Return of the Danu

By Kelly Lucille

The Blurb: Prince Ansgar The Bloody has no love for magic users, and he trusts the Danu even less than the magic shrouded Green they command.

Elena has spent her whole life hiding from the Warriors of the South after they burned her beloved Green and killed most of her people in their bid to take the North Lands, she is not about to start trusting them now. Certainly not the heir apparent, and the man they call 'The Bloody'.

Both have good reason to hate, yet somehow the fate of the known world is suddenly thrust on their unlikely shoulders. They will have to find a way to work together or everyone will suffer, because the burning of the Green caused side effects none of them could have foreseen.

A new alliance between the Danu and the southern conquerors may be all that keeps the people of the North Lands safe from a wild that has grown it's own magic teeth.

...And not everyone wants to see the peace accords succeed.

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Others who were familiar with this series encouraged the rest of us to read book 1. I went ahead and skipped it. I now regret that decision. Not because it was necessary to enjoy book 2, but because I enjoyed book 2 so much. I wish I could have extended my experience in this world and with these characters just a little bit longer.

This book has so many elements that make a fantasy romance great. We have a brutish warrior prince, a strong and formidable witch and a common enemy looking to take over their world.

This was a quick read but Ms. Lucille does a fantastic job developing the characters and creating a world you can't help but be drawn into. I was a little skeptical with our "Bloody" prince in the beginning. I recall a few times begging the pages for Prince Ansgar to not disappoint me. Gruff and prejudice at first, it takes him a moment to admit what his heart knows to be true.

Elena, I instantly loved (and honestly wish I could be:). She's regal, cunning and a force to be reckoned with. Her people, The Danu, are magic users fed by nature itself. They are one with the wilds and each possess the ability to use nature to assist them and protect themselves. Her disposition is parallel to the very nature that nurtures her people. She exudes beauty, calmness and peace but just like nature, she will defend herself to the death if threatened.

We learn that there are only a handful of Danu left due to a great fire brought on by war that almost destroyed the forests they live in. And, it was Ansgar's people who set that fire. This adds to to the hatred and mistrust both main characters must dismantle and relinquish before giving into their growing attraction.

Slowly but surely, as they work together, Ansgar's affection grows and bias fades. He knows that he has met his match in the beautiful green eyed witch. And when a mutual enemies plot unfolds, they must work together to save the fragile truce their people have agreed upon and a future that didn't even seem possible at first.

This story has humor, action, and passion. I loved having both Elena's and Ansgar's point of view and perspective. Their arguments were epic and banter was entertaining. I was bewitched by the characters and imagery and found it hard to stop once I started.

Having said that, this story also has some editing issues. Because the story was so good and I was easily invested in the characters, I was able to overlook the grammatical issues, but there really were too many. I highly encourage Ms. Lucille to get a good editor for any future releases. She is too talented to have her stories rated poorly and overlooked due to amateur mistakes.

The story was over too soon, but I hear book 3 is in the works and headed our way sometime this year. I can't wait!

What did you think?