Maggie Shayne, Prince of Twilight

Prince of Twilight

Maggie Shayne

Mira, Oct 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 0778322793

Five centuries ago, Lady Elisabeta "Beta" committed suicide; her surviving spouse Vlad Dracul was shocked and despondent as he felt life without her would prove unbearable. Thus he managed to save some of her soul inside a ring with the prayer that a ritual involving planetary alignment will enable him to bring back his wife using a descendent as the vehicle.

Now five hundred years of anguish waiting has finally ended as the planets begin to properly align for the Count to start the process. He plans to use the body of Tempest "Stormy" Jones as the container to hold Elisabeta's soul. However, as Dracul becomes acquainted with Stormy, he finds he desires her, but wonders could he love this modern day woman more than his late wife. At the same time he faces his dilemma of the heart, Stormy begins to realize that she has some of Beta's memory and that the past is battling with the present for the future of her soul. Since he started the ritual, he cannot stop or both will die; will Vlad go for what he had and lost or what he can have?

The latest Maggie Shayne "Twilight" thriller is a terrific vampire romance that grips fans of the series once Dracul and Stormy meet. The storyline is action-packed but character driven as the Count realizes he has an extremely difficult decision to make. Fans will read in one sitting to learn who survives, if either; newcomers should first peruse the previous tales (see Twilight Hunger and Embrace The Twilight) to fully savor the bite of this superior paranormal.

Harriet Klausner