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Penton Legacy #5
Illumination
From award-winning author Susannah Sandlin comes the final book in the smart and steamy Penton Legacy series.
He came to Penton seeking peace. Nik Dimitrou joined the Army to escape his family curse, only to have his psychic abilities exploited as a weapon. Now, as a civilian, he turns to the bottle to veil the images that come unbidden whenever he touches anyone–except vampires. With them, he has finally found a respite. But as Penton moves into open warfare with the Vampire Tribunal, Nik finds himself deep inside the conflict, not to mention fighting a transformation in his own body more frightening than anything he’s faced.
She wanted to change the world. Shay Underwood watched her Peace Corps parents move from one third world country to another, helping others–until both died following an outbreak of Dengue Fever. Driven to pursue a career in tropical medicine, Shay works in New Orleans to cure the disease that killed her parents–until a careless weekend outing draws her into a world far more dangerous than the diseases she studies: a desperate vampire society engaged in human trafficking.
Two cities, two strangers, one world. With Penton rebellion leader Aidan Murphy making risky choices and chief vampire lieutenant Mirrren Kincaid forced to take a leadership role, it will fall to two outsiders, Nik and Shay, to find a way for Penton–and themselves–to survive.
He came to Penton seeking peace. Nik Dimitrou joined the Army to escape his family curse, only to have his psychic abilities exploited as a weapon. Now, as a civilian, he turns to the bottle to veil the images that come unbidden whenever he touches anyone–except vampires. With them, he has finally found a respite. But as Penton moves into open warfare with the Vampire Tribunal, Nik finds himself deep inside the conflict, not to mention fighting a transformation in his own body more frightening than anything he’s faced.
She wanted to change the world. Shay Underwood watched her Peace Corps parents move from one third world country to another, helping others–until both died following an outbreak of Dengue Fever. Driven to pursue a career in tropical medicine, Shay works in New Orleans to cure the disease that killed her parents–until a careless weekend outing draws her into a world far more dangerous than the diseases she studies: a desperate vampire society engaged in human trafficking.
Two cities, two strangers, one world. With Penton rebellion leader Aidan Murphy making risky choices and chief vampire lieutenant Mirrren Kincaid forced to take a leadership role, it will fall to two outsiders, Nik and Shay, to find a way for Penton–and themselves–to survive.
Kindle Edition
Published July 11, 2017
171 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Susannah Sandlin
13books671followersPseudonym of Suzanne Johnson
Suzanne Johnson writing as Susannah Sandlin is the author of romantic suspense and paranormal romance, often set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night! She is the author of the Penton Legacy series (REDEMPTION, ABSOLUTION, OMEGA, ALLEGIANCE and STORM FORCE (spinoff), The Collectors series (LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP and DEADLY, CALM, AND COLD) and the upcoming romantic suspense series Wilds of the Bayou, which began with book one, WILD MAN'S CURSE (April 5, 2016) and continues with the release of BLACK DIAMOND on Oct. 18, 2016.
Awards include the 2015 Holt Medallion for Romantic Suspense (Lovely, Dark, and Deep), the 2015 Booksellers Best Award for Romantic Suspense (Lovely, Dark, and Deep), the 2013 Holt Medallion award for ABSOLUTION; a 2014 RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award Nomination for ALLEGIANCE; a 2013 RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award Nomination for OMEGA; and the 2014 Linda Howard Award of Excellence for ELYSIAN FIELDS (written as Suzanne Johnson).
Suzanne Johnson, writes the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series: ROYAL STREET; RIVER ROAD; ELYSIAN FIELDS; PIRATE'S ALLEY, and BELLE CHASSE (coming November 8, 2016). A novella and story collection from the Sentinels world, PIRATESHIP DOWN, was released in 2015.
Suzanne Johnson writing as Susannah Sandlin is the author of romantic suspense and paranormal romance, often set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night! She is the author of the Penton Legacy series (REDEMPTION, ABSOLUTION, OMEGA, ALLEGIANCE and STORM FORCE (spinoff), The Collectors series (LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP and DEADLY, CALM, AND COLD) and the upcoming romantic suspense series Wilds of the Bayou, which began with book one, WILD MAN'S CURSE (April 5, 2016) and continues with the release of BLACK DIAMOND on Oct. 18, 2016.
Awards include the 2015 Holt Medallion for Romantic Suspense (Lovely, Dark, and Deep), the 2015 Booksellers Best Award for Romantic Suspense (Lovely, Dark, and Deep), the 2013 Holt Medallion award for ABSOLUTION; a 2014 RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award Nomination for ALLEGIANCE; a 2013 RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award Nomination for OMEGA; and the 2014 Linda Howard Award of Excellence for ELYSIAN FIELDS (written as Suzanne Johnson).
Suzanne Johnson, writes the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series: ROYAL STREET; RIVER ROAD; ELYSIAN FIELDS; PIRATE'S ALLEY, and BELLE CHASSE (coming November 8, 2016). A novella and story collection from the Sentinels world, PIRATESHIP DOWN, was released in 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
November 13, 2020
Nick and Shay got a second chance
I love this series but I wish this last book didn’t come years after the last one. The events are so connected that I had to work to recall essential details.
At the end of last book, Aiden and the Penton Legacy residents barely escaped the devastating attack by the ruthless vampire Frank. They are still recovering and trying to rebuild when Frank resurfaced with yet another scheme to aid vampires in subjugating both the supernatural as well as the human citizens of the US.
This time, a new leader Nick Dimitru, emerged to guide when Aiden was still vulnerable. Nick was one of the new hybrids, shifter and vampire, so his strengths are still being figured out.Nick represented Aiden in a meeting and soon was front and center in this renewed fight with Frank.
Frank had begun a program where he was trying to breed super vampires and their first test subject was Shay Underwood who was kidnapped and impregnated. But she was no wilting flower. She was not going to be a willing participant her in this war. She fights back and soon Nick is there for the rescue.
I won’t tell you the rest but this battle was not an easy one. I was hoping the author would do more with Penton and the Omega series (spin-off) but it doesn’t look like it.
Either way, she wrapped up the series with the good guys prevailing.
reply | edit | delete | flag *
I love this series but I wish this last book didn’t come years after the last one. The events are so connected that I had to work to recall essential details.
At the end of last book, Aiden and the Penton Legacy residents barely escaped the devastating attack by the ruthless vampire Frank. They are still recovering and trying to rebuild when Frank resurfaced with yet another scheme to aid vampires in subjugating both the supernatural as well as the human citizens of the US.
This time, a new leader Nick Dimitru, emerged to guide when Aiden was still vulnerable. Nick was one of the new hybrids, shifter and vampire, so his strengths are still being figured out.Nick represented Aiden in a meeting and soon was front and center in this renewed fight with Frank.
Frank had begun a program where he was trying to breed super vampires and their first test subject was Shay Underwood who was kidnapped and impregnated. But she was no wilting flower. She was not going to be a willing participant her in this war. She fights back and soon Nick is there for the rescue.
I won’t tell you the rest but this battle was not an easy one. I was hoping the author would do more with Penton and the Omega series (spin-off) but it doesn’t look like it.
Either way, she wrapped up the series with the good guys prevailing.
reply | edit | delete | flag *
July 20, 2017
Susannah Sandlin’s ILLUMINATION is an exciting conclusion to the Penton Legacy series. Human, Nik Dimitrou, moved to Penton because his psychic abilities were not triggered by vampires. He is confronted by his past when his ex-girlfriend, Shay Underwood, is kidnapped by the tribunal and needs to be rescued. This contemporary PNR takes place in New Orleans and Penton, Alabama. It is suitable for adult audiences.
Susannah Sandlin continues to do an admirable job with her plot and character development. Nik is an intriguing character. He has psychic abilities that cultivate in the story. His character faces many obstacles and transforms throughout the novel. He has an interesting past with Shay that ties in well with the plot. I like Shay. She is noble and intelligent. She looks at the war between Penton and the Vampire Tribunal in a new light. I appreciated that the characters from the previous books also played a vital role in ILLUMINATION.
I started following this series in 2013. I loved the concept of the plot. Illumination was a satisfying conclusion to the Penton Legacy. Susannah Sandlin did a nice job tying in characters and situations from the previous books into this story. The entire series is skillfully-written and executed. The characters are likeable and convincing. I am sad to see the series end. I would love to see it as a movie or television series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Susannah Sandlin continues to do an admirable job with her plot and character development. Nik is an intriguing character. He has psychic abilities that cultivate in the story. His character faces many obstacles and transforms throughout the novel. He has an interesting past with Shay that ties in well with the plot. I like Shay. She is noble and intelligent. She looks at the war between Penton and the Vampire Tribunal in a new light. I appreciated that the characters from the previous books also played a vital role in ILLUMINATION.
I started following this series in 2013. I loved the concept of the plot. Illumination was a satisfying conclusion to the Penton Legacy. Susannah Sandlin did a nice job tying in characters and situations from the previous books into this story. The entire series is skillfully-written and executed. The characters are likeable and convincing. I am sad to see the series end. I would love to see it as a movie or television series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
January 18, 2018
I have been waiting awhile for this book to be written and released (I read #4 nearly 3 years ago!) and it was worth the wait. A little less romance in this one than the others, but since it was wrapping up a rather complex storyline, all is forgiven. I wouldn’t have minded a longer story, but only because I enjoy reading about the characters and longer books don’t always scare me. At least not in series I enjoy. If you’re looking for a vampire romance series, this one is only 5 books long and very enjoyable.
July 21, 2017
Originally published at
In my review of the first book in this series, , I called this series “vampire toffee�. Once you sink your teeth into it, you can’t unstuck. And that was just as true in Illumination as it was in the previous books in the series. I’ve been waiting for THREE years to find out how the mess that we were introduced to in Redemption finally got resolved.
And now I know.
One of the things that seems to be a hallmark of most vampire fiction is vampire politics. It does make a certain amount of sense that people who live for centuries if not millennia would end up spending entirely too much time jockeying for power. And as the ultimate apex predators, vampires often end up in that quandary where power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And when that absolute power is challenged, any and all horrific means can be justified to serve their ends � those ends being to get back in power and eliminate all threats � even the threats that have the potential to save their lives.
The background to this series is one that has been used before, but with a twist. Vampires have always existed among us. They can ensnare people they need, feeding a vampire produces an addictive high, and they can wipe out inconvenient memories of those who have seen or heard to much. Or just kill them, as we are not really people to most of them, merely food.
However, the world has changed, and not in a good way � at least not for the vampires. I don’t mean technology, although that plays into it a bit. But in this near-future scenario, a worldwide pandemic was averted through the development of a preventive vaccine. As the pandemic was widespread (that’s what pandemic means, after all) most of the world’s population got inoculated against it. Something in the vaccine makes the blood of the vaccinated humans poisonous to vampires. It’s an unintended consequence the humans are completely unaware of.
But the vampires are starving. The population of unvaccinated humans is tiny.
The conflict that runs through the entire Penton Legacy series revolves around the best method for dealing with the vampire food shortage. The Vampire Tribunal, the, let’s call it the traditional viewpoint, wants to capture and enslave unvaccinated humans by any means necessary, and will kill anyone, human, vampire or shifter (yes, this world has shifters, too) who gets in their way.
The scheme they hatch in Illumination is possibly their most disgusting yet. They must be stopped.
The forces on the side of stopping them begin Illumination very much on the ropes after the horrific events that end . Aiden Murphy, the leader of the Penton vampire scathe, has come up with a different way for vampires to survive. Instead of coercing, co-opting and controlling humans, Penton only accepts volunteers who are willing to live in cooperation with humans and shifters. It’s an alliance of equals, and the Tribunal sees it as a threat to their way of life.
Penton fights back with everything and everyone they have. They might just lose it all, but if they do, they’ll go down fighting every step of the way.
Escape Rating B: Before I talk about what I thought of Illumination, there are a few PSAs (public service announcements) that I need to get out of the way.
First, Illumination is the end of a story that begins in , continues through , , and before it comes to its epic conclusion in Illumination. In order for the conflict between the vampire factions to make sense, for the created world to hold together, and for the reader to care about all the characters, it really is necessary to read the whole series in order.
Second, that really isn’t a problem because the whole thing is vampire romance crack. You’ll be hooked, and you’ll feel compelled to see what happens next.
Third, even though was not labelled as part of the Penton series, it really is. It comes between Omega and Allegiance and begins the second arc of the Penton saga.
And now back to my review of the actual book in hand, Illumination.
Allegiance ended on a terrible cliffhanger. Not that book was terrible, because the books in this series have all been tons of fun, but terrible in the “things are always darkest just before they turn completely black� sense. It ends on a serious downer, the situation looks bleak, and the reader isn’t sure if the Pentonites can recover.
And that was back in 2014. It’s been a damn long time. It took me awhile to get back up to speed on what was and wasn’t happening, who it was happening with/to, and figure out what was what.
Also, because of the events in Allegiance, Illumination gets off to a slow start. The heroine is literally trapped, the hero is unconscious, and Aiden Murphy, the prime mover and shaker of everything Penton, has completely lost his grip. It takes the first third of the book for Aiden to begin to get back into fighting shape. Once he comes back to life, the book does too.
While Illumination does contain a romance, as all the books in this series do, the romance in this one takes a back seat to the resolution of the vampire civil war. And it needs to. Without a solution to the dwindling food source problem, there can’t be a lasting solution to much of anything. Nobody gets a happy ever after if there is no ever after.
As with the first book, Redemption, the romance in this entry has a bit of a Stockholm Syndrome problem. There’s an attempt to gloss it over because the hero and heroine were also high school sweethearts, but it’s still definitely there. It doesn’t keep the romance from working, but it’s a presence.
On my other hand, one of the great things about this entry in the series is the way that everyone works together, and that everyone’s skills are needed to win this fight. This is not a series where the alpha male vampires rescue and protect the weak human females. Everyone has a stake in this war, and everyone, vampire, human, shifter, male and female has skills that are required to win it.
And bringing the dinosaurs back to life, even temporarily, was just plain cool.
In the end, I really got a kick out of this series. I’m a bit sorry to see it end, but happy that all those poor people hanging from cliffs at the end of Allegiance finally got let off the hook. And while my trip to Penton is over, I have more books from this author to look forward to. Susannah Sandlin also writes as Suzanne Johnson, and she’s awesome under both names!
In my review of the first book in this series, , I called this series “vampire toffee�. Once you sink your teeth into it, you can’t unstuck. And that was just as true in Illumination as it was in the previous books in the series. I’ve been waiting for THREE years to find out how the mess that we were introduced to in Redemption finally got resolved.
And now I know.
One of the things that seems to be a hallmark of most vampire fiction is vampire politics. It does make a certain amount of sense that people who live for centuries if not millennia would end up spending entirely too much time jockeying for power. And as the ultimate apex predators, vampires often end up in that quandary where power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And when that absolute power is challenged, any and all horrific means can be justified to serve their ends � those ends being to get back in power and eliminate all threats � even the threats that have the potential to save their lives.
The background to this series is one that has been used before, but with a twist. Vampires have always existed among us. They can ensnare people they need, feeding a vampire produces an addictive high, and they can wipe out inconvenient memories of those who have seen or heard to much. Or just kill them, as we are not really people to most of them, merely food.
However, the world has changed, and not in a good way � at least not for the vampires. I don’t mean technology, although that plays into it a bit. But in this near-future scenario, a worldwide pandemic was averted through the development of a preventive vaccine. As the pandemic was widespread (that’s what pandemic means, after all) most of the world’s population got inoculated against it. Something in the vaccine makes the blood of the vaccinated humans poisonous to vampires. It’s an unintended consequence the humans are completely unaware of.
But the vampires are starving. The population of unvaccinated humans is tiny.
The conflict that runs through the entire Penton Legacy series revolves around the best method for dealing with the vampire food shortage. The Vampire Tribunal, the, let’s call it the traditional viewpoint, wants to capture and enslave unvaccinated humans by any means necessary, and will kill anyone, human, vampire or shifter (yes, this world has shifters, too) who gets in their way.
The scheme they hatch in Illumination is possibly their most disgusting yet. They must be stopped.
The forces on the side of stopping them begin Illumination very much on the ropes after the horrific events that end . Aiden Murphy, the leader of the Penton vampire scathe, has come up with a different way for vampires to survive. Instead of coercing, co-opting and controlling humans, Penton only accepts volunteers who are willing to live in cooperation with humans and shifters. It’s an alliance of equals, and the Tribunal sees it as a threat to their way of life.
Penton fights back with everything and everyone they have. They might just lose it all, but if they do, they’ll go down fighting every step of the way.
Escape Rating B: Before I talk about what I thought of Illumination, there are a few PSAs (public service announcements) that I need to get out of the way.
First, Illumination is the end of a story that begins in , continues through , , and before it comes to its epic conclusion in Illumination. In order for the conflict between the vampire factions to make sense, for the created world to hold together, and for the reader to care about all the characters, it really is necessary to read the whole series in order.
Second, that really isn’t a problem because the whole thing is vampire romance crack. You’ll be hooked, and you’ll feel compelled to see what happens next.
Third, even though was not labelled as part of the Penton series, it really is. It comes between Omega and Allegiance and begins the second arc of the Penton saga.
And now back to my review of the actual book in hand, Illumination.
Allegiance ended on a terrible cliffhanger. Not that book was terrible, because the books in this series have all been tons of fun, but terrible in the “things are always darkest just before they turn completely black� sense. It ends on a serious downer, the situation looks bleak, and the reader isn’t sure if the Pentonites can recover.
And that was back in 2014. It’s been a damn long time. It took me awhile to get back up to speed on what was and wasn’t happening, who it was happening with/to, and figure out what was what.
Also, because of the events in Allegiance, Illumination gets off to a slow start. The heroine is literally trapped, the hero is unconscious, and Aiden Murphy, the prime mover and shaker of everything Penton, has completely lost his grip. It takes the first third of the book for Aiden to begin to get back into fighting shape. Once he comes back to life, the book does too.
While Illumination does contain a romance, as all the books in this series do, the romance in this one takes a back seat to the resolution of the vampire civil war. And it needs to. Without a solution to the dwindling food source problem, there can’t be a lasting solution to much of anything. Nobody gets a happy ever after if there is no ever after.
As with the first book, Redemption, the romance in this entry has a bit of a Stockholm Syndrome problem. There’s an attempt to gloss it over because the hero and heroine were also high school sweethearts, but it’s still definitely there. It doesn’t keep the romance from working, but it’s a presence.
On my other hand, one of the great things about this entry in the series is the way that everyone works together, and that everyone’s skills are needed to win this fight. This is not a series where the alpha male vampires rescue and protect the weak human females. Everyone has a stake in this war, and everyone, vampire, human, shifter, male and female has skills that are required to win it.
And bringing the dinosaurs back to life, even temporarily, was just plain cool.
In the end, I really got a kick out of this series. I’m a bit sorry to see it end, but happy that all those poor people hanging from cliffs at the end of Allegiance finally got let off the hook. And while my trip to Penton is over, I have more books from this author to look forward to. Susannah Sandlin also writes as Suzanne Johnson, and she’s awesome under both names!
July 10, 2017
This was first published on my blog " Lecture toute une Aventure"
I received an eARC and voluntary choose to review it
Great!!!!! really the wait was worth it because this book answer all our questions....it takes place a few weeks after the events in book 4 "Allegiance" and we are immediately feeling for our dear vampires because they sure needs helps....Aidan is a shade of himself, Penton is tired but not giving up .... in fact no one is left unscathed in a way or another so we needed to know what would happen and we do follow all of them.
However to fully enjoy this, it's better to have read the precedents books, yes the author does remind us of event, does a little recap but it's a series that keeps getting better as it gets deeper into the plot so i can't recommend you enough to start by book 1 and read them back to back..
Because of the situation our vampires are in this book is quite dark and it does have some very dark elements, the tension is high ( with what is at stake it's a minimum) so i kept turning the page wanting to know more but thankfully, as the author is so talented to do, we have touch of humour very well placed to give us a little emotional reprieve between the twists and jump into the darkness. We see the evolution of all the characters we have come to love and some appears under a new light too....like our dear Mirren the leader ( againsit his will mostly but then it's his nature); Will still the strategist and of course Nik....our dear Nik has to face a lot once again but his heart never waver. Shay is the new character of this book and she is wonderful, talented, determined and courageous....the romance is well written and make sense perfectly timed and slowly building so we have our sweet moments among a lot of angsty ones...we just can't stop reading until the last page!
Really it's the perfect conclusion for the Penton series and even better it offers us hope and possibilities for spin off in the future so would couldn't have wished for a better one. I recommend it without hesitation!
I received an eARC and voluntary choose to review it
Great!!!!! really the wait was worth it because this book answer all our questions....it takes place a few weeks after the events in book 4 "Allegiance" and we are immediately feeling for our dear vampires because they sure needs helps....Aidan is a shade of himself, Penton is tired but not giving up .... in fact no one is left unscathed in a way or another so we needed to know what would happen and we do follow all of them.
However to fully enjoy this, it's better to have read the precedents books, yes the author does remind us of event, does a little recap but it's a series that keeps getting better as it gets deeper into the plot so i can't recommend you enough to start by book 1 and read them back to back..
Because of the situation our vampires are in this book is quite dark and it does have some very dark elements, the tension is high ( with what is at stake it's a minimum) so i kept turning the page wanting to know more but thankfully, as the author is so talented to do, we have touch of humour very well placed to give us a little emotional reprieve between the twists and jump into the darkness. We see the evolution of all the characters we have come to love and some appears under a new light too....like our dear Mirren the leader ( againsit his will mostly but then it's his nature); Will still the strategist and of course Nik....our dear Nik has to face a lot once again but his heart never waver. Shay is the new character of this book and she is wonderful, talented, determined and courageous....the romance is well written and make sense perfectly timed and slowly building so we have our sweet moments among a lot of angsty ones...we just can't stop reading until the last page!
Really it's the perfect conclusion for the Penton series and even better it offers us hope and possibilities for spin off in the future so would couldn't have wished for a better one. I recommend it without hesitation!
January 24, 2019
The final installment in this brilliant adventure of our Penton Vamps trying to overcome the blood pandemic. I am really going to miss these guys esp Mr Kinkaid!
This final version was a really good tie up, although the story reverberates around Nic we get POV's from all our fave oldies.
Cant say much in the review as it will ruin the story, lets just say despicable methods are thought of to overcome the pandemic, In come the Penton Possy as the proverbial white knights.
This book i felt took on a darker edge than the others but still brilliant....
This final version was a really good tie up, although the story reverberates around Nic we get POV's from all our fave oldies.
Cant say much in the review as it will ruin the story, lets just say despicable methods are thought of to overcome the pandemic, In come the Penton Possy as the proverbial white knights.
This book i felt took on a darker edge than the others but still brilliant....
August 28, 2017
4.5 Stars. Hate to see the seirs end!
October 15, 2017
Final ending
I’ve been waiting so long for this episode. It was thrilling exciting and amazing. Hannah finally gets her ultimate family with Nik and Shay. Bad vampires dead they totally deserved their final death. Vampires again are no longer hungry. Loved it.
I’ve been waiting so long for this episode. It was thrilling exciting and amazing. Hannah finally gets her ultimate family with Nik and Shay. Bad vampires dead they totally deserved their final death. Vampires again are no longer hungry. Loved it.
October 5, 2019
Caught in his own web and hiding out, Frank has to rely heavily on his flunkies to ensure their latest no-fail scheme will reinstate Frank as Director of the vampire council. Frank knows they have to act while Penton's leadership heals, rebuilds and struggles with their meager forces, he can't underestimate Penton again.
Aidan's health will continue to deteriorate as long as his mate is in a coma but he can't afford to not be seen working for Penton. The inner circle is aware how dire the situation is since Penton's withdrawal from the vampire council and scrambles to keep the town protected and moving upward as it re-grows and re-gains allies.
Acting as Aidan's backup for a sensitive meeting to vet new Penton residents, Omega Ranger, Nik Dimitru realizes how much protection Aidan needs and is wary of their surroundings. Using his powers of touch on the applicant and alerts Aidan they need to leave and barely escape the ambush with their lives.
Shay Underwood chastises herself for her carelessness during her celebration weekend as she stares at the pink strip remembering she didn't want children, especially by a weekend fling whose name she can't recall! As Shay considers her options, her fling appears in her apartment and forces her to his side...breaking loose she sees he brought help!
Listening to her freely speaking captors discuss their plan from her cage as she plots her escape, Shay realizes they're vampires! Frank's alerted to Shay's excitement at overhearing Nik Dimitru is in a place called Penton. Frank demands Nik's presence or he'll kill Shay. Meanwhile, Shay's determined to work harder on her escape.
Nik undergoes life changes thanks to the deep betrayal Penton suffered months ago but cobbles a team together to rescue his ex but they suffer catastrophic injuries. New Omega members arrive at Penton with necessary skills, ready and able to help return Penton to the thriving town it once was.
For my taste, though newish to the series, the leads and villain are up to par and this blended tale is exciting and a good wrap for Penton with a worthy link to a spinoff series. However, this reader wanted more involvement in the rescue from the original Pentonites and more shifter action overall as I didn't have enough of either.
Rating 4.75stars
Aidan's health will continue to deteriorate as long as his mate is in a coma but he can't afford to not be seen working for Penton. The inner circle is aware how dire the situation is since Penton's withdrawal from the vampire council and scrambles to keep the town protected and moving upward as it re-grows and re-gains allies.
Acting as Aidan's backup for a sensitive meeting to vet new Penton residents, Omega Ranger, Nik Dimitru realizes how much protection Aidan needs and is wary of their surroundings. Using his powers of touch on the applicant and alerts Aidan they need to leave and barely escape the ambush with their lives.
Shay Underwood chastises herself for her carelessness during her celebration weekend as she stares at the pink strip remembering she didn't want children, especially by a weekend fling whose name she can't recall! As Shay considers her options, her fling appears in her apartment and forces her to his side...breaking loose she sees he brought help!
Listening to her freely speaking captors discuss their plan from her cage as she plots her escape, Shay realizes they're vampires! Frank's alerted to Shay's excitement at overhearing Nik Dimitru is in a place called Penton. Frank demands Nik's presence or he'll kill Shay. Meanwhile, Shay's determined to work harder on her escape.
Nik undergoes life changes thanks to the deep betrayal Penton suffered months ago but cobbles a team together to rescue his ex but they suffer catastrophic injuries. New Omega members arrive at Penton with necessary skills, ready and able to help return Penton to the thriving town it once was.
For my taste, though newish to the series, the leads and villain are up to par and this blended tale is exciting and a good wrap for Penton with a worthy link to a spinoff series. However, this reader wanted more involvement in the rescue from the original Pentonites and more shifter action overall as I didn't have enough of either.
Rating 4.75stars
July 10, 2017
This was first published on my blog " Lecture toute une Aventure"
I received an eARC and voluntary choose to review it
Great!!!!! really the wait was worth it because this book answer all our questions....it takes place a few weeks after the events in book 4 "Allegiance" and we are immediately feeling for our dear vampires because they sure needs helps....Aidan is a shade of himself, Penton is tired but not giving up .... in fact no one is left unscathed in a way or another so we needed to know what would happen and we do follow all of them.
However to fully enjoy this, it's better to have read the precedents books, yes the author does remind us of event, does a little recap but it's a series that keeps getting better as it gets deeper into the plot so i can't recommend you enough to start by book 1 and read them back to back..
Because of the situation our vampires are in this book is quite dark and it does have some very dark elements, the tension is high ( with what is at stake it's a minimum) so i kept turning the page wanting to know more but thankfully, as the author is so talented to do, we have touch of humour very well placed to give us a little emotional reprieve between the twists and jump into the darkness. We see the evolution of all the characters we have come to love and some appears under a new light too....like our dear Mirren the leader ( againsit his will mostly but then it's his nature); Will still the strategist and of course Nik....our dear Nik has to face a lot once again but his heart never waver. Shay is the new character of this book and she is wonderful, talented, determined and courageous....the romance is well written and make sense perfectly timed and slowly building so we have our sweet moments among a lot of angsty ones...we just can't stop reading until the last page!
Really it's the perfect conclusion for the Penton series and even better it offers us hope and possibilities for spin off in the future so would couldn't have wished for a better one. I recommend it without hesitation!
I received an eARC and voluntary choose to review it
Great!!!!! really the wait was worth it because this book answer all our questions....it takes place a few weeks after the events in book 4 "Allegiance" and we are immediately feeling for our dear vampires because they sure needs helps....Aidan is a shade of himself, Penton is tired but not giving up .... in fact no one is left unscathed in a way or another so we needed to know what would happen and we do follow all of them.
However to fully enjoy this, it's better to have read the precedents books, yes the author does remind us of event, does a little recap but it's a series that keeps getting better as it gets deeper into the plot so i can't recommend you enough to start by book 1 and read them back to back..
Because of the situation our vampires are in this book is quite dark and it does have some very dark elements, the tension is high ( with what is at stake it's a minimum) so i kept turning the page wanting to know more but thankfully, as the author is so talented to do, we have touch of humour very well placed to give us a little emotional reprieve between the twists and jump into the darkness. We see the evolution of all the characters we have come to love and some appears under a new light too....like our dear Mirren the leader ( againsit his will mostly but then it's his nature); Will still the strategist and of course Nik....our dear Nik has to face a lot once again but his heart never waver. Shay is the new character of this book and she is wonderful, talented, determined and courageous....the romance is well written and make sense perfectly timed and slowly building so we have our sweet moments among a lot of angsty ones...we just can't stop reading until the last page!
Really it's the perfect conclusion for the Penton series and even better it offers us hope and possibilities for spin off in the future so would couldn't have wished for a better one. I recommend it without hesitation!
December 4, 2017
Hated to have this end...
Next to my love of Immortal Guardians, by Dianne Duvall, this is my all-time favorite vampire series. I loved the stories and the more that was written about Aidan and his second in command Mirren, the more you liked them. Their battles with Frank Greisser’s Vampire Tribunal and his evil vamps was simply awesome.
The characters: Aiden and Krys, Mirren and Glory, Cage and Robin, Will and Randa, Mark and Melissa, Ashton, Gadget, and all the others, were all phenomenal. Even Greisser and Simon and Jon were bad guys you loved to hate.
Shay was our heroine and she was great. She’d traveled all over the world with her Peace Corps parents, until they died of a fever in one of the countries they traveled to. When Shay grew up she became an epidemiologist, always looking for cures like the fever that took her parents. Then she spent a wild drunken night with Jon and found herself pregnant and then was kidnapped by Jon and Simon and Greisser in order to give birth to “clean� children for feeding the vamps in the future. And the female babies would be breeders as soon as they were old enough.
Shay and Nik didn’t meet again (they were high school sweethearts and hadn’t seen each other for 16 years) until about 50% of the book and, as usual, there was just a single ounce of sexual attraction, and there was semi-graphic sex, which I skipped over. It’s put there because the publisher says “sex sells� so there it is in the book. BUT the storyline is good enough that I can skip the sex and not miss it. And the F-bomb was dropped 73 times.
As to the narration: All I can say is WOW! Amy McFadden did a totally brilliant job. Both the male and female voices were all different and unique to that person. She laughed and cried and whispered and yelled when the book called for it. And her accents were awesome: Southern, New Orleans, German, whatever it was supposed to be. My favorite narration by her.
June 3, 2023
Last book
Last book in this series.I did feel why would they not just kill the bad guys they would only attack again.it felt out of character they don't like to kill but they will when safety is a issue so I felt sometimes it was not true to the character.I was hoping cages arm would regrow after drinking shifter blood.
This series is really about the vampires trying to find a way to survive because they can't drink most humans blood because of a vaccine they had for flu virus.But some vampires are evil and attacks the noble vampires who found a way to live with the humans who can give blood and just want to live in peace.we do have a love interest with each book and a main character or new added characters.the series is mostly them defending themselves but this book is also about a cure.
A interesting storyline I liked the characters not keen on the style of POV messy and can confuse the flow for a minute and a few errors in writing I picked up on. that's why three stars
Last book in this series.I did feel why would they not just kill the bad guys they would only attack again.it felt out of character they don't like to kill but they will when safety is a issue so I felt sometimes it was not true to the character.I was hoping cages arm would regrow after drinking shifter blood.
This series is really about the vampires trying to find a way to survive because they can't drink most humans blood because of a vaccine they had for flu virus.But some vampires are evil and attacks the noble vampires who found a way to live with the humans who can give blood and just want to live in peace.we do have a love interest with each book and a main character or new added characters.the series is mostly them defending themselves but this book is also about a cure.
A interesting storyline I liked the characters not keen on the style of POV messy and can confuse the flow for a minute and a few errors in writing I picked up on. that's why three stars
August 1, 2017
Awesome conclusion to a great series!
The Penton Vampire legacy is set in the contemporary world of Southern Alabama, and Illumination is the final tale in an amazing storyline.
Characters are rich, and well developed with the central goal of saving the Vampire world. The main heroine Shay was feisty, level headed, and I cheered for her, and Nik, and their love story. Her solution to the main story problem was brilliant.
It was also fun to spend more time with my story favs, Mirren, Aiden, Will, Glory, Krys, and Randa. Cage and Robin had their own story as a subplot, and the author tied up everything between the characters.
I especially loved the scene at the Fernbank's museum in Atlanta.
For fans of the series, Penton's destiny in Illumination is a must-read! If you enjoy Vampire fiction treat yourself to the whole series.
The Penton Vampire legacy is set in the contemporary world of Southern Alabama, and Illumination is the final tale in an amazing storyline.
Characters are rich, and well developed with the central goal of saving the Vampire world. The main heroine Shay was feisty, level headed, and I cheered for her, and Nik, and their love story. Her solution to the main story problem was brilliant.
It was also fun to spend more time with my story favs, Mirren, Aiden, Will, Glory, Krys, and Randa. Cage and Robin had their own story as a subplot, and the author tied up everything between the characters.
I especially loved the scene at the Fernbank's museum in Atlanta.
For fans of the series, Penton's destiny in Illumination is a must-read! If you enjoy Vampire fiction treat yourself to the whole series.
October 12, 2022
Review: This is the final book in the Penton Legacy series. This captures the romance between Nik Dimitrou, a psychic ex-military member of Penton and past high school sweetheart Shay Underwood. Shay becomes a human trafficking victim of the Vampire Tribunals New Orleans breeding program. Since she is vaccinated, unable to be used as a feeder, but becomes part of the twisted experiment. Dr. Shay is rescued by the Penton vamps and shifters and becomes a part of Nik's new life and possibly Penton's salvation with her studies of diseases. As they try to end the conflict and blood shortage crisis, while trying to rebuild Penton, Alabama compound and town. Enjoyed the book in audio. I was a little lost at first since I started reading this series 8 years ago and lost track of this series. Thank you Audible deals, I was able to finish this series.
September 4, 2018
Use the shifters more
Author introduced the shifters but neglected their obvious power for the last 2 books. You gave them such potential to be more than they were, but you denied them any spotlight.
I mean it was a good series but this last book annoyed me.
Aiden is weakened because his mate is in a coma. Shifter blood gives the vamps a God like boost in all powers. It seriously bugs me that this was ignored for the past 2 books. The fact that Kage had his arm torn off with a steady supply of shifter blood is also annoying. They couldn't set his severed arm in a stitch and bandage to see if it would knit together in day sleep? Wasted opportunity for a deeper story.
Author introduced the shifters but neglected their obvious power for the last 2 books. You gave them such potential to be more than they were, but you denied them any spotlight.
I mean it was a good series but this last book annoyed me.
Aiden is weakened because his mate is in a coma. Shifter blood gives the vamps a God like boost in all powers. It seriously bugs me that this was ignored for the past 2 books. The fact that Kage had his arm torn off with a steady supply of shifter blood is also annoying. They couldn't set his severed arm in a stitch and bandage to see if it would knit together in day sleep? Wasted opportunity for a deeper story.
Read
December 3, 2021This is the final book in this series, and I've got to say Thank You to my son for buying me these books. This is a wonderful series filled with Vampires, Shifters, the Humans who help and love them, as well as a Pandemic which causes problems with the blood supply for the vampires. (Anyone who is vaccinated, has deadly blood for vampires due to a change in their blood). so you have Nik, a newbie vampire, who was turned to keep him from turning into a shifter and dying, and his high school girlfriend who is pregnant and locked up in a Tribunal boss' scheme to raise children for a blood source by kidnapping pregnant women. Great fun to a wonderful, fun series.
July 22, 2017
The End
NNNOOOO!! Such a great series, I hate to see it end. Having said that, this IS a beautiful ending. The threads are all accounted for, the characters still standing but this reader still wants more. Ms. Sandlin weaves a wonderfully detailed story without unnecessary blood, guts and sex, I didn't say there wasn't any, just not overdone. Thank you Susannah for a brilliantly written series AND if you decide to resurrect Penton, just let us know😁.
NNNOOOO!! Such a great series, I hate to see it end. Having said that, this IS a beautiful ending. The threads are all accounted for, the characters still standing but this reader still wants more. Ms. Sandlin weaves a wonderfully detailed story without unnecessary blood, guts and sex, I didn't say there wasn't any, just not overdone. Thank you Susannah for a brilliantly written series AND if you decide to resurrect Penton, just let us know😁.
August 5, 2017
Good conclusion
This was a good finish to a very enjoyable series. Nik has always been an intriguing character and it was nice to see him take his place in Penton with a mate and a family.
To me this lacked perhaps a little of the punch of the previous books and the Shay and Nik relationship a little of the fire and depth but overall it left us satisfied to close the final page on Penton and it's world.
This was a good finish to a very enjoyable series. Nik has always been an intriguing character and it was nice to see him take his place in Penton with a mate and a family.
To me this lacked perhaps a little of the punch of the previous books and the Shay and Nik relationship a little of the fire and depth but overall it left us satisfied to close the final page on Penton and it's world.
March 2, 2018
Such a great series, I hate to see it end, Illumination is the final tale in an amazing storyline. If it had to end this was a great way to end it. Nik was an intriguing character in the previous book so I was happy to see him get a story of his own. I wish there would have been a little more to the start of Shay and NIk's relationship but overall it all played out well. To bad the series is ending because there were still a few characters I would have liked to see the author explore more.
July 17, 2017
Once again Susannah Sandlin hits all the marks. This is book 5 of the Penton series and well worth the wait. Only she could make you fall in love with vampires. The story was so well written. I wasn't sure how she would end the series but it is perfect. But there is a hint we may see more of the characters. I highly recommend the Penton books...go forth and buy!
April 26, 2025
Final book
I just loved this series and I wish it didn't end. I wasn't sure we would get a happy ending, it felt no matter what the Penton people did there was always someone there to take them down. We did get a happy end and I just loved all the couples. It would be nice to have a spin off with the shape shifters though.
I just loved this series and I wish it didn't end. I wasn't sure we would get a happy ending, it felt no matter what the Penton people did there was always someone there to take them down. We did get a happy end and I just loved all the couples. It would be nice to have a spin off with the shape shifters though.
July 15, 2017
Read the whole series one weekend and loved it! The characters were funny, exciting and unpredictable which made her he storyline flow well. It had enough romance to be sweet but did not take away from the vampire action. Would highly recommend this series to paranormal readers.
July 21, 2017
Nice conclusion
This is a great series. I am sorry to see it end. I love the take on vampires, blood, shifters. I really believe this last book could have been more in depth. I am hoping that means she might pop out a novella or two 🤗
This is a great series. I am sorry to see it end. I love the take on vampires, blood, shifters. I really believe this last book could have been more in depth. I am hoping that means she might pop out a novella or two 🤗
August 17, 2017
Great conclusion
This was a very good conclusion to this series! I was so excited when I saw that it was out, I truly thought book 4 was the end and I was really disappointed. I would recommend this series to any paranormal reader.
This was a very good conclusion to this series! I was so excited when I saw that it was out, I truly thought book 4 was the end and I was really disappointed. I would recommend this series to any paranormal reader.
August 31, 2017
Best Book of Series
I loved this series. This was the best of them all. It grips you from the beginning and gets better as you read. Loved Shay and Nik Robin and Archer. Mitten and Glory and of course Aiden and Krys. So sorry this is ending this story could go on forever.
I loved this series. This was the best of them all. It grips you from the beginning and gets better as you read. Loved Shay and Nik Robin and Archer. Mitten and Glory and of course Aiden and Krys. So sorry this is ending this story could go on forever.
September 17, 2017
3.5 stars
I don't think this was the strongest one in the series, but then it's been 3 years since the last one and I may have just become a bit more distanced from the world than I had been.
Even so, it was nice of the author to return to the series to tie up the loose ends.
I don't think this was the strongest one in the series, but then it's been 3 years since the last one and I may have just become a bit more distanced from the world than I had been.
Even so, it was nice of the author to return to the series to tie up the loose ends.
January 9, 2018
I’m sad to see this series come to a close. Despite the feeling that this book was rushed, it tied Penton up in a nice neat bow. I love these characters. And I kind of want to do fanfic to see where they go next, in my mind.
September 15, 2024
Excellent
Aiden's dream and vision came true! Penton is rebuilding. Nik and Shay, Hannah and baby Lydia are a family and hopefully a new beginning for all. It took going thru hell, death, tears, acceptance and good old fashion karma but in the end it was all worth it.
Aiden's dream and vision came true! Penton is rebuilding. Nik and Shay, Hannah and baby Lydia are a family and hopefully a new beginning for all. It took going thru hell, death, tears, acceptance and good old fashion karma but in the end it was all worth it.
January 30, 2025
I'm still reading this book. However, there is a chance I'll skip some parts because I'm annoyed at the characters' bad decisions and lack of believable strategy for vampires and others who have lived for centuries or have military training. In general, the story is good but the naivety weakens it.
August 10, 2017
Perfect end to the series. Wonderful, relatable characters in a believable world. I recommend the Penton series to everyone I know.
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