Sunday, October 14, 2007

The Nightwalkers: Elijah-Jacquelyn Frank

The Nightwalkers: Elijah
Jacquelyn Frank
Zebra, Dec 2007, $6.99, 360 pp.
ISBN: 9780821780671

There are many Nightwalker races, who can pass themselves off as humans; including Demons, Lycanthropes, vampires, & nightwalkers. Demons only look like the monsters portrayed in books and movies. It is when they are Summoned by a necromancer into a pentagram they look like the evil creatures of legend and are no longer capable of reasoning. For centuries the Demon and Lycanthrope races have been at war but after her father died, Siena, the Lycanthrope Queen has made peace with the demons and hopes one day lingering hatred will fade away.

Elijah, the captain of the demon warriors is in lycanthrope territory when he is attacked by hunters and necromancers led by two rogue demon women Ruth an her daughter Mary who want to destroy the demon race. He is near death when Siena finds him and brings him into a nearby cave where she saves his life. During their time alone they Imprint, mated for life though Siena tries to fight it as she doesn’t want a king to rule with her. The problem is easily resolved when he agrees to be prince consort and they are happy together until Ruth once again attacks the demon she hates the most, Elijah. The demon king brings the war to her not realizing it will change demon-lycanthrope relations forever.

The latest book in the Nightwalkers series is entertaining and action oriented with just enough romance to keep fans of the genre very happy. Jacquelyn Frank does for Demons what Anne Rice did for vampires and witches and what Tolkien did for Hobbits. The pairing of an alpha male demon and an alpha female lycanthrope makes for an interesting battle of the sexes as each tries to dominate. The other characters from previous Nightwalker books make appearances and play pivotal roles that give the audience a sense of continuity.

Harriet Klausner

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