Customer Reviews

The Devil's Knight (Bound in Darkness)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The heroine, Shiobhan, is a difficult person to like. In the beginning of the book, she has the tunnel vision of a fanatic believing that whatever she and her so called "rebels" do against any Norman or any person working for a Norman, whether murder of innocents, terror or destroying property, is justifiable for the wrong done to her and her family when she was a child. She glories in her reputation as a person who gives no quarter and loves to show herself to others as a heartless brigand not to be confused with a soft woman. She even threatens to cut the throat of Tristan's 5 year old daughter to get Tristan to surrender and lay down his arms. Since his heart is bigger than hers, Tristan gives up all to save his child. Although she abhors Tristan for killing members of her band and wants him dead, she apparently sees no problem when the killing is carried out by her renegades against Tristan's holding. It appears that she thinks he has no right to defend himself.

Once she and her brother have taken the castle, they force Tristan to wed her and then plan to kill him. As his widow, Shiobhan will have legal control of the holding. Not only do they send Tristan out to die, they beat him to a pulp before they do it and she feels no remorse. They put him on horseback with two of her men and take him away to kill him. Unfortunately for them, Simon, the vampire hero from the first book in the series, kills them and then seeks to kill Tristan to put him out of his pain. Tristan bites Simon and becomes a vampire himself.

Between Tristan and Shiobhan there is an unwilling attraction. Tristan typically gives into the attraction and doesn't hurt her, but she doesn't have the same inclination. If she has to kill Tristan to keep him from taking vengence against her brother, she'll do it, even if she now thinks she loves him. We're supposed to feel bad for her because she cries as she is stabbing Tristan through the back with a magical dagger that keeps him from healing immediately. She then tries to behead him. This after she's been in his arms in a passionate encounter. She cried when he was sent away to his death and she cries everytime she tries to kill him. She keeps professing to love him, has sex with him, but is still intent on killing him in order to keep her brother safe.

I presume we're supposed to admire Shiobhan because she does what she has to do no matter the emotional anguish the action causes her, but I do not. Everytime Tristan sees her cry he feels bad for her and wants to soothe her. It doesn't make sense that he would continue to want her when she keeps making serious attempts to kill him.

All in all, I cared about the hero but could find no redeeming value in the heroine.

I LOVED Lucy Blue's first book and eagerly awaited this book. Bought it and read it in two days. I found myself skimming thru from halfway to the end. I like a good conflict between the hero and heroine but could not tolerate the absolute HATE between these two. Tristan was not so bad, at least I understood his motives to some degree but Siobhan? Think about it- would you willingly stab to death a person you truly loved? And if that person was going to cold bloodedly kill a loved one would you then be so eager to jump in the sack with them? Seems to me that Siobhan's brother got the raw deal. He supposedly did what he did because of his sister yet Tristan fully intended to kill him! For me Siobhan was probably one of the least likeable characters I've read about. It will not keep me from reading Dark Angel when it comes out-this is a very interesting story line. But, it does dull some of my excitement. I have to say-if you decide to read it, the ending is pretty interesting.

A hero to die for: Tristan DuMaine is a man who loves his little girl above all things. So much so, that he gives up his army, his castle, and his life to save her. Now that he is prisoner to his rebel enemies, Tristan will be forced to wed one of them, putting everything he owns in her hands. After the wedding, he will be slaughtered. His last living words are a plea to his reluctant wife, Siobhan, "My child...my Claire. Promise me. Swear she will be safe." Siobhan swears to protect the child with her own life.

Beaten to near death, Tristan is dumped on the side of a trail. Just as his captors are about to leave him, a wolf attacks them from the forest. While slaughtering both villains, the wolf transforms into a man... a vampire named Simon. (Hero of the prequel to this book, "My Demon's Kiss.") Seeing that Tristan is suffering, Simon decides to take his blood in a mercy kill. While Simon is draining the last of his blood, Tristan vows to go down fighting. He bites Simon back. Taking Simon's blood, Tristan has unknowingly made himself a vampire.

Now that he knows he can't be killed, Tristan is bent upon revenge. He will return to take back his castle and his daughter. He will happily kill both Siobhan and her brother in retaliation for their brutal murdering of his knights and himself. Simon tries to stop him, realizing that Tristan has no idea what kind of creature he has become. But Tristan will not wait. Over the next several days, he will learn what his limitations are the hard way... he must avoid sunlight, and cannot eat food, worst of all he must feed on blood for survival. To Tristan, it is all worthwhile if he can claim his revenge.

When he returns to the castle, Tristan is eager to attack Siobhan. However, when he drinks her blood, he can feel her thoughts and emotions. He realizes that she has been mourning him. He can't kill her. He is enraptured by her.

Siobhan is torn. She must protect her brother from Tristan, but she can't bring herself to kill him. After learning what he is, Siobhan understands what she she must do to destroy him... a wooden stake through his hear and removal of his head. However it is well known that Tristan is a cousin to the king. When Tristan returns to the castle with his royal army, Siobhan must pose as his lady to keep her people safe.

The evil father of all vampires, Lucien Kivar, is eager to use the power in Tristan's land to prolong his own damned existence. The castle is built upon ancient Druid ruins. The skeletons of the the dead buried in the catacombs below. Setting a trap to capture the one person who can bring him power over the world, Kivar will use Siobhan to lure his prize. Tristan and Simon must work together to stop him. When Kivar stabs Siobhan through the stomach, Tristan knows there is only one way to keep her from dying.


An overall terrific and exciting story. My one gripe is with Siobhan's character. It got old watching her betray Tristan again and again. Even trying to kill him several times! I get that she wanted to protect her brother, but seeing how short her brother's loyalty was towards her made it hard to continue to justify that. Despite her continued treachery, Tristan forgives her every time. He evens offers her comfort because she is crying as she is trying to cut off his head! There is such a thing as too much forgiveness.

I was very impressed by this book. None of the seductive, cliche vampire tricks here. Lust, revenge, hatred, romance, mystery - you will find it all here.

I got this book well before I thought I would receive it and in the condition specified.

let me first say that I enjoyed the first novel in this series. Unfortunately, and despite the author's overall good writing skills, the violence, murder, and fanaticism of the heroine killed this book for me.

I kept trying to get through this book, wondering how this bloody, "Hatfield and McCoy's" hated enemies storyline was going to transform into a romance, but when the heroine stabs the hero in the chest, then repeatedly cuts him the final straw was broken and I quit.

The heroine was totally unlikable and I almost quit the book earlier when she threatens to kill the heroes four year old child, but silly me, I kept going. Violence does not equal Romance, and who could honestly love someone who threatened to kill your child? I honestly wonder what the author was thinking.

Since I enjoyed this author's previous work, I may try her again, but I'd not recommend this particular book.

1 star.

Sean Lebuin and his sister Siobhan take over Castle DuMaine from Tristan DuMaine. Tristan anticipates death after being captured but is shocked and furious to discover that he is to be wed to Siobhan instead. Sean seeks an alliance with Tristan's cousin, King Henry through Tristan's marriage to Siobhan. Tristan and Siobhan make their wedding vows, each promising to kill the other, but something more than hatred lies between these two sworn enemies.


Tristan is taken far away but before he can be killed he is changed into a vampire. Rather than fear his transformation, Tristan relishes his new found power and he intends to use it to seek his revenge. Along his journey back to DuMaine Castle, he meets Simon and Orlando. They are vampires who wish to destroy an evil vampire named Lucan Kivar. Tristan scoffs at their plight and refuses to help them locate the chalice that can supposedly destroy Kivar and make both himself and Simon mortal again.


Tristan is consumed by his need for vengeance, until he meets his beautiful wife again. Then the battle begins against themselves and their enemy to save their lives and their love.


The story in The Devil's Knight unfolds like scenes in a movie. Tristan and Siobhan are tortured lovers trying desperately to make sense of their predicament, while their passions and fears nearly overwhelm them. From his physical appearance to his commanding personality, Tristan is magnificent. Siobhan is a beautiful warrior. She holds her own throughout her plight with authority and dignity. The Devil's Knight weaves a tale of horror, sensuality and consuming love. It captivates with a riveting plot and fascinating characters. I anxiously look forward the next Bound In Darkness book where the saga will continue!

Nannette
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

the stars are really for Tristen. Great, sexy leading man. The herione was a brat and a half. When are writers going to learn that likable leading characters are a must.

Impulse buy, couldn't stop reading. You will not go wrong getting any of these books in this series. Keep it up I am addicted I honestly can not buy a copy fast enough!!!!!!!!!

I just wanted to go on record saying that even though most did not like the heroine, Siobhan, I did. She wasn't the MOST likeable character in the book but she was more real than some other heroines. I like the fact that she was torn between her love for her brother and her love for Tristan. If a person has been taught all their lives to hate a particular group of people and to kill them given the chance, not to mention that said group of people had killed that person's parents, odds are that person will find it very hard to stop thinking of the enemy as "the enemy", only good dead. And if I were faced with having an enemy who then became my husband and then a vampire, there's no telling what I would do. Even though he might awaken a physical yearning in me, he's still the enemy ,real or imagined, AND a vampire. I dont' know, folks. It's easy to judge the heroine from the outside looking in. I don't know about you all, but I like a heroine who isn't all peaches and cream. It's makes her more real than fantasy.