Perfect for fans of I am Number Four and Gone, Rachelle Storm’s debut, Absolution weaves together an unforgettable plot of forbidden desire and sworn duty as three immortal brothers struggle to protect themselves—and all of humanity—from a corrupt world.
Chris Harris’s destiny was bestowed on him before birth, just as it was on his two brothers, John and Randy. Not human but the physical embodiment of elemental water, earth, and fire, they’ve been burdened with protecting Earth and freeing the world from the Ultimate Evil.
However, unlike their elemental forms, their human selves have desires of their own. After being hidden away in the remote town of Anderson, North Dakota, Chris and his two brothers hoped that their problems would end, but they’ve only just begun. Now their individual destinies are intertwined with the unpredictable McNamara sisters—Joanie, Victoria, and Stacie—and the Ultimate Evil is drawing ever nearer. Forced to choose love or duty, regardless of their decisions, nothing will ever be the same for the Harris brothers.
The first in a four-book series, Absolution blends together the forbidden romance of Twilight, the hidden magic and secret guardians of City of Glass, and the non-stop action of The Fifth Wave. Absolution is a whirlwind of adventure for Chris and his brothers as they explore a world more vast, and more dangerous, than any of which they’d dreamed. But now, the nightmare comes.
Author Rachelle Storm, a self-proclaimed fandom geek, has built a new world readers won’t want to leave. With a fast-paced story that hooks you immediately, this stunning debut will keep you turning the pages with straightforward writing that doesn’t overshadow the complex characters, plot, and action.
“A contemporary, modern fantasy-romance, the story is traditionally romantic and yet feminist, mainstream and diverse, with multiracial characters looking to break through the glass ceiling to shatter the expectations of what love interests and heroes in the genre can embody,” Storm says. “The book is a love letter to the YA fandoms of the past who embraced and welcomed me as a young adult.”
Wanting to write multiracial, diverse main characters she wished would have been available when she was a young reader, Storm’s story shares her message that what we are taught to believe and told we are in the world are not the only things that define us as people.
Rachelle Storm has been a fandom geek since its earliest beginnings and never stopped. A Black scholar holding a doctoral degree in Writing Studies, she researches rhetoric, music, and popular culture. In truth, Rachelle never isn’t writing or sharing her knowledge with her fans. However, on the off-chance she isn’t working or experimenting with paper and ink, you can find her at music festivals and independent bookstores. Absolution is her debut novel. The second book in the series, Absolution: Revelations, will be published July 2022. Find her online at rachellestorm.com or connect with her on social media (Instagram; TikTok; Twitter; and Facebook). Join the Absolution fandom on Facebook or Goodreads.
My thoughts: this was an interesting premise, and although the brothers start out sounding a bit like robots, as they get to know the McNamara sisters and interact with humans, they become less wooden and stilted in their speech. The idea of raising these heroes in isolation might have made sense to the mysterious Guardians, but it means they don’t really understand who and what they’re protecting.
The three sisters, on the other hand, are warm and affectionate, openly teasing each other and finding joy in life. The opposite in many ways. They offer a balance in terms of the way the Harris’ think and act. And when one of them is threatened, they band together in defence.
The epilogue sets up the narrative for the next book, offering up villains, people who want to find the brothers and manipulate them for their own means. As naive as they are of people, it will be interesting to see how they defeat this threat, while still learning about their own humanity.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 
Thank you so much for reading. I am currently working on the sequel and am so excited to share it with everyone next year!
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