Book Review: In the Dark of Dreams

By Sandy Amazeen Nov 27, 2010, 1:57 GMT

She could never forget the boy with the ice blue eyes . . . She was only twelve when she saw the silver boy on the beach, but Jenny has never stopped dreaming about him. Now she is grown, a marine biologist charting her own course in the family business-a corporation that covertly crosses the boundaries of science into realms of the unknown . . . and ...more

Twelve-year-old Jenny, tired of the adults around her sadly proclaiming what a shame it is that she was just ordinary, escaped to one of her favorite spots on the beach near her grandparent’s home to discover a boy no older then herself. With a tail where legs should be, Jenny comforted the terrified boy for a few brief moments before a thunderous male rose up out of the waves and literally, dragged him back to the sea. That fleeting encounter forever changed Jenny’s life as she grew to adulthood and traveled the globe for her grandparent’s organization looking for paranormal creatures, particularly mercreatures.

In a surprising act of betrayal, Jenny finds herself held captive, waiting to be turned over to a rival organization determined to use the power of magic and paranormal creatures to control world events. Assistance unexpectedly arrives in the form of Perrin, the youth now grown whom Jenny met on the beach all those years ago. Perrin was exiled by his people, the Krackeni eight years ago and entering the sea is an automatic death sentence yet he could not ignore his premonitions about the young woman who shared his dreams. Eluding the Krackeni and human forces rallying against them may prove easier then preventing the catastrophic global disaster about to be unleashed but Jenny and Perrin have no option but to try. Their bond and dreams will be tested to the extreme, will they be strong enough to survive or will they be crushed beneath the weight of the sea and private vendettas.

This smooth, fast-paced paranormal adventure departs from the oft-overused Harlequin romance style and concentrates instead on developing a solid plot with well developed characters. A nice sense of history parallel the original storyline providing depth to the antagonists. The story builds, layer upon layer to a satisfying conclusion in this refreshingly different plot-driven romance that foregoes the heave and thrust for something more complex.

Find out about a book giveaway and Marjorie M. Liu's book signing tour at the link below.

(http://www.josephbeth.com/Products/56281-in-the-dark-of-drea ms-a-dirk-steele-novel-author-signed.aspx)