The Persistence of Memory: The Beginning of Always, penned by author Karen Janowsky, is a work of urban fantasy fiction with romance and superheroes, and is the third and final book in the adventures of Daniel and Nina. Written for adults due to explicit content, sex, and graphic violence, this shocking conclusion to the Persistence of Memory series really amps up the tension and heat as our central couple’s time-travel-tangled past threatens to rip them apart once and for all. Whilst the past two novels have centered on them beating back the flood, we now realize that Daniel and Nina aren’t just fighting for themselves, but for the stability and nature of time itself.

Author Karen Janowsky has always featured fantastic moments of drama and intense personal connection in the Persistence of Memory series, but none more so thrilling than this final installment. The heat is turned up to the max as Daniel and Nina cling to one another for survival, their taut romance giving way to moments of absolute darkness and devastation. The paranormal and superhero/villain elements are fully in play when the central danger plot takes over, accompanied by graphic and visceral description quite unlike anything readers have seen before. This results in a heart-in-mouth reading sensation that takes the intensity of previous books up to eleven, whilst also maintaining the character integrity of the developmental stories and putting them to their absolute limits. All in all, The Persistence of Memory: The Beginning of Always is a superb series conclusion not to be missed.

Karen Janowsky wraps up The Persistence of Memory trilogy with The Beginning of Always. As Nina and Daniel explore the boundaries between passion and possessiveness, duty and desire, Daniel's old friend (Paul) and his powerful alliances are still trying to bring about the end of the world. The final cards in the race for the survival of history itself are about to fall and history is about to end before it has begun.

Starting to read a trilogy or series at the end is a risky business. In the hands of a less talented writer, the reader will struggle to identify characters and past actions with the current situation, creating such a sense of confusion that most readers will simply give it up. Karen Janowsky is a very talented writer, and I had no problem identifying with the characters or the storyline. Janowsky’s use of dialog that includes references to past acts, characters, and the story was exceptionally well done and clever. Listing in the “contemporary fantasy fiction” and “paranormal & urban fantasy” categories is certainly correct for The Beginning of Always but additional categories and genres come into play.

Janowsky’s writing style has strong tendencies toward the literary. Mixing a literary style with paranormal urban and contemporary fantasy fiction, science fiction, romance, and erotica complete with colloquial terms would be impossible in the hands of a less talented writer; Karen Janowsky makes it look and read easily and that’s not all. Janowsky puts the icing on this cake with discussions of profound subjects that include devotion, respect, cultural versus spiritual religion, and the beginning, ending, and meaning of life and death. The Persistence of Memory: The Beginning of Always is a story I won’t soon forget. It’s a masterpiece brought to you by a masterful author/artist.