Brenda Joyce starts a new series of books based on a group
of men who have been given special powers to live long
lives and travel time to combat the presence of evil in the
world. They are the Masters of Time.
Claire Camden has lost her mother and a cousin to pleasure
killings. She has taken every precaution against evil.
She is proficient in the use of guns and knows multiple
forms of self-defense. That doesn't help when her
bookstore is invaded by a woman who is able to pin her
against a wall while not touching Claire. Claire awakens
from the attack to find two men fighting with broadswords
in her store while sirens blare.
Malcolm of Dunroch is a new Master. During a fight with
evil, he was fatally wounded. In his weakened state,he
accidently killed a woman by draining her life force. When
he realizes the danger that Claire is in, he takes her back
to his time to protect her from the evil that is pursuing
her.
Even though he is drawn to Claire, Malcolm is afraid that
he will kill her as well so he tries to stay away from
her. Claire and Malcom will work together to defeat the
evil. Claire will learn more about her heritage than she
has ever expected.
Ms. Joyce has written some powerful characters with an
interesting plotline. Malcolm was definitely a product of
his time. His "do what I say" attitude fits right in with
the medieval Scotland. Claire is a strong-willed heroine
who is also a product of her time and her experience. I
got a little annoyed with her about halfway through the
book when she kept promising to obey Malcolm and then
immediately breaking her promise. Some of her actions
bordered on TSTL since she was ill-equipped to deal with
the powers of the Masters and their enemies.
The premise of the book is intriguing and it will be
interesting to see where Ms. Joyce goes with the concept.
There is a high level of eroticism in this book since it is
tied in with the powers of the Masters.
Highland warriors sworn to protect Innocence through the
ages….
Malcolm of Dunroch has been chosen by the secret
Brotherhood, a nameless society of pagan knights sworn to
defend mankind. He is a novice to his extraordinary—and
dangerous--powers. But he has already broken his vows--for
an innocent woman’s death is on his hands. Malcolm is
determined to fight his dark sexuality, denying himself all
pleasure…until fate sends him another Innocent, the
beautiful bookseller, Claire Camden.
Desire is the first weapon
Since her mother's murder, Claire has done everything
possible to make a safe, secure life for herself in a city
where danger lurks on every street corner, especially in
the dark of the night. But nothing can prepare her for the
powerful and sexual medieval warrior who sweeps her back
into his time—a treacherous, frightening world where the
hunters and the hunted are one and the same. Claire needs
Malcolm to survive, yet she must somehow keep the
dangerously powerful Master at arm’s length. For she has no
wish to die in his bed like the others—in the throes of
dark, forbidden pleasure…