The Dark Highlander
The Scots do it again…this time with their Druid lore and their Highlander men stalking the streets of Manhattan. This is, of course, after reading The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning. I was unaware when I picked this one up that it was Book 5 of her Highlander series. But, knowing that now, I am going back and reading the first four. I just have to!
I will admit, I was drawn to this one when my curiosity was piqued enough to get me to start her “Fever” books, but I will say that though written by the same author, they are eerily connected, yet entirely different. It’s almost as if the story that is in these Highlander books is somehow the background story to the Fever books? It’s like going back in time and seeing history as it’s happening and then being thrust forward to read about it in the books, knowing that you saw it happening. It’s all very weird. But still highly engrossing for all its confusing connections.
The Dark Highlander in this book is a sexy Scottish Druid named Dageus. His major hang-up is being possessed by the spirits of 13 dark druids that inhabited him when he was forced by love of his brother to make a sacrifice to save his brother’s life. As a side effect of his soul being held hostage by renegade spirits, he is doomed to be a sex-obsessed Scottish Druid.
When the story opened up, there was a brief encounter with another woman, and this had me wondering what was up, until I realized it was essential to see the near-obsessed state his conquests were driven to by his seduction.
The woman in the story needed him like a heroin addict needs his next fix. But he discards her when he happens upon his “one to keep”. His current prey is one student of antiquities named Chloe. She happens to work at one of my favorite places in New York: The Cloisters. In fact, she is so drawn to antiquities and her love of them that her curiosity lands her in the clutches of Dageus when she is drawn to the “artifacts” in his penthouse, which in fact are the genuine article, brand-spanking-new looking because they were brought over in a time portal, and she gets caught digging about under his bed (amid the condom wrappers for the “extra large” man). So begins this story.
As the story progresses, more information about an otherworldly race called the Tuatha Dé Danaan, which is integral to the powers that are tormenting Daegus, is revealed. I am sure that probably even more background story on the source of this race and their significance was explored in the first four books of the series. But keep that name in mind because it plays very prominently in the author’s other series. Hence, lending it the credibility of a seemingly real “faux-reality” in her books. It’s rather clever, I think.
Plenty of chemistry between these two, Chloe has no idea how drawn Dageus is to her, or how quickly she is about to be taken into the ancient time that so intrigues her. Although she does recognize that his kisses are highly addictive very early on, you know that can only lead to more naughtiness. Very good stuff.
Usually, I am not into stories of time travel, as they can be somewhat campy, and I get bored by the culture clash scenarios. But in this case, I never once doubted the reality of the situation in this book. It was all well carried out, and I found it essential to the story. Chloe has a very likable personality, she is down to earth, very studious, well-read, and has a penchant for reading romance novels. No wonder I like her.
