Series: Heroes of Falledge #1
Author: Nicole Zoltack
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing (October 21, 2013)
Genre: Superhero Romance
Format Read: PDF ARC
Length: Novel
Source: Author
Once a year for the past decade, Nicholas Adams returns to Falledge and leaves a black hellebore on his girlfriend's grave. While departing Falledge, he chases after a man sneaking into the laboratory and dies for his trouble. A witch brings him back to life, but Nicholas soon realizes he's not the same man. Turns out, magic combined with a black hellebore in his pocket changed him into a kind of a super man.
His girlfriend's twin, Julianna Paige, is Falledge's deputy, struggling to solve several murders. Nicholas, and his alter ego the Black Hellebore, helps her, even as she helps him move on and even start to love again.
Unfortunately, Nicholas wasn't the only one changed in the laboratory explosion, and now there's a supervillain bent on destroying Falledge, and killing the Black Hellebore. But falling in love might prove more dangerous than any supervillain.
Teasers: The woman was batty. Julianna smirked. A batty witch. [pg. 111 of 231 of PDF ARC. This made me smirk too.]
“Why do I have a feeling that deals made with witches are no better than deals made with the devil?” [pg. 156 of 231 of PDF ARC. Love this line!]
Review: Nicholas Adams must face his demons as he returns to Falledge in Nicole Zoltack’s Black Hellebore.
Zoltack has created a classic superhero and villain for her novel. Nicholas Adams has the typical tragic and troubled past and a strong moral code as he morphs from man to super-man. The villain also transforms from a disgruntled employee to a creepy and vicious villain who has his eyes set on good ol’ revenge.
Although the basis of the superhero/villain story is familiar, Zoltack has introduced wonderful paranormal and romantic twists to the storyline. My favorite character is Gavina, the witch. She’s a touch batty, but she adds a delightful sense of comedic relief. Julianna Paige is a strong heroine, although her wishy-washy attitude toward Nicholas got a little old toward the end. I would’ve liked to have seen a little more development in Julianna and Nicholas’s relationship and how it grew through the course of the novel.
The novel started out fast-pace and ended the same with a slight slowdown in the middle. Zoltack kept me guessing on how the Black Hellebore would ever defeat the villain, and I thought how he did was ingenious. And that ending gave a hint of what more is to come for the Black Hellebore and Falledge.
Black Hellebore by Nicole Zoltack spins a refreshing superhero tale with its fantastic paranormal elements! I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Four Bookworms = I really liked it!
