"There was no surviving some loves. No matter what happened to the love affair, whether it flourished or failed, those love struck mortal blows one carried for the rest of one's life. This love she felt for him. This love was like that."
FINAL DECISION: Dark and difficult and I absolutely loved it. One of my favorite couples from the Elder Races series (and its spinoff) in a story that kept me engaged for every moment. A true redemption story.
THE STORY: Morgan le Fae has been forced to serve the Queen of the Light Court for generations doing despicable deeds for her against his will. Morgan believes that he has become hardened to everything and everyone until he hears the music of a human woman Sidonie Martel. His budding obsession with her does not go unnoticed unfortunately and Sid is captured and turned over to the Queen who has her tortured and maimed. In prison, a man comes to her in darkness healing her and offering her comfort even as he warns her not to trust him. Both trapped in different ways, Morgan and Sid find peace and hope in one another.
OPINION: I loved this couple. There was so much pain and loss and drama for them to navigate. Sid is a woman who is a musical genius but also suffers from OCD. I loved how everything in her is broken and rebuilt in this story. There is something so beautiful about her spirit as she deals with the magical realm in a way that she never expect or wanted. There is something very compelling in this story about this woman who just wants to live her life being swept up in the larger forces which irrevocably change her life. Sid makes this story feel real and grounded -- where a story about magical realms and battles might otherwise feel too fantastical. The quirks in her character made her a fun character to read and balanced the darkness in the story. She is intelligent and reasonable and has a good handle on her own limitations. Watching her world get destroyed made my heart hurt but the redemption in the story was beautiful.
And speaking of redemption, Morgan was a superior hero. I love stories about the villain who is redeemed by love. And while it turns out that Morgan isn't as much a "bad guy" as he appeared, he is certainly haunted by his actions even though he was forced into committing them. His character is so nuanced that I absolutely fell in love with him. Those tortured and tormented heroes are like catnip to me and Morgan is definitely one of those. He has been a "bad guy" who has made a couple of appearances in the series and now his story is revealed as more complex than it appeared.
Morgan's background is founded on the Arthurian legend and this book puts an interesting twist on the legend. For those who are familiar with the legend, this book takes a different angel that feels fresh. For those who are not as familiar, this book doesn't require any prior knowledge. It is merely intriguing flavoring to the story.
The relationship between Morgan and Sid builds in such a quiet and gentle manner. The two are thrown into intense events and yet their relationship builds from little gestures and quiet moments. This book is such a wonderful combination of these quiet and deeply emotional moments and these big wild adventures. It was refreshing to have a story where the romance was slowly developed. Time passes in this book and yet it didn't feel like it was slow in its pace. Indeed, there is a lot packed in this book. Much happens to these characters in a short time but their relationship has time to breathe and develop.
By the time this book was done, I wasn't done with these characters. I hope that we will see them again in future books. I would love to see how their relationship develops in the future.
WORTH MENTIONING: Elder Races fans will get a welcome surprise by the end of the book.
CONNECTED BOOKS: SPELLBINDER is the second book in the Moonshadow series which is a spin-off of the Elder Races series. This book can be read on its own but is better as part of the series.
STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book from the author in order to have the opportunity to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
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Review: SPELLBINDER (Moonshadow Book 2) by Thea Harrison
Review: SPELLBINDER (Moonshadow Book 2) by Thea HarrisonPublication Date: July 18, 2017Genre: Paranormal RomanceReviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ CoriRated 5 StarsI loved SPELLBINDER! This is the second book in Thea Harrison's Moonshadow Trilogy that is set in the Elder Races World. You don't need to read the Elder Races Series before starting this one, but I would recommend reading book one in the Moonshadow Trilogy, MOONSHADOW, before starting book two. Each book features a different couple and can be read as standalone though. SPELLBINDER is a Morgan, a sorcerer/ werewolf and Sidonie, a human musician's book. Morgan was one of the villains in book one and even faced off with Dragos in the Elder Races Series, but he's definitely hero material in this book. I love a good villain to hero storyline. SPELLBINDER was full of danger, mystery, magic and smoking hot romance. Thea Harrison is a master world builder and I loved her take on Avalon! I highly recommend this exciting and unique paranormal series. I'm obsessed with this series and I can't wait for the next book!*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Top reviews from other countries
ROSARIO BERMEJO
Absolutely captivating plot and characters
Reviewed in Spain on January 21, 2019Mary Heron
Ms Harrison always writes compelling reads
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2017Delen Mite
Perfekt, spannend, romantisch, Herzschmerz
Reviewed in Germany on July 24, 2017