Servant: the Awakening

Gaby has grown up a complete outsider since she not only is an orphan, but she also has paranormal abilities that make people fear and dislike her. For as long as she can remember, she could sense evil from afar and see the bad in people. She has unusual strength, speed and fighting skills, but when her ability kicks in, it comes with severe pain and makes her mostly blind to whatever else is going on around her. When she was 17, she met a priest who finally helped her understand that she wasn't mad or evil and from then on she saw her paranormal powers as a gift and duty from god, meant to help her fight evil. But after the priest's death she has been alone, always on the outside and at risk from the law that would see her as a mad killer. At the beginning of 'The awakening', Gaby has been living in a flat rented from a comicbooks-store owner, Mort. He likes her, but she finds it difficult to let him come close. When a ruthless doctor starts experimenting on cancer patients and uses the victims to commit crimes, Gaby tries to stop this. Mort wants to help her at great risk to himself and in the process they become friends. And another man develops an interest in Gaby: Detective Luther Cross notices her when she teaches a drunk who attacks her in the street a painful lesson, and he soon suspects that she might be involved in a murder - to her the just execution of a child abuser and murderer. But the more he gets to know her, the more attracted he is to her. Trying to keep Mort safe and attracted to Luther but afraid that he might find out about her abilities and illegal activities, Gaby tries to stop the mad doctor - and struggles with her need to let others close while she fears being hurt again - or arrested... This is a great new dark urban fantasy series with an interesting plot and strong characters - from the leads to minor characters. Gaby has been compared to the early Eve Dallas (from J. D. Robb's Death-series), which is quite a compliment. I would agree that she, too, is a strong character with a painful past and a lot of potential for development. Another parallel are the great male lead and the crime plot. But the book is quite original, not a copy of anything else, especially with the paranormal elements and the sense of humour. I enjoyed 'Servant' a lot and would definitely recommend it.

I really picked this book up in the store as an impulse and was pleasantly surprised that this book held my attention from start to finish. It has a different slant than I was expecting and I was never bored not only enjoying the story line but also the relationship between the characters. I look forward to continuing to read this series and will look for other books by the same authors.

I loved this book! I'm not a big fan of urban fantasy, so I really didn't know what to expect, but I was blown away by the story and character development. I found it totally engrossing from start to finish. My compliments to the author:-) Becky

I just finished the first book by L L Foster, better known as Lori Foster. This book is in totally different world than anything written by her before. This book is an urban fantasy at its best. It is a paranormal, but differs from the common paranormal books out there. Gaby Cody is a young woman with a calling to hunt evil and to destroy it. She can see dark auras of pure evil. Her mother died in childbirth. She never had a family, but just an old priest who helped guide her gift. But now he is dead. And she is alone. Luther Cross is a police detective who notices the lone waif living in a bad neighborhood. And when dismembered bodies start showing up is Gaby's wake. Luther is force to look into Gaby's life. Then evil take a notice of Gaby and Luther is faced with deciding to protect or arrest the woman he is fascinated with. I love this new series and now impatiently waiting for more,

Gabrielle "Gaby" Cody has a calling, a calling that sends her out hunting the demonic beings that prey on others. Her life has been one of solitude ever since the cancerous death of her mentor, Father Mullond. A new menace is now drawing her, practically daring her to defeat it. But Gaby is reluctantly developing ties as she discovers she now has a friend in her landlord, Mort Vance, and a startling attraction to Detective Luther Cross. Will these new ties only serve to hamper Gaby or will she begin to trust in others about her divine calling? SERVANT: THE AWAKENING is the first book in what is sure to be an electrifying series. L.L. Foster (aka Lori Foster) delves deeply into the dark side with this supernaturally charged tale. Gaby is a haunted and almost tragic figure, isolated and alone. She has a sharp bluntness that is appealing as she lacks the usual social skills. Her angst enhances the storyline as there is a real reason behind her feelings of dread. L.L. Foster does an exceptional job at character development as she makes Gaby likeable despite Gaby's determined efforts to be unlikable. THE AWAKENING has a hint of romance brewing in it but is definitely an urban fantasy. Luther is attracted to Gaby despite all of his misgivings, while Gaby is reluctantly drawn towards the detective with a nose for trouble. Their personalities couldn't be any more different and yet, somehow, it all works. Don't mistake THE AWAKENING for a paranormal romance, however, as L.L. Foster takes readers into a haunting, shadowy world with this tale. L.L. Foster brings a fresh perspective to the urban fantasy genre with THE AWAKENING. Despite the plethora of books available in the genre, THE AWAKENING has that extra bite that makes it stand out. L.L. Foster shows she has an edgy, dangerous side in this first, fascinating start to the series. One can easily envision a graphic novel accompanying this fantastic book, as it has that gritty feel to it. I can't wait to see where L.L. Foster takes this series! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES