As KINKED begins, the Sentinel Games have just ended.
After the games; Quentin the Wyr-Panther has won the right
to be one of Dragos' new sentinels. Aryal the Harpy
sentinel has long believed Quentin to be a criminal. Her
single-minded hunt for proof of his criminal culpability,
as well as her utter hate for him, has driven Aryal's every
action. For his own part, Quentin also dislikes Aryal
intensely. Their arguments and physical altercations
finally spiral out of control, and Dragos sends them on a
two week mission together and tells them to settle their
differences or else.
Aryal and Quentin are sent to a long dead Elven land,
Numenlaur; which was the scene of a horrible atrocity, and
which has been deserted for many years. They are to meet
up with a group of Elves and scout the land to see what
changes have taken place. What they find is an evil
magical entity who proves to be a grave danger to the pair;
an entity who leaves the two sentinels in a battle for
their lives. Along the way, Aryal and Quentin discover
some truths about each other, and about themselves. With
all the danger surrounding them, they begrudgingly become
allies; and slowly but surely they come to an understanding
about each other's vulnerabilities and needs. The
transformation from enemies to lovers, then finally to
friendship and love isn't easy, but ultimately worthwhile
for them.
As Thea Harrison's Elder Races series has progressed,
there have been quite a few ups-and-downs with the series;
as the quality of the stories have fluctuated somewhat.
KINKED, however; stands as an example of the best of what
the Elder Races series has to offer, and is destined
to
be a reader favorite. Aryal the Harpy was always a
dislikable, bad-tempered character, and a difficult one to
redeem; but Harrison did a good job, and acquitted her
nicely. KINKED has a very different feel to it; gritty
and dark in places, which is a rather enjoyable change of
pace for the series. There is also the issue of
the kinked sexual proclivities of both of the leads.
Although sexily humorous, rough, and fitting to the
characters; this one was more erotic than any of the other
books to date. KINKED leaves the reader happy and
satisfied; and hopeful for continued books in this vein.
Two opponents must confront the cause of their obsessive
fury in the latest Novel of the Elder Races?
As a harpy, Sentinel Aryal is accustomed to dealing
with
hate, but Sentinel Quentin Caeravorn manages to inspire in
her a burning ire unlike anything she's ever known. Aryal
believes the new Sentinel to be a criminal, and vows to
take
him out as soon as the opportunity arises. But the harpy's
incessant wrath has pushed Quentin to the limit, and forces
him to make a deadly vow of his own.
To put an end to the conflict, Dragos, Lord of the Wyr,
sends them on a reconnaissance mission to the Elven land of
Numenlaur. Forced to work together, Aryal and Quentin's
mutual antagonism escalates. Each fight draws forth more
passion?culminating in an explosively sexual confrontation.
But when their quest reveals real danger, Aryal and Quentin
must resolve their differences in ways beyond the physical,
before the entire Wyr is threatened.