I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Lord of the Abyss
by
Nalini Singh
fantasy in Paperback edition that was published by Harlequin on November 22, 2011 and has 288 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Must Love Hellhounds, Kiss of Snow, An Enchanted Season, Archangel's Blade, Angels of Darkness, Desert Warrior, Angels' Flight, Tangle of Need, Play of Passion, Archangel's Storm, Wild Invitation, Heart of Obsidian, Archangel's Legion, "Hide and Seek", "Making Dinner", Shield of Winter, "A Conversation", "Home", Angels' Pawn, "New Year's Kisses", Night Shift, "Weapons Training", "Zoë's Workshop", "Wild Night", Archangel's Shadows, Archangel’s Enigma, Shards of Hope, “Fairy Balloons”, “An Unexpected Guest”, Allegiance of Honor, "The Song of the Wolf", Silver Silence, Archangel’s Heart, Archangel’s Viper, Ocean Light, "Elena's School of Horror", Cherish Hard, "Ain’t No Party Like A Bear Party", Archangel's Prophecy, "One Night At The Refuge", "Secret Things", Rebel Hard, Rock Hard, Wolf Rain, "Clean and Dirty", "Wolf School", "Naya’s Most Important Visitors", "Grocery Shopping", "The Cannibal Princess", "A Gift for Kit", "Movie Night", "Kaleb and Sahara’s Meeting with Sascha and Lucas", "Housewarming at the Orchard", "Christmas in the Kitchen", "Stalking Hawke", "Romancing Drew", "Sunday Morning", "Rowan", "Baubles & Ben", Wild Embrace, Love Hard, Rock Addiction, "Music Awards", Rock Courtship, "Rock Courtship Memo"s, Rock Redemption, "Sunshine", Rock Wedding, "With This Memo", "That Lip Ring…", A Madness of Sunshine, "Beary Tiny Ghosts", Alpha Night, "A Wedding Breakfast", "Poker Night", "Knives and Sheaths", "Seedlings", "Star Kissed", "A Walk on the Cliffs", "Wild Cat Blues", Slave to Sensation, Caressed by Ice, Visions of Heat, Kiss Hard, Angels' Blood, Archangel's Kiss, Archangel's War, Archangel's Sun, Archangel's Light, Archangel's Resurrection, Last Guard, “A Perfect Moment”, "Music in the Rain", Storm Echo, Resonance Surge, "Mate", “New Year’s Eve”, Archangel's Lineage, Visions of Heat, Mine to Possess, Hostage to Pleasure, Branded by Fire, Blaze of Memory
Fourth in the Royal House of Shadows fantasy series. Each installment in the series is by a different author.
Singh has a second story as part of this book, Desert Warrior.
My Take
Liliana is a Scheherazade using stories to beguile the Lord. For the rest, it’s a bit cliché in the basics but Singh puts her own twist on it with Micah falling in love with an ugly cripple. Wanting a woman with heart and intelligence and unaware of her physical appearance.
It’s not really very Singh-like. I had to keep checking the headers on the pages. But, it is a good read.
The Story
On a day of great happiness, the ruling family and the country of Elden fell to the terrors of the Blood Sorcerer. Rumors flew yet none could confirm if the children had survived or not when their mother, Queen Alvina, sacrificed herself to throw a spell over them.
It’s years later and the Lord of the Abyss has a prisoner. A girl. Young, ugly, crippled, but unafraid of his presence. Willing to talk back to him. To thwart him. For young Liliana is on a mission to see to the fulfillment of a vision she had of three of the four heirs of Elden returning. For the vision to succeed, the fourth heir, Micah, must also be there.
She’s a cheeky girl, our Liliana. She forbids his doing some things, entices him with cinnamon chocolate and lushberry pies, and enchants him with stories of his past, his childhood. Triggering memories of love and family. He must remember his past and return to his proper place.
The Characters
Lord of the Black Castle, a.k.a., Guardian of the Abyss, he was also known as Micah, the youngest child of Aelfric and Alvina. He has no memory of his life prior to fetching evil souls for the abyss. Bard is the Lord’s steward, his commander. An ugly man, he has a bond with the Lord of the Black Castle. Jissa is a brownie who works at the castle as a cook and housekeeper. She’s a terrible cook and quite grateful to Liliana for volunteering.
King Aelfric and his Queen Alvina were strong, good rulers and in that happiness their complacency grew as did their children Nicolai, Dayn, Breena, and Micah.
The Blood Sorcerer overthrew the beloved family ruling over Elden and proceeded to lay waste to the countryside and torment all those around him. He particularly enjoyed torturing his only daughter, Liliana. A powerful sorceress herself who managed at last to flee with the intention of thwarting her deadly father.
The Cover and Title
The cover is all purples and blacks with an almost neon-like tracery as a highlight over the hooded man’s oiled and bare, muscled shoulders while his cloak swirls around his very buff body, leather gauntlets on his wrists.
The title is more of an amalgam as Micah is the Lord of the Black Castle and the Guardian of the Abyss.
