t remember—an affair with Emma. Giving into their attraction for one another almost led to their undoing. Now it’s back to business as usual.

While trying to unravel the mystery behind a series of kidnappings in Southern California, Emma and Zack become entangled with political tensions in the vampire and Were worlds. Not to mention the struggles they face in their relationship with one another. With so much uncertainty, they come to realize the only thing they can really count on is one another…or can they?

Reckoning is a great follow-up to last year’s debut Cursed, an Urban Fantasy with a perfect combination of mystery, romance, and paranormal. Reckoning picks up 5 months after the events of Cursed. Emma our heroine was cursed never to find love or happiness by the Goddess Demeter when she failed to save Demeter’s daughter from the clutches of Hades. As penance Emma must save those that are lost/or missing and bring them home safely; hence her working in the FBI’s missing unit. Like the first book Emma and her partner Zack are on another case, this time involving three missing girls all from the same academy. Unlike the first book, there is a big subplot interconnected with their current case that involves the weres and vampires.

As much as I enjoyed the first book, I thought Reckoning was even better especially since readers are seeing more of the paranormal side. In the first book besides knowing Emma was a siren and Zack a werewolf, readers didn’t see so much of the paranormal; at least not till the very end when it was revealed that vampires were being taken which in turn introduced readers to the Vampire King Kallistos. I was so happy that I got to see more of Kallistos, like I mentioned in my review of Cursed I was super intrigued by Kallistos even if he was only in 4 or 5 pages. So Emma is in a no-strings –attach relationship (but not a relationship) with Kallistos which is both fine by them. I really like Kallistos and seeing him with Emma. Of course I haven’t forgotten about Zack, even though his intimate memories of Emma are wiped; they still have plenty of banter and chemistry between them. I love both of the guys; they’re great in completely different ways and I’m torn on who Emma should be with now.

I know that Emma is still in love with Zack, but it really bugged me that for most of the book she kept prying and grumbling about what Zack did in his own time or if it involved his Ex Sarah. I mean there were also times where she’d sabotage her own plan to keep them apart. I honestly think if she’s spending the majority of the book regretting her choice and consciously trying to jump start Zack’s memories then she should have never given him the potion in the first place(yes, which mean I think they should of just taken a chance and try to find a way around Demeter). The more Emma thought about not being able to be with Zack, she started to direct that frustration out on Kallistos who has been nothing but caring and protective of her. Yes, he enchanted a tracking device on her without her knowedge but I think it was all within reasons as he is the Vampire King with lots of enemies (who would target what he cared for the most, which is Emma). Emma would accuse him of being unethical in some aspect of his life but he was always upfront about himself. Emma knew all of this of course but she was finding any/all reasons to end their current arrangement.

The ending was pretty horrible (in terms of what Demeter did) but not surprising. Did I feel bad for Emma? Not really. Demeter gave Emma a short reprieve in the love department, and of course she jumped on that ASAP. Any thoughts of Kallistos went straight out the door, I mean, wow you’ve been sleeping with the guy for 5 months…the least you can do is give the guy a heads-up right? Nope. Then the twist comes, the horrible thing I mentioned and who comes in to pick her up when her world is crashing down? Kallistos, of course. I know Emma said from the start that her arrangement with him is only physical but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

Overall I enjoyed Reckoning, the book grabbed me immediately from the first page and kept me glued to the very end. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, and I love that the authors expanded on the world. My only issue with this book is that I wasn’t happy with Emma and how she handled her relationship with Kallistos and Zack. My complaint about Emma in the first book about how she was a hypocrite (when she was mad Zack didn’t want to tell her he was a were even though she knew, and yet she wasn’t willing to tell him what she was) reared its ugly head again in this book. I would have rated this book a 5 but because of those two reasons I deducted a star. With how things ended, I am curious to see how everything will play out in the next book…I just hope Emma will give Kallistos a fair shot and not just use him.