Nightbound by Lynn Viehl (Lords of the Darkyn #3)
Paranormal Romance
May 7, 2013
Signet

Reviewed by Helyce

As we continue the search for the Emeralds of Eternity we meet Dr. Alys Stuart. Alys is a young and brilliant archeologist whose theories on the Knights Templar have brought her to the attention of Richard Tremayne. Richard wants to possess the Emeralds, so when he learns that Alys may have discovered their hiding place; he sponsors a dig and hires Alys to lead it. Alys is thrilled with this opportunity. She’s well aware that her theories on the Templars are not well received and she is determined to prove herself and her theories once and for all.

To ensure everything goes well at the dig, Richard Tremayne sends Beaumaris of York to monitor Alys and her student interns. Under the guise of “overseer”, Beaumaris’ will make sure that nothing interferes with Alys and her search.

But Beaumaris didn’t count on his attraction to the pretty archeologist and he soon finds his protective instincts surfacing. When a rogue faction shows up near the dig site Alys and Beau realize they are on to something. Danger follows them as they get closer and closer to discovering the treasure, but no treasure is worth what would happen if the Emeralds fall into the wrong hands.

Nightbound is the third book in this trilogy spinoff of Ms. Viehl’s Darkyn series. The search for the Emeralds of Eternity continues. Fabled to bring eternal life to the one who possesses it, it’s not really clear what the emeralds are capable of and they could quite possibly do more damage than good if they fell into the wrong hands. While I enjoyed this final installment-Beaumaris and Alys were a fun couple-I have to admit being slightly confused with a few things.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding the emeralds. They are being “protected” by the ghost of Cristophe, a blacksmith from the time of the Templars. He is its self appointed guardian, determined to keep the emeralds safe. I refer to Cristophe as a ghost because I’m not exactly sure what kind of entity he is. His closeness to the emeralds over hundreds of years have created the “being” he is and he refuses for the Emeralds to fall in to the wrong hands. He’s come to Alys through her dreams since she was a child, as a kind of guide. I found his connection to Alys and the mystery surrounding the emeralds and why Cristophe did what he did to be confusing. Even re-reading parts of this story have not cleared up his part in all this. There also seems to be a connection between Beaumaris and Cristophe, but I hesitate to mention my suspicions here in case they be considered spoilers.

That aside, I really did enjoy our hero and heroine in this story. Beaumaris is a couple hundred years old and has not really been interested in a woman for a very long time. He has some secrets and he fears them coming out and losing the only family he’s ever know, even after all this time. He is totally unprepared for Alys, yet they immediately seem to be a perfect match. Alys is young, but she’s no pushover and she is not at all happy when Beau shows up to oversee her dig on behalf of Richard Tremayne. Right away she is suspicious of him and the fact that he is gorgeous is just too much of a distraction for her. She tries hard to convince him that his presence is not necessary until Tremayne puts his foot down and Alys realizes that this is a battle she will not win. Their romance develops nicely and I really enjoyed them together.

If you are a fan of the previous Darkyn series, you’ll be happy to know that we see several characters from that series as well as the couples from the previous two books in this trilogy. Several secrets are revealed and there is some closure to the mystery of the emeralds, though I felt the author did leave a small door open should she decide to pursue this series further.

While I admit that I found part of the story confusing, I still found it enjoyable. I have always been intrigued by any story with focus on the Knights Templar and the author spins an interesting tale here with colorful characters. The resounding theme of good vs. evil comes through here but is also skewered just slightly to make you ask yourself “who exactly was the bad guy?” Personally, a second pass of this book is definitely in order for me when time permits.

Rating: C

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