7/01/2022

The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

This series caught my eye years ago. It wasn´t the cheesy German covers that made me read the books; it was the summary of the first one. And after that, I simply had to have and read the other volumes, too. The combination of Highlands, time travel, and fantasy is fascinating and started over twenty years ago with another Highlander series by another author. And Karen Marie Moning gave the Highlander-time-travel twist a dark side without being too dark.

The Dark Highlander

by Karen Marie Moning
Highlander Series #5
Publisher Dell on October 1, 2002
Genre Paranormal-Fantasy
Pages 400
Format Paperback
Source Purchased
Goodreads
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I am Dageus MacKeltar, a man with one good conscience and thirteen bad ones, driven to sate my darkest desires…

From his penthouse lair high above Manhattan, Dageus looks out over a glittering city that calls to the darkness within him. A sixteenth-century Scot trapped between worlds, he is fighting a losing battle with the thirteen Druids who possess his soul, dooming him to an eternity of sexual pursuit. When Chloe Zanders, a student of antiquities, is drawn into his world, she finds the insatiable alpha male an irresistible lure. Before long, she is caught up in an ancient prophecy that will sweep her back into time to medieval Scotland. Plunged into a world of timeless magic and dark seduction, she will soon face the challenge of a lifetime: fighting thirteen evil spirits for the heart of one irresistible man...

Story

When Chloe meets Dagaeus, she's not exactly in a good position. But she's not easily intimidated, even if it means her life has been turned upside down this time. She literally becomes a modern-day prisoner. Dagaeus cannot escape the attraction Chloe has for him, even if he is not willing to give in to it. Too many demons fight to control him after he broke the most sacred of rules to save his clan's survival. But the dark side of Dagaeus doesn't stop Chloe from falling in love with him, and to his amazement, she agrees to accompany him to Scotland. Her strength and her fearless determination impress him, and Dagaeus believes that he can still defeat the demons in himself and that he can prevent the catastrophe described in legends thousands of years old.

Style

Karen Marie Moning has created a successful novel with partly biting humor, quick-witted dialogues, and incredibly emotional scenes. Clear, full of feeling, and with an unbelievable fascination for the dark side of a human being. The evil staged shadowy and therefore more threatening forms an incredibly attractive contrast to Chloe and the inner struggle that Dagaeus has been waging within and against himself for centuries. Karen Marie Moning manages to playfully increase the tension so that the reader is unsure how this fight will end until the very end.

But as evil, as it gets at times, the author never leaves any doubt that love is the greatest and strongest power that should not be underestimated. In short sequences, the author repeatedly lets it be known that the fairies often underestimate them and usually only set the events in motion through their interventions. Not always to the advantage of the druids and their soulmates.

Characters

As always, the male characters are the purest testosterone hurricane, against which only the right female counterpart knows how to assert themselves in a quick-witted, funny, and clever way.

Chloe is incredibly curious and fascinated by ancient relics, and her scientific urge to get to the bottom of things almost becomes her downfall at times. Small, well-built, and with the courage of a lioness, she ventures into an area that literally challenges everything she has learned and seen up to that point and often pushes her scientific mind to the limit. But what are borders for if not to overcome them? Chloe meets the challenges with the tools at her disposal, a sharp mind, incredible intelligence, and even greater determination. And even if she finally must realize the unbelievable, she does everything to help Dagaeus and protect him. What a protagonist!

Conclusion

Anyone who likes dark romance with a touch of danger and pure passion is well served here. One of the best books of this famous saga. A must for Karen Marie Moning fans!

Happy reading

Karen Marie Moning

Karen Marie Moning is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fever series, featuring MacKayla Lane, and the award-winning Highlander series. She has a bachelor´s degree in society and law from Purdue University.

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5/26/2022

Kiss Of The Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

This novel is one of THE best books I´ve ever read. By the author as well as in the paranormal fantasy genre. And I guess it is no understatement when I say that this book is one of the best of the author´s Highlander series. So, yes, highly recommended.

Kiss Of The Highlander

by Karen Marie Moning
Highlander Series #4
Publisher Dell on September 4, 2001
Genre Paranormal-Fantasy
Pages 432
Format Paperback
Source Purchased
Goodreads
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A laird trapped between centuries...

Enchanted by a powerful spell, Highland laird Drustan MacKeltar slumbered for nearly five centuries hidden deep in a cave, until an unlikely savior awakened him. The enticing lass who dressed and spoke like no woman he’d ever known was from his distant future, where crumbled ruins were all that remained of his vanished world. Drustan knew he had to return to his own century if he was to save his people from a terrible fate. And he needed the bewitching woman by his side...

A woman changed forever in his arms...

Gwen Cassidy had come to Scotland to shake up her humdrum life and, just maybe, meet a man. How could she have known that a tumble down a Highland ravine would send her plunging into an underground cavern - to land atop the most devastatingly seductive man she’d ever seen? Or that once he’d kissed her, he wouldn’t let her go? Bound to Drustan by a passion stronger than time, Gwen is swept back to sixteenth-century Scotland, where a treacherous enemy plots against them ... and where a warrior with the power to change history will defy time itself for the woman he loves...

Story

While vacationing in Scotland, Gwen falls into a cave and finds herself in more than a precarious position. In disbelief, she must realize that she has landed on a forbidden good-looking, and incredibly tall man, who is lying dead under her. Even as she tries to find a way out of this embarrassing situation, an amazing transformation takes place in the human body beneath her. The giant comes to life. Little by little, Gwen learns to trust the attractive stranger and decides to follow him, even if she doesn't know exactly where she is following him. All she knows is that his mysterious remarks sound so unbelievable that the scientist in her is awakened and wants to get to the bottom of the Drustan phenomenon. An undertaking that proves not to be easy as Gwen suddenly finds herself face to face with a different Drustan and realizes she is in a very different time.

Style

Karen Marie Moning wrote this novel in a hilarious, varied, and full of magic way. Heated battles of words, quick-witted dialogues, colorful scenes, and landscapes make this volume a fantastic experience for the reader. The author sends her characters spinning through time, mixing magic with scenically rugged landscapes and ancient superstitions, and fusing the modern spirit of the present with the millennia-old art of the druids. Karen Marie Moning describes the arguments and fights very vividly and excitingly. Fists and artfully forged swords whiz through the air, the peaceful silence of lonely clearings is broken by the battle roar of two opponents, and mysterious rites and incantatory words of the gypsies permeate man and nature. The reader has no choice but to turn the pages eagerly after what happens next.

Characters

In this novel, characters with very different personalities meet. Gwen, a young woman who wants to have been a virgin for the longest time and chooses a senior tour group in Scotland to do so. Drustan wakes up again in the present after a centuries-long magical sleep and is confronted with a reality that shocks him, there is a clever housekeeper who has worshiped the master of the house for years, and the grizzled master of the house himself.

Drustan and Dagaeus' father is endowed with an incredible charm and even more fascinating knowledge and intelligence that particularly appealed to me. In this volume, the author offers a highly interesting range of very different but always convincing characters that are realistic and lively and make every page a pure pleasure to read.

Conclusion

What a novel! Captivating, full of love and passion, and, by the way, incredibly exciting. Highly recommended!

Happy reading

Karen Marie Moning

Karen Marie Moning is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fever series, featuring MacKayla Lane, and the award-winning Highlander series. She has a bachelor´s degree in society and law from Purdue University.

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5/22/2020

The Highlander´s Touch by Karen Marie Moning

I don´t know what it is with this saga. But after I had started reading it I wasn´t able to put the books down. And although not every volume could thrill me as much as others of this series were capable of, I had a great time reading this saga. 

The Highlander´s Touch

by Karen Marie Moning
Highlander Series #3
Publisher Dell on November 7, 2000
Genre Paranormal-Fantasy
Pages 356
Format Paperback
Source Purchased
Goodreads
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He was a mighty Scottish warrior who lived in a world bound by ancient laws and timeless magic. But no immortal powers could prepare the laird of Castle Brodie for the lovely accursed lass who stood before him. A terrible trick of fate had sent her 700 years back in time and into his private chamber to tempt him with her beauty – and seduce him with a desire he could never fulfill. For this woman he burned to possess was also the woman he had foresworn to destroy. When Lisa felt the earth move under her feet, the fiercely independent 21st-century woman never dreamed she was falling… into another century. But the powerful, naked warrior who stood glaring down at her was only too real… and too dangerously arousing. Irresistibly handsome he might be, but Lisa had no intention of remaining in this savage land torn by treachery and war. How could she know that her seductive captor had other plans for her… plans that would save her from a tragic fate? Or that this man who had long ago forsaken love would defy time itself to claim her for his own…

Story

Lisa is taken back 700 years when she picks up a vial in her employer´s office out of curiosity. A vial that has a powerful and coveted content and has been banished by its keeper. With this spell, Lisa lands right in front of Circenn Brody´s eyes and faces an incredible and deadly challenge. He once swore to kill the vial bearer. But how to kill a woman you passionately desire? Who cannot be controlled, has her own stubborn head, and is also caught up in his time? While Lisa leaves no opportunity unused to find a way back into her own time, Circenn recognizes that he never wants to lose her again, but her peculiarities make him want to feel and want to live again, despite his background. He is also aware that his luck with Lisa will not last forever. One day, he suspects, Lisa will have the chance to get back into her own time, the only question is: will she use it?

Style

Although Karen Marie Moning has not changed her writing and language style, the book reads more subdued. The reader knows from the start that Circenn has a dark secret with it and because of this, many things fail. In this way, the author cleverly manages to build up and maintain a dark tension without giving the reader the feeling that there is a danger of delay. The combination of the language of our time and that around 1308 sometimes results in a wonderful situation and gives the novel a wonderful charm. Karen Marie Moning also excellently succeeds in showing the inner conflict of the protagonist Lisa who on the one hand starts to feel good at Circenn, but on the other hand does everything to get back to her time where her terminally ill mother is. Through sometimes almost moody descriptions and scenes, the reader gets a successful insight into the dreamlike landscape and the soul life of the main characters. As exciting and interesting as it was, in some places it was difficult for me to read on. It made me feel too moody, even if this suited the plot and the characters perfectly.

Characters

There is nothing here at first glance. Circenn is an extremely dark, rough, and strong character, under whose surface it starts to boil dangerously when Lisa suddenly stands in front of him. His passion is violent, highly erotic, and plunges him, the always honest and full of principles and rules, into a serious conflict of conscience. He, who always insisted on compliance with the rules, suddenly realizes in what rigidity he has spent the past few years. Even if he is tough on the outside and remains a warrior, he is experiencing a change in the inside that is a real pleasure for the reader. Above all, the fact that he breaks his strictest rule in the frenzy of passion without hesitation impressed me the most. Then the heart, which until then could only be guessed at, suddenly appeared and the ice-cold warrior became a human being made of flesh and blood.

Lisa is a protagonist who makes the reader smile and with her infinite curiosity is always in the greatest trouble, is full of buried dreams and longings, and yet has an almost superhuman inner strength. “I can´t die now, I haven´t even lived.” This shattering sentence, pronounced in an incredibly moving scene between her and Circenn, said more about this character than a long description could ever have. With Lisa, the author has created an expressive, spirited and determined figure, who stands upright despite all the blows of fate and is not only very combative but also accepts challenges and practically “stands her man”.  Her decision when she was faced with the choice of her life on the fairy hill still surprised me very much, even though I could absolutely understand her from the point of view of the figure.

Conclusion

Wonderful reading material for cozy, relaxed reading with the right dose of excitement, passion, and elven magic. A successful continuation of this famous Highlander saga.

Happy reading

Karen Marie Moning

Karen Marie Moning is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fever series, featuring MacKayla Lane, and the award-winning Highlander series. She has a bachelor´s degree in society and law from Purdue University.

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5/16/2020

To Tame A Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning

I discovered this series some years ago and was already fascinated after reading the summary. The German cover itself couldn´t intrigue me much. But the novel inside – Holy Smokes! The perfect mixture of passion, war, romance, hatred, pain, and a happy end. 

To Tame A Highland Warrior

by Karen Marie Moning

Highlander Series #2

Publisher Dell on December 1, 1999

Genre Paranormal-Fantasy

Pages 366

Format Paperback

Source Purchased 

Goodreads

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Only her love could gently his savage soul. He was born to a clan of warriors of supernatural strength, but Gavrael McIllioch abandoned his name and his Highland castle, determined to escape the dark fate of his ancestors. Hiding his identity from the relentless rival clan that hunted him, he called himself Grimm to protect the people he cared for, vowing never to acknowledge his love for ravishing Jillian St. Clair. Yet even from afar, he watched over her, and when her father sent an urgent summons, “Come for Jillian”, he raced to her side – into a competition to win her hand in marriage. Why had he run from her so many years before? And why return now to see her offered as a prize in her father´s manipulative game? Furious, Jillian vowed never to wed. But Grimm was the man she loved, the one who urged her to marry another. He tried to pretend indifferences as she tempted him, but he could not deny the fierce desires that compelled him to abduct her from the altar. She was the only woman who could tame the beast that raged within him – even as deadly enemies plotted to destroy them both …

Story

Grimm is called to Caithness by his foster father to take care of the daughter of the house, Jillian St. Claire. Grimm only learns that there is something completely different behind the call than in the message itself when he arrives at Caithness. But there is no turning back and so Grimm does what he was asked to do: He watches over Jillian, the love of his life. Unfortunately, he was not the only one called, to keep an eye on daughter and house. An unusual struggle for the beautiful and strong-willed woman breaks out between the opponents called and Grimm would rather do nothing than admit his love to Jillian. But he keeps a gruesome secret and fights against the desire to make Jillian his own because he can´t offer her anything. No house, no peaceful life, and certainly no children. Thank God Jillian has her own head and absolutely doesn´t see why there shouldn´t be a life for her beloved man. And so, Jillian begins to follow her intuition and traces a bloody and brutal legend. A legend that can never be true and yet has an incredible fascination for Jillian. 

Style

A fantastic, extremely soulful, and enchanting story that Karen Marie Moning wrote on paper. And that kept captivating me again and again. The story of Grimm and Jillian begins on Dalkeith-upon-the-Sea, where Grimm is still with Adrienne and Hawk, the two main characters from the first volume of the Highlander saga. Eloquent, versatile, and with an incredible legend as the background for the plot, the author describes a love story that has a variety of elements: tension, passion, war, hatred, loyalty, and truth. The author describes empathetically but also mercilessly and shows in an impressive way human conflicts and the overwhelming desire to protect the person you love. In between, she keeps pushing the legend on which the plot is based, which gives the whole thing an extra kick and skillfully increases the tension.

Characters

The individual figures are very complex and convincing. They look realistic and complement each other perfectly. Even the character of Logan benefits from it, even though he´s an identified villain and vengeful up to that point. But the most impressive thing for me was and still is, the figure of Grimm. His inner struggle, his determination, his tornness, and his desire to control what he is and what defines him with all his might, was an impressive experience. At the same time, this character has shown weakness and vulnerability that I have rarely seen in a character. The combination of weakness and strength is absolutely deadly for anyone who even bends hair to those he loves. At the same time, this interaction of the figure also takes away the sharpness, so that the reader is really fascinated by the figure. 

Conclusion

Wow! Thrilling, passionate, exciting, and brilliantly written. A must-read!

Happy reading

Karen Marie Moning

Karen Marie Moning is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fever series, featuring MacKayla Lane, and the award-winning Highlander series. She has a bachelor´s degree in society and law from Purdue University. 

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8/25/2018

Beyond The Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning

One of the very few series´ I bought and read within no time. The summary intrigued me right from the start and reading this time-travel-fantasy series turned out to be one hell of a great ride. I don´t know exactly what made me pay attention, for sure not the cover of the German edition. But somehow, I ended up buying it and spending an afternoon reading and diving into this fascinating world.

Beyond The Highland Mist

by Karen Marie Moning
Highlander Series #1
Publisher Dell on May 29, 2007
Genre Paranormal-Fantasy
Pages 375
Format Paperback
Source Purchased

Goodreads

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He would sell his warrior soul to possess her … An alluring laird … He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart – until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm´s length – but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve. A prisoner in time … She had a perfect “no” on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne´s reservations were no match for Hawk´s determination to keep her by his side …

Story

Adrienne lands from one second to the next in the lap of the brutal lord of the castle, Red Comyn, in Scotland in the 16th century, through a vengeful whim of fairy king Finnbheara. She is forced to marry another lord of the castle, the Hawk. She shows her cold shoulder to the incredulous Hawk and resists his charms, even if her body speaks a completely different language. However, that changes abruptly when she gets unexpectedly promoted back to the 20th century.

Style

The book is initially a somewhat ponderous novel, but then quickly gaining tension and becomes a captivating read. Cleverly describes the author with a very expressive language, the advertising of Hawk to Adrienne and how she reacts. 

In addition to many such scenes, the author also describes in her beautiful language a beautiful colorful landscape and gives the reader insights into the life of yesteryear. The beautiful combination of magic and time creates a rousing and unbelievably beautiful action in front of the reader´s eye, centered on beautifully designed figures. 

Characters

Strongly powerful characters were created by Karen Marie Moning and dominate the plot. The author gives her figures heart, soul, and three-dimensionality, which, together with the story, produce an erotic as well as interesting activities in which faith itself and love play an absolute role. 

The fairies are breathtakingly beautiful people, but they are driven by vengeance, boredom and the knowledge that their strength is superior. The moment, when the fairy king´s fool realizes that one can resist the fairies, was absolutely divine in my eyes.

Conclusion

Those who keep reading beyond the somewhat cumbersome start will soon be rewarded with a rousing and captivating story where you get involved in the danger and thrill of a different time and place. 

Happy reading

Karen Marie Moning

Karen Marie Moning is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fever series, featuring MacKayla Lane, and the award-winning Highlander series. She has a bachelor´s degree in society and law from Purdue University. 

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