Member Reviews

Olivia, a plane Jane Fae with multicolored hair was more than anyone expected. She comes from a family of power and magic but since crossing over the human world, she has no magic to speak of. When the the talismans that hid the Fae from the Death Hounds failed, Olivia’s true colors came out along with the dormant power she’s been looking for. She is more than anyone expected. In fact, she happens to be their savior.

I was very excited to find out that Cecy Robson was working on another UF novel. Given that I loved her Weird Girls series, I had high expectations. Though the series are very different from each other, Unearthed has the potential to be just as good. I love the characters she created here. They are all very smart, funny, and so very easy to like. Olivia, the heroine made me laugh and I liked how smart she she is. Her easy banters with other characters were even more hilarious. The hero is Death himself and he is everything I imagine a sexy human version of death would be. Strong, powerful, broody, and with a tortured past. I can’t get enough of him.

The relationship between Olivia and Ryker was exciting and sweet. Don’t get me wrong, these characters or their story are anything but sappy. They are kick ass protagonists and I predict an even better sequel to this book. I’l be honest, this book reminds me of Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series. They’re not exact but certainly a very welcomed similar vibe.

I truly enjoyed Cecy Robson’s take on Life, Death, and the world of Fae. Robson packed this book with humor and action that had me holding my breath. It had a slow start but once you crossover halfway mark, get ready to be wowed.

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This book was a surprising love for me it had a great fantasy plot to it and flowed really well I loved our main girl Olivia, I also loved the aspect of Death and how is Death good in some ways or undoubtedly bad, I loved the backstory as it flowed so well and helped to make this book flow to perfection.
The surrounding characters are equally amazing especially our possible love interest.
The fantasy elements are amazing and make this book a true magical masterpiece.

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Olivia is a pixie who has left the land of the Fae to escape death. She blends into the human population and hides from the death eaters. The King of Death works at the same law firm as Olivia and several other Fae's. This is book 1 in the Death Seeker series. Ms. Robson has written several fantasy series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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In the first in a new series, Cecy Robson introduces a whole new take on the Grim Reaper:

The Fae have been hiding among the humans since their own realm was destroyed by Death. Olivia Finn is just another pixie trying to blend in among humans and hide from the Death Hounds who devoured her family and seem to be actively hunting her. She clings to her talisman that keeps her veiled from the hounds until Death finds her and discovers she’s immune to its grip and Olivia's powers finally emerge. Now the Fae believe that Olivia is their savior and the only one who can teach her to use her powers properly is the King of the Dead but her instincts warn her to stay away. Can Olivia masters enough of her powers to not only save herself but other Fae as well. One thing is certain Death is coming.

This is the first book that I have read by Robson as I believe she tends to publish into the paranormal romance genres which is not something I read often but I found the premise here interesting and I do not think there are not enough Death books out there. This book was a lot better than I expected and had me reading expectantly to the end. Robson was able to weave an interesting origin story for Olivia with her coming into her powers and what she is supposed to do with them. This book was also darker than I expected for a paranormal romance novel which I am happy for as anything involving Death I think needs to be on the darker sides of things at times.

Robson creates not only some interesting Fae, with some quirky powers at time (I mean Jane the old Druid with her wand comes up with some very interesting ideas of how to solve problems or antagonize people, it is especially fun when she is trying to piss people off). in this book but also the different forms of Death. There is the King of Deaths, Death for the Fae, Death for the Human and they each seem to have different forms and powers. Also how Deaths are chosen seems to vary as well and the whole concept of Death and what they do with the souls differs too. Death is such an interesting character that I love reading different incarnations of it and seeing different interpretations of the same being. I hope that Robson is able to keep up the creativity in future books.

Alright I know that Robson's wheel house is in the romance genre so it was no surprise to me that when we meet the two main characters you know right away there was going to be something between the two of them. I mean it is even the classic or cliché that they do not like each other for so and so reason ort one is scary or mean ect, you get my point. However, I do appreciate that Robson does a good job of not having them instantly fall in love or bed with each other and has this slow burn that the two go about experiencing. So maybe that will be a disappointment to romance fans but I liked it.

This was a great start to a new series, I fun read, with a interesting premise with Death and it was not too too romance for me, so I personally appreciate that. I look forward to continuing on in the series.

Enjoy!!!

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Unearthed is the first installment in author Cecy Robson's Death Seeker series. 26-year old Olivia Finn is a pixie who wears a talisman to hide from Death. There are others like her as well, including some who work in her office. A Cù-sìth Death hound named Cathasach has been searching for Olivia and others like her. He convinced other forms of Death to feed on living souls. Olivia has escaped him several times before, and she has become his obsession since devouring Olivia's family when they escaped to Earth.

Olivia works as a paralegal, administrative assistant for MacGregor & Santonelli law firm. Olivia is clever at multitasking able to keep her boss from blowing a circuit. Olivia finds herself working for a high profile criminal defense attorney named Scott Ryker. Ryker has an unusual secret which is spoiled by the cover of this book. Living with her best friend Dahlia, lying low, and trying not to do anything to get noticed goes flying out the window when Cathasach and Gremlins attack at a bar that she and Dahlia are enjoying.

Things quickly spiral out of control when the Grim Reaper himself seems to step out of darkness to help save Olivia. But, it appears that Olivia is far from being helpless. Olivia discovers that she has new powers that can help her fight the hell hounds that are after her people. Enter Ryker, the dark brooding Grim Reaper who offers to help train Olivia in order to fight Cathasach and help her friends survive being devoured. In return he want’s her to end his life. He’s been the Ankou, aka King of the Dead, far longer then was meant to be and the long life has taken it’s toll on him.

I think it's fair to say that Cecy has a reputation for hot hunky male characters who fall for women who may be the key to survival for all Fae races but have no clue as to what they are doing. This is a story that is both humorous at times, and action packed. There are so many similarities to other series I dare not spoil them for you. Olivia is shoved into the spotlight as being some sort of miracle worker even though she has no clue how her powers work, or why everyone is not looking for her to save the day.

But she had this annoying propensity for fainting/blacking out when things got rough. Twice she did that at the height of a battle. Perhaps in this instance, third person narrative would have been preferred. There are some really interesting characters as well. Bill, her boss, is a gargoyle who is the de-facto fae leader. Jane is a cross between a Druid and a Hydra who knew almost right away that Olivia was immune to Death. There are even dragons. The villains are dark, and evil, and nourish themselves by feeding on souls.

I may have only given this book 3 1/2 stars, but most of that negativity comes from the office politics where women suddenly have claws whenever someone looks at them wrong, or if they intrude on someone's else's man.

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An unexpected treat that will appeal to fans of strong heroine-driven urban fantasy. It clips along at a brisk pace, with enough worldbuilding to keep you in the loop but not to overwhelm with detail. There is some romance, but not enough to classify this as a romance.

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I loved this so much, the characters are just amazing I love Olivia and Ryker so much, they have great chemistry and so much snark ! This isn’t a light read, there are a lot of dark themes and terror, graphic at times, I absolutely loved it, have I said that ! An addictive read, I have one criticism, I have to wait now for the next book, what a great start to what is going to be a fantastic series and a hell of a ride.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2HO0GD6ZMSTMY/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8

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No one expects a pixie with no powers to save the world. But when Olivia is attacked in a fae bar by soul-stealing hounds, her rage and fear manifest powers like no other. Now her touch can burn death - but only if she can survive long enough to hone her powers. The best person to help her - darkly handsome Ryker - happens to be the Grim Reaper. Olivia and Ryker are in a race against time - the hounds have caught Olivia's scent and they will find her. The only question is will she be ready when they do.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Robson weaves another urban fantasy novel with distinct characters and a compelling plot. I look forward to the next instalment.

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Unearthed is the first book in a new Urban Fantasy series by Cecy Robson.

This book started with a strong start and I was pulled into the story quickly. I really thought this would be at least a four stars. Somehow, it went down after a while. I'd say it was probably after we knew the main character was (view spoiler). I felt like this was made just to make the character special but it wasn't really explained except that (view spoiler)

About the romance, I really enjoyed the beginning. I was really intrigued by Ryker. However, I found the ending predictable but also unbelievable. After all, (view spoiler) But I enjoyed their banter, nonetheless.

I probably won't read the sequel but this was an enjoyable story even though it was a middle of the road kind of book for me.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

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Unearthed is the first book in Cecy Robson's new Death Seeker urban fantasy series. She has created a world where the fae are living among us but humans have no idea about it because they're hiding in plain sight. Pixie Olivia lost her magic and her wings when she left her home realm and traveled to earth with her family and now she does her best to blend in by working in a law firm. Fae living in this realm have to keep their magic hidden at all costs or the death hounds will sniff them out and devour them, just like they did with Olivia's parents and sisters, so she is especially conscious about keeping out of trouble.

Of course some people just aren't capable of staying hidden and when a brush with death ignites powers that Olivia didn't realise she even had she finds it harder than ever to stay out of sight. But her new abilities could be enough to save all of the fae from the death hounds, if only she can figure out how to master them.

There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this novel, Olivia was a fun character and I'm enjoying the start of a slow build romance between her and Ryker. I really love that there are so many different types of species in this world too, we have pixies, dragons, gargoyles and even the grim reaper and I know there are others I'm missing from that list. I do wish we'd had a little more detail on the world building though. What I really wanted to know was why the fae chose to come to earth in the first place, it was implied that they came here to get away from the death hounds but how did the death hounds suddenly become such a huge threat? I'd love to know more about where they came from and what they left behind. Also, how did they know about the talismans they would need in order to stay hidden? I think these questions and more will be answered as we continue the series though so I'm definitely looking forward to the next book.

The only real negative I have to mention is the amount of woman hating going on, I really disliked that so many women were portrayed as man-grabbing whores who were in competition with Olivia whether she wanted them to be or not. I've read everything Cecy Robson has published to date and I've not noticed that being an issue in previous books but the amount of slut shaming really bothered me in this book and did take a star off of my rating. It did improve in the second half of the book so hopefully we won't see more of it in any sequels.

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I’ve Enjoyed Cecy’s other books, especially her PNR/UF, so of course I wanted to read Unearthed. This was a fun book that had me eager to get back to it anytime I had to set it aside. The characters were entertaining and lovable, while the story was engaging and fast paced. Ahh, and that ending ... not a cliffhanger, but it definitely made me want another book ASAP.

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I really enjoyed the mythology of this story. It was a unique red and take of classic myth. I was drawn in to the plight of the characters. The MC's personality was whimsical enough to keep the story from dragging the reader into the overlaying sadness of the arch. I look forward to reading the next book.

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The Fae escaped Death by fleeing to Earth’s realm unfortunately Death wasn’t far behind… Pixie Olivia Finn clings to talisman that keeps her veiled from Death and she believes that she is safe…until Death finds her and discovers that she’s immune to its grip. Now the Fae believe she is their savior and dark entities are compelled to destroy her, she can no longer hide from Death. To survive, she must seek it but can she trust the King of the Dead who has sworn to train and protect her.

This new series is utterly fascinating with lots an intriguing fae culture, surprising elements and Death in its many forms. The characters are strong, bold and some are a little on the quirky side, adding a bit of spice, flair and fun to the story. There is some seriously electrical chemistry between Olivia and Ryker, but this budding romance has several obstacles, which keeps the relationship in suspense throughout and also adds to the emotional turmoil of the story which in this case, there are lots which isn’t surprising when the characters are being stalked by death entities.

The story is steady to fast paced with lots of thrills and excitement around a complicated way of life as the fae try to stay hidden from Death, but with surprising twists and several deadly battles, Olivia, Ryker and her friends can’t be sure who trust either… readers either as the final battle of this part of the story stuns the characters and the readers. This story certainly catches readers’ interest but some of it may leave readers with some questions, like why is Olivia a pixie who suddenly has all these awesome powers, but of course, this is an urban fantasy, so obviously Olivia’s story is not over and readers will learn more as she does.

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I've gone back and forth on what to rate this book until I almost lost my mind!

On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It kept me hooked page after page and left me wanting more of Olivia and Ryker. I'm excited by the story and desperately looking forward to more! Which means pretty much five stars for me.
However, there was something about the way the story was executed that I found jarring and difficult. Time moved strangely, stuff would happen and I'd be confused and thinking I must've missed something when I know I didn't and that meant some things that happened just didn't make much sense... So, three stars.
In the end, I compromised and rated the book four stars for it wasn't perfect, I had my grumbles but all of that was overshadowed by how much fun I had reading it!

The world created by Robson was fascinating. Essentially, the creatures of the fae realm used to live in balance with 'death' - death being another race of various creatures - but for some unknown reason, the death creatures lost any kind of control and started indiscriminately killing the fae, destroying their world/dimension in the process.
Some fae created portals - at great cost and sacrifice - to get to our world, and they live amongst us in secret, hidden from the death creatures (who also slipped into our dimension and continue to hunt them) by magical amulets.
If they lose their amulet, one of the death creatures - in this book it was the Cu Sith - will find them and death is always hungry to devour souls...

he story is told from the pov of Olivia.
Olivia is a spunky and sweet paralegal who happens to be a pixie working at a law firm.
She's quirky and likeable but unremarkable until she does something quite remarkable and then the fun really begins!

The thing about this story is that it's mired in loss.
You feel the helplessness of the fae every time the bad guys strike.
Your heart aches for the characters and all they've been through and all they go through...
Olivia has lost everyone who ever meant anything to her but she somehow manages to radiate hope; Even when she's feeling pretty hopeless!
All the things she goes through to try and help her people when she never wanted or ever asked to be anyone's savior is astounding.
You're 100% behind her and desperately hoping for an end to the slaughter of the fae.

Then there is Ryker... Poor damaged misunderstood, Ryker.
Ryker has suffered a century of utter torment and despite having the power and opportunity to prey on those much weaker than him he stands and fights for them instead... Hoping for it all to end.
He lives, breathes and craves death.
He doesn't know how to live and he doesn't think there is anything to live for... Until a crazy rainbow needs protecting from all who would destroy her.

I'm not going to pretend I totally understand the dynamic between Ryker and Olivia but I love it anyway! I crave more of it. They're complete opposites and yet they're the same. Their relationship was freaking awesome and the fact that it is deliciously slow burn is even more awesome... These two are what will keep me reading book after book in this series.
The world created was cool, don't get me wrong, but the dynamic between Ryker and Olivia was addictive.

Unearthed is a good solid start to a new UF series and if you're a fan of the genre, I'd recommend!

That said, for those that like their UF low on romance I'd caution that while romance isn't front and centre in this book, the romantic potential is off the charts and pretty in your face despite being slow burn... Make of that as you will!

I can't wait to read more of this series!

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Unearthed is the first book I’ve read by Cecy Robson. I think it was a great introduction into her imagination and get a taste of the kind of worlds she can build.

The fae are on earth in hiding from their form of Death. They try to live normal lives and use a talisman to hide themselves. The world is nicely setup without overly explaining things. I enjoy that about a first book. The world is introduced as you need to know instead of an information dump.

I envisioned Olivia as a little bit flighty, but she soon proves herself to be more than competent in handling herself and others. When it comes to fighting Death, she is a little bit skittish, but she has a strong will and a determination to save her kind. It’s like she figures if she is who was picked for this job, she better do all she can to complete it. She is serious about her mission. I really enjoyed that about her. When it came to her work or something that was expected of her, she was all in.

Unearthed is a fun start to the Death Seeker series. Olivia is left in kind of a rough place that I’m holding my breath about. Not a cliff hanger, just a situation that will need to be worked out. It has left me excited to see where she ends up next!

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This hasn't happened in a while but I have actually read this book in one day!! I loved the story so much that I just couldn't stop reading.

The story is well written and it got me hooked from the start.

I do highly recommend this.

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Unearthed is a story about a Fae named Oliva Finn who has managed to stay hidden from both humans and Cathasach and his hounds for years now. She has always believed that she holds no power, that is until one fateful night when she learn what power she holds, but it also came at a great loss to her as well. And the person who will help her through it all, is someone she never could have imagined and is going to train her to use her powers against the Cù-Sìth. But can she truly trust him?

Olivia came to earth as a child after losing her family to the Cù-Sìth, being Fae means she has to hide who she is from humans, but that isn’t to say that she still doesn’t look like a pixie with her rainbow colored hair, which I just adore by the way. I liked her spunk and sass especially when it came to Ryker. He is a lawyer at the law firm she works at and he just drips in sexiness but also comes across has a grump. He also happens to be “Death” or what most call the Grim Reaper. But beneath all that gruffness he puts out there lies a good man who is in a bad situation, one he wishes he would be freed from.

The world that Robson created was beautifully done and was easy to immerse myself in. There are gremlins, gargoyles, dragons, and quite a few others too that all played a part of the story and we get to learn a little about them as well, what more could I ask for! And the action starts right from the start and doesn’t let up till the every end. I found myself holding my breath so many times during the epic and deadly battles between the Fae and Cathasach and his death hounds hoping that Oliva would make it out. I was so swept up in it all that before I knew it I knew I was the end and wanting more.

This was an amazing start to the series and I am on pins an needles waiting to see what happens next.

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4.5

Book source ~ Tour. My review is voluntary and honest.

Olivia Finn is not human. She’s one of the Fae, a pixie living in Earth’s realm ever since Death destroyed her world. She works for a law firm where several other Fae work. They wear talismans to hide from humans and Death. But then Death comes to the firm and everything changes. Word gets out that she’s immune to Death and it’s up to her friends and the King of the Dead to keep her alive long enough to destroy the Fae’s worst enemy, Cathasach and the Cù-Sìth. Olivia is just a paralegal and a pixie, not the savior of her people. How is she going to survive the coming war?

If you like a compelling life or death story sprinkled with humor and hope that is a mix of ordinary human life entwined with the Fae in an extraordinary situation then this is the one for you. A fantastic world and great characters make this one of my top reads of 2019. I fell into the story and didn’t want to return to mundane life when I was done. Livvie is a strong, sassy, and funny character who carries the narrative well. Her sidekicks are interesting in their own right though I hope they get beefed up a bit in future editions. This is a world I could easily dive into again and again. Most excellent!

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“It's all rainbows and pixie dust up in this bitch.”- Unearthed, Cecy Robson

I thoroughly enjoyed Unearthed! Olivia is a fabulous main character and I loved her attitude. What drew me to like her right off the bat was the way she talked to her boss Marco. Who hasn't had a boss you have to, shall we say "shepherd", a little?

Her chemistry with Ryker aka Death is off the charts despite the daggers she's glaring at him in the beginning. I loved watching things develop into more.

This book is fast-paced and will keep you interested which is such a good thing right now since I've been in a serious book slump. If you liked books like Abbi Glines's Existence Trilogy or Kim Harrison's Madison Avery Trilogy I think you'll love Unearthed!

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A Pixie, Olivia, and the (or one of the) Grim Reapers (Ryker) work to make life or the world a wee bit safer for those that choose to live in it or have come to it for safety from their own world's troubles with Death. That in its self had me interested and then confused at the same time. I wanted to know more about Olivia, Ryker, Death, the Fae. I wanted to know why so many came to Earth in our realm of existence. I was excited to see more of what lead so much to have to so many.

Olivia was likeable until she wasn't. The time losses were a bit daunting. The friends made were entertaining. The idea that Fae would willing come to Earth to live among the common human was page turning. I wanted answers and turned every page to get more. Although I did not feel the book ended with a cliffhanger, I did feel like there was more to the story and the migration of Fae. I look forward to seeing how things all unfold in the series of Death Seeker.

I was looking for more depth and dimension from the characters along with the world that was built around it. I just was expecting more. While it was the first book of the series this will give me more time to hopefully see this world grown and the characters evolve to something more.

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