Miranda-M.R. Sellars

Miranda
M.R. Sellars
Willow Tree, Jul 1 2010, $16.95
ISBN: 9780979453366

Annalise Deveraux was the previously unknown half sister of witch Felicity O’Brien. Unlike her half-sibling, Annalise practiced voodoo using blood magic and invited the spirit of Miranda into her body. Miranda died over a century and a half ago; she was a sexual sadist who relished pain and murder. Annalise, at least what is still her as Miranda owns the shared body, are in a mental institution.

Miranda plots to leave the body shell of Annalise and enter the body of Felicity. The only reason she fails so far to enter her new body is Rowan Grant prevents her. Like his wife Felicity, Rowan is also a practicing witch; but unlike her he can also communicate with the dead. He visits Annalise in order to confront Miranda, but she makes him lose control, which causes Felicity to have unnatural desires from her corporal usurper. Miranda jumps out of Annalise’s body and cuts off Rowan’s communication with the dead. She kills enough people to insure she has enough power to retake Felicity’s body as she has done before (see All Acts of Pleasure). She succeeds, but family friends repel her leaving Felicity in a child like state and Rowan willing to do anything to get her soul back into her body.

Rowan Grant stars in another strong St. Louis urban fantasy as the evil Miranda returns to cause havoc (see the Miranda trilogy). Rowan has worked the ethereal plane before, but when it comes to the vicious Miranda, he knows it is personal as he wants her out of his wife’s body and their lives forever. Character driven, the lead couple shares a common belief to do what they believe is right even when it goes against the norm. M.R. Sellars has written another superb magical horror mystery thriller as one of the best villainesses of the last decade co-stars with Rowan and Felicity in a triangle from hell.

Harriet Klausner