TIGER EYE

Author: Marjorie M. Liu ISBN: 0505526263 3/2005 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER/Love Spell

HERS TO COMMAND He looked completely out of place in Dela Reese's Beijing hotel room-like he belonged to a myth, was the tragic hero of some epic tale, exotic and poignant. He was like nothing from her world, neither his variegated hari nor his feline yellow eyes. Yet Dela had danced through the echo of his soul, and she knew this seven-foot warrior would obey. HIS TO PROTECT Hari had been used and abused for millennia: he was jaded, dull, tired. But upon his release from the riddle box, Hari saw his new mistress was different. In Dela's eyes he saw a hidden power himself within reach of all he had lost, of avenging those wrongs. This woman was the key. If only he dared protect, where before he had savaged; love, where before he'd known hate. For Dela, he would dare all.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

TIGER EYE, by Marjorie M. Liu, is one of the coolest books you will read this year! It has everything an author can dish out, but it is unlike anything you have read before. It's full of mystery, murder, deception, greed, magic, romance, lust, and some sparkling humor. Most of all, lots and lots of paranormal stuff, like a fire-starter, a psychometrist, and the heroine, Delilah, can "feel" and manipulate metal.

The side characters remind me of the X-Men, but the hero, Hari, is a shapeshifter that has been trapped in an ornate box of a prison, like a genie. Yes, he does have to grant wishes, but it's more like he is a slave and must do anything his master commands until his master dies. Then, Hari's box must be bought and sold in order for him to have a new master. You can only imagine some of the horrors Hari has been through. What he has seen, and what he has had to do because he cannot resist the magic that compels him. That is, until her meets his newest master, Delilah, who, it turns out, doesn't want to master Hari at all.

This is really an involved story that, at times, can be a bit complicated to comprehend, but is definitely worth wrapping your brain around. I enjoyed all the intrigue and all the characters introduced here that are just begging for their own story! Delilah is a selfless heroine that truly wants to help Hari. Man, do I respect her self-control! Hari is one hot hero that I hope to visit in a continuation of these shapeshifting, paranormal, psychic ability, (dare I hope?!) series of books!