LORD OF LEGENDS

Author: Susan Krinard ISBN: 9780373773657 4/2009 PARANORMAL Publisher: HQN

He is Arion, King of the Unicorns. Powerful, seductive, he could possess any female he desired—until now. He is condemned to live as a man, and it is only the enchanting Lady Mariah Dunnington's innocence that can release him from his curse. Abandoned on her wedding night, frightened of her hidden, otherworldly heritage, Mariah is instinctively drawn to the mysterious stranger she discovers imprisoned on her husbands estate. But as the secret of Arion's magical identity unfolds, their friendship burns into a passion that cannot, must not, be consummated. For to do so would destroy them both....

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Captivating! Absolutely amazing, well-written and enchanting... all thoughts that spring to mind instantly when I consider Susan Krinard's LORD OF LEGENDS. At first I was a bit skeptical about the love story—I mean, a unicorn and a woman? How romantic will that be, I wondered? But I am so happy I decided to give this one a chance. Ms. Krinard, with her flawless writing style and vivid descriptions, shows that even the unlikeliest pair can find love.

Mariah's mother has suffered from "madness" for years. Mariah wants nothing more than to help her mother get well, but despite her best intentions and hard work, it is clear her mother is not going to recover. After waiting for what he feels is an adequate amount of time, Mariah's father decrees she must marry. He is wealthy but New York society scorns his newfound prosperity. What the family needs to gain credence is to marry Mariah into a family with a pedigree. Of course such a man shows up and Mariah marries and moves to his home in England. But Donnington has a motive of his own for entering into the marriage. He's made a bargain of sorts, and the virginal Mariah is the price he must pay. But getting Mariah, who wields powers she isn't aware of, to play her part in Donnington's scheme proves harder than he anticipates.

I love the characters in this story. Mariah, with her fear of insanity bolstering her sympathy to those so afflicted, is a strong, intelligent figure. She rushes to rescue a prisoner on Donnington's estate, bringing her part into her husband's bargain to the center of the story. Of course the handsome man cursed, and imprisoned, is heart-stoppingly memorable. Even the secondary characters, including a maid and decidedly annoying mother-in-law, have merit and motivation, and make this tale more believable than I could have imagined.

LORD OF LEGENDS enchanted me from the first page. Unicorns will never look the same to me after reading Ms. Krinard's wonderful romance! Well done!

Kay James