Rating: 4.5 Enchantments
Marcus Helios is not only an immortal, a former member of the elite Shadow Guard and the son of Antony and Cleopatra, but he also in the depths of Transcension, bringing him to the depths of madness. His only hope of salvation lies in two ancient scrolls he believes are in the possession of the beautiful Willowmina, and he'll do whatever it takes to get his hands on them. But with the mysterious Dark Bride hunting him in London and having to deal with his twin sister Seline, who's desperate to become his official assassin, things are complicated enough without falling for the beautiful Mina.
With her father faking his own death, sending her back to London to report the grim news, then to go into deep mourning for her own safety, Mina suddenly finds herself on her own. When strange things begin to happen, such as being the victim of an apparent random attack in the street and having her father's papers shredded in her room, she becomes uncomfortable and slightly scared for her own safety Surprisingly, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Mark, Lord Alexander. When he unexpectedly asks for her hand in marriage, she's thrilled when her uncle agrees to the betrothal. Now she can get out of the house and hopefully start over, completely unaware of her new husband's immortality.
I adored SO STILL THE NIGHT. While not your typical historical romance, Mina and Mark are two strong individuals, both fighting their own battles: Mark's for his sanity and Mina for trying to overcome the loss of her father. The chemistry between the two is some of the strongest I've read and the scenes between them are sizzling hot. I loved how Mark wore down Mina's resistance to him, especially the scene with the hot air balloon at the club. My favorite scene though is after the two are married and Mina learns his secret. While on the search for her father, they visit an old family friend of Mina's, a rather eccentric character who owns a warehouse full of unusual items. It's a fun and a nice respite from the darker tone of a lot of the book, it's one that made me laugh and stayed with me through the rest of the book.
I have to say SO STILL THE NIGHT is a wonderful read that quickly earned a spot on my keeper shelf. Mark is a delicious hero, filled with a dark intensity and a purpose that I haven't read in awhile and quickly fell for. Mina's strong enough on her own, but watching her fall for Mark and accept who he truly is makes this a great read. The only drawback to the story is the ending chapters are rather fast paced, and rush by quicker than the rest of the story.
With a fast paced ending with a few surprising twists and revelations, SO STILL THE NIGHT leaves the reader breathless, going back through the story for clues they may have missed as to the Dark Bride and her cohorts identities. I can't wait to read the next in this series, Darker Than Night, due out in April 2010.
To learn more about this book and the Shadow Guard series, visit Ms. Lenox online at her website: http://www.kimlenox.com/.
Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
January 2010
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