#BookReview Son of Anubis @SBennettwrites #urbanfantasy

Son of Anubis by Stacy Bennett

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Ancient Egyptian artefacts and werewolves – what more could you ask for in a novel?

The stunning cover art hooked me in, and the strapline secured the deal.

‘When a smuggled relic unleashes an ancient God…There’s nowhere to hide.’

Told from two perspectives, Son of Anubis shares the story of Jake, a bomb dog at Newark International Airport, and his human partner, Becca.  I loved the way Bennett gets inside the head of her canine character and shows us a unique visual from Jake’s eyes.  The mannerisms are captured so perfectly that you can clearly visualise the scenes unfolding through the eyes of this dog.  There is a bond between Jake and Becca that many dog owners will be able to relate to.

The story begins in the thick of the action when Becca and Jake make an unusual discovery during a routine search.  We are introduced to Cupesco, a shady character that has crossed paths with Becca in the past.  I would have liked to see Cupesco’s character explored deeper as he intrigued me.  I feel that there is much more to his backstory than was explored in this novel. Hopefully, there will be a sequel where we can dig a bit deeper into his history.

Becca is a likeable character, but Jake shines through as the hero of the book for me.  After he tastes the wine of Anubis and fends off Cupesco’s goons, he is overwhelmed by a series of changes, both physically and emotionally.  His basic instinct is to protect and serve his partner, but there is a variety of obstacles in his way – werewolves for one!

Running alongside the Jake storyline there is a well-crafted mystery.  Becca, with the help of her friend Pete, aims to find out what Cupesco is doing with these ancient Egyptian artefacts, and why he is hell-bent on getting his hands on Jake.

Son of Anubis is a well told and captivating novel.  At just 92 pages, it’s a quick read with plenty of action.  The story rounds up nicely but leaves enough of a thread to prompt a sequel.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

Blurb:

Jake is the best bomb dog at Newark International, the pride of the force and his partner, Becca Carter. But when he accidentally ferrets out an ancient artefact, their routine sniff-and-search goes horribly wrong. His heart has always belonged to Becca, but Jake never realized what losing her would mean until the night he found the Egyptian jar and tasted the wine of Anubis. The night they were attacked by werewolves…in Newark.

Injured and hunted, Jake struggles to understand the strange cascade of events that follow the attack. The one certainty is that only he can protect Becca from the antiquities smuggler who would do anything to keep his secrets hidden. Plagued by violent dreams and hounded by werewolf assassins, Jake must find a way to help Becca solve the mystery of the jackal-headed god’s elixir before she ends up dead…or worse.

Buy your copy here:

Amazon UK

Amazon US