Chaos Burning
Lauren Dane
Berkley, Jun 5 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425250822

Lark Jaansen of Clan Gennessee knows the life of a hunter fits her perfectly as violence is her middle name. When she and off world soldier Simon Leviathan meet, they are attracted to each other and respect each other’s warrior ethic.

At the same time, hostilities heat up with the war between witches and humans sending the frightened fae into hiding and giving an opportunity for the suddenly brazen vampires to flex their power. Lark and Simon find evidence that the prehistoric malevolent Magister from across the veil has begun to suck dry the magick of the Others with time running out on all sentient species. The hunter and the alien warrior know finding the Magister will prove much easier than defeating the Magister; survival is unlikely regardless.

The latest Bound by Magick urban fantasy (see Heart of Darkness) is a super thriller due to the fascinating Dane mythos that comes alive in the hunt for the invincible Magister. The lead couple is a solid pairing of two alpha warriors while the evil enemy has been around seemingly forever. Fans will enjoy this exciting entry starting with “MacArthur Park is melting in the dark” (Richard Harris’ MacArthur Park) and continuing with the anticipated showdown.

Harriet Klausner