There is more than enough evil to be found in the present day world. What if something occurred that would unleash the most heinous serial killers of the ages back into the world? Would anyone recognize the truth behind this new horror and if they do will anyone be able to stop it before it is too late?

Eternal Beauty, Eternal Darkness is the third book in The Summoning series. This group of tales connected by theme only can be read independent of one another without losing the flavor intended. The series is based on the idea that a 14th century novice witch, seeking protection from evil, cast a spell that would enable her descendants with something dangerous. The gift of tremendous power, power of a magnitude to which evil would be irresistibly drawn. Now in the present century, a window has been opened which allows evil from centuries past to return to the world.

This book tells the tale of the evil Countess Erzsebet Bathory, historically considered a vampiress of sorts because she allegedly used the blood drawn from countless young virgins in an attempt to retain her beauty. Escaping from a troubled past, present day bookshop owner Tara Carlisle has found contentment in the small college town where she has opened up shop. Then a spell book belonging to Erzsebet is sent to be restored, allowing a spirit of blood hungry evil to be unleashed.

Garon Rothwell, a gorgeous Hungarian with a few unique gifts of his own, offers to protect Tara from evil while helping her search for the source. A distant familial connection to the Countess makes Garon a target as well and he knows he must resist his attraction to Tara in order to retain the power he needs to fight this evil attack. Not any easy choice when he finds his feeling for Tara leading him toward ever-changing life decisions. In an atmosphere full of young girls, it quickly becomes a race against time to discover exactly who harbors the evil one’s spirit before yet another innocent is sacrificed.

Eternal Beauty, Eternal Darkness is a wonderfully written paranormal romance filled with a touch of mystery, a bit of darkness, and a love story more than worth the cost of picking this one up. The hero and heroine are both complex and detailed characters that readers will enjoy getting to know. Clear a block of time for yourself when you are ready to start this one because once you begin you won’t be able to walk away!

There is a reappearance of a character from Ms Connolly’s previous addition to this series. A wonderful character known as Cristos who is the Assistant Director of an elite CIA branch known for both its interest and use of the paranormal in its investigations. This and the theme itself are the only connection however and will not cause the readers any confusion if they are just joining the series at book three.

That said – as a reader/reviewer having read and enjoyed both of the previous installments, I highly recommend it worth the effort to seek out book one, Abbatoir by Cassie Walder, and book two, Chemistry of Evil by Lynne Connolly. If for no other reason than the fact that this is shaping up to be a great series, you will be sorry if you miss out on any of it.

Reviewed By Johnna
© Sept 2005