HEART OF THE HUNTER

Author: Tina St. John ISBN: 0345459946 6/2004 HISTORICAL Publisher: BALLANTINE/IVY
Time Period: Medieval

A beautiful maiden teams up with a dangerous man in a quest to rescue her kidnapped brother. Armed with his ransom--the cryptic key to a legendary treasure--Ariana and Braedon are drawn into a web of dark magic, powerful enemies . . . and a passion too great to be denied. (First title in the Dragon Chalice medieval/paranormal series.)

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Mark your calendars for June 1, 2004 so you can be the first in line to obtain Tina St. John's newest release, HEART OF THE HUNTER. This is book one of her Dragon Chalice Series and it starts off with a bang. Finally. A reason to get excited about a series has come my way!

Legend has it that a mystical kingdom called Anavrin was destroyed by a foolish maiden's innocent love for an unworthy mortal. That mortal betrayed the maiden and her kingdom by stealing the sacred Dragon Chalice. When the chalice was removed from Anavrin, it split into four identical cups and promptly vanished. This caused the people of Anavrin much anguish, and in order to restore their way of life they must search for the four cups and unite them. The task is dangerous at best, for if they touch any of the cups, they will burst into flame!

Sound intriguing? You bet, and that is only a summary of the first two pages!

The romance of this book is a large, yet worthy part of the tale woven with magic and shapeshifters! How our scarred and brooding hero, Braedon Le Chasseur - The Hunter - and the petite yet brave heroine, Ariana of Clairmont, end up together and on the hunt for the cups is something I would rather not reveal in this review. It is so much better if you read it yourself. There are so many twists and turns and wonderfully descriptive scenes that I would not want to ruin any of that for you. It's been such a long time since I have found a book that I finished, and then wanted to read again immediately.

My only hint as to what this "Lord of the Rings" type tale involves is that the people of Anavrin have some worthy adversaries in their quest for the cups. Some of their own kind have turned against them to aid a mysterious de Mortaine, who, it appears, is immortal. Braedon and Ariana try to help them, but surely are only beginning players in this drama. I enjoyed HEART OF THE HUNTER so much that I am willing to bet the next book is just as thrilling!

Shannon Johnson