Out in Blue by Sarah Gilman (ARC)

Out in Blue (Return to Sanctuary #1)

Sarah Gilman

Expected Publication: September 5, 2011

Synopsis: In a violent world where fallen archangels are hunted for their valuable plumage, Wren knows one thing for certain: the human woman who saved him from a poacher attack will die if she stays with him. The demon responsible for his parents’ gruesome deaths two decades ago pines for the chance to rip apart any woman who stands under Wren’s wing.

Wren doesn’t expect Ginger to stay by his side once she discovers his ability to drain life with a mere touch, yet she lingers. When an unusual talent of her own reveals the location of Wren’s father, Wren’s isolated world implodes. With the help of the demon protectors he’s sworn never to trust again, Wren risks everything to rescue his father, confront the demon who stalks his and Ginger’s every step, and claim his eternity with the most courageous woman he’s ever known.

When archangel Wren is warned and saved by Ginger from poachers, he finds himself torn between the Sanctuary world he was once a part of and the isolated world he's created for himself. He seeks solitude, forever outrunning the demon, Lark, that killed his parents and who still searches to kill Wren, and anyone Wren comes to care about. Lark was once the protector of Wren's family in Sanctuary, the one place the archangels thought they were safe, where demons give their lives to protect them. So when Ginger becomes a target for saving Wren, he's forced to return to Sanctuary to make sure Ginger receives the necessary protection.

As he does, Wren is taunted by Lark and told that his father was never killed, but imprisoned for the past eighteen years. In order to free his father, Wren must once again trust the demons in Sanctuary with his and his father’s life – and continue to trust Ginger, who holds the key to their success.

I genuinely enjoyed Out in Blue, but I do have two criticisms. First off, I love that Wren and Ginger develop an attraction for one another, but as the timeline for this novel spans the course of about five days, the relationship was rushed. They went from complete strangers to performing a mating ceremony within three days, even with Wren’s anguish of taking a lover knowing Lark would strike her down. I’m sorry, but the only adults that fall rapidly in love and get married that quickly involve alcohol and a Vegas wedding. I really would have preferred this first novel to be learning about Wren, trying to save his father and dealing with Lark and his poachers, and allow his relationship with Ginger to build into something more during the second novel. But, as this novel is already being published, my criticism is moot. Secondly, the subject matter and the characters are mature, yet the romantic dialog between Wren and Ginger was so immature I found myself rolling my eyes on several occasions. Hopefully, Ms. Gilman will address this in future novels because it ruined the romantic moments for me.

Those criticisms aside, I truly loved Out in Blue. The writing was clean and smooth, the story was unique, it kept my attention, and for the first time in a long time, there were twists thrown at me I didn’t see coming (and I’m not talking those twists so far out in left field no one could see coming). This was a great novel and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley