Running Scared by Shannon K. Butcher

Title: Running Scared

Author: Shannon K. Butcher
Series: The Sentinel Wars (book #3)

Previous in series: Finding the Lost

Next in series: Living Nightmare

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: Lexi Johns has been raised to believe that the Sentinel Warriors are a dangerous threat and will do anything to rescue her best friend from them. Zach is a Sentinel with only one goal: to convince Lexi that her destiny is intertwined with his and that she is the only one with the ability to channel the power that can destroy him.

Review: Intricate and detailed world building combined with an intense plot that contains one or two shocking revelations and some spine tingling moments. One of the best aspects of this series is that the female characters play an important role in the battle against evil. They are not merely damsels in distress in need of rescue.

Zach and Lexi’s romance is fantastic and their relationship builds and grows on every page. Lexi’s intentions are pure but she is a little naïve regarding the consequences of her actions. Moreover, her trust issues make it difficult to let others in and she struggles not only with attraction to Zach but also with the growing awareness that her entire belief system has been based on lies. Zach is an admirable hero with infinite patience and acceptance of Lexi’s distrust.

The story is a complex amalgamation of several subplots including Lexi’s strategy for rescuing Helen, the Sanguinars’ secret plans to save their people, a spy within the Sentinel compound, and a race of princely beings who have been visiting earth, not to mention the monstrous Synestryn who have their own agenda for the planet. Some of these are resolved in this book and others will have to wait for subsequent installments.  

There are numerous secondary characters but all are well-developed and interesting. The most compelling are Madoc and Nika whose intense connection is just spellbinding and I can’t wait to read their book next.  

The Sentinel Wars is an engrossing series. It is, however, necessary to read the books in order otherwise it is virtually impossible to understand what is going on in the overall story arc.