Finding the Lost
3.5 Stars

Synopsis:
Her family torn apart by the Synestryn, Andra Madison has dedicated her life to rescuing children who fall prey to these grotesque monsters. On one such mission, Andra encounters Paul, a Theronian warrior, searching for the woman who can save his life. As one of these rare women, Andra agrees to join Paul in order to seek a cure for her traumatized sister, and the two set out on a journey fraught with danger and the possibility of true love.

Review:
A good sequel with some excellent action scenes and interesting detail added to the world building. However, the romance is weak with the hero and heroine lacking the chemistry and intensity of connection that characterized the couple in the first book.

Paul and Andra’s relationship fails to resonate perhaps because each is preoccupied with their own problems – Paul with his need to find a compatible mate and keep her once he has, and Andra with her overwhelming desire to save her sister.

Neither character is completely sympathetic. Even though Andra is attracted to Paul on a physical level, she remains distant and aloof. She initially comes across as strong-willed and self-confident, but devolves as the story progresses and becomes insecure and hesitant to love because she feels that her failures make her undeserving. Similarly, Paul is never completely honest with Andra and the impression you get from him is that any woman would suffice to fulfill his requirements. Furthermore, the idea that he would force Andra to be with him against her will is repellent.

In terms of the plot, Butcher has created a fascinating world with a multitude of layers and several interlocking storylines. The writing is fast-paced and interspersed with hints of events to come. One of the best aspects of the book is the inclusion of compelling secondary characters, especially Madoc and Nika, who are a far more appealing couple than Paul and Andra. I look forward to reading their book as well as that of the other couple from book one – Zach and Lexi. ( )

I admit that my interest in Shannon K Butcher's books was initially sparked from my huge fanship of her husband's writing. But I have stuck around and continue to read this series because I like Ms. Butcher's style.

The mythology behind the Sentinel Wars is interesting and from my experience in the PNR genre -- unique. PNR for me is hit or miss. I tend to get bored after the resolution of the romance. I get bored with the use of the same trope -- big tortured guy meets virginal tiny woman and saves her. But the Sentinel Wars is an interesting twist in the PNR genre. The men need the women to leave, they need their pair bond to maintain their soul. There are demons, demon fighters, and an otherworldly creatures. There is a hidden history behind the demon hunters introduced into Find the Lost that left my curious.

I am definitely reading more in this series and by Ms. Butcher. ( )

This book was just meh. Once again, the heroine has three days to figure out what the rest of her life will be like. I liked the first book better. Yes, Drake was also a rather overbearing male, but at least he was a little more honest with Helen than Paul was with Andra. It's ironic that Paul was disgusted with Drake for not explaining to Helen what she was getting herself in to. Of course, looking back, he probably said those things out of jealousy and anger that he couldn't bond with Helen. When Paul finally gets a shot at bonding with a female, he keeps so much from her that it is no wonder she is confused and refuses to pledge herself to him the way he wants her to.

As for Andra, I thought she was going to be this tough female character given her entrance into this story. Sadly, that was not the case. She feels guilty for not having protected her youngest sister Tori from being taken by the Synestryn. On that same night her other sister, Nika was badly injured by one of the monsters and since then she has been trapped in her mind by her nightmares. Andra often asks herself if she shouldn't just have mercy on Nika and let her go. Of course she won't because she says she's selfish and can't bear to lose her only remaining family.

I didn't feel the chemistry between Paul and Andra, just the lust that was more than likely brought on my the Luceria. Anytime they got close, Paul kept thinking about how he had to make this different than his experience with his ex, Kate, and Andra was willing to go along with anything to ensure that he'd help save Nika.

And Zach? That man's a lunatic, wth!? ( )

Sharron Butcher has an engineer's love of structure and over construction and creates a complex, Venetian court type of tangle that I had to ignore to get to the end of the book. Stop the world building already! I'm drowning in it!

The Sentinels are three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind. The Sanguinars (don't call them vampires, they hate that) currently have a deal with the Theronai (long-lived warriors with tree tattoos on their chests who store magic within themselves and live in constant pain because of it). The Slayers are only mentioned in passing but they are a race of shape shifters (I'm sure they just sound like werewolves) who have a secret alliance with the Sanguinars. The Theronai don't trust the Slayers and would be quite upset if they knew the Sanguinars were dealing with them behind their backs. All three races are dying out; their lives and the fate of the world have been looking pretty bleak until recently when Theronai woman have suddenly started appearing. The Theronai warriors want them so they can funnel the magic they store into these women and wield it in the battles they must fight. The Sanguinars can only get a nutritionally complete meal from a "blooded" Theronai and are hoping to convince a few of these girls they there aren't so bad and let them have their fill.

Amidst all this the three races are working to prevent the Synestryn (demons who live to kill Theronai and the humans they protect) from growing any stronger and destroying the world.

I guess I'm just tired of stories where the girl is a secret princess who every man wants because she is the only special snowflake who can make it all better. Especially when she'd told she has no choice but to follow her destiny. Doesn't she know they will all die without her? Groan.

There is so much going on in the background that the love story between Paul and Andra feels like an after thought. He loves her completely (yeah, right) while she blames herself for one sister's death and the other sister's insanity (though Butcher hints pretty strongly that this sister isn't really nuts). Andra doesn't think she's good enough for Paul and just wants to date. The magic bond between them is supposed to make them instantly intimately acquainted with each other, but somehow that doesn't make things any easier for them.

For good measure toss in secrets, lies, a little girl who isn't really a little girl, princes slipping covertly through a secret gate between worlds to impregnate human women (that sounds like a B-movie I once saw) and a bunch of sleeping vampires in the basement (sorry, I meant Sanguinars). I've read both books in the series now and I don't think I'm going to go out of my way to seek out the next one. Both of the friends I described the plot to said this series sounded similar to Feehan's work. If you like her books you might give this series a try. Check them out from the library first though. ( )