Tapestry

~by Lynn Kurland, Madeline Hunter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Karen Marie Moning
2002 PEARL Winner
2002 RIO Award of Excellence Winner
2002 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee
2003 RITA Award Winner

This book has won (and has been nominated for) numerous awards as an anthology, and several of the novellas have also been nominated (or have won) individually. Each of the stories has a plot point surrounding a tapestry, thereby giving the collection its name, although some work it in better than others.

The first novella is To Kiss in the Shadows, by Lynn Kurland. Lianna of Grasleigh has recently become a ward of the king after her parents were killed. Disfigured and despised, she awaits the time that she, and her land, will be married off to form a political alliance. Kendrick of Artane is much admired, handsome, and sought-after. His brother, however, is another story. Jason of Artane once served as a squire to a man rumoured to be a practitioner of the dark arts, and he is therefore treated with fear and loathing. Jason has been sent by his father to find Kendrick when he unexpectedly meets and falls in love with Lianna. But the king would never agree to such an alliance with a reviled third son. To Kiss in the Shadows is an award-winner and quite a lovely story. I particularly enjoyed the brothers' interactions and how they played off one another, nothing like a bit of sibling rivalry to keep things interesting!

An Interrupted Tapestry, by Madeline Hunter, is the second novella in this collection, and like the first, is strictly a historical romance. Giselle's brother Reginald has wasted the family fortune away. He has left debts all over London, making false promises, and bad trading decisions. Now he is being held ransom, and unless his debts are repaid, he may just lose his life. Desperate, Giselle approaches Andreas, an old family friend and successful tradesmen who she hasn't seen since he had a falling out with her brother. And although Andreas is engaged to be wed to the daughter of a wealthy Venetian merchant, his heart belongs to Giselle and he agrees to help her.

The third novella, Dragonswan is another award-winner written by Sherrilyn Kenyon which has subsequently been published individually. It is the third story in her Dark Hunter series, following the novel Fantasy Lover and a short story entitled "The Beginning". Dr. Channon ("Shannon with a C") McRae has always been fascinated by the Dragon Tapestry which hangs in art museum. In fact, she made it the subject of her dissertation. One day while studying the tapestry at the museum, she encounters a dark, handsome, and mysterious man name Sebastian Kattalakis. Although very unlike her, she ends up sleeping with him. As it turns out, Sebastian is no ordinary human, he belongs to a race of beings known as the Drakos. After stealing the tapestry, he takes Channon back in time with him to pre-Norman Britain. While enjoyable, the story really should have been an entire novel; it is simply too complex a plot to be squished down to novella length and still do the story justice. Perhaps a little over the top at times, but you gotta love were-dragons!

The fourth and final novella in this collection is Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning. Like Dragonswan, this story also has a bit of time-travel and magic mixed in with the historical romance. (By the way, if you read the plot blurb at the beginning of the book for this story, it is almost completely wrong.) To save his clan, Aedan MacKinnon agreed to be imprisoned by the Unseelie King but was tricked into five hundred years of imprisonment, by the end of which he has lost both his sanity and his humanity. Jane Sillee is a modern day woman, aspiring to be a romance writer; inspired by her dreams of a handsome highlander. Although she didn't know, the dreams and the man she loves are real. The Seelie Queen arranges for the two of them to be brought together, but Aedan is no longer the man Jane knew from their meetings in the Dreaming. She has a month to bring him to his senses, or he will be lost to her forever.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection very much. The stories presented a variety of writing styles and romantic genres. As novellas, they were quick reads, but contained a surprising amount of substance despite their length. I can definitely understand why so many like this anthology.

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Fantasy Lover

~by Sherrilyn Kenyon
2002 PEARL Winner
2002 PEARL Nominee
2002 RIO Award of Excellence Nominee

For many years now I've been rather smug about never having read a romance novel. I joke about them, and never really considered them to be worthwhile reading. Well, I decided that wasn't really fair of me and that I should actually read one before continuing on with my low opinion. For various reasons, I chose the prequel to Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, Fantasy Lover (although I've had several people tell me it doesn't really count because it was hardcover and is considered to be a paranormal romance, but whatever.) And you know what? I enjoyed it. I really did.

Because of family troubles, which can be a major issue when you're related to the gods, Julian of Macedon has been cursed and imprisoned in a book for all eternity. But he can be summoned by a woman, freed for a month at a time. Although, his freedom is only relative, for he must serve as a love slave, required to fulfill his summoner's every wish, whim, and desire. Originally a highly successful general from the Hellenistic period, he has been summoned hundreds of times over the last two thousand centuries; he has forgotten his humanity long ago.

Grace Alexander is a sex-therapist in New Orleans. She has also been celibate for several years; determined not to be taken advantage of or mistreated, as she has been by a previous lover. For her birthday, her best friend Selena has decided to add a little spice and romance to Grace's solitary life. Having found a mysterious volume in a used bookstore, she is bound and determined to have Grace summon the gorgeous man trapped within its pages. Grace finally relents, not really taking Selena seriously, and is astounded when a naked Julian appears in her living room.

But Grace refuses to let him "have his way with her" and instead treats him like a person rather than an object. Her kindness confuses Julian, who has been shown very little in his long life. When they discover that the curse can be broken, Grace resolves to help even though it will demand things of her she isn't willing to give. In fact, it will be extremely difficult, and even dangerous, for the both of them.

Fantasy Lover was a fun, light read, although it had its serious moments. The characters were endearing and their interactions real. Well, as real as they can be when you're running into the Greek pantheon on the streets of New Orleans. I particularly enjoyed the dialogue as it reminded me of how the people I associate with talk and banter with one another--puns, innuendos, friendly intimidation, it's all there. Was this top of the line literature? No, not really. Was it a good story? Definitely. Will I stop making fun of romance novels and their readers? Okay, fine.

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