Stars of Fortune. Nora Roberts

Stars of Fortune
Nora Roberts
Published: Piatkus
Date: November3rd  2015
Format: Paperback ARC
Pages: 304
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Source: thanks to Hachette NZ

Sasha Riggs is a reclusive artist, haunted by dreams and nightmares that she turns into extraordinary paintings. Her visions lead her to the Greek island of Corfu, where five others have been lured to seek the fire star. Sasha recognizes them, because she has drawn them: a magician, an archaeologist, a wanderer, a fighter, a loner. All on a quest. All with secrets.

Sasha is the one who holds them together—the seer. And in the magician, Bran Killian, she sees a man of immense power and compassion. As Sasha struggles with her rare ability, Bran is there to support her, challenge her, and believe in her.

But Sasha and Bran are just two of the six. And they all must all work together as a team to find the fire star in a cradle of land beneath the sea. Over their every attempt at trust, unity, and love, a dark threat looms. And it seeks to corrupt everything that stands in its way of possessing the stars…

So is there anything new for Nora Roberts to write in terms of her magical/paranormal trilogies? I didn't think so, therefore I began Stars of Fortune with a little trepidation. However it wasn't too long before I found myself swept away into the story that begins the Guardians Trilogy.

I love the cover of the book, the setting is Corfu in Greece. Picture the blues and whites and Mediterranean sea, the olive groves. Perfect setting, loved it.

There are six characters, all on a quest to find the three stars before the evil god witch Nerezza does. Sasha is an artist and seer. In the beginning she is a bit of a recluse, not fully trusting of her gift. Physically weaker than the others. She arrives in Greece and then slowly they all begin to link up until there is a team. Yes Sasha and Bran are the main couple in this book, but they all must work as a team, and trust each other. And that trust is not readily given. Sasha though is determined to see unity and speaks her mind forcefully on the matter at times.

Bran is a magician, with a place in New York and Ireland. He is a magician on many levels. Then there are Riley - the archaeologist, and Annika - a gentle beautiful mystery, who are the other two women. As a reader we aren't let into their secrets straight away, although a few clues are strewn along the way. The other men - Sawyer a wanderer and Doyle a fighter do not release their secrets early - and nor did I find any clues along the way as to exactly what they are. Let's just say - freakin' awesome.

The six must work together on a quest and find the stars. As well they must deal with whatever Nerezza the god witch throws at them. Be it black and evil, be it sneaky and cruel. She is the dark and they the light. She has minions who do her bidding and aid her in her evil quest for power and destruction.

I am looking forward to the next two in this trilogy very much. Sasha and Bran made a delightful couple, but how Nora Roberts is going to match up the others - each with some very strange gifts, I am just not sure how that is going to be achieved. Maybe magic - anything can happen of course in the realm of fantasy!