Ms. Knight’s newest book in her Gods of Midnight series picks up where the other one left off. In this unique series, 7 Spartan warriors were given the opportunity to postpone the afterlife for immortality and the chance to battle evil in all its forms. These brave men have vowed to protect humanity and then the god who granted them their powers, Ares, turns against them. Now the warriors must work together if they want to survive.
In this book, River Kassandros, a slave and one of the Spartans, has been forced into his dagger form. River can shape-shift into any weapon his master, Ajax, needs as one of his many talents. River has been thrown into the water and isn’t able to return to his human form. Fortunately for River, he floats passed a woman who can hear his call for help and just may be able to save him.
Emma Lowery has spent her life denying her special ability to hear the call of those who have passed on as well as God and angels. She lost her twin sister as a young child and ever since has closed herself off from anything related to the paranormal. Then one day she hears the voice of a man who says she is the only one who can save him from death. Despite her better judgment, Emma goes out into the water to save this man. As she helps him, she slowly realizes that she can accept the supernatural part of herself and must if she wants the man to survive.
Emma and River have more than just the supernatural to overcome. They both carry hurts and pasts that shape their present. River must accept that Emma can love him despite their disparate backgrounds. Emma must reconcile herself to the fact that being involved in River’s life means using her gifts as well as the new gifts she may acquire.
I really enjoyed this story. I think that Ms. Knight did a wonderful job blending the old world sensibilities with the modern age. She made her characters embrace the Spartan lifestyle while still being able to function in the modern world. I enjoyed the blend of characters. Each of the Spartan warriors is uniquely his own man. They have different wants, needs and desires, but they manage to work together in order to fight evil and demons. The way in which the Daughters of Delphi are tied into the fates of the warriors is a nice addition. It makes the role that mortal women play in the Spartans battle for freedom more believable.
The story is easy to read without too much jargon. I had not read the first book in the series and had no difficulty understanding the construct of the novel or what had happened previously. Background is given as Emma struggles to understand the life that River is a part of so it unfolds naturally without pages being devoted to catching us up.
This is an 
