I actually read this one for the first time a while ago and was pretty harsh on it. I started it up again because I wanted to read the whole trilogy. I apparently was in more of a mood for it this time than last time. To be honest, I picked it up becuase of its vampire ties, like I picked up a previous trilogy by Roberts because it had a tie to witchcraft. I am not usually a fan of Nora Roberts, but the earlier trilogy was fun, and this one is turning out not so bad.

It all starts on the watery cliffs of Ireland as Hoyt is confront Lilith, a terrible vampire queen who has recently turned his borther Cian to vampiric ways. After the battle, Cian ends up tossed off the cliff and Hoyt barely escapes with his life.

Shortley thereafter, he is visited by the goddess Morrigan, who tells him that he has been chosen to fend off the apocalypse headed by Lilith herself. He will lead and army with five others: a warrior, a witch, a changeling, a demon, and sage.

Before Hoyt knows it, he is racing forward in time from the Twelvth Centruy to our modern world in order to face the ultimate battle. It is not long before he meets up with his brother Cian who has lived 900 years and is a successful businessman and a vampire who has given up feeding on humans for the blood of others. It is a shocking introduction to our world and the obvious challenges that come along with it for someone of the 1100s.

Before long they are quickly joined by a witch who also lives in New York City. Glenna is spunky and practical which is a nice offset to the relationship between the two brothers that seem to be mor opposites than being from the same family.

Cian, fortunately, has a private jet and quickly zips them all along to the family estate in Ireland, where the epic battle is due to take place. He has acquired the family estate and has modernized it over the centuries, which allows for a great base of opperations for the growing team. It gives them an opportunity to build relationships, practice their skills, and form team-based bonds.

Lilith, of course, is not sitting idly by as the enemy prepares. She and her forces quickly encircle the estate, taking every opportunity to try and weaken the team. There is more than one time, that she seems to break the root before it has a chance to grow.

Overall, the story is interesting and on the level of an epic tale. It is unfortunate that the publisher's needs to spew out Roberts' book so quickly allow for numerous typographical errors and less than pristine editing that would have eliminated some points in the story that drag rather than propel the action forward. The book is a typical first novel in a trilogy that spends more time setting up the story than anything else, but it leave s a lot of promise for the future of the series.