Enchanting the Lady (Relics of Merlin #1) by Kathryne Kennedy

Enchanting the Lady (Relics of Merlin #1)
by Kathryne Kennedy

Expected publication: August 1st 2012 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published January 1st 2008)

ISBN: 140226982X (ISBN13: 9781402269820)

review courtesy of netGalley

Kathryne Kennedy's first historical fantasy romance series features a light and wonderful Victorian England, where magic never dies and every level of the aristocracy has its own special powers.

Sir Terence Blackwell is a lion shapeshifter who is determined to find the magical relic that killed his brother. When he sniffs out the taint of magic on Lady Felicity Seymour, a disinherited duchess, he's sure that she's far craftier than she first appears. Terrance believes that the easiest way to learn all of her secrets is to court the young miss. Unfortunately, Terrance's plans for vengeance are soon thwarted when he finds himself falling under the lady's enchanting spell...

My Thoughts:

When I saw the blurb, I was intrigrued. A book which combined two of my favorite genres: historical romance and fantasty/shapeshifter.

It was slow to start, but I now see that the author was setting the stage, building a background for the reader so they could follow along.. You see, in this time, those of high rank held the strongest magical powers, then depending on your pecking order this would determine what magically abilities you possess. The lowest ranking baronets, were shapeshifters, they were considered Merlin's greatest enchantment, for they were immune to magic. The shapeshifters became secret spies, searching for the thirteen relics created by Merlin. Each stone was enchanted by a different spell.

See, I told you there was a lot of background to absorb to get the premise of the storyline.

The heroine, Felicity needed to prove her powers to hold on to her family's property. At first I wasn't sure about her, her character portrayed her as a weak, naive and very trusting person. Those are the things that lead to her being taken advantage of. The hero, Terrance, was societies outcast, as he was a shapeshifter. Terrance is searching for the "stones", six have been found and he senses that he is close to finding another, anytime he is near Felicity he senses the stones. Terrance aligns himself up to court Felicity to uncover what she knows, but in the process he finds himself falling fast and hard in love with our heroine and he will do anything to protect her.

Ms Kennedy created a very descriptive fantasy world, she provided well scripted words where the images appeared in your head, you saw homes were made of confection, and sea horses pulling a carriage, all mystical and magical. But I have to say my favorite image was the small gift that Terrance gave to Felicity.. a small egg, given to protect her when he wasn't around. When it hatched, I immediately fell in love with Daisy, and I simply want one of my own, who wouldn't want a mystical dragonette?

This book was based more on fantasy romance and little on historical romance, but it was a romance all in all. The author is new to me and I dare say it will not be the last time I read her work.

This book was full of twists and surprises. The author created secondary characters that were fully developed and important to the plot. She created a unique take on magic and romance, this a must read for anyone who likes reading paranormal and historical romance. I can't wait for more in this series.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: