The Only One

This trio of stories explores romance with an otherworldly edge. In "Dark Descent," the newest installment of Feehan's mesmerizing "Carpathian (Dark)" series, an aggressive, multitalented professional body guard/secret service agent who never lets danger or the unknown stop her becomes the lifemate of a powerful immortal embroiled in a battle with the vampires. In "The Star Queen," Susan Grant's prequel to her popular Star books, a munitions developer/producer finds love with a rebel leader who begins the peace process in one corner of the galaxy. In "Sacrilege," a spinoff of Susan Squire's popular Sacrament, the vampire heroine (a recovering "addict") is quite strong but generally seeks to avoid rather than embrace adventure. This highly sensual, exceptionally well-done anthology by three of alternative reality's top writers will appeal to devoted fans and is well worth the notice of readers who have not experimented with this subgenre.