Genre: Fantasy
Book 1 in the Lords of Avalon series
ISBN: 0-7394-6647-6
Releasedate: March 2006
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Format owned: HC Rhapsody & MPB
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

Synopsis
The new king of Camelot wears no shining armor: Arthur and his knights have fallen and a new king rules.

In the darkest forest....

A scared, forsaken child has become the most powerful --and feared-- man in the world. Ruthless and unrestrained, Kerrigan has long ceased to be human and has become something else entirely.

In the heart of London...

An unassuming peasant, Seren dreams of becoming her own woman. All she wants is to leave behind her drudgery and penury. But she never expects that running from her fate will put her in the path of her destiny.

Their worlds are forever changed...

Kerrigan's goal is simple: Barter or kill Seren to claim Arthur's sacred Round Table. But simple it's not, for she is the one person who holds no fear of him, a woman whose honesty sparks something foreign inside him. But in his nether realm, kindness is weakness and a king who harbors any sort of compassion loses his throne.

For countless centuries, Kerrigan has lived alone in the shadows until the day when one woman's courage forces him into the light that could either be both their salvations, or both their deaths.

REVIEW
When I read the prologue I thought hmmm is this a book for me? I was in doubt. My first ever book by Kinley 'Master of Desire' was a bit of a disappointment, but... my sister was so madly enthusiastic about this book that I just wanted to finish it, to make up my own mind. And I'm glad I did!!!!

The first chapter had me caught within the story straight away. The darkness of Kerrigan that slowly melted by the softness of Seren. To me it was the perfect mixture of good and bad - the perfect balance of duality. The bloodritual that combined their powers, memories, knowledge to me was a bit too much like vampirism... the biting and sucking blood and to me was a wrong context within these storylines.

The legend of King Arthur is a perfect opportunity to have your imagination stretched to the maximum as an author. To me it came across as a bit comical as the phrase 'I vant to suck ur blood' after reading this bloodritual kept playing in my mind. With that in my mind, I was less into the story, not like I was in it as before.

This story was told in the early centuries and what I missed was the "medieval" language. The use of common slang when there were conversations was something that felt wrong to me, as well as the timetravel to the 21st century. In this story I was less swept away by the time-travelling aspect, it should have been left out or explored more.

The first 220-230 pages were fantastic, swept me off my feet and had me captured and even seduced in taking 'a bath with Kerrigan' but towards the end I was a bit disappointed. The ending however with Seren saving Kerrigan and the epilogue were great again.

To me as Sherrilyn Kenyon she writes great near to superb stories all the way, stories that swipe me off my feet everytime, but as Kinley MacGregor I still have to be captured by her charm.But up to book no. 2 in the Lord of Avalons series.

I'm in doubt about the stars, it's not 3,5 stars and not yet 4 stars either.

4 Stars

Genre: Contemporary Roance
Book 1 in the Irish Jewels Trilogy
ISBN: 0-7838-8989-5
Releasedate: May 2000
Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc.
Format owned: HC
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

Synopsis
Determined to re-evaluate her life, Jude Murray flees America to take refuge in Faerie Hill Cottage, where she immerses herself in the study of Irish folklore--and discovers hope for the future in the magic of the past... Back home in Ireland, Aidan Gallagher sees in Jude, a woman who can both soothe his heart and stir his blood. And he begins to share the legends of the land with her--while they create a passionate history of their own...

REVIEW
Ok, take the Irish landscape, put a 6ft tall incredibly handsome male in it with a heroin whose in contact with a Faery-prince in awaitings for his beloved and what do you get…. A perfect romance novel swiping you off your feet like only Nora Roberts can!!!

The Irish Myths entwined in this story were lovely to come across again. You can really feel Nora’s love for Ireland. Eventhough this novel talks about a prophecy it’s not taking the overhand on the story, which makes it a great love-story to read.

It describes the search of a 28-year old Jude to find herself, find out what it truly is she wants and longs for and if that happens to be 31 year old Aidan Gallagher that will suit him just fine. When he asks her to marry him and she says no, his arrogance starts to surface bringing him in experiences he never been in before.

What I love most is how, as a 29 year old woman myself, I can really relate to that search Jude is going through. Everyone has a search like that in their life, where you accumulate what you’ve achieved and see if it really is what you want, and if not, just change the whole setting to your liking. It’s such a simple thing Nora Roberts used to make a story around but when it’s well written it makes a great story to read while sipping tea and eating biccies.

All in all this novel is yet again showing Nora Roberts being a solid-great romance author. I’m looking forward to read on in this trilogy and see if Shawn and Darcy will find their life’s roots as well in Ardmore, county Waterford, Ireland.

3,5 Stars