Kella Campbell

I've enjoyed this whole series, and The Dark Highlander is no exception. The pacing and tension are good, everything you'd expect from a book by this author. I was the teeniest bit uncomfortable with some things Dageus tying Chloe to the bed and preventing her from leaving his apartment, not to mention tricking her into eating, and not stopping right away when she said stop early on, before their relationship had developed, and there are some moments of dubious consent early on, but that's all smoothed out into an intense and engaging relationship that kind of makes you forgive the dubious start to it.Drustan from [b:Kiss of the Highlander 112754 Kiss of the Highlander (Highlander, #4) Karen Marie Moning https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400966202s/112754.jpg 2746769] is still my favourite of the MacKeltar men, but I liked Dageus a lot too, and there's an explanation the Draghar infesting him for the darker side to him. Chloe is sassy and intelligent and I'd like her as a friend.Overall, I'd definitely recommend this, but I'd at least read Kiss of the Highlander before this one, because Drustan and Gwen appear in this story and I think I appreciated that interaction more because I'd read them in the correct order.

I wish I could give this book six stars out of five. How did I wait so long to read it?

On the surface it's a little like Twilight(at least with regard to not being a vampire and loving a vampire) but with intelligence and maturity and academia and history and tea and yoga, and a little like Outlander for the richly drawn history but even more ancient and modern. It defies description, really, but there's plenty of suspense and fantasy, woven with a strong thread of a love story that has an epic feel.

This goes on my keep-forever shelf.

I got to read this while I was doing e-book production for it (one of the perks of the job is that I get to read the good ones) and it is great. Slips by like a fast, easy read and then you finish it and think, wow, there were a lot of deep feels in that. If you've ever felt intimidated at going to the gym, or wondered where those extra pounds came from and why they won't go away, or heard that inner voice whispering you're-not-good-enough, you should read this book. There were moments when it made me a little uncomfortable about my own food choices and reasons for things, but it was a good kind of uncomfortable, if that makes sense. Fun chick lit on the surface, deep and inspiring underneath.

This all-ages fantasy story is uplifting, inclusive, and comforting. The banter between Sir Violet and Snap the dragon is witty and clever with touches of sarcasm, but the humor never gets mean. It's a lighthearted read that nevertheless presents a deep message about acceptance of self and others. Short enough that it can be read fairly quickly, it's a great comfort read — I have re-read it a few times when the world has seemed grim, and it never fails to lift me up.

I have the paperback edition (Atthis Arts, 2020) and it's beautifully typeset with a lovely cover and overall excellent quality of printing and paper.

This is werewolves and vampires done right. Loved it and couldn't put it down.