Spell of the Highlander - Karen Marie Moning

Spell of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
Fantasy Romance
Form: Audiobook

Jessi St. James has got to get a life. Too many hours studying ancient artifacts has given the hardworking archaeology student a bad case of sex on the brain. So she figures she must be dreaming when she spies a gorgeous half-naked man staring out at her from inside the silvery glass of an ancient mirror. But when a split-second decision saves her from a terrifying attempt on her life, Jessi suddenly finds herself confronting six and a half feet of smoldering, insatiable alpha male.

Heir to the arcane magic of his Druid ancestors, eleven centuries ago Cian MacKeltar was trapped inside the Dark Glass, one of four coveted Unseelie Hallows, objects of unspeakable power. When the Dark Glass is stolen, an ancient enemy will stop at nothing to reclaim it, destroying everything in his path–including the one woman who may just hold the key to breaking the ninth-century Highlander’s dark spell. For Jessi, the muscle-bound sex god in the mirror is not only tantalizingly real, he’s offering his protection–from exactly what, Jessi doesn’t know. And all he wants inexchange is the exquisite pleasure of sharing her bed.

Yet even as Cian’s insatiable hunger begins to work its dark magic on Jessi, his ancient enemy is about to obtain the final and most dangerous of the Unseelie Hallows–and the ninth-century Highlander must stop him from getting it. Nothing less than the very fabric of the universe and two passionately entwined lives are at stake–as Cian and Jessi fight to claim the kind of love that comes along but once in an ice age. . . .

I'm wondering if it's about this time that Karen Marie Moning started thinking about her Fever series, as everything is coming together in this book to cause a series collision in the making. I enjoyed a little more Fae background in this book than what I got in the last few as well. It was so exciting for me that I've decided to get the 3 current Fever books on audio book so I can go through them again. I wonder how much more I'll catch because of my new background information. I love it when author's intertwine stories. The best I've ever seen is how Stephenie Meyer made the Twilight series several layers in story thick. I think I find more layers and something new everytime I re-read or listen to them.

Cian and Jessi's story is a great one. I relate to Jessi very much. She's not the kick-butt girl that Chloe was, but she does have some confidence in herself as well. She didn't fight her relationship with Cian as much either. I liked that she gave in bit by bit, as opposed to being mean and distant in parts, she never really had an attitude that I've seen the past Highlander girls have. So, she seemed even more real. (This is not to say that I don't like a feisty girl who likes to kick butt, or at least defend herself. I liked Chloe for that reason, and I really like Mackalya in the Fever series because she kids major butt...but I do like real characters too.) Cian possessed the darkness in him that I find that I enjoy, but was still very "good." I'm not exactly sure that Karen Marie Moning intended this, but most of the time I just saw him as a misguided man. He inherited a household and responsibility when he was born, as his dad died before his birth. He had to make decisions as the head of house at a very early age, so naturally power and magic was very intriguing to him. I don't think he ever meant to cross over to the dark-side - he just didn't really know better until it was too late.

I also enjoyed the humor that Karen had in this book. I like it when characters tease, or when they just do something that is just plain laugh out loud funny. I think one of the better scenes is when Cian and Jess is having some make up sex, and Gwen is trying to convince everyone NOT to go into the hall. Very funny stuff.

For a series that I felt started off rather weak, the Highlander series has really been great. I have enjoyed the stories, and find that they are easy to read as individual books, out of order (which is what I've done), as opposed to being one big long story told throughout several different books. These series have been driving me nuts lately, because I want to know the end of the story, not be left hanging (cough...cough..HUNGER GAMES...cough...cough). But it's also a series where you get an underlying full story as well. Karen is a very good author. She knows how to put together a story that will keep you going - especially if you are into a.) romance, or b.) fantasy fiction.

I finally got The Immortal Highlander and I am SOO looking forward to reading Adam Black's story. I've been intrigued since I read the teaser a month ago.