Customer Reviews

The Last Twilight (Dirk & Steele, Book 7)

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Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Doctor Rikki Kinn is a brilliant virus hunter working for the CDC. She's in the Congo working when she gets called up to investigate a mysterious outbreak that has just struck down an entire village within hours of their first exposure. She's on her way to the Hot Zone when she is nearly kidnapped. Barely avoiding the mercenaries after her, her boss puts out a call for a personal favor from the Dirk and Steele Agency for protection for Rikki.

Amiri is a shape shifter with the Dirk and Steele Agency whose homeland is Africa. He left there years ago after horrendous treatment he received, and swore to never return. When He's assigned to be protector to a virus hunter doctor, it's the last thing he wants to do. Until he sees her...

Now Rikki and Amiri are in a race against time and enemies they do not understand to find the source of this mystery virus that is looking more and more like it's been bio-engineered. However, Rikki and Amiri each have their own secrets they are afraid to share. Will they be able to overcome their misgivings, track down the source of the deadly plague, and defeat the enemy to find a cherished love and stop The Last Twilight of mankind?

I've thoroughly enjoyed each book of Marjorie M Liu's books that I've read and The Last Twilight was no exception. For some reason though I always have a hard time putting into words my feelings about the books and have no idea why since usually I can't stop raving about books I love. I don't know if it's the complexity of the stories that draws me in and yet defies explanation when I try to talk about them, or if it's because I get so wrapped up in the story I have a hard time disengaging when I'm done. Whatever the reason, I'm sure going to try to share my thoughts!

As with Soul Song, The Last Twilight is a very dark story that gets into some very graphic descriptions of suffering and torture, and will likely make some sensitive readers a little queasy. However, these dark scenes are crucial to the story. The torture inflicted on our leading couple in their respective pasts, and on one of the secondary characters in this story, plays such a key role in making them who they are today, and gave them the inner steel they need to get through the intensity of current events. Liu never crosses the line into unacceptable and it's pretty apparent she tried very hard to handle it with just the right finesse.

Rikki and Amiri are wounded souls, each who had a very hard past to overcome. On one level, they sense the parallels in their lives which helps to build the bond that develops between them. Their love that grows is all consuming and is exactly what they each need to be whole once more. The emotion between these two is palpable and made me even more desperate to see them receive their richly deserved happy ending.

I was immediately drawn into the world created in The Last Twilight and couldn't bear to stop reading for even a minute! What makes this story even more powerful is the fact that Liu tackles some very serious concerns in the world right now that are all the more chilling for the fact they really can happen... and quite possibly have somewhere in the world already. I got chills over the sheer evil of the villains we can only begin to understand. I expect we haven't heard the last of Broker and his crew of mercenaries and would not be at all surprised to see them pop up again in a future book.

I have one question for Marjorie M Liu after reading The Last Twilight that I hope we'll get some answers to in a future novel. Just who and what is Rictor? This enigmatic character held me spellbound and I want to know more. Please reveal his secrets to us soon! I can't remember the last time a secondary character got to me so strongly and made me want to find out everything there was to know about him. I hope Liu answers my plea and we get his story very soon.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2008. All rights reserved.

Dr. Rikki Kinn is a virus hunter for the CDC. She is called to a hot zone in the Congo to investigate what appears to be a new and more virulent strain of Ebola, but with various factions trying to either kill or abduct her, there's something more involved than a simple outbreak.

Amiri is a cheetah shifter who has worked for Dirk & Steele since they rescued him from Consortium testing labs in Russia (see SHADOW TOUCH). Together with his psychic friend Max and his pyrokinetic friend Eddie, he has been sent to protect Rikki, but no one has been told exactly what she needs protecting from.

This is a case in which strangers have to decide whom to trust in a split second, in which a firm scientific mind has to accept magic. But there are layers of trust and acceptance, and Ms. Liu is an absolute expert at peeling back the layers and getting to the true heart of the matter in vivid and tantalizing ways.

Ms. Liu's descriptive imagery is superb. She made me feel like I was right there, painting a beautiful, violent, painful, and fascinating picture with her wonderfully well-chosen words. She made the setting real and she kept a multi-thread story woven without a hitch.

As if the scenery and suspense weren't enough, the sheer emotionalism of the tale was gripping too: Rikki dealing with scars of her past while trying to process all the new information, and Amiri dealing with his own painful past, setting foot back in his homeland after many years away, and the sheer terror of the cheetah inside trying to protect his mate. Rictor makes an unexpected (what else?!) appearance and offers readers a glimpse into his own complicated emotions, making me even more impatient for his story.

THE LAST TWILIGHT was riveting from start to finish, and is, as far as I'm concerned, Ms. Liu's best effort to date.

In this, the latest installment in Liu's Dirk and Steele Series, we are reunited with Amiri, the cheetah shapeshifter we first met in Shadow Touch. It has been two years since he escaped the Consortium with the help of Elena, Artur and Rictor. Now working for Dirk and Steele, he is called upon to play bodyguard to a doctor currently in Africa. Dr. Rikki Kinn is one of the world's foremost virus chasers and she is currently attempting to discover the cause of a particularly lethal outbreak in the heart of Africa. Soon after arriving to protect Rikki, the camp is attacked and they run into the jungle to escape. What follows is a heart pounding adventure, full of intrigue and visits by characters from previous books.

Once again, Liu demonstrates her ability to transport her reader into the scene she writes. Her opening chapter is chilling. Liu doesn't provide us with a romanticized Africa, content to ignore the very real problems occurring on that continent. Instead, she embraces the dangers, bringing them to the characters, even as she continues to unveil the deadly plot of the Consortium.

The Last Twilight is a fine addition to the Dirk and Steele series, showing once again that Liu has yet to lose her touch in creating memorable characters and interesting plot lines.

Marjorie M. Liu delivers again. The Last Twilight is the 7th instalment in the Dirk & Steele series. It is about a virus hunter Doctor Rikki Kinn who is investigating a new plague that overnight has decimated a village. Amiri a shape shifter who was in Shadow Touch, has been asked by Dirk & Steele to protect the Doctor. To do this he has to go back to his homeland, Africa. He hasn't been back since he was kidnapped and experimented on by the Consortium. The Last Twilight is a great jungle romp and keeps you going to the end. I can't wait till the next one. Marjorie M. Liu keeps getting better and better.

A deadly outbreak of a virus has sent Dr. Rikki Kinn into the heart of Africa. She wants to find the source of the infection and stop it from spreading or occurring elsewhere. Unfortunately, it looks like someone has another plan in mind as mercenaries try to kidnap Rikki. The Dirk and Steele agency is called in to protect Rikki and now shape shifter, Amiri, finds himself back in his homeland, and back in the midst of a past he hasn't yet escaped. Will Amiri and Rikki survive when everything they hold dear is on the line?

THE LAST TWILIGHT is the seventh book in Marjorie M. Liu's long running series. It is best if you read the prior books to get the true feel as to what is going on as THE LAST TWILIGHT jumps headlong into some of the threads ongoing throughout the series.

THE LAST TWILIGHT is very action packed, almost overly so. It is very difficult to briefly summarize what occurs in the storyline without giving away significant spoilers as there is just so much happening. This is definitely the sort of book you want to read in large chunks as the plethora of characters and the constant switching of loyalties can become quite confusing if read in small increments.

Both the hero and heroine have tortured pasts and are hiding their own insecurities. I wanted happiness for them but for some reason that goal seemed almost elusive. Perhaps it was the discontent I felt as it was impossible to determine who could be trusted since the various characters popping in and out and switching sides had my head spinning at times. It's not so much that THE LAST TWILIGHT isn't a good book but rather that I wanted a happier ending for them. After enduring so much heartache and pain, Rikki and Amiri truly deserved their happily ever after to be exceptional.

Marjorie Liu has created a world that only gets richer and more fully developed as each book is released. I can't help but hope we see Rictor again as he was actually my favorite character in THE LAST TWILIGHT. Surely he is worthy of his own story as he definitely remains a mystery!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

This book is part of the Dirk & Steele series by Marjorie M Liu about a detective agency staffed by shapeshifters. In this story, Amiri the shapeshifter cheetah is sent to Congo to protect a doctor, Rikki Kinn. Rikki is one fo the world's best virus hunters and has rushed to a scene that is apparently an ebola attack. However, once there Rikki realises there is something else going on and when she is rescued by Amiri and his colleague Eddie it starts a game of hide-and-seek though the jungle of Congo. Their enemies are varied and they have to contend with injury, memories and fear of contamination from the mystery virus.

The plot in this book is quite complex with several 'baddies', some of whom turn out not to be baddies at all. The cast of characters is fairly wide, including several different shapeshifters, but it was always possible to keep track of who was what. The highlight of the book for me was the setting in Congo and the complexity of the plot as Rikki tries to find out why so many people want to capture her. It was a good read but perhaps a little overcomplex in places for comfortable reading.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Why have I not read this series before? I love paranormals, but for some reason have never got around to checking out the Dirk and Steele series. Now that I have, I'm going to be rushing through Liu's backlist and waiting anxiously for her next.

Rikki Kinn is one of the world's top virus hunters and she is sent into a dangerous hot spot to seek out the origin of a very deadly virus that killed an entire village in a matter of hours. Unbeknownst to her, doctors have been dying throughout Africa, so her boss calls Dirk and Steele to hire protection for her. It comes in the form of three agents: Max, Amiri, and Eddie.

Before Amiri even meets Rikki, he feels a connection to her. When they meet for the first time, he saves her from a crocodile attack, but during the struggle, they are both exposed to the deadly virus. Oddly, they don't become ill, but rebels attack the village and they must run for their lives.

The mystery of what is going on with the virus and all the different villains was very nicely done. So were the paranormal aspects of the book. The secondary characters are thoroughly intriguing; I can't wait to see Eddie and Rictor again. The romance was sweet and so believable. Amiri and Rikki get to know each other first and, because they both have very thick walls around their hearts, slowly learn to trust one another. The action was fast-paced and fun. I was just glued to the pages and already have another book in the series waiting for my attention.

The Last Twilight is the sixth book in the Dirk and Steele series, following the adventures and romances of a supernatural detective agency. This book tells the story of Amiri, a shapeshifter who runs as cheetah first introduced in the second book, Shadow Touch.

This series does contain a lot of back story, and while it probably isn't necessary to read the entire series in order to follow, having read at least Shadow Touch will probably help, as many characters reappear.

Amiri is asked to return to Africa, against his better judgement, in order to protect Dr. Regina Kinn (Rikki), a CDC expert virologist. Rikki was attempting to investigate an outbreak of a deadly virus when someone tries to kill her.

This is a fast paced book with plenty of action, but the romance is still at the heart of the story. The characters are vividly drawn and compelling in their motivations, and the exotic African setting makes for a very good read.

"The Last Twilight" pairs Rikki, a virus hunter who is investigating an ebola-like outbreak, with Amiri, a shapeshifter whose job is to protect her. There is strong character development and a lot of time is devoted to the relationships between the characters, especially issues of trust, feelings of isolation, and a longing for family/belonging. The plot gets unnecessarily complicated, in my opinion, and there isn't a satisfactory resolution to either the virus or the looming catastrophe (if we can believe the sinister Broker), but the book kept my attention and delivered on the unexpected, always focusing on the characters.

Doctor Rikki Kinn is one of the world's foremost virus hunters. Alone in the world, she has survived the unspeakable ... having been held prisoner and tortured once already. She's a CDC agent working in the depths of the Congo on the hunt for a deadly new plague that has seemingly surfaced out of nowhere. But nothing could have prepared her for the attack on her and her fellow group of scientists. And what she really can't understand is why the mercenaries are intent on kidnapping her.

Amiri has learned the hard way why it is vital that he stay alone in the world. Never allowing himself to get too close to anyone, he's learned not to depend on or need anybody. As a cheetah shapeshifter born in Africa and then captured and tortured by the Consortium, he was rescued by the Dirk and Steele agency and now works as one of their agents. It's been 14 years since he has last set foot in Africa, but when his latest assignment brings him back to his native land, it brings up ugly memories from his past. What he wasn't prepared for was his reaction to the lovely Dr. Rikki Kinn. Once he realizes the seriousness of the threat to Rikki, Amiri realizes that not only is Rikki's life at risk...but also his heart.

Marjorie Liu does it again in this fast-paced, action- packed seventh novel of her paranormal Dirk & Steele series. Her ability to weave together these in-depth stories of love, adventure, and magic never ceases to amaze me. I've been reading this series since its inception and am constantly amazed at how Ms. Liu manages to keep the story lines both fresh and creative while continuing to add depth to each character that few authors can achieve. With The Last Twilight she manages to bring the story along in such a way that the reader can't help but feel they are a part of the plot. And although this story is technically a stand alone, I would recommend that you have read the previous books prior. If for nothing else to get the full effect of the world that these "special" agents are living in.

Mippy Carlson
PNR Reviewer