IN TWILIGHT'S SHADOW

Author: Patti O'Shea ISBN: 0765355809 6/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: TOR

Something Wicked... Maia Frasier thought she'd escaped the world of troubleshooters and demons when she'd ceded her magical powers years earlier. Now a wounded enforcer has turned up in her home, claiming Maia's sister is in danger. Creed Blackwood needs Maia's help to hunt the demon he's after, especially since he's hiding the fact that his powers are becoming erratic. And then there are the blackouts... Maia soon begins to fear Creed has fallen to the dark forces himself, and with his strong and increasingly unreliable magic, he is as dangerous to her and her sister as any demon could be.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

IN TWILIGHT'S SHADOW, a paranormal action romance from Patti O'Shea and unbeknownst to me when I first began reading the book, the second book in her Light Warriors series following IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR.

I had a feeling when I began IN TWILIGHT'S SHADOW that I was walking into the middle of a story from the way that the characters would casually talk about events or relationships. Maia's absent acknowledgement that her sister Ryne and her fiancé Deke had come a long way sort of clued me in. Ordinarily, if a relationship began off screen (so to speak), a brief recounting of how it began is almost required. When all that was talked about was how happy they were together, I took myself off to the internet to find out what I had missed out on.

I can't say for certain, but I believe the animosity between Ryne and Creed happened in the first book. And considering what a jerk he is at the beginning of this book, I can only imagine what he was like in the first book when he was trying to court Ryne (and got bumped out).

Normally such a scenario would squick me to no ends, but the tension between Maia and Creed is pretty fun. Starting from her obvious attraction, but frustration because her sister told her she hated him without a reason why (classified) to her obvious attachment and finding out why, Maia is a roller coaster of emotions. A roller coaster of emotions that is fun to watch. Like a friend who is in complete denial that the guy she fights with is obviously the guy she wants to sleep with, you just sort of want to shake her and say 'Really now, get over it'.

Creed, for his part, annoyed me for most of the book. I liked him in the prologue—he seemed like a guy I could really dig. Then his pettiness got the better of him and the constant little digs he throws at Ryne, Deke and even Maia grated on my nerves. He knew better, yet he couldn't help himself. I wanted to scream 'Get control of your mouth!' at least a dozen times in the first half of the book.

Something I have always admired in Patti O'Shea's books is her seamless fusion of action and romance. The whole reason I began reading the genre was because I happened upon one of her earlier novels (in the Crimson series of books) and decided that maybe these action romances weren't so bad after all. IN TWILIGHT'S SHADOW doesn't disappoint. Creepy monsters, magic, and a few good old fights made me a happy girl.

Alexandra Cenni