Omega by Susannah Sandlin

February 18th, 2013 Kimberly Guest Post, Review 75 Comments

18th Feb
Omega by Susannah Sandlin
Omega
by Susannah Sandlin
Series: Penton Legacy #3
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Source: Author
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star

The bloody war between the Vampire Tribunal and the defiant scathe of Penton, Alabama, rages on, forcing its residents and their bonded humans to retreat into the underground fortress of last resort: Omega. There, Will Ludlam is charged with the care of Penton’s humans, though he longs to fight alongside his vampire brethren. He knows the risks: as the renegade son of the Tribunal’s vicious leader, Will’s capture could doom the resistance. Yet he is determined to prove his worth to his adopted scathe, to his vengeful father—and to former US Army officer Randa Thomas, his beautiful, reluctant partner. Randa has little faith that a former member of the vampire elite has what it takes to fight a war. But as their enemies descend upon Omega, Will’s polished charm—and Randa’s guarded heart—finally give way to the warrior within. Fans of Susannah Sandlin’s Penton Legacy are sure to devour this long-awaited third installment of the steamy paranormal series.

Today I am super excited to share my review of Omega the third book in the Penton Legacy as well as a guest post from author Susannah Sandlin.

I was very excited to step back into the world Sandlin has created with the Penton Legacy series and to finally get Will’s story. She has created a unique world in which vampires and humans live together in a community. When we last left them they were forced to go underground. Omega drew me in from page one and held me captive to the last page with its intense storyline and lovable characters.

The war between the members of the Penton scathe and the Vampire Tribunal rages on. The community and its bonded humans have been forced to go underground to Omega a fortress built to keep them safe from enemy attack. Will Ludlam is the son of the vicious vampire responsible for the attack on Penton. He and the others are trying to protect their way of life and the humans who trust them. Will and his partner Randa Thomas must help their leader Aiden and the others end this war. Randa and Will often butt-heads but this time they have to work together as a team. The tale that unfolded was intense, kick-ass and at times utterly romantic.

I have so many feelings for Will. He is bright, oh so smexy and damaged. The direction Sandlin took him in had me jumping for joy. He keeps things close to his chest and has some serious emotional scarring. He fully supports Aiden and his new scathe and I loved how he looks out for everyone. Randa is a former US Army Officer and has not quite accepted life as a vampire. She desperately wants to prove herself and often thinks Will is a spoiled brat turned vamp. I have loved the chemistry between them since book one and was delighted to finally get their story. They bicker, misunderstand each other and make the perfect team. Sandlin did a wonderful job of fleshing them out and both characters experienced growth in this installment. Watching them open up and learn about the other was endearing. Of course all of the characters from the first two books were present along with the villains I love to hate. I have fallen hard for all of the unique characters in this series and enjoyed immersing myself in their world.

I love the overall ARC of the Penton Legacy as it has both a unique twist and a gripping pace that kept me enthralled. I was worried that this might be the last book in the series, but a new development has made additional books possible and I haven’t quite stopped dancing. While there is an overall tale threaded throughout each of the books, they brings us up close and personal with one couple. Will and Randa were one of my personal favorites, since they both had a lot of baggage and I am a sucker for happy ending. The pacing was perfect, with ebbs and flows that never quite allowed me to put the book down. I love when an author gets me so caught up in the tale and characters that reality slips away and Sandlin manages this every time. I cannot wait to see where she takes this series next!

I highly recommend Omega and the entire Penton Legacy series to fans of paranormal romance, vampires and action packed suspense. Susannah Sandlin is a pseudonym for author Suzanne Johnson author of the Sentinels of New Orleans series. She writes captivating tales with fleshed out characters I have come to adore.

Guest Post by author Susannah Sandlin
 Hot Vampires, Cold Nights, and the Women Who Tame the Fangs

What is it that makes vampires so sexy? Yeah, yeah, I know. A lot of you are tired of vampires. There was the whole Twilight-Vampire-Bill-Backlash thing and for a while it seemed as if a person couldn’t make a lefthand turn without tripping over a pair of fangs.

Yet here I am, writing vampires because I can’t resist them. Think about it. We love tortured heroes and who is more tortured than a vampire? They have lived long enough to make some truly horrendous decisions, and then continue to live long enough to be haunted by them. They need us (well, okay, they need our blood, but we’re splitting corpuscles).

Of course, the missing piece of that story is The Woman. You know, the one we want to be. The one who tames the hot vampire and brings him to his knees or saves him or teaches him to love again or…. You get the idea.

It takes a strong woman to tame the fangs. She has to be one-third Marine Corps drill instructor, one-third psychiatrist, and one-third Mother Theresa (because she’ll have a lot to forgive—the vampire males usually have a few setbacks on the way to being tamed).

A few cases in point: the women who’ve tamed—or at least have restrained (one of them literally)—the Big Bad Vampires of Penton, Alabama.

The Vampire #1: Aidan Murphyis a 430-year-old Irishman, a master vampire who in his human life was a farmer. Of course, as Aidan’s lieutenants often tease him, he’s also the epitome of the brooding vampire. He is serious and driven, has a past that haunts him, and is so damned sincere you just want to slap him upside the head sometimes. Or stab him with a fork, perhaps (which The Woman does).

The Woman: Krystal Harris. A human physician who’s just completed her residency, Krys comes to Penton for what she thinks is a job interview heading a rural clinic. And there she meets up with Penton’s “mayor-slash-hospital-administrator-slash-king” Aidan Murphy. Krys has grown up with a controlling, abusive father and the last thing she wants is a controlling man in her life—or a vampire who kidnaps her, enthralls her, and locks her in the basement.

The Couple (from Redemption): After a rocky beginning, Krys and Aidan work. Once she gets past the circumstances, she discovers a man who values her opinions and respects her. With Krys’s help, Aidan finds someone who is smart and strong enough to stand beside him and help him be the leader his people need.

The Vampire #2: Mirren Kincaid, aka the Slayer, is 6-8 inches of black-clad, badass vampire. A 400-year-old Scottish gallowglass warrior, he punishes himself (think acid pens) for his past as the Vampire Tribunal’s most lethal executioner. His specialty: thwacking off heads with one clean sweep of his battle sword, Faolain. Mirren is short-tempered, prone to turning monosyllabic, and even his friends know when to keep their distance. In other words, he’s ripe for a fall.

The Woman: Gloriana Cummings, aka Glory, is a convenience store clerk with a GED and dreams of one day going to culinary school and owning her own restaurant. She talks too much when nervous, is headstrong, and unflinchingly honest in her assessment of herself and others.

The Couple (from Absolution). Mirren and Glory seem like the most unlikely couple ever. She’s a chatterbox who likes to cook, and he has a foul mouth, few words, and no interest in food or relationships. But her determined optimism and refusal to cast judgment helps Glory finally pry off the lid of Mirren’s pain and reveal a guy who’s not only got a tender side, but can be pretty darn funny.

The Vampire #3: Will Ludlam To everyone in Penton, Will Ludlam is a ridiculously handsome playboy who doesn’t take anything seriously. Turned vampire in the late 1960s at age 22, Will has hidden some very personal, very brutal secrets from everyone. Even Aidan, his best friend, doesn’t know everything. He plays the “for a good time call Will” card very, very well, and the wall he’s built around himself is a foot thick.

 The Woman: Randalynn Thomas, aka Randa, was in the Army when she was tracked into a Kabul alleyway and turned vampire five years ago. She’s the daughter of an Army colonel, the only sister growing up with three brothers (all military) and no mom. She’s always thought she had to be smarter, tougher, and more capable in order to earn the respect of her father and brothers—and her fellow vampires. She has a wall around her a foot thick (sound familiar?).

The Couple (from Omega): Will and Randa are opposites on the surface, but underneath are very much alike. They both use a hard exterior to hide inner insecurities, and it takes something explosive (literally) to crack their shells enough for the other to see inside. Their romance isn’t a sudden flash and burn—their circumstances and their personalities wouldn’t allow it—but they’re learning, reluctantly, to trust each other with their hearts.

So there you have it—three hot vampires and the women who have caught their hearts (or are in the process of it). Which type would you like to tame—the serious, quiet leader who’s haunted by a painful past; the big, alpha male who’s convinced he isn’t worthy of love; or the funny and smart (but damaged) man who’s hiding behind a carefully constructed wall?

 

Photo of kimbacaffeinate
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

75 Responses to “Omega by Susannah Sandlin”

  1. eli yanti

    I think i’m prefer funny and smart (but damaged) man who’s hiding behind a carefully
    constructed wall

  2. Roger Simmons

    Great review and fun guest post. I also am a fan of ten Penton series. Looking for ward to whatever is next. Maybe a book and a serial in the Penton world. Thanks!

  3. miki

    Fantastic review and such a generous giveaway!
    I love this series so much and i’m so happy we will get at least a fourth book^^ i need to know what happen to cage ( and then a serials as a bonus so good!!)

  4. Blodeuedd

    I might just have the shortest memory span in history! I never remember that this author is Suzanne

  5. Naomi Hop

    Great review! You captured all of my thoughts too! I have really enjoyed the series so far…. Look forward to whatever twists that come up in the future!

  6. Rebe

    I like all three, but the smart but funny hero sounds really appealing!

  7. Lily B

    Never read this series! Thank you for sharing, sounds fun 🙂

  8. Andrea

    I have the first two books in the series and can’t wait to get started. I know we both love Susannah/Suzanne’s Sentinels of New Orleans series, so I can only imagine I will love this too.

  9. Giselle Cormier

    Oh his eyes!! This sounds like a really good series! I don’t think I’d heard about it before unless I’ve seen your previous reviews. I may have. I’ll remember by the covers >.<

  10. Jenny Zemanek

    You had me sold on this one at the word “damaged” Kimba! I LIVE for the broken, damaged characters, so I’m thinking Will is going to be the perfect guy for me:) I haven’t heard much about this series, so I need to go back and start at the beginning! Thanks for the recommendation.

  11. kimbacaffeinate

    While the romances are certainly standalone and the author does a good job of recapping, I really think you would be doing yourself a disservice reading them out of order. The overall story arc is very compelling and not to be missed.

  12. Bella's Shelf

    Hey Kim. Great review. Would you consider these stand alone books or do we need to read them in order to keep up w/the story?

    I think I like the second vampire 🙂 Thank u for the giveaway too <3

  13. Heidi

    I have read two other great posts for this series during Fire and Ice and I am convinced I need to check it out, but I am leaning more toward the Sentinels of New Orleans first. Still this sounds fantastic!

  14. Susannah Sandlin

    Plus, don’t forget–he’s absolutely gorgeous (which never hurts)! Thanks, Barbara!

  15. Barbara E.

    I’d like to tame the funny and smart (but damaged) man who’s hiding behind a carefully constructed wall. There’s nothing like a sense of humor to catch my interest, and helping a man recover from the damage he’s hiding is definitely an incentive to get involved.

  16. Susannah Sandlin

    Ah, that would be Mirren. A scary, but sexy, choice!

  17. Susannah Sandlin

    Another Mirren fan–I have to admit for a soft spot for the big boy as well 🙂

  18. Susannah Sandlin

    Hope you have a chance to read the books, Sharon!

  19. Sharon - Obsession with Books

    I love the cover of this book! I remember adding this series to my TBR pile after reading your review of the previous book.

    I’d attempt to tame the funny/smart (damaged) guy 🙂

    A wonderful review Kimba & fab giveaway!

  20. Susannah Sandlin

    Of course you realize that means you have to read them all–LOL 🙂

  21. Veronica

    Definitely the funny and smart but damaged man hiding behind an emotional wall because you get to see that humourous side once in a while

  22. mark a.

    if they were women, i would go for the funny and smart one.

  23. Jennifer Bielman

    I have been keeping an eye out on this series. I have been tempted to get all the books because many people have loved them. Thanks for the giveaway.

  24. JenM

    I’m going for MIrren. I have such a weakness for the big, strong, silent, damaged alpha male type.

  25. elaing8

    I would like to tame the alpha male who’s convinced he isn’t worthy of love.

  26. heather

    the funny and smart (but damaged) man who’s hiding behind a carefully constructed wall

  27. Candace's Book Blog

    The answer to this one is easy! “funny and smart (but damaged) man who’s hiding behind a carefully
    constructed wall” is definitely the one I prefer. But I do also like “the serious, quiet leader who’s haunted by a
    painful past”.

    This sounds like a great series, I’m sold!

  28. kindlemom1

    Yay! I love this series and it is one of those that not enough people know about! All the books are fabulous and I am so excited that you love them too!

    I have heard that there will be another book (or possibly novella) out and I am so excited about it!

  29. Tammy

    I’d choose funny and smart but damaged: three things I happen to love in a man:) (or vampire) Thanks for a super giveaway!

  30. Teracia Loretan

    absolutely amazing blog lol been checkin it out about an hour your reviews are great and make me want to read all the book so my hubby should be ever so happy about that lol

  31. godan2

    funny and smart (but damaged) man who’s hiding behind a carefully
    constructed wall

  32. Jenea Whittington

    I have to say the alpha male who doesn’t believe he deserves love. 🙂 Great review and thank you for sharing the guest post too…

  33. Melissa (Books and Things)

    Honestly I can’t figure out which one I would like more. I think it is in how they and their intended are written. I know that sounds like a copout, but it’s true! 😀

  34. Erin F

    thanks for the fun post! I’d have to say the funny and smart (but damaged) man 🙂

  35. Melissa

    I’ve heard some really good things about this series. I do like that. 🙂 Glad to hear you so enjoyed it as well.

  36. Aurian

    Awesome guestpost Susannah! Very difficult choice, but I will go with Vampire nr 2 please!

  37. Kristia

    I’ve already read the 1st book and I loved it 🙂 I woud like to tame the alpha male who’s convinced he isn’t worthy of love. Who wouldn’t 😉 Thank you for the giveaway!

  38. Rin

    Hmmm… tough call. I think I’d pick funny and smart (but damaged).

  39. Nurmawati Djuhawan

    i like : the serious, quiet leader who’s haunted by a painful past
    thx u for the giveaway 🙂

  40. Meghan Stith

    I think I would choose the alpha male, but I also enjoy someone a man who broods.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    mestith at gmail dot com