Reviewed by Cheryl K
TITLE: Dead Heat: An MM Urban Fantasy Romance
SERIES: The Second Awakening #3
AUTHOR: Alexander C. Eberhart
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 367 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2026
BLURB:
The Second Awakening has arrived… but where is Tobias Greene?
Bastien – Tobias wasn’t dead, but he may as well have been. After he and his sister unleashed the Second Awakening across the Expanse, they fell into a deep slumber. Three months I’d spent, trying to wake them, but to no avail. The man I loved slumbered on while the rest of the Magi world roiled in the chaos he left behind. Then there was Cirian, the frustrating, immature, beautiful distraction that interjected himself at any opportunity. If I was to save Tobias from his somnic prison, I would have to do a better job at ignoring the cretin. But as the stakes revolving Tobias’s slumber rise, what would I risk to see him walking amongst the living again?
Azrael – The war was over, but my struggles only deepened. I was the leader of a rebellion—one that sought equality for my kind. But the flames of conflict had cooled, leaving me to navigate the social quagmires of negotiations and political theatre. Tasks I’d never felt comfortable handling. When a distress call goes out, encompassing the other two men Tobias had drawn connections between, I jumped at the opportunity to feel useful again. What I wasn’t prepared for were for those magical connections to migrate between the three of us, or the emotions that they stirred within. I thought my heart beat only for Tobias, but perhaps I was wrong?
Cirian – Disaster had come to the Church of the Source. Our leader absent, the day I’d been dreading had finally arrived. The yoke of responsibility would soon fall on my shoulders, and I’d never been more certain of my egregious faults. What’s worse, Bastien and Azrael had proceeded to entangle themselves in that danger, leaving me no choice but to face my own deficiencies head on. If we were to survive long enough to see Tobias wake, I’d need to push myself beyond what was once thought possible. That couldn’t be so hard, right?
DEAD HEAT is a plot-driven, Urban Fantasy, Polyamorous M/M romance with plenty of action, lots of magical men, and just the right amount of spice. It is the third book in the SECOND AWAKENING series.
REVIEW:
Disclaimer: This is book three of this series, and truly people you must read this series in order… None of this series will make sense if you don’t.
I can’t even begin to describe the sheer volume of worldbuilding for this book and series. Alexander has created this world from scratch and has continued to bring it to life. I think by magic honestly. I can’t even begin to describe how much I have enjoyed this series so far. To say the world building is brilliant is a true understatement.
As we continue to traverse this world, we get to delve deeper into the brilliantly crafted main characters. I will admit to learning something new about one of the characters that I didn’t catch in the first two books. I loved it. We also meet some new villains and side characters in this one. I can’t decide if I like one of the side characters or not. I feel there is more than meets the eye here. And the Villain, oh my word – what a way to create angst for Cirian.
This story does take a different turn in the storytelling. While all of the characters are in each section of the story – we get to see the POV from Bastian, Azrael and Cirians perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed getting each viewpoint and the internal debates they went through to get past the obstacles laid out in front of them. The biggest one of them all was getting Tobias back. Alexander combines, humor, sorrow, love, forgiveness, found family, hope and the occasional sexy time in this superbly crafted story. Will Bastian, Azrael and Cirian succeed in getting Tobias back? Will they survive the battle? Will Tobias survive? Will Cirian survive his ascension? For these answers and more you will need to READ the book. Because as usual, Darlings, I am not about to reveal the books secrets. This book really touched me and captured my attention so thoroughly I had to battle my way through the book hangover that consumed me after I finished this beautifully crafted story.
I enthusiastically recommend this third book in the Second Awakening series. You need to run to your favorite eBook purchasing site and grab on to this book and series. I can’t wait for the next book.
Till next time….
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