Seattle, Washington and Otherworld - Present Day

The D’Artigo sisters are half human, half Faerie, members of the OIA (Otherworld Intelligence Agency). The sisters are stationed Earthside because they’re considered bumblers (hey, they can’t help it that their mixed blood sometimes makes for erratic results when they use their powers). Civil war is brewing in Otherworld and a demon lord named Shadow Wing (ruler of the Sub Realms) has decided now is the perfect time to take over both Otherworld and Earth. It’s up to the D’Artigos and their allies to defeat Shadow Wing, his Demonkin, and anyone else that backs him up.

Menolly D’Artigo is, strictly speaking, a demon. Long ago while on a mission for the OIA, she was captured by Dredge, vampire, psycho, and leader of the Elwing Blood Clan. He tortured Menolly in every possible way and then turned her into a vampire, setting her loose on the world intending that she would murder her family. But Menolly is strong and, with help, she regained her senses and avoided completing his mission. Now, every day is a battle in Menolly’s life, not just because she and her sisters (along with their allies) are fighting Shadow Wing and others like him, but because she also has to fight her vampire instincts. And now it appears as if her nightmares are coming back to haunt her. Newborn vamps are popping up all over Seattle and the situation stinks of Dredge. It appears as if Menolly is going to get the chance to face her own personal demon again. But who will win this time around, Menolly or Dredge?

DARKLING is the third in this fantastic series, and this time around we get to delve deeper into Menolly’s life. Blunt, strong, scary and very much in touch with her dark side, Menolly is the last sister you’d think of as being vulnerable. However, at night she has nightmares about Dredge and the torture he put her through, reliving the pain and the horror over and over. One good thing about being an FBH (Full Blood Human), you can wake up from your nightmares. As a vampire, there’s no waking up until nightfall, no matter how badly you want to. Menolly has hidden much of what she went through from her sisters, partly because she doesn’t believe they could handle it. But her sisters are stronger than she thinks, and if they’re to defeat Dredge, she’s going to have to open up a bit more. And life is going to throw some other curveballs at Menolly; an intriguing and sensual woman who wants to get closer to her, a task that only Menolly can complete (and one which she swore never to do) and the breaking of her ties to Dredge (like it or not, all vampires are tied to their sires). Can Menolly triumph over her fears? You’ll have to get DARKLING to find out.

Thankfully for Menolly (and the world), she won’t face Dredge and his allies alone. Camille, the oldest D’Artigo sister, is a witch who’s learning new skills and has two very sexy and dangerous men in her life, Trillian (a Svartan) and Morio (a shape shifting demon). Delilah, the middle sister and a werecat, is also a Death Maiden now and, as such, really shouldn’t be messed with. Iris Kuusi, the house sprite who watches over all of the D’Artigos, once again proves that sprites shouldn’t be underestimated, and she still has some tricks up her sleeves even the D’Artigos don’t know about. Chase Johnson (Delilah’s boyfriend) and head of the FH-CSI (Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigations) is around to help as usual. And of course, there are many more characters who are important to the story as well.

If you love adventure, fantasy, danger, and extraordinarily creative writing, DARKLING is a surefire winner. Get your copy today! And hey, if you haven’t read the other books in the series, WITCHLING (October 2006) and CHANGELING (June 2007), get them as well. Also keep an eye out for DRAGON WYTCH (coming in July 2008).

Lori Ann