The Chosen

Darkin forces are preparing to take over the world in the conclusion of Meyers’s Legend Chronicles (after The Hunter and The Slayer) in which brothers Colt, Remington, and Winchester Jackson seek the missing pieces of the Book of Legend. Middle brother Remington joins forces with Darkin shape-shifter China McGee to chase down and recover a piece hidden inside an ancient Aztec temple. Remington needs China, but doesn’t trust her—and rightly so, since China is scheming to steal the completed book and hand it over to her father, the archdemon Rathe. Sparks fly long before Remington and China make love, as they argue, fight Darkin foes, and figure out how to get past the magical traps protecting the book. This western-steampunk-adventure-paranormal romance successfully executes on all its elements, with echoes of Indiana Jones. Some of the critical moments feel a little flat, but the leadup to the final battle is a fitting conclusion to the series. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Literary Agency. (Mar.)