Thursday, July 19, 2012

Review: Moonglow by Kristen Callihan

Moonglow by Kristen Callihan
Series: Darkest London, Book 2
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance Moonglow Cover
Release Date: July 31, 2012
ISBN: 9781455508587
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Kristen Callihan Reading Order

Finally free of her abusive marriage, widow Daisy Ellis Craigmore wants to fully live life once more. But when taking her first step into her “new” life, Daisy narrowly misses being attacked by a werewolf. Daisy’s brush with death lands her in the arms of Ian Ranulf, Marquis of Northrup, a genial rake who is far more than he seems.

Drawn together by chance, Daisy and Ian must work swiftly to uncover the identity of the werewolf. The hunt grows deeply personal as Daisy and Ian begin to fall for one another. And with that newfound intimacy comes increased danger. For both Daisy and Ian possess dangerous secrets. Secrets that endanger for more than their hearts...

Return to the thrilling, imaginative world of Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London series with Moonglow. Ms. Callihan takes readers deeper into the vision of paranormal Victorian-era London she introduced in Firelight. The result? A unique, dazzling romance that’ll leave you hungry for more Darkest London books.

Daisy is a bright, beautiful woman whose abusive husband left her with physical and mental scars she’s working to overcome. I respected Daisy’s inner strength and, what’s more, adored her truly joyful personality. Quite simply, Daisy was a delight throughout Moonglow. Ian, in turn, is an utterly delicious hero. He’s got scars of his own, ones that will tug on your heartstrings. Because of his past, he is now a man at war with himself. Ian’s a lycan, but he has given up his birthright and suppressed his true nature after the death of his son. Because of this, Ian’s constantly pulled into many different directions. And though he struggles against it, the string of werewolf killings will soon force his hand; Ian will have to take up the mantle of Alpha he turned his back on so many years ago or risk losing everything. As a couple, Ian and Daisy are never anything less than engaging. I loved how well they fit one another emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Truly, they’re a fantastic pair. While it isn’t an easy road to happily ever after — not by a long shot — Ms. Callihan makes it a journey worth taking.

Turning from romance to world building... All I can say is wow. Ms. Callihan expands on the world she created in Firelight, but she does it so smoothly, so flawlessly that I was amazed. I loved learning about the lycans, the politics of the clan, and all that Ian’s struggle entailed. And I cannot write about Moonglow without mentioning the GIMs. What are the GIMs? Alas, I wouldn’t dare spoil the fun of Moonglow by describing them here. Suffice it to say the GIMs are a fascinating supernatural species I am dying to see more of. Ms. Callihan balances world building and romance like a pro in Moonglow and that alone makes her an author to watch.

Moonglow is the second book in the Darkest London series, but Ms. Callihan provides enough information for readers new to the Darkest London world to follow along. That being said, Archer and Miranda (the hero and heroine of Firelight) are strong supporting characters and Moonglow does contain major spoilers for Firelight. Though it’s possible some readers may find Moonglow is less original than its Beauty and the Beast-like predecessor, I honestly enjoyed Moonglow far more. The only downside to Moonglow was the cliffhanger Ms. Callihan ended the story with; it made me want to read the next Darkest London book, Winterblaze, right now! Aside from that one complaint from an over-eager reader, I thought Moonglow was simply incredible. I think Ms. Callihan is an author who’s only going to get better and better at her craft, and considering how amazing her first two novels are... Well, watch out world ;)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have not read Firelight, but have just added it to my TBR thanks to your fantastic review for Moonglow. Thank you! :)

Kimberly said...

Thank you so much!!!! I really enjoy the Darkest London series so I recommend the books :)

There is a prequel to Firelight called Ember, but I would recommend reading it *after* Firelight. Though it's technically a prequel, Ember reads more like a series of deleted scenes that take place in the time between the prologue and chapter one of Firelight.