Alexis Morgan, Bound by Darkness

Bound by Darkness

Alexis Morgan

Pocket, Apr 26 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9781439176047

Since fleeing his world along with others, Kalith warrior Larem has struggled to adapt to this new realm though he has forged friendships with a few of the Paladin warriors who protect this dimension from the dark. At the same time, daughter of a Regent, Sasha Willis' ambition is to break the gender barrier by becoming the first female Regent.

She has an opportunity to prove herself by cleaning up the fiasco caused by the seditious Kincaide in Seattle. She also sees this assignment as a chance to line up the support of the city's Paladins. However, she is extremely unhappy with the exiled Kalith in town and that several have befriended the Paladins. When she meets Larem, Sasha finds her racism challenged as she is attracted to the alien. Still some want the glass ceiling to remain in place and the Kalith cleansed from earth; so they target Sasha from completing her task even if that means killing her and her new protector.

The seventh Paladin urban fantasy (see Defeat the Darkness) is a terrific thriller as betrayal leaves the heroine and her new defender in deep trouble and not just from the Others. Sasha makes the exciting story line work as she learns not to stereotype a race when she begins to first trust and then love not hate Larem as he risks his life to keep her safe from deadly assaults. This is another winner in an enthralling dark saga.

Harriet Klausner