Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published on: May 1, 2015 by 47North
After her twin sister’s brutal murder, former US Army Sergeant Allison “Lex” Luther vowed to protect her niece, Charlie. So when two vampires try to kidnap the baby, it quickly turns into a fight to the death—Lex’s death, that is.
She wakes up to two shocking discoveries: she has miraculously survived the fight, and baby Charlie is a “null,” gifted with the ability to weaken supernatural forces...and a target for creatures who want to control that power. Determined to guarantee her niece’s safety, Lex makes a deal with the local vampires. She sets out with the mysterious—and undead—“fixer” Quinn to track down whoever’s responsible for the kidnapping, sharpening her newfound magic skills along the way. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her powers become.
Boundary Crossed is a dark, thrilling journey into a world where the line between living and dead isn’t nearly as solid as it appears...
I got this book as a Kindle First Reads deal. The cover caught my eye first, and then I read the synopsis. Boundary Crossed presents an interesting take on witches. In this book’s universe—called the “Old World” by supernatural beings—witches don’t use wands. The term “witch” applies to both genders as well. Boundary Crossed takes place in Boulder, Colorado. The protagonist is Allison“Lex” Luther (I know). She’s an ordinary woman and ex-soldier in her early thirties, who works at a convenience store. Lex is there one night when she stumbles upon a pair of strangers who have kidnapped her baby niece, Charlie. After a brutal fight, Lex saves Charlie, but at the cost of her own life…or so it appears.
Sometime later, Lex is in the hospital when a strange man shows up. He’s Quinn, who claims to be a police detective. After a few questions, Quinn confirms something but feels puzzled by Lex’s obliviousness. He reveals to Lex that she’s a witch, and that he and Charlie’s kidnappers are vampires. At first Lex thinks Quinn is nuts. She’s soon convinced by a guy named Simon Pellar, a member of the local witch clan.
After Charlie’s kidnappers try to take her again, Lex meets with Quinn's bosses. They’re Itachi and Maven, the ruling vampires of Colorado. They let Lex know about Charlie’s true nature, which explains why she’s so valuable to the Old World. Lex agrees to work for Itachi and Maven as an enforcer in exchange for Charlie’s protection. They agree after ordering the Pellars to train Lex in magic. This is where Lex—and the reader—learn about the different kinds of witches. Clan Pellar are trades witches, the regular kind who can do standard witch stuff. Lex turns out to be the rarest and most greatly feared kind: a boundary witch. Their powers only work over life and death. I found this pretty cool. The idea of a boundary witch is intriguing and quite refreshing. And although the boundary power makes Lex formidable, it doesn’t detract from the book or lower the stakes. Lex is as physically vulnerable as a regular human.
Through the rest of the book, Lex and Quinn team up to discover who wants to take Charlie and why. Their relationship is professional at first, but there’s chemistry between them. Lex and Quinn are drawn to each other. As an ex-soldier and an ex-cop, they make a good match (and team). Quinn’s feelings for Lex grow rather fast, but not like insta-love. Part of it has to do with their supernatural status. I also liked Lex as a character. She's brave and caring, having fought to the death for her niece. And Lex did this before knowing about her boundary powers. Even after learning she’s a witch, Lex doesn’t change much. The great power doesn’t get to her head. Lex’s primary concern is Charlie’s safety.
Becoming part of the Old World has its drawbacks. Lex is forbidden from revealing her nature to any human, even her family. This is especially hard with John Wheaton, Charlie’s father. Lex wishes he knew she and his daughter are both supernatural. The rule means Quinn must erase John’s mind a bunch of times. It stresses Lex, but there’s nothing she can do about it.
Boundary Crossed is set in the same fictional universe as Olson’s Scarlett Bernard series. You don’t need to have read those books to understand the supernatural world, though. The reader learns about it from Lex, a newbie herself. There’s plenty of world-building, but no rushed info-dump. Though this new series is mainly about witches, it’s quite different from the likes of Harry Potter. Fans of that series might still like Boundary Crossed. It’s more mature, but not too much, and very entertaining.
My rating: ★★★★
4 stars - Definitely enjoyed it!
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