NightboundAuthor: Lynn Viehl
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 978-0451239815
Lords of the Darkyn #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): paperback (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/ NetGalley
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About the book:
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Beaumaris of York has many secrets. No human can know that he’s an immortal Darkyn assigned to Knight’s Realm, the Kyn stronghold disguised as a medieval theme park. And none of his brethren can discover that he’s a half-breed, rescued from slavery as a child. Lately Beau has been yearning for action—and he’s about to find it with his new mission.
Brilliant archaeologist Dr. Alys Stuart is infamous for her extraordinary theories—especially those concerning the mysterious Knights Templar—and she is unaware that her research is funded by the Kyn coffers. When the Kyn sends a vexingly good-looking man to assist—and protect—her, she doesn’t expect the surge of attraction she feels for him.
When a powerful Templar artifact surfaces, Alys and Beau must trust each other enough to stop mankind’s greed for immortality from sparking a war between mortals and Kyn that will destroy the world.
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What VampBard’s talking about:
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I am actually sad to see the Lords of the Darkyn series end! It was an action-packed, quick-moving off-shoot of her previous Darkyn titles. Guess I may have to pick ’em up for a fix!
Nightbound, the final title in Lynn Viehl’s Lords of the Darkyn trilogy hit it out of the park for me! Replete with action, adventure, and a fabulous wrap-up for the spin-off series, this book definitely was an excellent ‘closer’! Rarely do I enjoy the last book of a series as much – or more – than the first book. I am somewhat biased toward world-building, and generally fall madly in love with the world at that time. Other books seem like a bit of a let-down in comparison. Not so with this title! HEAT INDEX: 3.5 out of 5, but there was delicious sexual tension throughout!
Lords of the Darkyn was my first venture into Ms. Viehl’s world of the Kyn, so I’m not sure whether any of the others mentioned in the series had backstories in prior titles, but it really doesn’t matter. The trilogy presented three focus couples – one in each book – and I have to say that Beau and Alys were my favorite! I drooled over the Robin of Loxley lore in this book, and found that Nightbound expertly combined both worlds and left me with just a content sigh & a smile. Not many books can say that!
The Robin of Loxley lore was one of the plot points that drove me through this title. I’ll be honest. Nothing compares to a good Robin Hood fanfic or re-imagining. Nightbound was no exception. From the first mention of Richard Tremayne, Nottingham, and Robin, I waited with baited breath for the next murmuring about this infamous tale. I loved the spin Ms. Viehl placed on the story. The addition of the Templars – a theory I’d always entertained with regard to the Sherwood tale – well, that absolutely drove home my **need** to finish this story. I’ll be honest. I read it in about 4 hours. Four (pretty much) consecutive hours. The family insisted I go to a movie with about 20 minutes of reading left. The ending hovered over me the entire time I was at the movie. Theories running rampant in my head. I swear, the family KNEW exactly where I was in the book & decided that the 2:25 PM movie would be the perfect choice to rip me away from my book. **grumble**
Beaumaris, our dashing hero, was brilliantly described:
The crystal chandeliers overhead sketched him with thin slashes of amber light, from the tigereye streaks in his thick sorrel hair to the blunt toes and buckled straps of his dull black boots. His shoulders and chest filled out his leather jacket with enough bulge to make Alys think bodybuilder, but the elegance of his strong hands belonged to a musician, and the long, beautifully muscled stretch of his legs suggested an athlete. He was the tallest and most well-built male in the bar.
Formerly a Templar, Beaumaris (a.k.a. Beau) was now part of Jayr’s garrison. He’s over 700 years old, and he has been a phenomenal fighter for the duration. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised in a home with the head of the garrison who thought of him as a brother. Installed on a secret mission by Richard Tremayne, High Lord, Beau is charged with keeping tabs on an archaeological dig he’s funded to obtain legendary Templar artifacts. Purported to have powers to create more Kyn. Um. Fountain of Youth was mentioned, too…Spanish missionaries, indigenous peoples… Yeah. A bunch of **my** topics! **happydance** Little did he know that he’d encounter Alys and her fabulous feminine wiles! What I liked most about Beau was the fact that he knew he was totally into Alys from the beginning, but let her take the lead. He put his machismo on the back burner, and let things develop at a clip that would keep the woman he loved comfortable with him and his eccentricities.
We had a fabulous description of our heroine, Alys, as well:
Tall and slender as a yearling filly, Alys had been graced with skin like sunlit snow, the eyes of a fawn, and the mouth of an enchantress.
Um. Wow. I think I have a girl-crush on Alys. She’s smart, sassy, and fearless. Brilliant would better describe her, actually. Because of her upbringing – also orphaned at a young age – she has social skills & social confidence that are definitely far outside (below) the social norm. Oh, and she’s my hero because she totally deals with her interns in a kind yet firm way. Jus’ sayin’. I can’t really discuss much about Alys without giving away this fabulous story, but suffice it to say that I love the way her brain works.
As for supporting cast, we had treason, attempted murder, and a phenomenal leader in Jayr with a sexy, protective partner in Byrne. As the bastard daughter of Robin of Loxley, Jayr was… well… you’ll have to read about all the fabulous connections here! They all eventually circle back to the main conflict in the story, however. Mmmhmm. Love.
I’m really sad to see the Lords of the Darkyn trilogy end, but Ms. Viehl has quite a backlist of other Kyn stories to sate my hunger for this fabulous world she’s created.
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VampBard’s Rating:
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Personal favorite – a must read (A+)
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