Otherwise, I got to read 2 books, one of them Deathwish by Rob Thurman. Yesterday, my sister and I made tacos for lunch :) Good practice for when my parents are going to be gone on vacation :P There was also some good tennis happening and the top 20 for So You Think You Can Dance Canada was revealed. LOL, really nice week-end overall :)
Edge of Dawn by Patti O'Shea
published by Tor Books in June 2009
Glass artist Shona Blackwood has lost her ability to create, but instead of panic, all she feels is apathy. Her detachment is shaken when she narrowly avoids being mugged, thanks to a timely rescue by a man who makes all her senses come roaring to life.Genre: paranormal romance
Logan Andrews is a magical troubleshooter assigned to protect Shona from an unseen enemy. Shona is unaware that magic actually exists and Logan is under orders not to tell her, but it isn't long before he finds his loyalty torn between his people and the passionate woman he is guarding.
He thought this would be a straightforward job, but Logan quickly realizes that in an edgy contest between magic and passion, love is destined to win.
Series: Light Warriors, Book #3
The Story: Logan Andrews is the troubleshooter in charge of Seattle area. However, ever since the bouda attack, Logan has been having troubles with his magic - after every use, he gets seizures, flashbacks that do not belong to him... and each time, the amount of magic that triggers those seizures is less and less... Now, he's been assigned a mission by the council: protect Shona Blackwood, a dormant Gineal whose parents were stripped of their magic as a punishment and who has no idea of her real heritage and of having an older brother, Creed Blackwood - a rover, the elite of the elite. The Gineals believe that Shona is in danger from a taireil who is seeking revenge over Creed... but soon, it becomes apparent that it's something bigger than petty revenge... and Logan has his hands full with his magical problems, keeping the truth from Shona and their mutual attraction...
My Opinion: I love Patti O'Shea. She does not have an extensive backlist, but I've really, really enjoyed her books and as a result, she's one of my auto-buy author. However, I must say that so far, I haven't been wowed by the Light Warriors series... and as a result, I didn't move heaven and earth to get this book ASAP. For once though, I think that played in my favor. You know how sometime, you anticipated a new release so much, have high expectations and read the book as soon as it is released, basically inhaling it... and you're left with a void at the end, slightly disappointed. That's how I felt after reading In the Midnight Hour and In Twilight's Shadow... This time, my expectations weren't as high and it allowed me to really enjoy Edge of Dawn.
The best thing about this book was the H/H and their connection. I really like Logan and enjoyed his character. Put aside his magic and I felt like he was a "normal" guy which is what readers need from time to time :) He wasn't an alpha man, but at the same time, not beta either. He's just a guy who loves his job, loves his family and enjoy life. There's no complicated past, no tragedy, no tortured emotions. The simplicity makes him charming and very likable... and I love the fact that at the end, he chose her over everything. As for Shona, I like her as well. She was another normal and real character. I liked the fact that she was shy and a bit socially inept. She is definitively an introvert person with some self-confidence issues (somehow, she reminds me a little bit of myself :P) I wonder though if her self-confidence issues were linked to her artistic creativity being gone or not. She was also smart and level-head. One of the thing I like the most in Edge of Dawn is that Shona did not freak out once she discovered that Logan had been assigned to protect her. She didn't go bersek and angry because he lied or omitted telling the truth or that the fact that he appeared in her life was planned. She analyzed the situation and understood the circumstances. I really liked that of her and when Logan assured her there was something real and strong between them, that he didn't woo her because of his job, she didn't doubt his word. I gotta say though, I'd have liked to know a little bit more about her past. I think it was glossed over a little and I can't help but think that it would have helped readers understand her better. Then, there was Logan and Shona's chemistry. Wow, it was hot and intense... exactly what the book and readers needed. Love the fact that they went out on "dates" and got to know each other. Love that gallery scene, it was hot :) I liked the fact that they spent time with each other... There simply was a lot of chemistry between them, their characters fitting well together.
Edge of Dawn focused a lot on Logan and Shona, which was the right decision. I also liked the fact that it distanced itself from the first two books of the series. We see some recurring characters - the Council - and we know that Shona is linked to Creed, but otherwise, it was really Logan and Shona's book. Previous main characters do not appear, except for Creet at the end for an introduction. I think it was a smart choice to do... it also introduces some interesting future characters such as Logan's siblings.
There was also plenty of action in this book, as usual when it comes to Ms O'Shea book. Those were enjoyable and balanced out the relationship scenes. I liked the fact the whole plot, the villains trying to get the dracontias from Shona. Although I have to point out that once again, the weakest point of the book was the world building. I mean, I've come to expect this... if you don't establish the world building well in the first books of a series, it's not going to get better in the subsequent ones. I still find the Gineal world confusing and it doesn't help that Ms O'Shea keeps introducing weird creatures. I know they do not play an important role, but still. Also, in the last book, Maia turned out to be a special person... and in this one, Shona is the dragon mage... Hmmm, I know that Ms O'Shea is building up to something... I just hope the climax will be well done and it won't flop.
My Grade: B+. I think that so far, Edge of Dawn is the best of the series. I really loved Shona and Logan and their relationship. The world building could use some clarifications and if it was better executed, this book would definitively have gotten a higher grade. As it is though, I still enjoyed it a lot, so it's good :)
