Paranormal/Futuristic
The Guardian
By Christina
Mar 8, 2010 - 7:56:24 PM

When Jude Shea sees a very large dog being attacked he immediately steps in to rescue him. Even though the dog is injured he doesn’t attack Jude. In fact he seems to trust Jude to keep him safe. Jude rushes the dog to the vet and once there the vet informs Jude that the clinic cannot keep the dog and since Jude is the only one he will allow near him he is elected to take the dog home. Jude can’t help but agree and he names the dog Joe.

Jude quickly gets used to having his new friend in his life but when some strange and violent men come looking for Joe, Jude does whatever he can to protect his dog once again. The two of them run away but the men who are chasing them are fast. Jude isn’t sure what is happening and he loses track of Joe. Suddenly he sees a gorgeous man beckoning to him.  Jude is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

Eoin Thral is a guardian. He is a member of a race of beings whose sole purpose is to fight and protect their masters and their master’s holdings. In the human world guardians can only take the shape of animals. Eoin’s animal form is a dog. When Jude rescues him, Eon instantly realizes he has found his soul mate. The only man he is destined to love and the only person who can free him from his cold, emotionless existence.

THE GUARDIAN by Mary Calmes is an intriguing and unique erotic fantasy story. I love shape shifter stories and I really liked the authors fresh take on the genre. The idea of an alternate universe where shape shifting is common is fascinating. Mary Calmes has built a captivating world. I had no trouble picturing Eoin’s universe. The plot held my attention throughout the story. I admired Jude’s ability to deal with all the strange situations he finds himself in and his willingness to fight for the man he loves. The secondary characters are also well developed. I particularly enjoyed when Jude’s cheating ex-boyfriend and the man he cheated with both get what is coming to them. I hope there will be more novels set in this universe.