Sandy M’s review of Jordan (Pendragon Legacy, Book 3) by Susan Kearney
Paranormal romance published by Forever 1 Mar 10

You know how you always hold out hope that a trilogy you’ve come to love will perhaps turn out to be a much longer series? I’ve had that hope while reading the three books in the Pendragon Legacy. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, no matter how we wish differently. I’m just glad I got to go along for the wild ride.

We met Jordan in the second book of the series, Rion, though we didn’t know that for the longest time. But once he’s been reunited with his Ancient Staff that had been lost to him when his world was betrayed and destroyed centuries before, he now has some of his lost power back and we learn he’s a shapechanger and he’s also the legendary Merlin.

Vivianne is a self-made businesswoman and she’s financing the building of a state-of-the-art spacecraft to give humans an advantage in their fight against the Tribes, who are rumored to be on their way to Earth and bent on destruction. Jordan is the mastermind behind designing that state-of-the-art ship to help them find the Holy Grail, but Vivianne’s goal is to save Earth.

Misleading Vivianne just a tad, Jordan commandeers the ship, along with an untrained crew, and their journey into the unknown begins. After a few chapters of this space flight, I begin to think there’s a possibility the story might become a little boring. I mean, how much can really go on in such a confined space for such a long period of time? Don’t ask me why I was worried. Ms. Kearney does a terrific job of weaving in the unusual, the dangerous, the fearful, the lusty, and a few other things for good measure. I should have known better, especially when Jordan’s Ancient Staff throws its mojo at him and Vivianne, making them squirm with lust they can’t keep their hands off one another and then some. Just thinking about that initial love scene now gets me all hot and bothered.

Throughout the two previous books we’ve been given a very different, although the same, story of King Arthur and his Knights, and we finally get to meet the man, alive and well, in person. Ms. Kearney had me grinning when even Lancelot makes an appearance, no hard feelings at all with or toward Arthur. At this point, Jordan and Vivianne receive more clues to find the missing keys to bring the Ancient Staff to full power.

The only problem with doing that, however, is that bringing these ancient artifacts together will end Jordan’s life. Jordan is willing to give that ultimate sacrifice to have vengeance for his lost world, but as much as Vivianne wants to save Earth, she’s come to love Jordan and isn’t sure she can give the same sacrifice.

My only very slight disappointment is I wanted more of their dragons. As much as I’ve always loved the King Arthur legend, I love my dragons, and there is less of them in this book than the first two. But, hey, I got some great love scenes starting very early in the book, so while it’s not an even trade-off, it’s close. These characters sizzle in the bedroom, when they’re in it anyway. That first sex scene made me want to find the nearest spaceship. See, can’t get it out of mind now.

This has been a terrific trilogy. If you enjoy the Arthurian and Holy Grail legends, if you love dragons, if you can’t get enough of dangerously handsome and sexy heroes, and you like strong and sassy heroines, if you want something very different to read, you need to crack open these books. And having them just for the covers alone is fine by me. The first two are quite nice, but Jordan and his blue eyes and 5:00 scruff beats them both hands-down.

Grade: A+

Summary:

1600 years ago, Jordan was the sole survivor of a ruthless Tribe attack which annihilated his world. To stop the Tribes deadly galactic conquest from continuing, he followed the Tribes to Earth, assumed the name Merlin and assisted King Arthur and his Knights to save Earth. When Arthur died, Camelot fell and Jordan lost his Ancient Staff. Now, over 1000 years later, the Tribes are back and so is Jordan. He’s recovered his Ancient Staff and is again on the trail of the Holy Grail to save Earth and protect the galaxy.

Vivianne Blackstone is a lady with her own agenda. An American businesswoman, self-made billionaire and a fighter from the get-go, she’s confident, capable and a definite type A personality. One of Earth’s brightest and most loyal citizens, she vows to do her part to save the planet when she learns the Tribes are on the move again.

Jordan and Vivianne team up to save Earth and along the way they fall in love. But according to galactic legend, there’s only 1 way to defeat the Tribes: Uniting the Ancient Staff with the Holy Grail. There’s only one catch, Jordan cannot live without the Ancient Staff. To defeat the Tribes and save Earth, he must perish.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Rion (Pendragon Legacy, Book 2) by Susan Kearney
Futuristic Romance published by Forever 24 Nov 09

The mystery, suspense, and romance continue in this second book of Ms. Kearney’s Pendragon Legacy series. And the dragons. The dragons are the heart of it all. This time around their plight breaks your heart and you hope there’s a lot of cheering going on at the end. You hope a lot.

Marisa is the twin sister of Lucan, the hero of the first book in the series. They’ve always shared that special psychic connection of twins, but Marisa has a step up on that, she’s a uniquely strong telepath. Since Lucan brought a cure to Earth to save mankind from extinction, one of the side effects is those who partook of the cure must intermittently dragonshape. Marisa is one of those. Her telepathy has been a godsend to others who are having a hard time with their transition; she’s able to communicate with them to help them learn to control their new status in life.

Not able to get to his home plant, Honor, since he helped Lucan locate and then lose the Holy Grail on Pendragon, he’s spent the last six months trapped on Earth, trying to convince its government they should prepare for the eventual attack on their planet by the Unari, a brutal race that has taken over his world by holding his people hostage as labor slaves. He needs Marisa to help him break that control on the dragons, and the only way to get her there is to trick her. Which he does quite effectively.

Angry at first at his tactics, Marisa soon forgives Rion when she sees firsthand how terrible Honor’s situation truly is. Joining a few rebel holdouts, Rion and Marisa must work together to figure out the best way for her unique gift to work in freeing the dragons and thereby taking his home back from the enemy. And through it all, their attraction grows, even knowing they do not have a future together, their worlds are too distant.

Once again, Ms. Kearney gives readers something so very different when it comes to a futuristic, paranormal read while mixing it together with Arthurian legend. The Unari is a race that seizes planets throughout the universe to further their hold on the Holy Grail. Their treatment of Honor’s dragons is horrendous and the author does an amazing job of getting across all the pain and emotion of an entire race in the throes of despair.

Rion and Marisa sizzle like mad during their love scenes. And when they’re in their dragon form, those scenes once again steal the spotlight throughout the book. I was really taken by surprise when we’re introduced to Jordan, the hero of the third book. If it weren’t for the dragons, that scene would have been the best in the story.

I’m hoping this series goes on for a while, that Ms. Kearney has enough stored in her terrific imagination to keep giving us wonderful books like this. I checked her website but didn’t see anything that gives a hint if there’s more than just these three books. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, though.

Grade: A+

Summary:

POWER IN THEIR PASSIONN
Marisa Rourke is a beautiful, fearless telepath who tames dragonshapers on Earth. Rion is a tall, dark, and sexy space explorer whose home planet is a galaxy away. The attraction between them is undeniable, but Rion is hiding a desperate secret that will change Marisa’s life forever.

DANGER IN THEIR TOUCH
Marisa’s gift is the only way Rion can communicate with his people, enslaved by a powerful enemy. He knows that kidnapping her is wrong, but saving his planet is worth sparking the fiery clairvoyant’s fury. Yet hotter—and more explosive—is the psychic bond growing between Marisa and Rion. Could their passion be the key to freeing Rion’s people? Only if he and Marisa can discover how to channel their desire . . . before a vicious enemy destroys them all.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Lucan (Pendragon Legacy, Book 1) by Susan Kearney
Futuristic Romance published by Forever 5 Sep 09

I’m so glad I’m finding dragon books to read lately, and this one is a very pleasant surprise. On top of that, it’s written around its own interpretation of the Arthurian legend, which is another favorite of mine. I’m not a huge futuristic fan, but Ms. Kearney weaves a terrific story on planets in a distant galaxy that is suspenseful, action-packed, and sexy.

Earth is on a course to extinction, and Lucan has made his way across the universe to Pendragon in search of the Holy Grail, mankind’s only hope of survival. Lady Cael is a healer and high priestess of Pendragon. Her life is very solitary and lonely; no one is even permitted to touch her. Both Lucan and Cael work on the team trying to breach the so-far-impregnable domed fortress of Avalon, where they believe the grail to be hidden. From their first meeting when Lucan rescues Cael when she’s stuck in a ventilation duct, all the way through their fantastic voyage, the sexual tension between these two is immediate and sizzling whenever they’re together.

Cael also wants the grail to save her nephew and she wants to keep it out of the hands of the military, but when things go wrong when Avalon’s protection is lowered, she and Lucan end up on the run, accused of trumped-up crimes. It’s during this time Lucan learns Cael is a dragonshaper, and the more information they uncover reveals the amazing story of how Earth and Pendragaon are linked by Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Ms. Kearney has taken little tidbits of an Earth legend and bound them with another world for a very intriguing read.

I enjoyed Lucan, of course. He’s a wonderful hero, torn between duty to his people, including his twin sister, and his unexpected love. Cael is a woman who only wants to be loved and cherished, something she’s never known despite her high status on her world. And the scenes when she shifts into her dragon form are some of the best in the book. You feel her flight, whether swift and frantic or swirling calmly on a breeze. And the surprise in store for Lucan along the way as he uncovers Arthur’s ancient secrets is an added bonus.

We also meet Rion, who is the hero of the next book in the series. His story is incorporated just so to get the reader oriented and ready for his book, which is due out later this month.

If you love dragons, knights, castles, intrigue, and suspense wrapped around your romance, you’re going to like this book. Ms. Kearney does an awesome job of taking a beloved myth and mixing it with her incredible imagination to give readers one heck of a read.

Grade: A

Summary:

THEIR LOVE IS FORBIDDEN

Healer and high priestess of her people, Lady Cael is fated to life without a mate. But a mysterious explorer named Lucan Rourke doesn’t know her secrets, and his touch makes her crave a future that her extraordinary birthright has forbidden her…

BUT DANGER IS NO MATCH FOR DESIRE

Lucan has just one mission on Pendragon: to find the mythical Holy Grail, Earth’s only hope for survival. His powerful attraction to Cael is a distraction he can’t afford, unless he convinces her to join forces with him. Yet working so closely together only heightens their passion…even when the terrifying truth of Cael’s heritage threatens to shatter Lucan’s every belief—and the galaxy itself.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: