Guest Reviewed by Morgan
Title: Darach’s Cariad
Author: R.J. Scott
Series: The Fire Trilogy #2
Heroes: Darach Gravenor/Ceithin Morgan
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 133 Pages
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Release Date: November 7, 2014
Available at: Love Lane Books, Amazon and All Romance Ebooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Darach Gravenor is a keeper of blue Fire. He is alone in his world and he wants to rescue his friend Kian from the horrors of the Other World.
Ceithin Morgan is Cariad. Strong with Ancient magic he teaches Darach that not all children’s fairy stories should be believed. Ceithin has his own reasons for helping Darach and shows Darach that there is magic that he never even knew existed.
They are living on borrowed time. Guardian knows what they are doing and he is coming for Ceithin. Darach and Ceithin have two choices — do they run, or do they make their stand together?
Review: In book 2, we see a bit more from Kian and his Hunter, Regan. They are still struggling as a couple, and Kian is having terrible nightmares from the other world. Both are more determined than ever to cross back.
Meanwhile, Darach is following his destiny by finding the man who helped Kian cross over, Ceithin. Ceithin is a Cariad (something like a gypsy) and is thought of like a mongrel or some other distasteful part of society, but he holds strong magic and is willing to help Darach learn to control his fire and cross back to help Kian.
While training, they learn about amber fire and how both Ceithin’s brother and Darach’s friend, Eoin, held it. They also learn that they are fated life partners.
Just as the time is coming to test Darach’s fire and cross over to Kian, a Guardian makes himself known as Eoin and it is decided the group shall travel together to the other world to save Kian and some other man who holds Amber fire.
**
This story was all over the place. We see glimpses of Kian and Regan – and they aren’t doing well. We meet Darach and Ceithin and Darach comes across as a very whiny, bratty, ungrateful man who resents taking the time to train and only knows he misses Kian and wants him back. Not unlike a child who has lost a favorite toy.
Then we also see the City Council and the Guardian and their plots to stay alive and capture the Amber fire.
That’s a lot for a short story, and unfortunately, it doesn’t translate well.
I never liked Darach. I felt the night and day turnaround from hate to love between him and Ceithin was unbelievable. Then the discovery of Eoin, while predictable, was too much for this short story to handle.
I’m not sure what the original stories were like, but I think that this is one of those situations where the stories should have remained shorter (more quick summaries and carefully selected words) or broadened significantly to make the reader more of a believer.
I’m still invested enough to want to learn what happens with Eoin and Kian in book 3, but I’m not at all invested in Darach and Ceithin as lovers.
Overall Impression: It was good
*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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