The Lightborn, allergic to darkness, and Darkborn, allergic to light, uneasily face the threat of the mysterious Shadowborn in the complex and challenging sequel to 2009's Darkborn
. The previous book's heroine, Darkborn Lady Telmaine Hearne, makes way for her husband's first love, Lightborn Floria White Hand, to take center stage. After Lightborn Prince Isidore is murdered by magical means, his successor, Fejelis Grey Rapids, accuses Floria of the evil deed. The Darkborn grant her asylum, but intrigue in both the light and the dark, including an attempt on Fejelis's life, make it clear that Floria and her allies are far from safe. Sinclair's sometimes stiff Regency prose style and large cast can be a struggle for readers, but the promise of an exciting confrontation will encourage them to persevere through the trilogy's conclusion. (June)
