Re-Read Challenge Review: The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

I am Dageus MacKeltar, a man with one good conscience and thirteen bad ones, driven to sate my darkest desires…

From his penthouse lair high above Manhattan, Dageus looks out over a glittering city that calls to the darkness within him. A sixteenth century Scot trapped between worlds, he is fighting a losing battle with the thirteen Druids who possess his soul, dooming him to an eternity of sexual pursuit. When Chloe Zanders, student of antiquities, is drawn into his world, she finds the insatiable Alpha male an irresistible lure.

Before long, she is caught up in an ancient prophecy that will sweep her back in time to medieval Scotland. Plunged into a world of timeless magic and dark seduction, she will soon face the challenge of a lifetime: fighting thirteen evil spirits for the heart of one irresistible man…

The Keltar clan was chosen long ago to be the keeper of a Compact made by the Tuatha De Danaan (the Fae). In it they are given the ability to leap through time but they are not to do it for personal or political gain. It is said that if one does use it for personal gain then they will turn dark. After so many years of hearing this information Dageus MacKeltar has forced himself to believe that it’s just not true. In an attempt to save his twin brother Drustan, Dageus goes back in time and the souls of 13 dark and evil beings now reside in his body.

Dageus is now living in the 21st Century in downtown Manhattan. He is attempting to find a way to rid himself of the dark souls by looking through ancient tomes. Whatever he can’t barter for with his ancient artifacts he steals. Now he’s bartered for another tome and it’s Chloe Zanders’ job to take it to him.

Chloe Zanders, reluctantly taking an ancient tome to some wealthy man who can’t be bothered to go see it in the museum, finds much more than she bargained for when she walks into Dageus’ penthouse. Her innocent delivery begins a series of events that end up with Chloe not only heading to Scotland with Dageus to try to help him translate more tomes, but also through time to the sixteenth century. During their search for the solution to Dageus problem they fall in love and find in the other the one person that was meant for them.

This is a great book. I read the Highlander series back in 2007 some time and I just loved it – epecially starting from book 3. It captured my whole attention at the time and I just read one book right after the other. After reading Kiss of the Highlander last month for my re-read challenge I just couldn’t stop myself from reading the next book in line. It was interesting to read this one again as I’d forgotten a couple of things that had happened.

I have to say that I loved Dageus as much this time around, if not more. I think it was harder for me to like him with the first read because I was so enamored of Drustan, his twin, from the previous book. Since I read KofH last month I had some time in between and could really give Dageus his due. Let me just say…he’s one hell of a man. Yum. He’s all about the big and bad Alpha – but he’s like that even without the evil souls in him and it looks damned good on him. But besides all that the man has honor. Bucket loads of it. Strength of character is just one thing that attracts me to a man and Dageus had it.

Chloe seems like the last person on earth for Dageus. She loves ancient artifacts and Scotland, but she’s never really gotten out into the world and taken control of things. She’s kind of a down home girl, raised in Kansas by her Scottish grandfather and she very wholesome. Except when she sees Dageus all of the many sexual positions a man and woman can attain start reeling through her head. lol I have to laugh because of course they did! This is a romance after all. 🙂 But Chloe brought me around to her side. She turned out to be all those things but so much more. She was a determined, strong woman in her own way and nothing was gonna get between her and her man. Good for her.

It was so nice to sit back with this book and once again live the journey through the characters eyes. This is definitely a book that I will read again and again over the years.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
(when I read it the first time I wasn’t rating books but I’m pretty sure I would have given it the same back in 2007.)

FYI – Last October The Book Binge did a great post called What Brother Rocks YOUR Socks? between Drustan and Dageus. I personally pick Drustan but damn, what a decision to have to make!!

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