Hello, everyone! Today’s post is an extra mini review of Forging a Nightmare by Patricia A. Jackson. The cover and description pulled me in as I was browsing NetGalley, and I just couldn’t resist. I love a good story about angels and nephilim, and the horse on the cover looked absolutely demented. So, I couldn’t pass it up…maybe this is a good indicator of why my NetGalley feedback ratio has been dropping. lol.

Unknown to Humanity, the descendants of Fallen Angels live among us. After millennia of living in anonymity, a serial killer has discovered their secret and has marked them for death. FBI Agent Michael Childs is brought in to investigate a series of grisly murders in New York City. The only link between the victims is they were all born with twelve fingers and twelve toes, known in occult circles as the Nephilim, a forsaken people.

A break in the case leads to Marine Corps sniper Anaba Raines who is listed as killed in action in Syria. Michael finds the hardened soldier alive and well, but no longer Human. After getting too close to the truth, Michael refuses to be an unwitting pawn in a 3000-year old vendetta. With the killers closing in, he is forced to confront his own unique heritage or die. Only Anaba can save her life, but at a terrible cost – her freedom.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing a copy of the book! My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

This book is a good example of why I don’t like DNFing books. The first 30-40% of this book was an awkwardly paced, disjointed mess. The characters felt a bit like caricatures, and the story, while interesting, was presented in a way that was confusing and hard to follow. As the book progressed, however, the pacing, writing, and story improved significantly, and I read the last half of the book mostly in one sitting because I was so captivated by it. The characters acquired much more depth as the story progressed, and I really did end up loving Anaba. I never knew I needed to read about a killer demon horse until picking up this book. The author’s love for horses really shone from how she wrote about Anaba and all the horse-related detail included throughout the narrative. I also particularly enjoyed the blending of different mythologies and the world the author created, even if the world-building was a bit clunky and obtuse at times. The action in this book was brutal and fast-paced (sometimes too fast-paced), and it kept me wanting to turn the page to find out the resolution of the conflict. As a whole, I enjoyed the book but only after making it through the first third through sheer will alone. I recommend the book to anyone who likes stories about horses, mythology, and lots of fast-paced action, as long as they are a patient reader. Therefore, I rate the book 3 out of 5 stars.