Luna Masterson is an odd girl who sees demons. Reed Taylor is an odd guy who hangs around with an angel. And when girl meets guy, things get pretty crazy. This is probably THE thing I love best when it comes Mercedes M. Yardley’s stories, the fact that when she gets two people together, you know you’re not going to get just any old boring relationship!

I must say I learned that lesson well with Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu, Yardley’s not-quite-horror-not-quite-romance love story novella that I read last year. What amazed me most about that book was her treatment of her two outcast characters, the way she gave them each a purpose and emotional depth even though as serial killers they are far from deserving of any admiration or sympathy. The characters in Nameless are perhaps not quite so extreme, but I likewise experienced some of those same vibes from Luna and Reed Taylor — two very unique individuals who find in each other a kindred spirit…so to speak. I had a feeling I was going to be in for something special, and I was right.

So how does a girl deal with being able to see things that nobody else can? Luna’s never had many friends, and the only people close to her are her brother Seth and 1-year-old niece Lydia. Perhaps this is why she comes across to me as socially awkward, sometimes doing and saying strange things or acting like she can’t make up her mind. At the same time, I had to admire the brave and positive face she puts on. The way she takes the “Luna the Lunatic” comments in stride or shrugs off the weird looks she gets when she’s talking with the demons only she can see, all that just makes me want to cheer her on. So as to whether or not you’ll form a connection to her character, I think it can go either way.

But if there was one thing that really touched me, it was Luna’s devotion and love for her niece. When Lydia is kidnapped by the worst sort of demon, Luna’s anger and desperation felt so raw and close to the surface that it was practically palpable. As the mother of a Sweet Baby Girl myself, at times it was almost gut-wrenchingly difficult to read about Luna’s distressing search for Lydia, simply because every one of her fears was like a piercing knife to my heart. In my opinion, this part of the book was done very well. Not only did it make Luna feel more real for me, it also made me care about this story and want to see it through.

The overarching plot is quite good too, even if at times it felt a bit rushed. If books had remote controls, imagine that someone has pressed the fast forward button through some of the scenes in this novel. Perhaps the book could have been a little longer, giving me more information and letting some of the major happenings sink in. The way Luna’s narration sometimes zipped from one event to the next didn’t give me enough time to digest some of the things that went on, especially when it came to her meeting and subsequent relationship with Reed Taylor. Regardless, their love story was an interesting one to say the least! I think the impact of the story would have been even stronger if there had been more time to let those feelings deepen.

But in the end I was very happy with the way things turned out. Well, okay, maybe a little gutted by the ending, but still happy! Yardley’s brand of storytelling and writing style is tremendously addictive and her characters are a treat, I’d looked forward to reading more of her work ever since I got my first taste. Nameless left me very impressed, especially as a full-length novel debut for the author and the first installment of a planned trilogy. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next.

  A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Ragnarok Publications!