This was a 5 star read for me. It had lots of things that makes me happy in a book. Lots of gut wrenching pathos for example. Sometimes I just get into that stuff. I don't always enjoy a heroine who is unsure of herself but she was well written. She was the type that felt unlovable because of the way her family had treated her growing up and her insecurities just added to the angsty pathos. The hero wins the award for the most messed up super tortured hero I've read in years. But he still managed to fall in love with the heroine and be super protective of her. I enjoyed the way the magic was set up and the different dimensions the people came from etc.

There were obviously books that came before this in a series but I wasn't lost. There were enough references that I caught the gist of what was going on easily enough. No info dumping to catch me up which I appreciated since I'm not dumb. This story stood well on its own. It focused pretty closely on the hero and heroine and their relationship. These were two messed up people who found each other and were stronger together.

The mystery of why the heroine was being attacked was the outside conflict and there was plenty of trying to solve the riddle and plenty of action scenes where the hero was fighting to defend the heroine. She grew during the course of the book, both in confidence that she was worth loving and in how to use her weak magic powers to best effect. The hero desperately needed the heroine's love. You got the feeling that his sanity wouldn't have lasted much longer had he not met her.

Loved it.

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The heroine is burning the wick at both ends. Not only has she to deal with the abusive childhood and outcast from her people, but she's horrible scarred AND now she's being targets but unknown but power beings. In her desperation, she seeks out the help of a woman who was once her friend but she instead finds the hero. He is beyond traumatized by his imprisonment and torture and racked with bone deep chilling guilt over what he did. He doesn't rust anyone, certainly not a woman who's supposed to be his enemy. But he's her only hope for survival and the fact that when she's around he feels something other than pain makes him take on the job as bodyguard. But they're battling an enemy he knows nothing about and she's weak-a burden to him when it comes to battle. But he feels such a possessive need to keep her safe that he'll do anything to battle the demon and shadow walkers determined to destroy her. The hero and heroine were the perfect match for each other because they trying were just as damaged and fucked up by life as the other. It was hard to choose the more tortured soul between the two but it had to be the hero. The vivid and gruesome flashbacks of his ordeal were slowly driving him crazy. He couldn't sleep, he was terrified of the dark so he kept every single light on in his house. And worse of all, he couldn't talk about it to anyone. It took a lot to make him finally open up to the heroine and it took such trust in her to speak about his guilt. They found a kinship with each other that was life saving-for both of them. Sure the hero was the hammer-the warrior. But the heroine soothed him. I really enjoyed this book but I did have a few issues. First off was the very simple plot line. It got stuck in this repetitive routine of going to the cabin-talking. Going to the library-talking. Getting attacked outside the library and going back to the cabin again. It went on and on in this same fashion for the entire book and I got a little bored. BUT, the characters really saved it for me. You could truly relate with them and feel their pain. Plus the sex scenes were hot. Over all this wasn't the home run I remembered it being but it was still very worthy of the 4 star. ( )

O'Shea's fourth Light Warriors romance is a riveting thrill ride that will keep her readers enthralled. The story picks up where 2009's Edge of Dawn left off, with novice mage Farran hiding in Seattle from her Tàireil kin and the Gineal who hunt them. After Seth, a demon, nearly destroys her, Farran decides she's desperate enough to ask Kel, an estranged Gineal for protection. Kel is battling PTSD after being tortured as a hostage, and he sees a kindred spirit in Farran, whose abusive father left her with her own set of emotional scars. Soon Kel and Farran are caught up in a whirlwind of battles, lovemaking, pop culture references, and terrifying flashbacks and nightmares. The fast-paced story stands alone and will easily draw new fans to the series. (Apr.) --Staff (Reviewed February 15, 2010) (Publishers Weekly, vol 257, issue 7, p120) ( )