Night Seeker (Indigo Court #3) by Yasmine Galenorn
Urban Fantasy
July 3, 2012
Penguin

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite quote: “There is much to fear in the dark. There are monsters under the bed and in the closet, and now they walk aboard at will. “
Wind witch and owl shifter, Cicely Waters, rescued her lover, Fae Prince Grieve from the Indigo Court, but not before Myst, the Queen Of Winter, turned him. The rescue destroyed Cicely’s alliance with Lainule, the Queen of Summer and destroyed any hope of cooperation from the vampires. Cicely, in desperation, appeals to the Consortium for help.

When the Queen Of Summer begins to fade, Cicely offers to find and bring back Summer’s heartstone. Cicely also has to find a way to change Grieve back and keep Lannan at arms length. As friends turn enemy and enemies become allies, Cicely will find herself standing on the edge of the precipice, her destiny unfolding before her as she fights for all she loves and believes in.

Night Seeker, the third installment of Yasmine Galenorn’s dark and sensual fae fantasy, picks up right where Night Veil left off and blows it all out of the water. Well-plotted and cast with characters that are strong and personable, Night Seeker is filled with taut suspense, delicious betrayal, and dangerous antagonists. I consider Night Seeker the turning point in this series.  It’s an emotionally captivating story that throws open the doors of previously unknown and tightly guarded secrets. It doesn’t promise us that everything will be fine but it does give us hope towards the future. A strong storyline with fascinating intertwining subplots drives this story opposed to the last two installments which spent more time laying the foundation of the arc and its key players.

Ms. Galenorn’s exceptional insight into supernatural mythology is readily apparent and her added mixture of new lore produces a stunning urban fantasy world that first starts in Night Veil and continues it’s dark and dangerous journey in here.  Instead of being overburdened by over detailed interpretation and world building at the sacrifice of story, or being heavy on story but leaving the world largely undefined, Night Seeker continues the arc’s perfect balance and hits all the right notes. The world building is a perfect blending of carnal passions, electrifying action, realistic characters, and stark betrayal. Well plotted and fast paced, it creates a satisfying development for the main characters and culminates in two very different sort of conflicts – one that threatens the lives of Cicely and Grieve and one that threatens their hearts.

I have loved Cicely Waters since I first met her. Loyal, intelligent, and strong willed- she has made choices that many would balk at making yet she made them without batting an eye. She has a strong moral code that shines against the manipulations of those around her. Born to a drug user with no knowledge of her father, her survival on the streets made her into the warrior we see before us. She has matured so much as a character.. We share an intimate connection with Cicely as her pain, her sorrow, and her triumphs become our own. It has been an exciting ride as we have watched her grow from a solitary figure to having friends, family, and a lover. Her personality develops more and more with each book. She is still scared but she is learning how to trust in herself and others. Though still learning of her gifts and background, she now better understands from where she has come from and what is expected from her. Finally reunited with the love of her life but bound to a man who holds her life in his hands, Cicely again finds herself crippled by past decisions.

Grieve and Lannan are the two men who are integral parts of Cicely’s life. Grieve, Fae Prince of Summer, has been a part of Cicely’s life since she was a little girl. Past installments show us that they are actually old souls who cheated death and found a way to reunite. Grieve’s love for Cicely is a physical entity. Their chemistry burns the pages with each small moment they are able to steal. With every word Grieve speaks, with every gesture he makes, you know he will do anything to be with her. Lannan, on the other hand is a distasteful, yet fascinating mixture of anger and cruelty. A sado masochist, he was able to trick Cicely into signing a contract with the Crimson Court and in doing so, now essentially owns her. He is seductively cruel in his demands of Cicely, celebrating the pain and humiliation he brings to her. His feelings for her have grown from tolerance to obsession and he is dangerously close to destroying them both. What I truly enjoyed in here was the solid support Cicely has at her back in regards to Lannan. When she first signed the contract, she was pretty much on her own. Now with her father, Grieve, and the other renegades in the war against Myst standing with her, Lannan soon learns that he may hold her contract, but there are bigger, badder entities than him who claim Cicely as their own and won’t hesitate to remove him permanently from the equation if need be.

The cast of supporting characters are a vivid and dynamic group. Each one fully capable of holding their own story. I like that each have distinct, separate personalities and substories; ensuring they are never overwhelmed by our protagonists. The main conflict of the story is a whirlwind of intrigue, tension, and action as Cicely struggles to save Summer and find away to defeat Myst.

If you enjoy noir urban fantasy that stretches all your boundaries, then Yasmine Galenorn is the author to buy and her Indigo Court is the series to read. I don’t recommend starting the series here. It has a long reaching arc and each new installment picks up at the end of the last one.

Overall Rating: B+

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