"Stunningly original version of King Arthur and the origin of vampires."

Blurb: Using a truly original riff take on the Arthurian legend to explain her vampires and witches, Knight has woven an erotic and suspenseful tale wherein a secret agent heroine and a CIA operative vamp face a difficult choice which may well decide the fate of mankind as they struggle agaisnt a truly scary monster.

Reese Champion is just that: a Champion -- an immortal vampire assigned to protect America, the inhabitants of Avalon, the members of the original Round Table and some very powerful women. The legends got it WRONG -- the Grail turned the knights into vampires and the women into mages in order to protect our magicless Earth from destroying itself and from the depredations of less friendly creatures form the Mageverse, a dimension where magic is real.

At party, Reese encounters sexy secret agent Erin Grayson, who's been sent to seduce him and learn whether he's one of those financing the Death Cults that killed the partner she had fallen in love with. Unknown to her, she is being manipulated by the very group she wants to destroy, a group led by a nasty necromancer who's killing people in order to free his master, an evil alien, from the prison in the Mageverse where Merlin confined him centuries ago.

But Erin is a Latent, a descendant of one of the original Round Table witches or vampires, who can be Turned herself, and that makes her dangerous for Reese to desire -- because all it takes is three acts of sex to Turn her. Turning her without the Council of Majae's permission could cause the execution of both of them -- no Latent is turned without their directive, because not all Latents can withstand the change and keep their sanity, and an insane vampire or witch is incredibly dangerous. But Reese can't resist giving in to temptation -- and they end up falling into the hands of the enemy as the Geirolf, the alien monster, is freed and they are imprisoned in his place, awaiting their role as sacrifice to shore up Geirolf's power and destroy Avalon forver. They must get word to Avalon that he is loose -- and that requires the power of a Maja to destroy the prison. But if Reese changes her, Erin may go mad and he will have to kill her, or he and she may both be executed by the Council.

This is one of the most stunningly original uses of the Matter of Britain I've come across in years, and one of the best origin myths for vampires I've ever read. It liberates vamps from the bad press they've gotten, and creates a framework for them to exist and work for the good of mankind, while at the same time putting any Latent at risk for madness if changed. Reese begins as a hot stud more interested in getting laid than in falling in love. He's witnessed one Latent go mad and kill the man she loved, forcing him to execute her himself, a fate he has no desire to ever repeat. But his attraction to the feisty and honorable Erin, who is very much his equal in daring and courage, grows into something, and he realizes that he cares a great deal about her, though he isn't quite ready to accept the fact that it is more than just friendship and desire (until he faces losing her). Erin is more than his equal, a tough, pragmatic, brave woman who makes her decisions coolly rather than emotionally -- some may find her too cold and in control of her emotions for even considering choosing safety over love, but I found her approach to her dilemma refreshing after way too many TSTL heroines of late. She's gutsy, savvy and smart. The choices she must make are difficult ones and she feels their emotional cost as deeply as any brain-dead bimbo who never takes time to consider all the ramifications before leaping blindly into a situation that risks the life of the hero end half the universe. Thanks, Ms. Knight, for giving us a heroine who has brain as well as a heart, and uses both.

The villain is rally nasty, and the plot has more twists than a rural road (and that's , let me tellya) with decisions that are both hard and painful for both to make, and a rousing climax that is hard to forget. Toss in dash of dry humor (Arthur's wearing a T that reads "Once a king, always a king, but once a knight is enough" was my favorite), love scenes as hot as a nuclear meltdown, and an intriguing supporting cast -- all make this a memorable book that will appeal equally to paranormal romance readers and fans of straight fantasy.

Reviewed by Gillian Fitzgerald
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted February 17, 2005

Summary

American agent Erin Grayson has a new mission: romance international businessman Reece Champion. Seducing the handsome millionaire could put her that much closer to the revenge she craves against a murderous death cult.

Erin doesn't realize she's being manipulated by the very cult she hunts. Champion is actually an agent of the U.S. government.

He's also a vampire.

Reece immediately senses the latent supernatural powers hidden within Erin, powers as dangerously irresistible to him as her lush body and hot blood. Yet he also knows that yielding to their mutual desire will make them pawns in a deadly game.

And their opponent is, quite literally, a monster.