Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Earl of Darkness-Alix Rickoff

Earl of Darkness
Alix Rickoff
Pocket, Dec 28 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9781439170366

In 1815 in Wales, Maelodor, the last of the surviving Nine of the inner circle learns that the Kilronan’s Diary he thought destroyed still exists. Filled with rage and anger as the last head of the Hydra, he vows revenge for his forced hiding in a mountain cave. To achieve this he must obtain the diary.

In Dublin, Lady Catriona O’Connell struggles to survive residing in the slums and how to eat. She is hired to steal Kilronan’s Diary from the Earl of Kilronan. However, the Earl Aidan Douglas catches Cat in the act of the theft in his library. He immediately recognizes his guest is a hybrid Fey and human Other. Aidan controls his desire for Cat as he needs her skill to read the mystical language entries contained in the diary that his late father possessed before he was murdered. Thus he offers her a deal: she can go to jail or translate the tome. Cat tediously translates the enigmatic scribbling, she and Aidan fall in love. However, all hell breaks loose starting with a demon demanding the diary as the pair is caught in the midst of the Kilronan legacy.

This is an exciting action-packed opening act of an entertaining Regency romantic fantasy with ties to King Arthur. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the raging Maelodor plots his vengeful return from deep inside the remote Cambrian Mountains and never slows down although most of the plots set up future tales. Fans will enjoy the Earl of Darkness while awaiting further escapades in the Kilronan saga by the lead couple as Cat and Aidan make a fun pairing.

Harriet Klausner

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