Genre: Fantasy
Book 2 in the Lords of Avalon series
ISBN: 0-0607-9662-6
Releasedate: October 31, 2006
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishing Inc
Format owned: HC Rhapsody & MPB
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

Synopsis
For countless centuries, I've been the assassin for the infamous Merlin, even though the woman who birthed me sits at the right hand of our enemy, Morgen le Fey. Now both my mother and Morgen have decided that it's time I take my place on their side of this conflict.

Normally, telling them no wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that the good guys I protect think that I'm an even worse demon than the ones we fight. Hmm, maybe they're right. I have to say that I do enjoy maiming anyone who gets in my way.

At least until my mother gives me a simple choice: join Morgen's Circle of the Damned or see an innocent woman die. I'm all for saving the innocent, but Merewyn isn't as innocent as she seems. And she's none too fond of the fact that her fate is in my dubious hands. Personally I'm all for taking the easy way out, but leaving her to Morgen is rough, even for me. Now the only way to save both our lives is to face the evilest forces ever known-;my mother and Morgen. And two people who know nothing of trust must learn to rely on each other or die: provided we don't kill each other first.

REVIEW
They always told me never judge a book by it's cover, but I judged this book sinfully by its cover and boy the inside was more sweet than any honey I ever tasted!!!

Varian - a selfconfessed evil to the bone - knight in shining armor; Merewyn - a self-turned ugly to the bone-servant. And both captured my heart.

I still find it difficult to read past the nowadays language, the use of movies and tv's in the time of King Arthur as there is no further mentioning of some sort of time travelling whatsoever still is misplaced to me within this series. Unlike 'Sword of Darkness' I had to read a few chapters before I got caught into this story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book but I'm still not getting the connection as a series. What I miss most, I think, is the book about what happened in King Arthurs last years. Bits and pieces were explained in this one.

"Beau" has captured my heart by storm. I want my own 'gargoyle-baby...' And ofcourse I loved the "Erik-bros" Merrick, Derrick and Erick as well as Blaise. Dare I say either Faran or Damé Fortune is 'Lord of Avalon's' Acheron Parthenopaeus or Adam Black (Monings Highlanders)??? I laughed my head off when Merewyn fell into the 'pit of despair' and ranted on for hours in her depressing state of mind. Mentioning Varian's bits and pieces...(quite literally!!!!).

What I loved from the start was no matter how Varian tried to come across as tough and evil, I kept seeing through it and in my mind knowing that he was just one of the threads woven by fate (Damé Fortune in this case) - the perfect balance of duality that, in Sword of Darkness existed between Kerrigan and Seren, existed here within this gorgeous knight who entered my heart (But then again every man with gorgeous looks and a tormented soul does... sigh!!!!).

I'm left confused however with all the "Merlins" flying around, it's either 'Penmerlin'; 'Merlin'; or 'Waremerlin' they all call themselves Merlin. But if this series continues on, I'm hoping that the things that are still confusing me will later on have a purpose and clarify themselves piece by piece.

After reading these two books I am curious to find out what the next one brings. With this series Kinley MacGregor is slowly going towards my keeper bookshelf (and that's partly because I'm completely blown away by the covers, partly because as Sherrilyn Kenyon she is one of my favorite authors and now added onto that because Varian's story caught my heart, not as much in the historical King Arthur kind of way but more leaning towards the Fantasy part. It made me feel a bit like it was leaning towards the Lord of the Rings-queste - but maybe that's only in my twisted mind (lol).

4,5 Stars

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