Really hard to get into at first but finally got going and making more scense. After finishing I'll give the next book a chance a it had potential to bre much better. We shall see... ( )

http://jacescribbles.blogspot.com/2008/02/beast-within-by-lisa-renee-jones.html ( )

**Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques**

Under the guidance of the Archangel Raphael, the Knights of White were created to protect humankind against the evil Darkland Beasts. But the good knights carry their own beast, and must fight the dark instincts that come with it, else they lose their souls forever. They have one hope of truly harnessing that darkness – through acceptance and love of their true mates. Only then can they hold the beast at bay and come into their full powers.

Jag is the leader of this band of guardians, and has kept control of The Beast Within for centuries. Now a recurring dream of a strangely familiar beauty threatens to break his control in a way that would destroy him forever.

Karen has unknowingly shared Jag’s dreams for some time, but it isn’t until this human meets the imposing knight that she begins to remember them upon waking. How could two people have the same dream?

Jag isn’t certain whether Karen is setting him up or being used as bait, but as the attraction between them grows stronger, he knows he has already lost both his heart and his soul – to her.

Once again, Lisa Renee Jones show her fans how talented an author she is – no matter the genre. Equally adept with contemporary, paranormal, or anything else she puts her mind to, the common thread is this writer’s fantastic imagination that continuously creates worlds rich with realism (yes, even the paranormal) and characters you not only believe, but who you want to know. OK, maybe I just mean the good guys, because those bad guys – well, she can create some doozies! Never is that more evident than in The Beast Within.

A tale of good versus evil, this book definitely packs a wallop in the villain department. Just as we have a team of good guys, we have a whole army of baddies, with the dastardly Adrian leading them all. This demon is enough to make you cringe time and again as his evil deeds and plots escalate throughout the story.

Jag, however, is a whole other story. Jag personifies everything you need in a classic hero. He is tortured, noble, long-suffering, and loves with everything in him. As a leader, he cares about every knight under his command and every human under his protection. He puts everyone else’s needs before his own – even at his own detriment. Believing his love for Karen doomed, he agonizes over her safety – both from the demons bent on destroying them and from himself.

Karen is the embodiment of goodness and light. Altruistic to a fault, and full of purity and grace, she’s not above kicking butt when she needs to – especially when that butt belongs to the man she loves. She is the perfect heroine for Jag, who finds Karen under his skin before he knows it.

The Beast Within launches Lisa Renee Jones’ new The Knights of White series, and this book kicks off the saga with a bang! Not only does Jones create a beautiful romance between Jag and Karen, but she deftly spins interest in many supporting characters who are bound to find themselves the star of their own books very soon. Add to that the ongoing war against the Darkland Beasts, and I see a series that readers will crave many more editions of!

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