The Burning Seal by Jenna Storm
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: March 2012 by MuseItUp Publishing
Source: ebook from author via Goodreads Paranormal Romance & Urban
Fantasy Fanatics Group
Rating: 2 STARS
Goodreads
Goodreads Synopsis: Forced to battle a risen demon, Danni's survival depends on convincing a sinfully sexy man with an iron will that the paranormal exists. Detective Danni Keegan is plunged into a dark, demonic world where survival depends on deciphering the connection between ritual killings, and a demon terrorizing her for a 'gift' she wasn't even aware she possessed. She must unravel her dreams of another woman who lived during ancient times and battled a bloodthirsty demon. The same demon who now hunts Danni. The loss of Danni's body and soul looms imminent as her only chance to destroy the demon depends on changing her new partner's convictions. A sinfully sexy man, who exudes power and self-assurance with the ease of breathing and has an iron willed determination not to believe in the paranormal.
My Review: The Burning Seal is the first book in The Elements Series by Jenna Storm. What can I say? The book started out very slow for me. The beginning confused me. I wasn't sure what I was reading. I forced myself to keep reading because I thought once I understood the background, then the story would fall into place and I'd enjoy it.
It took several chapters for me to understand the basis of the plot. Danni, a police detective, was brutally assaulted by a demon. The attack awakened Danni's psychic abilities. She is an empath and had visions of the demon raping and viciously murdering young women. Danni actually feels the woman's pain and fear in her visions. She also experienced vivid dreams of a past life in which the demon hunted her for her gift. After taking a leave of absence from work, she returned to be teamed with a partner, Chase, who did not believe in the supernatural. Their physical attraction was immediate. Of course, their relationship developed over the course of the story. Chase finally believes Danni and realized he was Danni's protector from her past life. There developing relationship was the best of the book. Even with that said, I still felt no emotional connection to either character.
Dannie sought assistance from a paranormal school and a local witch, Mara, to learn more about her abilities. This part of the story needed more development. It really fell flat. There were little to no description of her training or learning how to use her abilities. Danni mentioned her close relationships with the owners of the school and the witch. However, their relationship never fully developed in the story. In the final battle, Mara and Danni discussed their immediate connection from past lives and how they were destined to defeat the demon together. Where did this come from? The scenes shared between these two characters showed no emotion or bond between them. It showed Mara being interviewed by a police detective. The story would have been improved by focusing more detail on their bond and friendship and the pull they felt toward each other. After defeating the demon, Danni, Chase, and Mara all agree to track down the other guardians of the elements. I do hope the next book focuses more on character development. As a reader, it is really important for me to emotionally connect to the characters. Unfortunately, The Burning Seal did not accomplish this goal.
I would like to thank Jenna Storm for allowing me to review the book!
I rated The Burning Seal 2 STARS!
To purchase the book:
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Jenna Storm's Website
