Review – Tamed (Dark Protectors #6.5) by Rebecca Zanetti

Tamed cover image

Publisher: eKensington
Publish Date: 15 May
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Caleb Donovan was never meant to be a prophet. At heart he’s a conqueror, his appetites far more carnal than spiritual. He’s not inclined to repress his passions and surrender to fate. After all, that’s what cost him Lily–three centuries ago. She married another, because it was ordained. Now that he’s in the same benighted calling–and forced into proximity with her–all the old desires are roaring back to life. . .

After widowhood and centuries of celibacy, Lily is eager to explore the wild side of life, except now she’s vulnerable to another forced relationship, with an enemy. But this time she’s determined to choose her own path. And if hot, furious Caleb comes charging to the rescue, it might just change both their destinies. . .
This blurb came from the author’s website.

I have been reading this series for years and it was my introduction to Zanetti’s writing. I have enjoyed it so when she expanded her writing to other sub-genres I have also read and enjoyed her writing there. But I have mention I have a soft spot for this one and I really want to know how she is going to tie up certain long standing plot threads including the looming massive interspecies confrontation. This review will contain spoilers for events that occurred in previous installments so if you wish to avoid them I recommend you stop reading now.

One of the things I have enjoyed about this series is how Zanetti changes her focus to move around the different species, their involvement, enemies, and how the same event of issue effects everyone not just the primary target. This particular novella focuses on prophets, the further effects of a lethal virus, and the potential cost of seeing the future. This was also a second chance at love story and I liked how the reason for the initial break-up didn’t result in an immense amount of angst or revenge just a certain level of unresolved tension.

Lily was probably the sweetest of all the prophets. She was married young and after only a brief time widowed and a new prophet. One facet of the extra chromosomes that separated Zanetti’s paranormals from humans was a change that occurred post mating, a tattoo that signified the mating and meant celibacy except with the mated partner. As a result, Lily had spent hundreds of years untouched. Then she was deliberately infected with a virus that slowly broke down the extra chromosomes and reduced the paranormal to normal. A side affect was the loss of her mating mark and as a result her enforced celibacy. Lily was certainly still attracted to Caleb but accustomed to her way of living and not sure she wanted to risk shaking things up. As the story progressed, I loved watching Lily find her backbone and decide that regardless of her prophetic ability and threat of death, she was going to enjoy life again.

Caleb was an angry man. He never quite got over his love for Lily and was disappointed when she chose duty over him but as time passed he also understood what it meant to make a difficult choice. He was also extremely angry because after years of fighting he was chosen as a prophet and expected to become neutral, a peacemaker, and a counselor/advisor. I enjoyed how he refused to sit back and accept “Fate” had a hand in things but tried to make his own path. I also loved his protective nature towards Lily and how he struggled but did let her do what she felt was necessary.

Zanetti did a good job of bringing Caleb and Lily back together again amidst all of the chaos and rising stakes. I loved how she made events not just a danger to life as they knew it but also brought in a personal level of danger. She also made the ability to see the future a potential threat instead of a tool used for the better. Without spoiling anything I thought Lily really came into her own when she had to face a certain choice. I thought Tamed was one of the stronger installments in this series even as a novella because of the focus on character development. I am not sure how many more installments are left because it seems as if the ultimate confrontation is rapidly approaching but I know I will be reading all of them.

I give Tamed an A-

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