Jacquelyn Frank

**Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques**

Gideon lost control once, and paid dearly for it at the hands of the Enforcer. He is determined to never allow it to happen again. But that is easier said than done when he continuously crosses paths with the beautiful and confusing Mind Demon, Magdelegna. As the oldest living Demon, Gideon has seen and done much, but nothing can prepare him for Legna, although she is barely more than a child by Demon standards. Self-control should come naturally to the show more Body Demon, yet he is confounded time and again by the maddening moods of the empathic Legna even while he is irresistibly drawn to her.

Legna hasn’t forgiven Gideon for that fateful night so long ago. It lives in her memories like it was yesterday, stoking the fires of her temper whenever she sees the frustrating Gideon. Can the man really be so clueless that he doesn’t realize how he hurt her before? Worse, with each encounter Legna comes to realize that Gideon is her destined mate. Mate or not, Legna refuses to tie herself to a man who cannot give her all of himself, body and soul.

An attack on a friend throws the two together, forcing them to confront their growing bond. But is it strong enough to withstand the secrets Gideon still harbors? When faced with the truth of his past, can Legna understand, forgive, and love him regardless? Can Gideon forgive himself?

The day I received a beautiful ARC of Jacquelyn Frank’s sequel to Jacob: The Nightwalkers in the mail, I considered myself to be one of the luckiest reviewers around. Reading Gideon: The Nightwalkers only reinforced that feeling! With only two published books to date, this author is wedged firmly at the top of both my auto-buy list and my must-be-read-first list!

Legna (Magdelegna) captured our hearts with her role in the first novel, and I was happy to see her return in the second book. Her warmth, grace, and charm were already evident in Jacob, but the depth of her personality is in full force in Gideon. As peacemaker to the two Fire Demons who are her older siblings, she maintains a calm and empathic understanding of all creatures. She is more than confused when the irritating Gideon manages to spark her ire at every turn and flees his presence whenever possible, trying to maintain her equilibrium.

Gideon does not quite understand why everything he says or does with Legna seems to be wrong. Nothing the lovely Mind Demon does in response to him makes much sense to the logical Gideon. The attraction he feels to a woman who is little more than Fledgling compared to himself makes even less sense, but it is there, nonetheless, and growing stronger with each passing day. Witnessing his confusion when dealing with Legna is an absolute delight! Legna is just what the doctor (or Body Demon, in this case) ordered for the staid Gideon. Knocking him off kilter and forcing him to confront his own feelings, Legna attempts to break through his reserved exterior to touch both his heart and soul.

In Gideon, we also see the return of Isabella and Jacob, who starred in the first novel. Although supporting characters, their story figures prominently in the second story, granting readers a look at their lives together. Indeed, the picture of Jacob as a happily mated male offering advice to Gideon regarding Legna is more than entertaining!

While the prominent story is the relationship between Gideon and Legna, there is plenty of action and angst as well. There are still evil Necromancers afoot, leaving the Nightwalker community shaken and on the defense.

Each Nightwalkers release leaves me aching for the next. Jacquelyn Frank deftly sets the stage for the next story in each book, whetting our appetites for more while still leaving us feeling happily fulfilled by each book. If you haven’t yet read this wonderful series, I’d recommend you run to your nearest bookstore ASAP and pick up the first book, Jacob: The Nightwalkers to prepare for the May release of this new edition, Gideon: The Nightwalkers! show less

This is a deeply romantic and entertaining tale by Jacquelyn Frank, and in my opinion is second only to Noah as her best work.

Damien is the prince of the vampires, a race of cold and cunning immortals. Syreena is a princess of the Lycanthropes, a uniquely gifted shape-shifter, who falls in love with Damien after he rescues her from the evil Demon magic-user Ruth.Their romance is complicated by the tenuous peace between their races, and the fact that vampires are not meant to fall in love. show more

The characters are both strong and intriguing. They are determined and self-aware. The romance between them is truly beautiful. It is a dark twist on the timeless prince-meets-princess fairytale-as easy to relate to as it is fantastical.

Frank manages to continue to build upon her universe while still giving her central couple the spotlight. In fact, she uses what goes on between Syreena and Damien as a way to build the drama in the larger Nightwalker world. The elements blend pleasingly. show less

Wow! I was totally not expecting to like this book. It sounded really pretentious to me, and after the last couple of dogs that I had read, I was almost dreading getting into this one. Boy was I wrong.

Jacquelyn Frank has done to demons what Christine Feehan did to vampires. They are human, sophisticated, funny, and yet there is a dark side. Evil is encroaching, but they have found a new hope for the future.

The interactions between Bella and the demons are irreverent and delightful. Her show more relationship Jacob is very real to life. I hope the rest of the series lives up to promise of this book. show less

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: I want book 2 NOW, enough said.

Opening Sentence: “Ow. Ow. Ow. And did I mention ow?”

The Review:

Thought I would get a head start on this book for my next review yesterday at 5 pm and when I look up next it was after midnight and the book was finished. I literally couldn’t put this book down. I missed dinner and even forgot to put a load of clothes in to wash. So you have been warned up front that this story is enough to get absolutely show more lost in.

Now some people might see that this is a spin off series and wonder if they can jump head long into this world with out the original series. Yes, with no qualms or stipulations. I am sorry to say that this is my first Jacquelyn Frank book and boy what I have been missing out on if this is the caliber of writing that she is giving to readers.

Docia, our heroine, is minding her own business headed to work when she is pushed off a bridge and killed. As she is dying she is taken to The Ether which is a place where humans are granted the opportunity to host a Nightwalker. After Docia accepts that she wants to live and will host this Nightwalker, she is granted a second chance at life.

Ram, our hero, comes charging in to save Docia as she wanders the streets after being released from hospital. He informs her that he has been sent as her guide and protector. Then tops it off saying she is his Queen. Sweet introduction if I do say so, Ms. Frank.

Both of these characters are so well rounded and developed there were times that I could nearly anticipate their actions because I felt I knew them both.

Docia’s brother, Jackson is a nearly overwhelming secondary character but I’m pleased that he will be getting his very own book, Forever. The exchanges between Docia and Jackson at the beginning remind me very much of exchanges I have seen in tightly knit families. Ms. Frank knocked this one out of the park.

I appreciated the glossary and pronunciation table at the beginning of the book because I didn’t have to wonder if the words I was hearing in my head were correct or not.

So finally, should you add this to your book collections? Absolutely! Will I read book 2 in this series? Absolutely! Am a a Jacquelyn Frank fan now? Most definitely!

Notable Scene:

“My queen?”

He was addressing her, she realized, stifling a bit of a giggle. Yet there was something thrilling and empowering to hear one so beautiful and so obviously powerful address her as though she were somehow greater than he, as if he were possibly subservient to her.

She opened her mouth, but she honestly didn’t know how to respond–not only to such an address, but to the way he had come to her assistance overall. And then there was a moment, standing there in the golden aura of strength and hardness that was emanating from him, when she wondered if her attacker had been the frying pan and her savior was, actually, the fire. It kind of felt that way. Just a little. Seeing as how he now stood over her with a bloody knife in his hand.

FTC Advisory: Ballantine/Random House provided me with a copy of Forbidden. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. show less