Readers of the previous Castle of the Dark Dreams
books will know what to
expect, but newcomers may find it hard to take this
instalment seriously, as it features vampires and demons
inhabiting fantasyland theme parks. But that's okay, as
these books don't take themselves too seriously either.
Once you get used to the idea that these otherworldly
beings are hiding in plain sight and charging normal people
for the privilege of experiencing what they think
paranormal should be about, you can see the potential for
fun and action.
WICKED MEMORIES starts with a grudge between Sparkle
Stardust who runs the Castle of Dark Dreams and her
competition, Thorn McKenzie who owns Nirvana. Sparkle
likes to allow clients to live out their fantasies in role-
play, but Thorn just offers rides, amusements - and an ugly
parking garage. Thorn persuades three employees of
Sparkle's to come and work for him instead; a vampire, a
demon and a sorcerer. While Thorn is a vampire, he tries to
not use vampire persuasive powers as he's found that they
are addictive - but to beat Sparkle he's made an exception.
Furious, Sparkle sees to it that a kiosk in his park
explodes. Game on!
The interesting location in Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico
adds variety to shape-shifting beings, with two whale-
shifters joining the fray, and other creatures at home in
water. What with a telepathic cat and a few witches, life
is certainly not dull around these theme parks. Sparkle
has hired a human lawyer in the hope that this girl will be
able to spy on her rival unnoticed in amongst all the
regular people, but poor Kayla is far from happy with the
situation. That's until she realises that she's attracted
to Thorn, who can't really be a thousand-year-old vampire,
can he? And all the commotion gains the attention of
Aegir, a sea god, which is far from a good thing.
Nina Bangs has created a location and characters with a lot
of potential, so any reader enjoying WICKED MEMORIES can go
back and read the six previous ones, starting
with Wicked Nights.
Thorn Mackenzie was a young Viking when he met Sparkle
Stardust long ago. She used him and then abandoned him.
Over a thousand years later, he has finally found a way to
repay her. Employing his power of persuasion, he assembles
a team that can create the ultimate fantasies and
illusions. The group will work together in Nirvana, the
amazing amusement park Thorn has built—right across
the street from Sparkle's Castle of Dark Dreams. To fight
back before Thorn bleeds her business dry, Sparkle must
hire a spy.
Kay Stanley needs extra money, so she reluctantly agrees
to do some sneaking and peeking for Sparkle. But as she
gets closer to Thorn, she discovers they have a lot more in
common than just a need to crush the competition and a
willingness to fight dirty. As sexual tension between them
mounts, she finds it harder to see the gorgeous Viking as
her enemy. But with an evil force working to destroy their
city, they may not survive long enough for her to help him
overcome his...
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