My DIK Books

Hey! Tracy here. It's my turn to scramble your brains with my inanity! Aren't you feeling extra special today? I sure hope so!

All of my pick are romances. It's all about the romance with me. The touches, the kisses, the anticipation, the love.

So I'm gonna tell you about the DIK books I picked and why. I’ll be the first to admit that I am so not good at the whole short synopsis thing. Give me a full book review and I can eventually make something sound like it makes sense! That being said I’m going to give it the old college try. I’m gonna start each with a blurb so you'll get a general idea of what the book is about.

Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop:
Anne Bishop plunged into dark fantasy with her first book, Daughter of the Blood. She described a world where Blood Witches have always ruled, drawing males to their courts through seductive power. An ambitious High Priestess destroys more powerful females before maturity and has enslaved the strongest males, weakening magic and corrupting natural bonds between men and women. Sexual violence permeates Terreille. Jaenelle, born to be Queen, is vulnerable until adulthood. Though guarded by male Warlord Princes, Jaenelle is violated. Daemon, her destined Consort, rescues her but is convinced he attacked her and goes mad.
In Heir to the Shadows, Jaenelle's vampiric, adoptive father, Saetan, and her foster-family of demons shelter her. To restore her memory and emotional balance, they move to Kaeleer, where Jaenelle befriends the kindred--animals with magical and communicative powers--and gathers a circle of young Queens. She also heals Lucivar, Daemon's half-brother, who offers a brother's love and a warrior's fealty. As she recovers strength and memory, Jaenelle resolves to restore Daemon and cleanse Terreille.
The second installment in the Black Jewels Trilogy is so wonderful. The story has so much love in it. Between Saetan, Lucivar and of course Jaenelle’s love for Daemon it’s an absolute keeper for me.

Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop:
In the world where Darkness rules, an ancient prophecy comes true. Jaenelle Angelline is born Witch. She is the "dream made flesh" and the hope and light of the future. Jaenelle has matured and come into her own now. She made the Offering to the Darkness and is Queen of the Dark Court at Ebon Askavi in the Realm of Karleer and is the Heart of the land and her Kingdom. The First Circle of her Court consists of her adopted father, Prince Saetan as Steward of the Dark Court, Prince Lucivar Yaslana as First Escort and Warlord Prince of Ebon Rih, her beloved Daemon Sadi as Warlord Prince and Royal Consort, and all the Queens, Priestesses, Healers, Warlord Princes, Kindred, etc., who she befriended as a child, now also serve her in her highest court. She hopes that the Corrupt Blood will no longer slaughter and maim her people and defile the land. However, Jaenelle will need all her friends and their power to meet the evil that is coming. Dorothea, the High Priestess of Hayll, and Hekatah, the self-proclaimed Dark Priestess of Hell were created to be noble caretakers of the Realms. Both women have perverted their Craft and their purpose, infected those who serve them, and threaten to destroy the Realms to fulfill their insatiable greed for power. They plot to gain control over Witch Queen Jaenelle and rule all through her. Hekatah also plans to destroy her ally Dorothea and hold ultimate power. The Realms are in chaos and terrible war and destruction threaten. The corrupted Blood must be cleansed. To do this and save everyone and everything she cares for, Jaenelle must make a terrible and shocking decision.
I just loved the concluding story in the BJT. The war going on, the love affair between Jaenelle and Daemon, the taking of the throne (I know if you haven’t read it it’s confusing), the sacrifices others are willing to make for greater good. Just talking about it makes me want to go re-read it! Love. It.

Winterbourne by Susan Carroll:
In the harsh, turbulent Middle Ages, lovely Lady Melyssan remains as she always has been--sweet, timid, and content to be alone. But in a desperate move to resist the advances of the dreaded king, she claims to be married to his worst enemy, Lord Jaufre de Macy, the legendary Dark Knight.
Seeking temporary shelter in Jaufre's abandoned castle, Winterbourne, she is unprepared for the fierce, angry warrior who returns to confront her. He is a man as rough and unforgiving as the Welsh border lands he rules--and she is as gentle and innocent as a new day. But neither Jaufre's dark heart nor Melyssan's innocent one can resist the love that is their destiny--nor protect them from the danger drawing ever closer.
I know that people have extremely differing views on this book but I just love it. Melyssan has such a crush on Jaufre, even though she knows he’s dangerous. Jaufre has always had a thing for Melyssan even though she has a crippled foot. Now Jaufre isn’t always as nice as can be with Melyssan, sometimes even an ass, but despite that I just love their story.

Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon:
An orphan with no clan that will claim him, Wren Tigarian grew to adulthood under the close scrutiny and mistrust of those around him. A forbidden blend of two animals--snow leopard and white tiger--Wren has never listened to anyone when there was something he wanted. Now he wants Marguerite. Marguerite D'Aubert Goudeau is the daughter of a prominent U.S. Senator who hates the socialite life she's forced to live. Like her mother before her, she has strong Cajun roots that her father doesn't understand. Still, she has no choice but to try and conform to a world where she feels like an outsider. But the world of rich and powerful humans is never to meet the world of the Were-Hunters who exist side by side with them, unseen, unknown, undetected. To break this law is to call down a wrath of the highest order. In order to have Marguerite, Wren must fight not just the humans who will never accept his animal nature, but the Were-Hunters who want him dead for endangering their world. It's a race against time and magic without boundary that could cost Marguerite and Wren not just their lives, but their very souls.
Ok, ode to tortured heroes! Wren is so shy but he meets Marguerite and wants so much to please her and protect her as well. How can I not love this guy? He’s been so sheltered and the people he's been living with just didn’t care enough to see him for who he truly was. Marguerite is not used to attention from men and when she sees Wren she’s instantly attracted. Their love just grabbed me from the start and wouldn’t let go.

Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night by Kresley Cole:
Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed--until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive. Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It's rumored that no one can tempt Bowen's hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go. If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul--or will she risk everything for her fierce protector?
What can I say? Bowen and Mariketa *sigh*. Love their verbal banter. Even though Bowen is so confused through everything he still has extremely strong feelings for Mariketa. There’s that whole Were thing again (Lykae in these books) with the protection and he’s such a gentleman at heart. At the end when he helps her with the mirror – love that!

Lord of the Fading Lands by C. L. Wilson:
Long ago, in the magical holocaust known as the Mage Wars, the immortal Fey and their allies fought to defeat the grasping evil of the Elden Mages and their dark-gifted supporters. During those wars, in a fit of grief-induced madness caused by the death of his mate, Fey shapeshifter Rain Tairen Soul nearly destroyed the world in a blaze of tairen fire. Now, a thousand years later, the fierce Fey king must fight to save his race from the brink of extinction and once again stop the evil rising in the homeland of his enemies, the Eld. The key to his success lies in the mortal city of Celieria, where the Mage Wars began, and with a young woman whose soul sings to him in ways no woman’s ever has, whose presence reawakens the primal fury of the tairen within his soul, and whose vast, untapped power can either save or destroy him and his people.
This story is so incredible! The whole romance between Rain Tairen Soul and Ellysetta Baristani is wonderful. They discover so many things together both good and evil and how they defeat those forces of evil is fab. I love the world that was built in this book and can’t wait to read more!

Well that’s a wrap. Tomorrow: Heroes!