The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

Book Description:
Journey to a world of ancient magic, breathtaking sensuality, thrilling time-travel.... Journey to the world of The Dark Highlander. Crisscrossing the continents and the centuries, here is a novel as gripping as it is sensual--an electrifying adventure that will leave you breathless....

I am Dageus MacKeltar, a man with one good conscience and thirteen bad ones, driven to sate my darkest desires...

From his penthouse lair high above Manhattan, Dageus looks out over a glittering city that calls to the darkness within him. A sixteenth-century Scot trapped between worlds, he is fighting a losing battle with the thirteen Druids who possess his soul, dooming him to an eternity of sexual pursuit. When Chloe Zanders, student of antiquities, is drawn into his world, she finds the insatiable alpha male an irresistible lure.Before long, she is caught up in an ancient prophecy that will sweep her back into time to medieval Scotland. Plunged into a world of timeless magic and dark seduction, she will soon face the challenge of a lifetime: fighting thirteen evil spirits for the heart of one irresistible man....

The 5th of Karen Marie Moning's Highlander books, this one picks up where the last one, Kiss of the Highlander left off. Whereas Kiss of the Highlander was about twin brother, Drustan, this one is about the other twin, Dageus. I really loved Kiss of the Highlander, I think it's my favorite of her books I've read so far, but The Dark Highlander wasn't quite as good.

For one thing, this book had some of the same plot devices that that last one had but without the humor. In Kiss it was all new and I loved it, in this one, it was more like, the lighter side of Kiss. The book wasn't bad and it was very sexy. Dageus is even sexier than Drustan (if that's possible), but as the title implies, he has a dark side. He is cursed and has these 13 evil beings inside him that are trying to completely turn him to the dark side (a la Darth Vader). The only way he can keep them at bay is if he's "tooping" a woman. By the time we come upon him in his sleek Manhattan apartment, he's quite the womanizer.

Unsuspecting Chloe meets up with him and it's funny and entertaining how he has to imprison her in his bedroom, tied to his bed with silk scarves to prevent her from revealing the secret that he has stolen these priceless ancient Celtic tomes that she recognizes as being stolen by the notorious "Gaulish Ghost". One thing leads to another and he falls for her and "wants" her immediately. She being a beautiful virgin doesn't give in too easily - though that doesn't mean it's not entertaining, the build up isn't bad, but there is always that dark side of him that was hanging around and getting in the way. I can't say it didn't bother me. And I was a little disappointed with their "first time." After all the many build ups to it, I didn't like the setting - or the position!

Eventually, they go back in time together to try and help him figure out how to break the curse and we see his father, Silvan and stepmother Nell again from Kiss. I like them. I've always found their romance sweet and I'm glad we have some closure with them in this book by the end. We also see Gwen and Drustan from the last book too - Gwen is heavily pregnant with twins - 2 more months to go for her, I wonder if that will be in another book?

All in all, the book wasn't bad, but compared to Kiss it fell a little flat, but it was still very entertaining and diverting. Quick read and sexy as anything.

3.5/5

February 16, 2011 Update: 

Audiobook Review:

As usual I loved Phil Gigante's narration and his Scottish males voices are perfect.  Sexy, throaty, thick with passion and in Daegus' case - downright grrrowly!  Daegus is unbelievably sexy and well hung, even more so on audiobook.  I preferred this book on audio than in print.  Chloe and Dageus's sex scenes were something else and hot as hell!  But, I still have a problem with his voice for the heroine, they always sound a "wrong" to me, not how I would imagine talking, his heroine's come across much better in print, but I do like his voice for Nellie, Sylvan's (now) wife.  This is a must read/listen for the series and we get more of the fae lore setting us up for future highlander books and Moning's Fever series as well.

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Kiss of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

Book Description:
A laird trapped between centuries... Enchanted by a powerful spell, Highland laird Drustan MacKeltar slumbered for nearly five centuries hidden deep in a cave, until an unlikely savior awakened him. The enticing lass who dressed and spoke like no woman he'd ever known was from his distant future, where crumbled ruins were all that remained of his vanished world. Drustan knew he had to return to his own century if he was to save his people from a terrible fate. And he needed the bewitching woman by his side.... A woman changed forever in his arms... Gwen Cassidy had come to Scotland to shake up her humdrum life and, just maybe, meet a man. How could she have known that a tumble down a Highland ravine would send her plunging into an underground cavern to land atop the most devastatingly seductive man she'd ever seen? Or that once he'd kissed her, he wouldn't let her go? Bound to Drustan by a passion stronger than time, Gwen is swept back to sixteenth-century Scotland, where a treacherous enemy plots against them ... and where a warrior with the power to change history will defy time itself for the woman he loves....

One of the nice things about being home sick for a weekend with a bad cold and cough is I am at my leisure to read romance novels all day long and no one can bother me because "I am sick in bed." I already read and reviewed one book this past weekend, and this was my second - which I adored! I basically read it in one day. I must say, these Karen Marie Moning Highlander time travel romance novels are getting better and better as the Highlander series continue!

This is the story of Gwen and Drustan. Gwen is a modern day 25 year old virgin. She's carrying around some baggage and decides to go to Scotland to lose her virginity. Of course she has no idea she's going to meet the ideal man to do it (who cares if he's over 500 years old!) Well, she gets her wish. Not only is the sex great and highly passionate, but the build up is great and you don't have to wait until the end of the book! There's a great scene of him trying on clothes in a dressing room with a snotty salesgirl and a very passionate kiss (as in "the" kiss in the title). Their first encounter happens sort of early on, but then there is the problem that our hero, Drustan, sends them both back in time - but not together! So, we get to experience our hero and heroine, Gwen and Drustan having to meet and court all over again! I loved it!

If you like Highlander romances, this is very good, and I'm eager to read the rest of the series. Drustan (as usual) is larger than life, intelligent and a great lover as well. Gwen is feisty, extremely smart (a physicist) but lacking a bit on the self esteem. She goes after her man when she travels back in time to the 16th century and nothing stands in her way. I loved reading about how she adapts to the "other" Drustan and life in his castle. I enjoyed reading about the little romance between Drustan's father, Silvan, and their housekeeper Nell as well. My one gripe was the ending was a little offbeat in present day, and I was a bit disatisfied with it, I'd prefer it if it had stayed in the 1500's instead of present day. But, that was minor in the grand scheme of things, it was still a really good book!

5/5

P.S.

February 2, 2011 - Audiobook Review:

As usual, Phil Gigante did a great job narrating, his voice for Drustan and Silvan were perfect, not to mention Daegus.  But, again, I have a problem with his voice for Gwen, she doesn't click for me on audio the same way she did in print.  Still, this is my favorite of Moning's Highlander series - a real treat, and Gigante makes it!

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