*** This review is spoiler-free! Read on with confidence! ***

South of Surrender starts off with a bang, falls into a lull for a while, then picks back up with a storm force gale. Getting to see the brothers together was a real treat and led to some special moments between them that we haven’t gotten to experience until now.  Before they were all just gods, related but each doing his own individual thing, and South of Surrender brings them back together with a sense of family and singular purpose.

Chrys and Laney have some blazing hot scenes (holy hot tamales, batman!) and Chrysander’s self doubts are heart-breaking, but their chemistry took a little time to heat up for me. Laney is so self-sacrificing that I worried about her constantly, but that’s also part of the charm Ms. Kaye weaves into her heroines… they are all soft and vulnerable yet stalwart and nigh unbreakable. When the plot finally came together at the crux of the story, it was electrifying and set my heart racing. South of Surrender absolutely lives up to the high Hearts of the Anemoi standard set by the previous books in the series; I devoured it in a single day!

There are several new faces in this one, both human and supernatural, and it was fun getting to see the rank and file structure of the Anemoi hierarchy. Seth was a character I particularly enjoyed meeting and am hoping we get to see more of in future books.  And holy shite is Eurus eeeeeveeeiiiil! He’s not one of those heroes you love to hate, he’s the guy you despise so much you hope he dies in a spectacularly painful and degrading spotlight. Even so, Chrys’ s compassion for his brother adds a softer, more relatable dimension to the Supreme God of the East Wind, making me wonder just what might be in store for him.

I also really like how Ms. Kaye organically introduces us to one of the Anemoi brothers each book so we get to know them each a little individually before their own story starts. This one comes full circle back to Boreus, who had some fantastic lines and scenes. I love Boreus! His old world formal speech is amusing and well crafted, and his relationship with Owen is so genuine and supportive it really resonates.  Could Boreus have a possible love interest in South of Surrender?  Maaaaybe!  You’ll have to read it to find out! *grin*

Memorable Quotes

I’m not sure moldy is Chrysander’s best look…

“I’ve been a giant pain in your ass, haven’t I?”
She managed a nearly genuine grin. “Yeah, kinda. But you’re growing on me.”
“Like mold.”
“There’s a fungus among us.” She grimaced.
Chrys chuckled. “That was an…absolutely terrible joke.”
She covered her laugh with her hand and nodded. “I know. I babble when I’m nervous. It’s horrible.”

Oh, that is SO the right answer!

“Wait.” His heat and light paused in front of her. “Do I look okay?” She smoothed her hands over her hair.
“By the gods, you could never look just okay. You are a beautiful woman. And they will love you.”

Totally. Popsicles ARE awesome. A Chrys-sicle would be even better. *grin*

“Ready to blow this popsicle stand?”
She chuckled. “They have popsicles stands in… wherever you’re from?”
“The Realm of the Gods.”
“The Realm… Right.”
He grabbed her hand. “No, but they totally should. Popsicles are awesome.”

Oh, Boreus! Love him. L-O-V-E!

“The less you know, the better.”
She looked down as Teddy nestled into her. “Maybe. But I already know enough to know we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Boreas frowned. “Kansas?”
Intelligent brown eyes dragged over his face, as if studying him. A foreign heat rose inside him. “You don’t know the reference?”
He shook his head. “Should I?”
“Curiouser and curiouser.”
“What is?”
“You don’t get that one either, do you?”
He swallowed his last bite of strawberry ice cream, studying her in return. “I am failing some test right now, yes?”

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If you haven’t yet had a chance to start the Hearts of the Anemoi series, pick up North of Need.  It is one of a select few books chosen as a GraveTells Fave and was selected as one of our 2011 Books of the Year.  If you enjoy reading about gods and mortals and epic supernatural wars, check out Elisabeth Naughton’s Eternal Guardians series, beginning with Marked. It features sexy, commanding men, strong and capable heroines, and storylines that grab you quickly and keep you invested from book to book.

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South of Surrender is…