The Reburialists by J.C. Nelson

This Review was Written by: C

Received: Publisher

Publication Date of Book: March 2016

Pages: 416

Stars: 5/5

Official Summary:

The author of Wish Bound and the Grimm Agency novels returns with an all-new urban fantasy novel! Burying the dead is easy.  Keeping them down is difficult.

At the Bureau of Special Investigations, agents encounter all sorts of paranormal evils. So for Agent Brynner Carson, driving a stake through a rampaging three-week-old corpse is par for the course. Except this cadaver is different. It’s talking—and it has a message about his father, Heinrich.

The reanimated stiff delivers an ultimatum written in bloody hieroglyphics, and BSI Senior Analyst Grace Roberts is called in to translate. It seems that Heinrich Carson stole the heart of Ra-Ame, the long-dead god of the Re-Animus. She wants it back. The only problem is Heinrich took the secret of its location to his grave.

With the arrival of Ra-Ame looming and her undead army wreaking havoc, Brynner and Grace must race to find the key to stopping her. It’s a race they can’t afford to lose, but then again, it’s just another day on the job . . .

My Thoughts:

I have to say that my first impression of Brynner was not a good one. On the first page, he's running away from one of the many women whom he has scorned over the years. I definitely despise annoying male characters that have nothing better to do than use women and have countless one night stands. It became very apparent that this character has a history of womanizing. Hence, he has been banned from getting involved with any female employee of the Bureau.  So needless to say, I did not like him and I really hoped the entire book wouldn't focus on a complete douchebag of a character.

Grace Roberts soon enters the picture. She's an awesome female character that's extremely intelligent and a top-notch translator. However, her Bureau translating job doesn't come with a giant paycheck and she's struggling to pay for her disabled child's medical bills, as her ex-husband is not in the picture. She has also heard of the many women-related rumors surrounding Brynner, and although she does think that he is fairly attractive, she does not like him. Besides, she's the complete opposite of Brynner, is extremely level-headed, and an atheist who doesn't believe that any magic exists. Consequently, she places stock in the belief that there is a perfectly logical and scientific reason as to why the Re-Animus exist, and magic isn't the answer.

Grace and Brynner soon cross paths when a Re-Animus appears with a message for Brynner Carson. After Brynner dispatches the Re-Animus's host, Grace is brought in to study the hieroglyphics that it left behind. It turns out that the heart of Ra-Ame is what the Re-Animus are after, and without the heart, their goddess will never be able to reach her full power. The only way to find the heart and prevent an invasion of Re-Animus is to find out where Brynner's diseased father hid it. As a result, Grace is promoted to the position of field operative and tasked with going with Brynner to his aunt and uncle's home in order to translate Brynner's father's journals with the hope that he didn't take the heart's location to his grave. 

The world spirals into chaos as more Re-Animus appear, and the body count stacks up. The heart's location is not in the journals, and the Re-Animus are becoming more and more anxious. There is also the slight problem that Grace may be falling in love with Brynner. Now, let me stop right here for a minute. So I already mentioned that Brynner appeared to be a douchebag of a character, but he kind of grew on me. There was a lot more to him than his mistakes, and Nelson conveyed the countless struggles that Brynner faced, along with the fact that he's more of a puppet to the Bureau than a real human being. He's the best at what he does (and he accepts the fact that his job is what he was born to do), he had a terribly traumatic childhood, he saw his mother killed, and his father wasn't the best role model. In truth, Brynner became a character that I eventually grew to love, and his struggles felt so real. I am also glad that Nelson chose to portray Brynner as such a realistic person. He wasn't always that macho man that everyone expected him to be. He experienced an entire spectrum of emotions, had to face the fact that he has limits, and he actually cried...on several occasions. I feel that many authors choose to portray their male protagonists as individuals that don't always feel entirely real. They are often strong and can overcome any obstacle. They also don't show a large range of emotions. And these characters rarely cry, so I commend Nelson for creating Brynner Carson. Plus, Grace is a woman that Brynner respects and doesn't treat as an object. And I love the fact that she doesn't need Brynner's brawn to get out of bad situations, as her intelligence serves her well and she can certainly kick butt.

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that I didn't see the ending's twist coming! I usually become bored with books when the endings become predictable or blatantly obvious, but I am extremely glad to say that Nelson had me holding my breath when the final twist came. Overall, I loved the book. It was an original, supernatural tale that was by no means stereotypical, and I'm glad it didn't turn into yet another typical zombie novel. I was engrossed and loved it to the very end.

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Blog Tour: Death Love Lust Anthology

Death is definite. Love is infinite. Lust is eternal. In the end, death always wins. And what of the threads that remain? Love? Lust? The desire to feel both? The desire to return to the living and feel again? Because, despite death, the heart will forever pine for the love that once was; the love that was once tangible but now is reflected back only in memories and photographs. Both love and lust are stronger than death and will always linger long after life is pulled from us. Because of this we will always remain definite, infinite, and eternal.

About the Authors: 

Libby Bishop is a paranormal romance and erotic romance author. She loves reading, writing, movies, Lindt dark chocolate, autumn, the SyFy Channel (Haven and Bitten!), and spending time with friends and family. She has one fat, fluffy cat who thinks she’s queen of the house…and really, she is.

Michael Cross lives in Seattle, WA. This land is prone to lots of rain, fantastic adventures and the occasional flyby dragon. When Cross isn’t working on his next novel, he spends his time reading, modding steampunk inventions or working on his airship with his copilot chihuahua. Cross dreamed of becoming a storyteller back when he was read stories like “The Odyssey” and legends of Roman soldiers and Arthur. He writes mostly paranormal, fantasy, 

New Adult and steampunk Aurelia Fray is the naughty Hyde side of a rather ordinary woman. Whenever her mistress lets her out to play, there are sure to be tales worth telling. She lives and works in London, England, enjoys all things artistic and spends most of her time buried in books or paint. With a degree in English literature and a love of all things wordy it is no real surprise she adores penning salacious stories. She has won various short story and poetry competitions and suspects that her foray into erotic literature will be a titillating adventure for author and readers alike.

Jen L Joyal lives in North Carolina with her husband for the last 14 years. A proud mother of four daughters, one son and has also been blessed with six beautiful granddaughters who are the light of her life. She works for Hot Ink Press as Head of Strategic Marketing. She has recently tried her hand at writing and has completed a couple of poems. Both have now been published with Crushing Hearts. This has given her the encouragement to write some short stories.

Victoria Kinnard lives in Glasgow, Scotland. She graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2009 with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Journalism, Creative Writing and English Lit. Victoria has been writing since she was 15 years old. She loves rock music, and 11 of her tattoos are related to bands that she loves!

Lily Luchesi a paranormal, horror, and erotic author. Her debut novel Stake-Out (Paranormal Detectives Series Book One), was published by Vamptasy Publishing on May 19th, 2015. Book two, Miranda's Rights, was released on January 8th, 2016. She has a short story, "Undead Ever After" in the CHBB anthology Love Sucks (released on June 13th, 2015). Her first erotic short story, "Have No Fears", was published in the Hot Ink Press anthology Naughty Bedtime Stories: In Three Words on October 10th. She will also have a short erotic horror story, "The Devil's Dozen", in the upcoming Hot Ink Press anthology Death, Love, Lust, which will be released in February of 2016.

Emma Michaels is the bestselling author of the Society of Feathers series. As an avid reader she started her book blog in 2009 (www.EmmaMichaels.com) and over the years has received numerous publications. Working to help Indies and small presses from around the world she has received the nickname ‘The Mad Hatter’ for her versatility in graphic design, publishing, marketing, and blogging.

Jenn Nixon often adds a thriller and suspense element to anything she writes be it Romance, Science Fiction, or Fantasy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, observing pop culture, playing with her two dogs, and working on various charitable projects in her home state of New Jersey.

Charlotte Ondac is a writer with a loving partner and two children. Heavily inspired by writers such as Anne Rice, particularly The Vampire Chronicles, interested by dark gothic horror. Especially focused on the mythology of vampires, and the erotic nature of these beings. Lives in Wales. A practicing pagan, Charlotte Ondac has a deep interest in ancient mythology, and wishes to explore how these ancient mythologies could affect our current world, and our views of humanity. Wishes to explore more into the dark eroticism of vampires, and other strange creatures.

Jaclyn Osborn was born and raised in the state of Arkansas. When not working her day job, her days mostly consist of writing, reading, and having epic Lord of the Rings marathons. All types of genres interest her–in both reading and writing–and she hopes to delve into a few of them throughout her career.

Iskra Ryder writes paranormal erotic romance. She is a graduate student living in Chicago with a roommate, a cat, and a hedgehog.

Catherine Stovall is a fearless creature who surrounds herself with the joys of life both in and out of her fictional worlds. She lives in Southeast Missouri with her husband, three children, and pets. When not writing, she spends her time riding motorcycles, wearing elaborate hats, and genuinely enjoying the oddities in life.

Patrick Tumblety work has been described as being able to deliver both "genuine fear and genuine hope." (Amy H. Sturgis - Award Winning Author and Professor of Narrative Studies) . Mr. Tumblety's first published release was 2012's Dark Passages, a collection of original thrillers. Since his debut, his work has been featured in a variety of notable publications, including Ross E. Lockhart’s Tales of Jack The Ripper from Word Horde Press, Miseria's Chorale by Forgotten Tomb Press, and Fossil Lake from Sabledrake Enterprises, edited by Christine Morgan.

Review:

Stars: 5/5

Death, Love, Lust is a delectably delicious dark romance collection that you will not want to miss! Chalk-full of malevolent, passionate creatures including demons, ghosts, grim reapers, and even a succubus and incubus or two, the stories are sure to please!  Every author spun their own unique tale and proudly distinguished themselves from each other.  Not one was boring or alike.  I have read several anthologies in my day, and personal experience has shown me that the majority of them contain stories that meld together or only have a few select pieces that are notable. However, Death, Love, Lust stood out to me in every way possible.  It is truly a shining needle in an ever growing haystack.  

I sincerely loved how there were dangerously eerie stories as well as deeply heartfelt ones that brought me close to tears.  I felt such a deep connection with the characters, an element that I was never expecting due to the short length of each entry, but the diverse stories never left me bored.  I found myself deeply pondering true, eternal love as I read the last line, and I adored how deep the love ran and how profound it was in so many of the stories.  Of course, I can't forget the poetry!  Their rhythmic elegance brought something irreplaceable to the anthology!  

Love doesn't come in a neat little package.  There are obstacles to be overcome and an endurance that will be rivaled.  Having said that, Death, Love, Lust depicts love in every light. I loved that this anthology was not just about heterosexual couples, but had a great representation of LGBTQ+ relationships.  I cannot tell you how pleased this made me! You definitely won't find your stereotypical pairings here, but what you will find shall be just as wonderful!  I do believe that I have discovered quite a few authors to look out for, and I can't wait to see what they put out next!  If you want to read an astounding collection of supernatural stories spiced with death, love, and lust, you have definitely got to pick this one up!  And like Marie said, read it in the dark!!!!