Jean Johnson, The Sword

The Sword

Jean Johnson

Berkley, Feb 2007, $14.00

ISBN: 0425214400

The eight brothers, four sets of twins, live in exile on an island where no one else resides. These powerful mages especially fear females for the prophecy claims if the eldest falls in love, the brotherly octet is doomed. Yet the most powerful of the siblings, the youngest Morganen has brought a woman from some remote dimension in his belief she is the one for the oldest Saber and will somehow turn the first omen on its head.

American businesswoman Kelly Doyle cannot understand how she ended up a prisoner in the middle of a medieval reenactment when she was moments earlier caught in a deliberately set fire in order to kill her. The brothers free her and like any good drill female sergeant shaping up slovenly male recruits she soon takes over the island, forcing the guys to clean up the castle, the grounds and their act. Saber tries to avoid her out of his fear of what will happen, but Kelly confronts him. As they fall in love, seven of the brothers expect disaster with only Morg thinking otherwise even as an enemy plots to use the newcomer to destroy the eight.

Enchantments, amusement, and eight hunks and one bewitching woman make for a fun romantic fantasy as Saber insists he's not in love while Kelly thinks about modern conveniences that she took for granted. The storyline is humorous and magical as the lead pair falls in love while the ill behaved siblings anticipate the worst and an unknown adversary plots to do so. Jean Johnson opens her mini series with a delightful charmer.

Harriet Klausner