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Evermore

Lynn Viehl

Published 2008        283 pages

Summary (from the book jacket)

A willing sacrifice - They are the only scars that mar Jayr’s milky skin.  Scars left by her Darkyn master, Byrne, when she gave her human life to save his.  Made immortal, Jayr has served as Byrne’s faithful seneschal – and secretly loved him – for centuries.

An enduring bond - Every full moon, Jayr and Byrne renew their oath of loyalty by sharing each other’s blood.  Although the erotic ritual has become the only intimacy and pleasure they know, the price of immortality demands that they never be more than master and seneschal.

An unimaginable end - Unbeknownst to Jayr, Byrne decides to leave the Kyn and retreat to a life of isolation.  And the sole purpose of the tournament he’s holding is to find a new master for Jayr.  As the Kyn fight for Byrne’s realm, hidden passions and ancient grudges flare to life, threatening not only Byrne’s sanity but Jayr’s very existence….

The Review

Evermore is Lynn Viehl’s fifth novel in her Darkyn paranormal romance series.  While each novel is a stand alone story featuring a romance between different leading characters there is an overall story arc for the series following the developing relationship and adventures of Alex and Michael, the protagonists from the first Darkyn novel.  Alex and Michael play a large part in all of the Darkyn books and for this reason I would recommend reading the books in order, starting with If Angels Burn.

Evermore is the story of Jayr and Byrne.  They have been together in the relationship of master and servant for over 600 years.  Jayr has served Byrne as his seneschal (a cross between a business administrator, bodyguard and personal servant) ever since the night he accidentally killed her and turned her into Darkyn. 

Evermore is also a tale of unrequited love.  Jayr has loved Byrne ever since she gave her mortal life to save his but has never dared to act on her feelings or speak of her love.  It isn’t until Byrne hosts a tournament attended by all the Darkyn in America that circumstances force both Jayr and Byrne to confront their feelings for each other.

Byrne owns a medieval theme park in Florida (after all who better than a bunch of ancient vampires who lived through the history to host re-enactments of it?) which explains why he’s hosting the tournament, which is kind of like a Darkyn sporting event.  The tournament soon becomes a place of dangerous intrigue and revenge, making it an exciting backdrop for the story.

The author has even managed to put an interesting new spin on the Robin Hood legend, with Robin of Locksley turned Darkyn and still the best vampire archer in the land.

Evermore’s plot contains many twists and turns (none of which I saw coming and usually I can spot them at 50 paces!) plus plenty of action making it an exciting and fast paced read.  The romance is flawless too.  Jayr’s unrequited, hopeless love for Byrne really plucks at the reader’s heartstrings and combined with some highly erotic sex makes Evermore an immensely satisfying read for even the most demanding paranormal romance fan.

If searing hot romance, thrilling fantasy AND a Darkyn Robin Hood aren’t enough to make you want to read Evermore I don’t really know what more I can say to convince you….

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