Ratings Overall: 10 Sensuality: 9 Paranormal Element: 10

This is an Official Review by a contemporary Romance Writer Official Reviewer

Review for Salt and Silver
Author: Anna Katherine
Date of Review: 05/30/09
Reviewed by: Leah

Reviewer Comments: This newest addition to the science fiction genre is a true delight. The story adds to the mythology of Hell by describing the Doors that exist between our world and the underworld. These Doors tempt humans to make wishes which in turn release demons of various forms into the world. Fortunately for us mundanes, there are hunters who guard the Doors and prevent evil from escaping.

Ryan is one of these hunters. He wears a large Stetson hat to distinguish himself from the other hunter factions of Fedoras and Ball Caps. He lives in the basement of Sally’s Diner and guards the door that Allie and her friends accidentally opened one night. He is all that you would want your demon hunter to be—strong, silent, mysterious and gorgeous. Allie is deeply attracted to him, but there don’t seem to be any real sparks between them. Ryan is determined to prevent a romantic entanglement.

Allie grew up in a wealthy neighborhood on Long Island. She lost her home and her money when her mother ran away to Rio with a tennis instructor. Fortunately for Allie, she was able to find a job in Brooklyn working as a waitress at Sally’s Diner. She maintained her friendship with two people, Amber and Stan, from her childhood. One night, they accidentally open a Door and Allie’s life changes. For the last six years she has been working with Ryan to make sure that nothing escapes the Door and he has been training her on how to kill all types of demons. When the Door in Sally’s goes missing, Ally and Ryan know that they are in for some nasty adventures. Fortunately, they have people they can call on for help.

What follows is a journey through Hell with all of its dangers. Despite the terrifying concept of actually traveling through Hell, Ms. Katherine manages to add sparks of humor and romance to the tale making it more light-hearted than actually scary. I really enjoyed hearing about the Doors and how they impact the view of demons and humanity in this story. The interplay between Ryan and Allie is smoldering and red-hot. They have so much sexual tension and it adds to the enjoyment of the story. Allie is not a meek heroine, but one who wants to help and is willing to take responsibility for her role in opening a Door. As she learns more about her abilities, she takes on more responsibility rather than running from it. She is definitely a role model of a strong feminist woman without losing her sensuality or love of girly things.

For those of you who worry about the science fiction nature of these books, don’t. I know that sometimes, these types of books can get too technical leaving the reader to wonder if it is written is a foreign language. This is not one of those books. Perhaps because the main character has no more knowledge of these other dimensions than we do or more likely due to good writing, everything that is created for this book is explained in common laymen’s terms. Nothing is too esoteric. The author’s did a phenomenal job of writing a story that includes science fiction elements, but is accessible to all readers.