A desire that can’t be controlled…Carson Philips is a witch on the run. For years, the notorious mage, Alvaro Magellan, has held her as his psychological prisoner. But once Carson gets a glimpse of the true extent of his evil, she flees Magellan’s mansion–stealing a stone talisman of unimaginable power on the way. Her only hope for survival is a demon who ignites a voracious hunger in her she can’t deny, a longing she can’t resist…
A hunger that can’t be sated…Nikodemus is a warlord with a mission: Kill Magellan and his green-eyed witch at any cost. But when he meets the desperate Carson, the pull of her magic takes his breathe away. He’s not sure he can trust this tantalizing woman–she is his enemy–and less sure he can keep his hands off her. But Magellan will stop at nothing to reclaim what belongs to him. Can Nikodemus stop him before his desire for Carson destroys them both?
This is my first book by Carolyn Jewel and I thought it was fabulous. It’s a very interesting world that Jewel has created and I look forward to seeing where she takes it.
When Carson Phillips flees the home of Alvaro Magellan, she has no idea that he is anything other than a murderer. What she does know is that Magellan will hunt her down to get the historical artifact that she stole the day she ran out the door. She doesn’t know that the artifact is actually a powerful talisman that will release unimaginable evil onto the world.
Warlord Nikodemus is sworn enemies with any witch, including Carson Phillips. He has a hard time believing that she is as innocent as she seems to be. After all, she stole a talisman from one of the most powerful mages in the world…and got away. The more time he spends with her, the more Nikodemus realizes that Carson is not in a league with the mage, she was in fact used for power she didn’t even know she had. For years Magellan drained her of her power and Nikodemus knows that she will soon be dead. He didn’t think he’d care, though, so he’s surprised when he finds himself doing anything to save Carson’s life.
While the world created was intriguing, the character building left a bit to be desired. While I thought Jewel did a credible job of writing Nikodemus, I really didn’t connect with Carson at all. From one chapter to the next she’s a clueless human, then a perplexing combination of mage and fiend. Not only that, but she’s also powerful enough to free mageheld fiends from the mages. A mageheld fiend is a fiend that is bound to a mage and must do everything the mage asks for or he/she will feel unspeakable pain. Mageheld fiends hate their mages, even as they are bound to them. In fact they hate all mages and witches, including Carson.
What I did like reading was Carson’s inner struggle when she freed a mageheld fiend. Part mage, Carson could free a mageheld fiend and then bind them to her. The draw to do exactly that is strong while she frees them and she has to work hard never to cross that line. I think that Jewel did a great job of making the reader feel the struggle that Carson goes through.
The relationship between Carson and Nikodemus is strong, especially since they should be sworn enemies. I enjoyed that part of the book as well. So really, the only problem I had was with the character development of Carson, but that was just at the beginning. After suspending disbelief over her ability to adjust, I quite liked her.
4 out of 5.
This book is available from Grand Central Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
I saw this book the other day at Borders and debated over getting it. Still not sure that I will since you said the heroine is a personality waffler. But it does sound interesting. Thanks for the review!