Moira J. Moore, Resenting The Hero

Resenting The Hero

Moira J. Moore

Ace, March 2006, $7.50, 304 pp.

ISBN 0441013880

Their ancestors landed on a planet that had more natural and dangerous disasters than they could cope with, so many left while the hardy ones stayed. Over time, the Source came into being; men and women who could control the disasters and make them dissipate. Shields came into being to protect the mind and body of the Source, otherwise they would die from an overload of energy to their body.

Dunleavy Mallorough has studied for years to become a Shield and now has a chance to be bonded with her Source. The two candidates she doesn't want as her Source are Steven Creol, who is said to be cruel and has never been able to bond with a Shield and Karish, an aristocratic hedonist, as the rumors go. Unfortunately, the bond between Shield and Source steps into place for Karish and Dunleavy. They are sent on their first assignment to Highscape, a city with many natural disasters and seven bound pairs of Sources and Shields to keep things stable. Dunleavy does her best to keep Karish and his winning personality at a distance, but in spite of herself she learns to care for him. When he is kidnapped a friend of hers discovers where he was taken, only to discover that she has walked into a trap, and if she can't get out of it, thousands will die.

This incredible romantic fantasy will appeal equally to fans of both genres. The sexual tension between the two protagonists is so strong that readers will feel sparks fly off the pages. The hero and heroine are strangely likable, with one filled with excess pride and the other a confirmed sensualist. There are a lot of surprises in store for the audience, as the Source and the Shield learn there are more to their powers than they were trained to use.