Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the Dark Fae in order to harness their power. Instead, they created a demonic enemy more powerful than they dared to dream. Bent on enslaving the world, the Vampiric Fae have been quietly massing their strength for centuries. Now, Myst, queen of the Indigo Court, is rising again...and a long-prophesied war is brewing...Born a witch, Cicely Waters can control the wind. When her Elemental warns her that her aunt and cousin are in danger, she packs her Pontiac GTO and returns home for the first time in twenty years. But the magical town of New Forest, Washington has changed. The Indigo Court holds the city in fear; people are vanishing, and strange deaths plague the town. Swept into an unexpected and passionate reunion with her trusted childhood friend Grieve, the Fae prince who taught her how to harness the wind, Cicely finds herself with a fierce and territorial lover. But Grieve has become enslaved by Myst's court, and now both lovers must walk a fine line to survive the machinations of the Vampiric Fae Queen. Caught between two evils, both vying for supremacy, Cicely must fight for her family and her future. As she discovers the hidden secrets to her own heritage, will she lose her soul in the process?
I had a lot of hopes for this book because the description was interesting and the heroine started out so kick ass. Unfortunately, this book didn't seem to hold on to that feeling and instead turned into a case of 'woulda shoulda coulda'.
The entire book I was left with the feeling that Cicely was just not living up to her potential. Raised on the streets, cool magic with the wind, tattoos and magic - what's not to like? Well I didn't like the fact that she didn't seem able to really accomplish everything. Cicely seemed to spend the entire book as a pawn to everyone around her. Not able to keep herself out of anything, not able to protect herself, her family, or her friends it turned into one big sucks-fest.
I understand a heroine that's not perfect - that should be able to go through the bad and the good and come out the other end stronger, but I just did not see that here. Instead I felt frustrated the entire time. I didn't understand how Galenorn had started with a character who had such promise to affect at least some kind of positive change and ended with a woman who couldn't seem to actually do anything.
****Slight Spoiler Alert****
And then that whole scene with the vampire Lannanne (spelling's questionable there)? That really creeped me out. I couldn't understand the use of sexual language in what is essentially to me a rape scene. I don't care how she might have responded to what he was doing, Cicely says no repeatedly, is humiliated right from the beginning (along with throughout), and at the end feels degraded and violated as a person. Then when Galenorn has him respond to Cicely's questions with the 'I'm a predator, this is what I do, I don't understand why you're confused at my actions' line it just killed me even more. I was disgusted and at that point continued to finish the book more to know what happened than any real enjoyment.
****Spoiler Over****
Maybe I'm just disappointed because this is the start to a new series and not what I'm used to as an addition to her Otherworld series. Either way I don't see myself buying any future releases, and I would recommend that interested readers try finding a copy at the library first before putting down any money.
Overall Feeling - Thumbs down. I tried so hard to like this book, Cicely had great potential to be another kick ass heroine for the paranormal genre, but in the end it just fizzled out in disappointment.
Series - 1) Night Myst
