"A highly recommended second chance paranormal romance"
He had been a warrior and a king. He'd had many wives and
children. He'd been revered as a god and had more wealth
than most men could ever imagine but he had gone to his
tomb without the one thing he desired most....his soul
mate,
the "beautiful one" who had haunted his dreams, dreams
never to be realized. The great pharaoh had been betrayed
by one of his own. On his deathbed the man now known as Adrian King had
performed a special ritual thus insuring his return to
life. He had awakened and is once more a man to be reckoned
with in a new desert kingdom as owner of the Royal Palace
hotel and casino in Las Vegas. But eternal life had its
price, even for a pharaoh. Egyptologist Christine Day has had "waking dreams" of
ancient Egypt since her childhood. She believes this to be
some form of genetic memory. Her grandfather had spent his
life searching without success for the tomb of the great
king and warrior Merneptah Seti. As he'd approached the end
of his life Christine had promised that she would someday
find his king for him. Asked to share her knowledge at an international conference
in Las Vegas, Christine finds herself exploring the Royal
Palace. She is highly impressed with Adrian's collection of
Egyptian antiquities even though many are reproductions.
While wandering through King's domain Christine has another
one of her "waking dreams" this time of herself and a
mystery lover. Her dream is disturbed by none other than
the enigmatic casino owner Adrian King, who inexplicably
resembles her dream lover to a tee. Adrian has been drawn to the woman's perfume, a secret
recipe he'd created for the soul mate he'd met only in his
dreams before his untimely death. He is puzzled as he is
unable to read her emotions as he can with other humans
until she smiles and he recognizes her as his "beautiful
one." How ironic that he should find her now when he
cannot have her. Adrian has already felt the urges that
edge him ever closer to becoming what he most dreads, an
Eater of Blood and a Breaker of Bones a.k.a. a vampire.
Others have arisen as well, his trusted friend General
Rahotep, Maya the instrument of his betrayal, and Seth the
betrayer himself. He must keep his beloved safe even if it
means sending her away. Fortunately Christine Day has
always been a great believer in fate. Though the vampire genre is currently in vogue, this tale
was a true original. The world building is phenomenal. The
vampires are woven into the intricate plot rather than the
other way around. Christine is not the traditional alpha
heroine either. She is strong, intelligent, and devoted but
doesn't go around kicking vampire butt and instead relies
on faith and love to rule the day. This story held the
reader in its thrall from the first page straight through
to the very last. Tears will flow as the mighty warrior is
forced to choose between his rightful destiny, to lie in
the arms of his beloved, or to sacrifice all to save the
soul of his twisted betrayer. Ms. Guest has proven herself
to be a gifted storyteller. I look forward to the next
installment. I highly recommend this read.
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted June 3, 2007
|
