The Dark Highlander
I don't usually do this as Ms Moning's novels each stand alone.
This one does too, however before reading this review be warned that it contains
spoilers for the ending of Kiss of the Highlander.
I can't leave the spoilers out because they are an integral part of the story of
The Dark Highlander. However read on at your peril if you have not read
the first book.
The Dark Highlander is the direct sequel to Kiss of the Highlander and is the story of Drustan's brother Dageus MacKeltar.
Those who have read the first of these two books will be aware that Dageus was destined to die before the Drustan's trip through time. However the miscalculations made by Drustan meant that when Gwen arrived in the past she found herself there earlier than planned and with time to save Dageus. Warning the family of the danger in advance Dageus was saved and the lonely highlander Gwen had come to know was left in the past to continue his life without his twin brother at his side.
But no sooner were Gwen and Drustan reunited in modern day Scotland they discovered in the form of a letter from Silvan and Nell (Drustan and Dageus's father and next-mother) that Dageus's life was in grave danger.
Whilst Drustan had lain in an enchanted sleep waiting to be reunited with Gwen, Dageus had become obsessed with ensuring that nothing kept the two apart. When a fire had destroyed the wing of the castle where Drustan had slept Dageus had been tortured with grief and had done the unthinkable...
Dageus convinced himself that the Tuatha dé Danaan were little more than myths. They had not been seen in many centuries and no proof had been found of their existence. Neither does he believe in the curse that will fall on anyone who breaks the Compact to protect the law and use the power of time travel for personal gain.
Going back in time through the stones Dageus prevents the fire from occurring and saves Drustan's life. But his own journey is just beginning as the evil spirits of thirteen powerful Druids who had nearly destroyed the world take up residence in his body and an ancient prophecy begins to unfold.
Fleeing from his father's castle, hating the disappointment he sees in his eyes, Dageus travels through the stones once more and takes up residence in modern day Manhattan. Each day brings him another step closer to turning completely dark as he struggles to resist using the magical powers of the ancient Druids for his own personal gain. Searching for a way to rid himself of them he finds that he must use the powers to search for the remedy but the more he uses the powers the less time he has left to him. A very vicious circle.
Dageus finds that the one thing that makes him feel more human and keeps the spirits at bay is sex and he can barely go a week without a woman before he finds himself turning dark. The only visible clue to his state is in his golden eyes...the closer he is to turning dark the darker his eyes appear.
Borrowing ancient tomes he is pleased to find that one volume he needs will be loaned to him from The Cloisters. It is Chloe Zanders job to deliver the priceless volume to him.
Finding his apartment unlocked she is astounded by the display of ancient artifacts and begins to snoop through the rooms. It is in his bedroom that she discovers the stolen tomes and it is as she is crawling under the bed that Dageus returns and finds her.
Keeping her hostage he explains he will be returning the volumes and promises to release her soon. However when he runs out of volumes to look through and knows he must return to Scotland and his family's library he enlists Chloe's help and she travels with him across the ocean in return for any three artifacts from his collection.
Chloe has no idea that the Dark Highlander she has found is in fact a time travelling Druid and it is only when she finds herself back in the sixteenth century with him that she learns the truth about the man she has fallen for and the terrible predicament he has found himself in.
Meanwhile there are further problems in the form of an ancient order of Druids who wish to bring about the return of the beings who are currently residing within Dageus. Continually watching they plan to ensure that Dageus uses the powers within him enough that the spirits will take over his body and they will obtain the power of the Tuatha dé Danaan. And they will go to any lengths to ensure that the prophecy is fulfilled.
And ever watchful in the background Adam Black and Aoibheal, Queen of the Tuatha dé Danaan, decide the fate of the man who has broken the Compact.
Much darker than Kiss of the Highlander this is the perfect compliment to that novel. However it was not without its humour and I especially loved that once again Chloe, like Gwen, was not warned of Drustan and Dageus being twins.
I was also glad to see Drustan and Gwen returning in this novel to more of an extent that would normally be found in a sequel. You often find that in sequels after a fleeting glimpse other characters from previous novels vanish into the ether...I was very pleased to see that this was not the case in The Dark Highlander.
All in all a wonderful duo of books that should be read together and in order.
RATING : 
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Also by Karen Marie Moning: Beyond the Highland Mist, To Tame a Highland Warrior,
The Highlander's Touch, Kiss of the Highlander and The Immortal Highlander.
Also Into the Dreaming, part of the Tapestry Anthology
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