Midnight Pleasures

By: Amanda Ashley, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Maggie Shayne, Ronda Thompson

Series: Dark-Hunters, Wild Wulfs of London

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Synopsis

Midnight Pleasures is an anthology of four novellas featuring a variety of paranormal plots and heroes and heroines with supernatural powers.

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley - Lord Darkfest is a powerful wizard who has lived a lonely existence in his castle on a hilltop, feared by the villagers below. He is mesmerized by the lovely blind peasant girl, Channa Leigh, who sings with such beauty it makes him ache to have her near. Darkfest decides to visit the girl in his wolf form, and to both his surprise and hers, Channa Leigh's sight is restored each time she touches him. When Channa Leigh's mother takes ill with a fever and nothing can restore her health, Channa Leigh's father calls upon Lord Darkfest to heal her. Darkfest agrees, but his price is for Channa Leigh to live in his castle with him for the span of one year. Although Channa Leigh's father is appalled at the idea, she readily agrees to save her mother's life. Once ensconced within his castle, Channa Leigh is rather frightened of Darkfest because of all the terrifying stories the villagers tell about him. Darkfest treats her well and secretly continues to come to her as a wolf, so she is able to experience the gift of sight. Puzzled by the fact that Channa Leigh can only see when she touches him in wolf form but not in his human form, Darkfest sets out on a determined quest to find a way to permanently restore her eyesight while also quelling her fears and winning her heart.

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon - Lately, Erin McDaniels has been experiencing some very frightening nightmares that make it difficult for her to sleep at night and leave her exhausted in the light of day. She has tried everything to make them go away, but they just won't stop. Erin is always being pursued by a huge dragon beast and in her latest dream, he is joined by some other terrifying creatures who are all fighting over her. Just as she thinks all is lost and she is going to be killed, a handsome knight appears from out of nowhere to rescue her. He battles with the beasts and then whisks her away to a peaceful meadow where he makes passionate love to her. V'Aidan is a demigod who was born to walk the shrouded mist of the dream world, never to experience emotions or know love, but his moment with Erin changed him in ways he never thought possible. He wants nothing more than to be with her even though he knows it will mean severe punishment and possibly even death. After being rescued in her dreams, Erin no longer fears sleep, and in fact, welcomes it for the opportunity to see V'Aidan again. But V'Aidan is not all that he seems, and when Erin finds out the truth of his identity, she may never be able to love him the same way again.

Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne - Melissa St. Cloud is a Wiccan high priestess who is hired as a technical consultant for a TV show about witches. She experiences an almost immediate connection to the creator of the show Alexander Quinn. Alex is wildly successful, but has spent most of his life searching for the father he never knew. Alex finally located his missing parent only to discover that he had just passed away, but had left a legacy of diaries in which he imparts some shocking revelations. Melissa senses that Alex has been dabbling in the dark magic of his father, but can she convince him to stop before he loses his soul?

A Wulf's Curse by Ronda Thompson - Attempting to run away from an arranged marriage to an abusive man, Elise Collins stows away inside a wagon belonging to a troupe of traveling performers. When Sterling Wulf, the occupant of the wagon, finds Elise asleep in his bed, he tells her to leave, but Elise relates her story and begs him to allow her to travel with them as far as Liverpool where she can find refuge with an aunt. Sterling finally agrees to let her stay if she earns her passage. Elise thinks that she will be doing menial labor for the troupe, but when she discovers that Sterling wants her to be their new exotic dancer, she is scandalized. It appears that Sterling's plan to frighten Elise into going home has worked when she reluctantly leaves the troupe while they are performing near an inn, but when Elise catches sight of the uncle who sold her to a monster, she decides that dancing is far preferable to the alternative. Sterling is both surprised and disconcerted when Elise returns, for the pretty young lady has gotten under his skin in a way that no one else ever has. The longer they are together, the more their feelings for each other deepen, but Sterling is cursed, and to allow Elise into his heart may mean the end of their love forever.

Review

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley - Darkfest was a generally enjoyable read for me, mainly because of its fairy tale quality. It takes place at an unspecified time in the past which has a medieval feel to it, making it the first historical paranormal story I've read. The main characters were pretty likable. The hero, Lord Darkfest, has a mysterious air about him. He is a 300-year-old, nearly all-powerful wizard who is also a wolf shifter and has hints of even darker things in his soul as well. The heroine, Channa Leigh, is a beautiful but blind peasant girl who sings with the voice of an angel, stirring feelings and desires within the lonely wizard that he has never felt before. In his entire three centuries of life, Darkfest has never loved or made love to a woman, though there was a brief mention of him having mated with a female wolf while in his animal form. I wasn't really sure what the purpose of that passage was, as it didn't seem to add anything to the story, and I would have just preferred he unquestionably be a virgin in all his forms. Darkfest acted somewhat selfishly when he demanded that Channa Leigh come to live in his castle as payment for healing her mother, but I thought he redeemed himself through his determined quest to permanently restore her sight. Aside from a few moments of arrogance, he was a gentle hero that I liked. Channa Leigh was one of those sweet, guileless heroines who would be difficult not to like, and I greatly admired her independence in spite of her blindness. My main problem with this novella is that, as with most short stories, it is very hard to develop the characters and the plot to a point that it is fully satisfying. There were many questions about Darkfest that I felt were left unanswered, and Channa Leigh went from being afraid of him to being in love with him a little too quickly. Although Channa Leigh eventually figured out that there was a connection between Darkfest and the magical wolf who keeps visiting her, there was never a moment when he shifted for her or spoke the truth to solidify that in her mind. The ending was perhaps a little too simplistic as well, and while I don't mind sweet, non-explicit romances, I have to admit feeling a little cheated that the hero and heroine didn't even get a single love scene or even a cut scene after all the build-up. There were also a few discrepancies in the narrative such as in one place, Channa Leigh had lost her sight to illness and in another, it was an accident. In spite of some weaknesses, I found Darkfest to be a pleasant way to wile away a few hours, and anyone who likes a good fairy tale with a slightly dark flavor will probably find it enjoyable too. Rating: ****

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon - I thoroughly enjoyed Phantom Lover. It had elements that were reminiscent of both Fantasy Lover and Dance with the Devil, my two favorite Dark-Hunter novels to date, only with its own twists and turns. Phantom Lover was also an introduction of sorts to the Dream-Hunters, as it is the first story in the series to have these beings as main characters. I really liked the uniqueness of Erin and V'aidan's first meeting and early relationship development taking place inside Erin's dreams. The human mind is such a fascinating thing to me and also very powerful, especially in its subconscious state, so it gave their falling in love at first sight and making love at their first meeting a more believable quality than most stories where this happens. I thought it also gave their interactions an enchantingly romantic quality. V'aidan is another of Sherrilyn Kenyon's tortured male leads. He is the hero who rescues Erin from her nightmares, but isn't all that he seems. I really liked V'aidan's almost childlike wonderment at everything in the human world, but most of all I was taken by his vulnerability and the amazement he exhibits at Erin's trust and love for him, things he has never known before. V'aidan also showed the kind, caring part of his soul by nurturing Erin's creativity which was something she had been neglecting. Erin was a very sweet, gentle heroine with an enormous capacity for forgiveness when she finds out the truth about V'aidan. Ultimately, Phantom Lover was very much about V'aidan's redemption, and when Erin went to him in his non-human form, offering her unconditional love, it brought a tear to my eye. Another thing I really appreciated about this novella is that the mythology seemed much more concise and easier to follow, and neither it nor the magical elements were overdone like I felt it was in some of the past Dark-Hunter books. In a series that has been rather hit-and-miss for me, this little novella was a definite hit. Perhaps there could have been a bit more character development, especially with V'Aidan's backstory and why he decided to protect Erin, but the emotional level was so sweetly satisfying, I can't help but give Phantom Lover keeper status. There wasn't really anything I disliked about this story, and with two winners in a row, my hope is that Sherrilyn Kenyon is back on track to giving me more good reads in the Dark-Hunter series. Phantom Lover used to be listed in the Dark-Hunter chronology between Night Embrace and Dance with the Devil, but is now being called a related story by the author. I am not aware of any carry-over characters between this story and others in the series, but V'Aidan's brother, M'Ordant was mentioned by name in Dance with the Devil, and may play a part in future books. There are currently 26 novels and short stories in the Dark-Hunter series. A complete list of all the books and their recommended reading order can be found on Sherrilyn Kenyon's website. Rating: ****1/2

Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne - While the other stories in this anthology are primarily about werewolves and shape-shifters, Under Her Spell features witches and the practice of witchcraft, but it is not the fun Harry Potter type of fantasy witchcraft. Instead, Under Her Spell contains a very strong dose of Paganism (both the author and the heroine are Wiccan high priestesses), along with some horror movie moments involving black magic. None of this was really my cup of tea, and quite frankly much of it left me feeling rather creeped out. In fact, the synopsis didn't really interest me from the start, and I probably wouldn't have even read it except for the sake of completing the anthology. Since the story itself didn't resonate with me, I couldn't really relate to the characters either. Alex and Melissa's attraction was too quick and magical to suit my taste, and the one barely-there love scene seemed to come from out of nowhere. I just never felt a connection between, or to, these two characters. I'm also not usually a fan of Hollywood types, and Alex is the creator of a TV show about witches, with Melissa acting as his new technical consultant on all things magical. I would really have to agree with the show's head writer who expressed skepticism when he asked whether they were tying to produce a television drama or a Wicca 101 class. In all honesty, I felt like I was being given a lesson in Wicca all throughout the story. While I try to be open-minded about such things, I'm just not a fan of heavy religious messages of any sort in my fiction reading, especially ones that are so far removed from my own spiritual beliefs. In my opinion, the romance really took a back seat to the witchcraft in this story. If nothing else, I suppose Under Her Spell was an appropriate read for the current Halloween season, but it just wasn't anywhere near as enjoyable as the other three stories in this anthology were for me. Aside from my lack of connection to the characters and their narrative, which I suppose is partially due to personal preferences, the writing itself seemed to be pretty decent. This was my first read by Maggie Shayne, but if she always includes such a large dose of her religious beliefs in her writing then her works may not be for me. Rating: **

A Wulf's Curse by Ronda Thompson - A Wulf's Curse turned out to be a surprisingly good read at a time when I really needed one. Like the first story in this anthology, it is also a historical, but one that takes place in the Regency era. For a paranormal tale it was fairly light and easy, with a cast of very likable characters. Sterling has a mysterious air about him and is a man who holds everyone at arms-length, because of a curse that affects all the male members in his family line. In an attempt to escape his old life, he has taken up an itinerant lifestyle with a group of traveling performers, and is their Beast Tamer, working with two big cats. At the beginning, Sterling is a bit rude, but it quickly becomes apparent that he is a gentle man with a heart of gold. Elise is just the type of heroine I usually enjoy most, one who has a very sweet temperament, but is also quite spirited. I found her bravery and straight-forward honesty to be quite refreshing, and her ready acceptance of those who are different was heartwarming. I loved that when Elise performed her exotic dances in front of the crowds, she was, in her heart and mind, truly dancing for only one man, Sterling. I thought that the building of Sterling and Elise's love had a gentle, poignant quality to it with plenty of sexual tension, and their one love scene was sweetly sensuous. The secondary characters were a wonderful band of misfits, who most people viewed as little more than gypsies or circus freaks, but they were full of heart and soul. I don't think I've ever read a more colorful bunch before. I was somewhat disappointed that the two villainous characters began with a little bite, but kind of ended on a whimper, both being fairly easily dispatched. This wasn't too surprising though, because A Wulf's Curse was primarily character-driven, focusing mainly on the relationships between Sterling and Elise as well as the two of them and the rest of the troupe. It also conveys a strong and touching message about looking into a person's heart rather than judging them for what's on the outside, in addition to acceptance of oneself. Although Sterling's secret was fairly obvious right from the outset, it wasn't revealed until very near the end of the story. I thought this made the ending feel a little rushed with Elise and the other troupe members accepting his "difference" a little too easily, although I will admit that it fit well with the theme. Also, the ending, while happy, was not quite what I was expecting and that ties back into the inner workings of the curse which was only briefly explained. I would have liked to know more about the curse, but perhaps it will be explored in more depth in future installments of the series. A Wulf's Curse is the first story in the Wild Wulfs of London series, and my first read by the late Ronda Thompson. Overall, it was a very welcome and pleasant story that makes me look forward to continuing the series soon, as well as possibly exploring other books in Ms. Thompson's backlist. Rating: ****