Sword of Darkness (Lords of Avalon, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kinley MacGregor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2006

The new king of Camelot wears no shining armor: Arthur and his knights have fallen and a new king rules.

In the darkest forest...

A scared, forsaken youth has become the most powerful—and feared—man in the world. Ruthless and unrestrained, Kerrigan has long ceased to be human.

In the heart of London...

A spirited peasant mired in drudgery, Seren dreams of becoming her own woman, but never expects that by fleeing her fate, she will meet her destiny.

Their worlds are forever changed...

Kerrigan's goal is simple: barter or kill Seren to claim Arthur's Round Table. Yet she is the one person who holds no fear of him. More than that, her nobility sparks something foreign inside him. In his nether realm, kindness is weakness and a king who harbors any sort of compassion loses his throne.

For countless centuries, Kerrigan has lived alone in the shadows. Now Seren's courage has forced him into the light that will bring either salvation to both of them...or death.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'MacGregor (aka Sherrilyn Kenyon) creates a splendid, magical world of knights, demons and wizards -a place where all is possible, from flying dragons to dark spells, and a place where love triumphs as demon and merlin marry (a la Charmed or Buffy). Savour the romance, but also the delicious sense of humour MacGregor brings to what could be a completely dark tale. You'll be waiting eagerly for the next installment in the Lords of Avalon series. All hail a shining voice in historical paranormal romance!' - Romantic Times" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Kinley MacGregor lives a life of extraordinary danger...as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a menagerie of pets, and a collection of swords that all of the above have a major fixation with. But when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), she can be found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends. With more than ten million copies of her books in print, in 26 countries, she certainly has a lot of friends to play with, too.

Writing as Kinley MacGregor and Sherrilyn Kenyon, she is the author of several series including: The Dark-Hunters, Brotherhood of the Sword, Lords of Avalon, and BAD. With an international, cult following, her books have appeared in the top three on the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller lists.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon; Reprint edition (March 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060565446
• ISBN-13: 978-0060565442
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #537,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put this one down!, April 12, 2006

By 

Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sword of Darkness (Lords of Avalon, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Despite being a huge fan of Kinley MacGregor's Dark Hunter series (written under the name Sherrilyn Kenyon), I was a little nervous about this book. Fantasy novels about Merlin and Camelot usually disappoint me. However, MacGregor has written a fabulous book with action, intrigue, time-travel, talking gargoyles, and, best of all, humor.

Camelot is no longer the shining beacon of hope it once was and is instead a colorless, evil place where only might is respected. Moran, the fey Queen, rules over Camelot and Kerrigan is her champion. No one can kill Kerrigan as he possesses the sword Caliburn; Caliburn is Excalibur's polar opposite and the wielder of the sword must handle demonic powers.

Gawain and the other good knights from the legendary Camelot now reside in Avalon where they are awaiting the birth of the next Penmerlin, the wizard who will oversee all of the lesser Merlins (Merlin is the name given to a magical advisor rather than one specific person). Seren believes herself to be a simple peasant woman who only wants to rise from apprentice weaver to journeywoman. She is terrified when two of the Lords of Avalon, Gawain and Agravain, surprise her with the news that she will be the mother of the next Penmerlin and that she must go to Avalon with them. She escapes only to be "rescued" by Kerrigan and taken to Camelot. However, Seren sees a spark of good in Kerrigan and teaches him about love and sacrifice. Seren becomes pregnant with Kerrigan's baby and Kerrigan is then forced to choose between the love Seren offers and the evil he is familiar with. How will the Lords of Avalon handle Seren and a child of Kerrigan's? Will Kerrigan choose to overcome his demons and be able to defeat Morgan? MacGregor answers these questions and more- with the added twist of time travel.

Overall, this was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't want to put it down as I just had to know what crazy twist MacGregor would think of next! There are some laugh-out-loud moments that really stand out (gargoyles as Star Trek fans for one) but you'll have to read this one for yourself to see what I mean. Highly recommended!

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to like this book...., April 25, 2006

By 

shay (australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sword of Darkness (Lords of Avalon, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have enjoyed most of Kinley/Sherrilyn's books but I couldn't even bring myself to finish this book. Great idea but so badly written. Modern slang/gargoyles that talk like Beavis and Butthead/cheesy love scenes/historically based villians that sound like bad Bold and the Beautiful dialogue etc. Kerrigan sounded hot and I loved the cover but the rest was such a disappointment. Quote from chapter 2: "His body fired at the innocence he tasted, at the knowledge that no other man had ever tread upon this mouth before him". I should hope that no other man had ever tread upon her mouth...sheesh.
I am looking forward to the next Dark-Hunter novel, but I will pass on the Lord of Avalon series.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, May 17, 2006

By 

Buffy Delorian "avid reader" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sword of Darkness (Lords of Avalon, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I tried to like this book, but I was barely able to finish it.

The characters were underdeveloped, the plot got lost, and there were some gaping holes in characterization and the world of the books that needed explaining or fixing.

The only bright spots I found were the gargoyle leader and Blaise. Kerrigan was an unconvincing dark lord, and for a villainess Morgen is about as effective as Hilary Duff in goth-wear. And don't get me started on Seren. I liked her a lot better after her apparent personality transplant halfway through, but I never felt any affection for her. I found myself more intrigued by the minor characters.

There were spots of humor, spots of genuinely good writing, but they were painfully few and far between. It just read like a rough draft of a much better novel.