Realm
WalkerRealm Walker Series
Book One
Kathleen Collins
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Carina Press
Date of Publication:
October 28, 2013
ISBN: 9781426896545
ASIN: B00E1V5S3S
Word Count: 76,000
Book Description:
An
estranged mate, a mangled body and a powerful demon who calls her by
name…
As
a Realm Walker for the Agency, Juliana Norris tracks deadly
paranormal quarry using her unique ability to see magical signatures.
She excels at her job, but her friends worry about her mysterious
habit of dying in the line of duty without staying dead. That's only
the first of her secrets.
Most
people don't know Juliana became the mate of master vampire Thomas
Kendrick before he abandoned her seven years ago. Most people don't
know the horrors she endured at the hands of the vampire he left in
command. Most people don't know her true parentage, or why a demon on
a world-threatening rampage has taken a personal interest in her…
Even
as Juliana pursues the demon, it goes after all she holds
dear—including Thomas, who is back to claim her for his own. But if
she can't reconcile her past and learn to trust herself again, she
will lose him forever.
Death’s Daughter
Realm
Walker Series
Book
2
Kathleen
Collins
Genre:
urban fantasy, paranormal romance
Publisher:
Carina press
ISBN:
9781426898112
ASIN:
B00GKBIR80
Word
Count: 68,000
Book
Description:
Juliana
Norris, Realm Walker with the Agency, is an Altered. A fact that she
runs up against every time she’s forced to work with human police
officers, and their species-ist commissioner, on cases they can’t
solve themselves. Which happens more than they would like to admit.
Her
gift—the quality that makes her the best Realm Walker in the
business, without boast—is the ability to read magical signatures.
Whether the gift came from her father, the dark fae god of death, or
the mage mother she can’t remember, is anyone’s guess. And when
Altered children start going missing with only wild magical
signatures as clues, her heritage is the last thing on her mind.
She
can’t afford such distractions, and she definitely can’t afford
to worry about the fact that her mate, master vampire Thomas
Kendrick, hasn’t spoken to her since she saved him from a
demon—maybe it’s because she had to stab him to do so. Because
whoever is kidnapping these children must be very powerful to wield
wild magic. Very powerful, and very dangerous indeed.
The
Making of Michael Bishop
A Realm Walker Short
Story
Kathleen Collins
Genre: urban fantasy, dark
fantasy
Date of Publication:
August 30, 2014
ASIN: B00N5YWPCE
Number of pages: 20
Book Description:
Keep
your distance. Don't look him in the eye. Feed him and leave.
Michael D'Augustino is a
priest in the time of the Inquisition. Marked as weak for his refusal
to torture those charged with sorcery, heresy, devil worship or
worse, he's given another task. Feed the prisoner in the cell in the
darkest corner of the dungeon. With the edict comes a set of
instructions.
Ever obedient, Michael
does exactly as he is told. Until the night his charge doesn't eat
and Michael has to enter the cell to find out why. Instead of the
beast he believes to be imprisoned there, he finds a man. A broken,
tormented man who asks for help.
But all is not as it seems
and, before the night is through, Michael will be changed forever.
About
the Author:
Kathleen Collins has been
writing since Kindergarten. And while her ability has drastically
improved, her stories are still about monsters and the people who
play with them.
The rare instances that
she actually finds some spare time, she spends it playing with her
two boys. Three if you count her husband.
She is currently hard at
work on her next book.
@kathy_collins
What did Sister Sinister think?
* * * * *
I give it 5 Stars!
* * * * *
REALM WALKER is exactly the kind of series that I'm a huge sucker for! I was given the opportunity to read these stories as part of the series' blog tour and I'm so grateful for that, because I adore Kim Harrison's "Hollows" series (and the many others in a similar vein) and this reminded me of that; but only in that both worlds rely on an interspecies agency to police the magic folk of their alternate earths.
In REALM WALKER, we have a half dark Fae, half Witch Realm Walker, an agent sent out to relocate, track down, and bring justice to the widely varied magic folk of the world. And lately, she's out trying to solve the ghastly murders and possessions caused by demons. But she needs help and not everyone offering is appreciated.
I absolutely give this series 5 glowy stars as I wait impatiently for more from Kathleen Collins.
EXCERPT from BOOK 1:
The
troll picked her up with nothing more than his teeth in her shoulder
and shook her like a hellhound with a chew toy. She clenched her jaw
in pain and let out a terrible keening groan as muscle and tendon
ripped. She fought her base instinct to struggle, to squirm away from
the source of the pain. If she did, she’d only injure herself
further. Blood poured from the wound, staining the ground a horrible,
vibrant crimson.
A
growl tore through the clearing seconds before a brown blur flew
through the air and landed on the troll’s back. Nathaniel. They all
rocked forward with the impact and fresh pain lanced through her
shoulder. The troll roared in anger, releasing Juliana’s shoulder
by default and she dropped to the ground. She backed away, eyeing the
two of them warily. The troll reached over his back, trying to grab
Nathaniel who still had his teeth and claws dug deep into the beast.
The wolf snarled, growled and shook his head as the troll danced
around the clearing trying to get a grip on his attacker.
Juliana’s
arm hung limp and worthless by her side. Pain burned through the
wound and nausea rose in waves. Her head swam. She swallowed the acid
down, sucked in crisp, cool air. She used her right hand to wrap her
left arm around her waist in an effort to keep the shoulder from
moving any more than necessary.
“Nathaniel,”
she yelled as the troll ran backward into the trees.
He
slammed his back with Nathaniel still attached into the trunk of a
large oak tree once, twice, three times. The blows stunned Nathaniel
enough that the troll was finally able to snatch the wolf and hurl
him across the clearing. Her friend lay unmoving on the ground.
The
troll locked crimson eyes on her and stalked across the clearing. She
fought every impulse inside of her that told her to run and waited
for him to come. One taloned hand wrapped around her throat and
picked her up. Pulling her close, the troll roared in fury once they
were almost nose to nose. She wrapped her legs around his waist to
take the pressure off her throat. Juliana raised the Taser and jammed
it into his ear. Not caring anymore if she fried his brain, she
squeezed and held the trigger. His roar changed to one of agony.
He
released her throat and raised both hands to his head. He stumbled
backward in an effort to get away from her but her legs stayed
clamped around his waist. She continued to pour electricity into him
until he dropped to his knees. Only then did she put her feet on the
ground and back away.
Her
opponent stayed on all fours, shaking his head, trying to clear it.
The air hung heavy with the scent of burnt fur and troll. As he rose
to a kneeling position, she adjusted her grip on the weapon. From the
corner of her eye she saw Nathaniel stagger to his feet.
The
troll held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “No more,
Walker. I will go where you ask. Wherever you ask.”
Relief
eased the tightness in her chest. She wasn’t sure she was up for
another round of Taze the Troll. She ran her thumb along the side of
her ring preparing to use it to call the portal tied to it. Then the
troll began to laugh. A low sound at first, it quickly grew to a
volume that made her ears ache. Great. She had
fried his brain and now she had a crazy troll to deal with.
After
putting more distance between them, she put her Taser away and drew
her sword. It left the sheath with a ring of steel. She adjusted her
hand on the grip. Nathaniel came to stand beside her, leaning his
weight into her leg to let her know he was near. “You okay there,
Mr. Troll?”
He
opened his blazing red eyes and looked at her. “I’ve had your
blood, Juliana Norris. It tells me things.” Apparently it told him
her name, because she’d never given it.
