Nightkeepers

Nightkeepers is the first novel in The Final Prophecy series by Jessica Andersen. From the back cover.~

The end of time looms, and Mayan demons have surfaced from the underworld to trigger an apocalypse. But as the final day approaches, the descendants of ancient warrior-priests prepare to fight back..

As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly doesn’t expect to be strapped to a stone alter as the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax a demon from the underworld-or to be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king, who claims to recognize her from his visions.

Striking Jaguar thinks he is the last of the Nightkeeper warrior-priests, but as the end-time approaches, his mentor reveals there are twelve others. In reuniting them, Strike-king by birthright-gains the power to summon a Mayan god to combat the demons. But the woman of his visions is the gods’ chosen sacrifice. Now he must decide between love and duty…or find another way to invoke otherworldly magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.

Nightkeepers is yet another book recommended to me by my friend Paula. My cousin Beverly also told me to make sure I move this book up in my TBR pile. With suggestions from 2 people I totally trust about books, I knew I needed to give Nightkeepers a try, and I’m so glad I did. I’m not sure that I really believe the end of the world is going to happen in 2012, but I absolutely loved this story. Andersen gives her readers strong characters and a fabulous story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

I really loved both Strike and Leah. They are put into an almost impossible situation when they meet. Strike is sent Leah where she is set to be a human sacrifice to demons. After Strike rescues Leah, neither can fight their attraction to one another. Since Strike is a Nightkeeper and future king of his people, he really can’t be with human and needs to mate with another Nightkeeper or member of his race. However, Strike and Leah keep running into one another and they really can’t seem to keep their hands off one another. With the end of the world on Strike’s shoulders, he must decide if he will lead the other Nightkeepers and be the king he was born to be.

Nightkeepers is an action packed story filled with romance, battles against evil, and Mayan history. I’m lucky enough to have the next 3 books in this series in my TBR pile and can’t wait to read them soon.