INTO THE FLAME

Author: Christina Dodd ISBN: 9780451224668 8/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: NAL/Signet

Roaming the Russian steppes a thousand years ago, a brutal warrior struck a terrifying deal. In exchange for being able to transform into a heartless predator, he promised his soul—and the souls of his descendents—to the devil. Ruggedly handsome cop Doug Black is determined to find the birth family who left him with nothing but a terrifying inheritance: the ability to change into a savage golden cougar. His search leads him to a woman as dauntless and exotic as her name. Firebird Wilder is bitterly familiar with supernatural gifts, and flees on discovering Doug's secret, leaving him alone once more. But no one can escape a wild cougar on the hunt. When he finds her, they must decide which is more powerful: the love that binds them together—or the secrets that threaten to tear them apart.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Christina Dodd's INTO THE FLAME raises the bar on shapeshifter romances. This is a story whose impression lingers long after the last page is turned, because it is just that impressive.

While this tale begins with an evil-hearted man's deal with the devil, it focuses on the effect selling his soul has on the generations that follow. A mother's curse, the seat of "honor" at Satan's right hand and an icon sent to the four corners of the earth, all come together to form the legacy Konstantine Varinski leaves his family.

A thousand years later, in present-day America, a family of shapeshifters, each with a specific talent, again confront evil. Their parents, Konstantine and Zorana, have watched and waited, looking for the moment when their children will be forced to wage their own war on evil. The family thinks that because the fourth child born to Konstantine and Zorana is a girl, Firebird, their pact with the devil is crumbling. After all, the decree called for the fourth to be a male child. But, even the devil can outlast a family's secret, and when Doug comes into Firebrand's world, the battle begins again.

The dance between good and evil is as old as time itself, but Ms. Dodd's portrayal of the forces, emotions and machinations behind the age-old dilemma brings INTO THE FLAME off the page. I was completely invested in the Wilder family's legacy. I felt Firebird's anguish when she witnessed Doug's "betrayal" and although I didn't fully agree with some of the things she did, I always understood her motivation. I particularly appreciated the role the family icon had in conquering the curse.

INTO THE FLAME is an amazing story about the power love can play in the fight against even the darkest enemies. Wonderfully well done!

Kay James