The Master (Wildside Romance) [Mass Market Paperback]

Melanie Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wildside Romance | Publication Date: September 2005

Long ago the hobgoblin Qasim was turned to darkness, was made a master of evil. His newest plot is a sacrifice of unspeakable horror that will mean full-fledged war between all species. There exists hope to fight back. Nicholas Anthony, an ER doctor, doesn’t know of his own fey blood, or that others of his kind are massing in the Nevada desert. Alienated from himself, he is a man about to discover his destiny. Magic will draw Nick to his true self—and to Zee, an enchanting beauty with dark secrets yet to be revealed. To these two is entrusted the fate of the world, their kind, and salvation from THE MASTER.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of ghouls, goblins and wizards need look no further than Jackson's latest Wildside romance, though newcomers might do well to start with an earlier volume in this popular paranormal series, like The Traveler or The Courier. At Christmastime in an alternate present-day Nevada desert, Dr. Nicholas Anthony, a hunky pixy-human half-breed, is heading home for the holidays. A sudden ice storm detours him to a dilapidated cabin, where he's taken in by beautiful Zee Finvarra, a human-goblin on the run with her two siblings from their truly awful goblin stepfather. Meanwhile, back in town at the mall, Qasim, that nasty-tempered hobgoblin from previous books, is up to no good again. He's hatched an idea to generate a holy war between the "lutins" (French for goblins) and humans by dressing in a Santa suit and luring children to their death via a sacrificial ceremony that will free his brethren from bondage. The action is all over the place as Nick and Zee join forces with the faeries to save the children while trying to make a place for themselves in this strange new world.
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Review

"Readers who have come to expect wonderful things from Jackson will not be disappointed. Her ability to create a complicated world is astounding with this installment, which includes heartwarming moments, suspense and ystery sprinkled with humor. An excellent read." —RT BOOKclub

"Ms. Jackson, as usual, does a great job of keeping readers in suspense, and nothing is completely what it seems...Action, humor, and romance are woven together to bring to life engaging characters and an intriguing plot in The Master." —Kathy Samuels, Romance Reviews Today

"Filled with captivating characters, non stop action, a fantasy world that is so real it's scary, and a love story that twines itself among all the danger and intrigue, this is a great addition to Ms. Jackson's "Wildside" series, and is not to be missed." —A Romance Review

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Love Spell (September 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0505526433
• ISBN-13: 978-0505526434
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,937,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Melanie Jackson is the award-winning author of more than fifty novels, novellas and poems published in various languages. She lives with her writer husband, her bossy cat and spoiled dog in the Sierra foothills where it is almost impossible to grow pumpkins (or anything else the deer like). Besides gardening, she is involved with animal charities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Addition to the Series, October 2, 2005

By 

M. Colon "mf_colon" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Master (Wildside Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read all of Melanie Jackson's Wildside series books and she has built an interesting world with equally interesting characters. The newest, The Master, is no exception.

The book delves more into the world of the Goblins and the Fae. More specifically, this book deals with the Hobgoblins and their leader Qasim. In previous books he was painted as the bad guy, but in the book you see a softer side and you as the reader learn the Hobgoblins are not the danger that was believed.

I think the strongest thing about this book is the characterization. The main characters Nick and Zee were well-portrayed. Their were times when things were awkward between them, which added believability to the story. The setting was on target and the Christmas theme was incorporated well into the book.

The Master also lets you know what has been happening with the other Fae characters we have come to know from other books in the series. My only complaint was that the ending was a little rushed and everything was tied up so quickly. I really think Ms. Jackson needed another 40 or so pages to better end the story with.

I would recommend for potential readers to NOT start off with The Master. Their is a lot of backstory in this book that might leave the reader confused. If possible start with the first in the series- Traveler.

All in all, the book was a 4 stars. Good job, Ms. Jackson!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent romantic fantasy, August 26, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Master (Wildside Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

Qasim the hobgoblin has come up with an ingenious plan to free his peers. All he needs is several hundred human children to die. To attract the kids to him, this Pied Piper intends to pose as Santa at the mall.

At about the same time that Qasim begins implementation of his brilliant strategy, hybrid (human, Fey, and Goblin) Zee Finvarra flees with her two younger siblings from her Goblin kin. She recognizes the disguised Qasim and knows he cannot be up to anything good. However, a nasty ice storm created by her relatives pursuing her detains her from warning anyone. Dr. Nicholas Anthony is also caught by the sudden storm. He ends up sharing a cabin with the stranded Zee. Though a non-believer, he willingly risks his life to keep the Finvarra siblings safe from creatures that just cannot exist as a confrontation between good and evil is about to occur on a Nevada desert.

No one does romantic fantasy better than Melanie Jackson does (see TRAVELER, DOMINION, and THE COURIER). Her latest thriller is another winner as readers will root for the lead couple to defeat the vile villain (as nasty a malevolence as fans will find) and make it with one another. Especially interesting is the metamorphosis of Nicholas from non-believer to doubter to convert as he learns there are plenty of mysteries under the heavens including his own bloodline. Ms. Jackson is at her masterful best with this exciting tale.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Master, September 5, 2005

By 

AK "Bro" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Master (Wildside Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

Dr. Nicholas Anthony isn't quite as bad as Ebeneezer Scrooge, but he's seen enough stupidity, commercialism, and pain intensified by Christmas to be rather apathetic towards the holidays. Then, he finds himself in an abandoned cabin with Zee, a lovely woman who is half fey, half goblin, and her two young siblings over Christmas. She awakens feelings in Nick he didn't know he had, drawing him into her quest to stop Quasim from sacrificing countless numbers of children to darkness. Nick also learns that he has fey blood himself. Over the hours they spend together, Nick and Zee discover each other's worlds, each awed by the newness. They are joined by the heroes and heroines of previous Lutin books for a battle filled with danger and surprises.

***** The early scenes describing some of the whacky Christmas emergencies that Nick encounters are laugh out loud funny. Many of us can identify with Nick's tiredness of the Christmas hype, and the way he finds his way to the true heart of the season brings joy and hope. This book has one of the most uplifting endings of any novel this year at least. *****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.