Awaken is the debut novel by L.J. Sealey. It is the
first in her Paranormal Romance series, Divine Hunter. In Awaken, we
meet Michael Warden. Michael’s life was taken away from him and he now finds
himself inhabiting a body that was not his, fighting demons that should not
exist, while trying to figure out what happened to him and why. His quest for
truth leads him to take a job as a university professor. He took the job to try
to uncover the reason behind numerous suicides by the students. He doesn’t
believe it to be because of natural reasons and thinks if he figures out why
the students are killing themselves, then it could lead to answers as to what
happened to him. He feels as though there is a supernatural element to it. In
his search he encounters numerous demons from Hell, from which he has returned
but is unsure why he was able to leave. As well, he makes a new friend in a
demon hunter named Evo. While working as a professor, Michael meets and quickly
develops a friendship with colleague Lacy Holloway.
Lacy has just begun to heal from things in her past when she
meets Michael, and quickly becomes comfortable in his presence. All of a sudden
things from her past start resurfacing and she feels as though Michael has some
part of it. Even though there is something strange about Michael, she can’t
help but fall for him, she finds him smart, attractive, and very easy to talk
to. Lacy finds out quickly that Michael isn’t what he seems to be and Lacy
finds herself fighting demons alongside Michael as they try to help one of her
students who has tried to commit suicide but failed.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Right from the
beginning you realize that Lacy and Michael have a unique bond and even though
it seems dangerous, you are rooting for them. Her kind heart and personality
are exactly what Michael needs amidst all of the torture he is going through,
both physically and emotionally. The journey Michael takes throughout the book
is captivating. I found myself wanting to keep reading to see what else he
would discover about himself as he unravelled the questions and found some
answers as to what he was and what had become of him.
Sealey filled the book with a lot of descriptive so that you
are able to picture everything and have a real sense of what is going on with
the characters in detail. The story flowed well from chapter to chapter and
things unravelled in a uniformed way, not leaving you wondering what happened. Her
characters are interesting people and are easy to understand. It made you feel
as though you were a friend of theirs and had known them for years. Yet the
mystery surrounding their past was very intriguing and I loved how she told
bits and pieces of it throughout the book to keep you wanting to read. The
story line is great and easy to follow.
I really liked the overall tone of good versus evil with the
underlying romance. Even though Michael has returned from Hell, you are
wondering throughout the whole book why, since he doesn’t seem to have the “demon”
in him. Instead he is fighting on the good side. I found the further I read the
more hooked I got and the ending was amazing!
If you enjoy paranormal romance then this is a series to
check out. I just started reading the second book in the series, Dark
Deliverance, and so far I am hooked.
