Third instalment of the Heart Lines series

“I should never have agreed to let Indra heal you. You’re still infected, Alex. Different but not better.” - Sam

Indra healed Alex but at a price. The werewolf venom may be gone from his system, but in its place is a darkness that has left Alex numb and unable to feel emotion. Sam is initially hurt and confused by his indifference but comes to realise that something is wrong and vows to heal him and deal with Indra.

“No you’re not. But you will be. I’m going to take down your little goddess-girlfriend. And then I’m going to find a way to heal you for real this time. When I do, you’ll feel something. And I hope by then I still care whether it’s pleasure or pain.”

Sam is stunned to learn that her roommate Britney is secretly a Hunter who has been keeping an eye on her for Tara Godfrey. She has also been taking out the infected werewolves who were gunning for Sam without her being aware of their presence. In addition she meets with the board members of CHAS.

Alex confronts Indra over the way she healed him and comes to learn that she is the one who is infecting the werewolves.

“I was created in the likeness of Ea, unchanged and untouched by human time. I am here to be his hands. To strike down the aberration that is werewolf.”

Can Alex resist Indra’s powerful influence and warn Sam of the threat to her life and that of the werewolves?

Esperance is the third instalment of the Heart Lines series which sees Indra exposed as the one behind the werewolf attacks.

“She’s not like you Sam. She’s something else. Something older. She doesn’t just have the energy inside of her like you do. I have a feeling that whatever is inside her, it’s not interesting in healing anything.” - Cordelia Steppe

Indra, it seems, is possessed by the ocean god Ea who is intent on destroying werewolves. She is also the elemental witch, Sushna’s daughter. Luckily Sam is finally able to tap into her powers as a conflicted Alex struggles to fight Indra’s hold over him.

Britney and RJ continue to be entertaining secondary characters. It turns out that Breck is Sam’s brother which puts him at odds with Alex. Koby was a welcome addition to the series and proved to be a crucial factor in Sam understanding her powers. We also meet other members of CHAS, in particular Simon Brooks who Sam must now report to since Edie has been mysteriously reassigned elsewhere. I particularly liked the camaraderie between Sam and Cordelia.

Now that the lines have been drawn and the enemy has made themselves known, Sam knows that CHAS and the Hunters are out of their depth and it’s up to her to stop Indra. With Alex now in custody, Sam has a hell of a fight on her hands. I’m looking forward to the follow up book to see how it plays out.

I received an advanced free audible copy of Esperance that was narrated by Kelly Pruner who made it easy to differentiate between the different characters.

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