Release Day Review/Guest Post ~ Dance in the Moonlight by A.L. Kessler

Today is the Release Day of Dance in the Moonlight by A.L. Kessler. I am very excited to share my review with you, as well as a special Guest Post I requested where we meet Lucius. He gives us an insight into the people in his territory. I hope you enjoy todays post!!

Title: Dance in the Moonlight

Author: A.L. Kessler

Series: Dark War Chronicles #2

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Published: March 2014

Renee’s life had been normal until the shadows reappeared and the legendary stone was sent to her. As the arrival drags her further into the paranormal world, the last thing Renee expects is to be swept off her feet by a brooding werewolf. Yet Coran captures her heart and attention. Small problem-he doesn't want a mate. Coran still suffers from the loss of his first mate, but when Renee is attacked by shifters he is forced to protect her at all costs. Things heat up when he realizes fate has wickedly granted him a second chance at love. With the war causing the body count to rise, now is not the ideal time to find a mate.

The Circle is becoming desperate and something has Lucius worried which means trouble for followers. It's a dance between danger and fate in this second installment of the Dark War Chronicles.

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Amy Kessler has delivered another thrilling installment in the Dark War Chronicles! Right from the first chapter, I was drawn into the danger and excitement as the story unfolded. Amy has developed well fleshed out characters that you can connect to and you are quickly swept away with her comfortable writing style. The story is far from finished and I am looking forward to what is going to happen next.

Coran was a character I liked from In the Light of the Moon (book 1). I was glad he was getting his own book and a second chance with Fate. His heart was shattered centuries ago and has vowed never to take that path again but fate always intervenes. When he lays eyes on Renee at the bar that he works at, he gets that instinct that he needs to protect her. Renee didn't play a big role in the previous book, but she was a pretty important character and a valuable piece in the game. When she received the stone, she was drawn to it and I figured out why early on. She has been living a normal life, not knowing that she is monitored by people in the supernatural world. She has her own ability, but doesn't understand it. When her life is threatened by the supernatural world, Coran steps in to protect her.

I liked both of these characters and enjoyed watching Coran battle with his feelings. Being a shifter, his wolf is very interested in Renee and his instincts know that she is his mate, but he doesn't want to pull her into the dangers of his world. I thought that he was a sweet guy, trying to put her first, however he is a dangerous predator and will do everything in his power to protect her. Renee was oblivious to the supernatural world, but took it all quite well when she learnt about it. She stepped up when it counted and she made quick friends – Tegan and Orion – that will defend her life when needed. Lucius is a character that may have many people conflicted, but I really like him. He comes across all mean and arrogant, but he really does care for the people under his control in his territory. He will defend them to the bitter end!!

Even though this is Coran and Renee's story, I enjoyed the overall plot of the series. There are certain people who wish to raise the Father, the first vampire, and they need certain things to raise him. Marcus is the real villain and is the kind of character that makes your skin crawl… I don't like him at all! He is willing to bargain with any creature to get what he wants. Now that things are falling into place and the war is getting bigger. I hope the next book is written soon… I am eager to see what goes down next in this world, one thing is for sure, there is blood on the horizon!!

I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.

As always thanks to Naomi for hosting me! Today we celebrate the release of the second Dark War Chronicles: Dance in the Moonlight. I made some arrangements and pulled some strings (pretty sure I owe my soul to a certain vampire now…) to get Lucius here. There is madness behind his method…I mean a method to his madness. So while he keeps you entertained with reasons he’s taken in certain people, I’ll be over *points* enjoying cake.

Lucius: There has been some question as to why I take in certain people or why I treat them the way I do. I’ve come to visit this…blog to explain why I’ve taken them into my territory.

Shall we start with Coran Hemming? He’s bound to rush to the top of everyone’s favorite werewolf. Coran officially joined my territory when I first left the Circle’s territory, not long after they tortured Tegan. Despite the mistake he made, I took him in. Coran chose not to have a traditional pack. He is an immortal werewolf and having him by my side gives a show of power to those who come visit me. With my ability I am able to pull his beast from him, just as you saw in In the Light of the Moon with Kassity. This allows me a certain amount of control over him, which I only use when he steps out of line. Why do I punish Coran when it calls for it? The wolf owes me his life. He must remember that.

Then we have Renee Flemmons. Renee joins my kiss because of Coran. I cannot say much more without giving away what A.L. Kessler says are spoilers. Renee is human and has a connection to the one thing we all fear. She also holds a connection to something in the war, something dangerous. Renee also has a gift that allows her to be an asset to my territory. If it ever comes down to needing to punish her…she’s human all I can really do is ground her. Or maybe take her books away. Why would I punish Renee if she steps out of line? To remind her that the supernatural creatures are the ones in control.

Then we have everyone’s favorite female panther, Kassity DeBeau. You met Kassity in the last book, a panther shifter that I stripped of control. You know that she joined my territory when Josh brought her and we faked her death. I am holding out hope that her immortal mark will show up, but until then I use her as my killer. I control her with such things as silver collars and cages, but only when she fights against me. I use her raw power as an uncontrolled shifter to my advantage. Originally Kassity stayed with me because I offered protection from her family, but now she stays willingly. When Kassity steps out of line, the punishment is used to remind her who controls her. Now that she’s mated, she rarely misbehaves.

To compliment Kassity, we have the panther everyone fell in love with last year—Jaxon Hunter. Jaxon claims that he’s a rogue whose clan was killed off, but I know he is hiding something. I don’t push it because he’s good at what he does. I have him working on gathering information for me. He joined my territory because he mated Kass—with the agreement that they both work for me. He is strong and not an immortal like many think he is. I punish him in a very similar way as Coran, but I also keep him from Kassity. Nothing is worse than keeping fated mates apart, but Jaxon occasionally has to be reminded what the deal he made means. I control him and his mate.

Now to the two that you know very little about as readers, Orion and Tegan. What can I say about Orion Kendric? He’s the one person that I actually owe. He saved Tegan for me when I was unable to come to her aid. The fae asked for protection afterwards and I granted it to him. He got his ass in trouble many times, but it was Coran who pulled him out of the rough times and him and the fae formed a friendship. Coran took responsibility for Orion until he got his head on straight…but I suppose losing a crown would cause anyone to fall on rough times. His one desire is to mate Tegan, even though there is no proof that she is his fated mate. His job is to protect her and when it comes to punishment he is denied any interaction with her. Despite the fact that he stays with me willingly, simple punishments like that remind him that he is not in control of his own life.

Tegan DeBeau: Tegan…she’s something else to me. My bonded human, the one person who can calm my temper and keep me sane with a simple touch. Do not get me wrong, she is not my fated mate, nor have I ever looked at her or taken her as a lover. No. Tegan came to me in an unusual way, her brother demanded that I blood bond her…I was a young vampire then and had no idea what I was taking on. Over the years she has gone from being a broken servant to the woman she is today. Her punishment is me taking her sight as was done to her when she was with the Father. It is harsh and cruel, but it reminds her what life used to be like. Tegan’s punishment is meant to remind her that her life could be much worse and that she should appreciate any freedoms she is given.

So there you go, an inside look on why people are in my territory and how I handle it. I’m always willing to add new people to my territory…so tell me, what do you have to offer? *wicked grin*

A.L. Kessler is a paranormal romance author living in beautiful Colorado Springs, CO. When she’s not at beck and call of the household—made up of her cats, dog, daughter and husband—she can be found hard at work on her next novel. In those rare moments of free time, she can be found playing video games, crafting, or reading.

Author Links

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Other Works

Novels:

Midnight Symphony

In the Light of the Moon

Short Stories:

The Touch of Night

Of Souls and Steam (Penny Dread Vol. 4)

Other posts featuring A.L. Kessler

Review/Interview ~ In The Light Of the Moon (Dark War Chronicles #1) 

Review – Midnight Symphony