Lucinda, Darkly--Sunny

Lucinda, Darkly

Sunny

Berkley, Aug 2007, $14.00

ISBN: 9780425214640

Lucinda was a Monere queen before she died, strong enough to make the transition to become a demon dead, who travels between hell and earth looking to return wayward demons to hell. Her mission is interrupted when she saves Stefan, a rogue Monere warrior who ran away from his queen. They share violence and pleasure while she drinks his blood.

Lucinda returns to Hell; where the de facto ruler her brother Halcyon tells her to find Nico the rogue Monere warrior and return him to his queen. When she catches up with Nico he puts up a good fight refusing to be killed by her or returned to his queen who kills her warriors when they become too strong, but he loses to her. She returns him to Mona Si Guiri who annoys Lucinda with her attitude. Nico is placed in silver chains making his powers useless and Lucinda is held in black chains. However the demon side of Lucinda rises and she defeats the queens and her warriors. She must return to Hell or fade into nothingness. Derek a former guardian tries to prevent her return to Hell even as she begins to build a male warrior following in Arizona.

This superb fast-paced urban fantasy in the tradition of Laurel K. Hamilton contains strong characterization that makes the Monere universe seems genuine. There is also plenty of sex and violence, at times together, but it is necessary elements interwoven into the story line. Although this is a stand alone side thriller, reading the previous Mona Lisa tales (see MONA LISA BLOSSOMING and MONA LISA AWAKENING) will make it easier to understand Sunny’s complex realm.

Harriet Klausner