Lady of Light and Shadows by C. L. Wilson (Tairen Soul, Book 2)

After reading Lord of the Fading Lands, all shame flew out the window and I begged e-mailed the publisher to see if they’d be willing to part with an ARC of the sequel. If at all possible, these two books should be read back to back because while Lord of the Fading Lands focuses on Rain’s courtship of Ellie, Lady of Light and Shadows develops the external plot further and adds much more complexity to the story.

The heroine

Ellie Baristani has been claimed as the truemate of the Lord of the Fey, but as far as Ellie’s concerned, she’s a woodcarver’s daughter pretending to be a queen. Her first official engagement as queen ended in complete disaster when she accidentally wielded magic–of the lusty kind–right in the middle of dinner! Hers is an unpredictable skill that seems to get her into trouble time and again. Now, amidst the suspicion of her own family and friends, Ellie struggles to accept and control the magic she has always feared.

The hero

Rain Tairen Soul, King of the Fey, is convinced that his most bitter enemies, the Mages of Eld, are preparing for an attack. But despite his relentless campaigning, his allies are unable or unwilling to see the danger that is imminent. Meanwhile, he must continue to court Ellie so that she might fully accept their mating bond–for she is now his greatest vulnerability.

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Lord of the Fading Lands by C. L. Wilson (Tairen Soul, Book 1)

I won an ARC of Lord of the Fading Lands via Dear Author, and it’s taken me a while to blog about it because I wanted to read it a few times to do the book justice. Lord of the Fading Lands is a blend of epic fantasy and good old-fashioned romance–two of my favourite reading pleasures. I expected great things from this novel on the strength of Jane’s review, and for the most part, it didn’t disappoint. C. L. Wilson’s writing is lush without being bloated, and the romance … well, it made me giggle and blush in very good ways.

The heroine

Ellie Baristani, adopted daughter of a Celierian woodcarver, was plagued with nightmares and torments as a child, which has caused her to fear magic. With one year to go before she’s considered a pitiable spinster, Ellie’s marriage prospects are grim. Her family isn’t rich enough nor is she beautiful enough to attract suitors, and Ellie is tricked into a betrothal with a man who repulses her.

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Demon Angel by Meljean Brook (The Guardians, Book 2)

I debated whether or not to write this up as a quickie or post in detail about this book. But I’m going with the quickie because if I try and write down everything I love about Meljean Brook’s Demon Angel, it would be a humungously long post and will probably sit in draft because I’ll never get around to finishing it.

In case I’m not being clear: go and read this book.

This book is the best cross-genre (paranormal romance) novel I’ve read bar none. The paranormal elements are well fleshed out and the world building is extensive but woven into the story without bludgeoning me with details. Other bloggers have complained that this is a weakness of the book, that it slows down the pace, but I disagree. And that’s from someone with a relatively short attention span for world building. The romance is given centre stage, and the paranormal conflicts are intrinsic to the romantic conflicts. In my opinion, this is how a paranormal romance should be. You can’t take the paranormal out, and you can’t take the romance out–they both have to be there for the story to work.

The romance in the story is heady. It’s exciting and it’s complex. The central characters are immersed in shades of grey. I was filled with dread as I neared the end because I couldn’t figure out how the Brook would pull it off. But she does, and it’s glorious, and I can’t stop raving about this book.

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Dreams of Stardust by Lynn Kurland

The heroine

Amanda de Piaget is a poor little medieval rich girl. Sick of being paraded around prospective husbands who are only interested in her dowry, she won’t settle for anything less than a man she can love and respect, even if it means running away from home … or becoming a nun.

The hero

Jake Kilchurn, successful gem designer, starts the day as a reluctant errand boy for his father, ends up in northern England in a castle filled with ghosts, experiencing the most disorienting cases of deja vu. Nothing he can’t cope with … until he crashes his 1967 Jag.

The setup

Jake wakes up to find himself in thirteenth century England, where Amanda–in the process of running away from home with moderate success–finds him, and he is taken to Artane under much suspicion. Brought together by extraordinary circumstances, can Jake and Amanda conquer medieval prejudices, self-doubt, jealous suitors, and time itself to be together?

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Mind Game by Christine Feehan (GhostWalkers, Book 2)

The heroine

Dahlia Le Blanc’s enhanced telekinetic skills are a blessing and a curse. Subjected as a child to grueling psychic exercises that stripped her mind of their natural defenses, she is unable to properly function around people and their emotions and is forced to live a lonely, isolated existence.

The hero

Nicolas Trevane is a GhostWalker, one of an elite group of military trained, psychically enhanced government operatives. A loner by choice, he volunteered to be a GhostWalker to enhance his gift for healing; instead, it’s made him a better hunter. He’s also an anchor–he can draw emotion or energy away from others to help them function better–and a kick-ass sniper.

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Black Ice by Anne Stuart (Ice Chronicles, Book 1)

The heroine

Chloe Underwood is an American translator struggling to make ends meet in Paris. Chloe leads a fairly mundane life, and she longs for a little more excitement.

The hero

Bastien Toussaint is an undercover operative posing as an arms dealer, who has been in the business for so long that he no longer has a “regular” life. Ruthless and amoral, he will do what it takes to get the job done.

The setup

Chloe takes a last-minute job translating for a group of business associates who turn out to be Master Criminals, except for Bastien who’s there as a spy for the, uh, Well-Intentioned Guys. Sort of. When Chloe is discovered snooping around, Bastien risks his cover to save her from a very painful and bloody fate.

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