Jean Johnson, The Master

The Master

Jean Johnson

Berkley, Sep 2007, $14.00

ISBN: 9780425217061

The Mandarites drugged and kidnapped Dominor from his home on Nightfall isle. When the Natallian slavers attack the Mandarite vessel, Dominor roots for the newcomers as his treatment cannot get much worse from the devil he does not know. In turn he is put up for sale and purchased by mathemagican Lady Serina Avadan, Guardian of Koral-Tai

She needs a male equal in power to her to right an ancient wrong; as some idiot apparently not understanding equal signs blew a spell causing an imbalance between the genders that is beginning to show devastating effects. Serina plans to break the error spell by reenacting the tantric mating that was used to bring power to the mage performing the spell. However, though she persuades her slave to voluntarily join her as she promises to free him once the chore is done; she omits to tell him the side effects on them.

The latest Sons of Destiny romantic fantasy (see THE SWORD and THE WOLF) is an entertaining entry, but lacks the multiple subplots that the previous tales contained. Still this is a solid stand alone story as readers will enjoy the antics of the lead couple with she as the Master and he the slave unless he can prove they are loving equals. Fans of the series will enjoy this straight to the point (his that is) thriller.

Harriet Klausner