Lark McGuin has never thought of herself as a warrior, in spite of her impressive lineage -- she's the great- granddaughter of Tristan, one of the original Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur and his knights took oaths to protect humanity from itself, for all eternity, and they were willing to become Vampires to do it. Their progeny are born with the latent ability to use magic and become immortal, although not all will be chosen to bear the curse and continue the fight. Lark's number is called, and she answers, even though she's not at all sure she's got what it takes. That's Gawain's job. As a more experienced Vampire, he's been paired with Lark as a mentor, charged with training her in combat and keeping her safe. After one look at the curvy little brunette, lady-killer Gawain has more in mind than a simple partnership. He already has a partner -- his enchanted dragon sword, Kel.

Meanwhile, the war between Arthur's Magi, and the Vampire sorcerers spawned by the alien Geirolf is heating up. Two of the black grails that created the evil hordes have been destroyed, and the search is on for the third. One man knows exactly where it is. Richard Edge grew up surrounded by magic. Both his parents were immortals, but when the time came, he was rejected. Bitter and angry, Edge found another way to achieve his goals -- he drank from a black grail and became a sorcerer. And when his leader was killed, Edge stole the last grail and hid it away. Now, with help from Kel's treacherous uncle's dragon magic, Edge wants to use the grail to destroy the Magi. It will take all of Gawain's swordsmanship, Kel's magic and Lark's newfound strength to defeat him.

Gawain and Lark have delicious chemistry from the very beginning -- their happy ending is inevitable, and a literal pleasure to experience. Every woman should be so lucky as to fall in with a lover like Gawain! The great relationship in this story, however, is Gawain's unconventional friendship with Kel. The two males have an undeniable bond and a truly affecting story arc that made this reviewer long for a story centered on the fascinating dragon shapeshifter. We can only hope...

Note: 4th book in series following MASTER OF WOLVES (4/06), MASTER OF THE MOON (5/05) and MASTER OF THE NIGHT (10/04)

Book Summary

Witch Lark McClure has survived a vicious vampire attack that shook her confidence and left her struggling with feelings of helplessness and fear. The last thing she needs is a partnership with Gawain, a handsome vampire knight who means to seduce her every chance he gets.

Gawain believes he needs Lark for one thing and one thing only — and it’s not her skill with magic. In the process, he plans to help her overcome her fear and show her the pleasure to be found in a vampire’s arms.

But even as passion sizzles between Lark and Gawain, a revenge-driven killer targets them. If he has his way, Lark, Gawain, and the world itself will pay the price.