View source for Stars of Fortune (Guardians Trilogy) by Nora Roberts

{{infobox1
|title=Stars of Fortune (Guardians Trilogy)
|author=Nora Roberts
|reviewer=Ani Johnson
|genre=Women's Fiction
|summary=Nora Roberts brings us a famous five…err… six… for grown-ups in this fantasy/romance set on a Greek island against powers of evil.  Possibly cheesy but for fans of cheesy it's an excellent Roquefort rather than a processed square.
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=336
|publisher=Piatkus
|date=November 2015
|isbn=978-0349407791
|website=http://www.noraroberts.com
|video=
|cover=Roberts_Stars
|aznuk=0349407797
|aznus=0349407797
}}

Sasha suffers from nightmares.  The scary details may vary but the gist of the contents remain the same: the voice of a stranger, the presence of evil and the faces of five people on an island, none of which/whom she knows.  She tries all she can to exorcise the darkness including transferring the faces and locations into her art but even the refuge of her talent and livelihood doesn't work.  In a moment of bravery Sasha discovers the identity of the island and travels to where she knows it will all begin and possibly end.  For there somewhere on Crete the other five wait and the evil materialises along with the events that three goddesses began eons ago.

American author [[:Category:Nora Roberts|Nora Roberts]] or school of Nora Roberts (depending on your beliefs) hits top form in this tale of supernatural danger and love.  Yes, her quality may generally waiver from book to book even for fans like me, but this time it's excellent stuff.

The pacing is superlative as we're gradually introduced to six people we grow to care about hugely.  The fact that we aren't told everything at once leads to some jaw-dropping shocks right up till the end of this first in trilogy, as well as a few sign-posted satisfyingly pre-guessed notions along the way.

Our allegiances are entirely with the six guardians.  Sasha, by gifting rather than desire, becomes the reluctant leader of the group.  This goes against her lack of confidence and love of solitude which, in turn masks a loneliness and sense of difference.  Riley, a sassy archaeologist, takes Sasha under her wing, showing her what being different actually means.  Then there's Doyle, man of few words but a deep loyalty and a heck of a part one finale!  Sawyer is the bloke with the family secret and the get out of gaol free card we'd expect from fantasy.  Annika brings a smile to our face (great way to lay a table!) and early recognition of her shock for her new friends but it's still good to see their reactions at the reveal.  Finally, last but not least (oh gosh no!!) there's Bran, the professional magician with a gift for moonlight and parasols among other things.  (Swoon!)

Playing devil's advocate, there are things for the picky to pick at.  We can guess that the three guys/three girls' combo has a romantic purpose but this is Nora Roberts so it's an expectation rather than a spoiler.  There may even be bits where disbelief needs a bit of suspension but this doesn't purport to be packed with Booker Prize-worthy deep truths or real world authenticity.  

This is what it is: excitement packed, romance drizzled, feet up story telling at its most easy-read-spectrum-end, escapist excellent. So yes, there is indeed a 5* from me along with a cosy anticipation of Book 2.

(A big thank you to, Piatkus, for providing us with a copy for review.)

Further Reading: If you enjoy Nora, also try The Cousins O'Dywer Trilogy, the [[Dark Witch (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy) by Nora Roberts|first book]] not being so good as the [[Shadow Spell (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy Book 2) by Nora Roberts|second]].  (Three isn't out yet.)  If you enjoy the magic of romance without the fantasy elements, we heartily recommend [[The Sea Between Us by Emylia Hall]].

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[[Category:Fantasy]]