Saturday, March 12, 2016

Review ~ The Revenger by Debra Anastasia





Summary of The Revenger: 

The real hero of this story is dead. You should have met him. He was a beautiful man. The love of my life. I didn’t deserve him.

Now what’s left are the jagged edges of the person I am without him, and what I have to do to get by. This isn’t even a story about love. Not really. It’s a twisted tale of revenge and hate—a happily never after.

The only man in my life now is the one I have to kill.
I’m Savvy Raine.
I used to be a wife.
I used to be a mother.
Now I am the Revenger.





Excerpt #1
      “What the hell are you?” He searched frantically for the door latch, his panic making him oblivious to the open top of the Jeep above him.
He didn’t deserve an answer, and he wouldn’t get one. Only in her head would she respond. She pulled him from the backseat and held him aloft, thinking, I’m a mom without a reason. I’m a person without a life. I’m dead with no escape.



Excerpt #2
 There was very little chatter after the alarming phone call. Savvy looked at the clock. It was only five, but the extra help Tallow had enlisted acted like she was about to disintegrate. When they were finally done, they hung Savvy’s costume from a door, fully expecting her to drop trou in front of all the strangers.
She looked at the silver outfit meant to demean her and classify her as his, just like all his other favorites.
“Yeah, I’m not actually going to be wearing that.” She looked from one shocked person to the other.
Tallow recovered first. “But this is what he told you to wear!”
Savvy laughed hollowly. “Yeah, he can suck his own d*ck for all I care.”
The atmosphere changed. The others now realized Savvy didn’t think it was a huge honor to be a f*ckhole.
“That’s not acceptable. I’ll put you in it myself if I have to, but you’re leaving here in that outfit.” Tallow bravely gathered up the skirt and came into Savvy’s personal space. He obviously thought she was just a regular girl.
In an instant she’d lifted Tallow into the air by his neck. “I’m not wearing it.” She stared him down until he began to turn blue. Then she set him back on his feet.
Tallow was a quick learner and smoothed his fancy shirt. “Okay then, let me see what else we have.” 



Usually, I don't like going into a book blind... but I did for this one. I intentionally ignored reviews and in-depth summaries because I heard how fabulous it is and I wanted to experience it all on my own. 
And I'm glad I did! Holy cow! This book is so god-damn good!! It was one amazing roller coaster of a story; for not only the characters but for me as the reader. I felt very strong feelings of sympathy, curiosity, horror, disgust, excitement, and so, SO much more! Savvy's story had my heart thumping, adrenaline pumping, and even my stomach dropping at SEVERAL points in this read. 
Savvy... Savvy is AMAZING!! So broken, but fierce and dark and STRONG! She doesn't even realize how strong she is... what a warrior she is. And while I find her actions in the beginning pretty horrific, I also understand it... given the very life changing event she's gone through, as well as the foreign, shall we call it ENTITY, inside of her that is and has changed her. But I like her sass and wit the most. She had a witty retort in just about every situation she found herself in!

Silas... I'm genuinely shocked by how much I liked him by the end of it... considering I spent the first half of the book thoroughly repulsed and disgusted by him. But he did gain my sympathy as the story went on and more of his past was revealed and as Savvy changed him just as much as she was changed by the entity he had found. 

Boston... a truly admirable character. I half hoped he would be a love interest for Savvy (actually, I went back and forth between him, Silas, and Jack on that front), but I love the way their relationship went. 

Jack... I actually think Jack was one of the most important character roles, despite not having much "air time"... he was vital to the way the story went. I don't think the story would have had anything resembling a happy ending had Jack not shown up. 

The ending... I don't normally like endings like this, but I think it was quite a fitting end for the characters and their story.... but I'm kinda hoping the ending of that epilogue means another revenger book is coming!! Any chance of that happening, Debra? 

Overall... this book was AMAZING!! I highly recommend it! It was thoroughly enjoyable and incredibly immersible! It was witty and funny when it needed to be, dark and scary when it needed to be, and sad and touching when it needed to be! And I don't know if I'm alone on this, but this movie would make a FANTASTIC movie!! As I read and got immersed, I could SEE this in my mind, like a movie! And it was pretty fucking awesome! 

~*~
I think the only real piece of criticism is that I wish certain parts had been fleshed out more. Like Silas and his change, Toby and Theresa's relationship (it felt like they went from zero to 60 in no time flat), and I wish the end would have included Toby and how he coped in the aftermath. 

But beyond that, I just can't think of anything wrong with this book. It was well written and developed, immersible, and fun! :)





 There are a lot of eyes in Debra Anastasia's house in Maryland. First, her own creepy peepers are there, staring at her computer screen. She's made two more sets of eyes with her body, and the kids they belong to are amazing. The poor husband is still looking at her after 17 years of marriage. At least he likes to laugh. Then the freaking dogs are looking at her—six eyeballs altogether, though the old dog is blind. And the cat watches her too, mostly while knocking stuff off the counter and doing that internal kitty laugh when Deb can't catch the items fast enough.

In between taking care of everything those eyes involve, Debra creates pretend people in her head and paints them on the giant, beautiful canvas of your imagination. What an amazing job that is. The stories hit her hard while driving the minivan or shaving her legs, especially when there's no paper and pen around. Within all of the lies she writes hides her heart, so thank you for letting it play in your mind.

In between taking care of everything those eyes involve, Debra creates pretend people in her head and paints them on the giant, beautiful canvas of your imagination. What an amazing job that is. The stories hit her hard while driving the minivan or shaving her legs, especially when there's no paper and pen around. Within all of the lies she writes hides her heart, so thank you for letting it play in your mind.

Debra has written a smattering of books in a few genres. There are two paranormal romances in the Seraphim Series and now four contemporary romances in the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood Series, Fire Down Below and Fire in the Hole, complete the Gynazule Comedy Series. The Revenger, a dark paranormal romance, is finally in the light, and the last, a novella called Late Night with Andres, is special because 100% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research. (So go get it right now, please!)

Twitter: @Debra_Anastasia










2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much!!!! I'm honored. <3

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    Replies
    1. I was honored to read!! :) Since I haven't had the chance to see Deadpool yet, it was pretty sweet to read about a character that's very much like a female Deadpool... a witty anti-hero BADASS! :D

      ~Lisa Salyers
      THRC Admin

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