Series: Highland Secrets #1
Author: Laura J. Williams
Age Group: New Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal
Elements: Fae, Pixies, Demons, Ghosts
Publisher: Laura J. Williams
Format: PDF
ASIN: B008P30FV8
Published: July 25th, 2012
Source: Laura J. Williams
Events: Book Tour
Rating: 3/5 STARS
Purchase: Amazon
The MacAlpin women are of a fierce clan, born from a rare bloodline that harbors a dark and powerful secret – a mystical heirloom called the Moon Pendant. It is the key to controlling the MääGord standing stones, a magical Portal into the Otherworld, the realm of the Fae.
Anabel and Izzy’s MacAlpin are two sisters, polar opposites, living separate lives.
Anabel’s life is going precisely according to her plan, a ring on her finger from her steady beau, Edgar, and medical school in the fall.
Izzy’s life is filled with scars and wounds from her past. Dubbed the “spare child” by her family and treated poorly, she rebelled, and now lives life by her own rules.
These two sisters’s worlds are about to explode when one of them must go to Scotland and fulfill her duty as the Guardian of the Moon Pendant, by recharging this magical heirloom with four elementals, air, earth, water, and fire, and then finally close the Portal.
There’s only one problem…
The Baobhan Sith – a vampiric faery who lures men in with her hypnotic voice, feeding on their blood or transforming them into MÃ rmann, her zombie-like warriors who do her bidding – desires the Moon Pendant to take control over the Portal, opening a gateway into the realm of man, helping her to seek revenge on the MacAlpin clan, and to quench her eternal thirst for human blood.
Anabel finds herself torn between a sinfully handsome Scottish warrior, Blane and her fiancée, Edgar. Izzy finds herself, angered by her sister’s lack of faith in her.
Both sisters are forced to help one another, but may end up killing each other in the end.
Will these two sisters put aside their differences before the final task to charge the Moon Pendant or will the Baobhan Sith, the vampiric faery, be successful and open the Portal into the Otherworld?
Anabel and Izzy MacAlpin are two sisters who couldn't be more different. Anabel has her life all planned out and everything is going accordingly. Izzy is just trying to get through each day in one piece. These two are constantly fighting, bickering, and trying to one-up the other. Their relationship perfectly portrays the sibling rivalry to a T. Although Anabel and Izzy go too far sometimes, I felt the relationship between them was genuine.
The MacAlpin clan has been the Guardians of the Moon Pendant and the portal for generations. Anabel, being the eldest daughter, is the heir and it's her duty to become the Guardian, but she wants no part of it since it will ruin her perfect life plan. Whereas Izzy is nicknamed the "spare child" and treated badly. Izzy views Anabel's resistence to being Guardian as her chance to prove herself by becoming the Guardian instead. But as their grandmother said, the Pendant is fickle and it may not let Anabel go.
I love reading about mythology and folklore, so when I saw that Guardian of the Moon Pendant featured Scottish fae folklore, I couldn't wait to start reading. There's the Red Cap, the Baobhan Sith, the Nuckelavee, the Ghillie Dhu, Trows, Will-o-the-Wisps, among others. I just love the stories behind these fantastical and otherworldly beings.
While I'm on the subject of Scotland, this book does have a highlander--in all his kilted glory. Blane is a Sentinel of Light, who swore an oath to Danu to protect the Guardians and the portal. He is roughly 500 years old, but only looks about 25 years old, and boy, does he make Anabel want to change her mind about marrying Edgar. It's too bad that a Sentinel is forbidden from marrying a Guardian. Though I thought the romance between Blane and Anabel wasn't necessary to the story as a whole, it was nice to see a bit of romance--and I'd like to know what Anabel ever saw in Edgar? He's kinda icky in my opinion--I'd choose Blane when I first laid eyes on him.
Besides the Fae was a whole, the main villain of the book is Lainahywn, the Baobhan Sith. She is a vampiric faery who sucks men dry or turns them into zombie-like warriors. She wants the Pendant and control of the portal--and she'll do anything to get it. Lainahywn is really kinda scary. She may look real pretty when she's all glamored up, but once she drops the facade--ugh! She's definitely a baddy you want to stay away from.
Laura J. Williams is a hopeless and lost cause, tucked away in her dark sleeping chamber, in her gloomy abyss of a writing cave, separated from the realm of man, chomping on chicken legs and quenching her thirst with large glasses of red wine. She is consoled daily by her rescued cat, baby-kitty, who only gives her love when she wants to.
Aye, it is a sad life she lives…
But, God danced the day Laura was born, the angels rejoiced, and the demons trembled.
She’s just another day-dreamer with a story to tell, doing her best to kick arse. She hides behind a shroud of anonymity, creating a world of lost mythical creatures, breathing life into them, and praying that someone will take pleasure in her work.
She is the warrior of the heroine, the sorceress of words, yielder of magic, teller of dark secrets, and the jester of tantalizing tales.
Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2012 to my book blogs, Zodiac Book Reviews and A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books.
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