'The Strangeling' by Saskia Walker

ISBN: 0809557932
ISBN-13: 9780809557936
Format: Paperback, 224pp
Publisher: Juno Books
Price:$9.95

Maerose, the May-Born woman, is the key to a hundred-year old curse about to ravage the land of Edren. An undead army is on the verge of breaking though the earth at a place called The Strangeling and only Maerose, and the magic within her, can turn back the evil tide.

Long ago an Elder prophecy told of a woman who could break the curse with the help of one man. Both Bron and Veldor were trained to be this man by the Elders. While Bron stuck close to the Edlers and their teachings, Veldor split with them to follow a different, greedier path.

When Veldor kidnaps Maerose intending to use her to unleash the curse instead of control it, Bron comes to the rescue. Maerose and Bron then spend a few days coming to terms with their intertwined destiny and preparing to make their stand against the evil trying to enter the world.

A significant portion of this book is the erotic relationship between Maerose and Bron as he helps her unlock her magic. Though the book is short, the way the relationship evolves is natural without seeming forced or pushed too far.

The Strangeling, fast-paced and action-packed, is the kind of book you will sit down and read in one setting. You are quickly caught up in the characters and the story. Maerose is a very modern woman in a rustic setting and Bron the perfect hero, while Veldor and his gray eyes make for the perfect villain.