BOUND BY LIGHT

Author: Anna Windsor ISBN: 9780345498557 9/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: BALLANTINE

The night holds endless pleasures . . . and hides nameless terrors. As the broom end of her Sybil triad, Merilee Alexander has the sacred duty as a warrior witch of taking out the trash. Lately, though, she’s been a little overwhelmed: Manhattan is a mess. And her prophetic end-of-the-world nightmares aren’t helped by the waking fantasies of love. Or the fact that the object of her affections, gorgeous Jake Lowell of NYPD’s Occult Crimes Unit, is playing it so cool. Actually, Jake wants Merilee desperately, every luscious inch of her. Still, he’s holding back. He’s got secrets. Dark, dangerous, demonic secrets. But as Jake and Merilee trawl the city’s supernatural underbelly to out a demonic kingpin who, disguised as a charismatic leader, is amassing dark power, it’s make-or-break time. For their lives, their love, and the world are about to be sucked into the undertow of the tides of an unstoppable evil.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I just love the Dark Crescent Sisterhood.  I was so sad to see the trilogy end, but very happy that it ended on such a great note!  I was thrilled that Merilee finally got her man!!!

Jake is the ultimate in tortured heroes.  I mean, I love a good tortured soul, and Jake has what I want in spades.  As a full-blooded demon (unlike his two Astaroth brothers), he wants nothing more than to be human.  He is scarred from the things he has had to do and just wants to walk away from the demon inside him.  But, if he does that, then he won't be able to assist the Sybils, especially the beautiful air Sybil Merilee in their fight against the Legion. 

Merilee is a quiet, reserved, powerful air Sybil, and currently the only Sybil in her triad that is not pregnant.  She is having terrible mass death and chaos nightmares that seem to be a vision of things to come.   Merilee  is teamed up with the gorgeous Jake Lowell to help clean up the craziness that has become New York City.  Jake is ying to her yang on so many levels, and Merilee can't help the amazing attraction she has to this man.  The chemistry between this couple is absolutely sizzling!

I love the character development in this story.  We really see the whole of their relationship, not just choppy bits and pieces.  We learn who Jake is and who Merilee is, separately, and then who they are together.  It is a wonderful, powerful, sensual story, and the very hotness of these two characters together is reason enough to run out and grab this book!  I am sad to see the trilogy end, but was very happy to see all my old friends from previous books.  Each of the Sybils grew in some way in this last book in the trilogy, but it was Jake’s growth and the development of his character that really took this book over the edge. 

Anna Windsor never lets me down.  Her books are poignant, action-filled, and sensual, and I find that I have fallen in love with all of her characters in the trilogy.  I simply cannot decide who I love the most, but I do believe that Jake and Merilee tell a stunning and irresistible story that puts them in the running for the top spot!

Kristal Gorman