Spellbinder (Moonshadow #2)
by Thea Harrison
Blurb:
Kidnapped
while on tour, musician Sidonie Martel is transported to the mystical land of
Avalon. A human without magical ability, she is completely vulnerable to the
deadly forces surrounding her.
When
she defies her captors and refuses to share her music, an act of violent
cruelty leaves her broken, her ability to play silenced, maybe forever. Her
only hope is a whisper in the dark, gentle hands that offer healing, and a man
who refuses to show her his face yet who offers advice she dare not ignore.
One
of the most feared and powerful sorcerers in history, Morgan le Fae serves a
Queen he despises, Isabeau of the Light Court. Once a famous bard and an
advisor to kings, Morgan has been enslaved to Isabeau for hundreds of years,
acting as enforcer and the commander of her deadly Hounds.
Sidonie’s
music touches Morgan in places he had abandoned centuries ago, and her fiery
spirit resurrects feelings he had believed long dead. For Sidonie, trapped in
captivity, passion offers a comfort she cannot resist.
But
Isabeau holds Morgan bound in magical chains that only Death can break. And in
the court of a cruel, jealous Queen, the only thing that burns hotter than love
is revenge…
Themes: Paranormal,
Fae, and Magick
Rating: 4.75 stars
Review:
The
second story in the Moonshadow series, a spin-off of the Elder Races series by
Ms. Harrison, takes us to a dark world and into the dark nature of a character that
we took to be a villain but is truly just a man trapped as much as the woman he
hopes to free from a prison she does not belong in. Harrison has always had a truly deft hand at taking the traditional
myths we all know and twisting them just enough to make them her own, and this
story set in the Avalon of myth and touching the characters we all know and
love from stories of Camelot, is no exception to her skill. When first we met this Morgan of the Fae, in
the first story of this series, we see a villain out to destroy a race of fae
that is opposing his mistress, Isabeau
of the light fae, and there is no way we will ever come to see him as the
hero. But as always Thea challenges us
to look deeper and find the motivation and understanding of a character's
actions. Morgan has found a way to escape Isabeau for a little while and he
travels to the mortal realm, losing himself in the pleasures of our world which
are more often than not denied him, and slowly we come to understand that he
isn’t a villain so much as a weapon that has been forced into the service of a
bigoted and sociopathic ruler. When Morgan
comes across the beautiful musician Sidonie on his short release, he is
instantly drawn not just to her music but also to the light that shines through
her very skin and warms him. But as
always the spies that surround him set out to destroy his chance at happiness and steal Sidonie from her world and attempt to
smother that light for all time. Sidonie
has no map to navigating this new and terrifying world of magic and sadistic
rulers, but she is on the very brink of losing her soul when a voice whispers
to her and brings her back. But can two prisoners
find a way to escape a world full of political intrigue and sedition in order
to be together? Morgan turns out to be
one of my favorite characters in this series once he finally comes to
understand his true worth and purpose in the world. The love he showers on Sidonie and the way he
overcomes his own fears and trauma in order to keep her safe and sane shows him
for the true hero that always was beneath the years of defeat and service to an
evil and hateful bitch. Sidonie might not understand the world she finds
herself in, but she understands the way her heart continuously reaches for that
hand in the dark and the way her gut tells her that she can trust Morgan when
she finally comes face to face with him.
I LOVED this story and might just reread it now that I am reliving everything
writing this review. Morgan and Sidonie
were one of my favorite couples from Ms. Harrison’s stories, and I am looking
forward to seeing more of them in the coming stories in this series. The passion and draw that these two share is
one for the history books and perfect for the legendary magician of a world
long lost to the mists of time. If you
are looking for a light and fluffy love story, Spellbinder isn’t for you, but
if you want a story about the true healing and freeing power of love between
two individuals seemingly trapped forever in the dark and their emergence back
into the light… you can’t go wrong with this book! Please hurry with the next
story Thea!
*ebook provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
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