Two Reviews

DESTINY KILLS - Keri Arthur
Myth and Magic, Book 1
Dell Fantasy
ISBN-13: 978-0-553-58960-3
November 2008
Paranormal Romance

United States and Scotland - Present Day

When she first wakes up, naked, cold and without any memories, the woman is alone. Well, almost alone. There is a man with her, but he’s dead, and so not much in the way of company. And suddenly, there are some memories available to her. The man is, or was, her friend, lover and guardian, Egan Jamieson. He’d given her a priceless gift, her freedom, and he’d paid for it with his life. She may not remember much, but she does remember vowing vengeance, and somehow, she knows she’s capable of getting it. For the woman isn’t remotely human, she’s something else, something very different. Her memory comes back slowly, in snippets, and then she remembers her name, Destiny McCree. After saying goodbye to Egan, she sets out to find her father, but first she finds Trae Wilson, Egan’s brother, and suddenly her life becomes even more complicated.

Trae Wilson is a draman (half human, half dragon...air dragon to be precise). A thief (a traditional occupation in his family), Trae got a brief, somewhat garbled message from his brother Egan asking for his help and protection, not for himself, but for Destiny. When he meets Destiny, the beautiful sea dragon appeals to him on quite a few levels, but first she has some explaining to do; where is Egan and where is the dragon ring he had in his possession?

You’ve heard all the rumors about the Loch Ness monster, haven't you? Well, to some extent, they’re true. Based on sea dragons (generations of them in fact) that rumor led some scientists, with very few morals and no regard for the care of anything they don’t consider human, to discover and imprison them. That’s where Destiny spent the last ten years of her life, and that’s where she needs to go, to free the other dragons still imprisoned there. After she helps her father go on to the hereafter. And after she convinces Trae to help her. A task that could be difficult as he has his own priorities.

DESTINY KILLS is the first in an intriguing, sexy new series that promises to reveal to readers the secrets of dragons who don’t at all resemble the classic stereotype. These dragons have strange and wondrous powers, shape-shifting abilities, and some of them have highly developed (if somewhat insular) societies. Destiny isn’t a weak woman, though her stubborn and somewhat naïve self got her captured by the scientists many years ago, she’s grown a lot since then and become a strong woman no one should overlook. Trae is determined, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to find his missing sister (the reason he needs Egan’s ring by the way, he’ll use it to trade for information he needs). Neither one of these dragons makes trust a habit; life has taught them both that it’s a dangerous thing. However, if they’re to get what they want, they’ll need to band together or lose everything, including the chance to discover if the spark that lies between them is a fluke, or a sign that they’re meant for each other.

Concentrating mostly on Destiny and Trae, this story doesn’t introduce too many secondary characters who stand out from the crowd. Dr. James Marsten is one of them. The scientist in charge of the facility where Destiny and Egan were once held, he’s an evil man who will never understand why what he does is wrong. Egan and Trae’s dad is another. The king of their clique (generations of air dragons sharing one community), he’s not the fatherly sort and regards Trae with contempt because of his human half. Never mind that he’s the one who chose to breed with a human and produce a draman son. Sigh, some people just don’t make sense!

Filled with plenty of sexual tension, adventure, creative storytelling and lots of action, DESTINY KILLS will hold your attention from beginning to end and leave you eager for the next installment in this thrilling new series. Don’t miss it!

Lori Ann

DESTINY KILLS ~~ Keri Arthur
Dell
ISBN: 973-0-553-58960-3
November 2008
Paranormal Romance

Present Day

She has no idea who she is, or why she is sitting naked on the beach. All she knows is that the dead man next to her was her friend and lover, and she is waiting for the dawn to take the body of Egan Jamieson. Neither can she understand why she feels a deep connection to the raging ocean in front of her. Something is telling her she's not human and whoever murdered her friend is still on the hunt. Can she find the answers to her life before it's too late?

Destiny McCree is a sea dragon, and she and Egan escaped from the Loch Ness Research Foundation, where they had been held for ten years, but not without a price. Now Destiny is determined to free the dragons the research facility still have locked up, one of whom happens to be her mother. The one person she trusted is now dead, and in his place is Trae Wilson, Egan's half-brother, and a draman -- half human, half dragon. He's also a master thief and someone Destiny's not sure she can rely on. But she'll have to entrust her life to him when the same people who held Destiny captive come hunting for her again. This time, Destiny is determined to destroy them all.

An engaging and thrilling tale of discovery and suspense, DESTINY KILLS follows the journey of Destiny McCree as she searches for answers about herself while trying to deal with the loss of a beloved. Keri Arthur's plot has taken the legendary Loch Ness myth and created an entire world of dragons who swim in the sea and fly in the air. Readers know that once Trae enters the picture, he's the one for Destiny, but she is respectful of the love she had for Egan, and although she has feelings for the enigmatic Trae, she waits to act on those emotions. Though the book is told from Destiny's point of view, Trae's charming quirks and raw sexuality are still very apparent, and readers, like our heroine, will be unable to resist him.

The first in what is sure to be another winning series from Keri Arthur, DESTINY KILLS is not one to be missed.

Courtney Michelle