Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Daughters of Askara #3
My Rating: 5 cups
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: June 26th 2012
Blurb (from Goodreads):
Steal the salt. Bind the grimoire. Escape the male.
When an exchange of stolen goods in the Feriana marketplace turns sour, Isabeau stumbles from the encounter bruised and laden with new orders to complete an even larger heist. With her child’s life at stake, there’s no room for error—or allies.
Armed with a lethal book of spells, she strikes a dangerous bargain with Roland Bernhard. Steal a shipment of salt from the Feriana colony, and she’ll have her freedom—and her daughter. It’s all she’s ever wanted. At least it was…until she runs into Dillon Preston.
Dillon is out of commission after a mine explosion, and itching for a distraction. He gets it when the female who saved his leg arrives at the colony with nothing but flimsy excuses and even flimsier attire. She’s after something, but is it him—or the salt?
Trapped in a desperate bid to gain true freedom, Isabeau is willing to sacrifice her life for her daughter’s, but Dillon has other plans. He wants a package deal, and he’s not willing to lose either female, even if it means the future king of Sere’s head will roll.
Warning: This title contains a heroine desperate to save her daughter and a hero determined to make them a family. It also includes wings, horns and other assorted appendages.(less)
I really enjoyed this story. You get to see so much more magic being used than in the previous two books and you also get to see the negative part of overusing that magic and the responsibility that comes with using magic and glamour. I liked that part a lot, being able to see the not so pretty side of magic.
We get to learn more about the background of this world, though I'm sure there are more details we haven't learned yet. I liked how the story of how the Evanti were enslaved. I love a good history tale, be it real or fictional, and this one was amazing. I can only hope we'll get to learn more about the world in the future.
I liked the love story between Isabeau and Dillon. I liked the changes they brought in each other and the chemistry between them. Oh, and Dillon was sooooo sexy. I loved his true form, without the glamour and all that magic covering him. And I have to say, he was funny at times. Or maybe that's just my twisted sense of humor? Anyway, I enjoyed his character. And I loved how he protected Isabeau's daughter. You gotta love a big, bad-ass demon who manages to get wrapped around a little girl's finger in an instant. I have a feeling she'll be a little troublemaker :D
Isabeau was surprising. She's the opposite of what we know about how her people are. She's aware of what magic does to people and how it can corrupt and destroy and so she doesn't use it unless necessary. I also respected her for not trying to lie about the things she did, even if it meant losing a dear friend. She accepted the consequences without making excuses and I loved that about her. Her story also managed to break my heart a little.
I know it's too early, but I am SO ready for book 4. I can't wait to go back into that world and learn more and more about it.
