A review by sophiarose1816
Reaper by Regine Abel

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

During the war, the Kryptid had captured human scientists working to enhance the Creckels into controlled war beasts, but the experiment didn't work and the General sealed the underground lab leaving Janelle, child of deceased scientists, and the surviving Creckels entombed for over twenty years.  Right when hope is at an end of rescue, it comes in the form of half Cryptid Dragon warrior, Reaper, and his Vanguard brothers.  Can she trust in Reaper and will his people be able to help the rescued Creckel race?

A survival story with many emotional layers.   Janelle has been isolated and dying in an underground lab so she is relearning and learning much which puts the fated mates romance on slow burn.  I enjoyed watching Reaper, a strong warrior, is vulnerable about whether she can get past his looking like the enemy who killed her parents and some of the Creckels and left her to suffer and die. Janelle is facing so many choices for her future and secretly hopes the strong and capable Reaper would be interested in an undernourished half-blind woman with little talent.   Surrounding their romance is the story of the enhanced Creckels figuring out their future, too.

I really enjoy this series and need to go back and finish the backlist.