Sterling (Mageri #1) by Dannika Dark

 

 Ok, first things first I have never been SO on the sidelines in a book as much as I was when I read this book! I DREAMT about READING IT (no, not being in the book, or having fantasies about the hunks in this book, (of which there were quite a few to choose from... Adam being my FAV so far) but I dreamt the words on the page and actually READING the book) whenever I fell asleep reading because I was not able to find a "good stopping point" (as my best friend calls it) because THERE WASN'T A GOOD STOPPING POINT!!! I have never been laughing so hard from Page ONE in anything besides the Sunday comics as a kid... Might I just begin this all by saying....

Sterling is the first book in the Mageri series by Dannika Dark, and by far my reason for loss of sleep the last 2 days... That is right!! I read this book cover to cover in 2 days.. (I have a three year old mind you so she had to be cared for otherwise I am positive I would have finished it faster lol)We begin the story as Zoë in bed and after a short persuasive call from her BFF Sunny, they went out for a night out. At the end of their evening, Sunny drops Zoë off at a train station for her to make her way home on her own from there. Zoë's night however was not going to end as simply as she intended. On her way home Zoë is aprehended by force by a strange man who KILLS HER!!! That was what kept me reading!! The MAIN character of the book DIES in the first chapter!! I was shocked to say the least!! Hours pass and Zoë awakens in the back of an ambulance in a friggin body bag! She frees herself and manages to take off through the woods and comes across Adam Razor **swoon** who takes her back to his home and cares for her! When Zoë awakens she sees that her hair (originally red) was jet black and her eyes now bright vibrant green! Even her voice was different..! Zoë and Adam after a few small feats of whether or not to trust the dutiful hero come to a very warming relationship (platonic however since she ZAPPED him when he kissed her). Adam is a photographer and ex-military ends up getting a photography gig in Tennessee and brings Zoë along for the ride after realizing that that the man that killed her was hunting her down. While in TN, Zoë decides that being this far from her killer that she would be safe enough to go out to a bar and encounters Justus. From Zoë's description of Justus, he is a very well built brick sex appeal marinated powerhouse! While leaving the bar (accompanied by Justus as his chivalry begins to show just a bit) Zoë is approached by some men and while trying to protect her we learn that Zoë is not human, but Mage. Justus accompanies Adam(who by this time has not only found Zoë but managed to think she needed rescuing from Justus) and Zoë to Adam's hotel room where he tells the pair that the man that "killed" her was a creator of Mage and that Zoë was his creation. Justus warns Adam that she needs to be taught and that there are laws set in place by the Breed (basically anything non-human) that Zoë needed to learn and that Adam could not properly teach Zoë or protect her. So, having been given Justus' business card, Zoë calls him and is then taken by him to the council. (They are basically, the law-keepers.) Justus is made Zoë's Ghuardian (yessiree, I spelled it right.. ). Zoe, making great headway in her training with Justus and beginning to gain a grasp of the Mage history and laws, is rather abruptly introduced to Simon. Simon holds secrets himself as we come to learn later on that he too was forcefully made Mage as well. Simon is a breath of fresh air however when he gets Justus to let his guard down and allow the three of them to go out for a night on the town. but avast.... while out, Zoë(here on out called Learner as that is her title within the Mage, a new baby-like Mage... and learning... hence, "Learner") is attacked by a juicer(a Mage that for all intensive purposes seems like a light(Mage power) addict(much like a heroin addict). The learner is taken back to Justus' home by Simon and NEARLY succumbs to his allure and sex appeal but they are interrupted by the homecoming of Justus and that comes to a screeching halt. A little later on(this book is fast paced, you go from chapter to chapter and jump in time as you turn your page) we find out that the learner's creator has stepped forth in the eyes of the Council and intended to claim her (Mage law states your creator owns you until he decides you can be free...not my favorite part but her, you can't like everything in a book can ya? lol). Justus and Simon decide that this was not going to be left alone and upon awarding the learner back to her creator he gives the learner a name (since in the Mage law, you abandon your name and are GIVEN one by your creator) and her creator names her Silver. The Counsel decides that since Silver's creation was not common, that in a week the parties would return and someone could fight to have Silver. Then  Samil(Silver's creator) takes her back to his house and puts her in a basement and literally beats her and tries to get her to beg to be healed... (oh forgot to mention that tidbit.... Mage are immortal... and heal faster... so Silver was not able to be killed per-se' and could heal faster than a human, but another Mage could heal her if he/she decided) Also, while down in her creator's basement Silver is pimped out for her light to a man that appears to be paying Samil to create Mage and sell to him. After the tables are turned on Samil by his dealmaker, Samil decides to go out and kill Silver to stop the dealmaker from having leverage or trying to take his cut basically. Samil hesitates and decides to "taste" Silver's light just the same as he was allowing his dealmaker to do daily and has a FAST change of mind and decides to KEEP Silver because we learn she is a Unique (not much known on this subject other than it a very VERY special Mage Type and is not seen often... Having given Simon and Justus her location (like how I did that hmm? didn't tell you when or how, just that she had..... wanna find out how?? read the book.. hehe) they come to her rescue just in the knick of time. While Silver had been away, Simon and Justus had contacted Adam and decided that HE would be the one to fight for Silver. Since the Council would level the playing field, this meant that Adam could get the revenge on Samil that he has been seeking for apparently a LOT longer that the night he met Silver(as Zoë). In the end of this all, the battle takes place with my on the edge of the couch cheering in dead silence at my Kindle for Adam to kick Samil's ass and Adam wins....barely. Adam retained a fatal wounding throughout the fight that he would have died from if another option had not been presented him by an unsuspecting member of the scene (Im not tellin... so there... :-P  ) and Silver is placed back with her Ghuardian(Justus) and taken home.
Like I said I loved this book!! If you are looking for a bunch of sex and erotica, keep moving because nobody has sex in this book.... a few close calls.... but nothing completed. BUT if you are looking for a new book, with twists and turns all along the way and moments that you are laughing your ass off one sentence and then gasping in shock and yelling at characters to do your bidding.... then this is the book for you!! I can not wait to read Twist and see what else happens in this series!!

I give it 5 shields!!!! (I would give it 10 if it was an option!! lol but alas, I stuck with the 5 star rating method widely used by every site I have found!! lolLike I said I loved this book!! If you are looking for a bunch of sex and erotica, keep moving because nobody has sex in this book.... a few close calls.... but nothing completed. BUT if you are looking for a new book, with twists and turns all along the way and moments that you are laughing your ass off one sentence and then gasping in shock and yelling at characters to do your bidding.... then this is the book for you!! I can not wait to read Twist and see what else happens in this series!!
I give it 5 shields!!!! (I would give it 10 if it was an option!! lol but alas, I stuck with the 5 star rating method widely used by every site I have found!! lol
Like I said I loved this book!! If you are looking for a bunch of sex and erotica, keep moving because nobody has sex in this book.... a few close calls.... but nothing completed. BUT if you are looking for a new book, with twists and turns all along the way and moments that you are laughing your ass off one sentence and then gasping in shock and yelling at characters to do your bidding.... then this is the book for you!! I can not wait to read Twist and see what else happens in this series!!

I give it 5 shields!!!! (I would give it 10 if it was an option!! lol but alas, I stuck with the 5 star rating method widely used by every site I have found!! lol)