Sometimes it amazes me the villains authors are able to write. I laugh and ask where they get their inspiration, how deep they have to dig. I mean, sometimes it’s spooky how evil these characters can be.

The High Mage of Eld is one of those villains. He’s taken centuries to hatch his plans, to gather an army darker than anything that’s ever been seen, to finally put his plans into motion, when and where to strike. This guy makes the devil look like a boy scout.

One of the best things in these books is when Rain takes flight in his Tairen form. Whether it’s in anger needing to fly it off or to impress Ellie or in battle, Ms. Wilson’s descriptions of him are simply breathtaking. I want a tairen of my own!

Please read my review of King of Sword and Sky and the excerpt following.

Sandy M’s review of King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul Series, Book 3) by C.L. Wilson
Fantasy Paranormal Romance published by Leisure 30 Sep 08

If you have not read this series of C.W. Wilson’s, you are missing out on some so spectacularly special. Ms. Wilson weaves her brand of magic in the pages of this beautiful fantasy world of the Fading Lands where the Fey and the tairen live. Her characters of full of honor and dignity, heart and passion, and, of course, love. The villainy she etches into her evil characters only causes you to root for the good of her hero and heroine to triumph. And her imagination is simply amazing. You just have to read this series!

In this book we finally get to the Fading Lands. We’ve been reading about them and waiting for them since the first book. But even before that we have to endure the Faering Mist with Rain, King of the Fey and the Tairen Soul, and Ellysetta, his truemate, daughter of a wood carver. The Mist is a barrier around the Fading Lands to keep all within its borders safe from evil, especially the Mages of Eld, who are on the rise once again after being vanquished in the Mage Wars a thousand years ago.

Their entourage makes it through the Mist relatively unscathed — it’s Rain and Ellie who are delayed by their past that the Mist throws in their path, doubling their fears and vulnerabilities. Coming together, however, they fight their way through so that Rain can ready his men for the war that is sure to break out with Eld and Ellie can begin her search for answers to save the tairen.

See the remainder of my King of Sword and Sky review here.

Prologue

Eld ~ Boura Fell

“Two Primages and sixty of my Black Guard slaughtered, and yet somehow the pair of you survived. While my prize escaped.”

In the lowest levels of Boura Fell, the subterranean fortress buried deep beneath the dark-forested heart of Eld, High Mage Vadim Maur paced the sel’dor-veined floor of a small, sconce-lit cell. Before him, two battered and bruised men sat chained to a pair of black metal chairs. One wore the blood-and-filth grimed remnants of an exorcist’s scarlet robes. The other wore shredded and stained crimson rags that had once been the silken garb of a Sulimage, a journeyman practitioner of the vast and ancient arts of Magecraft.

Vadim Maur’s pacing came to an abrupt halt. Luxuriant purple robes swirled about his spare form. Long, bone-white hair slid across his shoulders, accentuating the pallor of a face that had not seen sunlight in a thousand years. One beringed hand shot out. Thin, cadaverous fingers closed around the swollen jaw of Kolis Manza, Eld’s most famous and esteemed Sulimage, who had until only a few days ago served his master Vadim Maur’s bidding in Celieria City.

Now, the Sulimage’s sash had been stripped of its jewels of achievement, and the shredded, honor-bare swath of cloth had been tied around the man’s throat to mock his once-proud status as the High Mage’s most accomplished and magically gifted apprentice.

“Capture her,” Vadim hissed. “Bring her to me. That was my command.” Long, ridged nails dug deep into the Sulimage’s skin. “Yet you returned empty handed.”

“She was too powerful,” Kolis protested weakly. “Not even the Primages could stand against her.”

“Powerful?” Silver eyes snapped with fury, and white frost formed on every surface as the room’s temperature plunged in sharp response. “Of course she was powerful! She is the crowning achievement of my last thousand years of work! The Tairen Soul I created! My greatest triumph—and you let her slip through your fingers!”

“What more could I have done, master? The Fey broke through our defenses.” The Sulimage coughed, then groaned as his broken ribs protested. “I tried to hold them off, to give the others time to get her into the Well, but then she… her magic…just exploded. She surprised us all.”

“Silence!” Vadim’s free hand shot out with vicious force. Despite the High Mage’s great age and increasingly frail appearance, his fist smashed hard against his apprentice’s face. The heavy rings of power decorating each of his fingers amplified the force of his blow, and the crack of bone and the crunch of breaking cartilage echoed off the stone walls of the chamber. Blood sprayed from Kolis’s mouth and nose. A groaning breath wheezed out of his lungs, and he slumped senseless in his bonds.

Vadim turned to the man in the ragged exorcist’s robes and whipped a wavy-edged Mage blade from the sheath strapped to his waist. He snatched a handful of greasy brown hair and yanked hard, pulling back the prisoner’s head and exposing his throat to the dagger’s razor-sharp edge.

Pale blue eyes, surrounded by stubby black lashes, looked up at him in mute fear. Fresh blood trickled from both nostrils and the corners of the man’s mouth, and vicious purpling bruises swelled on skin still mottled from earlier beatings. A pulse beat like a trapped sparrow in the man’s throat, and his barrel chest rose and fell with short, rapid breaths.

The prisoner swallowed convulsively, and the skin of his neck pressed against the razor-sharp edge of the Mage blade. Even that light touch tore a fresh slice in the captive’s skin. No blood trickled from the wound. The dagger’s thirsty black metal drank every drop before it spilled, and the dark cabochon stone in the blade’s pommel began to flicker with ravenous red lights. The man froze in breathless silence.

Vadim’s mouth twisted in a snarl. “And you, butcher’s boy. Did you seriously think for even the tiniest instant that your miserable, insignificant mortal life held any value to me except as a means to capture Ellysetta Baristani?” Vadim leaned forward, letting his silver eyes turn to dark, bottomless wells of blackness sparkling with red lights as Azrahn, the sweet, powerful magic of the Mages, gathered within him.

Den Brodson, son of a Celierian butcher and former betrothed of Ellysetta Baristani, stared up into those twin pits of blackness and knew he was staring death in the face. He’d seen death before, a few days ago in the Grand Cathedral of Light, when Rain Tairen Soul had pulled a Fey blade from its sheath and smiled into Den’s eyes.

Then, Den had turned and leaped into the Well of Souls to escape. Now, gods help him, he had nowhere to go.

The white-haired High Mage leaned closer still. “Your only value to me now is what small service the Guardians of the Well will offer in return for the delivery of your rotting corpse as a sacrifice.”

A mewling whimper broke from Den’s bloodied mouth. He’d seen the Guardian’s handiwork…seen what they did to the dead and dying. As long as he lived, he’d never forget the high-pitched, animal screams of Eld soldiers being eaten alive when fresh blood seeped through their bandages and drew the hunger-maddened demons like wounded creatures drew thistlewolves.

Gods, he didn’t want to die that way. “Please…”

Black eyes sparked with a sudden flare of malevolent red. The High Mage put a hand over Den’s chest, directly over his heart, the fingers curved like claws so that only the fingertips touched. All five, pointed nails gouged into the skin as if the Mage intended to bore through Den’s chest bones and rip out his heart. The black eyes whirled. The skin where the pallid hand touched grew cold.

“No, wait! Wait!” Panicked, Den shoved his feet against the cell floor and scooted his chair back, retreating from the icy hand. The leg of his chair caught on an uneven stone and with a choked wail, he toppled over backwards.

Pain exploded in his skull as his head cracked against the stones. His hands, shackled at the wrists, scraped hard against their metal bonds. The sudden jolt shook his entire body, and a long, narrow parcel of wadded cloth fell out of his robe’s deep pocket to land beside him.

The pair of pale, hulking guards standing near the door strode forward to grab Den’s chair and haul it—and him—back upright. One guard kicked the small parcel, and sent it skittering across the floor. The fabric unwrapped as it went, and a handful of long, crystal-topped needles spilled out, chiming an absurdly cheerful series of tinkling notes as they rolled across the stone floor.

The High Mage went still. His eyes narrowed and lightened from nightmarish black to a slightly less terrifying shade of cold, glittering silver. Sheathing his dagger, the Mage pointed to the scattered exorcism needles. “Bring those to me,” he commanded.

Both guards rushed to obey, gathering up the fallen needles and bringing them back to their master. The Mage examined them closely. Most of the dark crystals topping the needles were dark, but several sparkled with ruby lights.

His jaw clenched. He spun around, grabbed Den’s chin in a fierce grip and shook him, making stars whirl across Den’s vision. “These crystals have tasted blood,” the Mage hissed. “Whose flesh did the needles pierce, mortal? Yours? Or someone else’s?”

Den swallowed the acrid bile rising in his throat. “Ellie Baristani,” he groaned. “She pulled them out to stop us from taking her into the Well.”

The High Mage released Den and straightened. He lifted the needles to his nose and inhaled deeply. His eyes fluttered closed. When he opened them again, the Mage smiled.

“Well, mortal, it seems you will keep your miserable life another day, after all.” He untied the sash from around his waist and wrapped the needles in it carefully, then deposited the small bundle in his own deep pocket. “I do not punish those who please me, and this gift is pleasing indeed.”

The shallow, relieved breath had barely left Den’s lungs before his chest constricted on a new surge of panic when the High Mage lunged and his bony hand closed round Den’s throat.

“Today is my gift to you,” the Mage hissed. “But for life after daybreak tomorrow, there is a price, mortal.” He lifted the Mage blade, twisting the black, razored edge so the light of the sconces made shadows dance across the dark metal. “Accept my Mark. Willingly bind your soul to my service. Or when the Great Sun rises, you will die a death more hideous than any you can imagine.”

Den whimpered.

The Mage smiled, pressed the point of his dagger to Den’s wrist and sliced. Blood welled from the cut and slid down Den’s arm like scarlet teardrops. The Mage lifted the wrist to his lips. Den flinched as a pale tongue flicked out, tasting his blood. “Answer me, boy. Surrender your soul or die. The choice is yours.”

Den’s hand shook. His entire body trembled. How had this happened? How had his plans gone so awry?

The Mage’s grip tightened, pointed nails digging into the soft skin of Den’s inner wrist. “Speak, mortal! Do you accept my Mark? Of your own free will, do you bind your soul to my service?”

Den’s dreams of living in luxury in some remote part of the world, growing fat on the profits of Ellie Baristani’s magic, shattered like broken glass. There would be no palatial estate. No soft-skinned, buxom serving wenches to tend his every need. No lords lining up to seek his favor. There would be no Ellie Baristani on her knees before him, kissing his feet and begging for his forgiveness, whoring herself to please him.

His eyes closed. His shoulders heaved with helpless, silent sobs.

“Yes,” he whispered.

“Yes, master,” the Mage’s hissing voice corrected.

“Yes, master.” Tears gathered in Den’s throat and burned at the back of his eyes.

“Then say it. ‘Of my own free will, I accept your Mark and bind my soul to your eternal service.’”

Den heard himself, weeping brokenly, repeating the damning words. Hot tears ran down his frozen cheeks. The cold press of the Mage’s mouth clamped against his wrist and pulled sickeningly as the Mage sucked Den’s blood from the sliced vein. Then came the colder press of that taloned hand gripping the skin above his heart. A sickly sweet aroma filled the air, overpowering, like barrels of rotting fruit. Pure, frigid ice, sharp as a knife, plunged deep into his chest. A will, heavy as stone, pressed down upon his.

He was in a black river, gasping for breath and fighting desperately to stay afloat, while a heavy weight slowly and relentlessly dragged him down. His head bobbed under. The thick, black, oily liquid of the river—so cold, so horribly sweet—enveloped him. His lungs burned as the air in them ran out and the need to breathe became overpowering. He fought, struggled, tried to kick his way to the surface, but the weight anchored him down, dragging him deeper and deeper.

His world was total darkness. No light. No hope. No hint of warmth. His lungs were on fire. If he breathed he would drown. If he didn’t breathe, he would die.

His mouth opened on a deep, desperate, despairing gasp. Oily blackness flooded in, filling his lungs, filling him.

With one last, choking, weeping cry for his lost life, Den Brodson surrendered.

Chapter One

Celieria ~ The Garreval

Seven days after departing Celieria City, the Fey reached the end of the mortal world. As the small caravan of wagons and loping Fey crested the top of a last, rolling hill, Ellysetta’s breath caught in her throat. A great fertile plain stretched out below, miles of land sectioned into hedgerow-partitioned fields, all greening with well tended crops against a dramatic backdrop of majestic mountains thrusting up from the earth like a solid wall.

“Oh, Papa,” Ellysetta breathed.

“’Tis the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen,” Sol Baristani agreed in a whisper as he sat beside his daughter on the wagon seat, a lit match held, forgotten, over the tobacco-filled bowl of his favorite pipe.

Together, father and daughter stared in awestruck wonder at the majestic peaks filling the horizon.

At first glance, the mountains almost appeared to be a single range but Ellysetta knew from the countless histories she’d read that they were actually two separate mountain ranges. The fierce Rhakis arrowed down from the north, nearly colliding with the stately swells of the Silvermist range. Only a scant mile separated the two, an infamous pass known as the Garreval, gateway to the Fading Lands.

Misty clouds swirled across forested cliffs and steep highland pastures of the Silvermist mountains. The clouds hovering over the Rhakis were less gentle, dark with rain and boiling into lightning-shot thunderheads as the sharp peaks continued northward towards Eld. Those soft clouds and fierce storms merged into a dense, shimmering fog that filled the pass between the two ranges, and Ellysetta gave a small shiver at the sight.

The Faering Mists. The magical barrier that surrounded the Fading Lands, impenetrable to all but the Fey.

The match Sol held over the tobacco-filled bowl of his pipe burned down unnoticed until the heat scorched his fingers. “Sweet brightness!” he yelped. Hissing, he shook the match out, tossed the scorched remains over the edge of the wagon, and blew on his stinging fingers.

Ellie turned, trying to stifle her laughter as she reached for his hand. This wasn’t the first time her father had seared his hands on a matchstick. It wouldn’t be the last. His attention was too easily caught by some real or imagined beauty—often while he held a lit match in his hand, thanks to his fondness for his pipe.

“I’m all right, Ellie-girl,” Sol protested when she took his hand.

“I know, Papa, but Marissya says I should practice whenever I get the opportunity.” She held her father’s hand in hers and focused on the reddened flesh, trying to block out the flood of thoughts and emotions that poured into her mind when she touched his skin.

Love. Worry. Instinctive fear, tinged with guilt. He still wasn’t comfortable with the shining brightness and palpable magic of the beautiful stranger sitting beside him.

Ellie forced back the stab of pain his fear caused and tried to focus her thoughts the way Marissya v’En Solande, the Fey’s most powerful healer had shown her. Throughout the week-long westward journey across Celieria, Marissya had spent several bells each day with Ellysetta, teaching her how to wield her own powerful healing magic.

Though Ellysetta still had much to learn, she now understood on a conscious level the basic patterns of the healing weaves she’d been unconsciously spinning all her life. Marissya assured her she’d soon be able to summon and spin those weaves on demand, using only the amount of power needed to weave them, but restraint was something Ellie still had difficulty mastering. The powerful, hidden barriers that had kept her magic bottled up were gone now, and the weaves she’d once spun with such subtlety now surged forth at her call like a river gushing through a shattered dam.

Remembering Marissya’s admonitions, Ellysetta reached down into the well of energy at her center, carefully calling forth the glowing threads of power she would need. Red Fire to draw the heat from the wound. Green Earth to heal the damaged flesh. Lavender Spirit to steal away the pain. And something else Ellysetta had discovered while observing Marissya during their lessons. A special, golden something that Marissya called a shei’dalin’s love, the mysterious force that was unique to Fey women. It made all the threads of the shei’dalin’s weave shimmer with a warm, golden cast. No Fey warrior could spin his magic the same way.

“It springs from the compassion and empathy of a Fey woman’s heart,” Marissya had told her. “It isn’t a seventh branch of magic. We cannot separate it out and weave the shei’dalin’s love by itself. It’s just the natural way Fey women weave magic.”

“And do I weave shei’dalin’s love the same way?”

At that, Marissya had laughed. “Feyreisa, you do nothing the same as other Fey.” Then, still smiling, she’d added, “I’m sure you must, Ellysetta, but when you weave, your magic is so bright, its power blinds me.”

Now, holding Papa’s hand in hers, she attempted to summon her magic and wield it with control and restraint, as Marissya had been trying to teach her.

She found the threads, wove them in a loose healing pattern, and with a gentle “push” of power, sent the weave into her father’s hand. The push slammed out of her with the force of a hammer strike, her weave flaring with blinding brightness.

The startled jerk of Papa’s body and sudden widening of his eyes made her grimace in dismay.

“Light save me,” she muttered under her breath. Then, in a louder voice, she said, “Are you all right, Papa?”

Sol blinked several times and took cautious inventory of himself. When he didn’t find any missing—or extra—appendages, he gave a smile. “Well done, Ellie-girl. The finger’s good as new.” He held up his hand to show her.

Sure enough, the angry red burn on the tip of his finger was gone. But that wasn’t the problem. She watched her father run his newly healed hand through his hair. His hand stopped in mid-motion.

“Oh,” he said. Sol Baristani was of the age when many mortal men began “thinning the forest” as Papa put it. Or, rather, he had been. Keeping his gaze fixed on her face, he patted the newly thickened growth of hair crowning his scalp. “Well…er… that’s not so bad. Provided it’s not some frightful shade of green.” His brows drew together in mock concern, and he added in a hesitant, rather fearful tone, “Er…it’s not green, is it, Ellie?”

Ellie sighed. “No, Papa, it’s not green.”

With a twinkle in his eye, he pretended relief. “Well then, there you go.” He laughed and grinned, and reached across to pat her hand. “You did good, Ellie-girl. You may have overdone the weave a little, but the finger’s healed. Besides, what man wouldn’t like a little more hair when his own starts to go missing, eh?” Thrusting his pipe stem back between his teeth, he lit a fresh match and held it to the bowl, puffing until the shreds of tobacco began to glow orange and puffs of fragrant smoke wreathed his newly regenerated headful of hair…and a face that had lost at least ten years of age in an instant.

She forced a smile. “Beylah vo, Papa.” Weaving youth on mortals wasn’t one of the things Marissya had taught her—but apparently the patterns were very similar to regular healing.

A happy shriek sounded at Ellysetta’s right. The Fey warrior, Kiel vel Tomar, his long silvery-blond hair woven into a plait, ran past with Ellysetta’s nine-year-old sister Lorelle perched on his shoulders. Kieran vel Solande, Marissya’s son, followed a few paces behind. Lorelle’s twin, Lillis, sat on Kieran’s shoulders and kicked his chest with her heels as if he were one of the Elvish ba’houda horses pulling the wagons in their caravan. Her small fingers clutched tufts of his thick, wavy brown hair.

Lillis and Lorelle were clad in miniature versions of Marissya and Ellie’s brown traveling leathers, which they had insisted Kieran weave for them. Kieran and Kiel had done their best to keep the children’s minds off the grief of Mama’s death by making each day of the trip a new adventure. The twins had taken to the idea, enthusiastically using even the briefest stops as an excuse to explore—always under watchful Fey eyes, of course, but rarely in clean, tidy places. The keepsake boxes Papa had carved for them years ago were now overflowing with treasures from their journey: small rocks, wildflowers, snail shells, bird feathers, whatever caught their attention.

Kieran cast a grin Ellysetta’s way. His steps faltered as he caught sight of Sol Baristani; then his gaze shot to Ellysetta. She blushed furiously. A shei’dalin’s ability to restore mortal youth was a secret the Fey had guarded for millennia, and she had just revealed it for anyone to see.

Fortunately, before he could say anything, Lillis tugged on Kieran’s hair and bounced on his shoulders. “Faster, Kieran!” she cried. “They’re beating us!”

With a final look and a shake of his head, Kieran turned away and raced down the grassy hill after Kiel and Lorelle.

Ellysetta watched them and the tension that had been growing in her all week squeezed her chest tight. They were nearing the end of the journey. One more day, two at the most, then she would leave what remained of her beloved family to follow her new husband Rain through the mysterious Faering Mists, perhaps never to return.

Sol patted her hand and nodded his chin in the direction of the twins. “It is good to hear them laughing again.”

“Yes,” she agreed. The twins hadn’t had much cause for laughter of late.

“They miss their mother,” Sol said. “They try to smile and laugh for my sake, but I hear them each night, crying into their pillows and pleading for her to come back.”

Just that quick, Ellie’s own sharp grief struck hard. Her face crumpled and her eyes filled with tears. “I miss her too, Papa.” Stern as Mama sometimes was, Ellie had never doubted her love—and never loved her back with any less than her whole heart.

“Oh, Ellie.” Sol slid an arm around his daughter’s shoulders and pulled her close. “My sweet, Ellie-girl. We all miss her.”

She turned her face into his neck as she had so many times in the past and sobbed. And her father held her, as he always had, patting her back and rocking her as if she were still the small child who’d crawled on his lap for comfort after evil visions tormented her dreams.

She cried until her tears were spent, and when they were done, wiped her eyes as best she could and begged again as she had so many times this last week, “Won’t you please come with us, Papa? Rain will grant you and the girls escort through the Mists. You could live there, with us, in safety.”

Sol sighed. “We are not Fey like you, Ellie. Our home is here, in Celieria, and the last promise I ever made your mother before…” His voice thickened. He drew a quick breath and swallowed the lump in his throat. “I promised her that day before she left for the cathedral that if anything ever happened to her, I’d make sure the twins were raised in Celieria, among their own kind.”

“Papa, she asked you for that promise when she still thought I was demon-possessed and the Fey were evil. She realized her mistake in the end. Don’t you think she’d realize her mistake about this too?” They’d been over this a thousand times since leaving Celieria City. “Wouldn’t she’d rather know the girls were safe regardless of where they live?”

“I gave her my word, Ellie. Shh.” He put a finger on her lips to forestall further objections. “It was my last vow to her, as sacred to me now as if I’d sworn it to her on her deathbed. So long as there is a chance of the girls living here in peace among our own kind, then here we will remain. You’re Fey, Ellysetta. You belong in the Fading Lands. We are mortal, and we belong here.” His eyes were filled with sadness but also unwavering determination.

Seeing that look, Ellysetta knew she’d lost. Her father was the most loving man she’d ever known, but when he had that hint of steel in his eye, it meant he’d made up his mind and would not be budged. She bit her lip, stared at the hands clasped tightly in her lap and nodded.

She heard her father sigh again, saw him shift in the periphery of her vision. His hand, broad and bronzed and callused from his years of woodcarving, reached out to cover hers. Love, rich and sweet and steadfast as love ever had been, poured into her through the touch, along with pride and gratitude, and a thought that rang in her head clear as a bell.

I love you, my sweet Ellie-girl. No man could love a daughter more, and no man could be prouder than I am of you. Though I will do everything I can to honor your mother’s wishes, I won’t risk my children’s safety needlessly. If trouble comes, the girls and I will pass through the Mists. That’s my oath to you.

Through vision blurred by swimming tears, she met his eyes and saw for herself the truth she could feel through the touch of his skin. It was more than she’d expected. His promise was an oath he considered as binding as the vow he’d made to his wife.

As the wagon continued its swift, smooth roll down the grassy hill towards the fertile plains of the Garreval below, Sol looked out at the majestic mountains and green fields.

“This is a beautiful place,” he said. “I think your Mama would have been very happy here.”

Ellie laid her head on her father’s shoulder. “I think so too.”

* * *

“The redirection weaves are up. The Garreval is secure.” Belliard vel Jelani, General of the Fading Lands, released the net of Spirit threads tying him to the dozens of Fey scouts spread in a five-mile radius around their destination. As they had all week, the warriors had cleared the caravan’s path of mortals and spun redirection weaves to turn away curious locals and Eld spies.

Just over three weeks ago, Celierians and their families had lined the roads and cart paths from the Garreval to Celieria City to watch the immortal Fey run past on their annual trek to the nation’s capital. This time, not one mortal would see or remember the Fey’s passing.

Bel turned to find Rain staring off towards the Fey caravan, his face drawn. “Rain? Something is wrong?” Bel’s hand went instinctively to his steel, his fingers hovering over the hilts of his Fey’cha throwing daggers.

“Nei.” With obvious effort, Rain dragged his attention back to his best friend. “Well, aiyah, but no different from the wrongness that has followed us since leaving Celieria. She weeps again for her mother.”

Bel glanced down at his hands, away from the pain in Rain’s lavender eyes. For all his power—impressive even by Fey standards—Rain could not weave the sorrow from his beloved’s heart. Oh, he could have spun a rosy illusion of happiness upon her—or asked another Fey to steal her memories—but that was not the Fey way. Both honor and love bound him, and he could do only what Fey men had for centuries: stand strong for his mate and offer what comfort his love could provide.

“You should go to her,” Bel said.

Rain sighed and shook his head. “Nei, she needs him more than me now—someone who loved her mother as deeply as she did.”

Bel had known Rain too long not to hear the comment left unsaid. “Everything Lauriana Baristani did, she did for love,” he reminded Rain gently. “And in the end she gave her life to save her child.”

“I realize that,” Rain replied, “but I cannot pretend an affection I never felt.”

Bel nudged a large clump of field grass with the toe of one black boot. Lauriana had never wanted Ellysetta to wed the Fey king, and she’d made sure everyone—including Rain—knew it. “Perhaps,” he finally said, “Ellysetta doesn’t need you to pretend love you did not feel. Perhaps it is enough just to know you are there, loving her.”

“She knows.” Rain swept a sharp gaze over the valley below. “So, there’s been no unusual activity in the last four days, and not a single person following us since we left Celieria City. I’m not sure if I should be relieved or suspicious. The Eld I knew would never let us get away so easily.”

Bel took the hint. “Perhaps our decoys are working.” A separate party of Fey had gone north, towards Orest, accompanied by a magic-warded wagon, so that Eld spies might think it held Ellysetta and her family.

“Let us hope so,” Rain said, his face set in stone. “But let us also prepare for the alternative—and not only from the Mages. If the dahl’reisen learn that Ellysetta can restore souls…”

Ice shivered through Bel’s veins. “You don’t think Gaelen would…” His voice broke off in disbelief, then surged back in protest. “He is Ellysetta’s lu’tan.” After Ellysetta restored his soul, Galen had bloodsworn himself to her service, vowing to protect her for the duration of his life and the death that followed. No lu’tan would break that vow. “Gaelen is Fey once more. His honor has been restored. Do not forget, without him Ellysetta would already be in the hands of the Mages.”

Rain’s jaw set. “I have not forgotten. Nor do I forget that all it takes is one look at his face without that scar, and his dahl’reisen friends will know the truth.” Of all the Fey, only dahl’reisen scarred, and they only when they made the kill that tipped their immortal souls into darkness. When Ellysetta had restored Gaelen’s soul, she’d wiped his dahl’reisen scar from existence. “No matter what trust you may feel for Gaelen as a fellow lu’tan, do not let your guard down. The dahl’reisen cannot be trusted, and they could attempt to use his long acquaintance with them to their advantage.”

Rain’s expression grew grim. Bel felt the brief surge of power, quickly harnessed, that came in response to whatever unpleasant thoughts were crossing Rain’s mind.

“I think I will return to Ellysetta after all,” Rain said.

He stepped back and the brief surge of power became a breathtaking flood as he summoned the Change. Sparkling gray mist billowed out in whirling clouds around Rain, and when it cleared a death-black tairen crouched in his place. The great winged cat fixed one large, glowing purple eye upon Bel, and a throbbing Spirit voice sounded in Bel’s head, powerful and resonant with the rich musical tones of the tairen.

**To Teleon, brother, and tomorrow, to home.**

* * *

Ellysetta climbed out of the wagon to walk the last mile across the greening plains of the Garreval as twenty Fey raced on ahead to secure their destination: the outpost built at the base of the ruins of the once-great fortress of Teleon. Lillis and Lorelle walked beside her, their small hands clutching hers.

She would always be grateful for this time Rain had given her with her family. He could have flown her straight to the Fading Lands on tairen-back but he had not. Knowing how dear her family was to her, he’d arranged for all of them to travel together. The Elvish ba’houda horses, bred for endurance and speed, traveled much faster than mortal steeds; but Rain in tairen form, using magic to power his flight, could have traversed the thousand miles across Celieria in a single day.

Even though he still left small courtship gifts on her pillow each morning, this extra time with her family was his true gift to her, and she worked to sear every precious memory into her mind. Like this one: the girls tripping through the tall grass at her side, their hair bouncing with their steps. A slight breeze blowing, fragrant with the scents of mist off the mountains and warm grass waving in the wind. She squeezed the twins’ small hands and watched dimples flash in their cheeks as laughter bubbled from them.

Dear gods, how she loved them. And if any harm ever befell them because of her…

**No dark thoughts, shei’tani.** The admonishment slipped into her mind on a now-familiar weave of Spirit.

Ellysetta glanced up at the great winged black cat soaring swiftly towards her over the top of a nearby hill. **Not so dark this time,** she answered. **Only a little grey.**

She could not blame him for thinking the worst. Her mind had not been peaceful since leaving Celieria City. The High Mage might not know where her body was, but despite Rain’s presence and the twenty-five fold weaves the Fey placed around the camp each night, the High Mage been able to find her soul more than once when she dreamed. He’d not managed to put another Mark on her, but each time he’d found her, she’d bolted out of sleep with her tairen roused to a raging bloodlust, roaring for death and vengeance.

Consequently, she’d spent most nights wide awake and flying the moonlit skies with Rain.

**I was just thinking I’ll miss my sisters when we’re gone. And I can’t help worrying about their safety**

**Kieran and Kiel will allow no harm to befall them.** The two Fey and two hundred of their brethren would be staying behind at Lord Teleos’s ancestral estate near the Garreval to guard Ellysetta’s family.

Rain swooped down the side of the hill fast and hard, Changing in mid-flight to the black-leather-clad form of his lean Fey body. He landed running, and a brief, swift jog brought him quickly to her side.

Just the sight of him and his glowing lavender eyes made Ellysetta’s breath catch in her throat. All Fey were ravishing creatures, but the legendary Rain Tairen Soul outshone them all. He was an immortal king whose unshielded Fey beauty dazzled the senses, his face a masterpiece of breathtaking male perfection, saved from prettiness by the thrust of strong bones beneath the skin and the aura of deadly promise that swirled just below the surface.

He was a Tairen Soul, the strongest and rarest of all Fey, a master of all five branches of magic wielded by the Fey, capable of Changing into one of the magical, fire-breathing tairen of the Fading Lands.

He was her truemate, the other half of her soul; and when at last Ellysetta found the courage and unconditional trust necessary to embrace the darkest shadows of his soul and her own without fear—to bare without reservation every thought, every fear, every shame and Eld-spawned malignancy inside her—then at last their souls would join for all eternity. If she failed, their uncompleted bond would drive Rain to madness and eventually death.

Yet even knowing that, Rain’s love—intense and absolute—shone from his eyes as he approached, setting Ellysetta’s senses aflame. She began to tremble. **Shei’tan.**

Luckily, before Ellysetta could embarrass herself, her young sister Lillis squealed and threw herself into Rain’s arms, shattering the intoxicating spell holding Ellysetta captive.

“Will you take us flying again today, Rain?” Lillis’s long eyelashes fluttered and her rosy lips curved in a beguiling smile. Only nine years old she might be, but Lillis Baristani had already honed her feminine wiles to an art.

“Oh! Yes! Yes! Please do!” Choosing natural exuberance over winsome guile, Lorelle bounded up, grabbed Rain’s free hand and jumped up and down with excitement.

Ellie smothered a laugh. Lillis and Lorelle had shed their fear of Rain and his power. He had become part of their family. Which also meant he’d become a hapless male to be twined around their fingers.

Rain, in return, had learned how to relax around them and let them draw out the Fey-gentleness in his heart. Though he was a man who could slaughter his enemies without mercy, with the twins, he now laughed and smiled like a man who had never known darkness.

“Let us get you safely settled in your new home first, ajianas. Then I will take you both flying again.”

Of course, he still had to work on how to say no.

“Hooray! Hooray!” Lorelle threw up her arms and danced around him in enthusiastic circles.

“Can we have a new kitty in our new home?” Lillis asked, fluttering her lashes again. “Since we had to leave Love behind.”

Kieran had convinced the girls that Love the kitten, who had a terrible aversion to magic, would be miserable living in the Fading Lands or staying with them so close to the powerful magic of the Mists. They’d reluctantly agreed to leave Love behind in Celieria City with Gaspare Fellows, the Queen’s Master of Graces.

Rain smiled. “A new kitten? I imagine Kieran and Kiel can arrange that. Perhaps one for each of you, hmm?”

Lillis strangled him with more hugs, then leapt out of his arms so she and her twin could run tell Kiel and Kieran they were going flying again and that Rain had said they could have a new kitten.

Ellie shook her head and watched them go. “One day you will have to learn the fine line between loving adoration and slavish devotion.”

He pressed a kiss on her palm. “Let me give them what gifts and freedoms I can. Their lives will soon have restriction enough. Teleos!” Rain lifted a hand to the Fey-eyed Celierian Great Lord, Devron Teleos, who stood beside the truemates Marissya and Dax v’En Solande, staring in silence at the place that was to be the Baristani family’s new home. “How long has it been since you’ve been to the Garreval?”

Teleos’s mouth drew down in a grimace. “I’ve made a point of visiting all my holdings at least once every year, but as you see, there’s not much to draw me here.”

Below, on the lower slopes of the Rhakis mountains, the remains of a once-great fortress rose from the tumbled rubble of silvery blue stone: Teleon, the former family seat of House Teleos. Even after a thousand years, its once-fabled beauty still lay shattered and abandoned, its Fey-spun towers and parapets crumbled, the remains covered in lichen and mosses and crowded with tufts of cliffgrass. A small stone outpost—crudely built and clearly mortal in origin—had been constructed atop a small hill at the base of the mountain, not far from the remains of what had once been a glorious gate into the walled city-fortress. Smoke curled up from a vent hole in the outpost’s small central hall.

Ellysetta tried to hide her dismay. This was her family’s new home?

As if hearing her thoughts, Lord Teleos said, “I feel a poor host for offering my guests so rude an accommodation.” The Celierian Great Lord, a descendant of Rain’s long-dead friend Shanis Teleos, eyed the remains of his once-great family estate with grim eyes. “Rain, are you sure the Feyreisa’s family would not be better served in one of my more respectable holdings?”

Rain smiled and shook his head, his straight, silky black hair sliding over his black-leather-clad shoulders. “Nei, this is perfect for our needs.”

“This was a place of great beauty once,” Lord Teleos said in a sorrowful voice. In the days before the raising of the Mists, his family had been close friends of the Fey, and the many Fey ancestors in his family tree had left Devron and all his forebears stamped with Fey eyes, a glow to their skin, and lifespans much longer than those of pure mortals. Teleon, which had once been an estate of inestimable beauty, had been a gift from the Fey to their kin in House Teleos.

“Aiyah, it was,” Marissya agreed. “I remember the terraced gardens with all their fountains. It reminded me of Dharsa.”

Lord Teleos regarded the ruins of his family estate with somber eyes.

“I always wished my ancestors had repaired it once the poison of the Wars was cleansed, but perhaps it’s best they never did. Mortal hands could never have done Teleon justice.” He sighed. “Some things, once lost, are better left in the past.”

Rain made a sound in his throat that sounded like something torn between a growl and a laugh. “And some things deserve to live again.” His eyes crinkled at the edges. “You did say we could make it habitable, Dev.”

Teleos’s brows drew together. “You mean to restore Teleon?”

“Aiyah te nei.” Yes and no. And on that mysterious note, Rain smiled and said, “Come. I think you will find you are not so poor a host as you fear.”

Brimming with curiosity, Marissya, Dax, Teleos and Ellysetta followed Rain as he led them the final half mile to the foot of the mountains.

Near the gate of the small outpost, and stationed along its outer wall, two dozen armored Celierian soldiers stood at attention. To a man, they sported snarling tairen’s-head helmets and white tabards edged with scarlet and emblazoned with the arms of House Teleos: a golden tairen rampant on a white field with a rising red sun. Pennants of white, scarlet and gold fluttered in the breeze.

They passed through the open gate, but when Lord Teleos would have headed for the main hall in the center, Rain stopped him. “Nei, Dev, not that way.”

Bel ran up just as the small party rounded the corner of the hall and started towards the back wall. Ellysetta turned to greet him, only to find him frowning up at the mountain towering over the back wall of the outpost. The shimmering radiance of the Mists was very bright, like a shadow made of light rather than darkness. Though mortal eyes would not see it, the whole mountainside glowed and rippled with undulating bands of magic.

Rain turned to cast a glance over his shoulder and smiled at Bel’s perplexed look. The rear stone wall of the outpost lay before him. Rain took another step. The air around him rippled like water in a pond.

With one more stride, Rain passed through the wall and disappeared from view.

“Spit and scorch me,” Dev breathed. He glanced at Marissya and Dax, then charged after Rain, plunging headfirst into what seemed like solid stone. The air rippled again, and Lord Teleos vanished too.

“Spirit weave,” Kiel said, his eyes sweeping over the mountainside. There was no sign of Rain or Lord Teleos, only the rear wall of the outpost and, beyond that, the tumbled remains of Teleon scattered across the mountainside, tufts of cliff grass and stands of hardy mountain trees waving in the breeze.

“Scorching clever one,” Bel said. “They’re using the magic-shadow off the Mists to mask the energy of the weave. Not even a Spirit master would see it until he was almost on top of it.”

“Well?” Kieran said with an eager grin. He held out a hand to Lillis. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go see what’s behind the weave.”

With a burbling laugh, she stuck her hand in his and they ran up the trampled path after Rain and Teleos. Lorelle grabbed Kiel’s hand and yanked the Water master with her as she darted forward in hot pursuit.

Ellysetta, Bel and Sol followed close behind, and when they stepped through the rippling wall of illusion and cast eyes on the sight beyond, Ellysetta’s jaw dropped open in stunned wonder.

“Bright Lord save me,” Sol whispered, staring awestruck at the gleaming magnificence before him. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

“It’s like a magical palace from a Fey tale,” she breathed.

They were standing at the open, arching gate of an immense mountain fortress of unparalleled grace and beauty. Silvery blue stone soared high into the sky in a dazzling display of Fey artistry and architecture. Crenellated walls gave way to lush, gracefully terraced gardens bursting with trees, fountains, fragrant shrubs and flowers. Pennants in the bold colors of House Teleos fluttered in the breeze from every tower and along the series of interior walls that ringed up the mountainside and circled the upper keep with level after level of protection and silvery blue beauty.

“Ellie! Papa! Come look!” Lillis and Lorelle stood in the center of a small grassy park nestled against the second inner wall. They laughed and danced beneath the graceful, arching branches of cherry blossom trees as pale pink petals rained softly down upon them. Kieran and Kiel watched the children with indulgent smiles.

Lord Teleos stood dumbstruck at Rain’s side as Ellysetta and Sol crossed the lower courtyard to join the twins. “You did it,” he said. “You restored her to her former beauty.”

“Not completely,” Rain admitted. He dragged his gaze away from Ellysetta and the children and gave Devron Teleos his full attention. “A number of the gardens and buildings on the middle levels are still just Spirit weaves, but the walls and gates are real, and defensible, as is the manor at the top.”

“Even so…this is an amazing feat. How did you manage it?”

“Three thousand Fey stand guard at the great war-castles of Chatok and Chakai beyond the Mists. While we journeyed across Celieria, they came through the Mists to prepare a suitable home for the Feyreisa’s family. And to prepare Teleon for battle once more.”

Lord Teleos turned to him in surprise. “You think the Eld will strike here? With the Mists blocking any hope of entrance to the Fading Lands?”

Rain looked across the flagstone-cobbled courtyard to the lower garden, where Ellysetta, Sol and the twins were inspecting a marble fountain of dancing maidens whose slender, upstretched fingers rained veils of clear water into a small pond.

His expression lost any hint of softness. “If the Eld come,” he said, “I doubt it will be passage through the Mists they’re after.”

Chapter Two

In sorrow, the blood-sown earth despairs, and granite stone weeps bitter tears.
In fields once green, love lies entombed beneath a silent lake of glass
Forged in raging tairen flames, dark with the death of dreams.
There, shades of men and once-great kings yet battle evil’s tide
While silvery maidens softly dance and sing of love that died.

Sariel’s Lament by Avian of Celieria

Ellysetta stood on the balcony of a well-appointed bedchamber in one of Teleon’s spacious upper towers and looked up at the Mists. Several bells earlier, the setting sun set the Mists ablaze, giving the illusion of a curtain of fire burning across the world. Now the night was deep and the Mists were a shifting, shimmering glow of multicolored radiance against the dark of a near-moonless sky.

Rain and Lord Teleos had spent the day inspecting Teleon’s defenses and assisting the Fey in weaving silvery blue stone into magic-warded buildings and fortifications, Marissya, Ellysetta and the too-exuberant twins—who simply could not bear to be cooped up inside—had ventured through acre after acre of terraced gardens and countless miles of corridors, rooms and levels of the newly restored fortress. Though, as Rain had said, many of the middle gardens and buildings were naught but the shells of Spirit weaves—and how unsettling it was to enter a building only to have it disappear once you crossed the threshold!—there was still plenty of Earth-spun reality to explore; and the Fey who would be stationed here to protect the Baristanis would continue the reconstruction their brothers had begun until all of Teleon was restored to its former glory.

The girls, Ellysetta knew, would be happy here. With so much room to play and so many wondrous secrets to be discovered, it would be a long time before they felt the urge to stray from the safety of the keep in search of adventure.

The clap of bootheels on stone made her cast a glance over her shoulder. Still clothed in black leather and full steel, his Fey skin as pale and luminous as pearls in moonlight, Rain approached. He’d been meeting with Teleos, Bel, Kieran and Kiel to discuss the defense of Teleon and review troop strength and dispersal in the rest of Teleos’s holdings.

War was coming. No matter how some still tiptoed around the truth, all of them knew it. They only hoped there would be time enough to prepare before Celieria’s borders erupted into open battle.

And though it seemed a terrible thing to ask, Ellysetta had secretly prayed that when the attack came, the Eld’s first strike would come in some far distant part of Celieria like Orest or Celieria City so the Fey would have enough warning to evacuate Lillis, Lorelle, and Papa to safety behind the Faering Mists.

That secret prayer seemed ill-considered now. The hearth witches of the north—and there had been plenty of them living in her childhood town of Hartslea, despite the strong Church presence there—believed that wishing harm upon others would bring three times that harm to the wisher. Was hoping the first battle of a war started somewhere else the same as wishing harm upon another? Ellysetta shivered at the prospect.

“Cold?” Rain asked.

“A little.” She seized on the excuse, not wanting to admit how nervous a silly superstition made her.

“There is a thing I need to do tonight before returning to the Fading Lands. I had hoped you would come with me, but if you are cold, perhaps you should stay here, instead, and try to get some sleep.”

“No, I’m fine.” She reached for his hand. “Of course, I’ll come with you.”

“Then let’s go—and bring your cloak.”

Ten chimes later, they were soaring through the night skies high over Teleon. Ellysetta stretched out her arms and turned her face up to the stars. Rain spun a light Fire weave to keep her warm as the chill, thin air swept past.

**Hold on.** The brief command was her only warning before Rain twitched back his rounded tairen ears, spouted a warming jet of flame that lit the night, then tucked in his mighty wings and dove.

Ellysetta screamed with laughter and grabbed for the high, curving pommel of her saddle just as the unsettling thrill of weightlessness came over her. Together, she and Rain fell through the sky, plummeting freely towards the ground miles below. The moonlit sky went silvery white, and fine droplets of water misted Ellysetta’s face as they plunged into a cloudbank. She caught the tangy-fresh chill of cloudmist on her tongue, drinking its bracing sweetness.

One heartbeat, two, then they burst through the clouds back into the crisp, clear darkness of the night.

Tairen wings spread wide, snapped taut, and the wild, reckless plunge became a swooping ascent. Ellysetta screamed again, a breathless, exuberant sound, and clutched the saddle tight. **Rain! I think I left my stomach back there.**

The now-familiar, chuffing sound of tairen laughter joined the rush of the wind in her ears. **Hold on again, shei’tani. This is even better.**

Flows of magic spun out to bind her securely into place and Rain shot forward on a thrust of a magic-powered speed. The world rushed by in a dizzying blur, and with a subtle shift of his wings, he sent them spiraling into a corkscrew roll. Shadowy earth and moonlit sky whirled in a wild kaleidoscope before Ellysetta’s dazzled eyes.

Another woman might have shrieked in fear and begged him to stop. Ellysetta only flung back her head and laughed in delight. Freedom coursed through her veins like a potent drug.

She would never tire of flying. The limitless joy of dancing laughter-spangled winds, the thrill of diving through misty clouds and soaring so high she could almost scoop stardust with her fingertips: flying was a joy so rich, it chased back all sorrows and fears. Well, she amended silently, almost all.

**Rain, do you honestly think when we get to Fey’Bahren, I can just walk in and spin a weave that will cure the kitlings of whatever is killing them?** That was the reason Rain had come to Celieria to find her. Unbeknownst to the outside world, a mysterious sickness had been killing unborn tairen kitlings in the egg for centuries, decimating their numbers until scarcely more than a dozen of the great cats still lived A magical oracle called Shei’Kess, the Eye of Truth, had sent Rain to Celieria to find the key to saving the dying tairen.

She, Ellysetta Baristani, was that key. Even if none of them actually knew how she was going to manage the miracle.

**I know it doesn’t sound like much of a plan,** he said, **but the tairen have never let any of our healers into the lair—not even Marissya. You, however, are both a Tairen Soul and my truemate. You’ll be able to enter the lair and weave healing on the kits as no other shei’dalin has been able to.**

**This assumes I’ll even know what weave to spin when I get there—let alone how to spin it.**

**That’s why Marissya will be going with us to Fey’Bahren—so she can continue your training and counsel you while you’re healing the tairen. Besides, you may not even need her help. She tells me you have been doing well in your studies.**

**She is being kind.**

**I doubt that. I heard you healed Ravel’s new Fire master well enough this afternoon while I took your sisters flying.**

She gave a short laugh. **Oh, yes, I healed him all right. I made that wound vanish as if it had never been.**

**There, you see—**

**And I erased every hint of weariness from the last week of travel,** she informed him. **And wiped clean every shadow on his soul. And filled him with such an abundance of energy that he shone like a newly minted coin and spent the rest of the day racing circles around my quintets until Bel and Ravel both threatened to pull red on him if he twitched another muscle.**

There was a brief silence; then Rain said in an oddly choked voice, **Well, shei’tani, there are worse tribulations in life than healing a Fey too well.** Chuffing tairen laughter vibrated in his throat.

Her eyes narrowed. He found that amusing, did he? **And when he wasn’t annoying his brother Fey, he was following me around like a lovesick puppy.**

The chuffing laughter changed instantly to a low, rumbling growl. Licks of flame seared the air before Rain’s muzzle. **Oh, was he?** The fur on the back of his neck rose up, and his rounded ears lay back. Tairen were territorial creatures, and they definitely did not appreciate encroaching males trespassing too near their mates.

**Ha! You see? It’s not so funny anymore, is it?** She ran a frustrated hand through the wind-tangled spirals of her hair. **I’m like a rultshart in a spider-silk shop. If Marissya asks me to summon a puff of Air, I call a gale so strong it knocks her off her feet. If she asks me to summon Water, I nearly flood the encampment.**

**Your power is vast,** Rain soothed, **and no longer restrained by the weaves set upon you in childhood. You simply need time and practice to learn how to wield it in moderation.**

She sighed. **Even assuming I can learn to control my power enough to spin the right weaves, what if healing doesn’t stop whatever’s killing the kits?**

His right wing dipped, and he banked, wheeling back around towards the south. **Then we go to Dharsa and start from the beginning, asking the Eye of Truth for guidance and searching the Hall of Scrolls in the hopes of finding answers. Perhaps you can help us see something we have overlooked all these years, or perhaps your presence will induce the Eye to be more helpful.**

**Rain, be realistic.**

**I am. I asked for the key to saving the tairen and the Fey and the Eye sent me to you. To me, it seems quite clear that whatever is killing the kitlings, you are integral to making it stop. I do not doubt this, even though you do.**

Rain’s wings spread wide and he sank through the sky in a circling glide, alighting on a stretch of empty field. A cradling ribbon of Air magic deposited Ellysetta on her feet while the Change swirled around Rain’s tairen form in a sparkling mist.

His hands rose, long fingers threading into the wild spirals of her flame-red hair, the pad of his thumb brushing across her lips and leaving tingles of awareness behind. “We’re here, shei’tani.”

Ellysetta glanced at their surroundings. Nothing looked familiar.

“Where is ‘here’?”

His eyes went dark. “This is Eadmond’s Field.”

Ellysetta’s breath hitched.

Eadmond’s field.

The place where, a thousand years ago, the most infamous battle of the Mage Wars had been fought.

The place where Rain’s first mate Sariel had died.

The place where Rain Tairen Soul had gone mad and scorched the world.

Sandy M’s review of A Christmas Ball by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan and Alissa Johnson
Historical Romance published by Leisure Books 29 Sep 10

If any of you read my reviews over the past holiday season, you’ll know I was on the search for a really feel-good Christmas story. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for at the time. When I was offered the chance to read A Christmas Ball by three terrific historical authors, I jumped at the chance, even though the holiday season was months ago. While these three novellas don’t quite embody the Christmas-y feeling I was after either, it truly doesn’t matter because they’re each so good. That’s what big-name authors will do for you every time.

My Lady Below Stairs by Emily Bryan

This is my first story by Emily Bryan, and I have to say I’m very pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Jane is the illegitimate daughter of the house, a servant, as her station requires, instead of going to balls and all else that comes with noble birth. She’s in love with Ian, the estate’s head groom, but when family calls she sides with them, doing as they ask though it goes against the grain for her.

Posing as Lady Sybil, her half-sister, Jane is to accept a marriage proposal from Lord Eddleton at the Hartwell’s ball, thereby saving the family from disgrace since Sybil has once again been selfish.  She’s run off with her current lover. It sounds so simple. And it should have been, if it hadn’t been for Ian.

He’s not happy watching his love waltz around with man after man and then accept marriage from a man who Ian knows won’t be faithful. But Ian does have second thoughts when he realizes he can’t give Jane the life she’s been entitled to but never had.

Summary:

Nobody misses Lord & Lady Hartwell’s Christmas Ball . . .

But they all go for different reasons. When Lady Sybil runs off with an Italian portrait painter, her bastard half-sister Jane Tate goes in her place. Lord Eddleton plans on proposing to “Sybil” under the mistletoe. Lady Darvish is on the hunt for her fifth husband.

And Ian Michael MacGregor is determined to show Jane that love doesn’t have to pretend.

Grade: B

The Longest Night by Jennifer Ashley

This story is a continuation of Ms. Ashley’s Nvengarian series, and we last saw Mary at the end of Highlander Ever After when Valenin was injured and asked Mary to come to him once he was home in Nvengaria. I had hoped at the time I read and reviewed HEA that Valentin and Mary would eventually get their story. Ms. Ashley, once again, doesn’t disappoint.

We find out that Mary never did take Valentin up on his offer, for various reasons of her own. He’s now back in England on another mission for his Prince and as luck would have it, he shows up at a ball where Mary is chaperoning a young girl as a favor to a friend.

The heat and attraction is still there between them and Valentin does his best to seduce Mary into his bed and into finally going home with him. But suddenly there is danger everywhere and neither of them may survive to be together in either England or Nvengaria.

Summary:

Nvengarian shapeshifter Baron Valentin arrives at the ball to continue his pursuit of his beloved Mary Cameron, who has run away from love.

Grade: B

Traditions by Alissa Johnson

This novella is my favorite of the three. Ms. Johnson had me grinning from ear to ear from beginning to end in this engaging story.

William is an earl and he’s on the hunt for a wife. He’s already picked out the perfect candidate and now he only has to ask that most important question. Locating her at the Hartwell’s ball proves difficult, but when he finally spies her, all of his well-laid plans fly right out the window.

All because of another young woman who isn’t a beauty, who isn’t well born, but can stuff a huge piece of cake into her mouth all at once. Watching Patience perform that little feat makes him want to get to know her better, and when he does it’s her intelligence and wit, her humor and laughter that capture his heart.

The characters are charming and the dialogue is loads of fun. Ms. Johnson has become a favorite of mine over the last couple of years, and she proves once again why that is.

Summary:

Prim and proper Casslebury plans to court Miss Caroline Meldrin, but to his chagrin is attracted to her wild friend Miss Patience Byerly.

Grade: B+

Overall Grade: B

Gwen’s review of Pride Mates (Shifters Unbound, Book 1) by Jennifer Ashley
Paranormal romance released by Dorchester/ Leisure 26 Jan 10

This is the first of  a new paranormal romance series from the ever-busy Jennifer Ashley. We are given a new world where Shifters are “out”, learning to live in a world where humans know what they are and treat them as second-class citizens.  It’s a very promising start to what should be a fresh take on a well-worn idea.  Plus, the book is based in Austin, so how bad can it be? 

Turns out, not bad at all.  I really enjoyed this book.  It seemed like a short, category length book, though it’s over 300 pages.  I think the book’s pacing and terrific dialogue (internal and external) made it seem shorter.

The heroine, Kim, is funny, smart, and righteous.  She stands by those she believes in and this makes her the Shifter leader’s worst nightmare.  The leader and the book’s villain, Fergus, has his own selfish reasons for Kim to fail in her defense of one of his clan.

The hero, Liam, is sexy, smart, loving, and oh-so-alpha.  He’s a very complex hero and I loved that.  Ashley has drawn him as a complicated mix of all that is admirable in a man and some of the things women bemoan.  I loved his easygoing nature and how he supported his community.  His love for Kim caught him by surprise and this makes him endearing.  One of the better heroes I’ve read lately.

The book sets a lot of groundwork for this new series.  We’re introduced to a new world where Shifters will have to fight for their rights.  The degree to which Shifters are treated as second-class citizens seems a bit extreme in our PC, ACLU afflicted world (not permitted new cars or cable television? huh?).  I’m ready to roll with it if Ashley is careful not to take it to too much of an extreme and use it for plot devices, and not to beat us over the head with it.

The paranormal elements of this world are very interestingly different from what I have come to expect.  The origin of the Shifters as playthings of the fae is one that should introduce some very good plot elements in the future.  The story in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance, out 9 Feb, tells much of this history, as well as the origin of the Guardian’s sword (read Pride Mates for this detail).

This book is worth reading simply for the fun of the relationship between the hero and heroine.  I was left smiling several times, and sometimes laughing out loud at some of the things they said.  It is a clever, quick book with some interesting twists that has whetted my appetite for more.

I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of shapeshifter romances or Jennifer Ashley books.  If you like clever dialogue, then you’ll love this book.

Grade: A

Summary:

Twenty years ago, shape shifters of all kinds banded together and announced themselves to the world, only to be shunted to areas no human wanted (“Shiftertowns”). They are forced to wear Collars that control their hunting and fighting instincts (referred to by Shifters as “Taking the Collar”).

Liam Morrissey is currently liaison between the Shifters of Austin, TX, and the humans of the city. Kim Fraser, attorney, finds herself in the unique position of having to defend a Shifter on a murder charge.

She ventures to Shiftertown to seek out Liam’s help, and there stumbles across too many secrets the Shifters want kept secret. The un-mated Liam is forced to protect Kim against the wrath of his clan leader and his own father, and to his surprise he discovers a powerful attraction to the sassy, sexy lady.

Read an excerpt here.  Go here for the series’ site.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of The Devil’s Daughter by Laura Drewry
Historical Paranormal Romance published by Leisure 1 Apr 08

This is my first Laura Drewry book and I’ve actually had it a while. Based on the blurb I thought I would enjoy the story, but, unfortunately, I never warmed up to the heroine and this ended up being a disappointing read. For me it was too late to like her when she finally decided to toss her selfish ways for love, even if she is the devil’s daughter. I just couldn’t give her the benefit of the doubt, and not because of her relatives from hell.

Lucy Firr is determined to get out of hell and out from under father’s thumb. She’s tired of vying for his attention and always found lacking, tired of being tricked into doing something just for dad’s sport. So she needs an innocent soul. Being her father’s daughter, the lies trip off her tongue at a bride auction when she chooses the groom she wants, Jed Caine, to put her plans in motion.

Jed originally passes on the beautiful temptress. He needs a wife who knows how to work on a ranch, not a woman who’s never done a day’s work in her life. But when he sees the calluses on Lucy’s hands, he decides to take a chance. Marrying her and getting her home are the easy parts of his new life. Once home his sister-in-law refuses to allow Lucy inside their small home, telling Jed she’s evil and wants her baby. Jed, of course, has no idea how spot on the woman is in her predictions.

So Jed and Lucy make camp around the firepit outside the house and sleep in the barn. And they do sleep. Only. Lucy does her best to seduce Jed to finally get her plan moving, but she’s not very good at it, though Jed still would love to bed his new wife, but he also wants them to get to know one another. He knows love is probably not in the card for them, so respect will do just fine between them in his mind.

Lucy is a slow in getting that concept, but she’s determined to do whatever Jed wants. Then she finds she enjoys talking to the man and eventually begins to earn his respect. Things also don’t go smoothly outside the relationship due to visits from Lucy’s half brother, who is carrying out their fathers demands in sabotaging Lucy, which is par for the course for those two.

She does come around in the long run, but it was left too late for me to really like Lucy. By the time she learns what needs to be done and gladly does it because it’s the right thing, I hadn’t really liked her for quite a while and I didn’t have have enough good feeling left over to give her any when she starts to get things right. Now, Jed I did like. He’s hardworking, taking care of his sister-in-law since his brother’s been missing, doesn’t give in to Lucy and his libido as the men in town would have done with a pretty lady like his new wife. He does what has to be done and sticks to his guns on the important stuff.

There’s also a secondary story concerning Lucy and I actually found that a little too convenient after everything I’d already gone with through with these characters. Deacon, Lucy’s brother, is defeated in the end and he ends up the hero of the next book, Dancing with the Devil. I’m torn on whether I really want to read that one. The fact he’s redeemed is good, but if he holds out like Lucy did, I just don’t want to go through it again.

Grade: D

Read Shannon C.’s review here.

Summary:

GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUDE

Shoveling sulfur and brimstone could really get a girl down. When her dad offered freedom from the fiery depths in exchange for one simple soul-snatching, Lucy Firr jumped at the chance. With her considerable powers of seduction, she threw herself at rancher Jed Caine. Yet instead of taking her to bed, he made her muck out the pigsty.

It would take the patience of a saint to resist the likes of Lucy Firr—and Lord knew Jed was no saint. The temptress fired his blood like no woman he’d ever met. Why she’d suddenly latched on to him, he had no idea. But the safest place for her—and her virtue—was out in the barn.

Lucy could see the heat in Jed’s gaze. But it was the tenderness of his touch and his hard-won smile that undid her. She was supposed to steal his soul, yet here he was…capturing her heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of McAlistair’s Fortune (Providence Series, Book 3) by Alissa Johnson
Historical Romance released by Leisure 26 May 09

I don’t think I will ever tire of this series by Ms. Johnson. Of course, it won’t go on forever; I believe only one more book is forthcoming. But I’ve so loved all the characters I’ve met so far. They’re all engaging and charming and they now feel like family. If you’re a lover of historical romance — even if you aren’t — and you haven’t read Ms. Johnson’s books yet, you should remedy that immediately. She has a lovely voice that fits perfectly with Regency England, and she’s created a family of characters that treat one another as such, even though they’re not all related by blood. They’re beautiful books, each and every one.

This is the first book in which the story doesn’t take place at Haldon Hall, the home where all the promised, secretive matchmaking which is the backbone of this series takes place. We start out there, but then circumstances warrant a change of venue to keep our heroine, Evie Cole, safe from a threat received by letter. Evie goes along with the preparations to remove her to a hunting cottage along the coast, but it’s all pretend for her. She has a habit of eavesdropping, you see, and that’s how she knows all the current running about is pretense. Family friend William Fletcher promised the late Duke of Rockforte on his deathbed that he would see the Duke’s children — even the children of his heart — wed, settled, and happy. So Evie keeps quiet to see how far everyone will take this charade.

Upon leaving Haldon Hall, Evie’s entourage suffers a carriage mishap and she finds herself on horseback racing through the wilds with the Hermit of Haldon Hall, James McAlistair. She’s had a fascination and even shared a kiss with this secretive man who roams the estate woods. Showing up today to help keep Evie safe, he has cleaned up rather well in his gentlemanly duds. She’s looking forward to spending several days alone with McAlistair to learn more about him and about her fascination with the man.

The man himself has loved Evie for the last eight years. All it took was to hear her laugh and his heart was lost. Knowing, however, that she’s not for him because of his past, he’ll do what it takes to keep her from harm. Of course, that is all easier said than done when they’re in such close proximity to one another and when Evie begins to develop more than fascination for McAlistair. They face a bit of danger on their journey, as well as a spot fun and laughter and even a couple of sensuous moments. McAlistair does his best to keep his distance, keep his gruff exterior to the fore, but even that is no match for the woman he wants but can’t have.

Ms. Johnson does a terrific job of balancing the elements needed during the middle of the book when it’s just McAlistair and Evie on their trek, only a character here and there to interact with them. This portion of the book could have become boring or uninteresting with only two characters to work with, but I’m happy to say this portion is done quite well and I was never wanting to skip ahead at any time. McAlistair’s character has some wonderful growth through the story. He goes from a man who longs for and loves his solitude, hates the noise people make even around their home, and he becomes a man who paces when his chatterbox of an independent, strong woman may be out of his life forever. I liked that he’s the one to make the first move.

I also enjoyed the appearance of other characters from the previous books, especially near the end when the danger is over and they come galloping in too late to save the day. Those are very fun scenes. I look forward to Kate’s book next. I have a feeling it’s going to be quite fun in itself due to Kate’s clumsiness, which has given readers some merriment so far.

This is a wonderfully written book, and I invite you to sit down with it, or even the previous books, and become a member of the family.

Grade: A+

Summary:
.
To Miss Evie Cole, ignorance was never bliss. That principle had driven her to become quite adept at a most unladylike pursuit—eavesdropping. And it was while honing this skill that she heard her guardians’ elaborate scheme to find her a husband. Too bad she’d vowed never to marry. At least she knew the peril they were planning to help entrap her was only pretend.
.
What she didn’t hear would change everything. James McAlistair wasn’t supposed to be part of the bargain. Not only was the retired assassin dark, silent and intimidating, but Evie also happened to know from an accidental encounter on a warm, moon-drenched night that the man was an exceptional kisser. Now the danger was real. Because now Evie might fall in love.
.
No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Holly‘s review of The Key by Lynsay Sands
Historical Romance released by Leisure Books 1 Feb 99

Lynsay Sands is a fairly new-to-me author. The first full length historical of hers I read was Devil of the Highlands, and that was just a few weeks ago. I found that novel to be lighthearted and engaging. I was looking for more of the same when I picked up this book, and I’m happy to report that it delivered. 

One of the things I liked best about this novel is that both characters were in need of growing and settling into the relationship. When one of them would do something wrong, the other would call him/her on it. It wasn’t that Duncan was always in the wrong and Iliana always right, or vice verse.

Iliana was a really spirited heroine. Generally I hate seeing that as a description of a heroine because its usually synonymous with TSTL. In this case she wasn’t TSTL but she truly was spirited. Even though the Englishwoman was forced into a marriage with a Highlander, she didn’t let it get her down. Not even when, upon arrival to his keep, she finds him mostly drunk, dirty and smelling like a pile of horse dung. The keep itself was in even worse repair, and all his people were filthy and smelly.

Duncan was stubborn and unbending for the most part. In the 20 years since his mother died his father let things fall apart, but that’s the only thing Duncan knows. He figures if it’s worked for twenty years, why change now? He doesn’t understand why Iliana wants his people to have clean clothes and good tasting food. Nor does he understand why she refuses to sleep with him until he bathes. He’s always bathed twice a year and none of the other women he’s been with have complained. I loved seeing Iliana disabuse him of his notions. The way they reacted to each other and their situations could have become annoying, but instead they’re written in a believable way.

As I said, it wasn’t that one of them was always in the wrong and the other always in the right, they both had growing and changing to do. My only issue with this story was the evil step-father plot. Although it wasn’t done badly, I feel like this plot has been done too many times. I am giving some leeway, however, because the book was originally released in 1999. Otherwise this was a great read. Light and fun, with just the right touch of tenderness.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Iliana Wildwood would do anything to escape from the depraved baron who sought her lands – including marrying a barbarian. Fleeing the highlands, Iliana was wedded to Duncan, laird to Dunbar Castle. Certainly, there was something about the virile warrior that made her weak in the knees – but something stank in the state of Scotland, and Iliana would not trust anyone until she’d discovered the source. Determined therefore to resist her handsome husband, Iliana found a way to keep her secrets safe. Employing a belt of chastity, the spirited beauty managed to thwart the thane’s advances. But then her husband changed his tactics and began a sensual assault that sent her intentions up in smoke. And as the air cleared, Iliana found it had been her heart she had locked away, and that this stubborn Scot had finally found…

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of As Luck Would Have It by Alissa Johnson
Historical Romance published by Leisure 30 Sep 08

I reviewed Ms. Johnson’s Tempting Fate a couple of months and she’s become a favorite of mine with just one book. I absolutely love her voice and her characters are quite engaging. Tempting is her second book, so when I happened across Luck in my TBR pile, I pulled it out, determined to get to it as soon as I could. I’m glad I did. Once again I was drawn into the lives of this family of characters who get a little help in love, even though they probably don’t need it in the long run.

I have read these books out of order, and reading how the current Duke of Rockforte’s father extracted a promise on his deathbed from his best friend to see to it his children, both of his blood and those not, find love so they have a happy life made these stories more complete for me. Alex is not looking to settle down just yet, and when he’s asked once again to help the War Department out by spying on a supposed traitor and his female cousin, he reluctantly agrees to get close to her to pilfer the information he needs.

Sophie is also approached to spy, but her inducement is that the Prince Regent has requested her services and has offered her a tidy sum to do so, money she finds she needs quite desperately. Her cousin has been stealing from her father’s estate for years and Sophie takes it upon herself to regain what was taken, especially when she finds that Dear Cousin has forged papers  to take the entire estate from her family if she’s not married by the age of twenty-five. With the help of Alex’s sister and a couple of friends, Sophie is on the hunt for a husband.

By this time Alex is nearly close to proposing to her anyway. He loves her wit, her sense of adventure, her intellect and he knows life would be boring with any other debutant in London. I really enjoyed these two characters. They find an ease with one another fairly quickly, but their attraction keeps them off balance. Sophie is a little superstitious when it comes to her luck – something good happening to her is always followed by something bad and vice versa. Thus, she is afraid to let herself love Alex, the best thing that has ever happened to her.

Ms. Johnson’s books are just the total package for me. I love everything about them. I do have to correct a mistake on my part in my Tempting Fate review. I somehow got the idea that McAlistair’s Fortune, which will be released in June, is Katie’s story, but in actuality it is Evie’s story. Either way, I’m still looking forward to it a lot.

Grade: A+

Read C2′s review here.

Summary:

A WOMAN OF THE WORLD…
After years of wild adventures overseas, Miss Sophie Everton is in no hurry to return home to the boring strictures of the ton. But she’s determined to reclaim her family’s fortune–even if she has to become a spy for the Prince Regent to do it.

A MAN ON A MISSION…
Before she can get her first assignment, she lands right in the lap of the dark and dashing Duke of Rockeforte. She’s faced hungry tigers that didn’t look nearly as predatory. Somehow the blasted man manages to foil her at every turn–and make her pulse thrum with something more than just the thrill of danger.

AND THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE
Both are caught in a daring dance of espionage and desire. But to make a true love match, they’ll have to learn to trust in each other…and, of course, a little bit of luck.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Vexing the Viscount by Emily Bryan
Historical romance released by Leisure 24 Feb 09

This review is going to be a bit different, gentle readers. I’ve had this book for the longest time and kept getting distracted. Real Life sometimes interrupts my reading schedule, don’t you know. Anyway, I try to keep notes when I’m reading a book for review, so I can keep things straight in my head when it’s time to do the write-up.

When I actually sat down to do start my review, my notes amused me so much I thought I’d post them rather than doing a more formal review. So, yes, you’re about to get a glimpse into my brain – a very scary place, some might say.   Here we go:

Georgian setting – unusual nowadays.

First meeting over an antique oil lamp shaped like a penis.

Tassels=phallic symbol? I had no idea.

Childhood Iggy has turned into reclusive rake and wastrel Lucian.

Would she have really been on the shelf at 21, I wonder?

An outspoken young lady – gentlemen don’t like that, you know.

A reader of naughty books…shame on her.

Egad, a group of sisters with flower names.

A lost Roman treasure.

A masquerade ball and a courtesan costume.

Yikes – intimate waxing!

Yikes again – he’s a virgin!

Oh, I forgot he’s young too – mid-20s. Still – VIRGIN!! 

She (the in-disguise her) agrees to give him a kissing lesson if he shows her some of his antiquities.

Subplot involves the second Jacobite uprising. Why??

His father hates her family so she uses a fake name while working with him.

Whoa! Flashback to Romans in England. Unexpected.

Flashback has 30 year-old male virgin!

Kissing lessons between her (in disguise) and him. That lead to strip poker (not really poker, of course).

Holy anachronisms! Chocolate candies in the Georgian era?! I don’t think so.

“She cupped his bag”?!?! Oh no she didn’t…OMG  

He gets cranky when he doesn’t get all the goodies the first time they make out. Typical. 

Flashback with naked moonlight dancing. Wheee!

Back with our couple. Ooh, he briefly sees a resemblance.

A convenient antiquities expert appears.

The father is prone to destructive, drunken rages. Lucian suspects he’s on the brink of madness.

Lucian’s suspicions deepen that Blanche and Daisy are the same person.

A second lesson in love is arranged. And a blindfold comes into play, an ankle is sprained and a realization is made.

Dark flashback. Necessary?? I’m thinking no.

A conspiracy is afoot. Just call me Holmes…Sherlock Holmes. Jeez.

Clues are uncovered.

The aunt is a beard for her hubby. Carry-over from an earlier book, I’m guessing.

The plotting Jacobites want the Roman treasure to fund their cause and try to hook Lucian’s father into helping them. *sigh*

The aunt’s husband overhears the plotters and refuses to let Daisy see Lucian.

Another masked ball is just the ticket, then, isn’t it? But this time he recognizes her and says so.

A painting on a ceiling gives them another clue. How did they spot the painting? Hmm, I wonder.

Why won’t he tell her about the Jacobite plot? Oh yeah, because it’s silly.

And because he didn’t tell her, she steps right into problems. Of course.

And when he finds out, he is angry. Of course. But he doesn’t tell her of the connection to his father so she thinks he is excluding her. *sigh*

They go in search of the treasure…with the bad guys lurking behind them.

In the meantime, her uncle from Cornwall arrives. Her family figures out Daisy isn’t where she’s supposed to be.

While the family looks for Daisy, she and Lucian look for the treasure. On a haunted island! Woooo-oooooo-oooo. *eerie wailing sounds*

Gratuitous tavern brawl/sword fight. But, it provided a way to get him into her room and for nature to take its course. After he finally tells her the truth about the Jacobites and his father.

On the island they untangle the poem. But they’re being watched.

Finally, they find the treasure…but it isn’t what they expected. And their enemies get their comeuppance.

And that’s not all – Lucian gets a new title for helping dispatch the traitors.

My final thoughts on Vexing the Viscount are that it is a light (mostly) read and a nice change of pace for those who might be tiring of the Regency era. While it wasn’t a perfect book, it was entertaining. The main characters were engaging and amusing and the plot involving the treasure was interesting enough to stand on its own.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Daisy Drake is leading a double life! By day, she’s Lucian Beaumont’s unwanted assistant and by night, she masquerades as the masked courtesan, Blanche La Tour, a Frenchwoman who agreed to give Lucian lessons in sensual love!

There’s only one problem. Daisy speaks fluent French and can read ancient Latin without moving her lips, but she doesn’t know the first thing about the pleasures of the flesh!

Good thing she has the real Blanch La Tour’s very explicit memoirs for guidance.

Lucian Beaumont, Viscount Rutland, longs to see his family’s standing returned to its glory days, before his father lost their fortune. And he thinks he can manage it, if he can only discover the hiding place of an ancient Roman payroll.

Daisy never forgot her girlhood fascination with Lucian, even though his father has a score to settle with her uncle. Now that they’re all grown up, she’s determined to help the viscount find his Roman treasure.

Whether he wants her help or not!

Read an excerpt HERE.

Other related books:

Shannon C.’s review of Dancing With the Devil by Laura Drewry
Historical paranormal romance released by Leisure 25 Nov 08

Dear Satan,

…And he should be smart and funny. I don’t care what he looks like as long as he’s good in bed and has a really big…

Oh, wait, that’s my letter to Santa. Oops. I get so confused sometimes.

I’m one of the pickier reviewers on this site, and I’ve joked before that writing bad reviews is like making a sacrifice to you, my Dark Master. Not that this is a bad review. My reaction to the book was actually kind of “meh”, hence my need to spice up a normally bland review in this way. So it’s only fair that I should talk to you about your son, as described in Laura Drewry’s latest novel. I figured you wouldn’t mind, since it takes a lot of hubris to write a letter to you, and I’m thinking those other reviewers who write epistolary reviews aren’t in the habit of being critical of the devil himself. Anyway, now that we’ve established that I do, in fact, have titanium cojones, let’s go on with the review… 

First, I congratulate you on inspiring the blurb, which actually doesn’t bear much resemblance to the plot. And since readers do want to know what a book is about, I guess this means I’ll have to try and summarize the story. Basically, Rhea’s not all that happy when Deacon comes back into town. She was doing fine without him, running her parents’ store, but then he shows up at her door and all the heartache she experienced because of him rushes back and she shoots him. To add insult to injury, she did so in public, and because she’d pretended Deacon was her husband, he has to stay with her until they can figure out a way to end the charade. She’s not expecting love from Deacon. She knows he’s not capable of it. But she still can’t help the way she feels about him.

Deacon, for his part, has returned to Pennance, Texas, with one thing on his mind. He needs to ease the pain in Rhea’s heart, because he feels it in his own. Only then can he return to hell and do whatever it is your kids do in their spare time. What he doesn’t count on is the fact that Rhea pretended they were married, and the fact that once he’s back in her life, he can’t leave her so easily.

To give the devil your due (heh, did you like that, O Father of Lies?) I really liked the first book in this series. The pun on your daughter Lucy Fir’s name was hellish (yeah, kind of like the one I just made), but she was unique and refreshing, and Deacon, your son, was someone I loved to hate. He was vain and evil and soulless and creepy, and he served as a good foil for the actual hero,.

So what happened, O Master? Why did he have to turn into a giant woobie in this book? Not to criticize your mad parenting skills, but, dude, really! You beat the sexiness out of him.

Or maybe you had the last laugh, after all? I mean, Rhea, Deacon’s love interest, is so shrill and impulsive and keen to jump to erroneous conclusions that I wanted to smack her. Oh, and let’s not forget that she’s one of those heroines who conveniently espouses 21st century ideals about how men can’t tell her what to do but still manages to be scandalized that Deacon wants to touch her. Living with her could certainly not be worse than actually hanging out with you in the lake of fire. I couldn’t understand why you were so keen to get Deacon back since a life with Rhea would have certainly kept him sufficiently miserable.

I did like that Ms. Drewry didn’t actually bring you into the story itself. You are, as you should be, a shadowy presence of great menace. Well, except for the fact that this is a romance novel, and you’ve already lost one of your kids, so… yeah… You’re shadowy and abusive but not terribly menacing. Much as I imagine you are in all those other books where your kids run amok on Earth.

I didn’t hate this book. There were parts I really liked. I liked that there was some moral ambiguity, and it was nice to read that Rhea’s tragically dead parents weren’t saints. The secondary romance between Rhea’s helper at the store and a local girl was cute, and said store employee was a great character. I also liked the introduction of your other daughter, Kit. Sadly, though, for you, I’m sure Kit gets her own book, and then where will you be? Alone and unloved, with only the screams of the damned to comfort you in your time of need. Ah, well, you’ll always have this letter.

Will I continue to read the series? I would be interested in reading Kit’s story, but I’m a little worried that these books could get predictable very easily, and I would hate to see that, as paranormal westerns are still a very awesome and rare thing.

Until next we meet,
Your Faithful Servant

Grade: C

Summary:

Hell Hath No Fury. . .

Deacon knew Rhea wouldn’t exactly be happy to see him again. But he didn’t think she’d shoot him. Right in the shoulder, no less. He’d experienced worse pain in his life, though. Besides, now Rhea would have to let him stay until she could nurse him back to health. Oh, the hardship.

Like A Woman Scorned

His convalescence would give Deacon a chance to convince Rhea he’d turned over a new leaf, that he was no longer the son-of-a-devil who up and left her all those years ago in a puff of sulphurous smoke. Now he’s a man who knows what he wants. And no matter what kind of trouble Rhea has gotten into while he was away, what he wants more than anything is to win her heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Tempting Fate by Alissa Johnson
Historical Romance released by Leisure 27 Jan 09

Another new author for me and she had me hooked from the beginning.  Her voice is just terrific and she made the friends-turn-lovers story work for me.  I’ve never really been a fan of having friends become lovers, but Ms. Johnson puts a nice spin on it that makes it fun.

Whit and Mirabelle grew up together, sparring with each every step of the way.  Even years later when Whit is now the Earl of Thurston, the insults and invectives are still being thrown at every opportunity.  That is, until his mother steps in and demands a truce between them.  Little do they know she has her own agenda where they’re concerned. These two characters are so enjoyable when they’re trading barbs that fly as fast as you can turn the page. They’ve become so comfortable over the years of calling each other imp and cretin that when said truce comes along, they have no idea what to say to the other.

But even that portion of the story is fun. It’s almost like having them meet for the first time, getting to know one another, feeling awkward in each other’s presence until the relationship smooths out and begins to work in a whole new way for them.  Then it’s a different kind of fun to read about for a while as they start to look at each almost incredulously, wondering where these tender and desirous feelings are coming from.  Of course, there is a mystery involved, danger that finds its way into their lives, leading them to the fact they’ve always loved one another, even though their name calling and continuous arguing.

Both Whit and Mirabella are delightful characters.  Mirabella is the niece of a baron, not so highly born, but because of her relationship with Whit over the years, she stands up to him even when they’re not playing at their usual games.  She’s intelligent and keeps her head when things get ugly. Whit is a nobleman who’s brought honor back to his family name, he takes his duties quite seriously, but he knows how to have fun.  The secondary characters are very well written.

I know I have a copy of As Luck Would Have It, the story of Whit’s best friend Alex and his wife Sophie, so now I just have to find it! I’m looking forward to Kate’s story, McAlistair’s Fortune, out in June.  We do get a little taste of her and her hero in this book and it’s quite intriguing.

I will be following Ms. Johnson from now on.  She’s instantly become a favorite of mine.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The feud between them has scandalized the ton for years.

Whittaker Cole, Earl of Thurston, is every debutante’s dream come true. Handsome, rich, and a prime catch on the Marriage Mart, Whit is also reputed to be one of the most unflappable gentlemen in all England. Nothing ever puts him in a temper. Until…

He comes within twenty feet of Miss Mirabelle Browning and loses all control. The women in his household believe divine providence sent Mira to live on the estate adjoining theirs. After the hellion breaks his nose, Whit decides that the divine has nothing to do with it. Until…

He kisses her. After all, it was either that, or wring her neck. But when sparks fly, he’s forced to admit that there might be something to this destiny thing after all. If he can just convince Mirabelle to give fate—and love—a chance.

Read an excerpt. (scroll down the page)

Other books in this series:

and McAlistair’s Fortune, Book 3 – coming Jun 2009

Sandy M’s review of Untamed (MacKinnon’s Rangers, Book 2) by Pamela Clare
Historical Romance released by Leisure Books 25 Nov 08

I’ve waited so long for this book.  It’s just a few months shy of three years since the first book in this trilogy, Surrender, was released, and then the fate of the next stories was uncertain for quite a while.  I was overjoyed when I received the ARC of Untamed, reliving first the fervor we all experienced back when Surrender and the MacKinnon brothers won so many fans’ hearts and then anticipating another exciting and romantic love story by Ms. Clare.  I am happy to say she’s given us that and more in this new MacKinnon adventure.

When a British officer by chance spies the MacKinnons fighting men off when rescuing a woman in distress, he presses them into service for the Crown by extortion — serve or hang.  It’s been four years and the Seven Years’ War is still rampaging, the MacKinnon Rangers’ reputation of cunning and success is heralded throughout the country, both good and bad.  Their luck has just hit a snag and Morgan MacKinnon, severely wounded, is captured by the French.  He prefers to die of his injuries instead of being tortured for information and then turned over to the Abenaki tribe where a slow death is guaranteed.

When Morgan doesn’t die, however, the one thing keeping him sane is his angel, Amalie, the French maid who nursed him back to health.  With her unknowing help, Morgan eventually receives the one chance he needs to finally escape, but leaving Amalie behind is harder than he’d ever imagined.  However, it’s something he must do, no matter how difficult, and choosing between the woman he’s coming to love and his brothers’ lives is the most difficult decision he’s ever had to make.

When his escape plans go awry and Amalie is forced to make an unexpected journey to the Abenaki with him, this book really takes off.  Action and adventure leap and bound through the pages and the emotions of these characters either break your heart or make it soar depending on the circumstances, especially concerning Amalie as she learns Morgan and his men are not the evil soldiers she’s always heard about and as she realizes day to day how much she’s come to love her Ranger .

Iain and Annie from Surrender make a few appearances so we can get caught up with their lives.  Connor, the youngest MacKinnon, is also present quite bit.  I so enjoyed the relationship of these three brothers.  Having grown up on the frontier, they’re as tough and resilient as can be, but they’re family, blood, so they stick together, believe in each other no matter what.  The other MacKinnon Rangers are delightful and loads of fun.  Their scene when meeting Amalie is quite lovely.  I also enjoyed the dichotomy between the French and British soldiers, which is not much for the enlisted men, but the superiors are a very different story, as Morgan learns the hard way.

The love scenes are sweet and sometimes frantic.  I loved Morgan’s sensitivity to Amalie’s plight in the beginning of the book and how he handles making love to her, but later his all-consuming passion is equally enjoyable.  Ms. Clare has a way of making at least one love scene unique and unforgettable, both books have one, both sensuous, sexy, romantic, and all MacKinnon.

I sincerely hope we don’t have to wait nearly as long for Connor’s book as we did for this one.  Though I will wait if I have to.  Ms. Clare’s writing and storytelling are simply beautiful, her characters are raw and passionate, and they’re definitely worth the wait.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Though forced to fight for the hated British, Morgan MacKinnon would no more betray the men he leads than slit his own throat—not even when he was captured by the French and threatened with an agonizing death by fire at the hands of their Abenaki allies. Only the look of innocent longing in the eyes of a convent-bred French lass could make him question his vow to escape and return to the Rangers. And soon the sweet passion he awoke in Amalie had him cursing the war that forced him to choose between upholding his honor and pledging himself to the woman he loves.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of Carnal Gift (Blakewell/Kenleigh Family Trilogy, Book 2) by Pamela Clare
Historical romance released by Leisure 1 Mar 04, trilogy reissued 28 Oct 08

If you read my review of Clare’s romantic suspense, Unlawful Contact, you already know I like this author.  However, I had not read any of her historicals.  I rectified that over the holiday last week and loved every page of it.  Read on for what I found so fun in this amazing storyteller’s work…   

Clare constructs very complex scenes.  You can smell, taste, and see the environments her characters inhabit.  The detail of the worlds she builds is rich and remains consistently so throughout a work.  Carnal Gift is chockablock full of this detail and it’s an escape the likes of which you don’t always get in a romance novel but you always want.

Bríghid and Jamie meet under rather unfortunate circumstances.  As with many historicals set in this place/time (18th century Ireland), the English are largely represented by a cruel aristo.  Only, this earl has reasons for being the way he is (you find out why at the end).  It puts a different slant on the whole circumstance that is just a sad, but you still hate his guts.  That’s okay – he’s the bad guy and hating is what we should be doing.

However, as a result of the the aristocrat’s machinations, Jamie and Bríghid are forced into a rather torturous odyssey aimed at keeping her and her loved ones alive and one step ahead of a hangman’s noose.  All this strife serves to cement J and B together even more (contrary to the aforementioned machinations), once the initial mistrust is overcome, that is.  The mistrust and misunderstandings last almost too long for my taste.  I should have had more confidence in Clare’s storytelling abilities, though, because she pulls our characters together before my interest waned.

I enjoyed this book, and while it’s part of a series, it reads fine on its own.  I highly recommend it to fans of Clare’s writing and fans of 18th century historical romances set in Ireland and England.

Grade: B+

Summary:

“I expect you to show my friend just how grateful you are. Your willingness is everything.”

With those harsh words, the hated Sasanach earl decided Bríghid’s fate. Her body and her virginity were to be offered up to a stranger in exchange for her brother’s life. Possessing nothing but her innocence and her fierce Irish pride, she had no choice but to comply. But the handsome man she faced in the darkened bedchamber was not at all the monster she expected. His green eyes seemed to see inside her. His tender touch calmed her fears while he swore he would protect her by only pretending to claim her. And as the long hours of the night passed by, as her senses ignited at the heat of their naked flesh, she made a startling discovery: Sometimes the line between hate and love can be dangerously thin.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of The Wild Road (Dirk & Steele, Book 7)  by Marjorie M. Liu
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Leisure 29 Jul 08

This is only my second Marjorie Liu book, and so far I just love her heroes.  They’re, of course, of the paranormal world, a bit tortured, but they’re as sensitive as can be when it comes to their heroines.  They’re as snarling and growling protective of those mates as their kind can be, whatever that happens to be in the book you’re reading.  In this case, Lannes is a gargoyle, a creature that doesn’t bring sensitive and sexy to mind, but he is definitely that and more.

I like that Ms. Liu, in what I’ve read so far, gives us those different creatures to read about.  They’re big and strong because of what they are, but they are gentle and caring at the same time.  My first Liu hero was M’cal of Soul Song, the sixth book in this series, and I instantly fell in love.  The same has happened with Lannes, a gargoyle who keeps to himself most of the time, afraid of making connections with the wrong people, just as happened with him and his brothers in the past that led to their stone imprisonment for so many years.

But despite that, Lannes is true to his nature of protection and that leads him to a woman whom he makes a deep an searing connection with.  A woman who has no memory of who she is, where she comes from, or what she’s running from.  He knows he could be walking into a trap, but Lannes instead follows his instincts and decides to help this troubled but independent woman. At this point the story takes off and doesn’t slow down one bit until the very end.

Lethe, the name eventually given to our mystery lady by Lannes, is on the run from the moment she awakens in an unfamiliar hotel room, covered in blood and surrounded by dead men and fire.  With no memories, she doesn’t know if she’s a murderer, nor does she know who or what it is that has invaded her mind, making her do and say things against her will.

Not wanting to hurt Lannes with her unknown mysteries but needing his help and support, she begins to trust him as they unravel the puzzle of her life.  Another thing Liu does well is pulling you into her characters’ lives and making you feel what they feel.  The loneliness of these two characters is quite palpable.  Lethe’s isolation because of her lost memories draws Lannes to her because of the same feelings.  His due to his prior imprisonment and also his current prison in which he lives, disguised as a human at all times when among them or at home alone working with his books.  The more you get to know them, the more you know they belong together, they’re so right for each other – all the while hoping Lethe truly isn’t part of a larger trap of some kind that will break Lannes’ new-found trust.

There’s not much actual Dirk & Steele throughout this book.  Lannes keeps in touch with his brother Charlie and then Koni and Rictor show up to give a hand later in the book.  You don’t need to have read many of the previous books to understand what goes on in this one.  It stands on its own just fine.   There’s a couple of nice twists that crop up, one of which made sense to me because I had read Soul Song.  If there were others, they didn’t stand out, but I don’t think I missed anything if it did happen.  Everything fits together nicely in a roundabout way to solve Lethe’s mystery, all the clues coming together in just the right places.

I have got to get the other books in this series out of the TBR pile.  I’m curious to find out how it all started!

Grade: A

Read reviews of this and other books in the Dirk & Steele series by following its tag.

Summary:

Lannes is one of a dying race born to protect mankind. And while most see a beautiful man, this illusion is nothing but a prison. But when he finds a woman covered in blood, with no memory or past, he will be drawn into a mystery that makes him question all he knows.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul Series, Book 3) by C.L. Wilson
Fantasy (romance) released by Leisure Books 30 Sep 08

Well, damn.  You know that feeling when you’ve read a book that just blows you completely away, and you don’t want to read another one for a little while so you don’t ruin the buzz?  Well I had that feeling for about a week after I read this book.  I. Was. THAT. Blown. Away. 

I don’t gush often.  Very few books (or movies or anything really) strike me as worthy of a gush.  But let me gush for a little bit on this book.  The first two books were good, but this one was GREAT. With the first two, I bemoaned the lack of forward momentum.  It seemed like we were reading about every little detail of these peoples’ lives for a LOT of pages (they’ve all been long books).  This book definitely didn’t lack forward momentum.  In fact, I couldn’t put it down for almost two days straight.  The tot wanted to know what I was reading that had me breathless, I was that engrossed.

I won’t give any spoilers except to say that in the beginning of the book we are still waiting for Ellysetta to complete the soul bond with Rain.  This bond will make Rain and Elly strong and nearly impervious to the dark influences in both their lives.  This inability to complete the bond lent a heartbreaking note to this couple’s relationship.  It kept me grounded in what little bit of reality was possible with a series set in an alternate world full of magic and supernatural beings.

Elly matures and evolves in King.  Her character begins as the rather small, former mortal and, by the end of the book, becomes so much more.  I am sincerely in awe of how she grows thru the book.  I can’t wait to see what she does in the fourth entry.  It should just blow our socks off.

There are many twists and turns in King.  I never quite knew how sub-arcs were going to turn out.  I love it when an author is able to surprise me.  I love it even more when I want to read ahead but I don’t dare because I might miss something.  My eyes were literally glued to the page, one after another, consuming this book in large chunks.

If you aren’t following this series, I don’t recommend starting with this one.  The story is involved, full of detail past and present, and because it’s so much fun to read, why would you NOT read the earlier books.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy – it’s a terrific fantasy novel, even without the romantic elements, which are present but in a perfectly delightful way, are not the key driver of the book.  It’s a fresh, new twist of these genres.  I loved it.

Grade: A+

Read all the TGTBTU reviews and info of this series by following the Tairen Soul Series tag.

Summary:

Returning to the Fading Lands with his Celierian truemate, Rain discovers a dissension among the most powerful members of his own council. As the Eld plot their next deadly strike, Ellysetta struggles to master her powerful magic and discover how to save the tairen, while Rain confronts open challenge to his rule and prepares to lead the Fey army to war.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul Series, Book 3) by C.L. Wilson
Fantasy Paranormal Romance published by Leisure 30 Sep 08

If you have not read this series of C.W. Wilson’s, you are missing out on some so spectacularly special.  Ms. Wilson weaves her brand of magic in the pages of this beautiful fantasy world of the Fading Lands where the Fey and the tairen live. Her characters of full of honor and dignity, heart and passion, and, of course, love.  The villainy she etches into her evil characters only causes you to root for the good of her hero and heroine to triumph.  And her imagination is simply amazing.  You just have to read this series!

In this book we finally get to the Fading Lands.  We’ve been reading about them and waiting for them since the first book.  But even before that we have to endure the Faering Mist with Rain, King of the Fey and the Tairen Soul, and Ellysetta, his truemate, daughter of a wood carver.  The Mist is a barrier around the Fading Lands to keep all within its borders safe from evil, especially the Mages of Eld, who are on the rise once again after being vanquished in the Mage Wars a thousand years ago.

Their entourage makes it through the Mist relatively unscathed — it’s Rain and Ellie who are delayed by their past that the Mist throws in their path, doubling their fears and vulnerabilities.  Coming together, however, they fight their way through so that Rain can ready his men for the war that is sure to break out with Eld and Ellie can begin her search for answers to save the tairen.

From the mists of Ms. Wilson’s imagination, the tairen are large, very large, cats with wings and are able to breath fire.  My favorite scenes are Ellysetta flying through the air toward the sky on Rain’s back.  They’re breathtaking.  Ellie arrives too late to save the most recent truemated pair and one of their kitlings from the mysterious deaths that have plagued the tairen for so long.  It become’s Ellie mission to save the remaining kitlings, which forces her to do something she never thought she would do, even knowing Rain would be disappointed in her.

In the meantime, Rain must make opitmal use of his men in order to defeat the High Mage who is out for more and more power, and he knows that’s related in some way to his truemate.  This Mage is one mean and ugly villain.  He uses torture to keep a truemated pair in captivity to do his bidding, healing him when he comes face to face with Ellie’s magic or he uses too much of his own for his twisted purposes.

Rain even goes so far as to train his men in the ways of forbidden magic, asking Gaelen, a newly restored Fey who was banished from the Fading Lands when he turned to forbidden magic.  He also has to fight the Massan, the council of the Fading Lands, those who governed when Rain spent years in his madness following the death of his heart mate during the wars.  Danger and evil come at him and Ellie from every corner and it’s only together they will find all the answers they need to save their world and those they love.

You will be amazed and mesmerized by Ms. Wilson’s writing.  You will be under her characters’ spell completely after just a few pages.  You will not be able to put these books down once you start reading.  And you must start reading at the beginning.  Don’t think you will be able to figure out what’s going by picking up this third book.  Pick them all up at once and start at the beginning.  You will not be disappointed.  Even the secondary characters are so well written that several of them will become your favorites before you know it.

Even if you’re aren’t a fantasy reader, do not let that stop you.  I made that mistake myself early on, and once I finally began reading Lord of the Fading Lands, I was hooked in no time at all.  And you will be too.  I can pretty much guarantee it.

Grade: A+

Read more reviews of this and other books by clicking on the Tairen Soul Series tag.

Summary:

Returning to the Fading Lands with his Celierian truemate, Rain discovers a dissension among the most powerful members of his own council. As the Eld plot their next deadly strike, Ellysetta struggles to master her powerful magic and discover how to save the tairen, while Rain confronts open challenge to his rule and prepares to lead the Fey army to war.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2′s review of As Luck Would Have It by Alissa Johnson
Historical Romance release by Dorchester 30 Sept 08

Since this is my debut here at TGTBTU, it seems appropriate that I’m reviewing a debut author. Of course, it could have gone terribly, terribly wrong – the book, I mean. You may judge the review on your own. However, as luck would have it (heh), I found Ms. Johnson’s first effort quite enjoyable.

We meet Sophie, our heroine, on her way back to England after spending much of her youth traveling the world with her father. A gentleman on the ship tells her he has been sent by the Prince Regent with the request of a favor. Apparently the cousin who has been managing the family estate is friendly with some suspicious fellows and Prinny wants more information. Of course, Sophie balks at spying on family but, after hearing that the cousin has been mismanaging funds and imperiling the family estate, she is persuaded to take the job…for a fee.

At roughly the same time, Alex, our hero (and a duke, as well), is getting an assignment with the same desired outcome but his instructions are a bit more unusual. He is told to get close to Sophie and maneuver his way into the cousin’s confidence. Like any young duke, he has spent a great deal of time and effort avoiding young, marriageable misses of good family. Still, Alex knows his duty to crown and country.

And we’re off into a fun-filled adventure, gentle readers! What happens when two spies with the same objective but working for different people try to accomplish their goals without anyone finding out? Comedy, of course! At least, if the two spies are Sophie and Alex. Plus, Ms. Johnson gives us supporting characters that are more than wallpaper or sequel bait (although there are two more books coming).

The best part of the book, for me, was the banter between the main duo and the supporting characters. The conversations were so lively and fun – without becoming slapstick-y – but still seemed true to the period.

Will our duo catch the spies? Maybe. Will the evil cousin’s machinations be for naught? Maybe. Will love triumph in the end? What kind of book do you think this is, gentle reader? Of course, love will triumph! Jeez. I’m looking forward to the sequel, Tempting Fate, coming in February 2009.

My take on “As Luck Would Have It” – for the plot, since there wasn’t anything groundbreaking (although the way Ms. Johnson managed to weave together several historical romance set-pieces without it seeming awkward or rushed was impressive), a C; for the characters and dialogue, a B. Since, for me, characters and dialogue outweigh plot,

Grade: B-

A WOMAN OF THE WORLD…
After years of wild adventures overseas, Miss Sophie Everton is in no hurry to return home to the boring strictures of the ton. But she’s determined to reclaim her family’s fortune–even if she has to become a spy for the Prince Regent to do it.

A MAN ON A MISSION…
Before she can get her first assignment, she lands right in the lap of the dark and dashing Duke of Rockeforte. She’s faced hungry tigers that didn’t look nearly as predatory. Somehow the blasted man manages to foil her at every turn–and make her pulse thrum with something
more than just the thrill of danger.

AND THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE
Both are caught in a daring dance of espionage and desire. But to make a true love match, they’ll have to learn to trust in each other…and, of course, a little bit of luck.

Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of The Wild Road (Dirk & Steele, Book 8 ) by Marjorie M. Liu
Paranormal romance released by Leisure 29 Jul 08

I’ve jumped on certain romance bandwagons late, so it was only last year that I discovered the absolutely fantastic Dirk & Steele series by Marjorie M. Liu. What really impresses me about each of the books I’ve read in that series is that they seamlessly blend action and adventure, great world-building, and paranormal romance. I am always telling non-romance readers that they really need to read Ms. Liu’s books. So I was excited when I got the ARC for her latest, The Wild Road. Unfortunately, I’ve only read the first three Dirk & Steele novels up to this point, and I have a compulsion to read things in order, so it took me forever to get to this book. I finally decided I needed to skip ahead and read it, because Ms. Liu is a favorite author and the torture of having but not reading the book was killing me.

I’m glad to say that The Wild Road stands alone very well. I think some familiarity with the previous books in the series is helpful, but not necessarily required. I did stop early on and go back to read the short story, “A Dream of Stone and Shadow” from the Dark Dreamers anthology, which features Charlie, the brother of our hero Lannes, but that was more for my own curiosity than something I had to do in order to understand what was happening.

Ms. Liu does something interesting in this book. The heroine wakes up in a hotel room, covered with blood, holding a gun, with no memory of who she is. She spends the whole book not knowing who she is, and so consequently revealing her name would be a spoiler. I wasn’t sure that this would work particularly well at first, but even without a name, the heroine is probably my favorite Liu heroine to date. She is stubborn and resourceful, capable of taking care of herself but finding herself leaning on Lannes because more than she needs to be independent, she needs someone to be there for her and ease some of the oppressive loneliness that not having a past causes. I really did feel her loneliness, and I empathized with her as she gradually came to trust and then depend on Lannes.

As for Lannes… Well, I hate to be a squeeing fangirl here, but I loved him. Gentle giant archetypes are my favorites, and Lannes qualifies. He, too, is lonely, because he’s not human, and he can’t let anyone discover who he really is. He fears that if people knew what he was, they’d be repulsed, and so he’s kept himself apart from most people. But when he meets the heroine, his instinct is to protect her. It’s just in his nature, and even though she distrusts him at first, he’s so sweet about it. I just wanted to hug him throughout most of the book, and I absolutely believed in their HEA. Plus, Lannes has an awesome declaration of love speech at the very end that sent actual tears to my eyes and I never never cry at books.

I want you here,” he rasped. “I want you with me. I want to care for you and love you and have you with me every moment, every day, for as long as we live. I want to be the one to protect you. Not them, not anyone else, ever. And all those . . . handsome doctors and tennis players and men who know their wine can just . . . go away. Because I might not be as handsome as them, and I may not even be as human as them, but they will never believe in you the way I do, and they will never know you as I do, and they will never, never, come within a breath of loving you as much as I do. Never, [Heroine]. And if ever there should be a man who loves you more, then I bow to him. Because you deserve nothing less.

The plot is as compelling as ever. It’s definitely a road romance, which are always my favorite, but unlike other Dirk & Steele books, it’s set in the Midwest, which Ms. Liu evokes perfectly. As usual, the pacing is good, with enough quiet moments to round out the action scenes.

If I have a quibble, it’s that a lot of the climactic moments of these books feel the same. I don’t want to talk about specifics, but I will say that when the scene was foreshadowed, I knew exactly what was going to happen, and my predictions came true.

If you haven’t tried the Dirk & Steele books, you are definitely missing out on some great storytelling, some wonderful romance, and some fabulous characters. Recommended, especially to those looking for a little substance and solid world-building in their paranormals.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Lannes is one of a dying race born to protect mankind. And while most see a beautiful man, this illusion is nothing but a prison. But when he finds a woman covered in blood, with no memory or past, he will be drawn into a mystery that makes him question all he knows.

Read an excerpt here.

Read my review of The Red Heart of Jade (Book 3) here.

The other books in the series:

Connie’s review of Triple Exposure by Colleen Thompson
Romantic Suspense released by Leisure 29 Jul 08

Photographer Rachel Copeland returns to her hometown of Marfa to escape a scandal and heal. Rachel was accused of killing a 19 year old stalker whose mother garnered a lot of public sympathy and gets Rachel tried in his death when Rachel was really a victim. Rachel must confront her jealous, unfriendly stepmother while trying to make a new life for herself.

Zeke is trying to hide from a tragic past but is drawn into Rachel’s life and her her problems. After so long being alone Zeke can’t help himself caring for Rachel while trying to stay hidden. Everyone thinks the kids mother is the one trying to harm Rachel since she fell apart on her sons death.

Marfa seems pretty small but you run into some unexpected strengths along the way. Rachel comes to terms with her stepmother, her tragedy and finally realizes what is important to her and Zeke realizes you can’t hide from your past that you must confront it and go on from there.

I enjoyed reading the story and especially Rachel’s grandmother. Tragic times lead to a sad story for one of the characters. Good book.

Grade: B

A mother’s love. A son’s life snuffed out. A killer at large. Snapshots of reality, except sometimes layered images do not add up to a whole picture of the truth.

Better than anyone, photographer Rachel Copeland knows the camera can lie. That’s how lurid altered pictures of her appeared on the Internet, starting a downward spiral that ended with her shooting a nineteen-year-old stalker in self-defense. Fleeing the press and the threats of an unidentified female caller, she retreats to her remote hometown in the Texas desert. In Marfa, where mysterious lights hover in the night sky, folks are used to the unexplainable, and a person’s secrets are off limits. But recluse Zeke Pike takes that philosophy even further than Rachel herself. In her viewfinder Zeke’s male sensuality is highlighted, his unexpressed longing for human contact revealed. Through a soft-focus lens, she sees a future for them beyond their red-hot affair, never guessing their relationship will expose the lovers to more danger than either can imagine.

Sandy M’s review of Triple Exposure by Colleen Thompson
Romantic Suspense released by Leisure 29 Jul 08

I know when I read a book by Colleen Thompson I’m going to be glued to every page, enjoying the romance and love of her characters, trying to figure out who the villain is, and never seeing that twist that comes out of left field until it hits me right between the eyes. This book is not the exception.

Rachel has returned home after the nightmare of a year she’s just gone through. She was charged with the killing of one of her photography students, and although she was acquitted, her life is in shambles and she hopes being back among family and friends will help her get past it all and start life anew. She finds out very quickly that was all too much to hope for.

Fallout of the tragedy and the trial still follow her and she has to deal with further legalities, her stepmother, who she’s never really gotten along with, and a vengeful former classmate who lashes out at her at every turn. The only bright spots in being home are her father and her love of flying and photography. And Zeke Pike. Although getting to know that handsome recluse of a man takes some doing.

Zeke has secrets that no one in Marfa has ever known, and once he gets to know Rachel, he begins to have feelings for her, he doesn’t want her to know anything of his past either. He’s been running and hiding for so long, he’s not quite sure why suddenly he’s thinking of staying put when things begin to spiral out of control and his whereabouts become known to those who would do him harm and those who would be harmed if he’s forced to face his secrets. Falling for Rachel was never part of his plan and only for her would he think of trying to make things right and then hope she would stand by him.

Every character, every secret, each mystery, each romance is written to perfection. Despite their secrets and their pasts, Zeke and Rachel learn to live and love in the moment and then want the forever they never thought they’d have or deserve. I really like Zeke. It’s a joy to watch him go from a man who says not a dozen words in a day to someone who opens up and wants to live life once again, wants to love and be loved again, who would give up everything for the woman who gave him the desire to want again.

There’s such a variety of secondary characters to keep you entertained and to keep you guessing who the villain is, so watch out for all those twists and turns that Ms. Thompson does so well. The storyline is interesting and keeps things moving along between Rachel’s notoriety and legal problems, the stalker who harasses her constantly, and Zeke’s dilemma between staying for love or fleeing for love.

I also like Ms. Thompson’s creativity in giving the villain ways to get rid of their target and her detail at deception that will make you rethink what you think you know at any given time during this book. Pick this one up if you want to be challenged, especially if you’re one of those readers who likes to try to outguess an author. You’re in for one big surprise.

Grade: A+

Summary:

A mother’s love. A son’s life snuffed out. A killer at large. Snapshots of reality, except sometimes layered images do not add up to a whole picture of the truth.

Better than anyone, photographer Rachel Copeland knows the camera can lie. That’s how lurid altered pictures of her appeared on the Internet, starting a downward spiral that ended with her shooting a nineteen-year-old stalker in self-defense. Fleeing the press and the threats of an unidentified female caller, she retreats to her remote hometown in the Texas desert. In Marfa, where mysterious lights hover in the night sky, folks are used to the unexplainable, and a person’s secrets are off limits. But recluse Zeke Pike takes that philosophy even further than Rachel herself. In her viewfinder Zeke’s male sensuality is highlighted, his unexpressed longing for human contact revealed. Through a soft-focus lens, she sees a future for them beyond their red-hot affair, never guessing their relationship will expose the lovers to more danger than either can imagine.

Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of Highlander Ever After by Jennifer Ashley
Historical Paranormal Romance published by Leisure on 1 Apr 08

This is only my second book by Jennifer Ashley and I am fast becoming a fan. So far her heroes are leaders, larger than life, and wonderfully sexy, and her heroines are independent and witty. The romance between them is fiery and loving. Paranormal elements are thrown in to make reading so much more fun.

Egan and Zarabeth share a history of attraction, knowing they can never be together. She is a highborn princess and her future is with a nobleman husband. He is a lowly Scottish laird with nothing to offer her. It’s been five years since they’ve seen each other, since she married another, and now she is coming to him at the behest of her father and her cousin, Crown Prince Damien of Nvengaria, for his protection from the husband who has used her and would betray the prince had she not escaped to alert her family. Their attraction is even stronger now after their years of being apart, but Egan will not betray her father’s trust, nor will he cross the line into adultery, even though her marriage is essentially dead and even when Zarabeth makes it so very difficult for him to walk away from her. And she does make it quite difficult for him. As a Nvengarian woman, she is as sensual as a woman can be, having been taught at an early age how to pleasure a man. There are some good scenes where Zarabeth pushes Egan nearly past his limits with her touching and caressing.

Both characters have their share of pain. Egan still hurts from the cruel treatment he received from his father, who preferred his youngest son over Egan, a son and brother who took what he wanted with no regard to the feelings of others. His father blamed Egan for the death of his brother in the war, and that’s something that has haunted Egan all his life. Zarabeth’s five-year marriage to a power-hungry man has left her a shell of her former self. Being among the gregarious MacDonald Highlanders, however, is just what she needs, along with the chance to finally make Egan hers. She also has the gift of magic and the ability to hear others’ thoughts, which is used in some very interesting ways. Egan, however, is the one person she’s never been able to hear, except in times of peril. We’re teased plenty with their almost lovemaking, but the frustration is worth it when these two finally come together. Their loving is intense and all-consuming and each succeeding scene in which we experience it is better than the last. And the last love scene where they share thoughts as well as their bodies is quite moving and very nicely done.

We are also entertained not only by Egan’s family and friends, but also with the MacDonald Curse and his sister’s machinations trying to marry him off so an heir will be forthcoming. The other Nvengarian characters are as varying as the Highlanders. My favorite is Baron Valetin, who is half logosh (shapeshifter) and half human. I enjoyed the budding relationship between him and Egan’s sister and was hoping for a little more there. I got the feeling that perhaps that might be another book, but checking the author’s site didn’t satisfy my curiosity. I’m hoping that may be something she’ll delve into down the road.

Grade: A-

     From the back cover:

      Egan MacDonald was the one person Princess Zarabeth couldn’t read. Yet even without being able hear his thoughts, she knew he was the most honorable, infuriating, and deliciously handsome man she’d ever met. And now her life was in his hands. Chased out of her native country by bitter betrayal and a bevy of assassins, Zarabeth found refuge at the remote MacDonald castle and a haven in Egan’s embrace. She also found an ancient curse, a matchmaking nephew, a pair of debutantes eager to drag her protector to the altar, and dark secrets in Egan’s past. But even amid all the danger raged a desire too powerful to be denied….

     Read an excerpt here.

Shannon C.‘s review of The Devil’s Daughter by Laura Drewry
Historical paranormal romance released by Leisure 8 Apr 08

I have to share a funny story about this book. I started reading it this weekend while I was visiting my very conservative Catholic friend. This involved tagging along while she did things like go to Mass, say her rosaries, and watch NCAA basketball. So I’d have all these religious adventures and then be reading about the daughter of Satan. Perhaps this only amuses me? OK then, we’ll move on.

Lucy Firr needs the soul of one newborn baby in order to obtain her freedom from her dad, who is, you guessed it, Satan. She finds out that Maggie Caine is pregnant, Maggie’s husband has gone missing, and the only person standing in the way of what Lucy needs is Maggie’s brother-in-Law, Jed. So Lucy sets out to enthrall Jed and bring him under her spell so that she can take the baby’s soul when the time comes. What she doesn’t count on is that Jed isn’t easily conquered. Soon, she finds herself working hard to earn his respect, and in the process she falls in love.

I really loved the premise of this book. I’ve long thought that paranormal and western were two genres that would go well together, and Ms. Drury certainly pulls off that amalgamation.

I loved the characters. Lucy is a strong woman, both sensual and courageous. I loved her interactions with the more uptight Jed, and while I was aware that, this being a romance novel, there was no way Lucy was going to remain intermittently evil, I did like that she slowly comes to care for the people around her. Jed is equally compelling. He’s a proud man, and also a genuinely nice guy. I liked that he was intent on winning Lucy’s respect and treating her properly.

The plot moves along at a pace that kept me interested, and a lot of time is spent with the central characters and exploring their deepening feelings for each other. The chemistry between Jed and Lucy is explosive, and it takes a long time for them to have that final love scene, which was extremely intense. I also liked the touches of humor throughout. There’s nothing slapstick about the story (except maybe Lucy’s name, but I actually liked that touch, too) and overall I thought the bits of lightheartedness provided a welcome relief from the conflict, which is pretty heavy stuff. When the dark moment happens toward the end, I had that wonderful shivery feeling where I know things have to end happily but I’m just not sure how they can at this point.

So why wasn’t this a keeper for me? Two reasons. First, I thought that the secondary characters were pretty one-note and flat. And Ms. Drewry used one particular cliche that drives me crazy with regard to Lucy’s character, which I can’t give away without spoiling.

Overall, though, I am glad I discovered Laura Drewry and cannot wait to read more from her.

Grade: B+

     GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUDE

     Shoveling sulfur and brimstone could really get a girl down. When her dad offered freedom from the fiery depths in exchange for one simple soul-snatching, Lucy Firr jumped at the chance. With her considerable powers of seduction, she threw herself at rancher Jed Caine. Yet instead of taking her to bed, he made her muck out the pigsty.

     It would take the patience of a saint to resist the likes of Lucy Firr—and Lord knew Jed was no saint. The temptress fired his blood like no woman he’d ever met. Why she’d suddenly latched on to him, he had no idea. But the safest place for her—and her virtue—was out in the barn.

     Lucy could see the heat in Jed’s gaze. But it was the tenderness of his touch and his hard-won smile that undid her. She was supposed to steal his soul, yet here he was…capturing her heart.

     You can read an excerpt here.

You can read more from ShannonC at Flight Into Fantasy.

Lawson’s review of Highlander Ever After by Jennifer Ashley
Historical romance released by Leisure 1 Apr 08

This is the third in a loosely tied series about various citizens of the fictional Kingdom of Nevengaria. The first was Penelope & Prince Charming and the second The Mad, Bad Duke. Neither of which I found in a search of our reviews. . . but a quick recap, both would be a sold B for me. There are a few characters from the first two books, most notably the hero Egan MacDonald, known as the Mad Highlander across Europe – he’s been pining for a witch from Nevengaria, someone he has loved but he can’t have.

Zarabeth has been in a horrific marriage to a tyrant who belittled her and forced her to change her behavior. The last straw was her discovery of a plot to kill her cousin, Crown Prince Damien, the ruler of Nevengaria. For her protection she’s been sent to the Highlands in Scotland until the unrest in her homeland is put down. Egan is charged with her protection, but she soon falls in love with the Scottish countryside and the open people there. She’s loved Egan for much longer and now relishes in her chance to win him.

The plot reaches farther than one would think, and it works well with the rest of the plot devices. Egan is a little too sacrificial at times and feels he doesn’t deserve the things he does have, but Zarabeth helps cure him of those misconceptions. Egan is a noble, loyal, caring sort of hero who was criticized too much by his father and jerk of a brother. In the end, Egan grows to accept himself and his place in his Scottish castle.

Zarabeth is a likable heroine. She’s smart, witty, and very serene. Never does she act TSTL or do something that would go against her character. Some of the best moments are her interactions with the open Scottish highlanders and her easy acceptance of their quirks. Zarabeth is also patient, or at least patient enough, when she convinces Egan to act on his desire. She’s open about her sexuality, but not harsh with it or crosses that line between confident and slutty.

It’s pretty hot too.

Some of the pacing seemed off though, and the secondary plot with debutantes, the matchmaking nephew and the Nevengarian plot took a little away from the love story, but nothing grated or seemed out of place. A good story, but I’m not sure if this is a keeper or not yet.

Grade: B

     Egan MacDonald was the one person Princess Zarabeth couldn’t read. Yet even without being able hear his thoughts, she knew he was the most honorable, infuriating, and deliciously handsome man she’d ever met. And now her life was in his hands. Chased out of her native country by bitter betrayal and a bevy of assassins, Zarabeth found refuge at the remote MacDonald castle and a haven in Egan’s embrace. She also found an ancient curse, a matchmaking nephew, a pair of debutants eager to drag her protector to the altar, and dark secrets in Egan’s past. But even amid all the danger raged a desire too powerful to be denied….

     Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of One Bite Stand (MacKenzie Vampires, Book 4) by Nina Bangs
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published 1 Jan 08 by Leisure

I always seem to jump the gun when reading an author I haven’t read before and when it’s the latest book in a series that I haven’t read before. This time I jumped to the conclusion way too soon I wasn’t going to like this book after getting through the first chapter. It was almost a little too quirky for me. The character names, the idea of the storyline, and the humor wasn’t what I expected. Okay, maybe the Woo Woo Inn should have given me a clue. It didn’t take long, however, for Ms. Bangs to shoot my attitude down. I ended up having a whole lot of fun with this gang at the inn, quirkiness and all.

Since I love paranormals, I really enjoyed all the different characters in this book, from vamps to gargoyles and so much more in between. My favorite character was Declan. Just because. He’s a vampire; he’s a loner who needs love; he’s sexy; he’s not afraid of his feelings. He also was able to see past Daria’s “ugliness” because she’s a harpy and that’s what they live for, even though she wasn’t as ugly as other harpies, much to her dismay.

Daria was also a terrific character, a strong, stubborn woman who definitely can hold her own in a fight and lets Declan know in no uncertain terms she won’t walk away like a good little girl while he takes care of the boogeyman. The secondary characters were just as interesting, especially Ganymede and Sparkle, an unusual pair if I ever saw one, but they kept me laughing. The baddies of the story are right up there on the evil scale. Fenrir is the baddest of them all, and it takes everything all these characters have to save the universe from his evilness.

So once I jumped on the laughter train and didn’t look at the goings-on as silly as I originally had, I was very satisifed with this read. It was fun instead of silly. It pulled everything together at the end quite nicely. I never felt confused since this is Book 4 in the series, although it has made me curious about the prior books where I’m sure some of these other characters were introduced and maybe have books of their own. I look forward to reading them all.

 Grade: B+

From the back cover:

He’s a big, bad vampire looking for a one bite stand.  She’s a big, bad harpy looking for her ticket to the underworld.

Harpies don’t get callbacks. That’s why Daria’s job as night manager of the Woo Woo Inn is the opportunity of several lifetimes. Where better to prove that in the snatch-and-dispatch business she has CEO potential? So what if she doesn’t really fit the corporate image. So what if she has to nurture her inner bitch to compete. And triple so what if she’d rather take Declan Mackenzie to bed than on a one-way, all-expense-paid trip to Tartarus. His sexy blue eyes and hard male body lure her into deep and dangerous erotic waters. With a monster eating guests for its midnight snack, cosmic troublemakers cooking up chaos, and Declan making serious moves on her, this looks like a lot more than a…

One Bite Stand

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of Lord of the Fading Lands (Tairen Soul Series, Book 1) and Lady of Light and Shadows (Tairen Soul Series, Book 2) by C.L. Wilson
Paranormal/fantasy romance published by Leisure 2 & 30 Oct 07

I wrestled with how to review these two books.  When I read one of Wilson’s interviews, I figured out why it was so difficult: she wrote these two books originally as one really large book and, presumably for publishing purposes, she had to split them. It is truly difficult to review these as two separate books, the story is just too vast. 

Well.  Vast and yet very narrow.  The pacing of the books is very deliberate and extraordinarily slow.  Both books take place over only about a three week period.  So imagine almost 800 pages of text discussing three weeks and you get an idea of to what level of detail Wilson discusses the characters’ daily events.  All that was missing was every fart and burp.  And I say that with only the utmost of admiration of the world Wilson has created.  Which takes me to the “vast” part of my statement.

Wilson has created an amazing world in these books.  It’s a world that is rich with history and atmosphere.  You can practically see the city where most of the books take place.  The secondary characters are complex people/beings and the villains are truly evil.  The level of detail is a bit astonishing.

You may wish for the books’ pace to pick up, but they’re still very fun to read.  In addition to rich detail, you have a wonderful love story with Rain and Ellie.  I’m really looking forward to the next installments, coming at the end of next year.

Grade (both books): B+

LofFL blurb:

Long ago, in the magical holocaust known as the Mage Wars, the immortal Fey and their allies fought to defeat the grasping evil of the Elden Mages and their dark-gifted supporters. During those wars, in a fit of grief-induced madness caused by the death of his mate, Fey shapeshifter Rain Tairen Soul nearly destroyed the world in a blaze of tairen fire.

Now, a thousand years later, the fierce Fey king must fight to save his race from the brink of extinction and once again stop the evil rising in the homeland of his enemies, the Eld. The key to his success lies in the mortal city of Celieria, where the Mage Wars began, and with a young woman whose soul sings to him in ways no woman ever has, whose presence reawakens the primal fury of the tairen within his soul, and whose vast, untapped power can either save or destroy him and his people.

LotFL excerpt.

LoLaS blurb:

Since her earliest memories, Ellysetta Baristani has feared magic, even as she has been inexorably drawn to all things Fey, especially the poetry and legends of Rain Tairen Soul. Now claimed as Rain’s truemate and no longer able to deny her own magic, Ellysetta is swept into the very center of a struggle filled with the magic and darkness she has always feared. The High Mage of Eld wants to capture her. The most murderous dahl-reisen who ever lived wants her dead. And her enemies will corrupt even the people she loves most in their quest to claim her magic for themselves.

LoLaS excerpt.

What’s next for this author:

Third and fourth books in the Tairen Soul Series, published by Dorchester Publishing.  Tentatively titled King of Sword and Sky (Oct ’08) and Queen of Song and Souls (Nov ’08), the books conclude the epic adventures of Rain Tairen Soul and his truemate Ellysetta Baristani.

SandyM’s review of Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson
Fantasy/paranormal romance published Oct 2, 2007 by Leisure (Dorchester)

I have found my book of the year.  Maybe even my book of the decade.  C.L. Wilson’s LORD OF THE FADING LANDS is simply wonderful, fantastic, terrific.  How easily I have to eat my words.  When I first looked at the cover of this book, I thought, “Uh-oh, I have a feeling I’m not going to like this one, it’s fantasy.”  Now, I don’t have a thing against fantasy books.  I just love my historicals and paranormals more, so I don’t read many fantasies.  Even as much as I loved LotFL, I don’t think I’m going to be a 100% lover of fantasies (I will give some a try here and there, however), but I’m definitely now a die-hard fan of C.L. Wilson’s. 

After fighting in the Mage Wars a thousand years ago, losing his heartmate in those wars, and also losing himself in grief so deeply that he breathed fire on half the world, burning anything and everything in his wake, Rain Tairen Soul is coming out of his self-imposed reclusiveness to save his people, the fey, and the tairen.

Being a woodcarver’s daughter has brought a happy to life to Ellysetta Baristani.  She has a long-standing fascination of all things fey, and has yet to meet the man who can capture her heart.  Trying to put the wretch who is courting her out of her mind, she eagerly agrees to take her sisters to brave the crowds that will gather to see Rain Tairen Soul when he visits her town, Celieria, after so many years.

Once Rain finds Ellysetta, his body and soul respond to her as they never have for another and as hasn’t happened in over a thousand years.  The more he knows of his truemate, the more he knows that she has hidden magic within her.  Elly is definitely falling in love with Rain and all that he is.

C.L. Wilson is the best at painting a magical world that has never been seen before, at creating characters with depth and integrity, and giving readers true romance and a love story for all time.  Rain and Elly are the most engaging and romantic hero and heroine that has come along in a very long time.  The secondary characters are all wonderful, but Elly’s fey guards are my favorite.

This is a book that you will not be able to put down, literally.  So much happens so quickly that I think if you blink, you’ll miss something!  And LotFL is only the beginning; there are three more books scheduled.  LADY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS is the second, out Oct 30, 2007.  So if you hurry, you still have plenty of time to purchase the book (now books) of the decade!

Grade: A+

Back cover blurb:

Once he had loved with such passion, his name was legend — Tarien Soul. Now a thousand years later, a new threat calls him from the Fading Lands, back into the world that had cost him so dearly. Now an ancient, familiar evil is regaining its strength, and a new voice beckons him — more compelling, more seductive, more maddening than any before. As the power of his most bitter enemy grows and ancient alliances crumble, the wildness in his blood will not be denied. The tairen must claim his truemate and embrace the destiny woven for him in the mists of time.

Read an excerpt.