URBAN FANTASY ROMANCE REVIEW: Arcane Society 8: Dreamlight 2: Burning Lamp - Jayne Ann Krentz

Release Date: 05/05/11

SYNOPSIS:

More than three centuries ago, Nicholas Winters irrevocably altered his genetic makeup in an obsession-fuelled competition with alchemist and Arcane Society founder Sylvester Jones. Driven to control their psychic abilities, each man's decision has reverberated throughout the family line, rewarding some with powers beyond their wildest dreams, and cursing others to a life filled with madness and hallucinations. At the heart of this curse is the Burning Lamp. In BURNING LAMP by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Amanda Quick, FIRED UP by Jayne Ann Krentz and MIDNIGHT CRYSTAL by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle, you will meet the three men - past, present and future - of the Burning Lamp, descendants of Nicholas Winters. There is only one hope for them: each must find the artefact and a woman who can work the dreamlight energy that the device produces in order to reverse the dangerous psychical changes brought on by the curse - or risk turning into a monster...


REVIEW:

One of the things with this series is that the reader has to be adaptable as the author loves to jump from time to time so for one title you can be in the modern era, in another back to the Victorian which is pretty much what is happened here. Whilst this is a Victorian Era, it makes this the second book in the Dreamlight series and as such prior to reading this, readers should already be more than familiar with Fired Up (reviewed here). Whilst the characters are slightly better developed here, it is to a more modern interpretation of the female lead that we depart to within. Not that it’s a bad thing but if you’re writing a Victorian title you do have to stick to a certain amount of the conventions within.

That said, it is well written, the cast are predominantly suited to bring the title to its conclusion and yes, there is a good dollop of old fashioned romance that will weaken a number of fans at the knees. It’s cleverly developed and will all in please many readers enough to keep them glued for the third part of the series, Midnight Crystal.