Review: Initiation by Rebecca Royce

31 October of 2015 by Deb Markanton

Reviewer's Rating: 4

4.0Overall score

A Must Read Paranormal Fantasy

Initiation By Rebecca Royce
YA Paranormal & Fantasy

Released September 8, 2015

Self-Published

Series: The Warrior, Book #1

Reviewed by Deb

Keep your friends close…and your enemies closer.
Rachel Clancy has had to learn the hard way that you can’t always trust who you know.

Born with a specific set of genes that lets her fight monsters, Rachel has trained her entire life to kill vampires and werewolves. Unprepared for the level of deception and betrayal she faces as she journeys Upwards to battle her enemies, it’s not long before Rachel finds herself on a quest that will alter the lives of everyone she knows.

Including Rachel’s…

*This book was previously published and has been extensively re-edited for your enjoyment*

A Must Read Paranormal Fantasy

Rebecca Royce is a master storyteller, which is why I love reading anything she writes. Initiation is yet another superb example of her skills. Ms. Royce never fails to grab my attention from the get go, and I am continually in awe of her ability to create compelling characters and the worlds in which they live. I don’t read many YA books these days so I had no idea what to expect from Initiation. I was delighted to discover a mix of paranormal/dystopian in a story chock full of suspense, danger, romance, witty dialogue, emotion, and much more.

Today is Rachel Clancy’s sixteenth birthday, however, there will be no sweet sixteen party. Instead, as is custom, Rachel will be traveling Upwards to do her part as a Warrior. The world as we know it ended 30 years ago, the population forced to retreat to underground habitats in order to avoid the vampires and werewolves on the surface bent on destroying humans. These monsters murdered her mother when Rachel was just a baby. For all intents and purposes, they killed her father as well since he hasn’t been sober a day since. No, Rachel isn’t celebrating. She possesses the distinctive genes necessary to fight the monsters that hunt on the surface. So today, on her sixteenth birthday, she will go Upwards for the first time to utilize the skills she has been taught for years. Today, Rachel becomes a Warrior.

As if her day isn’t stressful enough, she learns that the leader of Genesis habitat plans to send her out alone on her first night as payback for her father’s transgression many years ago. A transgression she only just learned the truth about. Today is a sure suicide mission. Rather than freak out, Rachel comes to terms with her situation and, refusing to go down like a defeated rabbit, she stands up to her fate. Rachel is an interesting heroine. She’s a typical sixteen-year-old in many respects; she has a crush on her best friend’s brother Chad, she worries she’s not pretty enough, and she’s afraid that she isn’t strong enough to withstand her first night as a Warrior. But she’s also determined, strong, and brave.

Rachel’s inner strength and character are a fine mix between the teenage girl and the Warrior that she was born to be. Rachel is scared but not scared witless. Within minutes, she encounters her first vampire. She finds herself surprisingly unimpressed with the creature who is quite astounded she hasn’t succumbed to his glamor. She even has the confidence to throw some sarcasm his way. Maybe this won’t be as hard as she thought…
The last thing Rachel expects, though, is to be captured by werewolves. Not only is she treated kindly and given food, she feels compelled to spill her guts to Andon Kenwood, whom she learns is the Alpha of their pack. Contrary to what she’s learned, these werewolves aren’t out to kill her. As a matter of fact, they’re just like a human family. Right down to Andon’s very handsome son, Jason, who is convinced Rachel is his destined mate and pursues her as such. Rachel’s not used to such attention, but she finds herself falling for Jason.

When Andon reveals a terrifying secret, Rachel’s world is turned around. How is it that no one in Genesis habitat is aware of the treachery and deceit going on? Suddenly, everything Rachel was taught to believe comes into question. Initiation was fast-paced from the beginning, but at this point the action explodes. It’s one surprise after another, including Rachel’s new werewolf friends apparently abandoning her. Rachel’s strength and character shine as she comes up against danger from sources she never expected. She is also getting quite a bit of male admiration and attention, which is new and confusing. But all she can think about is Jason, his betrayal, and the fact that she was played for some reason. Why, she hasn’t figured out just yet. Maybe book two will give us a clue.

I thoroughly enjoyed Initiation and will most definitely continue reading this series.