The Persistence of Memory Trilogy

Déjà Vu by Karen Janowsky

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Superpowers, history, time travel, a hero and love.

Daniel “Lion Heart” Hecht is thrown into the present all the way from the 1940s. A hero at heart who is now in unfamiliar territory becomes a leader to a group of “misfits” with superpowers. One misfit, historian buff Nina Asher, in particular, catches his eye repeatedly and love soon enters as they work to save the world.

In reading this romance the one thing that stood out for me was the level of detail with the historical references throughout the story. Good fiction has the real world riddled throughout and this author mastered that fine balance with skill.  You can see this in the way she details the World War 2 and the other locales (ancient city, Germany, modern DC). This story had a little bit of everything mystery, romance, sex, mythology, science fiction, and history. Did I say sex? You would think it would be difficult to make this story hot, but she did. As the story progresses and relationships are cemented and the action picks up i.e. those epic fight scenes. You felt like you were in them increase your tension as a reader. All the mystery, betrayal, fighting against evil and the villain that is eventually revealed in book 3 culminates into one pretty satisfying debut trilogy for this author. I read the stories back to back and was not disappointed. Of course, I can see a novella to catch us up on this world and the Lionheart and his Nina.

Book 1- Was the setup of the series and I didn’t really connect to the story or characters initially. I think that was because I kept waiting for the story to “jump off”. The author takes her time setting the scene for us, which isn’t a bad thing at all. I was impatient I suppose. There were instances that were a bit confusing when the story transitioned between scenes, but nothing to the point of distraction.  

  

Book 2- Where as I found it difficult to connect with the characters, I did not have that issue in book 2.  Again the author blends science fiction with mythology and passion between the two lovers. She, the author, does a good job of blending the genres and this book really turns the male/female sexual interaction from a passionate to erotic at least for me. There is a lot of action, slow building teaching, and worthy reveals.

Book 3-The finale takes us through many locations around the world to continue the fight against the evil that has infested the world. We also get to see the villain revealed. This was the perfect ending to the series. The author delivered an entertaining multi-genre trilogy filled with lots of sex. There was time taken to develop the story and the characters. The author did a good job of showcasing the characteristics of each player and not just telling who they were. It showed in their actions and reactions. She brought me into each scene with descriptive language and attention to detail. 

The author delivered an entertaining and technically sound trilogy. It also didn't hurt that they were released simultaneously. I look forward to seeing what's next from this author. 

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