Review: Feuds, magic, danger, desire, and love whip up a storm in Laird of Darkness.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 20, 2011
Duncan MacDougall knows better than anyone the monsters that lurk in the night.  Half-fae and cursed with dreams that leave him exhausted and bloody, Duncan is determined to get his hands on a magical bow that can protect him from the Otherworld creatures.  The problem is, the bow belongs to Duncan's half-brother who refuses to hand it over.  So Duncan does the only thing he can: he kidnaps the woman intended to be his half-brother's bride and plans to barter her for the bow.  Only Lady Alana Forbes is unlike any woman Duncan has ever met.  In the space of a heartbeat, Duncan realizes he doesn't want to ever let the sensual beauty go.  With Otherworld creatures stalking his nightmares and a half-brother out for blood, will Duncan survive long enough to win the heart of the beautiful Alana?Feuds, magic, danger, desire, and love whip up a storm in Laird of Darkness.  Nicole North has penned a story brimming with possibilities that falls short of the mark I felt it could have hit were the story delivered in a longer format.  There is so much going on in Laird of Darkness that it could have been a full-length novel without there being any slow points.  As it stands, the mythology of Duncan's world, the romance between he and Alana, the feud with his half-brother, and the resolution to everyone's problems was simply too rushed.  I appreciated that Alana was comfortable with her sexuality and was intrigued by her healing abilities.  I also found Duncan's sensuality and cursed heritage to be of interest.  But, though I wanted to like the characters, world, and story, I felt like I was getting whiplash with the speed at which I was being jerked around and neither Duncan nor Alana were given enough time to develop into three-dimensional characters.  Laird of Darkness has all the right materials for an excellent story and though I didn't fall in love with it, I'd be willing to give another one of Ms. North's books a try.ShaynaReviewed for Joyfully Reviewed