cover image Surrender to Darkness

Surrender to Darkness

Annette McCleave, Signet Eclipse, $7.99 mass market (352p) ISBN 978-0-451-23193-2

The third Soul Gatherer paranormal (Bound by Darkness; Drawn into Darkness) adds a touch of Japanese culture to its complex mythology. Jamie Murdoch, a 700-year-old Scotsman charged with gathering souls and battling demons and fallen angels, travels from California to Japan to retrieve a dangerous artifact called the Temple Veil. Its custodian, heiress Kiyoko Ashida, is part of an ancient Japanese order that also fights demons, and until she can undergo a dangerous transcendence ritual on her upcoming 25th birthday, her life depends on the Veil. To make things worse, whenever Kiyoko and Jamie touch, the contact unleashes his volatile and violent berserker energy. Despite these obstacles, a genuine bond grows between them, and abundant sexual fantasies keep them going until they can finally hold each other. McCleave skillfully interweaves action, magic, mythology, and love to produce a fast-paced, satisfying story. (Jan.)