With Rapture's Etesian, Charlotte Boyett-Compo returns to her dark fantasy romance Windworld series, a series full of vampires, werewolves, demons, and wild warrior men and women. Every time I think there is no way Ms. Boyett-Compo can top the last one, she proves me wrong. So sit back, get your loved ones in the house, bon-bons in lap and be prepared for anything.

After a childhood incident leaves Lady Kynthia Ancaeus an unwilling bride, she makes the decision to never let anyone have power over her again. With that decision she agreed to become a Reaper, a creature that is both a vampire and werewolf like creature. A creature destined to live alone with no mate for hundreds of years. Or is she?

After being captured, bound to a bed and raped by Kynthia's aunt and her sisters on yet another of their mad searches for a mate for Kynthia, Leski Helios vows revenge if he could only escape. Kynthia, angry at her relatives for capturing yet another man and because she wants nothing to do with a man or a mate, releases Leski. Once he steals her horse to escape the other women, he finds he cannot stop thinking about the one that helped him.

Leski tries to return Kynthia's horse and through their conversation Leski is drawn closer to Kynthia and she to him. As they meet, their attraction grows. Is Leski the man she can trust with all that she is? Or will he betray her as those before him?

He finds that he can't forget her and even as fate draws them together, it tests their strength. They must join forces in bringing their warring people together in a final fight to save them from an even greater enemy.

With RAPTURE'S ETESIAN, Charlotte Boyett-Compo has continued the saga of the Reaper. She is the author of over 30 speculative fiction novels. Her published works are in the genres of paranormal romance, horror, sci-fi, mystery/thriller, dark historical romance and sword & sorcery adventure romance. As with the previous Windworld books, Rapture's Etesian has both graphic violence and sex. While this book is not for the squeamish, if you are willing to give the dark side a try, this is the one to read.

Reviewed by: Tammy Adams
©May 2005