Tour! A Review of Timeless by Crystal Collier & Guest Post by the Author!

Moonless (Maiden of Time #3) by Crystal Collier
Genre: Young Adult (Thriller/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: November 1, 2016
Publisher: Raybourne Publishing

Time is the enemy.

In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.

In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil, and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.

Can Alexia escape her own clock? 

Moonless is the third book in the Maiden of Time trilogy by Crystal Collier. It's so sad to see this series come to an end. I loved getting to know a younger, different Kiren. Seeing them fall in love all over again? It was intoxicating. This book had a little more of a thriller feel to it than I remember the last books having, which I loved. I think it needed that to truly let you in on the gravity of the situation that these characters are in. Like the others, there's so much going on. Where's the danger? Who can you trust? Are you really seeing what you think you saw? It was a non-stop page turner. These books have been such an adventure, and this last one? It kept me gripping the book right down to the last pages. It was bittersweet in many ways, but Whew! I'm still not sure what to think about that ending! And not in a bad way. Although I do have questions. It still has me thinking.

The ARC of Moonless by Crystal Collier was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Leofrik straightened the chainmail net and backed away. He’d been observant and invisible, and now his efforts would pay out. Metal links spanned the spot she always appeared, suspended between a tree and the burned out house.
A chilly breeze washed over him. He grinned, poised to pounce. Success was about to be delivered.
Wind rattled the chainmail and a shriek rent the air. Nothing but mist one second, woman the next. She hit the metal links with the force of a horse-drawn carriage, and the mail caught around her, torn loose from the tree and building. It tangled over her. Leofrik rushed in as she ripped at the metal. He hugged it tightly about her, securing it like a blanket around her torso and knocking her to the ground.
She jerked, arms secured in the web. She kicked at him, but he crushed her legs beneath his own. Her teeth snapped at him. He leaned away, one arm pressed against her collarbone.
Silver eyes glared death at him through a mess of snowy-blonde hair with a hint of sunshine. Cautiously, he brushed the strands back from her face. Thin brows crushed down over upturned eyes. The pink of rose petals warmed her cheeks, and berry wine lips pursed, twitching in rage. She smelled of lilac and a hint of rain—such an intriguing mixture.
Lovely. Beyond lovely. She belonged in men’s dreams, not the light of day.
Her chest heaved beneath him, and he became aware of her form, a shape quite pleasingly proportioned from what he could feel.
Head out of the bedsheets. To your duty, man.
She twisted again, a futile attempt to break free. She slammed the back of her head into the ground with a growl. The sound startled him. Had it come from a wolf or lion it wouldn’t have surprised him, but from a young woman who fit the image of an angel?

Little Known Facts: Metal, What?!

Thank you Gabby for having me here today.

Reviewers have accused me of creating paranormal creatures that are entirely unique. My creations:

• Can live forever if not killed
• Possess unique gifts or talents (kill with a scream, heal with a touch)
• Are ugly as children until they come of age on the moonless night closest to their 16th birthday
• Can be bound (permanently attached) to their paramour
• Are able to share thoughts/memories through touch
• Can make themselves unnoticed to human eyes (hiding in plain sight) 
• Often die in childbirth
• Are repulsed, even burned by metal 

Now, in order to understand, let me explain that I have studied pretty much every
supernatural creature under the sun. The Passionate are based on a hundred myths and legends, originating from various cultures and time periods. Essentially, I wanted these creatures to encompass most of those stories, to feel so true to the human narrative throughout time that we might actually question if they do exist.

The basis of their species is what we would define as "faeries," with elements of other supernatural creatures.

The darker side comes out in the Soulless who were once Passionate, but have been tainted or possessed by an overwhelming force (a hunger). That hunger takes over on Moonless nights, when their bodies change from physical to ethereal. They become wraiths who feed upon the living, and especially hunger after the Passionate. They feel empty. They need to fill that emptiness. The sensation is amplified as their minds merge with all the other Soulless during the new moon--so that what one sees, all see. What one feels, all feel. These creatures are rotting corpses who cannot die. Some of them still possess a conscience and hate what they are, but are trapped. Some have given into the darkness at their core. And some are so far gone, they're just mindless destroyers.

People have tried to define the Soulless as a mix of zombies, vampires, wraiths, and even werewolves. (Based on the moon aspect.)

Here's the clincher:

Not all Passionate are good.

Not all Soulless are bad.

This is a reality-based myth where people still have free will, even if their natures push them toward certain things--and therein lies the struggle. Who will overcome? The body, or the spirit?

What is your favorite supernatural creature, and why? If you were to become a supernatural creature, which one would you be?

Check out my reviews of other books in this series!

Crystal Collier is an eclectic author who pens clean fantasy/sci-fi, historical, and romance stories with the occasional touch of humor, horror, or inspiration. She practices her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

To learn more about Crystal Collier and her books, visit her website & blog.You can also find her on Pinterest, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

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