Title: Xandria Dranke: Ancient Rising
Author: Laura C. Cantu
Publisher: Peaceful Dragon Publishing
ISBN: 978–0988585102
Pages: 391
Genre: Thriller/Fantasy
Reviewed by: John Murray , Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Anxiety is an interesting affliction. It should be a useful tool to help one escape danger but in a modern world, anything can trigger it. When a tool is constantly in action, it begins to lose its effectiveness. There are many treatment options, but Laura C. Cantu proposes a novel option. Love, in both the general sense and romantic love, can open one to new experiences and help shed light on hidden truths. “Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising” is a story wherein that very solution helps a young woman cope with anxiety and panic attacks.Xandria Drake is a fairly normal twenty-year-old woman. She is an accomplished ballroom dancer, an alternative medicine doctor in training, and suffers from low self-esteem and anxiety attacks. That is where the “fairly normal” part veers off into the exotic unknown. After a terrifying experience in a local carnival, Xandria’s story kicks into high gear. She learns nothing around her can be trusted: not her hunky dance partner Viktor, not her parents, and not even her own memories. Nearly everyone in her life is a non-human, be they dragons in human form, the predecessors to modern vampires, or citizens from the lost city of Atlantis. Darkness begins to swirl around her as the truth is revealed, forcing her to confront inner demons and powerful foes. An ancient evil has returned for her. She has to find strength inside or risk losing everything. Torn between Viktor and a stranger she instantly connects with, Xandria discovers whom she chooses to love and how may decide her fate.
There is fairly little different about “Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising” than others in the paranormal romance genre. However, those differences help the novel stand apart. The story shifts genres from paranormal romance to urban fantasy to historical fiction, keeping the reader on their toes. Characters are dynamic with realistic and engaging dialogue. Cantu sculpts a captivating and engaging world rife with complex mythologies, fantastical creatures, and deep insights. Such an insight, “you create your future by the thoughts you hold in the present while you are surrounded by the creations of the past,” seems like a useful mantra to guide people suffering away from difficulties. The intended audience seems to be young adults, but the writing is strong enough to attract adult readers. “Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising” is obviously the first in a series. If the following books tighten up the plot lines and smooth out the slow parts, this could be an incredible series.
