Master of Desire (MacAllister Series)

Imagine many years after King Auther and fall of Camelot. Morgan found a new holder of a other special sword. This one is more darker, controllable. At can use to her own will mostly. And a young woman, who to be in a guild clothing . To be someone important. But the fates choice different from what she wanted. She is the mother to the next Merlin . That the problem she wanted her dream. Not some fates idea that is important .

Overall, this was another mediocre romance, a story that lacked real depth the characters or the plot.
It follows a young innocent girl who is forced to stay at a sort of rival's castle. And as expected, there starts to be some sparks between the rival and the young girl, big surprise there.
Interesting idea, it was so very predictable, how the story unfolded, that it failed to impress me or truly grab my attention. Not bad characters though. It could have been awesome, but it petered out as just 'so-so'.
It's a light romantic read, and if you enjoy that type of book, this might be just the ticket.
Otherwise I'd recommend Elizabeth Vaughn or Kresley Cole.

I did enjoy this book, but something was missing. It seemed a little uneven. The way that pop culture reference took over at times ( like the Monty Python references) was distracting.

Overall, it was a good escapism novel.

No luck with this one either...Just the same ole' same ole'...nothing great or even review worthy...Hopefully better luck next time (and considering I bought all in the series BEFORE I read the first one then lets hope they get a little better!)

Draven is most feared knight in the land Emily is the youngest daughter of a neighbor. Her father has lost his wife and two daughters to childbirth and refuses to allow his three younger daughters to be married. Emily is very strong willed and she wants to have children. Draven and Emily's father, Hugh meet with the king angry with each other about the other attacking their land and people. The king is not amused as Draven is one of his best knights and Hugh is a traitor is who is in favor only because of his father. The king decides that in that Emily will spend one year at Draven's home and that she must return to her father just as she leaves or Draven will die. She is to be treated as the king's ward. She is not afraid of Draven and he is not used to anyone not fearing him. Emily has decided that Draven will make a good husband and works with Simon to make it happen. Draven has found he really likes her and he fights his feelings for her because he is afraid he is like his father. His father was a brutal man that finally thought Draven was worthy of being his son when Draven killed him protecting the king. I love his brother, Simon who also is not afraid of him but does have a healthy respect for his strength and temper. I laughed out loud several times and be rereading this book.

The current three-story arch in the Dark Hunter series is tied into Ms. Kenyon’s Lord of Avalon series penned under the name Kinley MacGregor. Being such a huge fan of Ms. Kenyon’s work, I decided to go back and give this series a try to get the back story for the other series. If you are wondering if you need to read this to enjoy Son of No One (SONO), no you don’t. I read and enjoyed SONO first and didn’t feel lost. Will you enjoy this earlier book in a different series, probably. I did.

First off I want to point out the clever little author quote on the cover, you can see it on the picture above if you missed it. This feels very much like a Dark Hunter book. The writing style is the same and I was delighted to find the same complex and almost tortured characters as are in Ms. Kenyon’s other books. The book had the feel of being an early book in an author’s career, one where the writer is still working on finding a voice. Still enjoyable though, even if there are more cliches. Her quick-witted/smart-ass side kicks are present and delivered some of my favorite lines as scenes in the book.

I liked Kerrigan and Seren. He was a pretty typical hero for this author; tortured past, poor destitute youth, parent that didn’t love him. Seren also came from a simple beginning, but had the love of a mother and a group of friends to make her life more bearable. Probably my favorite character in the whole book was Blaise and I so hope he shows up in future books.

The world was interesting and I can see the groundwork for her later series the Dark Hunters being created here. I think there may even be some character and world cross-over with that series. The only issue I took with book was the integration of twentieth century terms, ideas and references. Kenyon explained them away, but I don’t think the story needed it. At times it was funny and cleverly done, but got a bit old and dragged down the story near the end.

I look forward to the second and last book available in this series, Knight of Darkness. The last book it looks like has been pushed back in publication several times and is now due to come out in 2016. If I had read this series when it came out, I would be plenty pissed, but as it stand I am just going to enjoy the story now and hope it is eventually finished.

3.5 Stars
The King's champion, Draven de Montague Earl of Ravenswood, is feared by all. His prowess as a warrior are legendary. His honor means absolutely everything to him and he believed giving his oath not to touch his ward in rage or lust would be easy.
Lady Emily has lived a sheltered life, cloistered in a castle by her overprotective father. When she learns that she is being sent to live with her father's enemy, Earl Ravenswood, for a year she does not fret. Wanting nothing more than to live her life, find love, and have children of her own, she seizes the chance to get from under her father's thumb.

Draven and Emily's attraction is instant, the heat between them is delicious. From the start, Emily is determined to make Draven hers, while he is determined to have nothing to do with despite his feelings. He had given his word to the king and knows that loving her could get him killed.

I loved Emily's character. She was determined to have Draven - even told him her plan - and she never wavered. Draven was the typical warrior, with a tortured past. I really just wanted to give him a hug.
I gave this book 3 stars because I felt it dragged and took too long to draw the entire story together. i.e. the issues with Emily's sister and fiance, the raids that Emily's father claims Draven has been conducting, etc. I don't want to add any spoilers... Overall, this was a great historical read and nice change of pace from the typical regency era romance. I would recommend this book and this author to any lover of historical romance. I've read many of Kinley MacGregors books and I haven't come across one I don't like.

Okay, I love me some Sherrilyn Kenyon (this is her real name). Hands down my favorite-favorite author. However, I can't say I'm as big of a fan of her Lords of Avalon series than I am her Dark-Hunter and The League series. :(

I do like Kenyon's take on the Arthurian legend though. The Lords of Avalon series takes place 300 years after Arthur has died and been buried in Avalon. Camelot is under control of Morgen and is now a place of evil and darkness. The Knights of the Round Table (those who didn't join the forces of evil) now reside in Avalon with Merlin - who, by the way, is a girl. Love that aspect. The original Merlin disappeared after Arthur's demise and nobody knows where he went.

Mordred is in a semi-dead state and Morgen needs control of Arthur's sacred objects (or just a few plus a Merlin) to wake him up and rule over the world. Yikes. However, Arthur and Guinevere's son is in a similar state in Avalon, so I guess all hope wouldn't be lost.

I did like the quip about Sir Thomas Malory being locked in a cage for writing down his stories.

Character wise, I liked that Seren was a strong character, both plot wise and personality wise. She didn't back down when Kerrigan would threaten her. She knew what she wanted and she fought for it, despite what those around her would say. Kerrigan, however, I would have wanted a little more from. Yes, he was a decent guy... But that was it. He was described as this purely evil "demon" who did bad things and didn't care what happened to others, but we didn't really see it. He just didn't seem as evil as Kenyon described him and she has written some evil characters. His reputation preceded him.

I also thought the time travel element was unnecessary and only served to muddle up the story. I kind of get why she used it in one instance, but the story could have survived without. It wasn't that much of a plot element that it would have been missed.

The story seemed to drag in a few places as well and I found myself skimming pages here and there. There is a Graphic Novel version of this story that I would consider picking up, if that counts for anything.

Bottom Line

I really like Sherrilyn Kenyon, but I just couldn't get into this book. Yes, I thought it was a very interesting take on the Arthurian legend and I like how she went beyond Arthur's death and what happened to Camelot; however I think I'll stick to her talents regarding the Dark-Hunters and warriors of The League.

Camelot has fallen. Arthur isn’t king. Evil has won and ruled for three hundred years. Now, there’s a potential game changer. A peasant woman is foretold to be the future mother of a powerful penmerlin. Whichever side holds the future penmerlin, wins all the power. The winner has the power over Camelot, Avalon, and the mortal world, past and present. The problem is that the evil king of Camelot has possession of the peasant woman. The king, who only wants to kill, isn’t so willing to kill this woman.

I like the setting. The writing is lovely and whimsical. The plot is distinctive and interesting. The biggest problem is the characters. I think that the heroine was too good and too bland. The hero didn’t develop enough to change sides from evil to good. The secondary characters were flat, too. I did find the switching of speech patterns from modern day slang to medieval speech distracting. I understand the point with the time travel, but it interrupted the dialogue flow. Ok, ok, I did really like the reference to Comic Con.

The Story
This is the second in the series of Good, Merlin, Avalon - vs - Evil, Morgen, Camelot. The son of Lancelot and an evil fey, Narishka, is Varian duFey. He has been the assassin of Merlin for centuries. Because of his parentage he is outcasted with all the knights of Avalon. He has never betrayed the cause and his devotion to Arthur. Now there is a betrayer amongst them. Someone told Morgen of the knights of the grail, they murdered one all ready. Merlin asks Varian for his help to find the traitor. While investigating his mother tricks him and binds his power, she chains him up and tries to beat him into submission. Narishka and Morgen want Varian on their side - he will never do that. Narishka's slave, Merewyn helps him escape in exchange to take her with him. Together they have to travel through the valley of death to get to Avalon.

Thoughts
I liked this book. It is just as creative as the first. Merewyn is a little judgmental and shallow in the beginning, but that changed. Varian's story reminds me of Zarek's of the Dark-Hunter series. They both were despised simply for parentage, grew up being loved or touched by no one unless it was in anger. That makes me sad, no one should grow up like that. It makes for a good story tho, Varian's whole life changes by one person, Merewyn. Their relationship was very slow going, but by the end it was very believable. The pace is very fast and interesting enough to keep me interest. I really liked all the secondary characters as well, especially Blaise. He was in the first too, hope he gets his own book! A brand new Lords of Avalon book is about to come out! I will happily keep reading this series!

I have just finished reading Knight of Darkness for the third time. Once I put the book down, I felt compelled to write a review. You do not have to be a Kinley MacGregor/Sherrilyn Kenyon fan to enjoy the Lords of Avalon series. This book was by far MacGregor's best. I think it was more creative, original, and entertaining than half of her Dark-Hunter books combined. There were many times when I found myself laughing out loud, on the verge of tears, or happy beyond belief.

Varian duFey is the son of Narishka, evil Adoni as well as right hand to Morgen, and Lancelot deLuc, knight of the round table. Varian is enormously powerful, darkly dangerous, and unexpectedly vulnerable. He has suffered great misery over his mixed blood. When his mother decides she "needs" him, Varian is captured and his future tied to the beautiful Mereweyn.

Merewyn was once a princess from Mercia. "More beautiful than Helen of Troy". Human and foolish (although not vain), she made a pact with Varian's mother and has been her slave ever since. Now she must trust Varian with her life despite centuries suffering under Narishka. Will either be able to trust the other? Hero and heroine are a perfect match. They have so many things in common, such as a sarcastic wit and yearning to be loved.

I had only two real problems with this book. One was that my copy was slightly misprinted. About 20 pages in total, have extremely blurred lettering that gives me a headache while reading. My second problem was MacGregor's contradiction of something in the first Lords of Avalon book. In Sword of Darkness (Book 1), Varian's stepmother Elaine made an appearance. She was quite alive. Yet in this book, it is said Elaine has been dead for centuries, since Varian was twelve (he is immortal). How is that possible when there is only approximately one year between these two tales (as evident by Book 1's heroine's baby)?

It will be quite a while before I can reread Knight of Darkness. That is why I hope that others take the opportunity to read this amazing book in the mean time.

Draven of Ravenswood is a man hardened into a warrior by a cruel father. His name is whispered; his reputation, that of a relentless demon on the battlefield. He trusts no one, except for his brother Simon and cherishes nothing except his honor.

Someone has been pillaging his lands and he suspects his neighbor, Hugh. The same thing is happening to Hugh and he suspects Draven. So they take their grievances to the king. His majesty decides to send Hugh's daughter to live with Draven for a year. That way, Hugh would never attack Draven's land. And Draven gives his word of honor to protect the woman from harm and from lust.

The only problem is.... the first time Emily sees Draven, she wants him for her husband. She goes to work, trying to seduce him. And he wants her too. But he also knows that if he breaks his oath, the king will kill him. And beyond that, he fears that he is not worthy of the lovely lady. He is afraid he holds the same monstrosity inside himself, that once led his father to kill his mother.

This was a solid historical romance. Despite her innocence in the bedroom, Emily is smart and tenacious. And Draven is a wonderful wounded hero. It was easy to root for them. And when they finally come together... well, let's just say Sherrilyn Kenyon (MacGregor) can write the heck out of a love scene. I really enjoyed it. 4 stars.

His name is synonymous with death. Known to be the fiercest warrior to have ever lived, Draven de Montague, earl of Ravenswood, is King Henry's champion and most favored knight. Therefore, it is to be expected that he will be the subject of hatred by many jealous men. One of them happens to be Hugh, Lord Warwick. When the baron goes to the king to get Draven censured for supposedly attacking his lands, Draven finds himself saddled with Hugh's daughter after the king decides that the only way to stop the feud between his two subjects is by appointing Draven as Lady Emily's guardian.

Having lived a sheltered life, Emily is more thrilled than fearful about the idea of living at Ravenswood. Longing for a family of her own, she believes that she may finally get her wish granted --- though she's in for a huge battle if she thinks she can ensnare Draven himself. Yet, then again, Emily is not one to give up. And this is where the fun begins...

MASTER OF DESIRE kicks off the Macallister series. I absolutely had a blast reading this novel and truly enjoyed Emily's antics. The way she sets her cap for Draven and does her utmost to break down his defences was just fun to read. She knows that he had been hurt, and although he might be the most feared warrior in Christendom, she senses a hidden vulnerability that she longs to help him with. As for Draven, I loved how much he tries to resist her in the beginning, yet does his best to indulge her whims. He is sexy, strong and just the perfect hero. If these two aren't entertaining enough, let's not forget Draven's brother, Simon. He is such a riot! I absolute adored him and can't wait to read his own story in the anthology "WHERE'S MY HERO?"

This is a really great book. The author captures the feelings of the characters, from Emily's exuberance and determination, to Draven's torment and despair. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Kinley MacGregor's other books.

I loved this simple tale of good versus evil. Varian de Luc knew who he was, accepted it, and his fate. The "Knight of Darkness" (aka Varian)was mistreated all of his life by those who were suppose to love him and those who should have respected him. Determined not become the one thing that everyone expected (evil), Varian set out to save his kingdom and everything that he believes in, Avalon and King Arthur. Born of deceit to Lancelot (thinking his wife was Guinevere) and his wife, Varian was always the one symbol of Lancelots weakness and his wife's betrayal. Never loved or respected by anyone, including his natural mother Narishka, or his fellow Knights, Varian worked tirelessly to fulfill his destiny. Although throughout the novel, we (the reader) know Varian's true heart but we see him struggle with the fact that he is unsure if he will become a Dark/Evil knight, or a good one. Sent to discover who has killed one of the Grail Knights, Varian returns to a time where his mother, Narishka, now rules Camelot with the evil Morgen, who has risen to power following the death of King Arthur. While hoping to attract her son to the dark side, Narishka uses Merewyn to tempt her son. Merewyn once made a pact with a Adoni in an attempt to circumvent her father's desire for her to marry someone she did not love, and who she feared only loved her for her beauty. As they grow to know each other, he vows that he will protect her, no matter what! He is trying hard to return Merewyn to Avalon to Merlin so that they can determine who the traitor is. Along their way, Merewyn and Varian meet a caste of characters (among them Blaise, a half blind/half dragon; triplets who use to be the lovers of Morgen; a loving rock/gargoyle named Beau) who all accompany them on their journey. While fighting those things that they can see and not see, the dynamic duo find love. Read this whimsical tale and I am sure it will leave you wanting more. Enjoy!

The Story
Draven de Montague is a strong Earl, unstoppable in battle. His village has been attacked, he accuses his most hated adversary, Hugh. Hugh accuses Draven of attacking his village. King Henry decides if Draven has something Hugh adores they will stop attacking each other. Hugh adores his daughters above all else, his youngest, Emily, will go live with Draven. If Hugh attacks, Emily is Dravens to keep. Draven values his honor above all else, so that is at stake. Draven is so afraid of an alleged curse on his family, he doesn't keep up his village or castle-even though he has the means to do so. Emily is the last thing he expects, and everything he needs.

Thoughts
This is a well written historical romance! I loved all the vivid characters! Emily and Draven are fantastic! Dravens brother is pretty great too, highly amusing! I want his to get his own book!! The pace is fast, moves along quite nicely. Emily is stubborn and innocently charming. I think she is relatable. Draven is a stubborn, proud alpha male. Ah, but all great men can be taken down by women... in my books at least =) The plots are interesting enough that it kept my attention, I couldn't put this book down! Historical romances are quickly growing on me. When I read this title I thought the master would be Draven, I was wrong it's Emily!

The Story
Kerrigan grew up abused till he found a historic and magic sword. The power he has accumulated is unimaginable. He chose to go to the evil side - Morgens side. It is good vs evil - Morgen(Camelot) vs Merlin(Avalon). Kerrigan has ceased to be human, he is now something other. It has been fated, Seren will be the mother of the next Merlin. The current Merlin sends two knights of Avalon to get Seren and bring her to Avalon. The Knight ends up scaring her, Seren runs straight to Kerrigan. Without thinking Seren thinks Kerrigan will save her. He takes her in hopes of trading Seren with the round table that Avalon has. Morgen has her own agenda when she learns of Seren, she wants the father of the baby to be evil and to use it for her own nefarious plans. Seren has no choice but to team up with Kerrigan he is the lesser of two evils in Camelot.

Thoughts
I enjoyed this book. It's a twist on Arthur, Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. The idea behind this is creative and most enjoyable. Seren is lever headed likable. I liked Kerrigan too, I think he grew the most out of the couple. Seren and Kerrigan have a true connection and it comes across to the reader wonderfully. The pace is fast and kept my attention. The plot is complex and interesting. I look forward to the next in the series.

I seem to be forever reading MacGregor/Kenyon's series out of order. This, the first Lords of Avalon series was the second I had read, having read Knight of Darkness first.

I had more trouble with the fluid setting in this than in Knight of Darkness. But the story was well crafted and the plot was quick, action filled and peppered with good humor.

Seren is one of the better heroines I've read lately. She is intelligent in both action and words and she manages not to fall for any of the regular heroine stupidity (trusting the wrong people, running headlong into danger with no forethought, etc.)

Kerrigan is a good hero for Seren. His transformation makes sense and MacGregor doesn't try to completely force him into a "good" mold after he's been bad for so long. I wondered early on how she would resolve the multiple issues problematic for him to stay with Seren (his source of food, for one) and I thought MacGregor did a good job of giving us the happy ending without making it too hokey.

I've only given it three stars because the story always struck me as being a little bit off. It never really captured my full attention and I wasn't able to sink into it like I'd have liked. I'm not sure if that was due to the fluid time periods that never quite let you get your bearings (medieval knights in an RV?) or because there was so much back story to be covered on top of progressing the main romance plot.

In any case, in the end I found this to be a middle of the pack romance with excellent characters. I'll be on the lookout for Blaise's story.

I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet and touching. It was also very funny and gave me a good feeling reading it. Reading how Emily seduces Draven was very cute. I also love reading how Emily shows Draven he is able to love and is not like his father. Draven's father is an abuse beast. Who killed Draven mother. Draven fears he will do the same to Emliy. This was another terrific romance from an author who has the ability to break down her characters souls and feed their emotional struggles onto the pages. The reader will feel the despair, the heartbreak, passion and the joy of Draven and Emily in this very excellent character driven romance. Draven is an alpha male and Emily is the spirited woman who captures his heart. The characters are colorful and unforgettable. I loved that were too lost souls who found each other. They healed each others wounds. Draven is handsome, sexy, intelligent, but embittered by life. I am always a sucker for stories with "heartless" heroes who find their souls through the love of a good woman. Draven and Emily love for each other builds slowly and deepens until you can almost feel it. I really enjoyed the characters, as they were very likeable. Master of Desire was an emotional roller coaster, and I felt all the pain and joy they did. I was so engrossed, I read it in a day.

Master of Desire way above the typical historical romance. Wonderful love story, great characters with an emotionally scarred hero and strong but vulnerable heroine, unique setting, intriguing plot, edge-of-your-seat pacing, heart-tugging emotion, excellent writing, intense sensual love
scenes, and a superb ending.

Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor is great fast, sweet and tender romantic read. It is the story of Draven de Montague, the Earl of Ravenswood, and Emily Hugh. King Henry orders Draven to take Emily to his home for a year and to be her protector/ward. This order was issued to help bring peace between Draven and Emily's father. Draven doesn't want anything to do with Emily, but he knows he must follow through with the King's orders.

Emily is smitten with Draven from the start. She is also happy to be away from her controlling father who never allowed her to do anything or go anywhere. Emily decides that she wants Draven for her husband, but Draven has taken an oath to not touch Emily the entire time that she is living with him.

Emily though is bound and determined to win Draven over to her side. The lengths that she goes to seduce Draven are the best parts of the story. Draven is a hard man, having had a rough childhood living with a mean father, but he shows a tender and caring side with Emily. She brings out the best in him. This is such a sweet and tender story that will pull at your heart strings when you read what Draven had to endure when he was young and the guilt that he lives with. Emily is just the right woman for Draven and the one to bring out his gentler side. 5 stars!

Lady Emily has dreamed of being carried away from her father's castle by a knight on a white horse, for her father who is over protective will not allow his remaining three daughters to marry for fear that they may die in child birth like his wife and other daughters.
Draven de Montague, Earl of Ravenswood arrives at the castle to carry away Lady Emily but not for love or passion. He has promised King Henry that he will take away Lady Emily for one year as a peace pact with Hugh, Emily's father but he will not touch her during that year.
Lady Emily is immediately smitten by Draven and vows to marry him for her own purposes and also to create peace between Draven and her father. She does everything in her power to tempt Draven but Draven will not touch her because because he is haunted by his past and also he knows that the King will order his death if he does not return Emily intact after the year has ended.
This was a smouldering love story. You could really feel Draven's passion reaching boiling point but he continues to resist the charms of Lady Emily. Draven was such a gentleman and it was fun to watch Emily chase after him. Kinley MacGregor also writes paranormal romances under her real name Sherrilyn Kenyon. I really love her paranormal romances and decided to find historical romances she has written under the name Kinley MacGregor and I am not disapointed. Both styles of writing are as equally good as the other.
Lealing

I didn't realize until about halfway through that I was reading the second in a series. It didn't detract from the story, and I didn't feel like I'd missed anything.

Sherrilyn Kenyon (writing here as Kinley MacGregor) continues to surprise me with her depth of imagination and skill at taking well known stories and bending them just enough to be unique yet still familiar.

This series revolves around the knights of the round table and King Arthur's tale. It exists both in and out of time which threw me when the opening scene is a knight solving a Soduku puzzle. The anachronisms later cause some of the funniest scenes in the novel. Not only did I get used to the "timeless" idea of the setting, I appreciated it's novelty.

Both the hero and heroine are well developed characters with believable backstories, although the heroine does seem (at first) a bit vain even after having centuries to reflect on how that vice got her into trouble.

I found the hero amazingly sexy, attractive and just the sort of hero I like in my romance. Protective, but not overbearing. And very hot.

I mentioned the humor, but I prize an author's ability to make me smile and laugh as well as keep me on the edge of my seat with action and plot and this book delivers.

I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Sword of Darkness, the first in this series.

Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor is a MASTERPIECE of a romance. This talented writer has penned an incredible story filled with tragedy, humor and passion. I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL STORY!!
Lady Emily has dreamt of finding love. She desperately wants children and yearns to enjoy the joys that marriage has to offer. She is the youngest daughter of an English lord who forbids her from having any freedom. Nor is she allowed to leave her home. So how can she find her knight in shining armour? She is filled with growing despair until a mysterious stranger arrives at her father's estate.
Draven de Montague, the fourth earl of Ravenswood, is a proud warrior. He is undefeated in battle and is the king's champion. He is ordered by the king to take as a ward for one year, the daughter of his enemy. He is aghast at this decree for no woman has entered into his estate for many, many years. He is afraid that the curse will strike if a woman once again resides there at his estate. Every woman who has lived at Ravenswood falls victim to the rage of their lord. Draven acknowledges the rage inside of him and is afraid of losing control.
Emily soon discovers that there is much more to Draven than fierceness and a terrifying reputation. She sees beneath the hard exterior to the man beneath. A man who will not allow himself to believe in love. A lonely man who does not consider himself worthy. She catches glimpses of his goodness and pain deep within and soon becomes captivated.
Despite the fact that Draven has vowed before the king not to harm or touch Emily, she pursues him with unshakeable tenacity. He has never broken his word. His honor is everything to him but then again, he has never encountered someone like Emily.
She was a great heroine! I loved her unwavering determination to make Draven fall in love with her. Nothing or no one would sway her once she had made up her mind to have Draven. It was a nice change to see the woman do the pursuing instead of the man. Combined with her beauty, courage and gentleness, Emily was so funny. She had me laughing along with her.
Draven was the ideal hero. Powerful, handsome and so tortured over his brutal past and the dark legacy bequeathed onto him. Dare he believe in Emily's gentleness and love? Or will the curse resurface and destroy what is left of his soul?
Toss in an unknown villain who is bent on having these two families go to war, hot passion, soul stirring tenderness ad side hugging laughter and you have got a MASTERPIECE.

This is the first, of many, Kinley MacGregor books that I read ... the first of many because this book was exceptional!
Ever had an over-protective father who just didn't want you to get married, or leave home? Well, Emily sure has one! Given a prime opportunity to find herself a husband, Emily grabs it with both hands .... the only problem is that the man Emily grabs is her fathers hated enemy! Draven and Emily's story is humorous, sweet, and unusual ... poor old Draven doesn't know what's hit him when he meets Emily, and right from the start you know that he's fighting a losing battle ... you can expect laughter, compassion, and a sweetly haunting tale that you will never forget. Both Emily and Draven resolve issues, both present and past, to find true love together.
Why are other reviewers comparing this novel to the Wolf and the Dove? The Wolf and the Dove is one of my all time favourite books and I see no comparison in story lines here ... Master of Desire is completely different but just as good (I don't generally believe in comparing different writing styles because it is like comparing apples and oranges ... doesn't work at all): Woodiwiss has a far more serious, intense writing style; MacGregor has a more humorous, hauntingly deep (on the emotional level) kind of writing style. For example, main men: we're talking staunch, warrior who at one point chained and threatened to rape/beat Aisleen in the Wolf and the Dove COMPARED WITH an aloof warrior who goes out of his way to protect, nurture, and please Emily, the daughter of his hated enemy, in Master of Desire ... no comparison at all!
Anyways, definitely worth a read, you will no doubt do so more than once! Kristina

I personally steer clear of anything to do with Camelot, Arthur, and/or anything remotely related to them. Yet, after seeing all the reviews on this series, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. I actually started with the second book in the series and was so pleasantly surprised, I couldn't wait to run out and buy the first in the series. I suppose what endears me to this series is the fact it is so far removed from the whole Round-table propaganda. Arthur is dead. Morgan is evil. Geneviere is dead. Basically, the heros and heriones are little known or previous Knights. In this first installment there is Seren and Kerrigen. Seren just wants to become a weaver and Kerrigan is the baddest bad guy in three lands. Which makes him ubber-sexy. Seren thinks Kerrigan is saving her from some crazed deliquents who claim to be Knights of the Round-table when he actually is the guy they were trying to save her from. She lets him carry her away only to become his prisioner. The story is really fast paced and action packed. The romance is nothing to throw a stick at, either. I can't wait for more from this series.

I really enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read master of seduction too (the history of draven's brother).
Draven is a famous knight, powerfully built, that manages to intimidate anyone he meets with his fame in battles and stern character. He is a man that talks little, never laughs and keeps his thoughts to himself. When he is ordered by the king to take Emily in his castle he tries to stay away from her as she is the daughter of his enemy and also believes that his rage could prove uncontrollable when it comes to her. But what surprises him is that Emily is not afraid of him as everyone else is. She stands up to him, speaks her own mind and she is determined to get him to marry her! They are attracted to each other but too many obstacles stand between them. Of course, as in every romance they find a way to get through them and live happily ever after.
The humor was perfectly balanced with Draven's tortured past so you couldn't name it a light read not a heart-wreching one. It certainly was extremely easy to read and I couldn't leave it of my hands. Emily is determined, willful and also romantic and sweet. Draven is the typical medeival hero: gorgeous, tough outside but warm for those who know him.
Go out and read it!!!

Draven de Montague, Earl of Ravenswood had no desire to be guardian to his enemy's daughter. He can't refuse his king however, and reluctantly heads to the home of a man that he will never turn his back on. Expecting to find a wilting flower that will cower at the sound of his voice, Draven is beyond surprised to find Lady Emily is the exact opposite of what he expected her to be. Instead of timid, she is bold, instead of cowering, she stands up to him. She is unlike any woman that he has ever known, and the one woman that he can never touch, for he has sworn on his honor that she will be returned to her father in the exact state that she was given to his care in.
Lady Emily has spent her life sheltered by her father. After her two older sisters died in childbirth, Emily's father vowed that he would not let any of his remaining daughters marry. Sequestered in her childhood home, Emily longs for adventure, and love. For the only way for her to have children is to find a husband. She finds the perfect man in Draven, she only has to convince him that they could be perfect together.
In her normal blend of romance and humor, MacGregor delivers in this heartwarming historical romance that will be hard to put down. With family feuds, blossoming love, and raging lust, Master of Desire is a book that you will love.

the store, being the smart website that it is, recommended this book to me. It has everything I like and more. The main guy is evil, it's set in camelot, it's romance, it's medieval-esque, win-win all around for me.

The first great falling out for me is the main guy is evil. The Kerrigan is as evil as I am, which is to say, I may 'say' I'm evil, but I'm not. He claims to be a liar but he lies to her two times in the whole book, and both times were to protect her. There was no killing, maiming or raping being done here. He's evil, let him be EVIL, not a prankster. Mind you, I like pranksters, but not when they're supposed to be ALL evil and a king.

There were far too many unimportant and unnecessary characters. Magda, Drystan, and half a dozen others mentioned once or twice and then never brought up again. For the most part, I'm okay with those extra unimportant characters, but in this book, there were far too many. They seemed important only for you to find out later that there really was nothing going on with them. Zero points for foreshadowing anything at all.

I believe the characters must be suffering from an extreme case of ADD. That seems to be the only logical reason I can think of for the main Hero and Heroine to be getting EXTREMELY hot and heavy and have the heroine start thinking, well, I may as well do this because it's not like I can go back to my life, or the shop...and oh all the people I liked..which reminds me of this time that my mother found a wolf in a trap...but really Kerrigan is like the wolf, so maybe that's what she meant, someone must have hurt him in the past...oh yeah, what was I doing again?

The unique idea behind this story alone deserved the three stars. I feel like a story that could have been one of my all-time favorites was completely destroyed by publishing it like this instead of working out the obvious flaws to characters and pacing that this book suffers so greatly from.

Future books in this series have the potential to be something honestly great, but this was the book that I was looking forward to. This was the story that I wanted to read, and unlike movies there are no remakes on books.

King Henry II lectures Lord Draven de Montague and his neighbor Lord Hugh that the raiding between them is over as His Highness demands peace between them. To insure this occurs, Henry asks Draven's younger brother what does his sibling treasure most. Simeon responds that Draven values honor above everything else. Using the wisdom of Solomon, Henry makes Draven vow not to raid Hugh's lands and forces the latter to hand over one of his daughters to spend a year at Draven's home as a guest who is not to be harmed or shamed.

Reluctantly, Draven welcomes the gentle Emily to his abode. Emily believes in chivalry, but finds her host is a brooding anti-hero. She sets three goals to achieve before her year is over. Draven will laugh and smile, and learn how to truly love. Neither one expected the heated passion of love to flow between them, but he must not bring shame on her.

MASTER OF DESIRE is an amusing medieval romance that provides the audience with much enjoyment because of the battle of the sexes that replaces the feudal squabble between lords. The story line is fun because the lead characters and their supporting cast seem genuine in their disputes, and the picturesque setting filled with detail are interwoven into the plot. This enhances the Draven-Emily relationship. With novels like this compassionate tale and MASTER OF SEDUCTION, Kinley MacGregor is quickly becoming a historical romance fan favorite.

Harriet Klausner

Lady Emily has spent her life dreaming of leaving the home of her overprotective father and having a husband and children of her own. But since the death of her mother and sisters in child birth, her father has refused to see his youngest daughter married. But Emily is nothing if not stubborn and determined. When her father angers the king, Emily is made the king's ward and given to her father's enemy to be held for a year to help cement the bonds of peace.
Haunted by his tormented past, Draven of Ravenswood is a man who has never given a thought to having a wife. His home is the battlefield and given the curse of his father's blood, he wants nothing else. But from the moment he takes Emily into his home, he knows things will never be the same. Oh, and here is where I should mention that he has sworn a blood oath not to touch Emily. Failure to keep his word means execution. But keeping that oath is impossible.
Mix in some incredible humor, poignant scenes that will make you laugh and cry, a wonderful brother who is determined to see Draven married and a cast of funny characters and you have IMHO the best medieval I have read since The Wolf and The Dove. And in my opinion this is even better. I loved Draven and Emily and Simon who I hope gets his own book.
If you like really tortured heroes, strong, competent and likable heroines, sizzling sex, and books that touch your heart, run to the nearest store and buy this book! The only disappointment I had was that it ended and I don't know when her next will be out. Hurry Kinley, I need another of your books bad!

Weird mix of time-travel and fantasy where Camelot is taken over by the evil Fey, Morgen, after Arthur falls; and the finding of the evil sword Caliban by a poor peasant boy leads to him becoming the Kerrigan, a centuries-old dark king and warlord of Camelot.

The nasty evil folk at Camelot are opposed by the Lords of Avalon, who seem curiously inept as they seek a girl who is prophesied will bear a merlin (magic-user). Seren is the girl, and she flees their crazy-talk right into the arms of the Kerrigan, who "saves" her by taking her straight to Camelot where Morgen hopes to use her to barter for magical items that will consolidate their power and enable them to rule the world. Seriously. Well, in this book, seriously.

It's a pretty weird mix of stuff: magic enables the good guys and the bad to be able to pop into the present day, so Morgen gets her slaves to buy her Starbuck's now and then, and drives the Kerrigan to distraction by playing INXS at her parties. The mix of the contemporary items and dialog isn't a happy one, and doesn't really seem to add much or have a purpose aside from being hip and anachronistic. Also, the very odd take on the Camelot legends can be disconcerting. But the basic story of the very evil Kerrigan finding love and redemption is cool.

In the darkness an evil lurks, waiting for the ripeness of revenge to strike. On the other side, is the goodness of light, its power held by the righteous. The two balance on the razor edge of life. Either one can tip the scales of mankind, but which one will it be in SWORD OF DARKNESS?

Seren is a lowly peasant apprentice working to perfect her weaving hoping someday to be more than mere dirt under the feet of the people she works for like a slave--day and night, night and day. Seren has created the most beautiful and perfect piece of fabric fit for royalty. Created in the times she is not slaving for another. Sadly, the guild does not see the greatness she has produced. All her hard work for not.

Leaving to go back to her lowly station as a no-name weaver, she will be confronted by two strange Knights that tell her a wild story about how special she is to their future. Running to escape them, a savoir, another Knight sweeps her off her feet. Only this gallant Knight is darkness personified!

SWORD OF DARKNESS is by Kinley MacGregor. Much like the characters in her book, Ms. MacGregor wields her pen in duality one side is wicked and the other sinfully good. Both produce the hunger that makes this a one-sitting read. The characters are lifelike, their dialogues funny, heartfelt and at times damning. But, always entertaining.

As long as authors like Kinley MacGregor or for that matter Sherrilyn Kenyon keep seducing the readers, with realms of mystery, sexual heat and a never-ending imagination, then paranormal romance will be here to stay! Ms. MacGregor may be a chameleon in her ability to cross over into different vines of the romance field, but those snappy quips are a calling card to an author that will be remembered long after the pages stop turning.

Seren has the purest of hearts. She sees the goblet half full instead of half empty. Even when darkness is all around her, she manages to uncover a seed of humanity in a soul drenched in malicious and hatred. Will that truly be enough when she becomes the possession of Kerrigan, the King of Camelot? Can one tiny young woman change the path that has not seen light in centuries? Will she have enough courage for the hard road ahead of her?

This is the first novel by Ms. MacGregor this reviewer has read, but as Sherrilyn Kenyon said, she does write like her. And yes, this reviewer knows they are one in the same. There is no mistaking the biting wit or flawless sentence structures that complete this paranormal novel. If this book had been without an author's name, this reviewer would still be able to tell you who had written it. This is a do not miss read!

Reviewed by Janalee Ruschhaupt, 2006

Courtesy of Love Romances and More

I usually enjoy Kinley MacGregor books but after reading the second book in her Avalon Series, I have decided not to buy anymore Lords of Avalon. The first one was okay, but it did not inspire me to buy the second installment. However, after seeing the cover and reading the description of the second book I thought it might be better than the first book--it was worse. I agree with other reviewers about the Monty Python and Spamalot references, there were just too many. I have had limited exposure to Monty Python for a reason--I do not find it funny. Thus I found the book not funny.

Also, there were too many characters and alternate realms (it sometimes got confusing) introduced that the hero and heroine got lost and I had to force myself to finish the book. The storyline got repetitive about how unfairly and horrible everyone in the hero's life treated him--I kept thinking okay already, I get it, the hero's life sucked. Why is he even living in that realm and not living it up as a Hollywood hunk? Why is he even helping the "Good Guys" which I found hard to like and felt they were worst than the "Bad Guys" since the Bad Guys are supposed to be bad. Why not live in current earth time away from them and leave saving the world to the ungrateful jerks? I could have forgiven MacGregor if the book was more comedic than romantic. But the story was NOT romantic, NOT funny, NOT sexy and NOT interesting. Maybe if the setting took place in the present it might have been better since there were so many pop culture references.

I use to find MacGregor's books refreshing, but lately the heros of her stories are all beginning to seem the same--whether she's writing under MacGregor or Kenyon. The hero died a horrific death, the hero has a horrific life, the hero was treated horrifically......yada yada yada. I hope her Dream Hunter series proves to be better than the Lord of Ava-yarn I am almost reluctant to buy the book when it comes out in 2007.

More sedate than "Lady Chatterley's Lover" but not by much. As such books go, this one was well done, except in the last few pages where the author is explaining the past history of the characters to justify all the hatred and self-destructive behavior. Unfortunately, the author loses track of the character names vis a vis the storyline. Or maybe by then I just didn't care.

Chapter after chapter of seduction, various touchings and nibblings, enterings and climaxes. Author used the word "lip" or "lips" 155 times. Does that tell you anything about the repetitive nature of the writing? Wash, rinse, repeat.

I loved all the characters and especially Varian and his mother Narushka. Kenyon never fails to deliver supreme evil and cruelty in her characters that in the end show their other side more clearly. Of course, this does NOT pertain to Narushka. At times I found it a little hard to follow between the nether Camelot and Avalon. The author brought in a plethora of odd characters besides the good guys and bad guys. I also found the continuing reference to Monty Python's movie distracting and over done and also the fact that everbody seemed to have a brash answer and quip over used. This is my only pet peeve in many of Kenyon's stories. Not everyone is a comedian! The ending was unpredictable. The author delivered the goods as usual and I look forward to the next book.

I'm not including a plotline, because it's already been done. I'll just give my impressions.

First, I didn't know this was the second book. Second, it didn't really matter. The book was a story all by itself.

Umm, about the story. I agree with other reviewers about over-doing the Monty Python references. I also agree with the reviewer that said that the fact that the "hero's" life really sucked was repeated quite a bit. That was rather annoying. It took away from the book a bit, but that wasn't the problem.

The thing that got me was that this book was 1 part fantasy, 1 part romance, and (this was a shock) it was also 1 part soft core porn. That took me off guard. I was looking for a good fantasy/romance novel and it kinda ruined it for me. If the author had left out the explicit scenes, I would have really enjoyed the book and even would have gone back to read the first one.

However, what passes for romance in this book is mostly sex. The two main characters are always horny. As an example, the heroine Merewyn, had just thrown up. The next thing you know, she's kissing Varian. For one thing, after throwing up do you really feel like kissing someone? Would you really want to kiss someone who has just thrown up? Even if you were REALLY attracted to them?

The other problem was that the heroes are running for their lives, but they spend an awful lot of time thinking how to get into each other's pants. Yes, I know it's a fantasy but...never mind.

I gave it 3 stars because the story was good. I liked the way it was told except for the sex. I think taking the sex out of this particular book would have improved it.

Mostly, though I would have appreciated a warning about the raunchiness in the book.

In Avalon, Aquila Merlin tells Varian du Frey that one of them is a traitor. She shows him an image of Grail Knight Tarynice lying in blood obviously dead, he had been captured and tortured by their enemy led by Morgen of Camelot. Someone informed Morgen how to identify a Grail Knight by the tattoo on the arm. Merlin wants Varian to bring home the corpse and learn if he gave away any secrets especially involving the other five remaining knights, who all have one clue each to the whereabouts of the sacred Grail.

Varian goes to the third city pulled into the Fey universe, the cesspool Glastonbury Abbey. Among those stuck in the city is Princess Merewyn who made a deal with the evil Narishka that has left her as a deformed hag for eternity. In a bar Varian learns that the demon Bracken killed Tarynice before going home with the body. Varian travels to Camelot to learn what Bracken found out from Tarynice. However, Varian's mother Narishka placed a magic restricting bracelet on him so he cannot use his skills. He is locked in the dungeon where he is tortured. Merewyn is sent to show him kindness because his mother believes pity is his weakness. They escape; while trekking the dangerous path home accompanied by a dragon and triplets, Merewyn and Varian fall in love.

The latest Lords of Avalon tale (see THE SWORD OF DARKNESS) is a fresh, unique and at times amusing look at what happened to Camelot and Avalon. The lead couple consists of brave ethical individuals, who believe they are not good enough for the other while their comrade Blaise the Dragon adds depth to the fantasy species. Arthurian fans will want to read this terrific romantic fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Continuing on with the Lords of Avalon series, Kinley MacGregor introduces us to a powerful knight caught amidst the battle between good and evil.

Varian duFey is a product of his evil mother's deception. Conceived in darkness and treachery, he grew up suffering the scorn of everyone, including his very own parents. Caught between darkness and lightness, he had spent centuries waging an inner battle between good and evil. Carrying the bloods of an Adoni and Merlin, it has been speculated that his powers could be greater than anyone has ever imagined. Hence, the reason why Morgen and her ally Narishka, Varian's mother, will stop at nothing to get him on their side. But for centuries they have tried and failed. Until Varian crosses path with his mother's slave, Merewyn of Mercia.

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess in the land of Mercia. Reputed to be more beautiful than Helen of Troy, men supposedly killed each other just for a mere smile from her. But Merewyn despised every moment of it. Feeling trapped by her beauty, she made a bargain with an Adoni after discovering her father's wish to marry her off. Now the Adonis are a beautiful race of elflike creatures. However, underneath their physical magnificence, they possess a cruel nature that even demons fear. Tricked into trading her beauty for freedom, little did she know that it wasn't freedom she was trading her beauty for, but centuries of slavery and repugnance. Everywhere she went, people felt repulse by her deformity. Then one day, she meets Varian, the only man who has shown her any kindness. A kindness that will endanger both their lives.

Now on the run from Morgen and Narishka, Varian and Merewyn must work together if they wish to avoid capture, but how can they do so when they are constantly at each other's throat, trading barbs and denying the growing attraction between them?

Just like its predecessor, KNIGHT OF DARKNESS is a fun, witty and entertaining novel. MacGregor has put a fun spin on the Arthurian legend that, although bordering on being utterly ridiculous at times, provides a fun way to while away a lazy day. I do admit that references to pop culture such as Monty Python had me scratching my head, but only due to my lack of knowledge of the film. However, the sarcastic humor that is a trademark of Kenyon/MacGregor certainly had me smiling. So come on, lighten up a bit and be prepared for some silly fun. This is harmless fiction, not classic literature.

I LOVE kinley Macgregor for these wonderful fun, sexy great books worth the read. I thought it was well written great humor from simon the heroe's brother and the other characters and i also thought the ending was perfect. Really and truly a romantic novel..Also this is the book to read to start off the series of the BROTHER HOOD OF THE SWORDS & THE MACALLISTERS..

I WOULD like to say that everybody has a different opinion when writting a review if we all had the same reviews or opinions it would be boring. Reviews can sometimes down play a really good book or up play a really bad book its up to us to read the book and judge for ourselfs and draw our own conclusion thats the best thing about a review its like a silent debate....

King Arthur is dead and Morgen has placed amoral Kerrigan of the darkest shadows on the throne of Camelot; Kerrigan, more demon than human, a soulless one that the Knights of the Round Table fear. The only hope for the future resides in a peasant Seren, but Morgen recognizes she, if allowed to grow, will be the next Merlin and a threat to her rule.

Kerrigan captures the innocent Seren, who knows what she faces and boldly challenges her jailer even as she concludes that she must use her female charms to seduce Kerrigan in order to escape because wizardry will prove futile. Shockingly her courage and spirit reaches perhaps the last human cell inside Kerrigan's heart and to both their amazement the pure Seren and the evil Kerrigan fall in love, a feeling forbidden by Morgen.

Camelot fans will want to read this terrific romantic fantasy, the Lords of Avalon's tale. The exhilarating story line contains a dark "villain" who has to choose between the redemption of love and the power of evil; both very enticing. As always Kinley MacGregor insures the unbelievable seems plausible while also employing humor to enhance an overall dark plot. Fans of the series will appreciate the "cat and mouse" lead couple as love is the last enchantment either expected between them.

Harriet Klausner