The Rising
The Blazing Book Three
The Rising is a heartfelt paranormal romance in which devoted parents are determined to vanquish darkness and protect their home.
In Buffy M. Brinkley’s paranormal thriller The Rising, a husband and wife steel themselves for an epic showdown against an ancient evil.
A disastrous showdown with the vile vampire Malcolm leaves Richard clinging to life and Viveca clutching Liam, her newborn son. As a dream walker and warrior, Viveca can summon a protective spirit, but her abilities seem to be fizzling out. Liam shows an incredible display of power to save them all, but with Richard still close to death and in the clutches of the vampiric curse, danger remains.
The family is wary of Malcolm, but time drags on with only hints of his activity. Viveca delves into a spate of murders. The sudden death of her grandmother comes with a dire warning: Malcolm will leave the family alone for three years, after which he will demand Richard as sacrifice, or he will wipe the whole family out. Viveca races to determine Malcolm’s location and motivations, while Richard and Liam adapt to their new powers as the clock ticks down.
Viveca and Richard’s endearing romance holds the book together. Their bond spans realms: Viveca can enter the spirit world, and Richard survived a paranormal transition. Malcolm is never far from their minds, but Viveca’s career in law enforcement, and Richard’s new abilities, keep them busy.
But the case Viveca investigates is without narrative tension: all signs point to Malcolm as the culprit. The sections of the book devoted to the case come to seem unnecessary. Nonetheless, the book’s opening and closing sequences are dramatic and tense, if the three years spent waiting for Malcolm are not. In that period, Viveca opens up to new allies, Richard adapts to his new life and abilities, and Liam becomes connected to the spiritual world. Still, Liam, though he seems wise beyond his years, is limited by his infant body. He struggles to express himself, resulting in comical exchanges: he demands that Viveca “say Daddy,” which is translated as calling Richard via voice assist.
In family conversations, Viveca is patient and eager to understand Liam; Richard writes Liam’s babbling off as normal with paternal affection; and Liam comes to seem more powerful than the family first realized. Viveca’s work partner becomes like a second father figure, speaking in a calming, authoritative manner with the family, though his tone is distant when they’re dealing with criminals and colleagues.
The book’s interesting scene descriptors—the family’s home is cozy, with warm aromas wafting from the kitchen; elsewhere, Malcolm’s minions terrorize the homeless population in squalid hovels—punctuate the drastic differences between the family’s world and Malcolm’s. Throughout, the threat of Malcolm’s return looms, but is held off until the book’s explosive conclusion.
The Rising is a heartfelt paranormal romance in which devoted parents are determined to vanquish darkness and protect their home.
Reviewed by
John M. Murray
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
